Bear Bait (Hero Mine Book 1)

by Harmony Raines

  “Bulletproof,” Lucas said.

  “Me, or all of us?” Cade asked.

  “I placed it on everyone you love. Through your heart chakra.” Lucas pointed to his heart, his voice breathless. “Let’s hope you love all of your family.”

  Cade met Octavia’s eyes, and the question was there for him to see. Was Octavia bulletproof? Did he love her, truly love her, or was his attraction to his mate only because of the mating bond?

  As the first shot rang out through the trees, he hoped that question would not have to be answered.

  “Taro. Sic ’em,” Lucas commanded, and the big degetty ran forward to attack his former master. “Degetty don’t die from bullets, right?”

  “Not often, and not one as powerful as Taro,” Cade said, grateful Lucas had bound the degetty after all. “Take cover. If you get killed, that thing is free again, and they might have their druid with them, and take back control.”

  “Don’t you love me, Cade?” Lucas asked innocently, enjoying this all too much, considering the circumstances.

  “I have no love for druids,” Cade reminded Lucas.

  “You heart my feelings,” Lucas said, and ducked behind a big oak tree, as shots and cries rang out.

  Cade made his way over to Octavia. “You should stay with Lucas,” he said to her, as voices grew louder. “I’m going to head them off, forcing them over to where the bears are.”

  “I’ll come with you,” she said.

  “No,” Cade replied. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Bulletproof, right?” she asked.

  “I think so. But what if you aren’t?” he asked.

  “Then I know our love isn’t true.”

  Cade grabbed her in his arms and kissed her fiercely. “It is true, I promise you.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” she asked.

  Cade had been surrounded by love his whole life. And when he looked into his heart, he knew he loved Octavia. Lucas’s spell would work on her. Now was the time for them to all stand together, and rid themselves of Matthew, and finally uncover the secret to Helena’s craziness.

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Octavia

  Together they ran forward, keeping low down, and skirting around where the degetty, Taro, was tearing into Matthew’s men, while the sound of gunshots rang out.

  “Can you see Matthew?” Cade asked.

  Octavia looked up, and then crouched back down. “No.”

  “Where is he? Unless he is the kind of coward who sends his men in and doesn’t risk his own life.”

  They moved closer, the degetty doing most of the work for them. “He might have gone on ahead to the house.” She looked up again. “Or to the river. What if he can track Helena somehow?”

  Cade shook his head. “I don’t see how.”

  Octavia shrugged. “We don’t know a lot about what is happening with Helena.”

  “True,” Cade said. “He pulled out his cell phone, and risked calling Locke.” He shook his head and ended the call. “House or river?”

  “River,” Octavia said. “The rest of the squad has this taken care of.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Cade said. “I may have to watch out or you will have my job.”

  “No way,” she answered. “I’ve had enough excitement for a lifetime.”

  “Does that mean you have changed your mind and want to go back to your old life?” Cade asked.

  “My old life is gone. This is who I am.” Octavia shifted into her bear, and set off through the forest, her bear scenting the degetty Taro, and in the distance, the scent of Zinan. She marveled at how enhanced her senses were. Before she became a shifter, she would have only been able to smell brimstone, not be able to sift through it and separate the two distinct degetty. A thrill passed through her newly-made bear; this was exciting, but she could do without the danger.

  A bullet whizzed through the air, as if to reinforce that point, embedding itself in a tree trunk to her left. Cade turned with a worried look, and then launched himself forward. The man who shot the gun turned to him, and aimed the gun straight at him. Her heart stopped beating, and the world moved in slow motion as the sound of another shot rang out. There was no way it was going to miss at such short range.

  So many questions flew through her brain. What if Cade died? What if Lucas’s spell didn’t work? How would she live without her mate?

  The mating bond tightened around her, holding her fast. Now she knew what Cade had been experiencing since they had met. It hurt like a deep open wound, raw and new.

  Octavia leaped forward, going to Cade’s aid, but the bullets bounced off invisible armor, and Cade launched himself at the man, taking him out in one snap of the neck.

  He hauled himself up on four paws, and turned to look at Octavia, shaking himself. She moved to his side, and brushed against him. Cade nuzzled her, and then nudged her forward. They still had a job to do.

  Cade led the way, and she followed him, close to his tail. They weaved in and out of the undergrowth, the smell of Taro growing fainter, while the scent of Zinan grew stronger. Each step was taking them closer to Locke and Helena, but her need to protect Tally’s mom grew in strength too. As much as Octavia wanted to stay with Cade, the need to stop Tally becoming an orphan too, was just as important.

  They were close enough to the river that she could hear it bubbling over the rocks; new scents joined that of Zinan, humans. She caught the faint scent of two humans, Locke and Helena, she presumed, but then another scent joined it, mingling with it. Octavia took a moment to inhale, letting the scent dance over her taste buds. There was something familiar about it.

  Matthew.

  Her bear nudged into Cade, letting him know danger was imminent. His bear turned to give her an enquiring look. What was she supposed to do, she couldn’t talk?

  She did the only thing she could: she shifted back into her human form and immediately crouched down on her hands and knees. “Matthew is close. I can smell him.” Octavia thought over all the times she had been close to him, the kisses, the touches, and rage burned inside her. But rage would not get her through this. Yes, she had been used by him, but that did not mean he had to win. Victory over him was in their grasp; they simply had to take it.

  Then the forest exploded around them. First came Tally’s voice, calling for her mom, followed by the sound of gunfire. Octavia prayed the spell Lucas had cast would hold. Did it have a time limit?

  Cade ran forward, and Octavia had to make the split-second decision as to whether to continue on two feet or four. She chose two and stood up, following Cade as he raced through the trees toward Tally’s voice. Cade broke out into a clearing, just as Matthew held his gun up to Locke and pulled the trigger. He was shielding Helena, who looked confused. Octavia stopped midflight and slipped behind a tree, hoping she had not been seen.

  “I told you to move,” Matthew said, as the gun exploded, a bullet shooting out at close range. Would the spell hold?

  Locke’s face showed pure horror, and he ducked, his arms around Helena as he tried to get them both out of range. The bullet glanced off his shoulder, leaving no mark, and hit a sapling, splintering the wood.

  Matthew cocked his gun, and another shot rang out, but it went way off target, when Tally launched herself out of the trees, springing onto Matthew’s back. Matthew wheeled around and grabbed at her. As this unfolded, a shadow emerged from the trees, dressed in a druid’s robe, but with a hood drawn up around his face.

  This was the rogue, the druid who had bound Taro and sent him after Octavia.

  The druid grabbed Tally and pulled her off Matthew, who stood for a second, taking stock of what was happening. Cade took this moment to jump him, his bear claws digging into his flesh, teeth biting and tearing at flesh. Matthew screamed, and pulled his gun around to let off a useless shot, which rebounded off Cade before embedding itself in the ground.

  “Stop,” the druid yelled.

  Cade either didn’t hear, or chose not to respond;
his bear was still in assault mode, pinning Matthew, who was bloody and bruised, to the ground. Taking him alive must be a priority, or the man would be dead.

  “Stop or Natalie will die,” the druid yelled loudly.

  Cade, his two front paws planted on Matthew, looked around at the druid, his eyes flickering to Tally, who had her fists balled, but no spell was uttered.

  “Better. Now let Matthew up, and give us Helena and we can all walk away from this.”

  “No,” Tally said, shaking her head at Cade.

  “Tally,” Helena’s voice was full of fear.

  “Mom, stay back.”

  “Come with me, Helena, and your daughter lives,” the druid called.

  “Mom, you stay back. Locke, keep her safe,” Tally called.

  “I will kill you,” the druid said to Tally.

  Octavia saw her chance. She slipped from one tree to the next, carefully placing her feet so that they made no sound. Gradually, she drew level with the druid, who had his back to her. If she timed it right, she could rush him, and knock him off balance just long enough for the others to act, without fear of his spells.

  Closing her eyes, she psyched herself up and then launched herself forward. Her hands went around the druid’s neck, and she yanked his head back. Thinking he was falling, he spread his arms out to help himself balance and let go of Tally, who fell to the ground. Octavia yelled, and Cade went to let Matthew go, but before he could move, a wolf leaped across the clearing, sinking its teeth into the druid’s neck and ripping his throat out.

  “What have you done?” Matthew yelled from where he lay on the ground.

  “Ended this,” Tally said.

  Tally got up and rushed to Helena, who was standing, dazed, looking around her. “Where are we, Tally?”

  “In the forest, Mom. Don’t worry, we’ll soon get you home and you can make mac and cheese, and we can forget this ever happened.”

  “I don’t like mac and cheese,” Helena said.

  Tally took a staggering step back from her mom. “You don’t?”

  “No. You know I don’t.” Helena frowned. “Are you OK, Tally? You look pale. Have you been burying your head in those spell books all night again?”

  “Spell books? You know about the spell books?” Tally asked.

  “Duh. Why would I be the head of the coven if I didn’t know magic?” Helena shook her head. “And to think I had you pinned as my predecessor. If I ever retire, of course.”

  “Mom. You’re back!”

  “Is she OK?” Helena asked Locke as he came across to them in his human form, and put his arms around them both.

  “She is now.” He kissed Helena’s head and then turned to Cade. “It’s Gareth.”

  Cade was hauling Matthew to his feet. “Gareth? Isn’t he the one who raised Zinan?”

  “He is.” Locke looked at Helena. “What did Gareth have against you, Helena?”

  “Nothing,” Helena said. “I haven’t seen him for over fifteen years.”

  “I’m sure Matthew here can fill us in on the rest,” Cade said, bending Matthew’s arm up behind his neck until he yelped.

  “I am a Templar, a keeper of secrets,” Matthew said.

  “I’m sure I have a way to get those secrets out of you,” Lucas said. He walked across to the bloody body of Gareth, and used his foot to push the hood from the druid’s head. “A cross. So he became a Templar.”

  “He saw the way,” Matthew said.

  “And which way is that?” Cade asked.

  “The way to victory. You and your kind will fall. And the Night Hunters will fall with you,” Matthew said.

  “But not today,” Cade said. “Not today.”

  Epilogue

  “Why do we have to be rabbits again?” Cade asked. “You could just make us invisible.”

  “I could, but then you would all run into each other. This way is simpler, and more fun.” Lucas grinned, and Cade decided to let the druid have his fun. “Of course, we could call the whole thing off, and I could keep Taro under my control.”

  “No,” Cade and Eva chorused. “He is too dangerous.”

  “And we promised Zinan we would send his brother back” Tally said.

  “And you plan to send Zinan back too?” Lucas asked.

  “No. I gave him my word he could stay,” Tally said. They had already been over this several times on the journey to Stonehenge.

  “But he is a degetty, and they do not belong in this world,” Lucas said. “Cade, as leader of the squad who has to put these things down, back me up here.”

  “I am staying out of it,” Cade said. “I’m off duty. Just along for the ride.”

  Octavia chuckled. “It seems druids are not as powerful as they thought.”

  “Not when faced with a witch like Natalie Munroe,” Helena said, smiling proudly at her daughter. “I’m glad you learned to stand up for what you believe in.”

  “I gave him my word,” Tally repeated to her mom.

  “And he did protect me,” Helena said. “When Matthew tried to attack me.”

  “I know, but I fear he may find a way of breaking free of you, Tally,” Lucas said, his voice deepening in concern.

  Eva narrowed her gaze, looking closely at Lucas. “It’s good to see your compassion has returned.”

  “Momentarily,” Lucas said, giving her a faint smile. “Now, where were we? Rabbits.”

  Lucas cast the spell over Tally, Helena, Eva, Cade, and Octavia. They had all come to witness Lucas sending Taro back to the Underworld. Lucas had assured them he could do it alone, but they had insisted. Partly out of a need to see this through to the end, and partly because there was a small part of each of them that did not trust Lucas.

  “Hop along, then. I’ll meet you in there,” Lucas said, and put the Druid Box, which contained Taro, in his pocket, and headed toward the visitors’ entrance of Stonehenge. It was after hours, the sun had long set, and the moon yet to rise. In this time of the witching hour, Lucas was going to open a portal to the Underworld and send Taro back home. He was more than willing to go, and would put up no fight.

  Or so he said. But Octavia was not ready to trust a degetty.

  She hopped along, side by side with the others, scampering across the grass and into the circle made up of great monoliths. The power of the circle emanated out of every blade of grass as her small feet hopped slowly across the ground.

  They huddled together, in awe of the magic around them, and waited for Lucas.

  It was ten minutes later when his shadowy figure appeared, entering the stone circle, his white robes blowing around his legs. He looked every inch a druid as he solemnly placed the Druid Box on the ground.

  Then he walked over to the rabbits and returned them to their human forms.

  “Ready to bear witness?” Lucas asked.

  “We are,” Cade said, slipping his hand around Octavia’s. She leaned into him, a sense of unease filling her. This was a place of magic, and she still hadn’t got used to being a thing of magic. She was an Other now, but it would take some time for her to feel part of that world. But she did feel part of a family, and that was enough.

  Lucas began to chant, his voice loud, bouncing off the stones, so that it resonated back into the circle. Beneath their feet, the ground began to tremble, and from the center of the circle a hole appeared, spiraling outwards. When it was approximately ten feet across, Lucas’s chant changed and he picked up the Druid Box and opened it. A green mist rose up, and then condensed into the shape of a man. A man with green eyes.

  Taro hovered over the portal for a few seconds, before he was drawn into it, as though sucked into a swirling whirlpool. Lucas held out his hands, the words from his mouth slower, quieter, and the ground responded, the hole becoming increasingly smaller, until it was gone.

  Lucas slumped forward, but remained on his feet, every inch the proud, aloof leader of the Council, until Cade, Octavia, Tally, Helena, and Eva crowded in on him.

  “You did it,”
Octavia said with relief.

  “Of course he did it, he is the best druid,” Tally said. “Not that you have to do much to earn that honor.” She grinned at him, a pale shadow in the darkness.

  “Thank you,” Cade said, slapping Lucas hard on the back.

  “You are welcome,” Lucas said. “And now I have one more gift for you, Cade, and you, Octavia.” He waved his hand and muttered a spell. “There.”

  “They are invisible,” Eva said, reaching out and touching Cade’s arm to check that he was still there.

  “They are.” Lucas grinned. “The moon will be full in an hour. This is when henge holds the most potent magic. Make use of it. No one will see you.”

  “Make use of it?” Octavia asked, frowning. She felt the same, she could see everyone, except Cade. She gripped his hand harder, not wanting to let go in case she lost him.

  “Yes. Procreate,” Lucas said. “Here.”

  “It’s one way to put some magic into your sex life,” Tally said.

  “Tally!” Helena said, shocked.

  “Mom, I’m seventeen and I’m not a nun,” Tally said.

  Helena’s face creased and she looked tearful, her hand going to her head. “There is so much I have forgotten. I still think of you as being a thirteen-year-old girl with a crush on Cade.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Tally said, putting her arms around her mom. “You haven’t forgotten how to embarrass me.”

  “You still don’t know why Matthew wanted you? Or why Gareth put a bind on you?” Eva asked gently.

  “No. I don’t even know if what they want is still in my head.” Helena put her hand to her temple and pressed. “What am I forgetting?”

  “It will come back. Now that Gareth is dead, and the binding is broken, it will come back.”

  “Are you so sure?” Helena asked.

  “No, but even if it doesn’t, we are just glad to have you back,” Eva said.

  “I’m surprised you druids haven’t made Matthew talk yet,” Cade said to Lucas. “If you want him to go ten rounds with a bear, it can be arranged.”

  “Thanks for the offer, Cade. But I have my best druids working on him. We will break him.” Lucas looked up to where the moon was breaking out of the clouds. “Enough of this. You are wasting my gift to you.”