Bearliest Catch by Bianca D'Arc

the boat. “Jetty! Get everyone down flat on the deck. I’m going
to do something dangerous.”
    Damned if Jetty didn’t grin at him. “Thanks
for the warning.”
    “Hey, I promised, didn’t I?” He sent her a
wink, loving that she was as adventurous as him.
    Calling on all the strength of his bear, he
heaved the remnant of the massive anchor chain around his
shoulders, having released it from its tether to the boat
completely. Now he had a heavy length of chain he could use to keep
the leviathan busy while they beat a retreat—if he could find the
strength to wield it as he planned.
    Drew chanted a prayer for strength, digging
deep into the things his mother had tried to teach him about his
innate magic and the power of the Goddess. He knew the Mother of
All would be his ally against the forces of evil, and the creature
waving its tentacles around wildly above the surface of the water
as it searched for the injured mer was definitely evil.
    He chanted as he began to slowly swing the
chain, letting out slack as the massive links whistled through the
air. He’d climbed to the top of the wheelhouse to get the maximum
clearance. He’d have one shot at this—if that. A million things
could go wrong with this plan, but he only needed to buy time for
their escape.
    He prayed as he’d never prayed before and
waited for his moment, swinging the huge chain with greater and
greater velocity. His concentration was total. He had to tie up as
many tentacles as possible with his one and only throw. The longer
the monster had to mess with the chain, the longer they’d have to
make their escape.
    Time slowed. All sound paused. The golden
moment came, and Drew knew the exact moment to release the chain.
It spun out from his hands, twisting and turning as it flew to its
target.
    Only when it hit, wrapping around every
tentacle that showed above water—which were too numerous to
count—did time start up again. There was no time for triumph. Drew
had to get his precious cargo out of there with all possible
haste.
    He jumped off the roof of the wheelhouse,
thanking the Goddess as he went, for Her aid. He’d felt Her with
him, guiding him, lending him Her magnificent strength. He’d had a
spiritual moment up there, on top of his boat, but he didn’t have
time to savor it. Later, he promised himself. Later, he’d examine
what had happened. Maybe talk it over with his mom. Try to figure
out what it meant.
    Right now, he had to get them the hell out of
Dodge.
    He somersaulted into the wheelhouse, finding
Jetty already there. She gunned the throttle when he gave the nod,
and together, they steered them away from the leviathan, heading
straight for the safety of the wards surrounding Grizzly Cove.

Chapter Seven

    Jetty moved back and turned over the running
of the boat to its master. She only knew the basics. Andrew was the
expert here, and she deferred to his skill.
    He’d been absolutely amazing to this point.
She doubted anyone else could have gotten them out of such a tight
spot. She kept glancing out the window, watching the leviathan grow
smaller as it remained stationary, struggling with the massive
anchor chain that Andrew had somehow managed to toss as if it were
made of plastic.
    She knew shifters were strong. Bears were
probably among the most powerful of the land-based shifters, but
this was something even she hadn’t expected. She’d have to ask him
how he managed it, but she sensed the answer was going to be
something rather esoteric. Just for a moment there, while she’d
watched him swing that incredibly heavy chain, she saw a magical
glow about his person. A sacred glow.
    She knew his mother was a priestess. Maybe a
little of that had rubbed off on her son? Stranger things had
happened. She’d just witnessed some of the strangest events of her
life, in fact. At this point, she’d be seeing unicorns and dragons
next.
    “How are you holding up?” she asked him
quietly, knowing he was expending a lot of magical