Loved by a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 1)

by Lauren Lively

  Chapter 5

  Dulex

  I opened the door right as a gentle breeze blew the autumn leaves and was slapped in the face with the scent of the Fae, the same Fae that had been tracking me for the last several months. My beast roared in despair and the Fae bellowed realizing his own kind took our mate. Again, I was struck by how much my dual nature had coincided. They were pissed. Ria was gone and it was because of me and the fact that

  I shouldn’t even be.

  The worst part of it all…I scented no blood and very little aggression from my mate. There was no fear or even remote sadness.

  She didn’t fight.

  She let them take her—to protect me.

  The worst part of it all—I should have known my mate would be protective and strong. She was the first woman that shared equal, if not more, strength, than I. It was eye opening how much I needed someone strong. It would be nice to have a partner, someone to lean on, especially in times like this.

  One slow step at a time, I made my way down the stairs off the porch from the cabin. It was hidden all right, but that hadn’t stopped the Fae from tracking me down. The sun was low in the sky and trees surrounded me. Even with my enhanced vision there was nothing to see for miles other than pure nature. I sighed.

  “This would be perfect in a better situation.” I spoke to no one, but as my heart rate picked up, and I knew I was being watched. There were more Fae somewhere. I closed my eyes trying to zone in on their location. I took a deep breath and let my sense expand.

  In the distance, I felt the magic. A lot of it. There were at least three other Fae in waiting for me.

  They’d come prepared. Their magic strummed through my veins waking my Fae half wake up further. It was almost if their energy recharged me making mine come alive. A shard of pain whipped through my chest. I felt the would knit itself back together and chuckled through the process. It seemed being so close to my kind only helped me—not hindered me. Within minutes, my wound was healed and the stitches pulled outward. I closed my eyes and held my arms out palms out to either side of me. The magic of nature come to my fingertips and when I squinted my eyes open my palms were lit like the brightest of lights.

  Tipping my head back I watched the sun descend the horizon. Not far in the distance to the east I saw a lone figure. He was large with white hair flowing in the breeze. Even far away I felt his stare. Icy cold and filled with such hatred. Why was it the Fae were so bitter and angry? I didn’t know. The only thing I did know for certain was I needed to find Azaria. She was with these beings and who knew what they were doing to her.

  I made my decision then and pushed forward. Stalking towards the lone Fae I was focused. He would take me to my mate. I was healed. In fact, I felt better than ever, strong and lethal. Energy radiated off me in waves surrounding me. I was protecting.

  The blood she’d given me mixed with my own power and grew. I needed to release the raw power and I knew exactly how I was going to do it.

  I was going to kill anyone who got in my way. If they so much as laid their filthy hands on her, they needed to hide.

  ***

  When I woke up I was in a cell. It was dark, but that didn’t bother me, and I wasn’t alone.

  “Dulex?”

  Her voice was both a balm and a trigger to my soul. It was quiet and held fear. The fear I hadn’t sensed from her back in the cabin. I wanted to run to her but I was on a short chain. There was a metal, magic infused collar around my neck. I cringed when it sparked.

  “Ria, I’m sorry. I should have told you.”

  Whispering was no use; they could hear every word we said.

  “What did you do?”

  When I would have answered a new voice did so for me.

  “Nothing little one, he didn’t have to. Existing is enough.”

  I felt her tension rise and realized he was one that had helped take her.

  She growled low in her throat. “Shut up.”

  The male chuckled. “I told you we’d end up in the same place, only I might be able to save myself.” He clucked his tongue. “You two on the other hand—not a chance.”

  It didn’t pass my notice that he was resigned and didn’t care.

  “I did better than anyone else, I may gain my freedom yet. The fact that he followed after you and landed in my trap might just be enough.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” she replied low. “just because he came for me means nothing to me or anyone else for that matter.”

  I wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but I hoped she didn’t mean that. Sure we hadn’t gotten a chance, but we were mates. “Ria,”

  “Shut up,” she replied. “I need to think. Father will surely be looking for me. Hell, I thought he’d sent his trackers. But of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

  She was angry with me. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”

  She didn’t respond but I felt her stare, and her eyes glowed purple. They were stunning.

  “Looks like she isn’t happy to see you, big man. If your mate doesn’t want you that just means even more how little of importance you are. I don’t even know why my queen wants you so badly.”

  There was no reason to respond so I kept my mouth shut and studied my mate. Her body was tensed in a coil, much like a snake that was ready to attack. Her fangs extended and her fingers curved like claws.

  She was breathtaking.

  “Stop staring at me.”

  I didn’t.

  She huffed and stared back. “Why do they want you so badly?”

  “Because I exist. I’m a bear-Fae hybrid, not supposed to be. Apparently, a strong one considering the price on my head and how long I’ve been on the run.”

  The male hissed. “I almost had you,” he pointed a finger at Azaria. “Had this bitch left you be you would be dead right now.”

  “Watch yourself,” I said and licked my lips when the bear tried to come out. It didn’t happen. The cells were magic. I couldn’t shift or use my power. I could feel it locked up with chains and there was no breaking them.

  “Oh, protective,” the male taunted.

  He was trying to get under my skin. It worked. I wanted to rip his fucking head off.

  She stared at me now. “So, you didn’t do anything to deserve this?”

  “No, I’ve been running my whole life, they murdered my mother for her affair with a Fae.”

  My voice went cold. The disappointment that she assumed the worst tasted terrible on my tongue. “She protected me from them. And once she was gone I kept going.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  I shrugged. “It’s my life. I deal okay. If fuckers like these would just leave me the hell alone. I don’t cause any problems. Neither did my mother. She couldn’t help who Fate deemed her mate.”

  The male laughed. “They were not mated. Fae do not mate with bears.”

  I glared his way. “You’re stupid if you believe that, and your queen knows it too. She isn’t as innocent as she appears.”

  He stood and came to the bars, not touching them. His face contorted into an angry mask filled with rage. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. “

  I smiled showing fang. I could do that. “I know a lot more than you think I do.”

  A door creaked in the distance and we stopped talking. He didn’t realize that my father taught me many things of the Fae before he was killed.

  Footsteps echoed down the hall as someone came the direction to our cells. It was a woman in an old-fashioned dress. She had long blond curls and golden eyes.

  “Dulex, we finally meet.”

  Her voice was nothing more than a soft purr. I didn’t say a word.

  ***

  Azaria

  I flinched as the woman’s stare lingered on his bare chest. Tension ignited between me and this woman that dared stare at my mate in a lustful way. He was mine dammit!

  I growled keeping
my eyes on her. She was trouble. Her stare shot to me and her pouty lips turned up into a smile. She was going to do whatever it took to ruin me. Her eyes shined knowing I was about to freak out.

  “So, you’re Quinton’s daughter. Funny I thought you’d be prettier.” She pushed her upper body out making her breasts pop over the top of her dress. As if that would get my mate’s attention.

  It didn’t.

  Lucky for him or I’d have his balls.

  “I suppose even less than average women need a mate too.”

  Really? She played petty games saying stuff our kin would say.

  “Does my father know I’m here?”

  “Why would he? You interfered with our rights. We don’t answer to the Vampire council any more than you answer to us.”

  “Not true. Father always tried to work with other Supes.”

  The woman laughed and opened the cell door. She sauntered in the room to my mate watching me the entire time. It took everything in me not to rip her throat out. And as fun as that sounded, it wouldn’t get us out of the mess we were in.

  I sighed watching her run long nails over his healing wounds. For his part, Dulex stood still and glared at her. He didn’t like her touch.

  Good.

  Chapter 6

  Dulex

  The bitch needed to get her hands off me. I knew it was a ploy to piss Ria off, and from the looks of things it was working.

  Her eyes flared and she hissed when the woman ran her nails down my chest. I shuddered but not for enjoyment. It was disgust. I hoped my mate understood that.

  I frowned when a tear slid down her cheek.

  “It’s okay Ria.”

  She didn’t respond and my heart ached. I tried to convey how I felt without words.

  The female growled. “Come on, it’s time for the trial.”

  I knew one day I would be behind those doors, but I never thought my mate would be. “Take me, leave Azaria out of it.”

  She laughed. “No can do, beast. The queen wants to see her specifically.”

  Well hell.

  “How can I get the queen to let her go and take me—”

  “No!” Azaria said. “We can do this together.”

  Her voice softened at the end melting my heart for the first time in so long. I needed to get us the hell out of this. We needed to complete the bond. It would be like we knew each other forever then.

  Fated.

  The woman sighed when I didn’t react the way she hoped. She didn’t like that Ria had my complete attention.

  “Fine, let’s get this over with.” I knew there was no way out of this and Azaria had to be involved. She was a princess for fuck’s sake. That was asking for war. I couldn’t believe they were stupid enough to take her—just to get me. They were on the verge of a cliff of desperation. They might as well have jumped without looking because once King Quinton found out his daughter was in a dungeon, they were up shit’s creek.

  The female nodded and unlocked the chain from the wall. She tugged it a bit too tight to assert her control. There was no reason to fight her.

  “Come on mutt,” she said.

  I growled but followed her.

  She looked at Azaria. “Someone will be back for you.”

  ***

  Azaria stood next to me in front of the Fae council. None looked very happy to see us, but none stopped me from sliding closer to her so the sides of our bodies touched. She sucked in a sharp breath and I tried not to smile. The warmth of my body seeped into the chill of hers. A vamp went cold when stressed, angry, or hurt. Needless to say, she was two out of the three.

  “So, we finally have you here, Dulex.”

  It was the queen. Of that I was certain. She radiated power and domination. The Fae were led by the women, and the men stayed in the background unless called upon. Women were more power both mentally and spiritually. Men were strong physically and with magic. That’s how my mother explained it to me before she was killed.

  “I don’t know how we ended up with her though,” the queen said and pointed at Ria.

  She glared behind me and I knew the male who had taken my mate was there. It was tempting to turn around and rip his head off.

  “I thought getting here would lure our target to us—and it worked. He is here because of her.”

  Azaria tensed beside me and I wondered what happened. She didn’t look my way. Her eyes were glued to the wall above the council’s head.

  ***

  Azaria

  I’d never been inside the Fae’s council chambers. It was exactly like I pictured it. The walls were made of some natural thin material with colorful fabrics flowing in the light breeze. Candles lite every inch. There were bright orbs that floated above me. It was magnificent. If they weren’t holding me captive things might have been different.

  I watched as Dulex tensed when I did. It seemed he could already feel what I did. I tried to calm my nerves because if he could sense it there was a good chance the others could as well. I was a Royal Living Vampire for hell’s sakes. I was tougher than this. Problem, I’d never be accosted by the Fae. Father had such a good relationship with them throughout the world, I never thought it could be.

  “You’re the princess?” The queen sneered as if she smelled something bad.

  I licked my lips and cleared my throat suddenly very nervous. “Yes, Princess Azaria Jade Lucian.”

  The queen stood and stepped of her pedestal. No joke this queen was that kind of female. She glided towards me and I made sure to hold my head up high. She circled around me and sniffed. “You stink of fear, little girl.” Then she touched my arm and her magic flowed through me. I shuddered not happy very this was going.

  “You’re not much are you. Sort of puny compared to your ancestors.”

  I’d show her puny if she didn’t get her filthy hands off me. She pissed me off, but there was nothing I could do. I had to keep my cool and stay calm.

  A loud explosion shook the grounds. I teetered to the side and gripped the queen before she fell. Her hands went cold at my touch and then I was thrown across the room. I whipped through the air knocking one of the beautiful orbs to the side. My back slammed into the wall that didn’t look like it had amounted to much. But it did. The breath was taken from me and I slid to the floor too shocked to keep from falling. I landed on my back.

  The bitch was strong as hell. I should have been able to with stand her magic—apparently, I couldn’t. I blinked as the orbs floated above my head. Lights danced before my eyes before I felt the building magic. It heated its way through my veins and then wrapped around my heart. Breathing, became harder and I gasped as my throat began to close.

  Standing over me was the same male Fae—the dominant. He smirked and waved. “Buh-bye, bitch.”

  My eyes fluttered closed.

  Chapter 7

  Dulex

  I couldn’t find her. I wasn’t even sure what the hell happened. One minute I was bursting to knock the queen off my mate, and the next the whole chambers shook. Everything went to hell after that. The Fae all banded together to figure out how to fight whatever it was that attacked. The chambers filled with the whole platoon of warriors in a matter of minutes.

  I took that moment to find my mate and get the hell out of dodge. It was perfect distraction. The room filled with smoke smelling of Vampire magic and then I knew. Ria’s family had arrived. Part of me worried I’d be killed on the spot, but the other part was over joyed with the help. As soon as I knew she’d gotten involved I was willing to do anything to make sure nothing happened to her. It was my responsibility to make sure she was safe. It wasn’t her job to protect me, and the beast inside of me cringed we hadn’t been able to do anything to ensure our mate’s safety. The Fae wanted to come out and play.

  Neither could come out. The collar sparked.

  “Fuck!”

  I had to find her. I narrowed my eyes and saw the male Fae from the dungeon
standing over her with a wicked sword. My beast roared and my canine irrupted from my gums so bad I yelled out.

  “Stay away from her, you sorry excuse of a Fae.”

  That got his attention and he spun towards me with fire in his eyes. I couldn’t combat magic, but brunt force would have to be enough.

  “Get out Ria.”

  She didn’t move. It was then I realized she wasn’t conscious. Everything froze inside of me watching her to ensure he hadn’t already taken her from me. When I saw her chest moved I sighed in relief. The collar unclicked and fell to the ground meaning the specific magic was from someone who was no longer among the living.

  Finally.

  Just as the Fae went to slam the sword down into my mate’s heart, essentially shattering me, she rolled out of the way. Her eyes flared when she noticed the change in my scent. The Fae part of my dual nature broke free and I threw a ball of fire from my hand to him. It flew faster than the human eye. It slammed into the Fae’s back and he screamed with eyes full of agony. The sound of his pain and suffering echoed through the room but the warriors didn’t pay him any attention.

  I wasn’t going to stick around and watch him burn. The part of me that was Fae and Bear relished in the fact that he was suffering.

  He was trying to kill our mate.

  I knew it was true. If I hadn’t noticed she would have been slaughtered right before my eyes. My body shuddered with an awareness.

  We needed to mate.

  It was the only way to make sure something like this didn’t happen again. I strode over to the beautiful Vampire in front of me and before she could speak or fight I cradled her face in my hands as if she were the most delicate butterfly and kissed her. She gasped in shock allowing my tongue access to her mouth. I took advantage and caressed her tongue. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around me. As soon as she touched me, it was now or never.