The Bear and the Heir: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance ((Arcane Affairs Agency))

by Leslie Chase

  "No you don't," Janet said firmly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But if you don't want me involved, that's your choice. I'll be here for you when you're done."

  Turning back to the two men, she jabbed a finger at them. "And if either of you two hurt my friend, I will mess you up. Am I clear? Good."

  Wrapping her arms around Fiona, she gave her a tight squeeze before stomping out of the room. Fiona heard her bedroom door slam, loud music following in short order. Good, no chance of her overhearing anything, she thought, feeling guilty and relieved. Shutting her best friend out of this was painful, but what else could she do?

  "So, you have something to say?" she looked at Erion accusingly.

  "Princess, I am here to serve," he replied, his smug smile never wavering. "You might have questions, and I'm the best place you can get your answers."

  "And I'll tell you if he's lying," Cole added, glowering at the elf as though he wanted to tear his head off rather than listen to him. "You don't have to speak to him longer than you want to, either. As soon as he annoys you, he's out."

  The tone of his voice left Fiona wondering if Cole meant out the door or out the window, but the fact that he wanted to protect her was clear. She smiled up at him, feeling a little better for his presence even if she was feeling lost at sea. The urge to flee back to her room and shut all of this out was strong, but there might never be another chance to talk to an elf like this.

  And she did have questions, even if it was hard to work out exactly what they were.

  "You knew my father?" that was out before she really thought about it, but as soon as she'd asked it she realized that yes, that was the biggest question on her mind. Or at least, the start of it.

  "I did, Princess," the elf said, looking a little more serious. "King Keyne has ruled the Court of Storms for centuries now, and his passing saddens us all. Your father was a great man and a powerful ruler. Proud and strong, everything a King should be."

  Centuries? Just how long did these Fae live? But as important as that question was, she filed it for later. Right now, family came first. It felt strange to know that her father was dead. Fiona had long ago given up on the idea of knowing anything about him, and now that she had the chance to find out she didn't know what to ask.

  "If he lived so long, why am I his heir? He must have older children," she said. Do I have brothers and sisters? The unspoken question weighed heavily on her.

  "His elder sons have passed away, and the King never took a Queen. None of his children by human parents have inherited his gifts, save for you, Princess. That is why you must come home."

  "So there are others?" she asked, looking at Cole. He shook his head, unsure, and Erion laughed.

  "None of consequence, Princess," he said. "Only humans, and all have been taken by age I should think. They were only human, and none were born less than a century ago. King Keyne used to be much more prolific."

  Fiona gritted her teeth and counted to ten before trying to continue the conversation. Erion's attitude towards humans was enough to make her want to snap at him, and that wasn't helpful. Worse, it sounded like her father had the same attitude and she was only of any value to him because she'd inherited the fae nature that meant she could take his place.

  Her mother had always made some excuse for him, but this meant he had been exactly the kind of man that Fiona always feared. Someone who'd never cared about her. Even now, it sounded like she only mattered as a piece in the game of court — her father hadn't bothered himself with her when they could have met.

  That's enough about him for now, she told herself. She didn't need to open that wound any further.

  "What would happen if I did go with you?"

  "When you come to the Court of Storms, Princess, you'll be welcomed as it's heir. Shown every courtesy and given every luxury and taught how to control your powers," Erion said, looking aside at Cole with a little smug grin. "Your father's throne will pass to you, leaving you the ruler of the Court. And you shall reign eternal, crowned by lightning and heralded by thunder. What more could you want?"

  "My life? My human friends?" Fiona said, glaring and stepping forwards. "That sounds like, like a fairy tale. But it means leaving everyone and everything I know behind, and living with people like you."

  Erion laughed again, and Cole growled angrily at his mocking tone. Stepping to her side he put an arm around her shoulder. Drawing strength from his presence, Fiona leaned into him, tears blurring her vision.

  "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Fiona," he said, and she could feel his anger at the man who was upsetting her, his determination to keep her from harm. Erion sighed dramatically across the room, shaking his head.

  "Your bear protector isn't telling you the complete truth, Princess," he said. At Cole's warning growl, he waved a hand airily. "Oh, I'm sure he isn't lying deliberately. He thinks he can keep you safe, certainly. But he's fighting against your destiny. You are the heir of the King of Storms, and you can't turn away from that no matter what you want. Though I can't understand why you'd want to turn away from this."

  "You don't understand why I wouldn't want to leave my family, my friends, and my life?" Okay, it might not be the best life imaginable, but it was hers. Being whisked away to be a Queen amongst people she didn't know, people like Erion? That sounded worse than anything she'd had to deal with, no matter how luxurious the palace she lived in was.

  Especially when she'd just found Cole. Or could they be together once she'd taken the throne? She was afraid to ask.

  "Your friends are only humans," Erion said dismissively. "They'll fade away as the years pass, and you'll forget them. Meanwhile, you will rule the storm itself. What could be better?"

  Fiona shook her head, retreating into the arms of Cole. That attitude was so cold, so callous. And it fit with how her father had never cared before. If her mother was 'just a human' to him, no wonder he'd never been back. She shivered at the thought of living amongst people that cold and cruel.

  I suppose they'd treat me better if I was their Queen. Probably? She couldn't be sure. It wasn't as though Erion was being kind to her, despite his respectful language. He sneered and mocked and looked down on her. Possibly that would stop once she was on the throne, but she couldn't help thinking that it might only happen once she had the same attitudes towards other humans as he already did.

  Cole watched the elf with narrowed eyes, hating what this conversation was doing to his mate. He couldn't stand the pain she was going through, but he didn't have an answer to it either.

  "You don't have to listen to a thing he says," he told Fiona. "I will keep you safe. I've protected you from them before, I can do it for as long as it takes."

  He felt Fiona's arms tighten around him at that, and she pressed her face into his chest as though shutting out the world. His heart ached for her, and all he wanted was to take away her pain.

  I will, he told himself. No matter what the cost.

  But Erion didn't seem concerned by her pain or discouraged by his assurances.

  "Your bear can't keep everyone safe, you know that," he said, addressing Fiona as though Cole wasn't there. "Oh, he's strong and tough enough, that much is true. But it won't just be us he's keeping you safe from. It's the Arcane Affairs Agency he works for, too. He'll be a fugitive from them if he refuses to hand you over."

  Fiona stiffened in Cole's arms. He looked down at her, wincing as he caught her eyes. So hurt, so scared, and yet so full of determination.

  "Is that true?" she asked him.

  "It might be," he had to admit. "The Agency is probably going to side with the fae on this. We're not supposed to interfere in their business. But I don't care about them, only you. Let them chase us."

  "Yes, let them chase you," Erion said, mocking. "You can live the life of a fugitive, running from the very group your protector is supposed to work for, or you can come with me and live the life of a Queen in luxury. Neither of us is offering you your norma
l life back."

  Cole growled, and only Fiona's grip on him stopped him from hitting the elf. It was so tempting to put his fist through that smug face, but she wouldn't want to see that.

  "It's never going to stop, is it?" Fiona said, her voice choked with tears. "If I try to stay here, things will just get worse and worse, and my friends will get caught up in it. If I leave with you, the elves will hunt us and so will your bosses. What would we even do for money? How could we live like that?"

  Cole turned to her, holding her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. He tried as hard as he could to project his certainty. "I can keep you safe. Whatever happens, we'd be together and I'll find a way to support us."

  I may not know how, but I will. We're meant to be together, and I will not fail my mate, he promised himself. Across the room, Erion laughed quietly.

  Fiona turned away, breaking eye contact with him. "I still have to give up everything! Everything apart from you, and I've only known you for a couple of days. I'd never see Mom again, never see Janet or any of my friends."

  "But we'd be together and you'd be free," Cole said, feeling her pain and wishing he could offer her a better choice. Damn it, she's right. That isn't a good choice. But it's better than going with the fae.

  He wasn't certain that Fiona agreed, though, and he couldn't entirely blame her. Living on the run wasn't a comfortable life, and while it might be romantic and exciting for a week or a month, he knew that the Agency would never stop looking for them. He'd be running out on them with the Princess of a fae court, after all.

  That wasn't the kind of thing that they'd forget quickly.

  Fiona took a step away from him, slipping out of his grip, and faced Erion. Stepping up behind her, Cole bared his teeth at the elf as she straightened up and pulled herself together.

  "You don't know what your Agency is going to decide, right?" she said, addressing Cole while looking Erion in the eyes. "So that's still up in the air. You, Erion, you might be full of shit."

  The elf winced at the crudity, but had to nod reluctantly. "True. I don't know what they'll say any more than he does, Princess."

  "In that case, you and your friends can wait on their answer," she continued. "Just like me."

  Cole grimaced at that, not at all confident they'd like the response the Agency gave. But he couldn't just drag Fiona off into the night with him — that was as bad as what Meallan, Erion, and the rest of their Court were trying to do. And what mattered was what was best for her.

  He wasn't about to be the selfish asshole who ruined her life because he wanted to be with her. From what Fiona had said, she'd had enough men mess with her, and he wouldn't be another.

  "We're all waiting, then," he said finally. "But there's no reason for us to put up with you, Erion. Unless you've got something else to say, you can get out and stay out of our way until we settle this."

  Erion grinned and bowed. "I am only here to answer any questions my Princess might have. If she doesn't want me here, I'll go. When you make the right choice, Princess, call me and I will take you to the Palace of Wind and Rain."

  He produced a card, black with gold lettering, and laid it on the coffee table. "That number will reach me, and I'll stay available. I know that I'll hear from you soon, Princess Fiona."

  "Don't bet on it," she said, anger giving her tone bite. But she picked up the card anyway and slipped it into a pocket.

  Without another word, Erion left the apartment. Fiona and Cole were alone again, and immediately she flew to him, clinging to his chest and crying. Cole put his arms around her and gently stroked her hair as his mate cried, letting out the emotions she'd been trying so hard to keep under control. They sat together on the sofa, Fiona curled up against him, wind and rain battering on the windows.

  "When will you know what your Agency says?" she asked once her tears were under control.

  "I don't know," he said honestly. "It depends on how important this is to them, and who takes an interest in it. It could be hours, it could take a day or two."

  Fiona shivered against him. "I wish we had an answer now."

  "So do I," Cole said. "But there's nothing we can do to hurry them up."

  When Cole's phone finally rang, it was late. The sun had set hours ago, and the remains of takeout boxes were scattered around the living room. Neither Cole nor Fiona had been in the mood to cook, but Cole knew that whatever happened they'd need to keep their strength up.

  They'd run out of words long ago and were sitting next to each other in silence, holding on as though they were the anchors of each other’s worlds. The storm outside was still raging, and Cole could only imagine what the weathermen were saying about it this time.

  The phone's ringing startled Fiona, and she sat up with a squeak, staring at Cole's phone as though it were a snake. Cole picked it up and answered with a growl.

  "What is it, Eric?"

  The other man paused, and Cole made an effort to control his breathing. Keeping his temper under control was a serious effort, but shouting at his supervisor wouldn't do any good. He had to remind himself of that.

  "Bad news, I'm afraid," Eric said at last. "The Council has received a formal complaint that you are interfering with the internal matters of the Court of Storms, and I'm directed to tell you that Fiona Riley — or rather, Princess Fiona, daughter of Keyne and Heir Designate of the Court of Storms — is to be delivered to the Court of Storms straight away. I'm sorry, Cole, there was nothing I could do."

  Cole stood, pacing the floor and baring his teeth. Fiona stared at him, eyes wide and full of fear. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she clearly knew it wasn't good.

  "Eric. She's my mate," Cole snarled into the phone. "You know I can't do that."

  Eric sighed, sounding as though he was struggling with too many things at once. "I know how you feel about this, believe me I do. But they've made their decision, Cole. And you haven't claimed her as your mate yet, have you?"

  Cole was silent, wrestling with his feelings. If he'd tried to speak, he knew he'd have crushed the phone into pieces.

  "You haven't mated with her, not truly," Eric continued eventually. "You told me as much. You were waiting on the papers and you're right to do that. But it means that you and she aren't mated, and so yes, you can do this."

  "She doesn't want to go," Cole said at last, his control razor-thin.

  "I understand that. She still has to. Look at the town, for God's sake. The weather patterns will only get worse, and we've already got too many people interested in it. The King's power has to pass to someone, and she's his daughter. This is going to happen, no matter what we want."

  "Can't they pick someone else? Fiona doesn't want to be Queen."

  "You know better than that," Eric said, and Cole heard something snap in the other shifter's voice. "She is the heir, and she's going to inherit. Maybe if King Keyne was still alive we could argue with him, but he's not. I wish I could give you better news, but it has to be this way."

  "I won't let it happen. If I have to fight the whole damned Court of Storms, I will."

  "No, Cole, no you won't. It's not your choice to make. You're an Agent., and even if you weren't, it still wouldn't be your choice. It would be Fiona's; she's the one whose town is going to get torn apart by these asshole fae if she doesn't go along with it."

  "We could leave."

  "I didn't hear you say that," Eric said quickly. "And no way. You know we'd have to hunt you down if you did that. What the fuck kind of life is that to offer your mate?"

  Cole looked out of the window into the pouring rain and tried to focus through his anger. Eric was trying to do what was right, he knew that. But the other shifter was far away, and he couldn't see the situation on the ground.

  On the other hand, he couldn't deny that he was being swayed by personal feelings. Would he make a different choice in Eric's place? Cole couldn't be sure.

  "I'll get back to you," he said, shutting down the call without waiting for a respons
e. It wasn't Eric's opinion that mattered. It wasn't even his own. Eric was right about one thing: this was down to Fiona.

  13

  Fiona didn't need to be told what the call was about. She'd been able to follow most of it from listening to Cole, and by the time he hung up, she was in tears. Outside, the wind grew stronger, the lightning crashed, and she could feel it's call answering her emotions. Her turmoil was mirrored in the storm.

  Joining Cole at the window, she put an arm around his waist and leaned against him. At least he was solid, unchanging. Well, apart from when he turns into a bear, she reminded herself. Despite having seen that, she didn't entirely believe it — but it wasn't really any stranger than her being a faery child. Does that make me a changeling? she wondered, and shook herself. That was just a distraction, nothing more. It didn't matter if there was a name for what was happening to her. What mattered was that it was happening to her.

  "They said no," Cole growled after a long while. She hugged him tighter, and he put his arm around her shoulders, holding her tight.

  "I figured," she said quietly. "So either we run, or I go with Erion?"

  It wasn't often that life could be summed up in one simple choice like that, but here she was. Everything else had been stripped away, and she couldn't see any other options.

  "There's nothing else we can do," Cole agreed. "If we leave now, we have a head start on the Agency, and the fae won't follow us far out of their domain. We can lose ourselves in the wilderness for a bit, figure out where to go next."

  "And meanwhile, the storms get worse and worse because I can't control myself? I don't know if that's a good idea, Cole."

  "It's the only idea I've got," he snarled. Fiona shivered, despite the fact that his anger wasn't directed at her. "We can't stay here where they'd find us easily."

  He was torn, she could feel that. Torn between his duty and his feelings for her. Reaching up, she ran a finger across the stubble of his cheek, turning his head to look down at her. There was so much pain in his eyes.