Page 42 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

“He can sniff and home in on me. Maybe I can calm him if nothing else. If you fight him, you will kill him.”

I was silent for a moment before I answered her, “Go for it, but if he trips offline, get out of the way.”

“Hadar, I’m right here. You said you wanted to talk, so talk.” Her voice was pure and serene.

His head snapped to the left, and his gaze zoned in on her. “I knew you were here. Please come down and talk to me. I need you to hear me,” he begged.

“She can stay right where she is. She’s safe there,” I argued.

“Akiva is always safe with me. I want her where we can talk without you listening to every word we say. It’s a private conversation between the two of us.”

“Hadar, you’re crazier than I thought if you think I’ll allow my mate to chat privately with you. That places her directly in harm’s way. And no matter what you say or promise, it will never change the truth. Akiva is not available or yours. She belongs to me and my bear Ripper,” I stated firmly.

There was a whisper of movement coming from Akiva, but I didn’t turn my head to see why.

I was entirely focused on the threat in front of me.

Hadar’s eyes were glued to me. When she spoke again, I wanted to snarl.

Her voice was so much closer. I risked a darting glance.

She was no longer in the tree and had moved within fifty feet of us. I had to issue a warning.

“Akiva, don’t come any closer. You were supposed to stay in the tree,” I growled.

“I know, but if we’re to resolve this peacefully, I have to do it from the ground, honey.”

“Don’t call him that! You should only be using endearments with me. I’m your true mate, Akiva, and I’ll prove it,” Hadar snapped.

“Hadar, I told you repeatedly that I wasn’t interested.

Even if I had never met Fennick, you and I would’ve never been anything more than acquaintances.

You need to stop. He’s given me the claiming mark.

You know what that means,” she softly told him.

As she spoke, Akiva moved closer to stand by me, without crowding me.

“You’re wrong. There is something that can be done. If he’s dead, then you’re free to choose another. And it’ll be me,” he snarled seconds before he transformed.

I knew as soon as I saw his expression change before he replied to her what he was about to do. As I let Ripper surface, I told her, “Stay back!”

Ripper came charging forward and let out a mighty battle cry that could no doubt be heard for a few miles.

He was enraged. Here was an opponent trying to kill him to take his mate.

Ripper wasn’t about to allow that to happen.

I was trying to temper Ripper’s tremendous fury.

I didn’t want to kill Hadar. And there was no way his coyote stood a chance against Ripper. He wasn’t thinking clearly.

Hadar’s coyote came charging at us with its muzzle full of teeth in full view. He darted from side to side as if that would confuse us. Ripper backhanded him casually, like he would a fly. Hadar tumbled head over ass.

It didn’t deter him. When he regained his footing, he came back at us. This time, he did it slowly and seemed to be studying Ripper for an opening. I had news for Hadar. Ripper was a veteran fighter. It would be rare for him to leave an opening. And if he did, it was to sucker his opponent in.

We circled each other. Vaguely, I noted that Akiva was moving with me, never exposing herself to Hadar.

The coyote’s eyes kept darting from Ripper to her.

Hadar would dart forward repeatedly to test if he could entice Ripper to come at him.

We didn’t. We weren’t falling for the ploy.

He was hoping to get an opening to Akiva.

If he had her, he would use her as a bargaining chip.

No way would we allow our mates to be harmed.

Ripper’s thoughts were filled with images of killing Hadar.

I wanted to prevent that if possible. However, if I did, it would leave an enemy who could attack at any time.

If he’d back off, I’d do it and ask Asa to go and take his son far away.

If they did that, and Hadar remained far away and never came near or contacted us, he could live.

Hadar rushed me from an angle. I almost deflected him, but he did sink his teeth into Ripper's foreleg. My bear snarled and swiped Hadar’s ribs.

The tough coat of fur that covered my bear protected us for the most part.

Hadar’s fur and hide weren’t as lucky. Bloody claw marks appeared on his left side. He yelped in pain and backed off.

Ripper toyed with him for ten minutes before he was done playing.

Hadar’s coyote was lying on the ground, panting.

Other than a minor bite on my right forearm, I was unmarked.

Hadar was marked by more than one claw mark.

At one point, I’d clamped onto the back of his neck and shaken him before launching him away from us.

During the scuffle, Akiva kept a running dialogue going.

She begged Hadar to stop. He refused to listen.

And his efforts to get to her became more frantic and reckless.

I had to wonder if he had the sickness, mate mania.

It was a disease of the mind that affected some shifters, though thankfully, we rarely saw it.

It was one where the individual became so obsessed and unreasonable when believing another was their mate that they couldn’t be reasoned with.

Tragically, in every case I’d heard of, the only recourse was to kill them.

I’d wondered if this Mikeal was suffering from it.

Now, I was almost sure Hadar was. What would be the likelihood that two shifters unrelated to each other would suffer from it and fixate on the same woman?

Mate mania was more prevalent in families where there had been a case, but it was still rare.

“He has mate mania, I fear,” I told Akiva.

“I’m afraid you’re right. Goddess, what can you do for him?” she asked.

“Starlight, I’m afraid there’s nothing that we can do. In every case I’ve heard of, there’s no cure and the person won’t stop.”

“So he has to be killed.” I heard the distress in her tone.

“I’m afraid so.”

“We’re here, Fen. We’ve witnessed his behavior. Tell Ripper to let you shift. Try a final time. We’ll be here to protect you and your mate,” Brax’s voice said along our pathway.

“I wondered when you would say something,” I told him. I’d sensed when they arrived. They’d heard Ripper’s battle cry, no doubt. I hadn’t called for them. His sorrow at what was to come was clear to hear in Brax’s voice.

“I’m shifting. The other Sentinels are here,” I informed her, but didn’t wait for her to acknowledge me before I did it. The growl from Hadar drowned out Akiva’s gasp.

“Hadar, I need you to shift so we can talk. This fighting is getting us nowhere. You know that you can’t beat me in our animal forms. It’s impossible.”

He drew back his lips, revealing more teeth as he snarled at me.

Hadar was up on his feet and back to pacing.

He was doing it in a line. His hate-filled eyes would only leave me to look at her.

When he did, I swore I saw the madness there.

God, I didn’t want to do this, but I had to.

He would be a danger not only to us but also to others if left unchecked.

Mate mania had led to tragic consequences.

I recalled two incidents where the affected shifter turned on their family and killed several of them.

I expected Hadar to ignore my request to shift and talk. However, he surprised me by doing it. He stood there, not caring that he was naked. Typically, shifters ignored nudity, but he drew attention to it in his case.

“Look at what you’re passing up. Why would you want a man like him? I’m more attractive than a lumbering beast of a man. And I can satisfy you sexually better than he ever dreamed of.”

“I see more than Fennick’s appearance, though I have to say, I find him extremely sexually appealing to me.

And I adore that in his arms, I feel safe and loved.

I won’t bother to address your remark about sexual gratification other than to say, I don’t believe what you say is possible,” Akiva informed him firmly.

“If that’s the case, it’s his money, right?

You want security, and since he has a job and home, you think he’s more able to care for you and cubs, but that’s not true.

Before leaving on this foolhardy journey, I worked as their lead architect in a very successful firm.

It was my father and Adir who convinced me we should leave.

All I need is a little time to re-establish myself, but when I do, I’ll be able to provide for you on a much grander scale than his ranger job ever would.

” He sneered when he stated my profession.

“Hadar, how old are you?” I asked.

His brow furled in puzzlement. “What does that matter? But since you asked, I’m thirty-one.”

“I’m three hundred ninety-eight years old. I’ve been many things over those years. I’ve invested my fortune wisely. I may be a lowly ranger, as your tone suggests, but I’m a multimillionaire several times over. It’ll be a long time, if ever, that you can provide better than I can.”

Hadar reacted to that information. He paced faster and ran his hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “I don’t care what you claim. Akiva is mine. She was promised to me!”

“Promised by whom?” she asked.

“The gods! They told me to watch for you, and I knew the moment I saw you that you were the only mate for me. I was trying to get you to see the fact that we can’t have pups doesn’t matter.”

“Please, you have to stop this! I’m not your mate. I’m Fennick’s, and even if you were to kill him, I would never accept your claim,” Akiva told him sternly.

“I’ll never stop. I’ll kill him and you will be mine,” Hadar hissed.

Then he lunged toward me. I was ready for him, but I wasn’t the one to stop his charge.

In a blink, he clutched his throat, which was pumping blood everywhere.

He gurgled and gasped for air. His eyes were open wide in disbelief.

He dropped to his knees five feet from me.

I rushed forward and yanked Akiva back against my chest. She was staring at Hadar.

From her right hand, blood dripped. It was no longer a claw, just her small human hand.

But seconds ago, it had been a bear’s paw tipped with razor-sharp talons.

Akiva had somehow gotten to Hadar before I did, and she tore out his throat.

The dying coyote kneeled at our feet. He was still watching her. As he fell to his side, she wiggled against my hold until I let go of her. She went toward him.

“Akiva, stay back,” I warned her.

“He can’t hurt me. I don’t want him to die alone,” she said softly before she dropped down next to him. She took the hand that wasn’t holding his throat in a futile attempt to stay alive.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way, Hadar. I didn’t want you dead. But you threatened the one person I can’t live without… Fennick. I know you couldn’t help it, but he’s my mate. Anyone threatening him, I have to destroy.” There were tears in her eyes.

He replied in a barely audible or recognizable rasp, “For…give me.”

“I do,” she said. His eyelids slid closed, and he drew his last ragged breath.

My friends came walking out of the woods. They wore solemn and stunned expressions, the same as I felt. Akiva dropped Hadar’s limp hand and hung her head. I heard her sob.

“Take her home. We’ll deal with this and let the family know. We’ll make sure they understand it was his life or yours,” Royal told me.

Not wanting to deal with anything but Akiva, I nodded in agreement.

I picked her off the ground and cradled her against me as I began our journey home.

I let her cry as I walked the distance. I murmured words of comfort occasionally, but I remained silent the rest of the time.

It wasn’t the way I thought the night would end.