She has everything she needs for a solo trek through the Arctic: a sledge heaped with supplies, a little magic, and evidently, the eye of a polar bear shifter-who shouldn't even exist.

Sirin is determined to find the source of magic, and nothing is going to stop her. Not expulsion from her guild, not their warnings about her "certain death," and certainly not the damned polar bear stalking her through the taiga.

Berne is a simple bear. He likes spending time shifted, a good meal, and apparently, round little scientists. When his duty to protect a thousand-year-old secret is tested against the strange pull he feels toward her, Berne can't help but sink his teeth into the one solution that might let him keep his adorable prey.

For fans of Emily Wilde's Enceyclopedia of Faeries with the spice of Ice Planet Barbarians, determined plus-sized heroines and cinnamon-roll bear shifters, A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities is the first standalone novella in The Shades of Sanctuary, where the vibes are cozy, the heat is high and the mates are monstrous. Grab a cup of tea and snuggle in, because while the burn might be slow the HEA is still only a few hours away!