Phantom Warriors: Arctos (10 page)

Caitlin fel out of bed at the sound of the door crashing in. The bears were back. Her brain went from replete to alert in seconds. She waited for the familiar slivers of fear to grip her, but they never materialized. Instead, a wal of anger slammed into her, demanding that she fight.

What was that all about?

Arctos was already moving. One minute he was behind her, the next he was gone. As far as she could tel , he was stil naked.

More bangs fol owed. Caitlin jumped up and scrambled into her clothes. She wasn’t about to let Arctos take on the polar bears by himself. Her fingertips burned as she rushed into the room ready to attack.

Caitlin didn’t realize she was snarling until she saw Al ie’s startled face. What was she doing here? Where were the bears? It took her a sec to remember that she’d phoned her friend, when she thought she was going to die.

Al ie must have had the police trace her phone. Wel duh?

How else could they have found her?

Her gaze moved to the rest of her rescuers. She didn’t recognize any of the faces, except one. Mike stood in the doorway with a shotgun aimed at Arctos’ bare chest.

“She doesn’t look like she needs rescuing to me,” he said. Mike’s finger twitched above the trigger.

In her mind, Caitlin saw the gun go off and Arctos fal .

She watched the life drain from his beautiful brown eyes.

Pain ripped through her. She couldn’t let it happen. He was hers.

“No!” she shouted. Caitlin didn’t think. She reacted.

With one leap, she crossed half the room and landed lightly in front of Arctos, her smal body doing its best to block his larger one. She growled again, this time the rumble sounded like a pissed off wolf who’s just discovered her vocal cords.

Al ie’s face drained of color and she took a step back.

Caitlin’s eyes locked on Mike. He hadn’t moved an inch, but his expression had certainly shifted. Gone was the concern she’d spotted at first. It had slowly been replaced with…fear.

“Put the gun down,” she snapped, taking a step closer.

Her voice came out garbled.

Arctos grabbed her by the waist and gently shoved her behind him. Caitlin tried to push him out of the way, but it was like trying to move a tank. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own. One moment her teeth were short, the next they were long. The hair on her arms appeared to thicken, then thin. What in the world was happening to her?

“Arctos?” she said, hearing the distress in her voice.

He turned, gathering her close. “It’s okay. Everything wil be okay,” he said.

Soothed by his touch, she melted into his body. “I don’t understand,” she said as tears fil ed her eyes.

* * * * *

Arctos would’ve taken a thousand gunshots over seeing Caitlin cry. Each tear ripped a hole in his hearts. If she kept this up, there’d be nothing left to beat inside of his chest. He glared at the people around them.

“Is she going to be okay?” Al ie asked. “She doesn’t look right.”

He sighed. “She’l be fine. She just needs a moment to calm down and compose herself. We thought the bears had returned.” Arctos had known it wasn’t bears at the door.

He’d smel ed the stink of anxious sweat and the oil that had been used on the guns. His gaze shifted to the man, who’d very nearly shot him. So this was Mike. He’d snatched the name from Caitlin’s jumbled thoughts, before panic overwhelmed her.

The man continued to glare at him. It probably didn’t help that he hadn’t bothered to clothe himself. Not that Arctos cared about nudity, but it was more than clear that this group did. Everyone, but Al ie kept their gazes focused above his waist.

“Give us a minute.” He guided Caitlin into the bedroom and shut the door behind them. The space smel ed of sex, heat, and animal musk. Arctos sat her down on the bed, then kneeled in front of her. “Breathing helps control the shift,” he said quietly, knowing that the others would try to listen in.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “The what?” He dropped his chin, resting his forehead against hers. “I’d hoped to be able to explain everything, but I fear I’m too late.”

Caitlin’s wary gaze met his. “Explain what?”
What else
besides being an alien bear could there possibly be?

Her thought slammed into his head. Arctos would’ve laughed if she hadn’t looked so lost. “There’s much more to being my mate than admitting it.”

She sniffled. “Yeah, I kind of got that, when I leapt across the room. I’ve never been athletic and now I’m some kind of super hero.”

He frowned. “I know not what that is,” he said. “But you were amazing. Very brave…don’t ever do that again. My hearts could not take the strain.”

Caitlin grudgingly agreed. “You got it. Now tel me what’s happening, so I can go out and explain it to the group.”

Arctos paused. As much as he wanted to tel her everything, he couldn’t al ow Caitlin to reveal the truth. For one, he had no doubt that they wouldn’t believe her. Two, it would jeopardize the entire Phantom mission to Earth.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, watching him.

“Nothing,” he said.

She smirked. “Yes, there is. Every time something’s wrong, your lips thin and a smal line appears between your eyebrows.”

His eyes widened in surprise. This time Arctos did laugh. “I should’ve known that I’d never be able to deceive, my Cat.”

Caitlin’s expression grew serious. “You shouldn’t even try,” she said, softly.

“You are right.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles tenderly. “You have my vow that I’l never attempt to deceive you again. It was dishonorable of me to even try.

Can you forgive me?”

* * * * *

Caitlin would’ve laughed, if he hadn’t looked so utterly miserable…and adorable. His children would probably end up with that same expression if they were caught being naughty. She tried to imagine Arctos with kids. It was surprisingly easy to do.

She waited for panic to hit. It always did before when she thought about kids, family, and her future. This time peace settled in her bones, leaving no room for those antiquated thoughts.

“You’re forgiven,” she said.

His face instantly brightened. “Thank you,” he said in al sincerity. “Now, I’l make this quick. I’ve told you where I’m from and what I am.”

She nodded slowly.

“I have spoken the truth,” he said.

Her shoulders relaxed.

“But I have not told you everything.”

Caitlin felt the muscles in her shoulders tense. “You’re not married, are you?”

He grinned. “No, I would never have taken you as a mate, if I already had one.”

“Good to know.” She was amazed at how calm she sounded, when inside her emotions were rioting. Caitlin did her best to put out al the little fires, but eventual y had to let them burn in order to keep her sanity.

“You asked me how you were able to leap across the room,” he said.

She swal owed hard and nodded again.

“When a Phantom Warrior mates, we don’t simply share our bodies and essence with a female,” he said.

“You sleep with men, too?” she asked as panic reared its ugly head. Caitlin didn’t think she could share Arctos with anyone.

“No,” he said, his lips firming. “I have only lain with women. Men...” He paused as if searching for the right words. “Our males are very dominant. Most would be unable to submit to that kind of bond. It would be a constant battle for supremacy. Though it is quite common and accepted on Zaron within the Atlantean community.”

“Atlantean? Like in Atlantis?” She shook her head.

“Forget I asked.”

“You are taking this situation remarkably wel ,” he said.

Caitlin snorted. “Not real y,” she said. “If you want to know the truth, I’m screaming on the inside.” Concern clouded his eyes.

“Don’t stop now,” she said.

Arctos nodded. “When we shared our bodies this last time, I bit you,” he said.

She rubbed her neck. “Yeah, I remember.”

“The bite transferred some of my beast essence into your body,” he said, ducking his head. “It made passing through you again far easier.”

“Again?” she asked.

“It’s how I healed you the first time,” he said.

“Okay, that explains how I got better, but it doesn’t explain the whole beast thingie.” Caitlin had a feeling she knew, but her brain steadfastly refused to process the thought.

“I needed to share more of my essence in order to complete the bond,” Arctos said.

“So you bit me?”

He hesitated, then said, “Yes.”

She thought about her burning fingers and the snarls coming from her when she’d burst into the other room.

“What exactly does your essence do?”

He sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He was stal ing. Caitlin could see it in how he held his shoulders. Arctos’ whole body tensed.

“Tel me. Please,” she said. “Before I freak out even more.”

Arctos lifted his head and met her gaze. “It changes your scent, making it more like mine. That way other Phantom Warriors wil know you’re my mate.”

“And?” she said, drawing the word out. Caitlin knew there had to be more to it.

“It gives you part of my beast.” His answer was so quiet that Caitlin wasn’t sure that she’d heard him correctly.

“Are you tel ing me that you somehow put that bear inside of me?” she asked, her voice rising with every syl able.

Arctos tilted his head and listened. “They grow restless waiting. Soon, they wil come in.”

Caitlin lowered her voice. “I’d appreciate an answer.” She stil felt like herself—sort of. Sure, she seemed a little more aggressive than she’d been before. And maybe she was faster and a tad stronger, but was that real y because of Arctos’ beast?

No, a radioactive spider bit you during the night
, the voice inside her head snarked.

“We share my beast now,” he said. “It is part of us both. We can cal upon it at any time.”

“Do I get any say in this at al ?” she asked, fearing his answer. Had what he done to her caused irreparable damage?

He saved your life
, that same little voice whispered.

Caitlin was beginning to hate that voice.

Arctos looked grim. “You are not damaged, but you have been altered. You are now stronger than a normal human. Faster. And once you learn how, you wil eventual y be able to take on beast form. When that happens, you’l shift. You’l heal quicker and live far longer,” he said. There was sadness in his eyes now.

“What about you?” she asked, touching his cheek.

Caitlin knew she should be furious with him, but she just couldn’t muster the energy. It was al too much.

“I am as I was before,” he said. “The only difference is that you are now my mate.”

“So, you’re here to stay?” she asked, hope blooming in spite of her natural pessimism.

He shook his head slowly. “You know I cannot. Already the ship I came on is approaching our location. Once it gets here, I have to go.”

“So that’s it? You’re just going to wham, bam, thank you ma’am me?” Caitlin felt a lick of temper rise beneath her skin. How dare he make her care about him and then fly away.

Arctos opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I do not recognize this Earth saying,” he said.

Caitlin jumped off the bed. “So you come down here, pass on your essence, then leave? That’s pretty crappy, if you ask me.”

Arctos mirrored her movements, his own temper rising to take the bait. “I had no intention of leaving this planet without you,” he hissed under his breath.

Her hands moved to her hips. “Real y? When exactly were you planning to ask me to go with you? As you were getting on the flight?”

The temperature in the room heated, matching the rise in pheromones. Caitlin saw Arctos’ nostrils flair a second before he tackled her onto the bed. “It’s not a flight,” he ground out, rol ing her beneath him. “It’s a ship. And I would’ve asked you had your friends not shown up.” His hard shafted brushed her sex through her clothes.

Caitlin felt her face heat. It was fol owed by an altogether different kind of flush. “We can’t do this right now,” she said sounding far more breathless than she’d like.

“Then get rid of them, so we can finish this,” he said, rocking his hips.

Caitlin body softened beneath him. “You’d better let me up.”

“You cannot tel them about me,” he said, meeting her gaze.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” she said. “They’l think I’m crazy.” He rol ed off her. Reluctantly, Caitlin stumbled to her feet. When she reached the door, she turned. “You stil haven’t asked me to go with you.”

He propped his elbow up, resting his head in his hand.

“Wil you?” he al but purred.

“I’l think about,” she said tartly, before adding, “though it may take a while to convince me that it’s a good idea.” Arctos smiled, his feral grin fil ed with dark sinful promise. “I believe I’m more than up for the chal enge,” he said, glancing down, before meeting her gaze once more.

She watched him expand and lengthen right before her eyes. Caitlin giggled. “Hold that thought.”