Page 55 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

Overall, our day was entertaining. We enjoyed listening to Roan’s stories and learning about the history of shifters and supernaturals.

It was fascinating. He was so knowledgeable.

It made me wonder if my mom had known it all.

Would she have told me? Was part of my suppressed memories filled with this kind of information?

I wanted to know anything she could tell me about our family on her side, and of course, what my powers were and how to use them.

Fen had checked in with me, while Brax had done the same with Cerys a few times. Plus, we knew they had messaged Roan at least twice. It was sweet of them to be so loving and concerned, but there had been nothing to report.

True, I’d had this odd, almost expectant feeling all day.

However, I wasn’t alarming anyone with vague, most likely imaginary feelings.

If I told Fennick what I felt, he’d worry and come rushing back.

At that moment, we were safe, and they were needed in Phoenix.

Our focus would be on preparing dinner later.

The last communication we got was that most of our guys were returning.

We knew they’d be hungry, and so would we, so we had stuff thawing or partially made and waiting for us to finish when it was time.

I looked forward to discovering what the guys found in Phoenix and why Gunnar and Keir remained behind.

Night had fallen. In the last text I received, Fen informed me that the guys anticipated being home by nine o’clock.

They ran into a large car wreck that they couldn’t get around.

There were several vehicles involved. They had to make their way through the backed-up traffic, which put them behind schedule.

We were told not to hold dinner for them, but we didn’t listen.

Nine wasn’t too late. We’d be eating like many Europeans did.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was eight o’clock.

Dinner had been put in the oven. Roan was seated in the living room with Twyla.

Cerys had gone upstairs to lie down. She was tired.

We urged her to take a nap. Twyla and I had dinner handled.

Walking to the back door, I stared outside at the night sky.

There was a sliver of a moon tonight, and the stars shone brightly. No clouds were covering either.

As I absorbed the night sky, Nova unexpectedly surfaced. She’d been a bit restless today, but when asked if anything was wrong, she’d indicated no. However, now she was extremely restless and pushing against my control to come out.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked.

“Not safe. Protect the young ones. I won’t allow him to harm them or you. Can’t trust.”

“Protect the twins? From whom? What do you sense?” I asked urgently.

I removed my shoes and socks as I asked her those questions. The hair was standing up on my arms now. I flipped off the light switch, which illuminated the inside where I stood. I didn’t want to be backlit. Then, I eased away from the door and rushed to the living room.

“He’s here. The one who won’t listen,” Nova answered.

I knew instantly she meant Mikeal. She always referred to him that way rather than by name. I changed to running. Roan was on his feet as I entered.

“There’s danger. Where?” he asked.

“Someone from my past is after me. We have to protect Cerys, the babies, and Twyla. This man cannot be trusted not to hurt them. He’ll do it if he believes it will get me to go with him.

I want you to take Twyla upstairs and lock yourself in with them.

If he gets past me, you’re their last line of defense. ”

“I’m supposed to protect you as well,” he reminded me.

“That’s impossible. Hurry. I can feel him. He’s coming. I need to get him away from all of you. Secure the door behind me.”

Without another word. I ran to the front door, unlocked it, then eased it open only far enough to allow me to slip out.

There were no outdoor lights on, which helped.

As I moved to the edge of the porch, I heard the lock engage.

I sniffed the air and strained my ears as I stripped off my clothing, leaving them on the porch.

The faint odor of Mikeal’s scent hit me.

I shivered, not from the cold but from the confrontation to come.

Last time, I ran from him. This time, I would make a stand.

No way would he touch my new family. I let Nova rush to the surface.

She came bursting out, ready to battle. Last time, she tried to tell me that she could fight and defeat Mikeal.

I refused to try it. I hoped we had what it took. But if not, we would die trying.

I knew Fennick was too far away to hear me, but I sent out my mind along our pathway with my message anyway.

“I love you, Fennick. Please remember that. And don’t blame Roan. We have to protect Cerys and the babies first.”

Nova crept on all fours to the side of the house. I was stunned when Fen’s voice entered my mind.

“Akiva, what’s happening? What do you mean by protect Cerys and the babies?”

“You can hear me?” I asked in disbelief, believing my mind was playing tricks on me.

“Yes. Tell me what you’re doing?” he demanded.

“Mikeal is here. I smell him. I have Roan locking himself in with Cerys and Twyla. I’m outside. I’ll try to lead him away from them. If I can’t, I’ll keep him distracted as long as I can.”

“No! Get inside. We’re almost there, fifteen minutes,” Fen shouted.

“I don’t have that time. He’ll be here in less than five. He’ll go after them to force my hand. His scent is becoming stronger on the wind. I love you.”

There was a pause, then he answered.

“And I love you. Fight your hardest to stay alive. We’re coming.”

“I will.”

And like that, the connection was cut. I needed to concentrate.

Nova moved along the side of the house and then in the direction from which Mikeal’s odor was coming.

It had this acrid edge to it. Overall, his scent wasn’t unpleasant if it hadn’t developed that acridness.

When I first met him, it hadn’t smelled that way.

As time passed and he became obsessed, it evolved.

“He’s coming from the right. He’s coming fast and in his regular form,” Nova informed me.

“Can you try to see if you can connect with his bear like you do Ripper? See if you can talk sense into him if you do,” I suggested.

“I’ll try.”

We waited near the edge of the backyard, facing the trees behind the house. Unlike Hadar, Mikeal knew how to move stealthily through the woods.

“I can’t. All I get is growls,” Nova reported moments before he came out of the trees.

My bear was about three feet tall on all four paws. Mikeal, in human form, was six feet. He halted when he saw the welcoming committee.

“There you are. There’s no need for this. Shift and let us talk. This running is ridiculous, Akiva. You can’t hide forever.”

Nova roared warningly at him, just to put him on notice. She was pacing back and forth, keeping herself between him and the house. When I didn’t change, his gaze looked over me at the house.

“You’ve been hiding with these people. I’ve seen them. They can’t give you what I can. They’re not the ones you need.”

Wanting to be able to respond, but not to be at a tactical disadvantage, I pushed for Nova to move to the left. When she was where I wanted her, I left her with final instructions.

“I’m shifting. I need to be able to speak to him. Be alert. If he shifts, you do the same. Keep him out of the house no matter what. You heard it in his voice. He’s jealous that I have people supporting me. He’ll want them dead.”

“I’m watching. Do it,” she replied.

Seconds later, I stood before him naked. Typically, not a big deal, but the way he looked at my bare form made me feel sick and dirty, but I refused to allow him to know it. I gave him a disdainful look.

“You shouldn’t be here, Mikeal. How did you find me? It’s been months since I left Provo.”

“It wasn’t easy. I tracked and questioned people for weeks and followed every possible sighting I was told of. All of them kept ending in dead ends. I thought you actually had drowned in the Provo River until ten days or so afterward. It’s wonderful to see you.”

“Well, I can’t say the same about you. I would think that running and going into the river the way I did would clue you in that I want nothing to do with you. I repeatedly told you in Utah that I didn’t want you as my mate.”

“You just needed time to see that I’m the one for you.”

“Too late. I’ve already been claimed. I have a mate,” I told him triumphantly.

The wind didn’t carry my essence to him. At his scowl of disbelief, I shook my loose hair and waved the air surrounding me toward him. Like magic, the air currents unexpectedly changed direction, blowing forcefully toward him. His scowl turned to a dark shout.

“No! This is wrong. You’re mine. He can’t have you! Where is he? Where is the man who dares to steal my mate? I’ll kill him and free you from his false claim!” Mikeal shouted. His eyes were darting around, looking for my mate.

As he kept searching, Mikeal kicked off his shoes. Damn it, he was going to transform. I’d have a hard time fighting and winning if he did. His bear was larger than mine. We were both surprisingly American black bears, but males almost always outweighed the females.

“Don’t do this, Mikeal. Leave and never return. If you don’t, you will die here. My mate Fennick isn’t an ordinary shifter,” I warned him.

“I have first claim rights. I’ll kill the bastard easily. Why hasn’t he shown himself?”

I knew the moment he realized Fen wasn’t there.

“I’ll subdue your bear and claim her, and once your so-called mate shows his face, I’ll kill him. My claiming mark will replace his. It will be my scent markers you’ll carry, and soon, our first cub will grow within your belly.”

“It’ll never happen. And even if it could, I’ll never submit. You’ll have to kill me, or I’ll find a way to kill myself.”

My remark enraged him, causing Mikeal to shift.

I admit, he was fast. And his bear was incensed.

The roar he let out echoed through the trees and rode the wind.

I hadn’t hesitated. I let Nova take over the moment I said the last word.

As we faced Mikeal and his bear, Ironhide, my breath caught.

There was an answering bellow of an enraged bear carried on the wind back to us. I knew that sound. It was Ripper.

“We’re coming. Don’t fight him. Stay away from him,” Fen ordered.

“I might not have a choice. He’s planning to force me to submit so he can mark and claim me. I can’t allow that.”

I felt the anxiety and fury that Fen was feeling.

I was watching how Ironhide was pacing. He was waiting for an opening.

The loud crack of a bullet being fired caused us both to jump.

The dirt at Mikeal’s feet flew up. Then I heard the pump of a shotgun from behind me.

Chancing a glance over my shoulder, I found Roan was standing on the second-level balcony of the house with a gun in his hands.

“If you come any closer to her, I’ll put the next one in your heart or lungs,” Roan warned him. He knew a headshot wasn’t the answer. Bears had thick skulls and were hard to penetrate. His steely gaze never flickered as he stared at Ironhide and practically begged him to do it.

The tension was snapped by the crashing of something heavy approaching us at high speed.

Then, without further delay, Ripper came charging out of the trees.

He snarled at Mikeal but bypassed him, keeping distance between them as he approached me.

Ripper came over and nuzzled Nova to see if she was harmed.

Whatever she told him, Ripper sniffed her closely.

Whatever he smelled, it caused Ripper to become more agitated.

His growl revealed all his deadly teeth.

I thought it was sweet how he used his hindquarters to push against Nova, forcing her to move closer to the house.

At the same time, a wolf appeared out of the trees from where Ripper had come.

He streaked by and around to the front of the house.

And off in the distance, I heard the sound of a vehicle’s engine.

It had to be the others. Relief flooded my body.

The cavalry was here, and there would be no way with the other Sentinels assisting that Fen could be harmed.

Ironhide growled and swiped his paw through the dead grass and leaves in the backyard, tossing them in the air.

He charged a few steps toward Ripper, then stopped and backed off.

He did it twice, no doubt hoping to intimidate or rattle Ripper.

I had news for him. Nothing could do that, I didn’t think.

The vehicle abruptly stopped in the front drive, then the doors slammed, and feet pounded as the other three men came running around the side of the house.

“Shift and go inside, Akiva. Let me take care of this. There’s no way he can defeat all of us to get to you or the others inside. Brax wants you to go in and stay with Cerys and Twyla so he can come out,” Fen partially asked and partially ordered.

“Be careful. You’d better not get a scratch on you, none of you, or you’ll have to deal with me,” I threatened. His chuckle made me smile.

My backing up caused Ironhide to move toward me.

Ripper countered his move by moving closer to Ironhide, then slapping the side of Ironhide’s head with his paw.

Lucky for him, Ripper used the backside of his paw, so his claws didn’t mark him.

This move grabbed Ironhide’s attention and caused him to forget about me and focus on the men and the bear facing him.

As I reached the door, it was opened by a grim Brax.

He made sure I entered and shut the door.

I ran upstairs to where the others were to watch from the upper windows. My heart was pounding.