by Hart, Alana
Without thought, Aria went over and knelt on the floor in front of the shelf centered in the bay window. She couldn’t help running the smooth stones through her fingers. For a moment, memories of the past consumed her. Memories of Ben.
They’d hiked an hour to get to the old mining pit. Ben claimed he had a surprise for her, but she had no clue what he thought was so special about an old quarry.
No clue, until they arrived. He unloaded a battery operated rock polishing machine, and gestured toward the scarred landscape.
His words melted her heart. “Let’s make something beautiful from this mess,” he said as he gestured around them. They clambered through the pit picking up every rock that caught their eye.
They took turns running the polisher, and making gift bags out of the best results. Ben had found one stone that he insisted would be hers. A pink heart-shaped gem spiraled throughout with black. He’d placed the stone in her hand and said she’d hold his heart forever. That was the day she knew she wanted to spend her life with him.
Aria felt tears trickle down her cheeks when she spotted what looked like the twin to that pendant resting just apart from the basket filled with similar stones. She snapped up the stone and caressed its smooth surface while she tried to shove the memories of the past back into the box they’d escaped.
With a final swipe of her tears, Aria turned and wandered back through the store towards Gran and Delilah. Faith’s delighted giggles drew her on, and she wondered what had caught her girl’s interest. But as the giggles continued they changed. There was a deeper undertone to them.
From the soft sounds of Gran and Del’s voices, they hadn’t noticed the increasing distress in Faith’s voice. Aria couldn’t ignore the warning in that low undertone, and sprinted across the store, searching every nook and cranny she passed for Faith. As she approached the front desk, the growly-giggles grew louder. Aria could feel Gran’s curious gaze boring into her back as she hopped over the desk and landed lightly beside Faith. Faith had her pudgy hands pressed tightly against a door that was hidden from sight of the shopping area by a gorgeous tapestry. Faith made another almost indescribable sound, and light surrounded her hands before flowing into the door. The door reflected that light back for a moment, in colors as glorious and fascinating as the aurora borealis. Aria bent down, determined to remove Faith from the situation, only to pause when her eyes met Faith’s. Despite the bear-like sounds the babe was making along with her giggles her eyes remained clear blue.
“Delilah? Is there something I should know about this door?” Aria’s voice wavered on the word door. From the reaction her question got, Aria guessed the answer was a resounding yes. Before her heart pounded three times Gran and Delilah were kneeling beside Faith in front of what Aria suspected was a magic door.
“Is that what I think it is?” Gran’s voice was clipped and hard. The angry glance she tossed at the tapestry ought to have set the thing afire if the world truly bent to her whim.
Delilah’s short nod and wide eyes sent Aria’s heart racing even faster. She had to protect her baby, but she was so far out of her depth in this moment she might as well be drowning.
“Will it hurt her, Delilah?” Gran’s question was a bit softer. Her hands hovered just above Aria’s shoulders, fists clenched tight until the knuckles whitened. Aria had the sense that even her tough Gran was unnerved by the situation they were in. “Is it safe to move her?”
“Maybe.” Delilah shrugged, but her warm green eyes shone with worry. “Last I checked that damn door was nothing more than a door. A rather special door, but not dangerous. Now?” She shrugged again.
Aria reached out to pull Faith’s little hands away from the door, only to be stopped by Gran’s warning growl. Aria drew back, eyes wide as she looked across her child to the only other person who knew Faith’s secret.
“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Gran’s command was punctuated by snarls. Her eyes blazed metallic green. Shit, was Gran going to shift here, in front of the witch? Aria hoped not. Dread snaked through her stomach. If Gran was having this much trouble with her animal, why was Faith seemingly unaffected? Her wide eyes remained crystalline blue.
Gran paused a moment, took a deep breath, then reached out and pulled Faith tight to her chest, hugging her close. The door flared brightly for a moment–as if searching for the tot–then dimmed. Faith’s low, loud growl suggested that both her human and bear sides had been beyond captivated by the pretty door. Aria’s stomach twisted when that growl didn’t diminish in intensity or ferocity. Gran’s answering snarl only confused the situation more.
Aria fought to suppress her panic, and moved in close as she dared. She gently enfolded Gran and Faith in a tight hug, and carefully eased everyone back away from the door. She could feel the tension and fear radiating from Gran’s tense shoulders. Whatever was up with that door had Gran spooked. Gran kept a tight hold on Faith and followed Aria as she slowly led them both around to the front of the desk. It was hard to move in the half-crouched position that Gran insisted on holding, as if she was trying to protect Faith from something. The glare Gran leveled back toward Aria as she cajoled them to safety had her believing Gran was protecting Faith from her.
“I would never hurt her, Gran.” Aria whispered as they trio finished skittering around the desk. Gran’s sharp nod didn’t ease the ache in Aria’s chest.
“I know. But she could hurt you, and that damn door about obliterated you both.”
“What the-” Del’s voice was soft, yet confident. “Wait, is Faith a shifter too?”
Aria just nodded, hoping Delilah would see her wordless answer.
“Shit on a stick. Please tell me she’s a fox?”
“Nope. Bear.” Aria grunted as Gran pulled out of her grip. Aria reached for Faith, but Gran turned them both away from her grasping hands.
“Hang on. I’m getting help,” Delilah dashed toward the front door of the shop. “Just hold on to her Tori. Don’t let her touch that blasted door again.”
What the fuck is wrong with that door? Why is it dangerous to Faith?
Aria tiptoed around Gran and Faith, keeping her distance. Gran’s green-swirled glare felt almost like a physical barrier. It was so hard not to rush to her daughter and cradle her close. “Is she alright?”
Gran’s eyes flared even brighter. Aria watched as Gran carefully patted Faith from head to toe, as though looking for physical damage. She couldn’t see anything from where she stood, but based on growls and huffs Faith was making she was on the verge of a full shift.
Aria bolted toward the door, determined to drag Del back to deal with this mess when help finally arrived. Two sets of footsteps pounding up the sidewalk. One sounded much heavier, more solid than the other. Thank god. But she wondered who exactly Del considered to be adequate help in this situation.
Her heart fluttered and her stomach dropped when Benjamin stormed into the shop, hot on Del’s heels. His swirling silver gaze locked onto Aria’s. And he flashed a quick dimple and a half smile before his expression stiffened. He was completely serious as he knelt slowly beside Gran and the tiny bundle of furious white cub she was struggling to contain. Aria was so distracted by Ben’s arrival she hadn’t seen Faith shift. Grateful as she was for help, Aria didn’t know if Ben’s presence would be an improvement.
Fuck. Where the fuck has he been? And how do I explain this?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ben couldn’t stop the grin he flashed at Aria. Her shocked, worried expression hammered him like a fist to the stomach, so he gave his bear a bit more freedom and put his game face on. From the sound of things, Aria’s cub was ferocious. He knelt slowly beside Victoria, not wanting to startle her or the cub with his presence. Tori’s green eyes flashed fury at him, but she controlled her fox well. He waited patiently as some of the color flowed from her gaze. Pain twisted her face with each smidgen of blue that returned. She’d covered the cub with her lithe frame, protecting her grandchild from whatever endangered them. Ben couldn
’t see much more than paws past Tori. White bear paws.
Oh, shit.
Mine, his bear roared challenge to whatever had harmed his cub. Roared and threatened to burst through his skin right then and there. His bear needed to do battle, fight against anything and everything that even hinted at causing the cub–his cub–distress. Ben’s skin tingled, and he felt his claws lengthen.
“Chain your beast,” Victoria’s growl startled him. “We have to get out of here. Not safe for bears.” Her green eyes flickered to a colorful rug hanging behind the cash register.
Fuck. Ben fought to regain a modicum of control. No way was bear going to peacefully cooperate after that look. Fear hovered Victoria’s eyes. And that was damn intimidating, because Tori Fox was known for many things, and fear was most assuredly not one of those things. Ben couldn’t see anything dangerous in the rug. But his bear surged up again, rumbling about stinging magic. Dangerous magic. It made Bear want to sneeze, and cough and claw things to bits. Ben had no idea how magic could reach them from across the room, but he trusted his bear implicitly. Growling at the offending carpet, Ben gathered Victoria and the cub up in his strong arms. He rose slowly to his feet, calling on his bear to help lift the pair. The scent of iron almost drove bear mad, until he realized the iron had a hint of fox to it.
Tori’s bleeding. Dammit. He was torn between relief and worry. Relief that it wasn’t the babe bleeding, worry that whatever had harmed Victoria was still a danger. He stalked to the front door and kicked it open so hard the door flew past the stops on the hinges The tempered glass spider-webbed on impact, but didn’t fall. Crap, that’s going to be expensive. Still, Bear was just grateful it wasn’t his cub’s blood being spilled. Ben agreed. There was no chance in hell they’d retain any semblance of control when a cub was hurt, much less their cub. He could hear Aria and Delilah scampering behind him. At least his mate and cub were safe, for now.
“Is it safe?” Aria’s question made him hesitate before stepping through the exit. Safe? He looked at her, felt his brows furrow in confusion. It was almost like old times, with her picking up on his unspoken thoughts. He didn’t dare speak, though. Bear had too much control of their body for words.
“Is it safe to take her outside in her other shape?” Aria’s stubborn chin gestured toward the cub cradled gently in Victoria’s arms.
Ben’s gaze followed her motion. Damn, from the looks of Tori’s legs, the cub had gotten a hell of a mouthful or two trying to escape. Aria’s comment about the cub’s other shape floored him. Strange magic threatened her grandmother and child but she was worried about what form they wore? Bear snarled his frustration and drove them through doorway. Ben wrested control back from the beast, took three giant steps, then stopped and settled Tori and the babe gently on the ground. He pointedly ignored the whimper Tori made when her damaged legs made contact with the cement. Despite the tang of iron in the air, there wasn’t enough there to indicate a mortal wound. Pain sucked, but Ben and bear both accepted it as a part of life.
His cub wasn’t so discrete. Her brilliant blue-eyed gaze met Tori’s green pain-filled one. The cub’s eyes grew round and wide. Her pupils shrunk and silver flooded in, obscuring that gorgeous baby blue. Ben’s heart was lost when the cub shivered twice, then flowed smoothly from bear to tot without a single cry of pain. Ben was impressed with the ease of that shift. It had taken him a year to become that proficient and smooth. Bear was even more impressed. Ben got a vague impression of great age and wisdom from bear, but that didn’t make a lick of sense. Faith was just a baby, after all. Bear huffed his annoyance, but subsided when the scent of salt-water tinged the air.
Tears streamed down the girl’s face. She kept repeating one word over and over. Ben couldn’t quite make it out, but it sounded a bit like “sident.” He shook his head, trying to figure out what that meant in baby speak, but before he could make a guess Faith threw herself into Tori’s outstretched arms and wailed ”sorry” at the top of her little lungs. Ben’s heart thudded in his chest. She was going to be magnificent when she was grown. Assuming he could protect her long enough to grow up. Bear had no such doubts, and as far as he was concerned his cub was more than magnificent now. If Bears’ instincts were right, then Faith would be downright terrifying as an adult. Bear’s gentle hum indicated satisfied agreement with that assessment, but Ben refused to believe. That angelic little girl would never be terrifying. Never. That was his baby.
Tori’s faded blue eyes met his gaze, sharp and direct. He could sense a question hovering behind that look, but from the tense lines around her mouth, Tori wasn’t speaking until she could do so without causing the child further worry. Even Bear was impressed.
Tough old vixen, Bear huffed proudly. It seemed his bear was more than happy to claim Victoria Fox as family, too. Ben wasn’t so sure that would go well. The deadly glances Aria was sending his way from behind Tori suggested that his bears’ hopes were way too high. They’d be lucky to even claim their mate at this rate. He had no idea where to even begin explaining things.
***
Aria struggled to stay still. She was certain from the way Gran snuggled Faith that the tot was under control, at least for now. And she had one hell of a bone to pick with their rescuer. A bone three years and a ton’s worth of heartache in the making.
Movement caught her attention for a moment. Delilah knelt carefully in front of Aria, blocking her view of Tori’s injured leg. Tori pulled Faith up against her chest until the girl’s pudgy cheek rested against her shoulder. Aria was surprised that Faith snuggled up into the new position without protest. But her serious gaze seemed to follow every motion Delilah made. Tori’s soft sigh hinted at pain eased, and a moment later Del stood and brushed her pants off.
“Punctures are deep, but clean. No vital nicks or tears. That poultice will keep the wounds disinfected while your shifter healing does its thing.”
It felt like a mountain had been lifted from Aria’s shoulders with Del’s words.
Gran would be okay.
This time, but what about next time? Goosebumps trailed down her arms at the dark turn her thought had taken. But considering what she’d just witnessed maybe a little darkness was necessary.
“Can you walk, Gran? Or should I go get my car?” Gran barely glanced Aria’s way before returning her focus to Faith. Tears still trickled down her baby’s cheeks, and she still whispered the words ”sorry, sident, sorry” over and over. Gran hugged her close, stroked her blond curls and whispered back to her. Aria wanted nothing more than to scoop Faith up and cuddle her, but from the way she was clinging to Gran and apologizing over and over, she doubted Faith would be willing accept her cuddles. Aria couldn’t hear what Gran whispered back, but she was certain from the lightening expression on Faith’s face that it was pure love and encouragement lifting her daughter’s spirits. When the tears stopped, Gran finally answered Aria’s question.
“I could walk, but it’d hurt pretty dang bad. Don’t thing that’s a good idea right now.” Gran tapped Faith’s back gently, emphasizing just why she thought it wouldn’t be good. “But I don’t want to wait on a car either.”
Before anyone could say anything more Ben swooped in and lifted the pair up once again. Aria’s heart fluttered at the pained, helpless glance he shot her way before he spoke. “Where to?” His growly tone sent an entirely different sort of goosebumps shivering down Aria’s spine. Damn if he hasn’t gotten even sexier in the past three years.
But she wasn’t sure she could forgive him for leaving her. And she really wasn’t sure she could forgive him for keeping his shifter ways a secret. She was however, more than prepared to accept any help he offered at this point.
“My cabin, of course.” Gran gestured imperiously towards home. “Del, I think you need to join us for this trip.” Del’s slow nod convinced Aria the witch would rather not be present for the trip, but felt obliged to follow Gran’s orders. Aria just wished she could figure out why everyone deferred to Gran.
/> “As you wish, Lady Vixen,” Ben said gently. He paused to plant a soft kiss atop Faith’s blond curls before heading towards the cabin faster than most unburdened people walked. Aria and Delilah struggled to keep up with the pace he set. Aria was almost positive she heard the witch chanting in a foreign language the whole walk home. Whatever she was saying, it must have had some effect on people, because the few people they passed on their ten-minute walk acted like there was nothing to see, as if the strange group were invisible.
Aria couldn’t believe her eyes, she was seeing real magic in action. She glanced at Delilah, eyes wide, struggling to contain her fear. She could handle a bear shifter for a daughter, surely she could handle this. The witch nodded once, seeming to answer both the question and the fear that consumed Aria.
Aria admired Ben’s gorgeous physique and his gentle strength the whole walk back to the cabin. The sheer immensity of that strength hit home as she watched him tiptoe up to the cabin’s entrance so smoothly he barely jostled his precious cargo. Faith must have felt safe enough, considering his big strides had lulled her to sleep. Gran’s exhaustion was written plainly in the pallor of her cheeks, and the dark circles under her eyes. When Ben paused at the front door, Aria slipped past him and pulled it open as quietly as she could. She held still as possible as the large man shuffled sideways, back turned towards her, to keep from knocking any stray limbs on the door jam.
His arms brushed against her shoulder as he sidestepped slowly through the door. Desire flared heating her skin. That thoughtless touch brought forth memories she’d stuffed away long ago. A very visceral part of her remembered being with this man, and desperately wanted to be with him again. Down girl, she chided herself. Can’t just leap headfirst into trusting the one man who abandoned you. Aria kept hold of the door until Ben and Delilah had entered the cabin, then followed them. She closed the screen door as softly as she could, and held back a wistful sigh at the confusion etched in the fine lines around Ben’s face as he scanned the living room.
