Desired by Alpha Bear

by Sarah J. Stone

  He could not leave her here to die.

  He sniffed her again.

  She smelled human, but not entirely so.

  The scent was one he was familiar with, but he could not place where he knew it from. The bear in him was cautious. It sniffed at her and wanted to bathe in this addicting scent. Suddenly, his location hit him. Immediately on guard, Kevin looked around. How had he gotten past the barrier of the fairy territory? The only two shifters to make it past the barrier were his alpha and his mate. The fairies had become particularly attached to Cassie, so she often visited the fairy territory. But Kevin had never ventured into this area.

  It was like everything Cassie had described. As he turned around, he looked up and saw the shimmer of the barrier. Taking a step into this land was like stepping into a whole, new world that bloomed. He had never seen greener grass or flowers bloom with such radiance.

  He looked down at the woman and wondered why his bear was distressed. Its agitation grew with each movement, and Kevin had to force it back. He dug out his cell phone and called his alpha.

  “Luke.”

  Luke sounded like he was in the middle of something, and not at all pleased at the interruption. When Kevin explained the situation, he told his friend the stark truth. “There’s something about her, man. I do not know what, but it’s got my animal all worked up.”

  Luke’s tone changed. “Strange how?”

  He sounded intrigued, and yet there was an odd quality to his voice. Kevin frowned. “I do not know. It’s like my animal wants out. Her scent is driving both of us crazy.” He put a finger to her pulse, and his heart beat a little faster. “Her pulse is fading. I need a healer here.”

  His alpha’s voice was sharp. “Rina and Henry just got in. I will send them to you. Can you carry her without hurting her?”

  Kevin replied with an affirmative, and after tucking the phone back into the leather pouch, which was tied to his bare ankle, he picked up the falcon, put it on his shoulder, and then proceeded to pick up the woman.

  She was quite light and fit just right in his arms.

  Cradling her carefully, he wondered at the lack of fairies in the area and slowly started walking, not wanting to jostle her.

  He did not notice the pair of very interested green eyes, which watched him as he left.

  As Kalen let the barrier part, he murmured to no one in particular, “The shifter has no idea, does he?”

  Kevin moved out of the barrier and walked in the general direction of the den. Rina and Henry, both junior lieutenants, were supposed to meet him on the main path. He had taken a few steps when the air shifted, and he realized he was not alone.

  Five hooded figures emerged from all sides of him, effectively surrounding him.

  Now, Kevin may not have had any encounter with witches before, but these beings hummed with magical energy, and he identified them for what they were.

  “Well, shit.”

  Chapter 4

  Witch hunters were not witches per se. Their magic lay in their special weapons, which could adjust themselves according to their target. Kevin had once run afoul of a witch hunter. Man, could they fight. Their movements were so swift, that, if you were not paying attention, you would not even notice the blow until you were struck. The falcon on his shoulder flapped its right wing wildly and screeched directly in Kevin’s ear, making the bear shifter wince.

  With the unconscious girl occupying both his arms, Kevin knew he was cornered. Bristling, he bared his teeth and snarled. The five witch hunters did not move, and he heard a rough voice say, “Hand us the woman.”

  Kevin growled. “I do not think so.”

  When one of the hunters flexed his fingers, Kevin stiffened his shoulders. He did not know what they wanted with the girl, but whatever it was, it certainly could not be good. Her scent wrapped itself around him, and the idea of it leaving him was something he could not comprehend. His snarl increased in volume.

  The witch hunter right in front of him pointed his staff at him, and from behind the trees came a flicker of silver before Fergus went straight for the man’s throat. The witch hunter did not even have a chance to fight back as the wolf alpha disposed of him. However, he had given away his element of surprise, and now he had weapons pointed at him as well.

  A ball of green light hit one of the witch hunters in his back and he fell forward, screaming in agony. Fergus took that chance and ran toward one of the hunters, dodging the spiral of white light that was aimed at him. However, the man used the edge of his thin sword and slashed the wolf, who fell back snarling.

  Kevin thought about putting the woman to one side and joining in the fight, but Fergus looked at him and motioned with his head, telling him to leave. When another ball of green light flew into the clearing, burning one of the hunter’s feet, a cackle of a boy sounded, and Kalen emerged from the branches of a tree.

  Fergus took a blow in his side when he stopped in shock to see the young figure. He was thrown into the air, but flipped over to land on his feet, then he snapped his teeth at the fairy king who looked annoyed at seeing him. “I heard you moved back around here.”

  However, Kalen clearly did not think much of Fergus and moved on to deal with the attackers and Kevin, not knowing who the young stranger was, heeded Fergus’ advice and ran toward the main path. Hearing a rustling behind him, he saw one of the witch hunters give chase. His bear roared in anger when he realized that this man meant to take away his woman. Kevin’s brown eyes changed color as his animal took over. He could not transform completely, but his speed increased. The falcon had buried its claws in his shoulders, but Kevin did not feel the sting.

  A screech of tires and a familiar voice. “Get in!”

  Jeremy McNaught glared at Kevin from the driver’s seat. The young woman that sat with him was clambering into the back and threw open the door. Her blonde hair was in a mussed-up ponytail, and she held out her arms for the woman he carried.

  For some reason, Kevin found himself reluctant to hand over that warm weight. He climbed into the back seat with Rina, who looked concerned at the state of the injured woman. She ran her hands over her body, and Kevin could see the pale glow of her hands as she used her healing ability. Rina had been one of those rare shifters who had been born both a dominant and a healer. Instead of tying herself down to the post of the Pack Healer, she took to the field as well.

  “Is she…”

  Rina shook her head, her light brown eyes and small mouth forming a frown. “She was impaled through and through. I do not know how she’s even breathing.” She glanced up at Kevin. “I can heal some of her most life-threatening injuries, but I do not know whether she’ll survive the night.”

  The lance of pain through his heart took Kevin by surprise. His bear whined in anxious misery, and he could feel that same level of exhaustion, which he had felt back at the den. Gritting his teeth, he focused on the woman whose hand was growing a little warm.

  “But she will make it, right?”

  Rina pursed her lips. “I cannot say for sure.” Beads of sweat were visible on her forehead as she exerted herself to the extreme, trying to pour as much healing energy into the dying woman as she could.

  “Who’s the chick?” Jeremy growled as he drove toward the den.

  Jeremy always growled, even when they had been children. Kevin had always been the responsible one, and Jeremy the one whose hot temper would often end up getting them both in trouble. Kevin met his black eyes in the rear-view mirror. “I do not know.”

  Jeremy’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you telling me that I just drove from the den like a madman, without even getting some food in my stomach for some girl you do not even know?”

  Kevin looked away. “There is something about her. Her scent. I cannot explain it.”

  Jeremy took his eyes off the road and turned his head to take a sniff.

  “Watch where you’re going!” Rina yelled at him, her voice hoarse.

  The long-haired shifter imme
diately got the car back under control, and remarked with annoyance, “She smells like a human. Well,” he corrected himself, “not a human exactly, but there is nothing special about her scent.”

  Kevin’s bear rumbled. It felt satisfied that Jeremy was not a threat. That thought took Kevin by surprise. Was his bear interested in this woman?

  It was not like one could not be attracted by scent to a potential mate, but that took place only between shifters. This woman was not a shifter.

  He was risking the safety of the den by bringing in an unknown element.

  His animal disagreed and snarled at him for even considering for a second of leaving the woman out there to fend for herself. He studied the young woman and felt doubtful. He could not be attracted to someone who was not a shifter. Well, physical attraction was one thing, but scent attraction was completely different. This was not it. His animal was probably intrigued by this new scent.

  “What’s with the bird?” Jeremy glanced at him.

  Kevin ran a hand over the creature in question, not knowing what to do to calm it down. Its distressed and pained scent was obvious to all three shifters. Right now, it sat unnaturally still, and Kevin wondered at its devotion to the woman. He chose not to answer the question and instead shot one of his own. “How did you manage to get back so quickly? I thought Luke just called you in this morning.”

  Jeremy’s smile was never kind. He always looked angry. “I was already thinking of coming back, so I was nearby. Luke called, and I just shifted and ran.” Kevin did not miss the glance that Jeremy threw over his shoulder at the quiet Rina. She had her head against the car seat and looked tired.

  Kevin could not contain his smile as he realized that Jeremy had a reason to come back. Rina always used to have this massive crush on Jeremy, even when he became distant after his family was killed. She was the one who had ensured that there remained a little bit of human inside of him. Now, as Kevin observed the way that Jeremy would keep throwing small glances at Rina, it seemed he was beginning to reciprocate her feelings.

  Resisting the urge to tease his friend, he said, “I thought Henry was coming to pick me up, along with Rina.” He added the last part just to mess with the dark-haired shifter.

  Jeremy’s growl resounded in the car. “Maybe I should just toss you back to those things that were after you.”

  Kevin laughed, but the humor faded as he looked at the woman he had rescued. Her head was in his lap, and there was more color in her cheeks than there had been before. Without thinking, he cleaned the dirt off her face and saw the shadows under her eyes and lines of pain drawn in her forehead. Seeing one hand dangling in the air at the edge of the car seat, Kevin lifted it gently and was about to tuck it in her side when she clenched onto two of his fingers as her body spasmed with pain.

  “That’s normal,” Rina murmured, her voice sounding exhausted. “Her body is in shock. I’ve healed her as much as I can. All we can do is see if your friend survives the night now.”

  Kevin wondered whether he should point out that he did not even know her name, let alone call her a friend. But as he watched that slender hand clutch onto his two fingers, he could not help but think it felt like a child seeking assurance. He stayed motionless in that stooped manner, not wanting to discomfort the girl.

  When they reached the den, Abigail was waiting for them outside, as was Cassie. Luke wore a heavy scowl on his face, which indicated that he was not very happy with his mate for walking into a red zone. Kevin could understand his alpha’s worry. Although Luke had told him to bring the injured girl to the den, they still did not know who she was, and even he did not want Cassie to be present until they had determined their new guest’s status. Kevin settled her into his arms and looked at Luke, who just gave him an odd look in return. “Are you sure?”

  His alpha frowned. “I’m not some female who needs to change her–” An elbow in his gut made him rephrase his sentence into a monosyllable. “Yeah.”

  Cassie glared at Luke who ran his hands down her arms. Abigail stepped forward. She studied the girl and made an odd expression. “Innocence.”

  ”What?” Kevin was startled.

  Abigail looked at him, her brown eyes ripe with wisdom and a hint of confusion. “She smells of innocence, like a child.”

  Kevin frowned and buried his face in the woman’s neck.

  Abigail was right. Buried underneath that spicy and sweet scent was innocence, like that of a newborn baby. He felt confused, and his bear’s agitated state grew.

  “What are you waiting for, boy? Bring her in.” Abigail chastised.

  Luke stepped forward. “I’ll carry her if you’re tired.”

  To the shock of everyone, Kevin’s animal came forward and he snarled at his alpha. Luke stilled, and then he exchanged a look with his mate. Then, slowly, he said. “Or, you can take her to your room, Kevin.”

  Trying to get himself under control, Kevin simply nodded. However, his instincts were fighting their way to the surface. The presence of two males near his charge was antagonizing his beast, and Kevin’s eyes showed his animal at the surface.

  As he left, Luke asked, “What’s up with the bird?”

  Cassie stared at him, incredulously. “He nearly went for your throat, and that’s what you want to know?”

  Rina slid out of the car, and when she stumbled, Jeremy caught her around the waist. Putting her arm around his neck, he held onto her, and said gruffly, “I’m going to take this one inside.”

  However, Abigail stopped him, directing a question toward the female shifter. “You’re drained, but she is still on the edge of death. What happened?”

  Rina shook her head. “There’s something blocking me from healing her completely. I just managed to heal some of the internal injuries, but my healing magic was not so effective. If I were to say…” she paused, considering. “I might have delayed the inevitable. I do not think she will survive the night.”

  Jeremy led the exhausted woman inside, and Abigail looked at the cover of the forest that surrounded the den. Placed under heavy protection spells, the den was built underground with various openings, that only pack members knew about. To the naked eye, no one could see the opening of the den. It could only be tracked if you were aware of the markings.

  Right now, Abigail was lost in thought, and then she turned around to face Luke. “Why did you let an unknown woman, virtually a stranger, enter our den?”

  Luke glanced at Cassie and then stuck his hands in the pocket of his jeans. “When I met Cassie, her scent drove me to distraction. So, when Kevin told me that he could not get her scent out of his head, I had a feeling that the girl might be his mate.” He shrugged. “Trusting my instinct has led this pack to where it is today. And my instinct told me that this girl might be it for Kevin.”

  Cassie looked at her mate and raised her brow. “What about Lilia?”

  Luke grinned. “She broke up with him last week because he snores in bed.”

  Abigail crossed her arms over her chest, her mind on their new guest. “A scent attraction? That’s not completely rare.”

  Cassie looked puzzled. “But doesn’t that happen, I do not know,” she struggled for the right words, “between shifters? She doesn’t smell like a shifter.”

  Luke gave her an affectionate grin. “Neither did you.”

  Abigail looked amused. “You children have much to learn. Our young guest is a witch.” Her brow furrowed. “And a mighty powerful one from the looks of it.”

  Luke looked stunned. “How can you tell?”

  Sometimes, Abigail wondered whether the pack needed a better education system. “Her familiar – ‘the bird,’ as you so eloquently put it. You can tell by how strong a familiar is, how powerful their master is. The falcon was badly injured. The fact that it remained conscious throughout and kept feeding his master a stream of power is a testament to its strength.”

  When Luke and Cassie exchanged a look, she sighed. However, there were more important things to worry
about than the pack’s alpha. Abigail turned on her heel as the storm from earlier came to mind. Kalen’s display of temper and then the appearance of a young witch on their territory could not be a coincidence. She went in search of Samuel. It was time to pick his brain.

  Kevin laid the woman down in his bed and looked at the smudged dirt on her face. Picking up a towel, he dampened it under the running water in his bathroom and then rubbed it over her face gently. The features that were under the layer of grime were quite pretty.

  Jude stood in a corner of the room as he ran his healing touch over the falcon’s wing. The bird held still as the pack healer finished his task. Taking a step back, he motioned to the bird. “Why don’t you try stretching?”

  Kevin did not know whether birds could understand human speech, but this one could. It followed Jude’s instructions and opened both its wings. A gentle flap, and then it folded its wings back against its body and hopped onto the bed, making its way to the unconscious woman.

  “Are we intruding?” Samuel’s voice had Kevin turning around. The old archives’ keeper offered a smile. “I hear you have a guest.” He walked into the room with Abigail trailing behind him. Studying the still form, he said, “Your young witch won’t survive the night, Kevin.”

  The lieutenant started, “Witch?”

  Abigail rolled her eyes and then stepped forward. “If you want, Samuel and I can help. Or we can try.”

  “Help how?”

  The archives’ keeper sat down on a chair next to the bed. “We do not have the abilities of a healer, but what we can do is dissipate the dark magic that has centered itself in this girl’s core.”

  Kevin stared at the wise, old man. His bear whined. It could feel the wrongness in the female’s scent, and it wanted it gone. However, where the bear followed his animal instincts, the human part of him was more cautious. “Why are you offering to help her?”

  There was no paranoia in Kevin’s question. He genuinely wanted to know why Samuel and Abigail would go out of their way for a stranger he had brought in the den.