Page 57 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

Next was the roar of challenge. I thought he’d charge for real, but instead, Ironhide went to a nearby tree and he raked his claws through Ripper’s marks.

That symbolized him claiming Ripper’s territory and everything in it, including his mate.

This move infuriated my bear, but he refused to respond by charging Ironhide, which was what the bear wanted.

Instead, my bear roared and then proceeded to another tree he had marked before and pissed on it.

It appeared this move enraged Ironhide enough to break his restraint.

Issuing a tremendous bellow, Ironhide charged us.

Ripper stood at the ready. He knew as well as I did that this wasn’t a feint.

At the last second, Ripper rose on his hind legs and caught the other bear as he rose on his.

Forelegs wrapped around the other and appeared to be hugging, but that was far from the truth.

They were testing each other’s strength.

Claws raked their opponent’s sides as they parted, leaving behind bloody furrows.

Bear claws varied in length. Ripper’s were close to four inches and very sharp.

Ironhide was a black bear. His claws were about two inches long, though just as sharp.

The advantage was that Ripper’s could go deeper and cause more serious injury.

The next move was to circle on all fours, then rise and try to use their jaws to bite the other’s neck.

Ripper had the advantage of not only far outweighing Ironhide and having a greater height, but his bite force was also stronger.

It should’ve been a short fight that ended quickly.

However, Ripper wasn’t satisfied with that.

I had to take a backseat as he toyed with the other bear.

While Ironhide scored hits, claw marks, and bites, they were nothing like what Ripper landed or could’ve done if he hadn’t held himself back.

Thirty minutes into the battle, Ripper circled and seemed to stumble on an unseen branch.

When he staggered, Ironhide pounced, going in for the kill.

At the last second, a staggering Ripper twisted and lashed out with his paw.

It scored rake marks down Ironhide’s face.

The blood flew, and one eye was blinded.

Ironhide roared his fury and pain for all to hear. He moved away from Ripper.

But my bear wasn’t backing down anymore or holding back.

He’d backhanded, bit, and clawed all he was going to.

They were tired, undoubtedly hurting, especially Ironhide.

After clawing Ironhide’s face, Ripper charged and scored the target he wanted.

His sharp talons ripped through the fur, skin, and muscle protecting the other bear’s throat.

As Ripper drew back, you could see the blood pouring out of his opponent. There was no recovery from that.

“I need to speak to him,” I urged my bear. He reluctantly let me resume my form.

“Mikeal, shift,” I demanded.

I had no idea if he would listen, but to my surprise, he did. He lay on the ground, bleeding and gasping for air. There was panic in his one remaining eye. An empty socket was all that remained of the other one. He knew he was dying. I went to kneel close to him.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way. But Akiva is my mate.

It’s destined. You’re suffering from mate mania, like she said, and the sad truth is, I’ve never known anyone able to pull back from it.

It’s why you saw your dad as a rival and killed him.

You were willing to kill anyone protecting her.

I hope you find peace in the afterlife.”

“G-go…to…hell,” he whispered in a raspy voice. Then I saw the light leave his eye, and he breathed no more. I reached out to lower his eyelid, then I stood. My friends had come closer.

“We’ll take care of his body. You should check and make sure your mate is alright and get cleaned up. It’s been a long day,” Banner advised. The others grunted in agreement.

“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll check on Akiva and make sure she’s doing alright, then I’ll help. I think the one who should stay with his mate is Brax. Cerys is probably stressed.”

“We’re right here and can speak for ourselves,” Cerys said from behind us.

I’d heard them approach. As I turned, I was wrapped in a towel and my woman.

She pulled my head down so she could latch onto my mouth.

She didn’t care that I was sweaty, dirty, and bloody.

She needed to know I was alive. I understood the need.

She fiddled with the towel as we kissed, knotting it around my waist.

When we finished our kiss, I had to ask. “What’s with the towel? You know shifters aren’t shy,” I teased.

“I know we’re not, but Cerys might still be getting used to it, and I think Twyla was checking you out. Not that she doesn’t have enough men friends as it is.” Akiva shot Twyla a stern look.

This remark made us all laugh, including a smirking Twyla.

“She’s just worried you’ll be lured away to the dark side…by a human cougar,” Twyla countered, increasing our laughter. It was a good way to reduce the tension.

I caught Akiva glancing down at Mikeal’s body. I hugged her closer and whispered in her ear, even though the others would hear me. “Don’t feel guilty for his death. He brought it on himself, even though with the mania, he wasn’t able to control it.”

“I understand that, but this makes two men who have had it and chose me to fixate on. What if I’m doing something to cause it?”

“Like what?” Nico asked, proving that our conversation wasn’t private.

“I don’t know. Is it a pheromone, some kind of invisible draw, or something? It seems too weird to happen at all, and then in men who don’t know each other.”

“It is highly unusual, and we have rarely heard of it happening. However, with everything that has been happening lately in our world, who knows? Maybe that is affecting those who are on the cusp of it. Why it would be you, I can’t say,” Brax answered.

Akiva sighed but remained silent.

“Starlight, let’s go inside. I need to get cleaned up,” I told her.

“Oh, of course. We also need to disinfect those cuts so they don’t get infected. Come with me,” she demanded.

As we walked off, I saw my friends exchanging amused glances. I had news for them, they’d be the same when they found their mates. Brax was the only one smiling. He knew.