Chance Lost

by Jo Larue

  He took her hands in his, pleading with his eyes for understanding. “I’m not sure how to even begin this, but I’m going to do the best I can so you’ll understand. As you know, Zeus fathered children with many human females. He also had affairs with other Gods, creating Demigods. Zeus also had the ability to create some of his children as full-grown adults. Chance, I am one of those children. Zeus is my father and Lachesis, one of the Fates, is my mother.”

  Chance could feel her body trembling now and she felt the blood drain from her face. She couldn’t stand it any longer. “What do you mean Zeus is your father? He’s nothing but a myth, right?”

  Chance’s voice rose almost to hysteria level. She felt like she was hyperventilating, because she could see he was telling her what he believed to be the truth. Chance grabbed the almost empty bottle of wine off the nightstand from the night before. She turned it up and drained it, hoping it would bolster her courage.

  “Chance. Baby, please. I’m not lying to you. I’m a Demigod and I cannot die. I am immortal and I was made in the year 1500AD. I am the absolute Alpha of my kind. There is a whole world out there kept secret from humans. There are many of us here amongst you. We are called were-shifters. We can morph or shift into a companion animal form.”

  Chance gasped with the realization her dream was about to become reality. She stopped him, stood up, and moved around him. She started pacing, worrying her bottom lip while she thought about the implications she was being presented with. Suddenly she turned to him. He stood up and turned, watching her.

  “So what you’re telling me is a repeating dream I’ve had since I was a child is real? The dream came last night, but it changed. You were in it. We both were. For the first time since the dreams started I saw you change from a black leopard to a man. I’d never seen your face until last night. In the dream I was your mate and I was just like you. Sylas, I’m human, so explain please!”

  “Chance, yes, you’re intended to be my mate and will be my equal. You haven’t completed the change yet. I know you’ve seen the differences in your body. Increased strength and stamina. You can heal almost as fast as I do. My mother has been with you since you were a child. She sent you the dreams, Chance. She was preparing you for this day. You were changing before we met, am I correct?”

  Chance reluctantly nodded. “I started seeing things a normal person can’t. I can also see just as clear in the dark as I can in the light. My hearing increased too. Is that what you mean?”

  “That’s some of it, yes. You should also have the ability to see what’s happening before it occurs, like time slowing down. That’s probably why you learned your martial arts to such a high degree, yes?” Again she nodded.

  “There is one difference between myself and other shifters. I can be any animal or bird. I am the Alpha over every shifter alive. My purpose, and yours, is to keep the balance between the human world and the shifter population. Since you’re still human, the change has to take place slowly for you. For one, you’re not ready to accept me yet and secondly, if you change too quickly it might kill you.”

  Sylas pleaded with her now; worried he was losing her. “Chance, I love you. I have since the night I saw you in Jack’s bar. I knew you as soon as I saw you. My animal recognized you before I did. I couldn’t keep this secret from you any longer and so I begged my mother last night to allow me to tell you now.”

  Chance felt her eyes get big. “The shimmering woman you and Jack talked to the night of his party here. That was your mother, right?”

  “You saw her? She should’ve been invisible to you. This is more proof you’re my mate, love.” Chance nodded but her mind was racing, not really comprehending what Sylas was telling her. Another thought hit her. “Jack? Is he like you?”

  “Yes, Jack is a puma, but our primary animal is a black leopard. You said you’ve dreamt of us. Were we running in the forest and playing?” When she nodded affirmation, he continued. “Chance, I’ve had the same dream for the last 20 or so years. They were my mothers gift to us both.”

  “The bikers, they’re not a gang, are they?”

  Sylas shook his head. “No love, they are rogue wolves and extremely dangerous. The man you took down in the bar is their Alpha male and he is an evil and deranged man. He is out for blood… yours. He will have to go through me first, because I will never let him get to you, Chance. I would lay down my life to keep you safe. This is my vow to you.”

  She stood still, listening to him pour his heart out to her and she loved him more every moment she was with him. Immortal or human, she really didn’t care. She knew him and his heart. Somehow she’d known him all her life. Chance walked over to him and placed her head on his chest to listen to the heart she loved. “I’ve so many questions, Sylas, but I know I couldn’t live a single day without you in it.”

  She felt him sigh; his chest rising and falling with her still leaning into him, it felt deep and cleansing. He relaxed and pulled her closer as if now realizing he wasn’t going to lose her. Hell, she didn’t know until this very moment either. She put up a decent poker face, but inside she’d been scared shitless. She still didn’t understand it all, but for him, she could do anything and she would. She knew she still had issues, but now felt like there was hope for her after all. It was time to open Pandora’s box and ask the one question she didn’t want to voice.

  “Okay, so I am changing. What exactly does that entail, Sylas? I feel like I can handle most everything you throw at me, but to be honest, I still have issues to work out in my head.”

  “I know love and I hope there is time for us to do so. I know you’re not ready for complete intimacy and we can work together to get to that point. The changes have been sped up and pushed forward by a blood transfusion. You received it from me when you were hurt in the fight at your house.”

  Sylas must have felt her stiffen, because he stroked her back in an effort to calm her. “You were dying, Chance. We didn’t have a choice. You lost too much blood. I refused to let you die and Jack did the only thing he could to save you. You were passed out when the transfusion took place. We couldn’t tell you for obvious reasons.”

  “There is one other trigger to your change, love. I wasn’t sure until I saw it, but it seems to occur when I nip or bite you. The best way I can explain it is like this… think of your bike. When you hit the kick-start, your motorcycle cranks up the engine. My bites are like a kick-start to your metabolism.”

  Chance frowned. He had bitten her? She felt him nibble at her lip and once on her shoulder, but she didn’t remember him actually biting her. Sylas put his finger under her chin and pulled her face up to meet his eyes. “Close your eyes, Chance, and feel the changes in your body as I kiss you. Focus inward and not on me.”

  Chance closed her eyes and felt him brush his lips over hers. He pulled at her bottom lip and she felt the tiniest of stings. Suddenly it felt like molten lava was running through her veins. Her body was warm all over and she felt her adrenaline spike. She gasped and opened her eyes. Everything became sharper and then slowly diminished.

  “The more I bite you, the longer the change lasts. You will not become my mate until the change from the bite does not leave you. There is one more thing I have to tell you, love. For you to become my mate, my equal, I must be the one who takes your virginity. If anyone else gets to you before I do, then I lose you to that person and their animal. You’ll never be able to be with me should this happen. Now you know why I’ve been so protective, Chance. I can’t lose you. I waited over 500 years for you and there will never be another for me, other than you. Understand, baby, I love you. It isn’t just about being my mate. It’s so much more. You are the other half of my soul. If I can’t have you with me… I…”

  Chance stopped him with a finger to his lips. “I understand, Sylas, more than you know. You are the air I breathe. Without you, I feel I am nothing.” She gazed up at him, willing him to see her heart. She smiled at him and saw his eyes glow darker with passion. They kisse
d as if there was nothing else in the world but them.

  Chance finally came up for air. Grinning like a fool, she said the one thing that had been irking at her since he confessed. “So Pretty Boy, are you thirsty?” Sylas chuckled and panted. “I know we have urgent things pressing in on us, but I need to see it. Show me, Sylas?”

  Chance backed away and sat on the bed. She watched the man she loved shift in one smooth progression to a gorgeous black leopard. He leapt onto the bed beside her, sinking it with his weight. He bumped his head into her arm in a show of affection and started to purr. The rumble coming from him was the same as in her dreams. She leaned back against the headboard. He sank down beside her and put his head in her lap. She ran her hands down his back and then scratched him under his chin. “I love you, Sylas, all of you.” He licked her hand with his rough tongue as an answer.

  Sylas shifted into Pretty Boy for a quick second, which brought a fit of giggles before shifting back to his human form. He laughed with her as he pulled her down into a hug. Chance sobered almost as fast. They didn’t have much time and there were a lot of things they needed to figure out from here. If the wolves/bikers had Jack, then they probably knew where he lived. They needed to move quickly and find a safer place. Chance didn’t want to think anymore on the bad stuff right now though. She was with Sylas and she felt they could take a little more time to savor this moment, and they did. They kissed and forgot the world for just a little while longer.

  Chapter 28

  Sylas watched Chance as she packed up her few belongings now that they’d finally come down to earth from the morning’s revelations. It felt good to finally offload his secrets to her, but now they had other worries. What to do and where to go was the main topic of conversation. The pack knew where her house was and now, more than likely, knew where Jack lived as well.

  Chance finally offered up the only thing that made sense. They needed to be constantly on the move. Until he could take care of the Alpha and find Jack, she suggested purchasing a motor home. She considered getting one anyway so she could live on the property during the build. They would need to move her pod and their motorcycles into storage for now. The Jeep could be used to make short errands and hitch it to the home when on the move.

  Chance got on the phone and called in a moving truck to pick up the pod and bikes. While she was doing that, he worked on finding storage nearby and priced it out. She told him they might as well get a large unit and put all of it into one. She also thought that using a climate controlled indoor unit would be best to put off any attempts to get to their things.

  The next project was hiring out a security unit to patrol Jack’s house and property on a 24/7 basis. He already lost the bar and she wasn’t taking any chances with his home. She told the security team to bring a trailer with them for living quarters and gave them an advance to cover all costs.

  Sylas insisted he had more than enough money to cover all of their expenses, but Chance was adamant. This was her doing, or so she thought, and she was paying for it. They waited for the head of security to arrive so they could show him the hookups already in place and hand him a key to the house. He was a shifter, so he understood what was at stake. They both stressed the importance of watching out for anyone suspicious and any animals that didn’t belong. If it wasn’t Jack in human or in puma form, their orders were to shoot first and ask questions later. They gave him a picture of Jack they found in the house and their numbers, should he happen to show up. He had already heard of the bombing in town and was aware Jack was still missing.

  Once all was done, they went shopping for supplies and the motor home. The motor home came first. Chance chose one that was road ready and contained all the requirements that she was looking for. She wanted solar, washer & dryer, large refrigerator, and she wanted a regular bathroom with a large shower. Sylas gave her credit; she didn’t skimp. She ordered a hitch installed and they drove it off the lot with the Jeep in tow.

  Next, they stopped a local club store and bought enough food to keep them both for weeks. She also bought things he didn’t think about needing. She took care of the entire kitchen, bed and bath supplies. She even went so far to purchase them spare clothing. Chance used the storage area and the extra bed to keep it all. They would not have to stop again for quite sometime. He shook his head when he thought back to her asking for his help purchasing things needed for her new house. He was definitely outclassed, but he was proud of her.

  They found several RV campsites in the surrounding area and chose the nearest one to park for the time being. They spent most of the day organizing and putting things most needed within easy reach. The rest was stored under the camper in the storage areas.

  When they finished, Sylas cooked barbecue chicken on the attached storage grill. They dined while talking about what needed to be done first. He took his time filling her in on all the details he was aware of concerning the pack. Sylas stressed to her again how dangerous the pack Alpha was. He gave her a bit of the background on them, which included that they were considered rogues until they hooked up with Craven.

  Chance asked if anyone else could be in danger from the pack. He knew where her mind was instantly. She was worried about the construction crew and Rick, since the build was so close to their base of operation. He promptly assured her they didn’t want her crew and they would most likely not want to call any more attention to themselves than they already had.

  “I can’t let anyone else be hurt by this, Sylas. This is my doing and I can’t have anyone’s death hanging over me. I’d never be able to forgive myself something happened.”

  “Baby, they might try to stop construction, but they’re not stupid. I’m positive they have no idea my mother and I already know they are behind the bombing. All immortals know who and what I am, Chance. They really don’t want me on their backs. Little do they know, it’s too late to hide what they’ve done.”

  “So how do we draw them out? If it’s me they want, then I think it’s time to set a little trap. Me as bait should do it.”

  Sylas took a sharp intake of breath at her words. “NO! That is not acceptable, Chance, ever!”

  Chance flinched. He regretted yelling within a heartbeat of seeing her cringe. “Baby, I’m sorry I yelled. The thought of him even laying a finger on you makes my blood boil. I couldn’t take it if you were hurt again.”

  Chance stood up, suddenly angry. “Sylas, I may be human now but there is more to me than what you seem to see. I will be the bait and you will allow it. There is no other way. Until we are ready for this to happen, we will train and you will continue to help the change. I won’t take no for an answer. I want to live without fear again. I have no desire to hide forever from this asshole. I took him down twice and I could’ve easily killed him, but I held back. I won’t do it again. You forgot that perhaps?”

  “Chance, I can’t help my instincts to protect you…”

  She cut him off with a huff of frustration and shoved the palm of her hand towards his face. What the fuck? She just gave me the hand? It was all Sylas could do to stifle the urge to laugh, but he knew it would only make things worse. I’m learning Jack, you’d be proud, Sylas thought while still trying to control the grin trying to creep across his face. He watched Chance pace the floor. He could see the wheels turning in her beautiful head but she was wound-up tighter than a drum. She was gorgeous even when angry.

  Sylas did the only thing he knew to do to calm her down. He shifted. He started purring as he moved towards her. He watched as she turned around in surprise. She promptly fell to the floor on her rump when he head bumped her. He’d caught her totally off guard and loved it. He straddled her legs and walked up her body, pushing her completely down. He licked her exposed neck and gave her a small nip before shifting back. She was wriggling under him, trying to escape the now perfect hold he had on her.

  She was still miffed but he was about to change that. His mouth descended upon hers, demanding she open for him. Her hands were pressed
to his chest in a futile attempt to push him away. As soon as his tongue gained entrance, she moaned and stopped struggling. Her hands snaked up his chest to his shoulders and one continued up to his hair. She pulled him into her as she kissed him back. Next thing he knew, he was on the floor beside her curled up into a fetal position cupping his now aching balls.

  Chance stood over him with her hands on her hips. “First mistake you made was exposing yourself by straddling me. Second was assuming you were in control in the first place.” Through blurry eyes he watched as she left the room still huffing and throwing her hands up in the air.

  When Sylas was finally able to stand up, he walked to the back looking for her. She had taken a shower and was now lying down on top of the comforter, curled up and wrapped only in a towel. Her eyes looked as if she had been crying. They were red and puffy. She was breathing steadily but he was sure she wasn’t asleep. Sylas kicked off his boots and lay down behind her. He didn’t try to touch her, as he now understood where the attack came from. He had tried to force her to do something without her permission. She didn’t move away and took it as a positive sign.