by Bianca D’Arc
Chapter Seven
John was intrigued as Amelia explained more about her work with potions and the research she would have to do before implementing her part of the plan. Apparently, there were herbs and precious commodities to be gathered and blessed, then prepared in just the right way. Potion work, she told him, shouldn’t be undertaken quickly. A hasty potion could very well have disastrous consequences.
He’d had no idea. Then again, John hadn’t ever spent any time with magic users. Not good ones, anyway. There had been the occasional bad guy who flung magic at them when he’d been leading his Spec Ops team, but John hadn’t stopped to chat before tearing the bad guys apart.
He was learning all sorts of things about good magic today. These two young strega had really opened his eyes. And Ursula, in particular, had made him think about things beyond magic and managing the town. She’d made him think about personal things. Things about his own future.
John hadn’t given his personal life much thought lately. He sort of figured the town had to come first. When that was up and running, he had hoped that a suitable female grizzly shifter might miraculously show up and be his mate. It was more than a little ridiculous, when he stopped to think about it.
Ursula was real. She was here. And his bear was making noises inside his mind that led him to believe she might be the one.
That was even more ridiculous, but there it was. The Alpha bear couldn’t mate with a mage and keep his position. He doubted his men would stand for it. They all distrusted magic other than their own. Shifter magic was one thing. Ursula’s kind of magic… That was something else entirely, and most likely wouldn’t be acceptable to the vast majority of his people. The Alpha pair would, presumably, lead the others—even if bears weren’t easily lead—and they both had to be bears, right? Not a mage and bear pair, even if Ursula did have bear blood way back in her ancestry. It was too faint to count. She couldn’t shift. She was a mage. A strega.
It was the principle of the thing, more than anything else. Humans were acceptable as mates. The Baker sisters were living proof of the concept. Magic users? Not so much.
But John had always believed that rules were made to be broken. So maybe the rest of the guys wouldn’t follow his lead anymore. So what? Big deal. They weren’t always the best at following orders anyway. It would be worth stepping down as leader of this ragtag Clan to find that most elusive of desires. A true mate was worth any sacrifice.
If Ursula Ricoletti turned out to be his true mate, all bets were off. John would move hell and high water to keep her, regardless of whether she was a witch or not. Nothing mattered but that deep, true bond that he had seen between his parents, and even between the three Baker sisters and the sons of bitches lucky enough to claim them as their mates.
John was happy for those guys, but seeing their happiness had made him yearn for the same. He honestly hadn’t thought it would happen for him. At least not right away. Maybe in a few years, after the town was settled. But it looked like the Mother of All had different ideas.
Maybe.
This was all speculation on his part. He’d have to get a lot closer to Ursula to know for sure.
If she was really his mate, then so be it.
“Thanks for the sandwich,” John said, finishing the delicious concoction Ursula had placed before him without asking. “It was really great.”
“No problem. I figured you’d be hungry by now,” Ursula replied, sounding nonchalant. But John knew better. She’d been watching him covertly the whole time they’d been eating.
“I’d like to discuss plans for tomorrow’s exercise, if you’re still up for it,” John said to her, searching her eyes for signs of weariness. She still looked really tired. “But we can do that tonight, if you’d rather rest now.”
Ursula smothered a yawn. “Yeah, I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to have to go back to sleep for a bit. I’ll be fine for tomorrow. I just have to recharge. Can you come back later? How about joining us for dinner? We can talk then.”
John agreed and took his leave without having another chance to talk to Ursula alone. He left, knowing he had a lot of work to do before he could keep that dinner appointment.
Might as well get to it.
The very first item on his list was to check in with his men and get their impressions of the efficacy of Ursula’s spell. By now his men should have measured the effective zone and have any number of observations to report. He made his way down the street to the new town hall they had built and went directly to the war room they’d put in place for just this kind of thing.
Ostensibly, it was just a large conference room, but every one of his ex-soldiers knew this was the place they’d chosen and set up to be the primary nerve center if there was a problem in town. There was a secondary and even a tertiary site available too—the secondary being in John’s home. That had been their primary meeting place until they’d finished the town hall. The third choice was now the a/v room in Brody’s house.
All three locations had state-of-the-art computer systems and satellite link-ups. John and Brody had each paid for and set up their own equipment. Most of the ex-Spec Ops guys who had settled here had as much tech in their dens as they could buy or scrounge. The stuff at the town hall had been a group initiative, paid for out of Clan funds generated by the various businesses in the town.
When John arrived at the war room, there was a sitrep waiting for him, and the news was good. Ursula’s magic that morning had protected about a third of the cove’s beach. The men had run tests to see how far the protections extended and had mapped out where the wards left off on a map of the cove.
John was impressed all over again with what Ursula had done. And she would do it all again tomorrow, which was even more amazing. The town would owe her a huge debt of gratitude, and he hoped that meant the guys would be willing to accept her, and her sister, among them.
Surely, she’d earned their respect already, just from the morning’s effort. In time, maybe they’d be willing to let the two strega stay in Grizzly Cove, as a sort of reward for having been so willing to help protect the place. John could see that happening, and he’d do all in his power to get the others to agree. After what he’d learned this morning about her abilities, Ursula would be a good ally for the Clan.
And personally, he might just have glimpsed his future. If the lovely—and powerful—Ursula turned out to be his mate…well…either she would stay here or John would give up on the Grizzly Cove project entirely. He’d sell his land, which might take some time, since he was the biggest landowner in the area. But he’d sell out and leave. Let the others keep the cove running, if they could. If he had a chance at a mate and the others didn’t accept her, he’d leave and never look back.
Mates were precious. More important than social experiments, towns, friends or anything else. They were hope. They were a reward for faith, and a promise of love.
But all that was for the future. Right now, they had a sea monster problem on their hands, and John needed all the data he could gather before tonight so he could help Ursula plan the most effective attack for tomorrow. His resolve firmly set, he went to work collating all the reports from his men and searching for anything that might help them tomorrow.
Back above the bookstore, Urse called Nonna to talk about the events of the morning and get any advice the older strega might have for the following day. It felt good to hear Nonna’s voice and even better to receive praise for what she’d done that morning. Even in San Francisco, Nonna had been able to feel the power of the ward going up several hundred miles north on the coast.
Nonna had been looking for it, of course. She thought perhaps other magic users might have noticed the momentary surge of magical energy in the Pacific Northwest, but such things happened from time to time and probably wouldn’t draw too much attention. Then again, Nonna had warned her that the power surges that would take place over the next days while Urse worked might attract attention.
With any lu
ck, it would be benign entities noticing the surges, but if something evil happened to see it and want to know what it was that could generate such power, Urse and Mellie would have to be on guard—and Urse should warn the bears too, Nonna advised. She also reminded Urse of a few of the safeguards she had taught her granddaughter that could add a little protective kick to the spells Urse would weave next.
Taking mental notes, Urse was glad for her grandmother’s advice and encouragement. Most of all, Nonna reminded her not to worry too much. Things would happen as they were meant to unfold. And then, Nonna had done something Urse hadn’t expected. She’d asked about her bear.
Stymied by the very deliberate wording, Urse had protested. “He’s not my bear.”
“Come now, bella. Didn’t he add his power to yours?” Nonna insisted.
“Well…yes. He was inside the circle with me, and he offered to add the power of his Clan to the spell. That’s why it was a bit stronger than I expected.”
“Child, that sort of thing doesn’t happen easily. Tell me, did your energies mesh easily? No effort required to make them work together?” Nonna sounded a little too smug, but Urse didn’t really know where she was going with these questions.
“Well, yeah. I mean, once he started channeling energy into the circle, it seemed to get along well with mine. It twined and sort of merged, each part strengthening the other,” she said, remembering the way the magic had flowed so easily together. It was actually something really beautiful to witness, and if she hadn’t been so scared about fighting the leviathan, she would have enjoyed it a lot more.
Nonna made a tsking sound at her through the phone line. “That doesn’t happen often, or easily. If your bear’s magic can merge with yours, that means something significant for you both as individuals. You are compatible. Very compatible. Some might say, you are destined to work together in magic, and perhaps in life.”
“No way.” Urse was nonplussed. Was Nonna saying John might be her match? Her… What did the shifters call it again? Her mate?
“I cannot say for certain,” Nonna said quietly, amusement clear in her tone. “Such things are for the Lady to decide, but do not be surprised if your bear starts making advances.”
For just a moment, Urse felt like a teenager caught necking with her high school crush. John had made advances, as Nonna put it. Had they been serious? He’d kissed her.
The question was…had he been thinking about starting something serious? Or had it just been an impulse of the moment?
Urse finished the call with her grandmother shortly after that, returning to bed with the memory of John’s kiss whirling through her mind until she fell asleep. She dreamed of a big, soft, ferocious bear who let her rest her head against his furry chest, protecting her as she slept.
John returned right around dinnertime to find Ursula much improved. In fact, she was preparing the food right alongside her sister. If he hadn’t known better, he would never have guessed she’d been through so much that very morning.
Amelia had let him in and walked with him up the stairs, chattering all the way. She was still on edge around him, but he guessed that was to be expected. The younger sister hadn’t spent much time around him since the big revelation. She probably thought he was still angry about it.
He’d had a bit of time to think about the entire situation this afternoon, and he’d come to some startling realizations. First among them was that he no longer wished for the strega sisters to leave Grizzly Cove. He’d fight every last bear in the town if he had to, but he wanted them to stay. Especially Ursula.
She felt important to him. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure what she meant to him yet, but he wanted the time to find out. Keeping them both here was the only way he would get it.
So that was one thing. Another thought had occurred to him as well. With so much shifter magic concentrated in one town, they’d be foolish not to ally themselves with Others who had proven trustworthy.
John had already formed an alliance with the Master vampire of Seattle. Master Hiram was the silent partner funding the construction of Zak’s restaurant, after all. Hiram had literally washed up on their beach, wounded gravely, his immortal existence in peril. He had proven himself to John and his men as a being of restraint and reason.
John was glad of the connection. Their new relationship had already proved mutually beneficial. Hiram was an ancient being of great power, sworn to the side of Light.
Now the Ricoletti sisters had appeared in his town, out of the blue. Ursula had put herself on the line this morning, to protect the cove and its inhabitants. She, too, was proving to be a being who could command immense magical power.
John hadn’t realized it before. Ursula was a very attractive woman, but she didn’t look on the outside like a true force to be reckoned with. He’d only seen that side of her when it was pressed into service this morning, to protect others.
Her work today had been one of self-sacrifice, in the goal of defeating evil and protecting the innocent. That was something John could truly respect. It was, after all, a creed by which he had lived most of his life.
John had gone into the military for just that reason. He’d been an idealist, wanting to right wrongs and take down bad guys. He’d done his fair share of that all over the world, alongside most of the residents of this new town. This place was his very own social experiment, and it was time he broadened the horizons of his dream to include Others he hadn’t expected, but needed to welcome, in order to make this place as secure as possible.
Ursula and Amelia could contribute. In fact, they were all set to contribute their power and skills, not knowing whether or not they would be welcome to stay. They were willing to expend their magical energy to protect those who might just as easily turn around and throw them out of town after they were done.
That didn’t sit right with John. No way was he going to let anyone run these girls out of town on a rail. They were doing their part. Hell, they were doing more than their fair share.
Ursula was laying permanent wards against evil all around the cove. That still boggled John’s mind. He hadn’t known such things could even be done in this day and age, when there was so little true magic left in the world of man.
She was making the place safe, not just for her own sake—for her time here—but for all time. That was an incredibly valuable and selfless gift.
He would see that she was allowed to stay here and enjoy the benefits of her work. Come hell or high water.
Then again, if the leviathan had its way, maybe both would happen. And then, they’d all be sunk.
Urse didn’t know what to think when John walked into the kitchen. He just stood there for a few minutes, watching her, as Mellie went down the hall to answer the phone.
Did he now regret what had passed between them earlier in the day? Or, like her, did he simply not know what to say?
He managed to answer both of her questions without uttering a sound. He just walked right up to her, took her in his arms, and kissed her, right there in the middle of the kitchen.
Now that was the kind of greeting she could get behind.
She was just getting into his kiss when he pulled back. He looked down at her, searching her gaze.
“You okay?” he asked. She got the feeling he meant more by the simple question than just an inquiry about her health.
She nodded. “Yeah,” she answered breathlessly, looking deep into his golden brown eyes.
“Do you want to keep this between us for now?”
Was he asking her—in that growly, intimate tone that made her insides clench—if she wanted to go public with their change in status from acquaintances to…whatever this was between them now? She had no idea what to do. Mellie would tease her, but if John was serious and this went somewhere, it would be worth it. But…maybe not right away. Not until she knew a little more about where they were going.
“Maybe?” Did he look disappointed, or was she imagining that? “What do you want to do?�
� she asked quickly.
He growled. Actually growled. Why did she find that so damn sexy? And why did something wild down deep in her soul want to growl back in agreement?
“I don’t care who knows, but I figured you might have some feelings on the matter.”
“Where are we going with this?” She tilted her head, knowing her question had come out on a breathy note. She couldn’t help it. John made her breathless, just by being near.
“Anywhere you want. All the way, I hope. I’m not playing with you, I swear. I haven’t been involved with a woman in a long time, but there’s just something about you, Ursula. Something…almost magnetic. You pull both halves of me toward you. If I’m honest, you did since the first time we met.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before now? Or are you secretly turned on by my magic?” She turned a sly grin on him, teasing a bit, but also really curious about his somewhat sudden turnaround. This was happening fast, but she was very attracted to him, so now that he seemed interested, her inner hussy was all over it.
He sighed. “Your magic complicates things, but after what I saw today, I know it’s a big part of you. Honestly, you impressed the hell out of me, honey. I had no idea you were so…amazing.”
A little corner of her heart warmed at his praise.
“But it’s not why I’m no longer fighting the pull. The more I’m around you, the less I’m able to stay away. I hadn’t planned on this, but now that you’re here…I can’t help myself.” He shrugged a little, then smiled that devastating grin that had attracted her to him from the beginning. “Nor do I want to stay away. It’s stupid to fight fate, or magic, or whatever this is. All I know is you make me happy, and you make my bear stand up and take notice, which it hasn’t done in a long, long time. And never like this. This feels…serious.”
Had he gulped before that last word? Had she, after hearing it?
