Storm Bear

by Bianca D’Arc

  Ace’s friend, Ezra, pulled his Harley right up next to them, in fact. He cut the motor and grinned at them both as he dismounted the large motorcycle.

  “Damned fine work back there, ma’am,” Ezra said to Sabrina before even greeting Ace.

  “Uh…” Sabrina didn’t really know what to say. She’d always been a one-hit wonder with just a little weather witchery and nobody much who cared either way about what she did or didn’t do with the clouds.

  Ace could tell Sabrina wasn’t really comfortable with all the attention. The men were staring at her, talking about her power out in the open in a way he was sure she’d never been subject to before. It all probably made her uncomfortable, judging by the panic in her eyes and the little tremor in her limbs.

  Ace did the only thing he could think of. He lifted her in his arms and strode through the crowd, heading for the hotel. Ezra was at his side.

  “Zak said something about a room?” Ace prompted his friend.

  “Sure thing,” Ezra replied, opening the outer door and holding it for them.

  He led the way to a suite of rooms in the hotel. Luckily, the door was already open, a trio of women inside setting up a small feast. When they saw Sabrina in Ace’s arms, they immediately started issuing orders. Ace was told, in no uncertain terms, to put Sabrina on the couch. Then, the women—the sisters—set to work. One made a plate for Sabrina and brought it over while another helped her with her jacket. The third helped her out of her boots, all three women cooing over her and helping her get comfortable. Ace stood back and watched, amazed at the welcome.

  Ezra came over to stand next to him. “Those three sisters own the bakery in town. The eldest is mated to the sheriff. The middle sister is mated to the town lawyer, and the youngest is Zak’s mate.”

  “Magical?” Ace asked.

  Ezra shook his head. “Nope. But they’re all excellent additions to the community. They bring some much needed balance, I think.”

  It was an astute observation for a deep-thinking bear shifter. Ezra had always been a man of few words, but he’d finally settled down, and Ace thought his inner bear was just beaming with contentment. Ezra’s mate was also a shifter, and they’d settled here in the cove after a serious show-down with bad guys who’d been trying to capture his mate.

  Now, that sounded familiar.

  “By the way, Zak was really impressed by what Sabrina did out there,” Ezra told Ace. “He’s telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s never seen anything like it before. And, uh, there’s a little quirk you should know about Zak. He sees magic. More than any of the other guys in town, except maybe the shaman. He was the deputy around here until he opened his restaurant. Cajun. If you like spicy stuff, you’ll find no better.”

  “He from Cajun country?” Ace asked. He’d crossed paths with most of the guys in Grizzly Cove over the years, but he didn’t know them that well.

  “Louisiana,” Ezra replied. “Born and raised in the bayous. He knows a lot about human magic and voodoo.”

  Their private conversation ended just then, because the three human sisters finished fussing over Sabrina and started making a move toward the door near where Ezra and Ace were standing. The eldest seemed to be the leader, and she smiled at Ace, marching right up to him and sticking out her hand.

  “I’m Nell,” she said. “These are my sisters. We’re going back to our shop for more supplies. You take care of her until we come back.”

  Bemused, Ace shook the woman’s hand and gave her a strict, “Yes, ma’am.” It seemed there was no other acceptable response in this situation.

  “I’m Ashley.” The middle sister also offered her hand to Ace, and he shook it dutifully. “Urse wanted me to tell you that she’ll be over with Big John as soon as you’re settled in and comfortable. Urse is the Alpha’s mate,” she clarified, passing Ace to the final sister, who stuck out her hand and grinned at him.

  “I’m Tina. You’ve already met my husband, Zak. We’ll bring more food later. Hope you like spicy!”

  And with that, the whirlwind of women left the room, taking their busy energy with them. Ace was a little dumbfounded. He hadn’t known human women could be that bossy, but then again, they’d have to be of strong character to stand up to a bear shifter mate.

  “Nice ladies,” Ace commented as Ezra followed their path toward the door.

  Ezra nodded. “We’ll give you two some alone time to recover, but don’t get up to any mischief. Big John wants to meet your lady ASAP. I suspect he’ll be here with his mate sooner rather than later. The sisters are probably already talking to Urse. The grapevine around here is highly efficient.” Ezra winked and went out the door, closing it behind him.

  Sabrina felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention of the three sisters, but they left her with a big sandwich, which quickly grabbed her full attention. She had already eaten a quarter of it when the door closed. She looked up to find only Ace with her. They were alone. Finally.

  Ace came over to sit beside her on the couch. “How are you feeling?”

  “Hungry,” she replied around a bite of the most delicious sandwich she’d ever had. At least, that’s what it felt like. Maybe hunger made everything taste better.

  “Well, eat up. It’ll make you feel better, and we’re probably going to have another set of visitors in a few minutes—the Alpha bear and his mate.”

  “I thought bears didn’t really do the whole Alpha thing,” she said, pausing only to say the words before chomping on another huge bite of the sandwich.

  “Normally, we don’t. I mean, we have Alphas, but they’re not like wolf Alphas. They’re not supreme leaders of all they survey. They’re more like rulers by consensus, if anything. Bears don’t go in for the whole Pack structure. We’re too independent for that. But Big John has earned a lot of respect from all his men, and many others besides. He’s a tactician without peer, and this whole town was originally his vision.”

  Sabrina could hear the admiration in his voice when Ace spoke about the man he called Big John. She looked forward to meeting the Alpha bear, but she also felt a bit of trepidation. If this Alpha was anything like Tobias, the wolf Alpha, she might have a problem.

  “Do you think he’ll want me to leave?” She couldn’t forget the hostility of the wolf Alpha as her gift started to go awry. He’d been welcoming—grudgingly so—at first, but when she started to have problems, he’d become a nightmare.

  “Not at all,” Ace was quick to assure her. “Big John may look scary, but he’s a big old teddy bear at heart. Just don’t tell him I said so. He’s more the fatherly type who tries to solve everybody’s problems,” Ace told her. “From all accounts, he does a pretty good job at it, too. You’ll like him. And, more importantly, he’s not going to kick you out of town for a little wayward magic. We’re bears. We don’t frighten easy like those sissy wolves up north.” She grinned at his teasing, just a little. It was good of him to try to cheer her up. She was still feeling a bit shell-shocked, to be honest. “Also, his mate is a mage. I think she’ll have a lot of sympathy for your problem and will be able to offer some help.”

  Sabrina thought hard about what he’d said while she gulped down the rest of her sandwich. There were chips, too. They disappeared in quick order. As did two bottles of iced tea the sisters had left for her. Around about the time she was considering looking for seconds, there was a knock on the door.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Ace opened the door to reveal a couple. Well, the first thing Sabrina could see was a very large man taking up most of the doorway space. Behind him, she could just make out a woman, trying to get past. The men greeted each other in a friendly way, and Ace stepped back to allow them entrance. This, Sabrina figured, had to be the Alpha couple Ace had told her would be visiting.

  She noted the way the man held the woman back as best he could. She seemed a little frustrated with his over-protectiveness, but Sabrina understood how things were when shifter males mated. She’d seen it in action in the werewolf
Pack. The men always put the safety of their mates and children first, no matter the situation. Bears seemed to be the same in that respect, at least.

  “Alpha, this is Sabrina,” Ace made the introductions. “Sabrina, this is John Marshall and his mate, Ursula.”

  Sabrina stood, straightening her clothes as best she could. She must look pretty ragged after what they’d been through, and she regretted not cleaning up first, before she met such important people. Her only excuse was that she hadn’t really been thinking clearly since the confrontation on the highway.

  “I’m honored to meet you both,” Sabrina said politely, unsure of her welcome, despite Ace’s reassurances. “Forgive my appearance. I haven’t really had a chance to freshen up, yet.” She knew she was blushing from the heat infusing her cheeks, but she couldn’t help it.

  Ursula stepped closer, despite her mate’s attempts to block her. She just grinned and ignored the big man, sidestepping him indulgently.

  “Just call me Urse. And we don’t worry much about appearances, Sabrina. We’re just glad you made it here in one piece. The guys have been talking about what you did nonstop since they got back. What I want to know is, are you okay? I got the impression you might never have expended such great amounts of magical energy before, is that right?” Urse came right up to Sabrina and guided her back to her seat, taking the one next to it so naturally, Sabrina hardly realized she was being ushered exactly where the Alpha female wanted her to go.

  “Yes, that’s right. I’ve always been a low-level weather worker. That was my only gift, and not really much of one, at that,” Sabrina explained. “But, a little while ago, something started to change. I don’t know what caused it, and I didn’t know how to control it. I kept causing strange things to happen whenever I tried to steer weather away from particular areas. I’d always been so good at that before, and suddenly, I was causing miniature tornadoes all over the place. I was so afraid somebody was going to get hurt, and then, the Alpha started yelling at me all the time and shaking his head.” Sabrina paused to catch her breath. “Sorry. It was getting pretty awful there, before Ace came.”

  “Well, you’re safe here. At least as safe as the rest of us are.” Urse made a face that Sabrina didn’t quite understand, but her tone sounded a little sarcastic. “We’ve got some problems of our own, but part of my calling as a strega is to help sister witches in need…as long as they are servants of the Light.” She paused a moment to look deeply into Sabrina’s eyes. “I know you serve the Light because the permanent wards I put up around the town would never have let you through if you weren’t one of the good ones.”

  Permanent wards? This witch could cast permanent wards? Even a no-talent like Sabrina knew that was the kind of power that came around only once every few generations. She was in the presence of one of the greats. She was so overwhelmed by the idea, she didn’t know what to say. But that was okay. Urse seemed to understand, giving Sabrina the compassionate look and a pat on the back of her hand.

  Their magic met and tingled in recognition. Oddly, Sabrina’s little power wasn’t completely overwhelmed by the immense strength Urse represented. Instead, the tingle was of recognition. Of the possibility of working together in harmony. Of friendship.

  Sabrina felt a sense of wonder. She’d never been welcomed by any magic user of consequence, before. This Urse was something special, indeed.

  “What’s a strega?” Sabrina asked, her dazed mind coming back to the point.

  Urse smiled warmly, her dark eyes shining. “It’s a kind of hereditary witch from Italy, where my family comes from. Both me and my sister inherited the gift. I do spells, and she does potions. We each have our strengths.” She shrugged and smiled. “If we can’t help you, we have a few other people in town, and resources we can call on, to help figure things out.”

  “I really appreciate everything you all have done for me,” Sabrina said, feeling surprisingly close to tears, still unsteady from what had happened earlier in the day. “I can’t thank you enough, and I’m sorry to have brought my troubles to your town.”

  “Oh, honey.” Urse laughed. “Don’t be sorry. You may start running the other way once you realize everything that’s been happening here. This isn’t quite the idyllic paradise John had hoped to build. At least, not yet. First, we have to get rid of the sea monsters prowling just offshore.”

  “Sea monsters?” Sabrina’s eyes widened as the Alpha female chuckled.

  “A tale for another time. Right now, I suspect my mate wants to say a few words, then we’ll get out of your hair, so you can rest and recover.” Urse stood and rejoined her mate, who had been standing only a few feet away, watching over them.

  The big man stepped up. “First of all, welcome to Grizzly Cove,” he said, his deep voice both warm and authoritative. He had a sort of impressive command presence, and Sabrina began to understand why the men who knew him would follow him, even though bears were usually solitary creatures. “Ace tells us—as do the men who went up to meet you on the highway—that you have some control over wind power.” He didn’t pause, but she nodded, anyway. “My only question is, do you feel able to control it while you’re in town? If you say no, I won’t ask you to leave, but I might ask you to begin working right away with some of our magic folk, so we can keep a lid on it.”

  He stopped talking, waiting for her response. She was so relieved by what he’d just said, she felt a little tongue-tied, at first.

  “Uh… I think… I can keep control. Ace has been helping me. I feel it build up, and there’s time before I have to release the power, so I can keep an eye on it.” She tried to gather her thoughts and speak intelligently. “What happened on the road was a result of anger and fear on my part. Once I knew they were chasing us, I felt the power build and build until it had to be released, and I figured releasing it at them would save a lot of trouble for your people. I couldn’t let them fight for me. They didn’t even know me.” She paused, again, trying to find the right words. John’s patient presence encouraged her to say what she felt. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me—that they were willing to put themselves in harm’s way for me. For someone they don’t even know. Ace explained that’s what you guys do, but still…”

  John nodded gently. “It’s all right.” His reassuring presence—and Ace standing right beside him—somehow made her feel that everything really was going to be all right, now. Even though she knew she was still being hunted. “I’m just glad you made it here in one piece. Now, I’ve got a phone call to make. Rafe and Tim were worried about your progress, and they’ll want an update. You rest up, and we can start figuring out how to help you once you’re recovered.”

  She sniffled. They were being so nice to her when she’d brought such trouble practically to their doorstep. This was very different from the way she’d been treated by the wolf Pack.

  “You’ll find we have a mix of Others in town. Mostly, we’ve got a booming mer population,” John said, bemusement clear in his tone. “Once Urse and Mellie made the cove waters safe, a whole pod of mer moved in, so don’t be surprised by anything you might see going in or coming out of the water, though they’re actually pretty covert about it. The cove, and most of the coastline, is absolutely safe, now. The leviathan and its creepy little friends are out at sea, but they still try to bother us all the time. We’re working on that problem as well.” John scratched his head. “I can’t say I expected all of this when I came up with the idea for this town, but we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

  He smiled, and she had to smile back at him. He was such a warm, almost fatherly figure. She could easily see how his charisma had attracted so many to follow him in creating this community.

  “I hear Zak is cooking up a storm for everybody who went out to the highway,” Urse put in as the Alpha couple prepared to take their leave. “I suspect he’ll be sending a picnic over for you two, but if you need anything else, just ask, okay?”

  “Thank you,” Sabrina replied. “Thank
you both, so much.” She might’ve said more, but her emotions were tricky at the moment, threatening to spill out in tears. She’d never felt so much relief in her life. These people had been so welcoming. She felt as if she’d finally come home after a long time out in the cold.

  It was ridiculous, she knew. This town was built for bears. She wasn’t a shifter, and she had already experienced being the outsider in a town full of werewolves. It had started off okay, but the moment she had problems, it had become clear that she couldn’t count on the people she thought had been her friends—or at least friendly—for any kind of support. Only Marilee had stood by her, out of the entire Pack.

  Sabrina wasn’t entirely sure what would happen here. She figured the bears had already shown themselves to be way more tolerant than the werewolves had been, but there was probably some point at which they would cut their losses with her. She had to be cautious. She didn’t want to get hurt that way, again, if they all turned on her.

  John and Urse left, and Sabrina was alone, again, with Ace. He was quiet. He probably sensed she was close to her breaking point. Sabrina got up and headed for the bathroom.

  “I’m going to get cleaned up,” she told him, taking her saddlebags with her.

  Ace nodded, watching her go with concern in his expression, but she couldn’t talk to him, just then. Things were too unsettled inside her. She had to regroup a bit. A nice hot shower would be just the thing to help.

  Sabrina soaked under the hot spray for a while. She wasn’t really sure how long she stood there, shaking, after she’d washed her hair and soaped up her body. It all just got to her, all of a sudden. The relief of being in Grizzly Cove. Being safe. It overwhelmed her.

  Time had lost its meaning when, suddenly, Ace was there. He was standing in the large shower stall with her, tugging her away from the wall against which she’d pressed her forehead, allowing the hot water to beat down over her back. Ace turned her and took her into his embrace, enveloping her in his warmth. His security. His caring.