Heart of frost and scars.., p.1
Heart of Frost and Scars (Frozen Fate Book 3), page 1
Contents
Contents
Disclaimer
Author Note
Epigraph
1 - Leonid
2 - Leonid
3 - Kodiak
4 - Kodiak
5 - Kodiak
6 - Frankie
7 - Frankie
8 - Frankie
9 - Frankie
10 - Monty
11 - Leonid
12 - Monty
13 - Monty
14 - Monty
15 - Kodiak
16 - Kodiak
17 - Frankie
18 - Frankie
19 - Frankie
20 - Leonid
21 - Leonid
22 - Leonid
23 - Frankie
24 - Kodiak
25 - Leonid
26 - Leonid
27 - Monty
28 - Frankie
29 - Frankie
30 - Frankie
31 - Kodiak
32 - Monty
33 - Monty
34 - Monty
35 - Leonid
36 - Leonid
37 - Kodiak
38 - Frankie
39 - Frankie
40 - Frankie
41 - Kodiak
42 - Frankie
43 - Frankie
44 - Frankie
45 - Monty
46 - Monty
47 - Monty
48 - Kodiak
49 - Frankie
50 - Kodiak
51 - Monty
52 - Leonid
53 - Leonid
54 - Frankie
55 - Monty
56 - Frankie
57 - Kodiak
58 - Frankie
59 - Monty
60 - Frankie
61 - Leonid
62 - Frankie
63 - Kodiak
64 - Monty
65 - Monty
66 - Monty
67 - Kodiak
68 - Leonid
69 - Frankie
70 - Kodiak
71 - Monty
Other Books by Pam Godwin
About Pam Godwin
Copyright
The books in the FROZEN FATE trilogy
are not stand-alones.
They must be read in order.
Hills of Shivers and Shadows #1
Cage of Ice and Echoes #2
Heart of Frost and Scars #3
Hills of Shivers and Shadows - Links and Content Warning
My Dear Readers,
Welcome to the conclusion of the Frozen Fate trilogy.
Before you dive in, I want to set your expectations.
Frankie and her snow cabin boys no longer grapple with wolves, bears, starvation, and blizzards. They face new fears and obstacles, and I felt it was crucial to honor their journey by not rushing their transition.
Adjusting to a world so vastly different from the hills is neither quick nor easy. It’s goddamn frustrating. But I wanted to give their experiences the time and depth they deserve without the relentless, heart-pounding action that defined the first two books.
In other words, your poor heart will get a breather.
If only for a while.
You followed them through their harrowing survival in Hoss. As they claw, snarl, and fight their way through this new world, I hope you find their struggles as compelling and poignant as their past adventures.
Thank you for continuing this journey with them.
Happy Reading,
“My! People come and go so quickly here!”
Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
1
Leonid
—
Frost-laden shock clings to my heart as Monty parks the car on the tarmac.
An early spring fog casts a haze over the runway of Anchorage’s airport, the last vestiges of the blizzard lingering in dirty slush along the edges of the pavement.
The weather might have cleared, but the storm still rages inside me, its blinding flurries of resentment and distrust obscuring the path forward, numbing my senses, and leaving only a sharp, cold determination to protect Frankie from this new danger. Whatever the fuck it is.
She sits in the back seat, pressed tightly against Kody, her face ashen, her voice seemingly frozen in her throat. She barely breathes, her shoulders rigid and lips bloodless.
I hate seeing her like this, the fearless spark she usually exudes snuffed out, replaced by a dull, haunted look.
Kody’s arm wraps around her, holding her close to his side, his expression dark and brooding.
None of us have spoken since we left the lawyer’s office, the gravity of Denver’s revelations suffocating the car.
Beside me, Monty stares at his private jet through the windshield.
I don’t know the man, but I bet his hand doesn’t normally tremble like that.
He clenches it and reaches for the door handle, his face glowing with the shiner I gave him at the hospital.
“You said my reappearance made national news,” Frankie whispers. “But I haven’t seen a reporter since we left the hospital.”
“I took care of it.”
“How?”
“My public relations team is providing controlled, regular updates and exclusives, eliminating the need for invasive reporting. It only buys us a day or two. Long enough to fly to Sitka. Once we’re on the island, we’ll be out of the public eye, secluded, safe, and impossible to access. I also have security measures in place here and when we land to stop anyone trying to approach us.” He opens the door. “I’ll check on the plane. Stay here.”
He exits the car like he can’t escape our unbreathable air fast enough.
The door clicks shut as he strides away, a dark silhouette against the overcast sky.
I may not grasp the full scope of his influence over the media, but I understand the outcome. He’s shielding Frankie, protecting her from public scrutiny.
It’s an uncomfortable reminder of the power he wields.
Montgomery Strakh.
My uncle.
Kody’s half-brother.
Wolf’s father.
Frankie’s husband.
The part that I’m really struggling to wrap my head around is that Kody, the guy who’s been my little brother my entire life, is actually my uncle.
And we share the same woman.
Shit doesn’t get more tangled than that.
I don’t trust Monty, and he shouldn’t trust me. Yet the dumbass left the car running.
I’ve never driven before, but I can figure it out. The controls can’t be more complicated than flying a plane.
“Let’s get out of here.” I twist in the seat and find Kody’s eyes. “We don’t need him.”
“You sure about that?” He stiffens, his voice low and rough. “You heard what he said about the reporters. We can’t have them broadcasting her location. She’s in danger.”
“Apparently, being in danger is my new normal.” She curls her fingers on her lap, her words clipped. Angry.
Outside, Monty gestures animatedly as he converses with the crew beside the jet, preparing to carry us off to his estate in Sitka.
“This threat against you…” I soften my tone, not wanting to scare her more than she already is. “It’s worse than wolves and blizzards and starvation. You know why? Because we don’t know who or what it is. We won’t see it coming until it’s too late.” I thrust a finger at the man who is far too eager to help us. “The threat could be Monty.”
I expect her to react, to argue, to defend him. But she doesn’t. She glances in his direction, where he huddles into his coat and talks to the crew.
Then she nods. “We can’t rule him out. Denver said this…admirer is from my past, yearning for me in a way far darker than his own affection.” She shudders. “Maybe it is Monty. But he had me for three years. He had endless opportunities to do what he wanted. I mean, I lived with him. Married him. Trusted him.” Emotion builds in her tone. “My brain says to run. I can’t trust him. But my gut…I don’t know. It’s just a twisted, hard knot of fear. It doesn’t tell me anything. I don’t know what to do.”
“You’re upsetting her,” Kody snarls.
“It’s not Leo.” She slumps. “It’s everything else. We need a fucking break, you know? It’s like we escaped, only we didn’t.”
What have we gained by leaving Hoss? We traded starvation and cold for what? A monster worse than Denver?
I shift uncomfortably, the stiffness of new denim chafing my skin. Every layer of fabric on my body carries a scent I don’t recognize. An unwelcome, chemical stench that isn’t found in nature.
Monty bought our clothes, our boots, even our goddamn underwear. The suede coat envelops me, its edges precise, each stitch meticulous, so different from the worn, practical clothing I shared with my brothers all my life.
I run a hand along the soft, luxurious material. It may have come from an animal, but it’s been crafted into an unrecognizable pelt meant to shield me from the cold in a way that seems too gentle for the life I’ve lived.
Frankie pulls her coat tighter around herself. A white puffy thing, similar to the first one she wore when she arrived at Hoss. The memory of that day flashes in my mind—her strength, her vulnerability, as she stepped into a world so brutally different from anything she knew.
She despises the cold, and that coat doesn’t look warm enough.
I remo
“What are you doing?” She pushes it back.
“You’re shivering.”
“I’m not cold, Leo. I promise. Put your coat back on.”
Despite her assurances, I make a mental note to find her something warmer, something that feels more like us. Something less like this new, polished existence and more like the survival and warmth we’ve found in each other against the raw cold of the Arctic.
Kody’s new coat, similar to mine, hugs his frame awkwardly, as if it’s unsure of its place on his body. The fabric, though fine and expensive, seems to constrain him, like he’s wearing someone else’s skin.
“What does your gut tell you?” he asks me, tugging at the collar, his fingers rough against the velvety material, pulling it away from his neck like he’s trying to escape it. “Do we fly to Sitka or cut ties and run?”
I shift my gaze back to Monty, churning with suspicion, confusion, and an unbearable acknowledgment that, for now, we could use his help.
“I don’t like it,” I finally murmur, glancing back at Frankie.
Her pale skin, tight expression, each breath strained and shallow—she’s a far cry from the woman I know, the woman I love.
A fresh wave of worry crashes over me. “Maybe we should stay in Anchorage for a bit, give ourselves time to adjust.”
“And do what?” Kody stabs a hand through his hair, setting the black strands in disarray, an unconscious rebellion against the refined look he’s been forced to adopt. “I’m not disagreeing with you, but we need a plan. Where would we stay? How would we survive?”
I don’t have an answer, and he knows it. Our options are limited, dire realities pressing in from all sides. The thought of staying in an unknown city, where threats lurk unseen, without money or shelter to protect her, makes my hackles bristle.
We need time to process everything—the tangled family ties, the looming danger, Denver’s haunting words.
I look out at Monty again, watching as he climbs into the cockpit, his conversation with the crew concluding.
For all my distrust, Monty’s right about one thing. We need to go somewhere safe, somewhere isolated. The offer of his island, the privacy of his guest house, seems a small solace amidst the madness.
The engines of the plane roar to life, the deep hum vibrating through the tarmac, through my bones.
I turn back to Frankie, her hand clutching Kody’s arm, her knuckles white.
“Say the word.” She sits taller. “I’ll climb into the driver’s seat and drive us away from him.”
If that’s what she wants, she would’ve already done it.
She certainly didn’t ask my permission before stealing my snow machine and crashing it into a hill.
“What’s stopping you?” I narrow my eyes.
“If Monty is the danger Denver warned us about…” She swallows. “He’ll find me. Doesn’t matter where I go or how long it takes. He’ll hunt me down. Stealing his car and driving to another city won’t stop him.”
“He didn’t find you in Hoss.”
She makes a noise in her throat, her face collapsing. “I can’t—”
“You’re not going back there,” Kody growls, spearing me with a threatening glare.
“We’ll go to Sitka then.” I pull on my coat, my voice as steady as I can make it. “We don’t have a choice.”
She gives a slight nod, her eyes glistening. I reach toward the back seat, gripping her free hand, finding her fingers ice cold.
She’s fucking shaking.
Something else is wrong. My gaze flies to Kody.
He directs his eyes to the plane.
The plane…
Fuck.
“You’re not ready to fly again.” I close my hand around hers, trying to warm it. “That’s what this is about?”
“It’s fine.” She blinks rapidly. “I’m fine.”
“Bullshit.” I stroke my thumb across her knuckles. “Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s everything. All of it. I’m trying to be brave. I swear. It’s just a lot all at once.” She clings to my grip, her gaze pleading. “I haven’t even processed Denver’s video or what Monty’s role might be in it. Right now, I can’t think past the immediate danger, which is boarding that plane after…after…watching you and Kody get ripped away in the cockpit and the sound of twisting metal, the terror—”
“Shh.” Kody pulls her onto his lap. “We won’t fly. We’ll find another way.”
“No.” She scrambles off him and slides across the back seat, putting her arm out. “If you two can fly, I can, too. I won’t let fear control me. I’m just acknowledging it, okay? Let me voice it. Let me face it.”
Kody’s nostrils pulse.
Maybe the plane crash should’ve affected me more, but I don’t remember much of it. I recall Kody’s calming voice in the headset, the blinding whiteout of the blizzard, then…nothing.
“What about you?” I ask him.
“I don’t fear the plane.”
No, I suppose he’s more worried about Monty and his plans for Frankie. Same as me.
“Come here.” I reach for her.
She scoots forward, leaning between the front seats until our arms entangle and our foreheads connect. My lips find hers on instinct, my breath guiding hers, slow, steady, and together.
“How does he already have a plane waiting here?” I slide our noses together.
“Money.” She sighs. “He has chauffeurs and pilots everywhere. Someone brought his plane here, and someone else will drive this car away when we leave.”
“Back to Sitka?”
“If he owns it.” She shrugs. “It’s probably a rental.”
“How do you not know?”
“He owns a lot of shit. I never cared about that.”
“But you care now.”
“What do you want from me, Leo?” She pulls back, separating us.
“I don’t want you to be dependent on him.”
“I’m not. I have my own money saved, but it’s not enough to support all three of us. I can’t help you the way he can. Whether you like it or not, he’s your family, and he’s willing to assist—”
“At what cost?”
“He’s coming.” She watches him exit the plane, rushing her words. “Let’s say he is taking advantage of our situation for some malicious purpose. If this is a trap, we’ll set a trap right back and use him in the process.”
“Keep your enemies close,” I grumble. “Your logic is terrifying.”
“Fear has never stopped us before, and we’re going in with our eyes wide open. Are you afraid to exploit him and the help he’s offering?”
“Not if you promise to remain with Kody or me at all times.”
“I promise. If we do this, we do it together. I’m in if you guys are. Decide.”
Kody’s our hunter, the silent predator. His watchful strength and feral intuition, honed by a lifetime of survival, reassures me, even as I grapple with my swirling doubts about what lies ahead.
Frankie’s our healer. Her intelligence and medical skills saved us more times than I can count, and now she faces an even greater challenge. We need her to keep us intact through the psychological scars we bear. Her ability to see the best in us, to push us toward healing even when it’s the last thing we think we need, is more critical than ever.
I’m the brawler, the fucking enforcer. In the wild, my boiling temper and leadership often made the difference between life and death. Here, I need to find better ways to channel my protective fire. Not just against physical threats, but against the psychological, insidious dangers that might sneak up on us.
Our strengths complement one another, creating a force of solidarity. Whatever happens, we’ll face it as a team, a partnership forged in blood, survival, and unbreakable love.
A renewed sense of purpose cements itself inside me. We’re not just survivors of the past. We’re warriors for our forever.
“We need to keep our senses sharp and learn fast.” I look at Kody.
“Together.” He takes her hand.
“Together.” I shake off my unease and open the door.
2
Leonid
—
My protective instincts leap into overdrive as Kody and Frankie join me on the tarmac, their faces grim.
The chilly air nips my skin, but it’s a familiar cold, one I’ve battled all my life. Right now, it’s the only thing I relate to amid the sights and sounds of our surroundings.
Monty may know these places, these routines, but for Frankie, I trust no one.
My protection isn’t passive. It’s an active, constant thing as I probe the sprawling expanse of concrete and snow, the distant mountains, and the few private jets scattered across the field.
