Phantom Warriors: Riot (14 page)

An hour passed before Nina could bring
herself to get up. How was she going to live without Harold? Her
grandfather was her world. Her everything. And now he was gone. She
crossed the room and picked up the envelope. Nina held it to her
nose and inhaled deeply, as if doing so would somehow bring him
inside of her. She tore the envelope open and peered inside. There
was a letter. Her fingers shook as she slid the paper out and
carefully opened it.

Dear Little Deer,

I knew the time was near for me to join our
ancestors. I didn’t tell you because I did not want you to wait by
my side. This is one journey we all have to take alone. Do not be
sad for me, for soon I shall see my precious daughter and your
father. I cannot wait to tell them all about your adventures with
the Great Bear. They will not believe it. Though they’ll
immediately know why he has chosen you. You are truly special. Your
life was magical before, but now you’ve been given the greatest
honor of them all. If you choose to follow the Great Bear into the
sky, know that your ancestors will be waiting for you when it is
your time to come home.

Love,

Grandpa

Fresh tears dropped onto the paper. Nina
gently rubbed the teardrops in, then folded the letter and put it
back inside the envelope. There wouldn’t be any more adventures for
her. She’d given Riot her answer. By now, he was probably on his
way home. Wherever that may be. She glanced out the window at the
sky as the sun dropped below the horizon. She didn’t see Riot. She
didn’t see anything, but her dreams fading before her eyes.

It took a week for the funeral home to get
Harold’s ashes prepared. During that time, Nina buried herself in
work, avoiding home as much as possible. She was at the clinic,
when Sheriff’s Deputy, Rick Hensen stopped by in the afternoon, to
ask her if she knew anything about the deaths of two hunters.

Nina told him about the kidnapping and
promised to fill out a formal report. Rick was shocked and asked
her why she hadn’t come to him for help. She was honest and said
after the last time she didn’t think reports from her would be
welcome. Rick assured her that wasn’t the case and hinted about
them going out on a date once she was feeling up to it.

Nina had only nodded, though she had no
intention of taking him up on his offer. How could she, when her
heart belonged to another?

She left the clinic and headed to the funeral
home. Her grandfather’s ashes had been placed in a plain wooden box
with a screw top lid. It looked like something she might’ve put
spices in, which for some reason made Nina smile. The box
definitely fit Harold to a tee. She thanked the funeral home
Director and tucked the small box under her arm. Nina climbed into
her truck and started the emotional journey to
Kuwah’ hi
,
the sacred mountain known to outsiders as Clingman’s Dome. There
among the highest reaches of the Smokies, Harold would find his
rest.

Nina drove the winding road, climbing higher
and higher into the mountains to reach the spot where the Great
White Bear ruled the spirit world. She couldn’t help but think of
Riot as she neared the top. “I wish that you could’ve met him,
Grandpa. You would’ve really liked him,” she said. “He was huge,
but such a gentle soul.” She downshifted with a thunk, as her truck
protested the climb.

She glanced at the plain box, hoping for a
response, but none came. So Nina continued. “I think I made a big
mistake,” she said. “Riot asked me to go with him and I sent him
away.” Pain blossomed and it took two tries to clear her throat. “I
wish you were here, Grandpa. I don’t know what to do.”

Have faith, Little Deer
.

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not here.
You don’t have to wait on anything, anymore.”

Believe in the Great Bear. Trust in the
stories.

“I do believe in him, but I did reject him,
Grandpa. For most guys, once is enough,” she said, carrying on both
sides of the conversation. Nina knew what she was doing was crazy,
but it did bring her comfort, if only for a little while. Despite
what her ‘
Grandfather’
had told her, Nina didn’t really
think that the Great Bear would return.

He’s not the Great Bear,
she reminded
herself. He’s just
a
great bear.

Nina snorted. Like there were dozens and
dozens of them wandering through the woods. She made the final turn
to reach Clingman’s Dome. The Smokies were living up to their name
today. Earlier it had been sunny, but now low clouds hung in the
sky, crossing over the road in front of her. She slowed her speed
and continued on until she reached a safe spot to pull over. She
chose one of the many lookout locations, then shut off her
engine.

“This is it, Grandpa. The end of the line.”
She brushed loving fingers over the smooth surface of the box and
glanced out the window. The air seemed sweeter up here, somehow
fresher. “You always loved this place for mystical reasons and for
its beauty. I hope you can find peace here. I have no doubt that
you will.” Nina swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. “I will
visit as often as I can. You know that I love you. I’ll always love
you…no matter where I am.” She took off her seatbelt and gently
lifted the box off the seat.

The truck door groaned as Nina opened it. No
one was around thanks to it being low season. Nina walked around
the front of her truck, carrying Harold’s remains with her. The
wind caught her hair, lifting it away from her face. She stared out
over the mountains, drinking in their beauty. “You were right to
pick this place Grandpa. It’s perfect.”

Nina took a deep breath and slowly unscrewed
the top of the box. She held it up to the sky offering Harold’s
remains to the Great Spirit. “Take care of me, please,” she
murmured, then slowly turned the box over. The ashes were
immediately caught by the wind and carried away. Nina watched them
go, her emotions churning with a mixture of happiness and sorrow.
“Bye Grandpa. Godspeed.”

When the ashes were well and truly scattered,
she closed the box and turned to walk back to her truck. It was
then that Nina caught a flash of brown fur, hovering near the
tree-line. Her heart raced with excitement. The brown bear ambled
out of the woods, dashing her spirits once more. It was just a
normal bear. Nina stared at it in disappointment.
What did you
expect? Riot is gone.

The second it caught sight of her, it took
off in the other direction, crashing through the trees. Nina had no
idea how long she stood there, staring after it or why she
bothered, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
It was only when the sun dropped below the mountains that Nina knew
she had to go home.

She placed the box in a litter receptacle and
drove back down the mountain. There was no use keeping it. Harold
wasn’t in it. And she didn’t need it as a reminder that he was
gone. She felt the loss in her bones. Just like she felt the loss
of Riot, though in his case it was a different kind of loss, a
different kind of heartache. Nina had no illusions about both
taking a long time to heal.

It was dark by the time Nina arrived home.
She’d stopped for some fast food to kill time, but it had only
bought her forty-five minutes. She pulled into her driveway and
turned off the key. Nina crawled out of her truck and walked toward
her front door. At first, she didn’t see anything, then the shadows
shifted and she jumped back. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark
well enough to tell who it was, but she could tell the mass was
male.

“Rick, is that you?” she asked. Nina really
wasn’t up to entertaining anyone tonight, especially not Rick.

“No,” the voice growled as anger seeped into
it.

Nina’s heart kicked in her chest. She’d know
that voice anywhere. Was it really possible? Had he come back?
“Riot?” All her hopes and dreams of the future were riding on the
answer to that simple question.

He stepped forward cautiously, almost as if
he were afraid that she’d send him away.

“I was hoping it was you,” she gasped and
rushed up onto the porch.

Riot automatically opened his arms and caught
her.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Nina
said.

“Does that mean that you wanted to?” he
asked.

She looked up into his face and grinned.
“Silly, silly man. How could I not?”

His brow furrowed. “But you sent me
away.”

Nina stepped back and her chin dropped. “I
know. So much was going on. I just couldn’t handle anything else,
including you. You came into my life like a storm, sweeping me up,
making me forget about everything…at least for a little while.”

“I am sorry about your grandfather,” he
said.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“I wanted to leave. Started to. But something
kept me from going. It was you,” he said softly. “I just couldn’t
imagine my life without you.” Riot took a deep breath. “So I stuck
around. Waiting. Watching. Listening to you cry, when all I wanted
to do was rush over and hold you.”

Nina shook her head. “But you didn’t.”

“No, I couldn’t. You needed time to grieve,”
he said. “I know you still need time, but my time is short. I had
to take one more chance before I left for good.”

Nina opened the door to her house and turned
on the light. “Please come in.”

***

Riot’s hearts were hammering in his chest.
What if she rejected him again? What if he’d made a mistake by
coming here? He watched Nina put her purse down on the table. She
played with a stack of mail on the table, straightening an already
neat pile. Was she stalling because she didn’t know what to say to
him? Blood roared in Riot’s ears as something akin to panic
struck.

“I know I am not much to look at,” he said.
“But I vow that I will always take care of you and treat you well.
My fealty normally lies with my King, but I’d gladly transfer it to
you, if you’d find it in your heart to give me another chance and
come with me.”

Nina turned to look at him. She seemed to
search his face. Looking for what, he did not know. It was only
when the light struck her brown eyes that Riot noticed the ring of
red around the outer part of her iris. Elation filled him, but he
quickly stomped on it. She hadn’t given him her answer yet. Until
that happened, he would assume nothing.

Time seemed to run backwards as Riot waited.
Torture, pure torture. He dropped to his knees before her. “Please
Nina, I must have your answer. I do not think I can last another
moment without it.”

Her lips twitched, then spread into a smile.
“Yes!” she said.

“Yes?” he asked, fearing he’d heard her
wrong.

Nina nodded her head. “I said, yes.”

Riot jumped to his feet and pulled her into
his arms. His lips brushed hers, then deepened into a passionate
kiss. His muscles locked as her body softened against him. Riot
wanted to throw her down right here, right now, but there wasn’t
time. He forced himself to let her go.

“Thank you.” Nina had slipped beneath his
defenses, easily dismantling them until all that remained was love.
Their bond would continue to grow and soon there would be two Great
Bears roaming the wilds of Planet Zaron. He couldn’t wait to show
Nina his world and the mountains that existed there.

***

Nina wasn’t sure why he was thanking her, but
she knew she’d made the right decision. There was no doubt in her
mind. Her grandfather would approve. She looked toward her ceiling
and thought of Harold.
Thank you, Grandpa, for bringing him back
to me,
she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“We need to gather your things and go.” Riot
brushed her cheek.

Her eyes opened. “Right now?”

“Yes,” he said.

In the end, it didn’t take long to get her
things together. Nina didn’t want or need much that was left in the
house. She wrote a note to the clinic. The Sheriff’s Department
would eventually find it. Rick would only stay away for so long
before he came looking for her. She wanted to make sure that no one
worried, especially her best friend, Kim. She placed her things by
the door and turned to look at Riot.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

He grinned. “Where else? The sky.”

***

Four hunters had chased the Great Bear into
the sky, but they hadn’t managed to permanently bring him down. Yet
one woman with soft brown eyes and a big heart had slayed him with
a smile.

Riot planned to work hard everyday to keep
that smile on Nina’s face. If he was able to do that, then he’d die
a happy warrior. Until then, he planned to live with his new mate,
love without restriction, and enjoy every moment they shared
together.

Riot held the summons in his hand as he
pushed open the stone doors to enter the Great Hall. He couldn’t
keep the smile from his face, as he strode down the long aisle to
toward the man seated on the crystal throne.

King Eros looked up when he entered, his aqua
blue eyes watching him closely as he approached. A pale brow arched
as he took in Riot’s grin. “I heard your search was successful. I
wanted to see for myself, now that you’ve had time to settle
in.”

Riot dropped down onto one knee. “That it
was, Your Majesty.”

“She must be quite a woman to put up with
you,” he said.

Riot’s grin widened. “That she is.”

“I look forward to meeting her,” the King
said. “Did you have any trouble this time around?”

Riot thought about mashed potatoes. “Not at
all, Sire. Everything went smoothly.”

Eros’ lips twitched. “Is that so?”

Riot met his gaze. “As good as I could hope,”
he said.