Bearly a Chance: A Second Chances Romance (13 page)

Score.

The elder shifter reared back on his hind legs and shook his head. His paws scrabbled across his muzzle as though he were trying to scrape off the offensive spray.
Fuck it.

“Stop this, Arcos,” Aria commanded as she moved to straddle the goddess’ body. Aria turned and aimed her spray full on to the great beast.

“Want some more?” Her voice came out low and rough and raw. Barely above a whisper, but still. Loud enough. Arcos stumbled backwards on his hind legs, tottering to keep his balance. He pawed at his nose as he moved. He’d backed several steps, then twisted to the side and dropped to the floor. Before Aria could follow, and demand he shift, his whole body shimmered. Silver light wrapped around him, and his form shrank in on itself until he lay naked and huddled in a ball. He was still retching, sniffing and wiping his face with his hands. Her spray was damn effective.

Human 1; shifter 0.

Aria eyed the fallen shifter closely. Then a brilliant white bear filled her sight, blocking the pathetically human Arcos from view.
Ben.
Thank goodness he looked alright. Aria knew he’d guard her back so she turned away from the fallen Arcos, turned all her focus to the injured goddess. She twisted and knelt beside the wounded deity. Blood still Trickled from the wounds Arcos had gouged into the sides of her neck, but that trickle was slowing fast.
Is that a good sign or a bad one?
Aria reached out and rested her palm on Diana’s chest, just above her heart. A strong, steady pulse thudded beneath her palm, and her hand rose and fell with each breath the goddess took.
At least she’s alive.
Aria’s nose itched and tingled as the remnants of the spray hit her. At least she’d confirmed her homemade mix was damn effective.

Aria stood and stalked around the goddess to stand next to Ben. She fought her body’s need to tremble, or to bolt for safety.
Don’t lose it now, girl.
She reached up and rested her hand against Ben’s solid shoulder. Seeking comfort. He pressed into her touch with a gentle huff, but his eyes never left Arcos, never stopped scanning for threats. Aria leaned against him, grateful for his steady support. They stood in silence for what felt like hours, watching the elder shifter regain his composure. It was probably only moments before Arcos drug himself to a standing position. Aria couldn’t help comparing the two. Their bear shapes had a similar build, although Ben was definitely smaller. Their human forms were shockingly different though. Ben was bigger than his father and much better muscled. Not that Arcos was small, but his human form was deceptively lithe for a guy who spent a fair bit of time as a bear. That contrast floored her.

Ben growled low, and stepped in front of her, cutting off her view of Arcos. Her hand trailed down his body as he moved, and his white fur tickled her palm. She didn’t want to break that connection so she tried to peek around him, or over him, to no avail.
What’s he hiding?
Grunts of pain echoed in the marble room. Sounded like Arcos, but she didn’t see anything to explain what was hurting the shifter. Unless it was the remnants of her spray? If so, she needed to sell that shit. Aria was so focused on Arcos and trying to predict his actions once he’d fully recovered that she didn’t notice the activity around her. A light touch on her shoulder startled her. She shrieked and spun, then clamped a hand over her mouth when she registered just who had joined her. She stood nose to breasts with Diana. Aria tore her gaze upward until it locked with the goddess’ shifting silver one.
She’s impressively healthy, considering Arcos tried to murder her.

Diana chanted and flung her arms wide. The world vanished in a whirlwind of light. Aria’s pulse pounded in her ears and she looked around wildly. All she could see was silver mist everywhere. She tried to shout for Ben, or Delilah, but her body refused to cooperate.

Diana’s voice, low and sweet, captured Aria’s attention. "I owe you human. A life for a life. Heed my words. Claim your mate to avert your fate. Someone must guard the guardian."

Claim my mate? Guard the guardian? What the–
before Aria could finish her panicked thoughts, the goddess vanished in a quicksilver haze, and the world snapped back into being. Fur tickled her neck and arms where she slumped against Ben. Breath ruffled her hair as he sniffed. She wondered what the bear was looking for. Her stomach twisted and heaved when the magic drained out of the room. Hell, maybe he was checking to see if she was real. She didn’t feel solid and grounded in herself and her identity after that meeting. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite say what. That sense of something off; out of place made her want to growl in protest; growl in echo of the one rumbling from the bear beneath her. Instead she braced one hand against his solid shoulder, and levered herself upright. She couldn’t resist caressing the soft fur under her palm while she considered Diana’s warning.

How exactly was she supposed to claim a mate, and why was everyone calling her a guardian? Damn these fallen gods, anyway.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ben roared and twisted around as fast as his bear could move when Aria's shriek pierced the air. Quicksilver light obscured Aria and someone else.

What the hell?
Bear roared and clawed at the light, but his paw passed through the brilliant magic, and right through Aria.
Not again. Save mate,
bear demanded. Cold slithered up his claws into his shoulder with every pass through the light until his leg was so numb he couldn't feel the floor beneath him. Bear roared, demanding blood and retribution, but there was no enemy in sight. Just the shimmery silver veil of light and the shadow-women it encompassed. Bear was certain the goddess was behind this.

Ben needed to be sure, so he borrowed the bear’s senses for a quick scan of the room. The only people in view were Delilah, Arcos, and Apollo. The only scents lingering on the air were theirs. The light had taken Aria, and even the scent of Aria. And apparently the light had taken Diana too. But why? How? Ben rose up on his hind legs, bellowing rage and betrayal, then stalked toward the light slamming it with his paws. No matter how he tried, there was nothing there, nothing but that immense, numbing cold.
Bear wrested control of their form from Ben as his human mind crumpled under the unbearable possibility that Aria was gone from his reach forever. Ben felt bears’ furious roar rumble through their chest, felt their paws scrabble for purchase on the slick marble before finally launching them full speed directly at Apollo. Apollo jolted sideways, but bears’ charge was unstoppable. They collided with the god in a tangle of limbs and fur and teeth.

Bear's claws tore and ripped at everything they touched. Ben winced at the damage the hard marble was doing to their back claws and feet. Their teeth snapped and tore. But he couldn't help cheering the damage they were inflicting on one of two people responsible for stealing their mate. Blood ran red and silver and the tang of iron rose hot in the air. As Bear leaned in, jaws opened wide to go for the jugular a wave of heat and pressure slammed into them. It wasn't enough to truly budge their bulk, but they skidded a short ways across the marble floor. Apollo was blasted across the room by the wave, well out of their reach. Bear lowered his nose and sniffed at the trail of blood the god left, then turned to face this new enemy.
But there was no threat. Just the fading of quicksilver light and the slowly solidifying forms of two women. Diana and Aria. Bear roared and raced forward, desperate to get between Aria and the goddess before she did any more damage to their mate. They made it to Aria, just in time. She toppled in slow motion, limp and vacant-eyed. Bear dove beneath her, and leaned into her as she toppled, providing a safe landing spot. Ben couldn't guarantee his self-control if their mate was injured again. They both huffed a sigh of relief as they felt her weight settle against bears strong, thick shoulder. It didn't take much effort to keep her upright, and from the slight sounds she was making, she'd be awake and aware soon. Bear turned and snuffled her hair, searching for injuries. But he couldn't scent anything more than Aria's signature lavender shampoo, and the underlying pheromones that called to them, insisted they belonged together forever.

Just as bear puffed in relief at her lack of obvious injuries she started to stir. Bear damn near purred when her gentle hand caressed his shoulder. His mate recovered quickly and stood tall and strong, ready to face any further enemies. Bear and Ben were fascinated by her strength and determination and troubled by the frown and furrowed brow on her face. Bear gurgled happily under her continued attention, content that she was safe for now. But Ben was desperate to figure out what the goddess had wanted and why her magic had slammed his mate so hard. He could feel her hand trembling with each stroke. His keen hearing finally picked up the thinnest of whispers. He’d have bet money Aria said ‘claim mate, guard guardian, avert fate.’ She kept repeating the sentence, eyes growing wider and body stiller with each repetition.

Frustrated with his inability to truly help their mate, bear slunk back into the shadows of their mind. Ben groaned as fire raced up his spine and down his extremities. His overtaxed muscles shivered with exhaustion. No way was he shifting again today. Maybe not even for the next few days. Teeth gritted, Ben levered himself up from all fours and stepped up beside Aria. He could still hear her chant, low and fast. He pulled her close, hugging her tight to his chest. His entire body jolted to attention when she leaned into his gentle embrace. For a moment, he could believe all was right with their world.

Then Delilah shattered the moment. Her voice rose high over the rumbling growls Arcos couldn’t seem to contain, and light flared, cutting off his line of sight. Apollo vanished behind the witch’s curtain. Ben peered around the half of the room he could still see, seeking further danger. But the only living creatures present were him, Aria, Del, and Arcos.

A shrill whistle claimed his attention. Delilah waved him toward the doorway and mimed standing guard. She pointed once at him and Aria, and gestured sharply toward the door. Ben nodded once, loathe to leave her alone. But he could feel Aria’s body shiver faster with each moment they remained.

Shock. Shit, what happened with her and Diana?

Ben couldn’t help worrying at the possibilities like a dog with a bone. He guided Aria gently step by painful, trembling step toward the door. Bear huffed at their retreat, but Ben could tell the beast’s reserves were almost as tapped out as his own. His trembling legs drove home the hazards of too many shifts too close together. Ben paused to adjust his grasp on Aria, and tried to lift her clear of the ground and speed their progress. Every single muscle in his body protested his efforts, sending him collapsing to one knee, weak, trembling and nauseous. He sensed motion out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see Arcos trudging toward them.

Before Ben could speak, Arcos gathered Aria up in his arms like a babe. Ben sensed a strange mixture of pride and derision in the fleeting glance Arcos tossed back at him before trudging toward the exit. Despite the other man’s slumped shuffling movements he still had enough reserves to do what Ben couldn’t.

Bear roared in protest at the situation and shoved strength into Ben’s entirely too human muscles. That strength burned, icy cold and stiff.
Not so much,
Ben fought to stop the flow before bear did irreversible harm to them both. Bear roared and then went eerily silent. Ben could feel the beast rummaging for the why behind his demand. He could tell when the answer became clear, the roar stopped abruptly, and what felt like a guttural purr tickled through their link.

Ben grinned, and strode strongly toward the door, determined to catch Arcos and Aria before they made the bottom of the staircase. He felt the air pop just as he stepped through the door, then heard Delilah’s shout of “Incoming.” Before he could do more than curl in on himself a bit, Delilah stood behind him, pressed back to back with him. He heard and felt the door to the gods slam shut and didn’t even try to stop the sigh of relief that emerged.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, bear.” Ben felt Delilah’s hand slam into his back, sending him stumbling down the hallway to the staircase. “Got to clear the first door before we’ll be safe.”

Ben nodded his understanding and stepped up his pace until he was damn near sprinting down the staircase. Breathe, step, breathe step, he repeated to himself as he ran. Delilah’s footsteps echoed close behind him.
Just hope the shop is secured. Don’t want to call on bear again today.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ben followed Arcos through the secret door into Delilah's shop. The shop was exactly as secure as they'd left it. The shattered door flopped in the light morning breeze. Ben suppressed a shiver when he realized the sunlight he was seeing was morning light, NOT even sunset. Damn. They'd spent a whole night wrangling with the gods. And for what? Bear slunk from the shadows of Ben's mind, exhaustion readily apparent in every place their thoughts collided. Ben borrowed bear's keen senses, searching for any danger. Nothing moved but the door.

Ben stalked over to Arcos. He motioned short and sharp, insisting his father put his mate down now. Arcos complied with a smug smirk and a knowing twinkle in his gaze. "Bear problems, son?"

Ben shuddered as rage surged up only to roll back down. He didn't have the energy to argue. "Not your son, ole man." Ben slipped over and wrapped his arm gently around Aria's ribs, keeping her steady on her feet. She shivered and stared around vacant-eyed. Still shocky, he'd bet. Damn gods anyways. He fought the urge to ask her just what had happened when she'd been pulled elsewhere, but from the steady increase in her shivers, the best bet was probably to get her back to Victories and get her warm and focused.