Chance Lost

by Jo Larue

  There was a moment when he was watching them from the forest line when he was sure Sylas had seen him. There was no way Sylas would know who he was in wolf form, but now the Enforcer would be watching Chance more carefully.

  Trey trailed them again all night. It was boring but necessary. When he saw them leave the movies in a rush, he perked up fast. Staying discretely behind them, he observed the two of them go back to the new house and then leave. Once he realized where they were going, Trey went a faster way there and parked.

  Shifting to his wolf, he moved towards the bar and saw Craven issuing orders. Staying hidden he noticed some of the pack members moving explosives inside. Hearing Craven barking orders at the pack, he realized he had already been replaced. He was fine with it. There was his own agenda to meet and this would help him further it along. He heard Craven order them to take the bar owner to the back and leave him there. He could also see the man was unconscious.

  Just about then he caught Chance’s scent on the slight breeze. They arrived nearly 15 minutes after he did and he noticed they were edging closer to the bar. He couldn’t get to her with Craven watching everything. He heard him laughing quietly with the new Beta about something, and he bristled again. It figured Craven chose Ryder as the new Beta. He’s nearly as crazy as his boss is. He would have to wait to take his former Alpha out, but at least he was on to him now. Chance and Sylas were still too far away to see what was happening inside the bar. As soon as Craven pulled his men out of the bar, Trey went into instant action. He shifted and broke in the back door.

  Chapter 26

  Sylas pulled into the garage at Jack’s house and killed the motor. He rushed to pull the door down and lock it. Thankfully the garage was attached to the house. Walking around to the passenger side, he picked Chance up and walked with her inside to their room. He didn’t stop until he got them both into the bathroom. She was mostly catatonic at this point. She hadn’t spoken a word and her eyes held a blank stare. He set her down on the edge of the tub while he started the shower. He got it as hot as he dared before he knelt down to talk to her.

  He pulled off her boots as he spoke, “Chance, I need you to look at me. I went inside, baby. Jack w

  asn’t there. I didn’t find him.” She finally looked up at him and the nerve dam broke. She was shaking, not from fear but from the adrenaline rush she went through. Chance didn’t let a single tear fall and he was worried she would shut completely down. The changes to her body were almost too much for her human side to handle.

  Sylas reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in to give her a quick nip to her bottom lip. His canines were needle sharp and nearly painless, and he could extend and retract them so fast the human eye couldn’t follow. He covered the bite with a gentle kiss and lick. He leaned back and watched as a tiny spark showed in her eyes and then it slowly faded. It lasted longer this time. The nudge seemed to work as she finally focused on him. “Did you hear me, love? Jack wasn’t there.”

  “You’re sure?” she croaked out. Her voice sounded horrible and it was no wonder. She screamed for them both and then later for Jack for quite a while.

  “I’m positive, love. I looked everywhere I could. When I saw the explosives, I got out. The whole place went up just seconds after I got out the door. Then I heard you scream and I came to get you.”

  “I thought the explosion killed you, Sylas. I… I thought I lost you both.” She reached out and pulled him in for a breath-stealing hug and buried her head in his chest.

  “I promised I wouldn’t leave you and I meant it, Chance. Now let me help you into the shower. I need to check you for wounds. May I help you, love?”

  Chance didn’t give it a second thought and nodded. Then she looked up, her eyes wide. “You were hurt! The glass!”

  “I’m okay, Chance. The cuts were not that deep. It’s you I’m worried about.” Sylas helped her undress and then checked her for injuries. He noticed blood in her hair and parted it, only to find the cut already healed. He nudged her into the shower and promised he would be right back.

  Sylas went into the kitchen and poured them both a large glass of wine. He downed his in one long thirst quenching pull. He poured another glass full and then with both glasses and bottle in hand he walked back to the bedroom. His nerves were on edge. He needed to talk to his mother, but was too angry right now. He needed to calm down more for that conversation. He looked up when Chance came out of the bathroom and couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of her in nothing but a towel. He flashed back to the last time he saw her this way. He needed to bury himself in her, but this was not the time. She had to trust him enough to let him into her heart, and to want him with her always. He still wasn’t sure if he could win her heart in time.

  “I left the water running for you and I want to see your back, please.” Sylas was stunned. How was he to explain away the healed skin on his back? She didn’t give him any more time to think it over. Chance walked over to the bed, climbed up behind him and pulled his shirt up. She didn’t say anything with words. Her fingers did all the talking. Sylas felt her fingers roaming the pink skin where the cuts were already healed. Then they roamed over other marks on his back, and he heard her sigh. She put her hands on his waist and turned him around to face her. Sylas watched her face as she examined his chest and arms.

  “Sylas, I need to know what is happening here. You’ve told me there was a secret you couldn’t tell me, but after tonight I think I have a right to know what it is. I trust you and Jack with my life, but there is something here not quite right. No one heals this fast.” Chance pointed to her exposed leg and motioned to the scorch marks on his arms, where he was burned by the explosion.

  “I’m falling in love with you, Sylas, but…”

  Sylas didn’t need to hear another word. He stopped her by pulling her into his chest. “I’m going to tell you everything, baby. I promise. I need to talk to someone first. Give me enough time to do that, please? It won’t take long and then you will know everything.”

  “Wait, Sylas. Please hear me out?”

  Reluctantly he pulled back, but she didn’t let him get far. She had a grip on his waist that said he wasn’t going anywhere. “I’m all yours, love. Go ahead and say what you need to, but it won’t change how I feel about you.”

  “You’re reading me wrong, Sy. When that building exploded tonight and I thought I lost you, it changed me. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it, or Jack, for that matter. That defining moment is when the last of the walls around my heart gave way. I knew it in that single moment of time, Sylas. I care more for you than anyone before in my lifetime. I felt love and it shocked and scared me. I don’t know your secret, but I will tell you this: My heart and trust are yours. You could be an alien from another planet and I could care less. I will follow you to the ends of the earth and back, Sylas Taiken. All I ask for is time to let that love blossom into something more than it is now, okay?”

  ”Chance Cadens, you already know my feelings for you. I’ll do my best to give you the time you need, but time may not be on our side anymore. Let me take care of you for now. I need to talk to someone and I need to do it before morning.” Sylas could tell his words confused her, but she stayed quiet, content to be held by him. Sylas picked her up and sat down with her in his lap, his back against the headboard. He reached over to the nightstand and handed her one of the glasses of wine.

  Just as he had done, she downed it in one long drink. Sylas chuckled and refilled it for her. He sat with her until she yawned. He stood up again with her in his arms and pulled back the covers. He laid her down, took her glass, kissed her forehead, and tucked her in.

  “I’m taking my shower now. Sleep love. We’re safe for the moment. After I make my call, I’ll join you, okay?” Chance was asleep before she finished nodding.

  Sylas took his shower with the door standing open. He wasn’t comfortable enough to close it and not be able to see Chance. Her safety was still his top pr
iority. As he washed away the blood and grime, he racked his brain trying to figure out where Jack might be. His scent was in the bar, but Sylas was only able to track him to his office. There were too many other shifter scents mixed with his to track him after that point. Once he saw the explosives in the kitchen, he bailed. His only thought in that moment was to get to Chance. Even now, he couldn’t get over how close he came to losing her. She would’ve run headlong into the fire without a second thought if he hadn’t reached her first.

  She loved him. He ran her words over and over again. It was the sign he longed for and now he needed to make absolutely sure she was the one. He felt confident his mother would confirm her as his mate. Once she did and gave her permission, he would tell Chance everything. He wanted no more secrets with her. He knew her secrets and he hated not sharing all of his.

  Sylas stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He yearned for the time when he could slip into bed with her and feel her naked skin sliding against his. Sylas pulled out some old sweat pants and slipped them on. Taking another quick glance at Chance, he went to Jack’s office to call his mother. He rounded the office door and found her already there. She was beautiful, with long golden hair draped over her back and shoulders. Dressed all in white in a Grecian styled dress and sandals, his mother stood as tall as he did. She had a regal air that made her seem taller. This time she didn’t bother with hiding her presence, but she still glowed golden in the light.

  “I have heard your pain, my son. I am here for you.” She reached out a hand and brushed back an unruly lock of wet hair from his face. Sylas felt her love radiating through her touch and all at once he felt calm and peaceful.

  Sylas lingered in her touch, pulling her hand to his cheek; kissing it before letting go. “Mother, I need to know for sure. I love this woman with everything I am. She is already changing into an immortal. Please tell me she is my mate.”

  “Yes, Sylas, she is the one. I could no longer bear your pain and loneliness. I chose her for you when she was a baby and have nurtured and followed her throughout her life. I could not interfere with what was already her fate when she was younger. She has been through much more than she has told you, but those trials are what made her your equal. She will be your equal, son. She was not made to follow you, but to walk beside you. I need to warn you, Sylas. You can not mate with her now. Her changes are not complete. If you do, it could kill her. Her human body would not be able to withstand a complete change all at once.”

  “Tell me what I must do. Things here have gotten out of my control. This rogue pack and their leader are hell bent on killing her. I can’t let that happen. I need to know whom I can target and who are the innocents.”

  “Craven is your primary target, son, and his new Beta. The rest are innocent in all this. Craven thinks they are his pack and they are not. His old Beta has a different fate and must not be touched.”

  She looked up, her face going blank for a moment. “I must go soon; your father is calling me. Chance must be turned slowly, son. You already know the trigger to her change. When she is ready, you will know it without question. She will dream tonight and it will help you explain all of this to her. She will wake with questions of what you are, so be prepared. The rest is up to you. Chance is my gift to you, Sylas. Love her always, as I love you.”

  His mother reached out to touch his face one more time as she faded away.

  Sylas walked back into the bedroom to look upon his mate. She was everything a man could hope for. Strong, willful, stubborn, loving, caring, and last but certainly not least, beautiful. Her attributes were perfect for him. They would have forever together and he knew the years to come would never again be boring with her at his side. He crawled on top of the covers next to her and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her in a possessive gesture and smiled as she sighed contentedly in her sleep.

  Chapter 27

  The dream starts again. Chance is standing in a dark green forest in leopard form waiting on her mate to join her. He pads up behind her purring and bumps his head into her shoulder, rubbing along her. She can feel the rumble coming from his chest all through her body. It stirs her to purr back in contentment. She wraps her tail over his back in a loving gesture. He nudges her and takes off running into the misty forest. She follows him and they run and play along the forest floor. He swats at her, claws retracted, and she dodges him. Sometimes she runs ahead and hides, pouncing on him as he flies by. He always finds her though and she him. His scent is strong in the air. He smells like spice and fresh air full of forest pines and it is intoxicating.

  Chance knows this dream and doesn’t want to dream it again. It always ends the same. She never sees his face and she dreads the pain of him leaving her alone. But the dream has changed, she suddenly realizes. The wolf joins them, but only stays briefly, then fades away and they don’t hunt. She is slightly confused and more than a bit lost. Why didn’t the wolf stay this time?

  Chance pads over to a small break in the trees. The clearing is covered with wild flowers and the scent is wondrous. This is new, she thinks to herself. She looks around for her mate and he isn’t anywhere she can see. Chance wanders into the center of the clearing with her nose down, letting the flowers and grass tickle her whiskers. She lies down and rolls in them, enjoying the smell of the petals as they are crushed against her fur.

  She hears him before she sees him. He pads up to her purring again. He bumps his head into hers and then sits down on his haunches to look at her. His purring increases in volume and its mesmerizing. Chance watches as his green cat eyes, those eyes that she loves, change. They change into the eyes of the human she loves. As she watches, her mate morphs into Sylas. He stays still watching her reaction. Chance gets up and walks to him, unafraid. She bumps her head into his chest in greeting, purring as she lies down on his lap. He reaches down and scratches under her chin and she knows she is home.

  * * * *

  Sunlight poured in from a part in the curtains and the brightness and warmth wake her. Sylas is at her back, curled around her. Chance can’t help but move closer so she can feel all of him against her body. She feels protected by the arms that are closed around her, one as her pillow and the other wrapped possessively around her waist. Closing her eyes to enjoy the moment, Chance wishes for this moment not to end. The real world would be crashing in too soon as it was. She hadn’t felt this content in far too long.

  Chance remembers snatches of the dream. It changed, but it all wasn’t quite there in her head. She hated when she would dream and then have it start to fade almost as soon as she woke. She must have stirred in her frustration trying to remember, because Sylas pulled her tighter into his chest.

  “Morning, beautiful. Sleep well?” His breath tickles her neck as he plants butterfly kisses down it.

  “Yes, for a change, I did. I feel wonderful.” She turned her body to look at him and when she saw his eyes, she remembered the dream. She must have had a shocked look on her face, because Sylas was looking at her strangely.

  “What are you thinking about, Chance?” Sylas started to pull away, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

  Chance thought about the dream. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just an overactive imagination. She thought about all of the things happening over the past couple of weeks. It just didn’t add up in her mind. Her body was changing. She healed in hours; she had more stamina and strength. Sylas’ eyes glowed and he was able to beat her in their training sessions, and she was a fourth degree black belt. Then there was the leopard in her dreams and Pretty Boy Sy, both with his eyes.

  “Chance?” She looked back at those eyes and recalled what she told him the night before. She didn’t care if he was from another planet, but she knew she loved him and wasn’t going to lose him. There was a definite need to know and now.

  “Sylas, did you make your call last night? I think there is something going on here you need to tell me about.”

  Sylas sighed. H
e leaned his body into hers and kissed her as if his life depended on it. Whispering over her lips, he said, “Chance, I need you to remember first and foremost I love you with all that I am. I need you to keep an open mind and promise me you will let me finish before you say anything. Can you do that for me, baby?”

  Chance looked at the sincerity in his eyes. She sat up and moved to the edge of the bed away from him, suddenly afraid. “Am I going to need a drink for this Sylas? Right now, to be honest, my mind is stuck in overdrive. I want no more secrets and I meant what I said, I love you no matter what you tell me. I can’t help feeling scared, but I trust you.”

  Chance felt the bed shift as he got up. He walked around and knelt in front of her. The dream flashed in her mind. This is exactly what he did when he changed from cat to man. She felt her pulse rising and she was definitely breathing faster.

  “Chance, before I start, how well do you know your Greek mythology?”

  “I remember what I learned in school. It was one of my favorite subjects. Why?”

  “Then you understand who Zeus and the Fates are?” She nodded at him but kept quiet as she promised. Her heart rate was still up and she felt a shiver run down her spine.