by Bianca D'Arc
Sven tried not to worry. He got on the internet—on the special sites hidden deep in the net for shifters—and tried to research her condition, but there was very little information available to him about mer. He supposed they had their own spots on the net where they hid their race’s information, but as a polar bear, he had no access. If Sirena didn’t start getting better soon, he’d have to approach the pod leader, a rather formidable older woman named Nansee, and see if she’d give him locations and passwords.
In the meantime, he was doing the best he could with the information available, and he did still have one trick up his sleeve. Drew’s folks were coming into town within the next day or two. Drew’s mother was a powerful priestess who had dragged her son back from the brink of death after he’d been mostly blown up by an improvised explosive device in the desert. She had both magic, the Goddess’s blessings and experience with badly injured shifters. Sven would ask her to look at Sirena if she didn’t start making better progress.
He hated to doubt Gus’s word, but Sirena just wasn’t responding the way she should. Gus was a shaman and one of the best people Sven knew, but maybe he’d missed something. Sven couldn’t imagine what the spirit bear could have missed, but just maybe he had.
Sirena woke up already feeling tired, which signaled all too clearly how her day was going to go. Downhill.
Sven was altogether too cheerful when he came in to check on her just after she awakened. His smiles were hiding real concern she could feel coming off him in waves. Reassuring he was not, but she felt too lousy to really care.
Everything hurt. Even her hair ached, if that was possible. Now that she was out of the fog of semi- and unconsciousness, she was becoming aware of the real extent and severity of her injuries—and the fact that she didn’t seem to be healing.
That should have worried her—and in a small corner of her mind, she was shaking in her mental boots—but in the physical world, she just couldn’t work up the energy to feel anxiety. In fact, she wasn’t feeling much at all, except frustration.
She wanted out of the infirmary. She wanted to swim and be with her friends. She wanted to hunt and glide through the waters and bask in the sun. She just wanted to be better already.
Was that too much to ask?
“What would you like for lunch?” Sven asked from the doorway. Sirena was confused. Didn’t she just have breakfast?
She looked to the window and realized the weak Pacific Northwest sun must have worked its way through the sky faster than she realized. It was directly overhead now, not on the rising side, as she’d thought. She must’ve missed a few hours, which also was something that should have worried her…if she’d had the energy to worry.
“Not hungry,” she mumbled, not really caring.
Sven stepped into the room. She saw him coming and the way his eyebrows drew together in concern. That pissed her off. She couldn’t work up energy for worry, but anger didn’t seem all that hard.
“Come on, doll. You have to eat something.” His voice was coaxing, and he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding that seemingly ever-present concern. It was getting on her nerves.
“Leave me alone.” She pulled up the sheet and turned her head away from him.
Strong fingers on her jaw turned her head back, and then, a bright light shone in just one eye while his fingers pried her eyelid open. She swatted at his big hands, but nothing seemed to disrupt his rather rude examination of her eyeballs. He blinded her in one eye, then the other, clucking his tongue against his teeth in a way that set her temper on edge.
“I don’t understand it,” he muttered, finally stepping back.
Spots floated in front of her eyes as she tried to glare at him. “Will you stop looking at me as some kind of lab rat,” she groused.
“Honey—” he began, but she was having none of it.
“Don’t you honey me. Leave me alone. I’m tired, and I don’t want to talk to you right now.” She turned her head away again, her eyes still suffering the illusory spots, though she scrunched them shut against the light.
“I can’t, Sirena. I’m your doctor. I need to fix what’s wrong with you.”
If she’d been feeling sane just then, she might have heard the tone of desperation in his voice, but her understanding had flown along with her worry for self preservation. All she had was anger, and she clung to it.
“Well, thanks a lot, you big, furry, white jackass!” She used the loudest voice she could work up in her weakened condition, surprising even herself with how loud it came out.
“Did you just call me a jackass?” His own temper seemed to have been snagged because his tone rose along with hers. His anger washed over her, fueling…something.
“You bet your bippy I called you a jackass. If the shoe fits, you should wear it!” She wasn’t really sure what she was saying by the end there, but she was smoldering with anger. It felt like hers was feeding off his.
And then, he roared.
Right in her face. A good, loud polar bear roar from his human throat.
When he finished, silence reigned for a heartbeat…maybe two. Maybe ten.
She just looked at him, feeling his anger and feeling something…distant…silently egging her on to make him lose control. What?
“What in the world is going on here?” an older feminine voice asked from the doorway, breaking the spell.
Sven shook his head as he backed away, his shoulders drooping. He collapsed into the visitor chair, his big frame rattling the poor metal chair in ways that made Sirena think it might give way under him. He rubbed his forehead with one hand, his blue eyes dazed.
“What the hell was that?” he mumbled, clearly shaken.
Sirena didn’t feel all that well herself, come to think of it. She shut her eyes and tried to tune out the newcomer, but the woman came over to the bed, ignoring Sven for the moment, and snapped her fingers in front of Sirena’s face. Her eyes opened, and the woman started chanting under her breath. Ancient words. Sacred words.
Sirena felt tension. Something was tugging at her. It didn’t like the woman or her words of power. The chant grew, and the woman made arcane signs in the air with her hands. So graceful, Sirena thought. So pretty. And powerful.
The tension snapped, and Sirena jumped in the bed, freed from…something.
The woman stopped, sighing as if she’d just used a lot of energy.
“Well.” The strange woman put her hands on her hips and turned to survey both Sirena and Sven. “It appears I’ve arrived just in time. What were you two playing at? You gave that evil thing exactly what it wanted.” She shook her head.
“The sea monster?” Sven asked, regaining some of his energy, though Sirena noticed he didn’t move from the chair. “Gus said she was clear of it.”
The new lady shook her head. “As much as I respect Gus and his shaman ways, there are some things that require a woman’s touch. I’m going to have to talk with John about getting you a permanent priestess for the town. It’s clear as day that you need one. Maybe more than one. Especially now.”
The woman seemed disapproving and sort of motherly. She wasn’t really scolding, more like she was just amazed the men had gotten this far on their own, without a priestess’s influence. That was it. The woman must be a priestess.
“You serve the Goddess?” Sirena asked, her voice still weak.
The woman turned her attention back to Sirena and smiled. It was a beautiful smile, like that of Mother Nature smiling on her children. Sirena gasped. Was she seeing the Goddess in the guise of Her servant? Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but…
“Yes, dear. I’m Natalie. I’m Drew’s mother. We just got into town to visit with our boy and meet our new daughter-in-law, but I could see from the street that something was wrong in here, so I dropped by here first. I’m glad I did.” Natalie put her hand on Sirena’s shoulder, and Sirena felt the warmth of Goddess energy that formed a sort of halo around the holy woman.
“I’m glad you
did too,” Sirena said, smiling at the priestess.
“Make that me three,” Sven said, still sitting in the chair. “Can you tell us what just happened, Mrs. Legine? I mean, I can guess, but you’re the expert here.”
“Call me Natalie, dear,” the priestess said to Sven, giving him one of those warm motherly smiles. “If you suspect the creature that harmed her had kept a channel open between itself and our lovely friend here, you’re right. I just severed it. The anger you both experienced was something it encouraged so it could feed of both your energies. It likes anger, and it needs all the energy it can get right now because…” She paused. “Well, perhaps that’s something I should wait to disclose until I can tell everyone all at once. Sven, would you be a dear and get the town council together? We can meet at the town hall after Andy and I go drop off our luggage at Drew’s. We’ll bring Drew back with us to the hall. I suspect your patient will be strong enough to make the short journey there and back by that time.” She smiled at Sirena. “I want her there because this young lady deserves to know what I discovered, since she’s the reason I was able to see into the leviathan’s energies. I suspect you’d both be glad for a change of scene for a little while, no?”
“You’re being very mysterious Mrs. L.” Sven stood and seemed to regain his footing, though his skin was still pale. He went to the door and shook hands with a big bear of a man standing watch over them all. He must be the priestess’s mate, the aforementioned Andy.
It made sense, Sirena thought, that if Drew had been named for his sire, they couldn’t both use the same nickname. So the elder must be Andy, while the younger was Drew.
Sven turned to the woman and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. It was clear he already knew Drew’s parents and was familiar enough with them both to greet them as old friends and respected elders.
“Mr. and Mrs. L, this is Sirena of the mer. She leads the hunting party that your new daughter-in-law was part of before she met Drew.” Realizing Sven was making formal introductions, Sirena tried to raise her hand for a polite shake, but the priestess waved her off.
“Conserve your strength, Sirena. You’ve been through a lot.” Mrs. Legine fluffed the pillows behind Sirena’s head, helping her find a more comfortable position, her motherly actions making Sirena feel warm and safe. “Rest now. We’ll be back in a couple of hours, and we’re going to have to have a very serious discussion with the boys. You shouldn’t have any more trouble from the creature, but if you feel the slightest discomfort, tell Sven, and I’ll be back on the double, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for…” Sirena trailed off between one word and the next, out of steam. She was vaguely aware of Sven walking out the door with the two older bear shifters, and then, it was lights out. She was asleep and truly on the mend.
When Sirena woke, it felt like only moments had passed, but she heard the rumble of Sven’s voice out in the clinic beyond her open door. The low tones reminded her of his roar, and she felt a little shiver of excitement. That roar had been sexy.
Surprised by her own response, Sirena thought about it, realizing she was finally thinking clearly for the first time since getting chewed up by the leviathan’s minion. A fog had truly lifted from her with Mrs. Legine’s intervention. Sirena would have to thank the older woman more formally when she saw her again.
But the doctor captured Sirena’s attention again as she heard him hang up the phone and walk around out in the clinic. He was a big man, but he moved almost silently without even trying. Bear tactics, she thought. They were silent hunters in the woods, or so she’d heard. Although, Sven was a polar bear, so he probably hunted on snow and ice.
She’d seen wild polar bears hunting seals from the ice sheets up north on occasion. She’d always given the white bears a wide berth, but had enjoyed watching them. They were so sparkly and huge. Massively muscled and both patient and wild in a way that spoke to the wildness in her own soul. And the little ones were absolutely adorable. So fluffy and cute while they were babies and toddlers.
Sven though… He was a mature male in all his glory, and even in his human form, he retained some of the fearsome might of his animal half. He was stunning, in his way. Magnetic and magical in a way she’d never encountered in a man before.
Tall, of course, built like a linebacker. His eyes sparkled like morning light through clear ice, the blue of the purest water and the cloudless sky. His hair was golden, like the first rays of dawn, and his smile… Well, it was enough to melt her into a little pile of goo.
But when he spoke to her, all bets were off. The timbre of his deep voice went right through her, vibrating up and down her spine, making her tingle all over.
Sirena threw off the covers and decided it was time to test her legs. She felt so much better than she had since being injured. It felt like her mer magic was rebuilding—and helping her rebuild her strength and her body at the same time. She wasn’t one-hundred percent just yet, but she felt like the goal was in sight.
First, she’d stand on her own, make it to the bathroom on her own two legs, then she’d plan out the rest of her day.
Chapter Seven
As it turned out, Sirena not only made it into the bathroom by herself, but she felt good enough to take advantage of the tiled shower with its built-in bench seat while she was there. She washed her hair with the herbal-smelling shampoo that had a delicate scent—probably because shifter noses were very sensitive.
Her skin soaked in the water, her energy renewing as the moisture bathed her pores in its cleanliness. The bears were fussy about their water, and she was glad of it. This fresh water was purer than anything she could get from municipal water systems when she lived on land. There were no harsh chemicals polluting this water. It was rich with minerals and clear of man-made irritants.
“Sirena?” Sven’s voice came to her from just outside the bathroom door. She had closed it, but not locked it.
“I’m just washing up,” she called back, glad to feel her strength returning as the cobwebs that had wrapped her mind were washed away.
“If you need help, just let me know,” he replied, and she could hear the concern in his voice.
“I need something clean to wear,” she told him, realizing that the best way to prove to him that she was finally on the mend was to show him.
“I’ll find you something and be right back,” he promised. She didn’t hear him leave. The water was whooshing over her, and she was enjoying it too much.
A few minutes later, he was back. “I’ve got some clothes for you. Can I reach in and leave them on the countertop?”
“Yeah, that’s okay. I’m still in the shower,” she called back, making sure the filmy curtain was closed all the way.
Rationally, she knew he must’ve seen her body while he was sewing her up, but now that she was awake and feeling more herself, she was shy. He’d always treated her with the utmost respect, and he’d established a sort of precedent by never exposing more of her skin than he needed to in order to change her bandages. Which reminded her…
“I took off the bandages,” she said, having heard the door open. “The worst of the cuts look like they’ve sealed now.”
“I can check them, to be sure, when you come out of there,” he replied. She thought his voice sounded odd over the swish of the water, but she couldn’t be sure.
Sweet mother in heaven, what was she doing to him? Sven tried to get control over himself as he placed the sweatpants and T-shirt on the small countertop beside the sink. Somehow, just knowing she was only feet away, naked, water slicking her soft skin…
Sven adjusted his stance as his jeans suddenly became too tight in a very sensitive area.
“That would be good,” she said, her voice coming to him over the sound of the water.
What had they been talking about again? Oh, yeah. Him checking her injuries. Sven frowned. The wounds to her torso had been in rough shape just a few hours ago. He would insist on checking them once she was out of the showe
r and dressed again. She could just lift the soft sweatshirt and maybe lower the waistband of the pants…
And there he went again. His mind went off on an erotic journey once more, picturing her baring herself to him with a smile of welcome on her face instead of the stoic expressions he’d gotten up ‘til now. Or worse, the grimaces of pain she couldn’t hide. Sometimes, being a doctor really put a crimp in his love life.
“Clothes are on the countertop. I’ll be outside if you need help.” He made himself retract his arm and close the door. He wanted more than anything to go in and join her under the shower. Maybe take her in his arms while he ran his fingers over her body. He wanted to be certain she was better, but he had to make himself do it in a way that wouldn’t scare her.
The more he’d been around Sirena these past days, the more he realized she was special. Something about her called to him. And to his beast. The bear wanted to sniff her salty scent whenever she was near. She smelled of the sea and of the water. Kelp and delicacies of the ocean that the bear craved.
Polar bears liked the water and the cold. The weather down here in Washington State was a bit mild for his other half, but Sven wouldn’t move away from his buddies. After all they’d been through together, the men of his old unit were more like his family than any blood relation he might still claim up in the north. He would stay here, where it was a bit too warm for his polar bear half in the summer, but among the men he thought of as brothers.
Besides, the town needed him. His skills as a doctor had been called upon all too often in recent weeks. While evil stalked his friends and their town, he wouldn’t leave. Not even for a quick vacation in the snow. No way, no how.
This leviathan situation was taking its toll on the town and its people. Sven felt responsible for them all, in a way. Not quite like John’s Alpha protectiveness, but in a way, the health and wellbeing of the town rested on Sven’s shoulders insofar as if anyone got seriously hurt, he was the one best suited to patching them up and making sure nobody died.