by Dianna Love
That had been nice in Justin’s arms.
Couldn’t her bear allow her even a small enjoyment once in a while?
“Can you walk?” Justin asked.
“Yes. Bleeding will stop. I am not fragile woman.”
He just gave her a long look that made her wish he’d tell her what he was thinking, but he didn’t. Instead, he took off his outer shirt, leaving him in a gray T-shirt that showed powerful biceps and forearms.
Her body noticed, and that was not a good thing.
The last time her body noticed a man this way, Elianna had ended up naked, then disappointed when he backed off after seeing her bear.
Justin pulled his shirt around her. “You’re still going to be feeling chills from shock in human form. Let’s put this on you so we can get back to the hotel without being stopped.” He gently eased her arms into the sleeves, then tugged the sides together in front.
He put his arm around her and began walking them back. “Was there another shifter?”
“No. Why?”
“No big deal. Thought I smelled a second one.”
She would have lost to two shifters. What had happened to the other one?
It didn’t matter.
Justin was here and she was thankful for that.
Surprisingly, her bear was being quiet. Elianna silently asked her bear, You sleep now?
Yes.
She didn’t trust her bear. She asked, Why?
Swim sleep. Swim sleep. Happy.
She should have realized her bear had gotten her way after all and gone for a swim. Had her bear been the reason she went flying into the water with that wolf?
Probably.
Mean animal.
Me nice. You mean.
With that last word, her irritating bear finally quieted down and Elianna prepared herself to answer questions. Justin had been understanding out here, but back in the hotel room she had a feeling he was going to be one demanding shifter.
Grizzly shifters, in particular, expected to get their way and have their questions answered.
It should be interesting since she had no intention of shifting or of explaining why she would not.
CHAPTER 11
Justin had never met a pure grizzly with blue eyes.
Elianna had to be grizzly, right?
She couldn’t be mixed blood, could she? She was the alpha’s firstborn daughter. Justin kept Elianna close to him and constantly glanced over to see if she was still holding up.
She’d suffered a vicious clawing. Even if the bleeding had slowed, she would not heal fast unless she shifted.
As soon as he had her stable, he was calling the wolf pack alpha. Someone was going to explain why Elianna had been attacked in what was a guaranteed safe zone. He was known for ruling his land with razor sharp claws.
Back at the hotel, Justin kept her close enough to shield any view of the blood still seeping through her shirt.
Wasn’t she healing at all?
Inside his room, he sat her on the commode seat in the bathroom. He got his shirt off of her and said, “We need to take your blouse off.”
“Go. I can do.”
“If you’re not going to shift, then I have to see to your wound.”
She didn’t budge on the shifting part. Dammit.
He unbuttoned her shirt and worked it slowly off her shoulders. The blood had dried in some places so it meant first soaking a towel to wet the area so he could slowly work the material away from her skin. He wouldn’t have been so nervous working on one of his teammates, but Eli’s skin was delicate.
Her white bra had blood on it. That could be washed out later. Shifters were used to naked bodies, but a woman was a woman. This one had been attacked and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.
He knew she could heal, but seeing her creamy skin raked by claws infuriated him all over again.
Who was that bastard?
Justin slowly cleaned the wound, grinding his jaw teeth every time she flinched. He wanted to pull her to him so he could hug her once more and take some of the misery out of her eyes.
For a princess, she was tougher than he’d thought.
She didn’t make a sound the whole time he cleaned her up, but her lips were pressed together tight and pebbles of perspiration broke out on her forehead.
She was clearly in pain.
Next, she started shivering. Shock had taken its sweet time setting in.
Finished doing all he could to clean the ravaged skin, he was heartened to see the blood seepage had actually slowed.
Now that she was somewhat stable, he spoke quietly. “That’s a nasty clawing. You need to shift and get it healed.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“No explain. Is my decision.”
Why would she fight that?
Trying again, he said, “I know you don’t know me well, but I swear to you that you’ll be safe to shift.”
She looked at him. “You are fine. My bear not ... well behaved.”
Was this a case of a princess who couldn’t control her diva bear?
Could this crap get any worse?
Justin wanted to be pissed, but he considered how she’d seemed fragile earlier, whether she thought so or not, and all she’d been through since being dumped at the dock.
She didn’t know anyone.
Nobody from the Boudreaux Clan had come to meet her, which still bugged him. Not because he wanted to see any of that bunch, but this whole delivery thing just seemed ... off.
Raking a hand over his hair, he assessed his options and said, “Okay, fine, but if you’re not going to shift, you have to eat a hearty meal and help your body heal.”
She lifted those crystal blue eyes to his and really looked at him. “Thank you. I will eat.”
Finally, a win of sorts.
He took a clean towel and folded it up, then placed the pad gently against her shoulder. “If you’ll hold that in place, I’ll have them send up a first aid kit now and the food right behind it.” He had a great kit in his truck, but he was not leaving her.
She put her hand over the towel compression, but covered his fingers as she did. He had leaned close to her and could feel that freaky energy zinging through his fingers and around in his body.
What the hell?
But he couldn’t make himself pull his hand away and break the connection.
This close, he could see flecks of silver in her blue eyes. He’d never seen anything like those eyes on a grizzly bear shifter.
She held his gaze without blinking.
Her tongue slipped out between rosy lips for a second, then disappeared.
Damn, he was getting hard.
She whispered, “Blood will stain towel.”
Like he cared? “It’s not a problem.”
“I do not want make trouble for you.”
Too late. He was staring at trouble with gorgeous blue eyes.
She leaned forward. All he’d have to do is meet her in the middle to kiss her ...
Herc said, Like?
His bear’s voice broke through the fog of sensual heat clouding his brain.
Oh, hell. Justin pulled back and eased his fingers out from under her hand. “Uh, while I make those calls, why don’t you, uh ...”
“I need second bath.”
Yeah, talking about bathing that body wasn’t going to help the fever she’d stirred up in him. Now he had perspiration on his neck.
“Wait for me to bandage your shoulder first. Okay?
“Yes, okay.” She gave him a half-hearted nod.
He backed out of the bathroom and hurried to call downstairs. He offered a tip no one would turn down for the person who showed up in sixty seconds with the first aid kit.
Then he called room service and placed their order, adding more incentive.
A knock sounded at the door as he hung up the phone.
Nothing like motivation.
Justin paid the promised tip, rece
iving an exuberant thank you from the woman who delivered the bandaging kit.
When he walked back into the bathroom, Elianna sat there with her stoic face. He’d get her patched up, a hot bath and some food in her. She should be showing signs of healing by the morning.
She peeked under the towel bandage. “Not much good.”
That kicked him back into motion. “I’ll be the judge of that. If you aren’t going to shift, then I’m the doctor tonight.”
She arched an eyebrow at him and Justin’s chest eased. There was the snappy attitude she’d first displayed. He didn’t want to see a wounded look on that face.
Pulling out all the materials from the first aid kit, he did a job of padding and taping Rory would be proud of, even making sure to tape in different directions to allow her some mobility.
Antibiotic ointment was unnecessary. Shifters didn’t get infected.
When he was satisfied with her shoulder, he kneeled next to the tub and put the plug in, then started the water running.
“What do you do?” She sounded appalled.
Don’t lose your patience with her. She’s tired, hungry and injured.
“I thought you wanted a bath,” he said as he checked the temperature of the water. Should be good.
“I can do.”
“I’m sure you can, but it’s easier for me to do it right now.”
When she didn’t answer, he turned to find her staring at him in shock. “What?”
“You should not do.”
“Why not?” He was dying to hear this answer.
“You are alpha bear. I can tell. You do not serve woman.”
Okay, that floored him.
She didn’t think he should be doing this because he was an alpha? Well, he wasn’t actually an alpha, but as an apex predator he trumped most alphas running packs and clans.
Justin couldn’t explain that he was a Gallize so he tried to make light of it. “Running your bath is sort of an honor, princess.”
Her mouth dropped open until she recovered to say, “I am not princess.” Looking down she said, “Water full.”
What? He swung around and stopped the water in time before the level was too high for her to step into, but he didn’t understand why she denied her birthright.
When he stood to leave, she said, “I am sorry. I do not mean to not appreciate you. I ... please do not call me princess.”
“Okay, I won’t.” He was as confused as a bear with two honeycombs. “Can you manage?”
“Yes, okay.”
“I’ll be right outside the door if you fall.”
“Will not fall. Told you. Am not fragile woman.”
No, she wasn’t, but she seemed wounded in spirit as well as body.
Justin closed the door and walked to the balcony overlooking the bay as he called the local alpha. “Justin here. You’ve got a problem.”
“What problem, bear?”
Were all alphas assholes? This one addressed him the same way the alpha of Clan Boudreaux did. Justin and his buddies used the terms bear, wolf, cat or whatever in the interest of good kidding, but his Louisiana alpha had called him bear as an insult back when Justin had no bear.
Justin ignored the slight and said, “You either have a rogue wolf in your territory or one of yours is not behaving ... wolf.”
This time, the alpha’s voice changed from surly to pissed. “None of my wolves would dare cross me and a rogue knows the price of entering without permission is death. Did you step outside the area I set as a safe zone?”
“No. The body I’m guarding was attacked by a wolf at the Wave Organ.”
Justin waited through three beats of silence then the alpha said, “Where’s the rogue wolf?”
Shit, this wouldn’t go well. “He’s at the bottom of the bay unless he figured out how to regenerate a broken neck and swim to shore.”
“How’d he end up out there?”
“I threw him about thirty yards out.”
“That’s not possible, even for a bear.”
Justin smiled to the empty room. “I can show you how it’s done if you want to donate a wolf.”
“Not funny, bear. If you’d given him to me, I could have found out where he came from. Why’d you kill him before we could get a look at him?”
Because I lost my mind when I saw him attacking Elianna.
Justin said, “I had to get him as far from my client as possible and that seemed like the quickest way. I didn’t have time to hold him until you showed up, during which time humans would have probably come by and noticed all the blood.”
“What’d he look like?”
“It was dark and he wore a black stocking mask. His eyes were more yellow than amber. I saw him maybe two seconds.”
“I can account for every one of my wolves tonight. He had to be a rogue. I’ll put my wolves out immediately to track any scent left and they’ll bring me an answer. It may not be immediately, but I will know who defied me.”
This guy hadn’t asked the condition of Justin’s injured patient, but that fit his ruthless reputation. Justin could call the Guardian and let him arrange for the alpha to make amends, but he decided on a better idea.
Justin suggested, “If you’d let me know who it was when you find out, we can consider this situation satisfied.”
He must have surprised the alpha, because the wolf’s tone changed again to one more congenial. “I’ll let you know as soon as I have an identity, Lebeau.”
I rank being called by my last name now, huh?
Someone tapped at the door as Justin ended the call. His nose told him room service waited to get in.
He checked the hole and opened the door. “Smells good.”
“Would you like me to set up the food on your table?”
“Sure.”
As the young man wheeled his cart across the floor, he glanced around. “My order noted two place settings. Will you need more?”
Justin smothered a chuckle. He’d ordered enough for four husky men, because he and Elianna had expended a lot of energy and shifters ate plenty.
He was concerned about her more than himself.
For a human, it would appear to be too much for two, but Justin covered by saying, “I’m a big guy. I get hungry during the night. You can just set up two places and leave the rest on the cart for now.”
His server finished placing a small vase with flowers in the middle of the table and turned to Justin with a professional expression that hid any surprise. “Yes, sir.”
Justin scribbled his signature on the guest check and handed the guy a cash tip. “Thanks for getting this delivered quickly.” He locked the door behind the happy server.
The bathroom door opened an inch. “I need clothes.”
Damn. He’d overlooked that one small detail. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.” It took him less than thirty seconds to access her room via the connecting door.
He appreciated the expedience of having her case packed and no clothes lying around, but it seemed odd that she had left the case ready to go.
Placing the worn out luggage next to his bathroom door, he didn’t tap on it since he knew she could hear every sound. “Your bag is outside the door and I’ll be over at the table. Our food is here.”
“Yes. Good smell.”
He smiled. Food might just be the way to this little bear’s heart.
He had to stop thinking that way.
She was a client. Why was that so difficult to program into his mind?
At the table, he kept his back to the bathroom. Everything had been duplicated, so he lifted two of the four silver lids covering the food on the table, enjoying a whiff of each one.
Rare, thick-cut steak with baked sweet potato plus brown sugar and butter. Moving the other covers revealed asparagus and sautéed spinach.
He scrunched his nose, but had ordered the greenery because some women liked green stuff on their plate. The last lid had hidden two slices of some dessert he couldn’t pronounce, but the
description sounded like chocolate fig honey cake. And they had a basket piled high with honey biscuits.
He’d never known a grizzly or any other brown bear that didn’t have a sweet tooth.
If that didn’t do it, the other silver covers protected grilled fish.
At the sound of the bathroom door opening, he stilled, trying not to move too quickly around her.
When he turned, he really meant to check out her shoulder first, not the way her tank top clung to her curvy body or those workout pants covered sweet hips. She’d twisted her wet hair into some kind of knot women created with a stick.
It was probably not called a stick, but the thing was five inches long, thin and pointy.
A plastic stick.
When his eyes finally made it to her face, blue eyes too large for that face hid some dark thought.
Was she angry with him? Why?
She was the one who went strolling around in a strange city after he’d told her to wait for him.
“Hungry?” That was the only thing Justin could come up with to break the silent standoff.
“Yes.”
He had to get more than one-word answers of out her or tomorrow would be the longest day of his life, stuck in a car with someone who he was starting to think really might not like him.
That was the rub.
Women liked him. A lot, dammit.
She stepped toward a chair and Justin moved quickly to pull it out.
See? I’m a good guy. He smiled.
She frowned at him, shook her head at something she didn’t share and started for another chair.
What the devil? “Eli.”
“What?”
“I’m pulling the chair out for you.”
She stared at the chair, then him. “Why?”
What kind of men had she been around? She was a freaking princess. Didn’t they treat her like a queen? “It’s what we do here. At least, men who treat a woman properly will pull out the chair.”
Again she looked embarrassed, then accepted the chair. “Sorry.”
Wanting to loosen her up, Justin joked, “No problem, but it does make me wonder about the manners your alpha’s men are taught.”
She answered offhandedly. “I am sure they are nice to women they like.”
Justin studied her reply, trying to understand it.
He mulled over “women they like.” That sounded like they didn’t care for her, which raised the question why?