Phantom Warriors: Arctos

Arctos smel ed her before he saw her. He’d been watching the polar bears play when the soft flowery, feminine scent reached his sensitive nose. The aroma had been so fleeting that he’d almost ignored it like the bears had, but something inside him had urged him to investigate.

He found the girl hiding in the snow a quarter mile away. She had smal hands and equal y smal feet.

Standing, she’d barely reach his chest. She was a tiny speck of a thing barely noticeable against the sea of white.

He glanced at the bears in the distance.

What was a
child
doing so far from the nearest town and so close to danger?

Protective instincts spurred by bone-deep honor prompted him to act. Arctos took a step in her direction to find out, when the child shifted to the side. The smal , seemingly insignificant movement revealed lush round curves. The kind of curves that could only be found on a woman in her prime. He stumbled in surprise. Her scent came again, this time stronger. The delicious aroma fil ed his lungs, leaving Arctos breathless and achingly hard. How could he have made such a mistake?

Arctos watched as the woman wiggled her butt and burrowed into the high snowdrift. He’d yet to see her face, but she now had his undivided attention. He couldn’t seem to pul his gaze away from the round little globes as they twitched from side to side. His hands itched to touch them, taste them, stroke them, and squeeze them. He clenched his fists, fighting the sudden urge. The beast snarled inside of him, demanding to be let out. It wanted to see this woman for itself. Scent her. Mark her. But Arctos forced the beast down to keep his presence cloaked and continued to observe.

What was she doing out here al alone? Didn’t the woman understand the danger she’d put herself in? Arctos did and he didn’t like it. Anything could sneak up on her like he had. Wolves, bears…other men. His muscles tightened and his jaw clenched as anger washed through him. She should take better care.

The woman reached into the bag tucked at her side and pul ed out what looked to be a weapon. Arctos stared in disbelief as she pointed the device at the white bears in the distance. Surely she wouldn’t…

She pressed the trigger and a rapid-fire sound fil ed the air. Arctos’ hearts clenched and his ardor quickly cooled. This was
not
the type of female he wanted as a mate, no matter how intoxicating she smel ed. If he wanted a bloodthirsty mate, he would’ve found a nice Phantom female from the Blood Clan to settle down with. It mattered not that the women on his planet were few in number.

Arctos glanced at the bears and waited for their large bodies to drop into the snow, but nothing happened. He looked back at the woman and frowned in confusion. Had she missed the shot? It seemed unlikely given the range and the lack of obstructions, but it was always possible.

She raised the weapon again.

He growled, a deep rumbling sound that seemed to come from the depths of his bowels. No way would he give her a second chance to make a kil .

* * * * *

Caitlin Kel y hunkered down lower in the snow-bank to ward off Northern Alaska’s biting wind. She raised her equipment and gazed through the scope, focusing before taking careful aim. Two polar bears wrestled in the fresh powder, flashing deadly claws and powerful teeth as they vied for dominance and the mating privileges of a nearby female. Funny, she could’ve sworn there’d been four of them earlier.

She set the scope down and replaced it with an even longer lens, then fired. The click, click, click rattled out in quick succession as she captured the bears’ every move.

“Big payday, here I come,” she murmured.

Caitlin had made sure to stay down wind, since polar bears weren’t exactly known for their sunny dispositions.

Unlike most bears, polar bears loved sneak attacks. It wasn’t uncommon for them to come up behind their prey and be on them before the prey even knew they were there.

It helped that they blended seamlessly in with their environment. There’d only been one fatal polar bear attack in decades, but Caitlin had no plans to become number two.

She focused on her prey and continued to shoot.

“That’s right, smile pretty.”

Caitlin kept her attention glued to her subjects, watching for any sudden changes in behavior that would indicate that they’d detected her presence. Risk wasn’t a job requirement for a nature photographer, but it was certainly an occupational hazard.

She switched out lenses on her camera and fired off a few more shots. “Come on baby, show me some claws.” With any luck, she’d make enough on these photos to pay for this unexpected trip to Alaska. Caitlin had only planned to stay for a few days, but four weeks had past in a blink.

She’d somehow missed her last rent payment and what little savings she’d had, had now dwindled to dust.

Caitlin had her old col ege roommate, Al ie to thank for her current financial crisis. At least partly. Al ie had cal ed last month in a panic, leaving a cryptic message. She’d dropped words like ‘severe pain’ and ‘not getting better’

into the voicemail. When Caitlin tried to phone back, she couldn’t reach her.

After replaying the message a dozen times, Caitlin decided there must have been some kind of an accident.

That could be the only explanation for the brief message and the lack of further contact. Even though she’d recently lost her job, Caitlin had thrown her things into a bag and rushed to the airport. It had been the longest nine-hour flight of her life—and the most expensive.

Caitlin had arrived in Alaska haggard and beyond worried. She’d been so out of it that she’d walked right by Al ie at security. There were no slings, scars, or broken bones visible when her friend stopped her. In fact, Al ie appeared to be in perfect health. Caitlin’s anger over the deception had lasted al of five minutes, before quickly being replaced by relief.

It turned out that Al ie had phoned because she was
heartbroken
…

Heartbroken over the fact that despite there being a ton of single men in Alaska, she hadn’t been able to snag a husband yet. She was convinced that if Caitlin came to help that she would somehow succeed.

As if that was ever a goal worth achieving
, Caitlin thought, then rol ed her eyes.

As the child of multi-divorced parents, who put the capital ‘B’ in bitter, she had learned early on that marriages weren’t worth the paper they were notarized on. Prince Charming didn’t exist. And if he did, she’d tel him to get back on that white steed and move along. This
princess
didn’t want any part of him and she was way past believing in fairytales.

Caitlin had tried to tel Al ie this, but her friend wouldn’t listen to reason. She was convinced the man of her dreams was out there somewhere waiting to be found or worse yet, searching for her. Pathetic! Caitlin shook her head and sighed.

It was more likely that he was somewhere sitting on a couch, scratching his ass, tossing back a few cold ones, while the delightful aroma of beer farts fil ed the air.

Ah, romance…

She glanced once more through the camera lens. The bears were stil frolicking; two bal s of white against a blanket of soft powder, but it no longer mattered since sometime during her musings she’d lost the light. Go figure.

If Caitlin didn’t get some cash soon, she’d have to resort to waiting tables.

She shuddered at the thought. Al ie had given her a

‘worst waitress ever’ ribbon when they were in col ege.

Caitlin had no plans to repeat the experience if she could help it. Nope, she’d just have to come back tomorrow and try again. She wasn’t looking forward to the long hike back to her snowmobile or the freezing twenty-mile ride into town.

It’s either that or camp here. Your choice.

She stared at the endless sea of white.
So not
happening.
Caitlin lifted the camera and put it in the bag.

She’d just zipped it up, when a deep rumbling growl sounded behind her. Her breath locked in her lungs.
It
couldn’t be. She’d kept them in sight the whole time.

The sound came again. This time louder and closer.

The blonde hair on Caitlin’s neck stood on end and she froze too frightened to move, too scared to blink.

Maybe the bear hadn’t seen her yet. Even as the thought crossed her mind, Caitlin knew she’d never be that lucky.

Bears had an exceptional sense of smel . She put her camera bag down and slowly turned to find a thousand pound male polar bear standing twenty-five feet away, panting and watching her.

With her white coat and matching pants and gloves, Caitlin had no doubt he thought she was a chubby oversized baby seal, a delicacy for a polar bear. She knew enough about bears to know there was no way she could outrun him. And the gun she’d brought wasn’t going to do much at this close range, even if she could reach it in time.

She’d never been a good shot on the best of days. Panic wouldn’t help her aim.

He took a step forward, his massive paws making soft crunching noises in the snow. He snorted and lowered his head. Crap! This was not how she’d planned to die. I’m never going to make the cover of a national magazine.

Never going to get my own Discovery show. Never going to get the chance to…
fall in love
.

Caitlin whimpered and scooted deeper into the snow bank, praying it would somehow protect her, but knowing in the end that it wouldn’t. She pul ed her camera bag close to her chest and hugged it. The bear lunged. Caitlin screamed and threw up her hands in front of her face in a pathetic attempt to ward off the attack.

There was a loud thud fol owed by a roar of anger.

Caitlin’s eyes flew open in time to see a silvery white monstrosity flying through the air toward them. Another bear. Oh God, now there were two.

* * * * *

Arctos could stil sense the woman, but he could no longer see her. Had the bear managed to reach her? Was she lying in the snow bleeding to death? She moaned. He felt his two hearts jump into his throat. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the hungry bear that was doing its best to rip his guts out for a chance to eat such a tender morsel.

Too bad. He’d seen her first.

The male bear--though large--was no match for a Phantom Warrior in his prime. Twice as thick and a good half-foot tal er, Arctos was part of the Tooth Clan on Zaron.

His people could shift between bear and wolf-like creatures and disappear at wil . They were the largest of the Phantom Warriors and the fiercest when it came to battle. He didn’t want to hurt the bear, but he would if it didn’t give up and leave its intended prey.

His long claws swiped at the polar bear’s snout, leaving a streak of red behind. The bear grumbled and rose to his hind legs. Arctos did the same in a show of dominance and aggression. The bear bel owed and waited. When Arctos didn’t back down, he dropped to the ground and rushed him in a flurry of teeth and deadly claws.

Arctos braced for impact.

A thousand pounds of bear slammed into him, sending him skidding across the icy snow. Sharp claws connected as the bear turned and attacked with surprising speed.

Warmth trickled down Arctos’ side. He ignored it and kept fighting. There was far more than a meal at stake for him.

Swipe for swipe, they scratched, bit and wrestled with each other. The polar bear stumbled, but came at him repeatedly determined to run him off. Arctos could tel the bear was tiring. It wasn’t moving as fast as it had earlier.

With any luck, it would give up soon and leave. Very few fights ended in death, but Arctos would kil him if necessary.

The male gave up several minutes later, but not before he’d managed to spil more of Arctos’ blood. The bear ambled off, glancing over his shoulder from time to time to see if his perceived rival was stil guarding the food.

Poised for another battle, Arctos watched him go.

Once the thick musk of bear cleared the air, a more familiar coppery odor reached his nose. He glanced down at the crimson snow beneath his feet. It was only then that he saw the claw marks marring his silvery white fur and recal ed the trickle of warmth. Arctos took a step and swayed from blood loss. The wound wouldn’t kil him, but it would definitely slow him down.

He ignored the pain and concentrated on breathing, waiting for his head to clear. The injury wouldn’t completely heal when he shifted back, but at least the transformation would seal the wound enough to stem the bleeding, giving him time to get the woman to safety.

Arctos sucked in a deep breath and prepared to change form. Pain seared his flesh as he temporarily shimmered out of existence. His wound stretched, ripping wider, then quickly knitted together. Naked, Arctos stumbled as he adjusted to his human form once more.

He brought his hand to his tender side. Only the faintest streaks of blood remained. Gone were the deep furrows from where the bear had struck. It would be fine as long as he didn’t put too much strain on the injury.

He closed his eyes and concentrated until his uniform appeared, then turned to check on the woman. She was slumped over like she’d fal en asleep in the snow. Arctos’

hearts pummeled his ribs, when he saw the ugly scarlet stain spreading across her white coat. He’d failed.

The thought was almost incomprehensible. Arctos had never failed at anything in his life. Ever. He’d always been a fiercely fast hunter, one of the best fighters, and a strategic planner. Nothing went unchecked. His safeguards had their own safeguards. He prided himself on his preparedness.

He was always ready for anything.
Almost anything
.

He’d been so focused on the woman and her movements that Arctos hadn’t seen the creature until it was nearly on top of her. He thought he’d reached her in time, but the metal ic aroma swirling in the air told a very different story. He stared at the ever-growing pool of blood in bewildering disbelief. He’d failed her. The woman moaned, snapping him out of inaction.

Arctos pushed his shame aside and rushed forward.

With trembling hands, he brushed a wisp of golden hair out of her face. His breath caught as he released the silken strands.

The woman’s cheeks were pale pink from the cold and so were her lips. The fading color accentuated the tip of her upturned nose and her pointy little chin. Taken separately, her features were nothing to contact the ship about. He’d seen Phantom and Atlantean women who were stunning by galactic standards. Their beauty commanded armies and ruled over kings.

This woman wasn’t like that. She’d
never
be like that.

She was…

Arctos brushed more hair away and looked again.

Taken together, her ‘ordinary’ features formed a rather interesting, some might say intriguing, combination. Strong, yet soft. Foreboding, yet al uring. She drew him in, while somehow remaining aloof.

His fingers hovered over her cheek. Even without touching her, he could feel the heat draining from her supple skin. It wouldn’t be long before her life-force fol owed. He had to get the blood to stop. Arctos curled his hands into fists, then forced them to open. He had to examine the wound.

Arctos found the opening to her clothing and slid the metal down. It hissed in the silence. He peeled the material back and swal owed hard before lifting the shirt beneath.

Claw marks gouged her pale flesh, slicing deep. Humans couldn’t shift and he had no way of closing the wound. Even if he somehow managed, the injury would likely become infected—that’s if she didn’t bleed to death first.

He’d wanted to give her a choice. Heck, he’d wanted to have a choice, when it came to deciding his future, but an Earth beast had taken everything away. The irony was not lost on him. The stain continued to spread. He had to act now or lose her forever. There was only one way that he knew of to save her.

The proposition was risky. If he succeeded, it would change both their lives forever. If he didn’t pass through her, sharing his essence and genetic material, then she’d die for sure. Arctos knew that even if he did there was a chance that she wouldn’t make it. He hadn’t been able to test her to see if she was compatible to mate with a Phantom Warrior.

What if she wasn’t?
He shoved the thought away, refusing to accept it as even a possibility. She had to live.

Arctos concentrated on the woman. “Please forgive me,” he whispered, pressing a chaste kiss upon her lips.

His form shimmered, then faded to nothingness so he could pass through her body and back out again.

The woman’s eyes flew open, storm gray and piercing.

She stared at the sky, her gaze unfocused, then slowly closed her eyes once more. The blood trickled, then stopped. That was a good sign, right?

Arctos nudged her shoulder. The woman didn’t move.

Not a flinch, not a whimper. He frowned. From the rise and fal of her chest, he could see that she was breathing. So why wasn’t she moving? The transference meant that they were partial y bound. Had it somehow failed, too?

Humans were fragile by nature. Women even more so.

The smal est injury could result in a fatality. Fear and panic gripped Arctos for the second time in his long life.

Something inside of him that he never knew existed, threatened to burst. He couldn’t lose her. Refused to lose her.

“You wil not die. Do you hear me?” Arctos ran his hands over her body. Nothing appeared to be wrong other than the now healing bear scratch. Had he missed something? He decided to check again to be sure. At least that’s what Arctos told himself that he was doing as he slowly re-inspected every inch of her.

Definitely not a child.
The inappropriate thought crossed his mind before he could stop it.

He cleaned the blood off using his intense body heat to melt the snow. He didn’t want the stain to frighten her when she awoke—if she ever awoke. Helplessness swamped him. Arctos didn’t know what else to do.

“Live!” The choked command sounded more like a plea.

The woman’s lashes fluttered open. She looked at him and at his hands, which were resting near her breasts, then said, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Arctos jerked his fingers back. “I--” was al he got out before her soft gray eyes crossed and she passed out again. “That went wel .” He shook his head in disgust. He didn’t even catch her name. This was not how he’d envisioned their first introduction to go.

What did you expect? You are a stranger to her and
unworthy of her regard.

He grit his teeth and reached for her. Grateful at least that she was no longer bleeding. Arctos’ muscles clenched as he lifted her and held her against his chest. She was light for a female, barely a wisp of air in his arms. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even notice her. But this situation was turning out to be anything but normal. He closed his eyes.

“Goddess give me strength.” He inhaled.

The sweet musky scent of her skin teased his sensitive nostrils. Arctos forced himself to loosen his hold for fear that he’d bruise her, then readjusted the woman so she sat higher against his body, making it easier for travel. Her warm breath brushed his neck, tickling his ear.

Ignore it. Ignore her. At least until you know she’s truly
okay.

She exhaled again and gooseflesh raced along his spine, settling heavily in his groin. Arctos cursed under his breath. This wasn’t going to work. There was no way he’d be able to travel quickly with her caressing his ear and taunting his body.

He juggled the woman again until she was hanging partial y over his shoulder, then reached down to gather her bag. He glanced at her weapon and quickly dismissed bringing it. As long as she was with him, she wouldn’t need the gun. Guilt settled heavily upon his chest once more. His best efforts hadn’t been enough to keep her safe.

“I wil protect you with my life,” he vowed. “I’l die before I’l al ow anyone or anything else to harm you.” He may have failed her once, but he’d never fail her again.

Arctos turned in a slow circle and extended his senses. Like a beacon of energy crashing upon him, he felt the pulse of the nearby population. Many life-forms resided there. She’d likely come from that town. He locked the location into his mind. “West it is,” he said, and began to walk.