by CK Dawn
His face was as striking as any god I had ever known. Only, he was no god. I assumed was a mortal man, cursed by one of my vindictive counterparts to live out his life as a beast. He must have scorned someone pretty badly.
His fur softly grazed against my outer leg as he crawled alongside me, using his forearms to pull his lower body. My arrow had gone deep into his thigh, but he was handling the pain better than I would expect even an immortal could do.
“What am I doing?” he demanded. “What are you doing? Or should I ask what are you?” Even though his physical form had left me slightly perplexed, it didn’t stop me from being instantly entranced by the animalistic look in his eyes. Brilliant white and blue rays swirled as the sunlight glinted off his irises. A hunger set in at the corners of his narrowed lids, and I couldn’t be sure if he wanted to consume me or to ravage me.
“If I tell you, I might have to kill you.” A halfhearted smirk curled at the outer edges of his mouth. “You don’t belong here. This town is not for humans.” He grunted into his words as he came to rest beside me.
This was the closest I had ever come to a mortal man. We were near enough that our noses almost touched.
“Human? You think I am human?” The concept was laughable at best.
He sniffed the air between us. “I know you are not of my kind. Your scent is uniquely unfamiliar though. Maybe not human.”
“What is your kind exactly? Are you a bear or a man?” My fallen companion, Callisto, was the only human I had ever known to become a bear, and she was looking down on us from the night sky.
“I am a very injured bear shifter. Clearly, you are not from around here. The most confusing part of your presence is your attire. It might be summer here in Callisto Falls, but it’s still not warm enough to be dressed like that. Even if it was, that is not appropriate hunting attire.” His eyes dragged over the length of my body as he sucked in a quick breath.
I gazed down and saw nothing wrong with the thin straps of leather covering my breast. They kept the heart of my femininity out of sight. I knew not to tempt those around me. Not to mention the stretch of my hair covered a great deal of my flesh as it flowed down over the globes of my backside.
“Did you say Callisto Falls? Did you know Callisto?” What I was wearing didn’t matter as much as the fact that I had landed in the center of a town named Callisto Falls.
“Ha ha.” Half laughing and half groaning, he shifted to answer my question. “No. She is just a myth, not a real person. I have never even known anyone to go by that name.
“People say our kind hails from the first of the bear shifters, Callisto, but I think that story falls into the same kind of category as Adam and Eve being the first humans. Is it true? Maybe, but I am the kind of guy that needs facts, not ancient stories. Besides, it doesn’t really matter to me how we got here. We are here now.”
“A friend of mine went by the name Callisto. I don’t think she visited the likes of this place.” I mused over the possibility that, somehow, she had gone to Earth. I doubted she’d done so without my knowledge or permission. “Anything is possible though, even if it is not probable. For example, you being a bear shifter.”
He tipped his head as his lips twisted. It seemed confusing to him that I would find a bear shifter to be unlikely. If only he had an idea of my true nature, he would be even more dumbfounded.
There we were, chatting it up, when he must have been in a tremendous amount of pain. Pushing my hands into the ground, I turned my body to come up and sit on my.
“We better take a closer look at your injury. If we don't get you cleaned up and bandaged, you could bleed out or get a detrimental sickness in your leg.”
“This isn’t the first time I have been shot, albeit this may be the first arrow I have taken. I’m not that worried about it. Let me tell you, though, it hurts like hell.” He pressed up on one elbow as he slid his other hand down around his still fur-covered thigh, keeping his body turned in a way that I couldn’t see his manhood.
“Where are your clothes?” It made sense he didn’t have any on. Whoever saw a bear wearing a tunic? “And are you only half bear right now?”
“I think the injury is hindering my shift, but I didn't press because there is something more decent about being a naked bear than a naked man in front of an unfamiliar female. I would never want to be disrespectful or indecent.”
“That can’t be comfortable, being caught between forms. Let me help you get to safety. It is the least I can do. Do you reside close by?”
“My cabin is a short distance from here. I like living in the more remote part of town. I feel most comfortable in my animal form while roaming the wilderness. Out here, there is no one to judge me or annoy me out here.” He sighed. “Can you assist me on the walk back? That is if you promise not to shoot me, or any of the other innocent animals.”
“Most animals are safe in my presence. I actually am here to hunt for a stag. He doesn’t belong here. I do not intend to do him harm. I need to return him to his home. Did you happen to see a golden-horned stag roaming these parts of the woods?”
Holding my breath, I awaited his response. Deep down, I prayed he was not one of the mortal earthlings in Callisto Falls hunting my Ceryn. I wasn’t sure if I could allow him to go on if he was a threat to what belong to me.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen or heard anything about such a creature. It is possible you are chasing an urban legend. A deer with golden horns sounds far-fetched to me.”
I tossed my long, raven hair over my shoulder and tipped my chin up to him. “Humph.”
“Are you going to help me or leave me here to rot in the middle of the woods?” he asked as he attempted to get to his feet.
My small hands laced around the thickest part of his bicep, and I helped lift him off the forest floor, letting much of his weight press against me.
His head bobbed back as his gaze met mine. “Woman, you are strong. I don’t know where you are hiding those muscles in that sleek frame of yours, but it would have been a chore for a man of my own stature to lift me with such ease.”
I could tell by the way his eyes dragged over me that he was trying to figure me out. My strength alone would be enough to give away my true nature. The physical fortitude I possessed was fair compare to the other gods and goddesses, but on Earth, my abilities were unrivaled.
“It’s no big thing. Is it wise for you to be walking around like that? I should think it better to be a bear or a man, not both at the same time. You are putting yourself in danger on the off chance there is another human out here. Even though you made it clear that, normally, humans aren’t in these parts, I find that hard to believe. Humans are everywhere on Earth, and they love to destroy what they don’t understand.”
“There is truth in that, but you say ‘on Earth’ as if you are from another planet. Is that why you are so different? Are you an alien?” He rolled his eyes as he winced and bounced a finger at me.
“Yup, that’s me, an alien. Are you sure you are going to be able to walk?” I hadn't had a problem getting him to his feet. I probably could have carried him back to his cabin, though I thought it unnecessary to reduce his manhood—especially after I’d already shot him in the leg.
“I can manage to limp with your help. It should only take us about five minutes to get there.” He turned to look at me as I slid my arm under his. “You are also much taller than I expected. Please, I don’t mean any disrespect, but you are one hell of a woman. Tall, strong, fearless, and breathtakingly stunning…. And that is just after a few minutes of observation.”
His admiration for me under the pretense that he didn’t know who or what I truly was ignited something inside of me. My belly seemed to somersault with the desire to impress him more, but with who I was and not what I was.
Being blindly followed and respected by someone was on a way different level than having earned it. I couldn’t recall a time that I’d even had the opportunity to earn someone's high regards. Shooting someone in the leg wa
s the last way I’d expected to be able to get to that level.
“I will take it as a compliment, for now, since I do not expect your intentions are anything but virtuous in nature.” I would accept nothing less of a man in my presence. Had he intended those comments as an unwelcome advance on me, I would have been forced to strike him down on the spot. It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d needed to put a male in his place.
A brisk walk back would have been nice, but his injury slowed us down. Still, we made good time back to his cabin, despite him taking strides with one fully working leg. His home sat nestled between an enclosure of tall pine trees—the frame built out of what I imagined were local logs. A small front porch with two rockers and a small table on it welcomed our arrival.
In my opinion, it was a miracle that we managed to get back to his home without being seen by anyone else. Even if he did live in a community of other bear shifters, which I still had to question the possibility, seeing me with him would have left a lot of unanswered questions that I don’t think either of us would have been keen on answering.
“The door should be open.” He grunted as he hopped up the three steps to the front porch.
I took that as a sign that he expected me to go ahead and open it for him. Releasing my grip, I moved to the door and turned the knob.
I didn’t know what to expect, and I hadn’t considered all the possible outcomes of spending time in a mortal’s home. Humans, or shifters in this case, lived much differently than the likes of us up in Olympus. His home was modest at best, with simple furnishings and sparse decorations. I was accustomed to more lavish accommodations to say the least.
As we crossed the threshold, I slid my arm back around him. “Now that we are here, you should let me help you remove that arrow properly. I wouldn’t want you doing more damage than necessary. I have been hunting since I was a child and have plenty of experience with hunting accidents, although, this was the first time it was by my hand.”
“Okay, kitten. I can manage to the couch. I will need you to go get my first aid kit. It is in a white tackle box under the sink.” Pointing over his shoulder to a small hall with three doors, he added, “Middle door is the bathroom.”
“Why on earth would you call me kitten? I am no kitten.” Clicking my tongue, I stared at him.
“Perhaps I should say wild cat. You’re like a panther. I imagine you and your midnight hair crouching down, waiting for your prey. Ferocious and deadly enough to kill, but beautiful enough to watch all day long.” His voice sounded more strained and raspy than before.
I could live with that description. Comparing me to a domestic house cat’s baby was not as flattering as that. The Egyptian goddesses—and I use the term lightly since they were nothing more than mortal royalty—may have held the cat in high regard, but I admired a wild bear or boar much more. And my golden-haired stags the most.
“I got it.” When I came back into the living area, his head was tilted back against the sofa. I realized we had not exchanged names, and I didn’t know what to address him by.
I dropped the white box onto the short, wooden table his leg rested on. A pool of blood soaking the rug beneath him.
“Are you still with me?” Shit, I can’t have lost him. Maybe I should have carried him back without regard for my anonymity. “I have your first aid kit.”
No response.
Shit. Taking a life that wasn’t mine to take had not been on my agenda. Of course, I had the power to heal him completely, but I couldn’t do something like that without disclosing what I was capable of.
“Please tell me you are resting or have just passed out.” I moved around to the front of the couch and gently slid my fingers along his stubbled jaw. More of his fur had subsided, but that didn’t mean he’d lost any of his masculinity.
Still, I received no response to my voice or my touch. I needed to get to work on his leg, but I also needed to make sure he was still breathing. Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear to see if he could hear me before situating my cheek against his nose to feel for his breath.
Nothing!
Why did a sudden surge of panic come over me? What did I have to worry about? He was just another mortal with a low life expectancy—one who was slowing me down. He certainly wasn’t someone I could pretend to fall in love with or who I could make fall in love with me. He was a bear, and I was a goddess—though he thought I was human.
He’d made it pretty clear that humans were not very welcome in Callisto Falls. So, it was doubtful he’d see one as potential for romance. Helping him needed to happen and happen quickly so I could get on my way.
A simple brush of my lips against his—that was all it would take to bring him back to full speed. One breath of mine would be enough to supply him with a lifetime of vitality. Careful not to bang into the arrow's shaft, I braced my hands against the back of the red and plaid cushions on either side of him.
I hadn’t kissed a man of this world or my own in eons. I had been a young woman the last time. My eyes fluttered shut as my heart began to thump like a rabbit. His scent filled my nose as my lips neared his. He smelled of a mix of pine and fresh winter snow, and it made me want to spread my arms out and dance in the falling flakes.
With his mouth already slightly ajar, it would be easy for me to expel enough of my breath to revive him and then some. My lips pressed against his. Heat flared up, burning the apples of my cheeks. The soft lusciousness of his mouth had me lingering longer than I needed to.
Even though he was unconscious, and it was by no means a kiss, his lips were inviting. So much so that I flinched back at the sound of his moans.
However, that slight, jarring movement was nothing compared to the way I nearly jumped off the floor when I heard the front door swing open.
Four
“What the hell is going on here?” the woman rushing at me shouted.
I was tempted to shoot her with my bow for speaking to me in such a manner until I saw the swell of her belly. I would never strike down a woman filled to the brim with more life than her own.
I had seen more women and animals through their pregnancy than all the stars in the sky. Although I couldn’t respect them all for how they’d wound up pregnant or blame the many who had been impregnated without consent, I still envied them for being able to give the gift of life.
“Who the hell are you and what did you do?” She pushed against my chest and swarmed the man on the couch.
How could I have, even for two seconds, been enticed by his magnetism when he has a woman? A female that is carrying his seed. I took a step back, feeling foolish for the first time in my life.
“Xander!” Her eyes darted between his leg, the pool of blood on the floor, and me as she kneeled on the sofa beside him. “Xander, answer me. Are you okay?”
“He will be, if you let me finish tending to him.” My voice was as cool and as clam as it could be. I didn’t intend to offend her or become the target of her vengeful heart.
“Help him? How were helping him? It looks to me as if you were trying to seduce him while he was rendered unconscious. Who does that?”
“Me!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, you. You are nearly naked and you had your lips pressed against his. Who are you anyway?” She felt the top of his forehead and then grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse.
“I will have you know I was doing no such thing. Xander was injured in the woods. I helped him back here and was about to remove the arrow from his leg.”
The accusation offended me greatly. I am no trollop. I take great pride in my chastity and my commitment to protect other women, not only all over Earth but also on Olympus.
Shaking her head, she demanded, “What on earth were you even doing in the woods dressed like that. This isn’t Halloween. And I know for a fact there is not, nor has there ever been, a cosplay event anywhere near Callisto Falls. I guess you could work at the After Dark gentleman's club. Still, that wouldn't explain why you were in the woods wea
ring a leather bikini like a wood gnome or fairy.”
Examining her attire and comparing it to my own, I realized she was dressed more conservatively, in a long dress like shirt that hung over her full belly and some kind of stockings or tight pants under that. Only her wrists and ankles were exposed. I, on the other hand, had much of my flesh exposed for the eyes to feast on. In Olympus, clothing was not an issue. Many sauntered around with nothing on at all. We were not ashamed of the human body.
That didn't negate the need and hunger for all things sensual and sexual many experienced. The gods had always had an appetite for the many pleasures in life—be it bodies sliding all over each other, rich and exotic foods, or lavish clothes and textiles. We were an indulgent bunch of beings.
“Perhaps, you are right. My attire is not the most befitting, but I can assure you I am not employed at any After Dark club. I just like to hunt and feel as if I am one with my environment. An overabundance of clothing restricts that for me.”
“That is exactly why I like to hunt and roam in my bear form whenever possible.” Xander grunted as he leaned forward.
I stepped forward to aid him, but a quick glower of the woman's eyes stopped me in my tracks.
“Xena, it is okay. She really is here to help me, and I wouldn’t have made it back to the cabin without her.”
“Great! So, your job here is done then. I can take care of it from here. I trust you can find your way back to whatever tree you crawled out of? Uhh…” Her hand pressed into her side as her face scrunched up, her eyes never leaving mine.
“You should sit and get your feet up.” I ran to her and held her by the elbow, directing her into the soft and fluffy chair situated beside the sofa. I could have sat her down next to Xander, but I still needed room to work on his leg.
“Xena, I keep telling you that you shouldn’t be working still. I moved back here to help you so you wouldn’t have to do this to yourself.” He sat up and reached forward to grab the first aid kit.
“Xena, your children will be born any day now. You should be taking it easy and allowing your body to prepare for the work it needs to do.” To say “days” was being generous. She would be lucky if she made it another twenty-four hours.