Bearliest Catch

by Bianca D’Arc

  “Of course it is.” Drew brushed his lips across hers, not caring that everyone was probably watching them. He just had to kiss her. She was such an amazing person…and she was all his. Whether she realized it yet or not.

  This morning’s adventure had settled it. If there had been any shadow of a doubt about it before, the matter was closed now. She was perfect for him in every way. A woman of sprit and courage. A woman of adventure and heart. His heart had almost stopped when she dove into the ocean after her friends, but he couldn’t have been prouder of her. She was his mate.

  Drew noticed the raised eyebrows when they joined the others around the big table, but he said nothing. He let the fact that he was holding Jetty’s hand speak for itself. Let the others figure it out on their own. He was staking his claim—publicly.

  Now, as to whether or not Jetty felt the same…the jury was still out. He had high hopes that, with time and exposure, she would come to love him as much as he already loved her.

  And, yes, he was in love with her. She was his mate. Every new facet of her personality he discovered only made him love her more. Telling her, though… That was going to be the tricky part. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off by going too fast.

  He’d have to take his time. Get her used to him. Do everything he could to make her want to be with him. And then…he might be able to test the waters and see if she could return his feelings. It was a scary thought, but then, he’d faced down armies of enemy soldiers in his time. Hell, he’d even faced the leviathan with nothing more than a broken anchor chain in his hands. He would manage this. Somehow.

  The meeting went on for more than an hour. Jetty told her part of the story, explaining what had taken place beneath the waves in detail to her rapt audience. Drew found he couldn’t let go of her hand. He needed the reassurance of feeling her skin against his, to know that she was with him and out of danger.

  What she described made him want to growl. When she mentioned that she’d been unarmed—when apparently, she usually was armed with a spear at the very least—he wanted to roar. She’d been down there by herself, facing that thing unarmed, while he sat powerless above the surface.

  Just thinking of it now made his bear pace inside his skull. The frustration and fear he’d felt at the time had no doubt taken several years off his life.

  But she’d made it back to him alive and well. For that, he paused to send a silent prayer of thanks heavenward, to the Mother of All, who must surely have been watching over them all today.

  And the day had really only just started.

  Jetty was eager to get over to the doctor’s office and see how Sirena was doing as the meeting with the bear leadership wound down. Andrew hadn’t let go of her hand once through the long meeting, which she appreciated. She was still shaken up over what had happened out in the ocean.

  Oh, she wouldn’t let a little case of nerves interfere if she needed to take action. She was a huntress, after all. But she did like the small comfort of his grip on her hand that said without words that he was there for her. That someone was in her corner, willing to lend his support.

  That was a new feeling for her. She’d felt alone for a long time—even surrounded by her hunting party, who were all like siblings to her after so long working together. She thought she recognized the same camaraderie among the men of Grizzly Cove. She asked Andrew about it as they walked from the bakery, at the apex of the cove, to the doctor’s office, which was at the end of Main Street.

  He told her about how the core group of bear shifters were all ex-Special Forces military men. How they’d served together for many years, and all retired around the same time, congregating around their commanding officer and Alpha, John.

  “Sirena is our leader, though I guess that title carries a little less weight than Alpha. She’s the leader of our hunting party, but we all come under the pod’s leadership too. Our society, though…it’s more relaxed than land-dwelling shifters. Probably because the distances we cover are so huge. Our hunting party ranges up and down the coast, while the pod proper is much farther out at sea.”

  “How does that work? I mean, don’t you have to bring back your kills for the larger group? Isn’t that why you go out hunting for them?”

  He seemed truly interested, so she explained more.

  “There are many hunting parties, and part of the work is hunting and providing for the pod, but it’s also security. We patrol the coast. Other hunting parties patrol other areas. We all return to the pod at organized intervals with our catch and to exchange news and clarify orders from the pod leadership. Our patrol areas get changed every now and again. Sometimes, a hunting party will ask to be reassigned closer or farther from the pod for personal reasons, and they do their best to accommodate. We try to live in harmony with each other as much as possible, but occasionally conflicts do arise.”

  She didn’t want to go into exactly how those rare conflicts were settled just yet. She didn’t think he was ready to know just how violent life in the pod could be at times. Although…if anyone would understand those battles for dominance, she thought another shifter might. She just didn’t know enough about their rituals and habits to know for sure yet, though she was learning.

  “The other part of our duty—the main part—is security. We wanted the coastal patrol because we wanted to be outliers. We sought the peace of the ocean, but didn’t want to get involved in the pod politics and power struggles. Most of us in Sirena’s hunting party are loners of one type or another, and we like being on land occasionally. In fact, we all grew up on land, unlike the true pod-dwellers who raise their kids in the ocean. Sirena lets us go ashore to phone our parents, siblings and friends whenever we want, which is something the others don’t really approve.”

  “How do you manage it? There aren’t many towns along this stretch of coast.”

  He seemed really interested and a little concerned, as if he realized the dangers they faced each time they came ashore. Maybe he did. Andrew had proven himself an insightful man, and he had to understand the problems of shifting from one form to another.

  “Each of us has a cache somewhere. In my case, I’ve got a waterproof knapsack containing a small tent, some clothing, hiking boots, a prepaid cell phone and a solar charger, stashed in some rocks a little way down the coast. The only approach is from the water and it’s hidden well enough that no casual observer is going to find it. If I go there at night, nobody is likely to see me shift and dress. And, if I somehow run into someone on land, I’ll pretend to be a hiker.”

  “I’m impressed,” Andrew said as they walked along toward the doctor’s office. “But, pardon me for saying, it sounds kind of lonely.”

  “Yeah.” She agreed with him. “It can be. But I call my friends and family, then maybe sleep under the stars and eat some land food. Camp a little. It’s peaceful.”

  “Dangerous too. A female alone, out in the wilderness.” He frowned.

  She turned to meet his gaze, challenge in her tone. “A huntress. Hunting. Armed and dangerous and able to go fish and escape to the ocean where any pursuit cannot follow.”

  “If you can make it to the water,” he challenged.

  “I’ll give you that one,” she agreed, though she didn’t back down. “But I know my limitations and my abilities. I’m not really in that much danger. I’m cautious.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment as they stood motionless on the sidewalk. He was still frowning, but rather than be annoyed, she thought it was sweet that he was concerned for her safety.

  How strange? Any other man questioning her ability to keep herself safe would have pissed her off, but not Andrew. She wasn’t sure why, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she couldn’t allow to take form right now. She had to see to her people first. Her duty trumped her personal desires this time.

  A change of topic was in order. Right away.

  “How far to the doctor’s office?” she asked.

  His face looked pained for a momen
t longer, then cleared. He gestured behind her with one hand.

  “We’re here.”

  Chapter Eight

  Drew wasn’t quite ready for the way the other members of Jetty’s hunting party looked at him when he ushered her into the doctor’s office. They’d been quiet on the breakneck boat ride back to shore, clustered around Sirena mostly, while he and Jetty were in the wheelhouse. Since they’d all left the boat at the dock, he hadn’t really thought about them, but now, he realized, they were giving him cautious looks that he couldn’t quite interpret.

  Instead of dealing with the women, Drew decided to stick with the males in the office—the doctor, Sven Olafsson, who was a polar bear shifter, of all things, and two guys who were assisting him, Peter Zilakov, a big-assed Russian bear, and Gus, the closest thing Grizzly Cove had to a priest. He was the shaman who worked with both the local Native tribe to the south and the residents of Grizzly Cove. His bear was something special—a rare white-ish bear that most called a Spirit Bear. Drew thought he was a little spooky, but in a good way.

  Both of the assistants had field medic training, as did a few other members of their community. Drew figured they’d been closest to render aid when the call had come in.

  Peter saw him and came out of the treatment area, stripping off his bloody gloves and tossing them in the hazardous waste container. His expression was reassuring, though he frowned.

  “She will live,” he told Drew, coming right to the point, his words lightly accented. “The injuries are bad, but she’s a fighter, this one.” Peter almost smiled.

  “Can I see her?” Jetty had come up beside him.

  “In a few minutes. Your comrade, Beth, is just helping Sven learn the ways of treating your people. Once we got the water salinity right, she began responding very well.” Peter did smile that time, at Jetty, and Drew’s bear wanted to growl. “They’re just cleaning her up, and Gus is doing his magic. Once he’d done, you can all see her.”

  “Magic?” Jetty frowned up at Drew. He liked that she turned to him when she had concerns.

  “Gus is our shaman. He can help her,” Drew explained.

  Just at that moment, Gus stepped out of the curtained area, looking tired.

  “Jetty, this is my friend, Gustav. We call him Gus.” Drew made the introductions as Gus seemed to regain some of his strength. He must’ve been working magic to be so drained, but he smiled at Jetty and shook her hand.

  “She’s out of danger,” he said quietly. “I think she’s lucky she ran into one of the smaller creatures. Not only were you able to fight it off, but it had less of a magical punch to it, which I was able to counteract. She’ll be okay, but if you’ll excuse me, I have to sit down now.”

  Drew reached out to support the shaman, helping him into Sven’s private office, where there was a couch, as well as the desk and some chairs. Jetty didn’t follow, for which Drew was grateful. He’d seen Gus extend his magical energies before. He knew the shaman would be okay with a little rest.

  He helped Gus to the couch, then went over to Sven’s mini fridge and got a can of pop and some snacks, leaving them on the low coffee table in front of the couch. He opened the soda can and unwrapped the jerky and individually wrapped mini cheese blocks, leaving them on a plate within easy reach.

  “You gonna be okay, buddy?” Drew asked, noting the women moving outside the office, toward the curtained area, which was now open.

  “Yeah. Thanks. I’m fine. A little rest, food and sugar…” he reached for the pop and took a long swallow, “…to restore my energy, and I’ll be good as new.”

  “Drew?” He looked up to find Jetty leaning against the door frame. “Sirena wants to talk to you.”

  With a last questioning look at Gus, Drew straightened.

  “Go ahead. I’m okay,” Gus replied to the unspoken question.

  “Would you mind some company? I think Beth needs to sit down too. This whole thing shook her up quite a bit,” Jetty said, reaching out a hand behind her to draw the woman called Beth forward.

  Gus smiled. “I don’t mind at all,” he replied, turning to address Beth. “There’s water and pop in the small fridge over there, as well as some food. Feel free to raid Sven’s stash.”

  Beth gave them all a shy smile and headed for the small fridge near the desk. Drew left with Jetty, glad Gus at least had some company, in case he wasn’t quite as okay as he claimed.

  Drew put his arm around Jetty’s waist and went with her toward the cubicle where Sirena lay against the white sheets of an adjustable bed, propped up almost into a sitting position. Her friends clustered around her, but parted when Drew approached. Sven was off to one side, adjusting an I.V. drip. Saline, Drew noted, with a hit of strong antibiotics, which was Sven’s way of playing it safe in case some stray microbe dared attack her wounds.

  “Ma’am,” Drew said politely as he met the older woman’s gaze. Sirena wasn’t too much older than Jetty, but she definitely had an air of authority about her, even injured and sitting in a hospital bed.

  “I wanted to thank you, Andrew, for coming to our aid. I don’t want to think what would have happened to us if we’d had to face the bigger creature, if a small one could do this to me.” She gestured to her bandaged limbs.

  “It doesn’t bear thinking about,” Drew agreed. “I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time to give you ladies a hand.”

  Sirena smiled, and suddenly, there was a sparkle about her that was very appealing. Oh, she wasn’t as beautiful as his Jetty, but there was definitely something about Sirena when she smiled. Drew saw the way his buddy Sven perked up. He’d noticed it too.

  “I can see why Jetty speaks so highly of you. Even I didn’t realize bear shifters had such strength, though I did not doubt your courage. The way you faced that creature…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze seemed to move into the distance, into the past. “I will never forget that as long as I live.” Her voice, too, powerful as it was, seemed to drift away for a moment before she refocused on him. “We all owe you a debt.”

  But Drew held up his hands, palms outward, smiling to soften his words.

  “No, ma’am. You don’t owe me. Like I said, I’m just glad I was there to help.”

  The last thing he wanted was for these people to feel beholden to him. He’d done his duty, as far as he was concerned, and that didn’t require repayment.

  Drew noticed Sven on the phone in the corner, speaking quietly. If he had to guess, he would say the doctor had just reported Sirena’s status to the Alpha. With any luck, John would show up and take the attention off Drew… But Drew didn’t want to leave without Jetty.

  Would she leave her leader? Or would she choose her people over him now that they were here? Drew was nervous about the answer to that question.

  He stood back to watch the women talk quietly, each of them seeming to want to reassure themselves that Sirena was all right. Even Jetty seemed drawn to Sirena’s magic, and Drew began to wonder if her name was more than just a name. From the cultured—almost magical—timbre of her voice, he’d bet she was part sea siren.

  Though he had never met one before, there were many stories about such beings having magical voices that were so seductive, they could lure men to their deaths in the ocean waves. He wasn’t sure if that’s what sirens really did. Maybe they only used that kind of power on bad guys? Or maybe they got their kicks killing people? The former, he could respect, somewhat. The latter could be a big problem.

  “Sirena, I was coming out to give you my report on the cove and the people I’ve met here,” Jetty surprised him by saying. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you the most important bit of news. The Alpha here—his name is John Marshall—sent me with a message. An offer of safe harbor for our people during this crisis. They call the creature a leviathan, and they’re already working with Others to find a solution. They’ve managed to secure the waters here, as we suspected, by way of permanent wards cast by a powerful mage. They’ll let us shelter here.”<
br />
  “And what do they ask in return?” Sirena asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “Nothing.” The deep voice came from over Drew’s shoulder.

  He’d known the moment Big John had walked in the door, but apparently, he’d taken the ladies by surprise. Scent cues were probably very different underwater, which was something he made a note to ask Jetty about later.

  “Sirena,” Drew stepped up, making the introductions, “...this is John Marshall, Alpha and mayor of Grizzly Cove.”

  “Ma’am,” John said, moving closer. The other mer ladies made room for him next to Sirena’s bedside. “The offer of safe harbor has no strings attached, as I explained to Jetty. I’m sorry she didn’t get a chance to tell you before you encountered the creature, but from what Sven tells me, you’ll be all right in a few days.”

  “Thanks to your people,” Sirena allowed, nodding toward the doctor and Drew. “And to you, for allowing us to shelter here.” Sirena looked around at the small crowd. “Would you mind staying for a bit so I can learn more of your offer?”

  John smiled. “Not at all.” He motioned to Drew. “Maybe we can scare up some chairs.”

  Drew was already moving, getting the folding chairs Sven kept around, plus the few office chairs. Within a few minutes, he had seats for all the ladies and John.

  What followed was a detailed discussion of the kind of sanctuary John was offering to the mer in Grizzly Cove. Sirena’s questions were more detailed than Jetty’s had been, showing the woman had a sharp mind, even if she was severely injured and obviously fatigued. When John suggested postponing their talk, she objected.

  “Please, Alpha.” Sirena put one hand out toward John. “I want to send two of my hunting party back out—if they’re willing—to get your message through to the pod. They will come looking for us if we don’t report in on time, and I don’t want any more of my people running into that…leviathan…if I can prevent it. So we have to get all the information now, before my friends go back out.”