Chance Lost

by Jo Larue

  Rick’s phone rang and he walked away to answer it. While they waited for Rick to finish his conversation, Sylas wrapped his arms around Chance, taking advantage of their alone time. Hearing a car approach, he glanced down the road. A small sports car slowed and pulled up behind Rick’s truck. Sylas watched a man step out and suddenly Chance pulled out of his embrace, grinning from ear to ear. This must be Gus. Chance quickly walked over and gave him a hug and peck on the cheek. Sylas was surprised to find himself jealous of their friendship and bristled at their familiarity.

  When they walked back arm in arm, Sylas tried his best to not show what he was feeling, and was quite sure he was failing to do so. Chance introduced Gus to everyone and by the look on Chance’s face, he could tell this was someone she cared for. Even though Sylas was jealous, he didn’t feel threatened by him, and that fact set him at ease. He could tell Chance’s feelings for Gus were purely brotherly in nature. Gus on the other hand was like a puppy dog around her. He never took his eyes off Chance and that might be a problem down the road.

  Walking the property with everyone in tow, Chance showed Rick where she wanted her wind turbines set. The turbines were far enough away from the buildings, that in case of trouble, the towers might avoid becoming a target. The cost to run the power lines underground would be high, but worth it. She also let Rick know she wanted a satellite tower or cell tower, which was Gus’ area of expertise.

  Rick assured her, and Gus agreed that a satellite tower was not beyond getting done on time and they could possibly place the tower inline with the turbines, so the cables could be buried together. When they got back to the construction site, Gus begged off, saying he needed to go do a repair on a system. He exchanged numbers with Rick and promised to help out once they were ready with the sat tower. He told Rick he already had a crew on standby for it. Chance hugged him and they said their good byes.

  Construction would start in less than forty eight hours and Sylas drank in the excitement on Chance’s face. More than once she had turned to kiss him, her excitement overflowing. He was happy to see her alive and enjoying this. This was his version of heaven on earth and he would not have it any other way. Chance gave him a small tour of the property, covering the areas they hadn’t gone to during the last time they were there. They hiked most of the outer edge and it gave him a better idea about the wolves and if they were in this area much. There didn’t appear to be any recent activity since he saw only older tracks.

  Sylas secretly hoped the construction crews would keep the wolves at bay. While hiking, they came across two caves that held potential. One was close to her home site and it could be used for the escape route she spoke of. They discussed it as while exploring it. The cave went deep enough and was well enough hidden to serve the purpose. The other one turned out not quite as deep in but would be a perfect hiding place should the need ever arise.

  The second cave was well hidden behind a large granite boulder that looked as if it abutted the ravine wall behind it. If you didn’t know it was there, you would never see it. He only happened to find it by following an old game trail and his nose told him there was water nearby. He followed the scent and stumbled on the entrance. The inside opened into a large cavern with a deep natural pool of spring water on one side. There was a smaller cave in the back that could serve as storage or for sleeping. If nothing else, he could use it for when he shifted and needed a place to crash when he was watching out for Chance.

  “It’ll be dark in another hour or so, Sy. Maybe we should head back?”

  Chance broke his thoughts into tiny slivers when she slipped up behind him and placed her arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight hug. He turned to gaze upon her face. She looked at him with emerald green eyes he could easily get lost in. Sylas couldn’t help but kiss each one in turn, then kissed her lips that were slightly parted in a shy smile.

  “I wish there was more time, but you’re right, we should head back. I know trying to walk out of here in the dark is not your cup of tea. Mine either, for that matter. Anything you would like to do, once we get on the road?”

  “Not thought about it. Got something in mind?”

  They started walking as he spoke, “How about a real date? Maybe dinner and a movie at the cinema… you know, popcorn, candy, drinks, holding hands, and making out in the back?”

  Sylas grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows. She giggled, and the sound was like music to his ears.

  “It sounds like a great idea. Never been on a date with someone before, I usually go alone when I want to see a movie. I’m glad you asked.” Chance blushed as she said it.

  For the life of him, Sylas could not imagine how his beautiful girl led such a life. She was beautiful, intelligent, and funny. A great catch and no one before him managed to steal her heart. Was it no one ever tried, or she never let anyone close enough to give it a shot? He could only thank his mother for saving her just for him. The Fate’s may have put him on the right path, but the rest was all up to him. He smiled at the challenge set before him.

  They managed to traverse the ravine and make their way out. Sylas remembered the rock and turned it in the right direction. Rick had left a few hours before to get his permits. Right as he was standing up to get back in the Jeep, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He didn’t see who was watching but he could feel their eyes on him. Sylas growled and scanned the woods across the road. He eased into the Jeep not taking his eyes off the woods in front of him. He hit the bright lights and saw a gray form flash off in the other direction. It was a wolf that ran with a limp.

  Sylas pushed his unease away. It wouldn’t do to let Chance see him worried. He put a smile back on his face and they drove back towards town. They stopped at a small Italian restaurant Jack told him about once. The pizza was New York style and was as good as he said it would be. From there they went to the theater and watched the new Fast & Furious movie. Sylas was determined to give her the whole teenage experience she’d missed.

  Sylas led Chance to the back row and they snacked on popcorn and candy. They shared a drink and held hands. Before the movie reached the halfway point they were kissing. Only his kisses were not awkward and sloppy. They were hot and he was hard as a rock before they were done. Sylas learned her triggers and took advantage whenever he could. One moan from her would send fire racing through his veins. In the dark he could see her face after he pulled back from one rather tantalizing session. Her eyes were half-lidded and they had darkened in her passion. She was chewing her bottom lip and he quickly stopped her by leaning in and giving it a quick nip.

  Sylas heard Chance gasp and pulled back to study her face. He saw her eyes spark. It was a tiny spark that faded quickly away, but he saw it. He thought back to the other times he had bitten her, suddenly realizing that she acted the same way each time. Was this what she needed to change? Was it the mix of his blood and the love bites? He couldn’t exactly find out the normal way, and as he thought about it more, it could backfire on him. He didn’t really have her permission to change her. It was already happening, but she wasn’t aware of it. This could either bring her to him forever or send her running in fear.

  Sylas would have to take this even slower than he thought. He could not and would not lose her. He took a deep breath to settle his heart and mind. The beast inside was warring with him again. He already knew what Sylas didn’t. This was his mate and he wanted her, all of her. Sylas coughed to cover a small growl that escaped his lips. The beast would have her right here in the theater if he let him loose, and that was not happening.

  Distracted, Sylas didn’t feel his cell vibrating in his pocket at first. When it persisted, it finally caught his attention. He passed the popcorn over to Chance to look at his phone. There were several text messages from Jack. The first had been sent over two hours before. The last was the one he looked at first and his heart stopped.

  “Need you”

  Sylas grabbed Chance and pulled her out of the theater as fast as he
could without raising eyebrows. When they got outside, he rushed faster to the Jeep. Chance must have sensed his urgency because she didn’t protest, but followed behind without question. They jumped in the Jeep and he was on the road before he told her Jack was in trouble.

  “Got your weapons, Chance?”

  Chance nodded and pointed to her boots.

  “Good, because I think we’re going to need them.”

  Sylas stopped at the house first since it was on the way, but Jack wasn’t there. That meant only one thing. Something was wrong at the bar and it worried him. Sylas scanned the other messages from Jack but they didn’t give him any clue to what was wrong. One said “trouble” and the other read ”now”. Sylas tossed Chance his cell and asked her to send Jack a text asking where he was. She did and they waited for a response that never came.

  Chapter 25

  Chance kept her eyes on Sylas as he drove. Jack didn’t send them a reply and she could see the worry in the deep furrow between his brows. He wasn’t talking about it, but she knew it was something to do with the biker gang.

  Did they hurt him and was it why he wasn’t responding? Jack was like a brother to her and if anything happened to him she would make sure they paid, in blood if necessary. She may not have been able to kill the one in her house, but Jack was family, and that was a completely different issue. She realized she would kill to save either one of them, without second thought. Sylas and Jack were closer to her than anyone, including Sensei. She spent time with her growing up, but never felt the kind of kinship she did with these two men. Gus was another story.

  Chance kept glancing down at the cell phone in her hand. She almost had a death grip on it, willing it to sound off with a reply. Sylas was driving like a man possessed, weaving in and out of traffic. She was glad she asked the dealership to install extra stabilizers and wider track tires in the Jeep. They took some corners fast enough to turn over a regular one. Once or twice she felt tires come off the ground, but he would slow enough to let it right itself and she could feel it settle to all 4 tires again. It was extra money well spent in her book.

  Sylas turned off the lights about a block from the bar. He slowed down and pulled off into an unlit and deserted parking lot nearby. They got out and she set Sylas’ cell to vibrate only and handed it back. She was glad now she had dressed in dark skinny jeans and tank top for the trip to her property. She pulled one of her knives she kept in her pocket, a switchblade with brass knuckles she’d ordered special for her smaller hand. They didn’t speak as they moved along the shadows, hugging what buildings were available. Finally, after inching their way forward one building at a time, they were able to see Jack’s bar.

  Sylas whispered he was headed to the backside of the bar and to stay where she was until he gave her the signal to move. A nightingale call would tell her it was time to go in. Chance watched him move away, not making a sound. She worried her bottom lip after he was out of sight. She could not bear to see him go alone, but knew it was necessary.

  Chance glanced at her watch. The bar should still have patrons, but she didn’t see any vehicles in the parking area. It wasn’t a good sign. She wouldn’t be able to move much closer without losing cover. She drew on her instincts and looked for a puddle nearby from the recent rains in this area. Moving to it, she sloshed the water and took a handful of mud and smeared it over her exposed skin. Luckily the puddle was not all red Georgia clay.

  Chance heard Sylas whistle and she crept closer. She heard music coming from the jukebox inside the bar, but no voices. She went as close as she could without breaking cover and had just stepped out when the explosion hit. The concussion from the blast threw her back about ten feet into the wall she was standing by. Her momentum slammed her head into the concrete wall and she started to pass out, sliding to the ground. Her adrenaline kicked in and she scrambled up running towards the bar. She screamed for Sylas and Jack as she ran.

  * * * *

  Craven watched as Chance ran with full intentions of running into the bar, but the bastard Sylas caught her before she could get in the door. She was screaming for the owner Jack, but they wouldn’t be able to search for him with the fire still raging. What a luscious little thing she was and he could see why Trey wanted her so badly. The night she sharked him, he was too drunk to notice anything but her curves. When the time was right, he would have her tied up and they could all watch as he tortured and used her.

  Tonight was not the night though. He needed to catch them each alone, as these two were too dangerous together. He would need to have the whole pack with him to even stand a chance in hell of taking Sylas down. Sylas Taiken was the most powerful shifter on the planet, and Craven knew better than to go it alone.

  Now he had his revenge on the bar owner, and it was one down, with two to go. They’d caught Jack unaware as he was shutting down the bar. It was a slow night and the pack busted the front door in, right after he turned away from locking it. As half of his men set the explosives, the others took Jack to the back office. The orders were to take all the cash and leave him tied up. Craven had taken Jack’s cell and sent the text messages, knowing it would bring the Enforcer to him. He just hadn’t counted on the bitch being with him.

  Craven laughed almost maniacally at the thought of what he planned for Chance. He left them to their fears and drove off, grinning at the thought of fucking that bitch in front of her lover and his former Beta. Trey didn’t know he was now an outcast, but he would find out soon enough. The Tracker’s flight was due to land any minute, and Craven had already told him he would meet him outside and what car to look for. When the bitch hit the wall, she’d left a blood trail behind. That was better than the scent of her clothes and he knew he would have her before the week was out.

  * * * *

  “Chance! Chance, baby! It’s too late! We can’t go in there now.”

  Chance was fighting him for everything she was worth and he was struggling to keep her away from the bar. She couldn’t hear him over her own screaming and the noise from the fire. Something else exploded and it sent them both flying to the ground. Sylas kept his arms around her, trying to shield her from flying glass and wood. He rolled with her to put his back to the danger and felt something pierce his skin. He grunted from the pain and the sound brought Chance out of her hysterics.

  Chance quickly scrambled out from under him to see what caused his pain. He heard her gasp, then it seemed she went into survival mode, all business.

  “Sy, you have several large pieces of glass sticking out of your back. I can’t tell how deep they are. Please hold still while I check them.”

  Chance found a piece of leather from one of the barstools and handed it to him to bite down on. None were deep enough to worry over and Sylas waited while Chance gently removed them. She held her hand down on the worst cut in an attempt to stem the blood flow. Sylas heard sirens way off in the distance and worried they would be found and detained if they didn’t leave.

  “We need to go now, Chance. We don’t need to be found here.”

  Sylas rushed to his feet and grabbed her hand. Together they ran back to the Jeep and he pulled out, turning to head north toward Jack’s. Hearing the siren’s grow closer, he pulled into a side alley, leaving the lights off. Several police and fire trucks flew by as they waited. Sylas listened for more sirens and when none came, he pulled out and drove away. The only place he could think to go at the moment was Jack’s. He had keys to the house and he needed time to process everything.

  Chance was quiet the entire drive; too quiet. He glanced in her direction several times. She was white as a ghost and he could see her chin quivering with unshed tears. He reached over and took her hand, but she made no indication that she knew he was there. Things were fucked royally and he knew it was time to end this pack issue now. How was the question of the day, and he needed Chance’s help. She was his chosen and there were no doubts about it now. First thing to do when they got to Jack’s was to settle her nerves and then contact
his mother. He could not take out an entire pack at once without her permission. Not if there were any innocents involved. He needed to know who his targets were and only she would know. He would also drill her about Chance. He needed answers and he needed them now.

  * * * *

  Trey followed Sylas and Chance from a distance to a property in north Georgia, and had actually been tailing Sylas and the other man since recovering from the fight. He got lucky when they came back for Chance’s things at the house. It made it too easy. He now knew where they were living.

  He parked about a mile away and shifted to follow them into the woods. He stayed well back from them and down wind so the Enforcer wouldn’t catch his scent. So his female bought property here… just miles from pack central. Wasn’t this just peachy! His thoughts were loaded with sarcasm. It seemed she went no where without his nemesis. He kept telling himself this would make things easier. Take her and remove him. He only needed to figure out how.