by Thorne, Elle
“For what?” she asked, stopping mid-bite.
You seem to have a heightened emotional state. I haven’t seen you this way since Brad died.
Mae’s elemental spirit wasn’t like the bears that lived inside the shifters. She and Brad had talked about the difference once. She’d tried to explain to him that it wasn’t as if she shared a space, the way that Brad did, with his bear always there.
It wasn’t like that at all for Mae and her elemental. The elemental appeared only on occasion, and randomly.
“She’s more like a fairy godmother,” Mae had told Brad.
Brad had laughed and told her that if she had a fairy godmother, then she must be Cinderella.
“Funny,” Mae had responded. That had been the day before he’d died.
A sprinkle of rain peppered her face.
Great. Just great. I don’t need rain doing this to me.
Then stop thinking those thoughts. There’s something we need to discuss, her elemental said in her mind.
Not this again, for Pete’s sake. “I’m not talking about Jake. Not with you. Not now,” Mae huffed.
Not Jake. Astra.
Mae paused. “Astra? What about her?”
She has an elemental.
“What? Are you sure? I’ve never… Well, maybe I have seen indications.”
You’ll need to help her. Work with her.
“She’s leaving for Europe. It will have to keep.”
Unless you go with her.
“Oh, hell, no. This is just an attempt to get me to go after Jake.”
You realize you don’t have to talk to me out loud.
“I feel crazy when I talk to you in my mind.”
As opposed to sounding crazy when you talk to me out loud.
Mae shook her head and rolled her eyes. Talking in her head creeped her out.
You need to get past that, sooner or later. Did you ever stop to think I’d come around more often if you’d talk to me? But your rejection of me, coupled with your compulsion to only talk to me out loud, makes it difficult. The last thing I want is for others to hear you talking to me and then for you to have to figure out how to get out of that. A century ago, you’d have been hung as a witch for that kind of action.
“I don’t need a lecture, thank you very much. I’m not going to Europe. Astra and Kane are going to find Anya. I’m not going to tag along on that trip for this. We can deal with her elemental when she gets back.”
What’s the problem with Jake?
”Don’t act like you’re not around and don’t know what’s going on.” Another thought came to Mae. “And don’t try to convince me that I should—”
Stop, her elemental interrupted her. Someone’s coming. Or something.
Mae put the trail mix back in the bag. She rose to her feet, head cocked, listening.
I don’t hear anything, she told her elemental.
There you go. That wasn’t so bad, was it?
“You did that on purpose to get me to talk to you in my head.”
A loud roar punctuated Mae’s sentence.
She dropped her bag and whirled around.
Chapter Six
Half hidden by a large tree was the most enormous polar bear Mae had ever seen. It stood on its hind legs, paws against the tree bark, claws bared, each of them longer than her hand. Those claws could take her apart with one swipe. They could completely decapitate her.
Not messing around with that one, her elemental snorted. I’ll kill him before he comes too close. If you die, and I’m inside you, I die. That will not be allowed to happen.
That wasn’t something Mae wanted to see happen.
Not her death.
Not her elemental’s death.
Not the shifter’s death.
Not until she’d found out about this bear shifter and why it was here. She didn’t believe it was here accidentally; she rarely believed in accidents. She had to dilute the potential for conflict before the elemental became too concerned.
“Hey,” Mae said to the bear.
The gigantic white-furred creature cocked its head, its ears twitching as its black eyes studied her. Its gaze wasn’t giving away any emotion. She couldn’t tell if it felt malice or curiosity or a mix of both.
“Why don’t you shift into your human form so we can talk?” Mae asked.
It’s head cocked to the right. Its claws stretched, their razor-sharp tips catching on the tree bark. The bear flicked his paws, releasing its claws from the bark, then dropped them back down with a click.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The bear clicked its claws on the tree.
Maybe he’s reminding me that he’s armed. Maybe he wants me to be afraid.
Mae took a deep breath. She was afraid. She was trying to control her pulse so that the shifter wouldn’t read her trepidation.
Her elemental’s skills hadn’t been tested in a long time. Not like this. Not in a battle. Would she be able to protect Mae from the shifter? Mae wasn’t sure, so she preferred to rely on her own skills to negotiate her way out of this.
“Please? I’m no threat to you. Just shift. All we have to do is talk.”
The shifter slipped behind the massive tree where she couldn’t see it.
Great. Now what?
Mae took a step backward. She’d rather try to outrun the bear than have to find out that her elemental couldn’t protect her.
Mae heard a sound she knew too well, creaking and stretching that meant a shift was happening.
She waited, curbing her instinct to take more backward steps and then run.
A man walked out from behind the tree. He was tall—much taller than Jake. Even taller than Tanner. He was a huge man, and wide. His muscles bulged beneath his shirt, and his thighs stretched out the fabric of his jeans. He resembled a modern-day Viking.
Dark blue eyes. Long, wavy blond hair with a touch of red highlights hung over his shoulders and onto his chest. The sleeves of his collared shirt were ripped off at his shoulders. They emphasized biceps and triceps that were larger than some tree trunks.
She held her breath at his massive size.
He was studying her in silence. No smile, nothing on his face that could be called an emotion. It was a handsome face, but seemed to be marked with a touch of cruelty. It came from the set of his lips, not quite full, but not a thin line either, and they were set in an unfriendly curve. He had a scar from cheekbone to lip. The scar wasn’t new—it had gone white—but it was large enough to be visible behind stubble that bespoke of days without a razor.
Mae’s throat housed a lump the size of a softball. She tried to swallow around it so she could talk. “Who are you?”
He cocked a brow. “Vey.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the fabric of his shirt stretching, protesting. “You?”
“I’m Mae.”
“You live here?” He had an accent, a faint one, but Mae couldn’t place it.
“I live near here, yes.” It seemed only fair that he should answer the same questions she did. “Where do you live?”
He cocked his head again, just as he had when he was in bear form. “I do not live in any one place. Not for long.”
That wasn’t much of an answer. Was he a rover? Was he a mercenary shifter who roved and did deeds—misdeeds, actually—for money?
She was weighing what to ask him next and wondering what approach wouldn’t piss him off when he took a step forward.
“Are there any that look like me in the area?” he asked.
“Why are you here?” she inquired.
They both asked their questions at the same time.
“You’re here to find others that look like you?” A shiver ran through her as she thought of little Dominic, Marti’s shifter son. She decided to play a little dumb and asked another question. “When you say, ‘look like me,’ do you mean bears?”
He frowned and exhaled an exasperated breath. “Polar bears.” He took another step closer.
If he comes much closer… her elemental
warned.
Mae tucked her hair behind her ears, stalling while she thought. She could turn around and run. That was the best plan right now. But she’d have to do it before he came too close. If he got his hands on her, she was screwed.
She answered him. “This isn’t a polar bear community. It’s a grizzly community.” Not exactly a lie, not really. One baby polar bear shifter couldn’t be called a community.
He rubbed his jaw, the sound of his stubble scratching loud in a forest that had gone completely silent. Why had the birds gone quiet? Mae wondered. Why was everything so tranquil? It was almost like the calm before a storm.
“I heard there was a polar bear in this area.” Two more steps forward. “A young one.” Another step.
“Please don’t get any closer. You’re making me nervous.”
“What do you have to be nervous of, pretty lady?” He pushed his hair back. His lips were curled into a sneer.
He really was an attractive man, but there was an undercurrent of danger in him and it wasn’t the kind of danger that would make her feel attracted to him. It made her nervous.
His head tilted left, his eyes lost focus for a second, then he turned the dark gaze back on Mae. “My bear seems to think that you know something.” He let out a small groan, a sound that seemed to come from deep within him.
His face elongated, his skin stretching. Mae wanted to look away. The sight of a shifter going into their animal form wasn’t something she enjoyed watching. It looked painful to her.
She couldn’t look away. That would be the same as letting her guard down. She should run, but her feet felt as if they’d grown roots into the ground.
His nose grew into a snout. His face now was a muzzle, fur had sprouted and was growing before her eyes—white fur, thick and plush.
His shoulders became rounded, his body thick and ursine. He dropped to all fours, fully shifted into his polar bear. A growl began in the bear’s chest, then he bared his teeth and snarled.
Mae gasped.
The bear lifted his head and roared. Mae took a step back, then another. She tripped on a limb, failed to hold onto her footing and landed with a hard thud. The polar bear ambled forward. His mouth was still open, baring long teeth dripping with saliva.
A jolt rushed through Mae. The sheer power of it made her grab at any object she could for stability. She latched on to a long limb that extended behind her, seeking purchase, seeking strength. The fierce energy flow pulled on her, sapping her of her will and power.
A bright blue light blinded Mae. She closed her eyes against it, knowing it was her elemental, though she wasn’t sure if the light was in her mind or if it was in front of her.
The sound of a crash followed by an odd pelting forced her eyes open. A spear of ice was protruding from the bear’s shoulder. It was at least two feet long and thicker than her finger.
Ice darts the size of pencils were hailing down onto the bear. The bear roared, swatting at the ice, his eyes glowing with fury. He screamed with pain as another spear of ice at least as long as the first one pierced the flesh of his shoulder, close to the first one.
In Mae’s mind, her elemental was screaming, howling like a banshee, casting curses on the bear.
The bear roared one more time, shook his mighty head, then turned toward the forest and ran at a quick pace, loping away from Mae.
Mae breathed a sigh of relief just as everything went black around her.
Chapter Seven
When Jake heard the first roar, he shifted into his bear and took off toward the sound. There was no reason for a bear to roar like that unless it was trying to frighten something, or attacking.
The forest went silent, and no matter how he tried, he couldn’t glean a sound, even with his sensitive bear hearing. So he’d walked, slowly making his way through the trees, looking for signs of the polar bear.
Nothing. He found himself wishing for another roar so he could better find the source, but at the same time, he was worried for whoever or whatever was on the receiving end of that roar.
He scented for the bear, taking his time with every tree, practically every boulder, every cave. Where the hell was that bear?
Then it occurred to him: what if the bear had decided to use block?
Dammit.
His only choice was to keep wandering until he found or heard something.
He didn’t have a chance to wander much longer. He heard the roar again.
Still in his bear, Jake rushed through the forest, trying to be as quiet as he could, but not making quiet a priority. Speed was more important. He had to get to wherever and whatever the bear was threatening.
Jake pulled up short. On the other side of a clearing, he spotted Mae. She was still, talking to someone in the shadows. He focused to see who it was, as the person was hidden behind a tree.
The person stepped out. A giant of a man, musclebound, dressed in a cutoff shirt and jeans, long hair falling halfway down his back. His demeanor wasn’t threatening, but it wasn’t friendly either.
Anger pierced through Jake like a bolt of lightning. He considered Mae to be his fated mate, and she was focused on this other bear. This was unacceptable. Who was this male?
Then it hit him. What if she was interested in this other shifter? What if she was receptive to him?
Jake’s bear growled deep in his chest, the growl rumbling upward, into his head.
If she wanted this man, there was nothing Jake could do. He had no rights.
Walk away. I need to walk away and leave her alone.
He felt like an interloper.
Then again, as his bear’s snarls reminded him, he had no clue whether or not Mae was actually interested in this other shifter. Plus, he had heard the bear’s roar. He knew something in this forest wasn’t friendly. If it was this big blond shifter now talking to Mae, then he should find out. He shouldn’t just walk away from that.
Is that it, or is it my jealousy speaking?
Suddenly, the vibes from across the clearing changed. The energy there was now charged with danger. The bear shifted, Mae stepped backward, and then the bear was on two legs and advancing on her. Jake began to run across the clearing as fast as his legs would take him, keeping his eyes on Mae and the polar bear shifter. A snarl grew in Jake’s chest.
Mae was moving backwards. He was about to yell at her not to do that when she tripped over a branch and fell backward. She paled and it looked like the breath had been knocked out of her.
The bear reared up, its claws fully extended as it swiped at the air.
That fucking bear was threatening Mae. He was going to kill it.
He was halfway across the clearing when the ice began to fall.
Damn. It confused Jake for a moment, bringing him to a sudden halt.
Directly over the polar bear, ice was shooting down at a remarkable speed, a barrage of ice bolts hurtling down from the thick boughs of the trees. An ice bolt pierced the polar bear’s shoulder and he howled in pain, his roar making the leaves shake. The polar bear took another step toward Mae.
A torrent of bolts fell on and around the bear, and he snarled his anger as another bolt pierced his shoulder. The bear froze, pawed at the shoulder, looked back toward Jake, then thrashed his head and rushed toward the forest, away from the ice, away from Jake.
Jake took three running steps forward. He had to get that bear, but he also had to make sure Mae was all right.
She slumped forward, lolling like a ragdoll, then fell backward, her head dropping into a bed of leaves.
Thank God for that. She wasn’t getting up. She wasn’t moving.
Jake stopped. Bear be damned. She was more important.
Jake took off at a run again, this time toward Mae, shifting mid-stride, without pausing, without stopping to assess.
When he reached her, he pulled her forward and checked her scalp. She was fine, but very pale, and still unconscious.
How? he wondered.
Her fall to the leaves hadn’
t hurt her enough to make her lose consciousness, of that he was certain.
He listened to her heartbeat. Definitely weak. Dammit, what had caused her to pass out?
The ice. She’d caused it. Somehow.
What was there about Mae that he didn’t know?
He needed to get her to safety immediately, and then he needed to go hunt that damned bear down. It was as good as dead as far as Jake was concerned. After that stunt with Mae, it was as good as dead.
He picked her up gingerly and began a fast-paced walk back to his truck. He didn’t want to run for fear of jarring her and hurting her further.
She didn’t regain consciousness. When he was within sight of his truck Jake dug his keys out of his pocket and used the remote to unlock it. He managed to yank the door open without losing his grip on Mae, then laid her on the bench seat and got in after her. He pulled his cell out of the glove compartment.
Think, he told himself. Think. The people who lived closest were Astra and Kane. He’d take her there. He’d have Kane help him with the polar bear.
He made the drive in record time, maneuvering through the sharp curves as he traveled ever upward through the mountains.
Kane liked being remote, and Astra loved Kane and had no problem with it, but Jake had always been saddened that their cabin was so far from his home. It seemed he had gone from having his little girl in his home and then suddenly, she had met the man of her dreams and she was gone. For so many years it had been him and Astra, and then she was gone.
Now, though, he was glad they lived out here. If they didn’t, he wouldn’t have somewhere safe to take Mae to so quickly.
Hi dialed Astra’s cell. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, Doc.”
“I’m almost to your place. Mae’s not conscious. Kane there?” He knew he was spitting the words out, but he couldn’t take the time to think slowly. Adrenaline was still pumping through his body.
“Yes, he’s here. I’ll get the guest bedroom ready.”
He pulled up and just as he did, Kane came outside and opened the door of the truck. Always one for few words, Kane said nothing as he stepped back to let Jake pick Mae up.