Primal Attraction (Shadowlands Bear Shifters Book 2)

by Olivia Harp

  This was a puncture. The shifters had to know. The Shadowlands crept in, the Rot spreading into the world.

  It’s not going to be on me.

  She yelled at the monstrosity, a loud war cry. Her skin turned stone hard, pulling down and ripping the tree branches away from the tree. Freeing herself.

  She bolted towards the crooked face and put her hands —her claws— into the freakish tissue and slashed away, dark red goop splashed the ground.

  The face smiled before it was ripped apart. Something poked her mind. Something wanted in. She tried to resist but it was too powerful. She saw what he was. He showed her.

  Gerard was no longer a man. He was gone. Only his dark spirit remained, and she knew that she brought him here. He followed her from her house to the forest and now he was drunk with power. Believing himself bigger than everyone.

  He wanted something else. Why could she walk beneath the sun?

  She wouldn’t let him know, she had to destroy him. She leapt, leapt, leapt back until she was far from the tree. The hunger inside her was stronger now, but she had an additional thing to do.

  She closed her eyes and thought on the only person who could help her, the only one who would understand.

  Maverick.

  Her mind flew through the forest, his heartbeat was like a lighthouse on the foggy darkness she was in. She could see the forest from above, green and wild and pure. And she saw herself far away, in the punctured place.

  She felt Maverick and raced to him.

  He felt her too. He was silently watching everything around him.

  She felt his bear purr inside him as she approached, recognizing her.

  He sensed the danger she was in and ran to her, she tried to tell him where she was, but a flash of pain awakened her and she felt herself fall to the ground.

  Thin, thorny undergrowth twisted around her ankles. She snarled and clawed at them, tearing them apart, freeing herself.

  All around her, the green of the forest was quickly fading away, the rot spreading fast. She had to do something, the hunger was great now, a nagging beast inside her that would need taming. She would have to deal with that later.

  She had to destroy that monster. She had to do it now or it would grow.

  She bolted forward, every inch of her body steel hard, spearing towards the heart of the tree. She would rip it apart, she had to. It wouldn’t take long, using all her power.

  So she clawed and gnashed away, bark skin fell, the warm, red goop drenched her completely.

  As her hands destroyed the inner cortex she realized it was not fighting back, as a minute before.

  She stopped and looked behind.

  The mound was black now, the tree dried and dead, still the center of the infection.

  He said I was one of them.

  Her chest suddenly felt heavy. It was what it wanted. Her vampiric powers gave the Shadowlands strength. They were as unnatural as it was, they fed it.

  She couldn’t be here, she helped lure this thing into the world. Heeding its call was the worst thing she could have done.

  Her skin turned soft again, human. Her claws became hands. The tree had her now, its branches twisting around her, there was no escape, she would take it with her. She started breathing in. Feeling the Rot go inside her little by little.

  She heard a wild roar as she was pulled into the trunk.

  Maverick was here.

  She’d never seen a more beautiful animal. A great Kodiak bear. It’s brown fur shining, this dark thing was an insult to him. He clawed his way up to the tree and jumped above her, roaring at the trunk opening and she was free.

  She turned to him, his powerful claws destroying the rotted tree hard and fast. She understood it now. The White Paws role, it was the most important thing in the world. That’s why the government depended on them. It was easy for a shifter like him to get rid of this anomalous thing.

  Then, suddenly, a huge crack filled the air, almost like thunder but it came from inside the tree.

  Maverick was pushing it hard until it broke and fell in a deafening thud.

  The bear opened its huge snout and a strange heat surged from it.

  Everything around her turned to ash: the shadows, the putrid blackness of the Rot, the thorny undergrowth, it all fell to the ground, the breeze taking it away, cleansing the place.

  He had made it go away. He sealed the puncture, annihilated the Rot.

  The bear approached her and let out a worried puff, she couldn’t look at him. She was a disgrace. All of this happened because of her, he was probably furious.

  Then, the huge, Kodiak bear licked her hand.

  Her leather gloves were gone, destroyed as she clawed against the creature.

  But then she saw. Sunlight bathed it. It bathed her face, and her arms and legs and she hadn’t even noticed.

  Maverick puffed again, he wanted her to follow him.

  He walked back towards the house, and she walked beside him.

  Chapter 22

  The comms tower, the crew’s informal meeting room, was silent. Mav leaned on the counter, Faith was waiting for a response. Enzo couldn’t stop looking at her, his face full of questions.

  Damien’s face was unreadable. He paid complete attention to her, said “is that it?” then fell silent. Franklin and Raiden sat there, waiting for their alpha’s response.

  She had told them everything, exactly how it happened. She felt something calling to her. Ended up with Mav saving her from certain death.

  Damien stood up, silently looking outside the window, as if the forest had a hidden secret kept from him. Then turned to Faith.

  “You said the puncture opened because of you.”

  “It called to me. It was Gerard.”

  “What do you think will happen now?”

  Maverick stepped forward, “Nothing. You all saw it, it’s sealed.”

  “Mav, I want to know what she thinks.”

  Mav’s heart was pounding harder than ever. His mate was between a rock and a hard place and it was the alpha’s decision to banish her or let her stay.

  “I think I’ve brought nothing but trouble since the day I arrived,” Faith said.

  “Hey—”

  “You all know what I am,” she continued, “what my kind does to nature.”

  It kills it. Mav knew. Sometimes, vegetation did not respond well to vampire’s presence and died. Just like in the stories.

  “So far nothing bad has happened. This was a trap, Gerard set you up,” Mav said.

  “I brought him here. It’s my fault.”

  “But he’s gone.”

  “Yes, he’s gone,” Damien interrupted, “Enzo? You got something to say?”

  He nodded, “it’s just, it doesn’t make sense, you know. She’s here, with us, during daylight hours. It’s supposed to be impossible.”

  No one said anything. He was right.

  “Never, anywhere, has anyone reported a vamp being able to go out during the day. Not even with shifter blood in their system. Something else is going on, that isn’t your fault.”

  The hunger hadn’t subsided. Faith felt it, stronger now. She would need to feed soon.

  Maverick gently put his arm around her.

  “I take full responsibility for what happened. That puncture was in my territory, I should’ve picked it up. It was my fault.”

  He looked at him straight in the eyes.

  “You’re saying it was here before today?” he asked.

  “I’m saying I didn’t felt it today. But it was here. It’s my responsibility. If it was here before or not doesn’t matter, it almost took her. That would have been my fault.”

  “Listen,” Faith said, “it is obvious that I’m a burden to you all.”

  Everyone jumped at that, shaking their heads.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Raiden said, “no one, vampire or not, can just open a puncture out of the blue like that. It doesn’t happen.”

  “Just like me talkin
g to you right now?”

  Silence again.

  “I have to think about this,” Damien said, “is everybody sure the territory has no additional weak spots?”

  “We double checked, boss,” Maverick said, “just like you ordered.”

  “Everything is fine,” said Enzo.

  The rest of the crew agreed.

  “All right, I’ll think about this and get back to you. You’re dismissed. ”

  ***

  The walk back to Maverick’s cabin was tense. Faith blamed herself for what happened, even if everyone assured her punctures didn’t happen like that.

  As soon as they were inside, she grabbed her case, she’d only opened it once, in the morning. Everything was happening too fast.

  “I have to leave,” she said.

  Maverick turned to her, but the look in her eyes told him it was decided.

  “It’s the safest thing for everyone,” she continued.

  “No,” Maverick said.

  He turned to her and held her shoulders, his face grave.

  “I won’t let you. You’re free to do what you want but I can’t let you go just because you are afraid.”

  “Of course I’m afraid!” Faith said, “look at what—”

  “I know what happened. But we’re the White Paws. We are strong. You are strong. Something like this happens and suddenly everything goes to hell? No. If you don’t want to be with me, that’s all right, I’ll handle it.”

  His bear roared inside. He knew it was going to be next to impossible. They had been through a lot, fear was not going to be the thing that pulled her away from him.

  “But if you leave for any other reason,” he continued, “I won’t just stand and nod. I want to protect you.”

  She pressed her lips, rage in her eyes, then tears, but she looked away before they came rolling down her face.

  “He’s still here, Maverick, I can feel it.”

  “If that’s true we’ll find him and kill him.”

  “Mav, he’s something else now. He changed, somehow.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “He showed me. He survived the attack, back in my place. He faked being dead and got inside the house and fed from my blood. And then he waited.”

  “He wanted me, I’m the only vampire he knows. Followed us here and that thing, the Shadowlands took him in. He’s gone. He’s no longer a man, he’s something beyond evil and I don’t know what would happen if he gets me. Every time I tried to destroy him he brought more and more pestilence into the forest. What if he comes back? You saw him, he’s powerful.”

  “If he’s really not dead, I’ll wait for him.”

  “But do you want to risk it?”

  “For you? For you I’ll risk everything.”

  She looked at him, his green eyes almost made her forget about everything and hold him, but she was afraid. Too afraid.

  “Just tell me something,” he said gravely, “do you want to be with me?”

  A flood of emotions raged inside her. She felt her heart burning, her chest heavy. She couldn’t move.

  “You always knew, just like I did, this wouldn’t last,” she said, leaning in, kissing him softly.

  His hand went to the side of her face.

  “Faith. Do you want to be with me?”

  She slowly picked up her case.

  “Not like this,” she said, with a sad smile.

  Chapter 23

  Maverick carried Faith’s case as they walked the trail down to the headquarters. Each step he took was harder than the last one. It was hard to think this was goodbye. Everything had happened so fast he wasn’t even sure what was the exact moment things had gone to hell.

  The trees lumbered high, casting their shadows all around them. It was still a few hours before nightfall. She walked beside him, her faint citric perfume lingered in the air. He was never going to forget that.

  The small details.

  The way she took crap from no one. The way her brows arched and she slapped his arm for some silly joke he told.

  His bear was raging inside and he could do nothing but try to prevent it from coming out. He had to push it back inside with all his strength.

  It was her decision to go, he wouldn’t claim her and keep her here against her will. Bears could be headstrong, but not assholes.

  His pick–up was in sight. His stomach felt like a clenched fist.

  “You used a lot of your strength to find me, earlier today.”

  “Yes,” she said, almost whispering.

  “And it’s still early,” he continued, “Rosenberg is about an hour away.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “What I’m trying to say is I know your beast must be anxious. And even if it isn’t, you know you’re walking out here in the sun because you had mine.”

  That made her stop. He could see her body tense up, for a second she looked as if she was afraid, looking past him, at the woods around. It was just a moment but he didn’t miss it.

  “I don’t want to do it again,” she said, turning to him.

  “What’s wrong?” he said, trying to look into any other signs that would give her away. She wasn’t leaving just because she was afraid. There was something else.

  “Nothing,” she said, “I—”

  “You’re lying. What’s the matter, Faith? can’t you trust me?”

  “Mav, please, let’s go.”

  Mav looked around the forest, everything seemed normal. But something was going on, she hadn’t told him everything.

  She started shaking, it was almost too easy to miss, barely visible. She was sweating now, her gaze fixed on him.

  “I’m sorry, Mav.”

  She tumbled and fell,

  “Faith!”

  In a flash, Mav bolted ahead and caught her. He gently brought her down, kneeling beside her on the ground.

  Her eyes turned to him, she was just barely awake.

  “I failed you.”

  “You didn’t—”

  Her body spasmed and then went completely hard. A soft growl came from her mouth, hung open, letting out a dark, thin fog, it crawled away from her.

  “Faith, stay with me,” he said.

  The vapor came out and went into the forest. Every fallen leaf, every insect that was on its way turned into ash, its life sucked out of it.

  His bear wanted to come out right now. It roared and pushed and grew wilder and wilder. He felt it, its claws, its fur, its fangs, pushing out, but he had to hold him back.

  All that mattered was her.

  His bear fangs came out, little by little. He bit his own wrist, letting a sliver of his blood pour out. All of it was hers if she needed it. He put his wrist on her lips and made sure she took it.

  He was hers. He knew it from the moment he saw her, and now he wasn’t going to lose her.

  The ground trembled, something was coming from the woods. He could smell it now, it was impossible to miss.

  The stench of the Rot, it was here again, stronger than ever.

  Chapter 24

  The earth trembled again, harder this time. A dark, thick fog crept out of the woods just ahead of them. Its blackness seeped into the pines, their color fading, their leaves twisting, becoming a crooked aberration of what they were.

  Mav looked around, the dark fog surrounded all of the headquarters area. His fury boiled inside. He held it, what good was fighting the Rot if she wasn’t alive?

  He would have his revenge, he was going to make sure the last thing this monster saw was his face, smiling, as he sent him to the underworld.

  Faiths hands suddenly held his wrist down. He felt a million butterflies come alive in his stomach.

  She’s safe.

  He’d laugh at anyone else in this situation. Surrounded by the enemy, kneeling beside the woman he loved. About to face death.

  But he felt butterflies. It was so dumb but he couldn’t deny it. He loved her.

  She let go of his arm, her f
ace fixed on him.

  “You tried to hold him inside, to take him away from here,” Mav said.

  “I didn’t know what to do.”

  He leaned down and kissed her softly.

  “I love you. You’re not alone. Whatever happens—”

  “We’ll face it together,” she said smiling, “I love you too.”

  The fog was almost on them. A weird, horrid chittering came from the woods. He looked up.

  Spiders the size of a dog came out. They crawled out slowly at first, but as more and more joined their ranks, they started moving faster. It must have been a dozen of them at least.

  “There you are,” Mav said, looking at a humanoid creature standing behind the monsters.

  It was him, Gerard. Now truly a monster. His destiny fulfilled. He was taken by the Rot and had turned into a Shadow creature. His glowing eyes were fixed on him.

  A deafening thunder exploded behind them. Mav turned to see the black mist entwining itself on the comms tower antenna. Its vaporous tendrils were crushing it, pushing it to the side. Within seconds, the whole thing came crashing down on them.

  Mav jumped up and caught it with his bare hands, it’s crushing weight pushing him to the ground. His hard muscles held it just long enough for Faith to blink out and appear a few yards away, out of danger.

  Mav thrusted the antenna away, a ton of metal cracked as it hit the ground.

  The fog tendrils went for the building itself. They pressed harder against it, the room itself swallowed in their dark grip and sucked into its center, the electronics going into flames, exploding.

  “Look out!” Faith said, Mav turned to see a shadow spider leaping at him, but she caught it and ripped its insides out. Her face was full of anger, her hands claws.

  Mav smiled and nodded his thanks.

  She sure is beautiful when she’s angry, he thought as he roared hard.

  The shadow spiders were coming out of the forest, their numbers swollen in the few moments they hadn’t been looking at them.

  All of them were going for him and his mate, they wanted them dead. But he would not let that happen.

  He ran forward to meet them, his bear roaring inside. It was a war cry. It wanted to destroy, it would be finally able to have them in its claws and crush them. Mav had wanted this for a while now.