He took a step forward, his massive paws making soft crunching noises in the snow. He snorted and lowered his head. Crap! This was not how she’d planned to die. I’m never going to make the cover of a national magazine. Never going to get my own Discovery show. Never going to get the chance to…fall in love.
Caitlin whimpered and scooted deeper into the snow bank, praying it would somehow protect her, but knowing in the end that it wouldn’t. She pulled her camera bag close to her chest and hugged it. The bear lunged. Caitlin screamed and threw up her hands in front of her face in a pathetic attempt to ward off the attack.
There was a loud thud followed by a roar of anger. Caitlin’s eyes flew open in time to see a silvery white monstrosity flying through the air toward them. Another bear. Oh God, now there were two.
* * * * *
Arctos could still sense the woman, but he could no longer see her. Had the bear managed to reach her? Was she lying in the snow bleeding to death? She moaned. He felt his two hearts jump into his throat. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the hungry bear that was doing its best to rip his guts out for a chance to eat such a tender morsel.
Too bad. He’d seen her first.
The male bear--though large--was no match for a Phantom Warrior in his prime. Twice as thick and a good half-foot taller, Arctos was part of the Tooth Clan on Zaron. His people could shift between bear and wolf-like creatures and disappear at will. They were the largest of the Phantom Warriors and the fiercest when it came to battle. He didn’t want to hurt the bear, but he would if it didn’t give up and leave its intended prey.
His long claws swiped at the polar bear’s snout, leaving a streak of red behind. The bear grumbled and rose to his hind legs. Arctos did the same in a show of dominance and aggression. The bear bellowed and waited. When Arctos didn’t back down, he dropped to the ground and rushed him in a flurry of teeth and deadly claws.
Arctos braced for impact.
A thousand pounds of bear slammed into him, sending him skidding across the icy snow. Sharp claws connected as the bear turned and attacked with surprising speed. Warmth trickled down Arctos’ side. He ignored it and kept fighting. There was far more than a meal at stake for him.
Swipe for swipe, they scratched, bit and wrestled with each other. The polar bear stumbled, but came at him repeatedly determined to run him off. Arctos could tell the bear was tiring. It wasn’t moving as fast as it had earlier. With any luck, it would give up soon and leave. Very few fights ended in death, but Arctos would kill him if necessary.
The male gave up several minutes later, but not before he’d managed to spill more of Arctos’ blood. The bear ambled off, glancing over his shoulder from time to time to see if his perceived rival was still guarding the food.
Poised for another battle, Arctos watched him go. Once the thick musk of bear cleared the air, a more familiar coppery odor reached his nose. He glanced down at the crimson snow beneath his feet. It was only then that he saw the claw marks marring his silvery white fur and recalled the trickle of warmth. Arctos took a step and swayed from blood loss. The wound wouldn’t kill him, but it would definitely slow him down.
He ignored the pain and concentrated on breathing, waiting for his head to clear. The injury wouldn’t completely heal when he shifted back, but at least the transformation would seal the wound enough to stem the bleeding, giving him time to get the woman to safety.
Arctos sucked in a deep breath and prepared to change form. Pain seared his flesh as he temporarily shimmered out of existence. His wound stretched, ripping wider, then quickly knitted together. Naked, Arctos stumbled as he adjusted to his human form once more.
He brought his hand to his tender side. Only the faintest streaks of blood remained. Gone were the deep furrows from where the bear had struck. It would be fine as long as he didn’t put too much strain on the injury.
He closed his eyes and concentrated until his uniform appeared, then turned to check on the woman. She was slumped over like she’d fallen asleep in the snow. Arctos’ hearts pummeled his ribs, when he saw the ugly scarlet stain spreading across her white coat. He’d failed.
The thought was almost incomprehensible. Arctos had never failed at anything in his life. Ever. He’d always been a fiercely fast hunter, one of the best fighters, and a strategic planner. Nothing went unchecked. His safeguards had their own safeguards. He prided himself on his preparedness. He was always ready for anything. Almost anything.
He’d been so focused on the woman and her movements that Arctos hadn’t seen the creature until it was nearly on top of her. He thought he’d reached her in time, but the metallic aroma swirling in the air told a very different story. He stared at the ever-growing pool of blood in bewildering disbelief. He’d failed her. The woman moaned, snapping him out of inaction.
Arctos pushed his shame aside and rushed forward. With trembling hands, he brushed a wisp of golden hair out of her face. His breath caught as he released the silken strands.
The woman’s cheeks were pale pink from the cold and so were her lips. The fading color accentuated the tip of her upturned nose and her pointy little chin. Taken separately, her features were nothing to contact the ship about. He’d seen Phantom and Atlantean women who were stunning by galactic standards. Their beauty commanded armies and ruled over kings.
This woman wasn’t like that. She’d never be like that. She was…
Arctos brushed more hair away and looked again. Taken together, her ‘ordinary’ features formed a rather interesting, some might say intriguing, combination. Strong, yet soft. Foreboding, yet alluring. She drew him in, while somehow remaining aloof.
His fingers hovered over her cheek. Even without touching her, he could feel the heat draining from her supple skin. It wouldn’t be long before her life-force followed. He had to get the blood to stop. Arctos curled his hands into fists, then forced them to open. He had to examine the wound.
Arctos found the opening to her clothing and slid the metal down. It hissed in the silence. He peeled the material back and swallowed hard before lifting the shirt beneath. Claw marks gouged her pale flesh, slicing deep. Humans couldn’t shift and he had no way of closing the wound. Even if he somehow managed, the injury would likely become infected—that’s if she didn’t bleed to death first.
He’d wanted to give her a choice. Heck, he’d wanted to have a choice, when it came to deciding his future, but an Earth beast had taken everything away. The irony was not lost on him. The stain continued to spread. He had to act now or lose her forever. There was only one way that he knew of to save her.
The proposition was risky. If he succeeded, it would change both their lives forever. If he didn’t pass through her, sharing his essence and genetic material, then she’d die for sure. Arctos knew that even if he did there was a chance that she wouldn’t make it. He hadn’t been able to test her to see if she was compatible to mate with a Phantom Warrior. What if she wasn’t? He shoved the thought away, refusing to accept it as even a possibility. She had to live.
Arctos concentrated on the woman. “Please forgive me,” he whispered, pressing a chaste kiss upon her lips. His form shimmered, then faded to nothingness so he could pass through her body and back out again.
The woman’s eyes flew open, storm gray and piercing. She stared at the sky, her gaze unfocused, then slowly closed her eyes once more. The blood trickled, then stopped. That was a good sign, right?
Arctos nudged her shoulder. The woman didn’t move. Not a flinch, not a whimper. He frowned. From the rise and fall of her chest, he could see that she was breathing. So why wasn’t she moving? The transference meant that they were partially bound. Had it somehow failed, too?
Humans were fragile by nature. Women even more so. The smallest injury could result in a fatality. Fear and panic gripped Arctos for the second time in his long life. Something inside of him that he never knew existed, threatened to burst. He couldn’t lose her. Refused to lose her.
“You will not die. Do you hea
r me?” Arctos ran his hands over her body. Nothing appeared to be wrong other than the now healing bear scratch. Had he missed something? He decided to check again to be sure. At least that’s what Arctos told himself that he was doing as he slowly re-inspected every inch of her.
Definitely not a child. The inappropriate thought crossed his mind before he could stop it.
He cleaned the blood off using his intense body heat to melt the snow. He didn’t want the stain to frighten her when she awoke—if she ever awoke. Helplessness swamped him. Arctos didn’t know what else to do.
“Live!” The choked command sounded more like a plea.
The woman’s lashes fluttered open. She looked at him and at his hands, which were resting near her breasts, then said, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Arctos jerked his fingers back. “I--” was all he got out before her soft gray eyes crossed and she passed out again. “That went well.” He shook his head in disgust. He didn’t even catch her name. This was not how he’d envisioned their first introduction to go.
What did you expect? You are a stranger to her and unworthy of her regard.
He grit his teeth and reached for her. Grateful at least that she was no longer bleeding. Arctos’ muscles clenched as he lifted her and held her against his chest. She was light for a female, barely a wisp of air in his arms. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even notice her. But this situation was turning out to be anything but normal. He closed his eyes.
“Goddess give me strength.” He inhaled.
The sweet musky scent of her skin teased his sensitive nostrils. Arctos forced himself to loosen his hold for fear that he’d bruise her, then readjusted the woman so she sat higher against his body, making it easier for travel. Her warm breath brushed his neck, tickling his ear.
Ignore it. Ignore her. At least until you know she’s truly okay.
She exhaled again and gooseflesh raced along his spine, settling heavily in his groin. Arctos cursed under his breath. This wasn’t going to work. There was no way he’d be able to travel quickly with her caressing his ear and taunting his body.
He juggled the woman again until she was hanging partially over his shoulder, then reached down to gather her bag. He glanced at her weapon and quickly dismissed bringing it. As long as she was with him, she wouldn’t need the gun. Guilt settled heavily upon his chest once more. His best efforts hadn’t been enough to keep her safe.
“I will protect you with my life,” he vowed. “I’ll die before I’ll allow anyone or anything else to harm you.” He may have failed her once, but he’d never fail her again.
Arctos turned in a slow circle and extended his senses. Like a beacon of energy crashing upon him, he felt the pulse of the nearby population. Many life-forms resided there. She’d likely come from that town. He locked the location into his mind. “West it is,” he said, and began to walk.
* * * * *
Caitlin awoke cocooned in warmth and gently rocking from side to side. She snuggled deeper and her nose came in contact with hard warm flesh. She sniffed, then sniffed again. A slightly musky, not entirely unpleasant aroma greeted her. Why did her whole body ache? She cracked one lid open just enough to peek at her surroundings and saw nothing but a wall of black material. She frowned as she tried to recall where she was.
Steady breathing and the squeaky crunch of boots hitting packed snow reached her ears. Her eyes flew open, but all Caitlin could see was the wide back her face was smooshed against. She pushed away and the world tilted. Her stomach lurched and she nearly threw up. Fortunately panic set in and saved her from embarrassment. She thrashed wildly, kicking with her feet and flailing her arms in an attempt to get away.
“Easy, you’ve been injured,” a deep male voice said, without breaking stride. “If you don’t stop struggling, you’re going to hurt yourself.” His grip on her firmed.
“Let go of me,” she demanded, straining to remember the details of the last few hours. Had it been hours or minutes? She couldn’t recall. Where was she? How did she get upside down? Her thoughts scrambled then reassembled themselves into working order.
There was a bear. A really big bear. And another bear. Then pain. Lots of pain. Followed by a tingling sensation like all her limbs had gone to sleep at once, then nothingness. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest. What had happened to the bears?
She craned her neck to look around, catching a sideways glimpse of the man carrying her. There was something familiar about him? Had they met? She couldn’t recall. Where had he come from? Better yet, how had she gotten away? It was all a blur of white fur, teeth, claws and blood. Caitlin began to shake uncontrollably.
“Listen Caveman, I really must insist that you put me down immediately,” she said through chattering teeth.
The man stopped, then shifted her until he could look into her face, but otherwise made no move to oblige her request.
A snowflake landed on her nose. Caitlin looked around, then glanced up at the sky. It was snowing. Hard. The man didn’t seem fazed by the steadily falling powder. In fact, he wasn’t even breathing hard.
Caitlin stopped struggling and took a good look at her…rescuer. His face was harshly beautiful with tantalizing sharp cheekbones, a sensual mouth, and dark unfathomable eyes. Trapped by his gaze, she continued to stare. She’d never seen anyone quite like him.
Her attention shifted to his hair. At first she’d thought it was covered in snow, but now Caitlin realized it wasn’t snow at all. His hair was white, so white that it would probably glint like silver tinsel in sunlight. They definitely hadn’t met. He wasn’t the kind of guy that a girl forgot.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and asked, “Who are you?”
He continued to stare at her, until she felt unnerved by the rapt attention.
Caitlin cleared her throat. “I asked you a question.”
His lips quirked and a dimple winked out from his cheek, softening his features. Such a simple movement, not even one of conscious thought, but it still managed to do strange things to Caitlin’s insides. How could she have found him harsh-looking only moments ago? A woman would have to be blind not to realize the man was gorgeous.
It had to be the shock from the bear attack, she thought. What else could it possibly be? Caitlin prided herself for having a level head. She wasn’t prone to bouts of lust. She’d never fallen for a pretty face. It just didn’t happen.
“My name is Arctos,” he said, staring at her like he’d never seen a woman before.
“Arctos.” She rolled his name over her tongue, testing the sound of it. Caitlin looked at him again. Despite the oddity of it, the name did somehow fit him. He didn’t look like a John or a Steve with that strangely colored hair and those sharp assessing features. “How did I get here? Actually strike that last question. Where are we?”
“I found you. You were hurt.” He broke eye contact. “As to where we are, we are heading toward a denser population. Though the snow is making the journey… difficult.”
Difficult? Try impossible. Caitlin looked up at the sky. It was still daylight, but wouldn’t be for much longer. Soon the temperatures would start to drop, reaching dangerous levels. Already a chill rode the air, promising a quick death.
She stared at Arctos. The outfit he had on wasn’t thick enough to ward off the oncoming cold. Hers might, but not without shelter. She shivered as a breeze swept the falling snow into her face. “We need to get inside before nightfall.”
“Do not worry. I have excellent night vision,” he said, puffing out his impressive chest. The man winced as he did, but his expression remained stoic.
Caitlin looked at the snow near his feet. Red spots dotted the ground. She reached out and touched his side. Her white glove came away covered in blood. “You’re hurt,” she said, gently touching him again. “How bad is it?”
He sucked in a breath as her padded fingers probed. “It is nothing,” he said through gritted teeth.
She held her glove up to his f
ace. “This doesn’t look like nothing to me,” she said, watching him closely. “You need a doctor. How far are we from town?”
“I believe the term is a mile. Perhaps five,” he said.
She glanced around at the falling snow. With the wind, the steady snowfall was drifting and morphing into a blizzard. “We might be able to make it,” she said, even as doubt set it. Without markers, it was so easy to get lost in a storm. Heck, even with markers an experienced hunter could get turned around. If that happened, a mile or two could be the difference between life and death. “Mind putting me down? We can make better time if you don’t carry me. It’ll also take the strain off your injury.”
Arctos looked like he was about to refuse her request, but at the last second, he acquiesced. “As you desire, but at the first sign of distress, you’re going back.”
Distress? Was he serious? She wasn’t the one bleeding into the snow. Caitlin kept her thoughts to herself as he carefully put her down. The loss of warmth was instantaneous. She bounced from foot to foot to get the blood circulating and so he wouldn’t see her shiver. “You’re sure it’s a few miles to town.”
“Yes.” He paused and glanced up as if in thought. “Definitely more than three, but less than six.”
Snow quickly filled his footprints. How had he covered fifteen miles? “You carried me the whole way?”
He looked at her as if she’d suddenly sprouted snakes for hair. “Of course, you were injured.”
She glanced down at the front of her coat and saw a huge blood stain. The world tilted for a moment before righting itself. Caitlin unzipped her coat and yanked her shirt up. Four pink ribbed lines scored her abdomen.
“It must have missed,” she said, but the amount of blood told her otherwise. She forced her brain to focus on something else, anything else.
Phantom Warriors Volume 1 (Novel length) Page 9
