by Hart, Alana
"How many others, Arcos?"
The older shifter shook his head slowly, eyes blazing silver before fading back to blue. "I really don't know. I've never counted. But this place is becoming a nexus. And you, your mate, and the witch are smack in the center of it. Watch your back." The older man leaned over to collect something off the ground, then scuttled closer, holding it out.
"I figured no matter how tonight went you'd both be hungry. Enjoy the food, and the peace and quiet. Sure as the sky's blue it won't last."
Ben stared coldly at the picnic basket Arcos held out. Aria could hear him sniffing, feel the bear rise just below her mate's skin, testing the air for traps. She looked harder at the basket herself, trying to see if any magic was hidden, but it just looked like a plain container to her.
Finally, after a long moment, Ben accepted the gift with a sharp nod and a grumbled thanks. Then he stepped backward into their cabin, and slammed the door shut.
"Might as well enjoy the food." Ben opened the basket, and sniffed. "Old man sure does know how to pack a good picnic.
Aria went and grabbed a spare sleeping bag, and spread it out on the dining room floor. She giggled when she realized Arcos had brought them breakfast to go from Wild North. How fitting. But how did he know. She opened her mouth to ask, but Ben answered before she could speak.
"We watched you. The entire night, Arcos and I watched you walk and worry."
Eyes wide, she reached out and took his hand in hers. The sheen of yellow eyes hidden in the shadows of the dark alley flashed through her mind. "You were in the alley? Why didn't you come find me?"
Ben nodded, then shrugged. "Arcos was trying to drive me and Bear to you, trying to force our mating. I refused. Bear got his revenge by carrying me away to the woods for almost three years."
"Oh." No wonder she'd never been able to find him when she'd looked.
"But Bear and I won, in the end. And Bear admits it was best to wait for you to choose us."
Aria smiled and took a bite of the delicious breakfast burrito. For now, she had all she needed in this moment. The ring on her finger and the burn of the marks on her shoulder promised that 'all she needed' would last as close to forever as possible.
EPILOGUE
Aria rocked gently in the antique rocker, gran’s wedding gift to her. Its twin sat inside, safe from the weather. Aria was glad to be tucked up on the porch of their cabin, out of the chill November wind. But she needed a comfortable seat, especially now. She rested one hand on the swell of her belly, and kept her eyes pinned to the two bears playing in the snow. Ben’s larger off white form stood out fine on the powdery ground, but Faith’s pure white fur damn near vanished in the flurry of flakes swirling down from the sky. Father and cub gamboled in the snow like they didn’t even feel the cold. Hell, they probably didn’t for all she knew.
Her heart swelled when Ben's bear caught Faith with a paw and sent her rolling over the ground like a living snowball. She smothered a giggle at the angry look the cub shot back at Ben before shaking vigorously to remove the bulk of the stuff that clung to her fur.
But Aria’s laugh died when the wards pinged warning. The babe she was carrying squirmed and flipped when that ping vibrated through them both. She leveraged herself up out of the chair with a grunt and scanned the fence line and the tree lines around their secluded clearing. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that the house wards were fine. Gramps had insisted a ping like that meant trouble on the horizon, but she couldn’t spot any trouble. Yet.
Ben growled, and shifted in motion as he raced to join her on the porch. His eyes were dark with worry, but blue. Faith tumbled up the stairs to the porch after Ben, still soft, fuzzy and obviously determined to eek every bit of enjoyment from the first snow of the year. Ben’s sharp huff apparently got the point across, because the babe shifted. Then she giggled and ran up for a hug.
Aria’s heart was full, and even with the warning pings on her wards, this moment was perfect. Until Faith upped the ante. She giggled, and met Aria’s eyes over Ben’s shoulder, then the girl flashed a snowball for her mother to see, before dumping it down the back of Ben’s collar with a gleeful grin.
Her mate’s reaction was immensely satisfying to Aria and Faith. He put the girl down, and arched his back, damn near dancing to rid himself of the cold snow. Despite the worry that flashed in his eyes, he still put their child first. Faith laughed and bolted toward the yard. He sprinted after the tot with a growl, threatening endless pillow fights and no bed time stories when he finally caught her. Aria giggled when she noticed the damp spot on the back of his shirt.
Faith laughed, turned and ran toward her room. Aria watched the pair for a second, then looked back to the yard, back to the wards. Their warning pulsed a steady pinging rhythm she felt more than heard. Trou-ble. Trou-ble. She nodded, message received. Even without any way to determine precisely what trouble was bearing down on them she knew that her family would weather the storm just fine.
About the Authors
Alana Hart
Alana Hart is an American romance writer who decided that writing with friends is better than writing alone. Hartfelt Books brings together a huge group of sweet and steamy romance authors, collaborating on a new line of books that will have your heart pounding.
When she’s not skyping and sharing her latest collaboration on googledocs, she’s typing away in her local coffee shop with a hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows and extra whipped cream, on hand. She claims it makes her happy ever afters that much sweeter!
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Sophia Barron
Sophia Barron writes steamy romances. When she’s not collaborating with Alana Hart on her next shifter romance, she’s sipping mocha frappe’s at the local coffee shop and planning her next story.
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Romance collaborations from the Hart
Also in the SECOND CHANCES series.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01513ZIOS
http://www.ama...ct/B014XKQ2YK
Keep reading for an exciting excerpt from another book in the Alana Hart collaborations series.
Taken in by the Pack by Jazzmyn Wolfe
I moved to one side and held the door open, and Bryson followed close on my heels; even still, in the close quarters of the entryway, he brushed against me as he went past, and it made my breath catch, as tingles radiated outward from the contact. Once we were both inside, I closed the door and locked the deadbolt out of habit. I let my book bag drop next to the door, since there was something much more immediate to deal with than putting it in its usual place. I remained facing the door for a long moment, collecting my thoughts.
I finally turned, and nearly jumped back — not that it would have done me much good, I was almost touching the door behind me as it was — to find Bryson no more than a handful of inches away from me. I looked up into his face, wide-eyed. My breath came more quickly, and an aching knot formed in my belly. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, and my own body seemed to gr
ow hotter to match. Part of me wanted to run in terror, and part of me wanted to throw myself on this magnificent man who would so obviously welcome it.
He lifted his arms, clearly with the intent of wrapping them around me, drawing me to him in an embrace. In a snap decision, I ducked a bit and slipped past his arm before it encircled me. I wasn’t quite ready for that, not just yet at least. I wanted my head to stay relatively clear for at least a few minutes. There would be plenty of time to get lost in the moment with him, after I got some answers and if I decided that was what I wanted after I had those answers.
“Uhm. I need to — to go change. I was just at the gym.” I plucked at the hem of my shirt, as if that would somehow clarify my meaning. Of course, I hadn’t worn these clothes there, and I’d showered before I put them back on, but there was no need to tell him that. I just needed an excuse to put some distance between us for a minute.
He frowned slightly, and there was a deep hurt in his eyes. Was that a look of rejection? Did he think that was an answer on my part, a refusal? He pushed the hurt aside quickly though, his face crinkling up in a mockingly lecherous grin. “I could come help you change if you want?”
I rolled my eyes, giving him an exasperated look. “I think I can manage to change my clothes by myself. I have been managing for quite a few years now on my own, anyway. And besides, if you tried to help, I don’t think the new clothes would be likely to make it on any time soon.” I began to step backwards slowly as I spoke, putting more space between us as I headed toward my bedroom.
“Well, sure, that’s the point.” He grinned more broadly. Damn, he’s sexy when he grins like that, with his eyes all lit up and— I stopped that line of thinking in its tracks. Not. Helpful.
I scrunched my face up at him, kind of like an annoyed version of a duck-face. “Oh, you’re impossible. Just have a seat,” I waved a hand to indicate my threadbare couch, “and I’ll be back out in a couple of minutes, okay?”
He sighed, shoulders slumping somewhat, but nodded. “Alright, alright. Just don’t take too long, yeah?” How could a young man so obviously used to being in charge, to being powerful in every way that mattered, look so incredibly pitiful at such a minor disappointment?
I bit my lip, and just nodded shallowly in response, before turning to flee into the sanctuary of my bedroom, closing the door firmly.
Buy it now at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014XKQ2YK
Coming soon…
The next series from HARTFELT BOOK is HALLOWED LOVE.
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