Aurora Champions Box Set

by Ophelia Bell

  “Gunther. It’s me, Simon. Are they giving you anything for the symptoms?” Sweet fuck, the guy was still going through withdrawal. Or maybe, like Simon, it had come back like some chronic disease falling out of remission. Javin had said the counteragent was no longer working.

  Gunther’s eyebrows twitched and he blinked, lifting his head to peer at Simon from beneath his jutting brow. His lip curled back from his teeth and he emitted a primal snarl, spittle spraying out and landing on his lip.

  Simon cringed at the foul scent of the other man’s breath and darted a look toward the pair of guards standing watch nearby. “Is he always like this?”

  The guard gave him a careless shrug. “Most days he’s worse.” He patted the rod-shaped implement hanging at his belt, an electric prod. Fuck, the man had ruined his life, but Simon wouldn’t have wished this kind of treatment on him.

  “Gunther, I’m sorry but I need your help. If you tell me who your source for the drug was, I can try to get you some help. I have a friend who’s a doctor. He’s working on a remedy for this but he needs to know where the drug came from.”

  Gunther’s brow twitched and his vision cleared for a second. “Doctor. Help.” His voice was a hoarse rasp but it gave Simon a jolt of hope.

  “Yes. The doctor will help, but you need to tell me how to find the source of the drug so he can help. Do you understand?”

  Gunther’s head dipped and he sat motionless except for his labored breathing. Simon was contemplating asking the guards to go get Javin to help the poor man out when Gunther muttered, “Earth.”

  At first it just came out sounding like a strangled syllable. But when he repeated it, Simon latched on. “Did you say Earth? Where on Earth? Do you have a name?”

  “Panther.”

  Now he was getting somewhere. A panther shifter on Earth, but it still wasn’t enough. Simon leaned over and placed a hand on Gunther’s shoulder only to have the guard snap, “No physical contact, sir!”

  He snatched his hand back with a scowl but Gunther grabbed his wrist in a blur of movement. He still had some reflexes.

  The guards leaped into motion as Gunther pulled Simon close, pressing his mouth to Simon’s ear. The man let out a raspy breath, then said, “Carver,” and released Simon’s hands a split second before the guard’s electric prod jabbed him in the neck.

  Simon lurched out of the way, backpedaling in horror as the pair of guards restrained his former arena partner, shocking him until he collapsed. As they dragged him by the armpits back out of the room, his knees scraping the floor, Gunther turned his head and peered back over his shoulder. He looked hunted, like helpless prey, not the ferocious predator he’d once been when they’d trained together.

  Simon steeled himself. Whoever was responsible for this fucking drug, this Carver person, was going to pay.

  8

  Javin

  The intensity in Simon’s eyes when he exited the visiting area made Javin stand abruptly. “You got what we needed, didn’t you? Where do I find the fucker?”

  “We are going to Earth, and don’t you dare tell me I’m not coming. I have as much of a stake in this as you do.”

  Simon’s set jaw and direct stare told Javin it would be wasted breath to argue. Hyena shifters were stubborn by reputation and fighting him would only make him dig in and resist harder.

  “Fine, but I’m not letting you out of my sight until we go. We’ll swing by your place to pick up your things. My place is closer to the gate. I’ll handle the travel paperwork.”

  “We going tonight?” Simon asked, following him back out to his transporter.

  Javin paused as he unlocked the doors. “Tomorrow first thing, I think.”

  “We shouldn’t waste time.”

  “I know. I need to check in on Astra first. And I’m expecting an important call.” Though if he managed to get to the bottom of the drug, he may not need Gerri Wilder’s assistance after all.

  As if on cue, his communicator buzzed and the dash lit up with a call notification. He flipped the vehicle into autopilot to answer. The holographic figure that appeared startled him because he recognized her.

  “Mrs. Wilder. I didn’t expect to hear from you quite so soon. You’ll have to forgive me, I’m driving at the moment.”

  “Dr. Traore, you should know by now that I take champion requests very seriously. I would have called sooner if I’d been able to get away from another obligation. But your request is even more important due to the condition Ms. Garrick is in at the moment, so I took the liberty of visiting in person once I heard you had called.”

  Javin’s spine went rigid. Behind him Simon whispered, “Dude, is that Gerri fucking Wilder?”

  Shushing Simon, he said, “I appreciate your dedication but you really didn’t need to—”

  “Nonsense. I should have called weeks ago, honestly. And there’s no need for you to worry, I’m at the League Medical Clinic now, just waiting to find out when I can see your friend. That was quite a selfless thing you did, calling me on her behalf. I imagine she’ll be quite grateful.”

  “Fuck,” Javin muttered, though he couldn’t fathom why Gerri thought she should have visited before he’d even called her. Behind him Simon barked a laugh.

  “Holy shit, you did not call a matchmaker for Astra without asking her, did you?”

  “Is there something wrong, Dr. Traore?” Gerri asked, one sculpted eyebrow arched.

  “Um, no, not at all! I’d just appreciate it if you would wait. Astra’s in a delicate state right now, so I’d like a moment to make sure she’s up for a visitor first. I’ll be at the medical center in a few minutes.”

  “Very well. I look forward to seeing you,” Gerri said, then the image disappeared, leaving Javin staring in panicked shock at the vista through the windshield.

  “You do love meddling in people’s lives, don’t you?” Simon said from behind him. “I knew you were a control freak but I had no fucking idea.”

  “It’s for her own good. If we can’t work on a stable counteragent for the toxin, mating is going to be her only hope of reviving her link to her dragon and returning to the arena.”

  Simon went quiet and Javin’s spine tingled with the awareness of tension that hadn’t been in the transporter a moment ago.

  “You’re in fucking denial,” Simon finally said. “Also, where was this suggestion when you were offering me solutions? Was it mating that got Hot Wings back in the arena? I’ve been out of the loop for a couple years on this shit. A little heads-up would have been nice.”

  Javin shot a glare over his shoulder. “I did suggest it earlier tonight, but you shot me down. Over the last couple years, we’ve observed that champions who have been injured stand a much higher chance of full recoveries if they take mates. It stands to reason it would work for your condition too.”

  “How long have you known this without mentioning it?” Simon challenged.

  Javin was at a loss. He’d known the mating angle for more than a year but hadn’t offered the option to Simon until tonight.

  He didn’t answer and they remained silent for the rest of the trip, but Simon’s resentment permeated the air inside the small transporter. By the time they pulled into Javin’s parking spot at the League Medical Center, his hackles were up for a confrontation. But Simon only hopped out and strode toward the door without a word or a look back.

  Javin cursed and jogged to catch up, his long legs carrying him to the stockier hyena shifter swiftly.

  “Slow down. I didn’t realize you were that far out of touch, Simon. I thought you knew.” He grabbed Simon’s arm to halt him.

  The other man spun around, jaw clenched and eyes blazing. “You’re my fucking doctor. Do you normally just assume your patients are aware of their options? I could have called this matchmaker and asked for her help instead of relying on you for my fucking lifeline.”

  Javin flinched and loosened his grip. Simon was right though. So why hadn’t he? “I’m sorry,” was all he could say.


  “Don’t be fucking sorry. You want to make it up to me? I want what you’re so eager to give Astra that you didn’t even ask her opinion.”

  “Fine. I’ll introduce you to Mrs. Wilder. Come on.”

  He headed into the center, picking up his pace. He was anxious to head off the matchmaker before she could speak to Astra herself.

  His gut was a tangled mess now. Gerri was supposed to be the answer to Astra’s problem, and she could no doubt help Simon too. But the idea of losing them both in the span of a night suddenly wasn’t sitting well with him.

  He shook it off. He was being ridiculous. The matchmaker was good—she had a flawless success rate—but it still took time for her to find matches for her clients. Besides, he had more important things to do, like following up on this lead to track down the maker of the toxic drug that had been a plague on the arena league for years now. He didn’t have time to lose his shit over Astra and Simon moving on. Astra was his dead best friend’s little sister. She deserved to be whole with someone who loved her. And Simon had been fucked over in the worst way by his partner. Despite Javin’s spotty opinion of the man, Simon still deserved happiness.

  This was what was best for them both.

  When they exited the lift to the second floor, Javin took a deep breath, slowing down to a walk as he spotted a well-dressed woman seated in the visitor’s lounge.

  “I need you to keep her busy while I go prep Astra,” he said under his breath to Simon. “This is your chance to have a chat with her, so don’t waste it, all right?”

  Simon nodded, an eager smile spreading across his face. “No problem.”

  “Mrs. Wilder,” Javin called in a louder voice. “You really didn’t need to come all this way.”

  The platinum-haired woman stood with easy grace and turned. Her sharp eyes met Javin’s as she smoothed out her tailored skirt, a fellow wolf within her gaze. She regarded him for a few seconds before shifting to Simon, and Javin had the strongest sense that she’d just taken their full measure with a single glance. His unease spiked, but he smiled through it, stepping forward and offering a hand.

  “I’m Dr. Javin Traore. This is one of my patients, Simon Irons. He’s interested in hiring you too, as a matter of fact.”

  She took his hand, gripping firmly and shaking. “Dr. Traore. Simon.” She offered her hand to Simon, who dipped his head in a slight bow.

  “Mrs. Wilder, it is my complete pleasure to meet you,” Simon said.

  “Please just call me Gerri. I prefer to be on a first-name basis with all my clients. The nature of my work requires a certain level of intimacy that precludes some formalities.”

  Her gaze darted between the two of them and her nostrils flared. Javin hoped like hell she wasn’t scenting the two men on each other, but if her wolf’s senses were as keen as his, he was shit out of luck.

  One eyebrow lifted as she met Javin’s eyes again. “I’m eager to meet Ms. Garrick. I understand she is the most recent victim of one of these awful attacks in the arena. The drug seems to have made a resurgence.”

  “It’s tragic is what it is,” Javin said in a strained voice. “And I should warn you she may not be precisely open to the idea of a mate, but short of tracking down the origin of the drug, she has no other options for her recovery.”

  “Why don’t you go check and see whether she’s up for a visitor? I’ll get to know Simon while we wait.”

  She shifted her attention to Simon with a smile, and Javin gave the other man a pleading look that he hoped conveyed keep her busy. Simon grinned his toothy grin and tilted his chin toward the corridor.

  Javin wasn’t sure he liked that look the other man had given him. Simon was desperate and desperate men could be dangerous, but how much damage could the man do? If he wanted a mate, Gerri was the perfect person to introduce him to.

  Astra’s reaction was a bigger concern and he braced himself, rehearsing his speech as he headed to her room. A few paces away from her door, he heard two female voices—Simina’s and Astra’s. The two of them didn’t sound amicable at the moment either and his stomach turned to lead.

  Simina wouldn’t have sold him out, would she? But the closer he got, the more certain he was that she had.

  “Gerri’s the real deal, sweetie. Try to forget how she wound up here. Just give her a chance,” Simina was saying. So perhaps it wasn’t all shit talking. He forced himself to an easy gait as he entered, plastering on a smile. But he faltered the second he saw Astra up and dressed and stuffing her things into a bag.

  “I’m not fucking staying for this. You had a choice, Simina. You didn’t have some asshole making that choice for you.”

  “So I’m just some asshole now, am I?” Javin said, crossing his arms and blocking the doorway.

  Astra turned her dark-eyed glare on him. She’d even put on battle paint and would have looked as ferocious as ever if not for the pallid tinge to her complexion. “If you did what she said you did, yes. You’re a fucking son of a bitch.”

  He smirked. “You realize that isn’t an insult to a wolf shifter, right?”

  Astra rolled her eyes and jabbed a finger at him. “Asshole! There’s literally nothing else you can do for me here so I’m not staying just so you can meddle with my life! Bryer and Ignazio invited me to stay with them until I recover. They’re definitely better friends to me than you’ve ever been. Now get out of my way!”

  She was on fire, but Javin couldn’t let her storm out without meeting Gerri. “She came all the way from Earth just to meet with you, Astra. At least take a minute to sit down with her.”

  “No! If you think she’s so great, you hire her!” She shoved at his shoulder, but Javin held his ground.

  Astra growled and tried to push beneath his arm, but he dropped it, hooking it around her waist and holding her back. He glanced to Simina for help.

  “Hey, I told you she’d respond this way,” Simina said, watching in amusement as he fended off the frustrated dragon shifter’s attempts to break through him.

  “Javin,” Astra warned. “You don’t want to fuck with me right now! I will hurt you.”

  “I’ll survive. Just meet the woman, Astra. This is your best shot at recovery.”

  She shifted sides and tried to shove past his other arm, but he easily blocked her again. Her reflexes were way off, which worried him. Her rising frustration with her reaction time was growing more apparent too, and were those tears in her eyes?

  “Javin, please don’t make me hurt you,” she rasped. Her eyes flashed with violet inner fire for a split second, the first sign that her dragon really was still in there. He blocked her again, this time hoping somehow that getting her riled up would spark that link again.

  “Show her to me and I’ll let you out,” he taunted. “Let me see your dragon, Astra. Show me Midnight Star.”

  She took a step back, her jaw tight and her eyes blazing, but that brief spark of light was no longer there. She dropped her bag and lunged at him with a roar, fingers outstretched. He’d seen this move in the arena and knew how damaging it could be. At the top of her game, he would stand no chance against her, but he dodged readily, feinted, then swept her feet out from under her with an almost lazy kick. She hit the floor and he grabbed her wrists, pinning them over her head, and stared down at her.

  “You’re sick, Astra. I know this is a bitter pill to swallow, but you need to talk to Gerri Wilder if you really want to get better. Just do this for me. It’s not a commitment to mating. Consider it a backup plan if you want. I just need to know you have a chance to be whole if I can’t come through with a counteragent that will work. Please.”

  Her breathing was ragged and quick beneath him, her eyes filled with agony that he doubted had anything to do with the physical wound in her leg. Inside him, his wolf made a rumbling murmur of interest. She needs a mate. Mark her now and give her one, it seemed to say.

  Javin’s mouth watered at the sight of the pulse in her throat. That would be the easy way to fix e
verything, but no. He closed his eyes and forced his beast back into the darkness. Even if she didn’t hate him, she was Talon’s sister. Mating her was not an option, but he would be damn sure to give her every opportunity to heal that he could find.

  “You had better fucking come through,” she shot, struggling against him and looking more panicked with every squirm and twist. “But when I’m better, you should watch your fucking back. I owe you an ass kicking for this.”

  He chuckled as he shifted off her, instantly missing the heat and softness of her curves beneath him when he stood. He reached down to offer her a hand up, but she ignored it, standing unsteadily with a wince.

  “I have no doubt you’ll deliver, and I will welcome it when it comes,” he said.

  9

  Astra

  Astra’s teeth dug into her lip in an effort to suppress the cry of utter rage and frustration bubbling forth after her confrontation with Javin.

  He shouldn’t have been able to overpower her so easily. Sure, he was bigger, bulkier, far more muscular—the man had often trained with her brother, though Talon had always been the better fighter. But she was the champion, not Javin. Her skills were unmatched by most arena champions, so someone who wasn’t a pro should never have gotten the upper hand.

  Except when she’d leaped at him, her dragon hadn’t responded. That brief surge of awareness had faded fast, and the next thing she’d known, she was flat on her back, pinned to the floor with him staring down at her all smug. She hadn’t even had the strength to break free so she’d had no choice but to give in.

  She trudged after him down the hall, limping with each step and hating herself for how he affected her and dreading this infernal meeting the closer she got. But at least it was late enough that the floor was quiet save for a handful of staff who seemed busy with the patients who were staying overnight. No one else would have to bear witness to her damaged self being forced into the last thing most champions ever willingly sought.