Bears of Burden: HUTCH

by Candace Ayers

  Mira’s stomach dropped. “Damn, what's going on?” She stared off in the direction of the sound, her limbs trembling.

  A split second later, all she could see was red. Red along her hands, on the ice picks she pulled out to defend herself, even the snow before her was stained with red. Reeling back a step, she blinked rapidly, and the image faded. Mira cursed under her breath and looked around frantically. Her pulse in her ears was a deafening throb. No, no, she couldn’t have a panic attack. Not here. Not now. But, as hard as she tried to fight it, the image returned—crimson everywhere as if the only thing she could see was blood.

  Mira leaned over, taking a scoop of snow and lowering her scarf. She put some in her mouth, hoping the sharp cold would bring her focus back again. Moving her scarf back into place, she raised her head, and froze. Before her, a handful of wolves stood, ears laid flat along their skulls and fangs bared in a warning.

  “Get out of here! Go!” Her words were sharp, and she brandished her ice picks swinging them threateningly towards the wolves. The movements, however, did little to intimidate them. The wolves snarled, their hackles raised and skulked forward. Mira's heart beat frantically, her grip tightening on her picks.

  How could this be? How could she find herself in such danger here, in her special place? A strangled sound left her lips as she felt a sharp pain penetrate her thigh. Her reflexes were quick, and she smashed the blunt end of her pick into the wolf's head. It released her leg as it let loose a yelp and backed away a few feet. Mira's eyes teared but not from the physical pain of the bite. She had dealt with blows from Jeremy, but this pain, this pain was an extreme betrayal. Here was the one place she could go to lose herself, the one place that allowed her to paste bits of her shattered soul back together piece by piece. Her own sanctuary. These beasts were stripping her lifeline from her. Tears of anger fell from her eyes clouding her vision.

  Her picks caught only air as she swung wildly at the advancing wolves. A choked, strangled sound left her lips, a loss of hope. She could just make out the form of a wolf as it jumped into the air and lunged at her. Then, through her blurred vision, she saw it batted aside as if it were a weightless pup. A mass of black fur was in front of her then, and her nostrils were filled with a warm scent of fur and sage with an odd coppery tinge. Mira felt her legs give out from under her, and she could sense herself falling as her eyes locked with the large, vivid, golden-hued eyes of a huge black wolf. She was struck by how much larger and stronger this one looked than the other wolves, and how she would make a tasty meal for it.

  A second later, as her vision blackened, and the cold of the snow and wind seeped into her bones, she uttered a small prayer that she would die a painless death. Then, unconsciousness overtook her.

  Chapter 4

  They dared to attack a human in his territory? No, there was no excuse for it. Cade smashed aside a wolf with a backhanded swipe, his clawed paw flexing in annoyance as he glared at the wolves that had congregated around the woman. He was already pissed from the asshole humans poaching game for sport on his land, now this.

  The wolves were clearly surprised to see him appear, and they instantly became submissive pups before him. Pack mentality dictated the strongest and the wisest lead. Cade was both. Cade commanded the utmost respect. However, they were all very hungry and the wolf who had been cast aside had gotten a taste of human blood. Its spirit wasn't quite broken so easily. A gruff snarl was heard, the group of dark gray wolves reluctantly surrounded Cade and formed a barrier. One wrong movement and they would launch forward, attempting to shred him to pieces. They weren't afraid to work for their meal.

  But, Cade expected as much. An infuriated roar of a challenge left his muzzle. Cade swiped those crude, strong claws of his against the face of an advancing wolf, then turned quickly to knock another wolf away that lunged for the back of his neck. The next, the one that had a taste for human flesh, dove for the woman lying unconscious at Cade's feet, a backhanded swipe sent it sprawling away yet again.

  The group froze again around the werewolf, unable to find an opening and certainly not ready for his counterattacks. Cade launched forward, his sharp teeth closing with a snap onto the alpha wolf’s neck, a quick jerk and the creature went limp. Nostrils flaring, Cade turned back and glared at the rest of the wolves, but the fight had left their eyes.

  By pack right, Cade was the new alpha. A sharp snort escaped and Cade growled once, his wide chest swelling with intense warning. Leave. Just that one deep, guttural growl was all it took before the rest of the pack tucked their tails between their legs and scattered. The wolf that had previously bitten Mira hesitated a moment, longing for another taste of her blood, but flinching at the guttural sound from Cade's throat. Taking pity on the wolf, Cade growled quietly. The wolf's ears perked up. A fresh moose kill? At the promise of fresh meat, the wolf turned tail and ran, leaving the werewolf with the human.

  Cade’s gaze scanned the woman’s body, seeing the crimson snow around her leg. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. He would have to take care of her. There was no way that he could just drop her off at the nearest hospital, which was 40 miles away. Besides, his clothes had been shredded in the unexpected change, so he would either be travelling as a large black male wolf, or a large naked male human. No, he really didn’t have a choice. He would have to take her to his home and allow her to stay, but only for as long as it took her injury to heal sufficiently. Once she could walk, he would see her on her way.

  Cade carefully scooped the woman up, feeling her weight and appreciating how her soft curves pressed into his body. A small shudder coursed through him and instantly, a feeling of calm replaced his annoyance. Inhaling her scent through her clothing, he smelled fresh berries, maybe her soap or shampoo? He also smelled the coppery sweetness of her blood that had begun to dry along her thigh. He tossed her over his shoulder and moved over to his felled doe. Grasping it by the hooves, he tugged it behind him as he walked carefully back to his home.

  The woman did not even stir on the way back to the house. Cade stopped to listen to her breathing every now and then to ensure that she was still deeply asleep. Her face had been so pale. He would have to close that wound up quickly.

  It took about ten minutes for Cade to arrive back at his home, a huge sprawling chalet-style mansion, three levels total. He left the kill outside to be butchered later. He froze as Mira suddenly shifted in his hold. His golden eyes looked down at her cautiously, and she winced briefly before going limp again. He hurried to his bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. As he examined the bite, he gritted his teeth at the severity. Careful to not wake her, he gently unbuckled her pants, slid the zipper down swiftly and carefully worked them off of her hips, a quiet moan of discomfort from Mira giving him pause and making him go stock-still for a moment. Seconds later, he worked the pants all the way off and inspected her leg more thoroughly.

  Luckily, it didn’t appear that she’d need stitches, but the wound certainly needed to be disinfected. He collected the necessary first aid materials along with a robe for her to wear. When he removed the rest of her clothing, he was surprised to feel his own body reacting with excitement to her supple, curved form lying nearly bare on his bed. It had been a very long time since he’d had that type of reaction to any woman and it caught him a bit off-guard. He felt the heat of arousal course through his veins.

  Cade shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts and return them to the task at hand. He noticed a locket on her chest. It was none of his business, but curiosity about his houseguest got the better of him, and he carefully opened it half expecting to find the face of a husband or a lover. Instead, he saw an older version of the woman lying in his bed. Even for a human, the woman in the picture looked regal. He guessed her to be his houseguest’s mother or grandmother.

  Perhaps his unexpected guest had no significant other. He studied her features. She was beautiful, like a goddess. A brief thought flickered through his mind. What would it feel like to wrap his arms
around her in an embrace, or feel her resting her head on his chest, or lying underneath him as he made her cry out in pleasure...? He felt a tightening in his groin at the thought.

  “Get a hold of yourself, idiot,” he mumbled aloud in frustration. But, in the back of his mind, he was fully aware that somehow, for some reason, this woman had felt—right in his arms, and now right on his bed. A moan of discomfort came again in her sleep. He panicked a moment, not sure how he was going to explain this situation to her, but in a second or two, the rhythm of her breathing returned to normal. He took advantage of the fact that she was in a deeper state of unconsciousness to cleanse the wound.

  Cade gingerly poured hydrogen peroxide on the bite marks, watching it fizz, but keeping his focus on her body movements. She was still out cold, thank god. He spread antibiotic numbing ointment along the marks next, and gently wrapped the wound in gauze.

  For someone who was as repelled by humans as he was, Cade couldn’t understand his attraction to this woman. He couldn't help but stare at her body as she lay resting. He watched her sleep. Yes, she was a goddess. Her previously furrowed brows were smoothing out now, and her lips parted lightly as she breathed. She was still pale, but Cade was confident that she would be able to heal from the damage quickly.

  As he studied her, he was reminded of another reason that he liked women with thicker bodies. Besides the softness of their curves, they were far tougher and more resilient. He didn't have to worry about being extra gentle lest they snap like a twig. Cade imagined his hands grasping the softness of her hips as he ground his erect cock into her until he saw her eyes roll back in ecstasy. His body flooded with heat again, and he stifled the growl that tried to escape from his chest. He shouldn't be thinking like this; she was human. He should have felt disgusted, but disgust was the farthest thing from his mind as his eyes were drawn again and again to her curvy form. He watched how her chest rose and fell with every breath. He inhaled the scent of the warm juices at the junction of her thighs. Christ, he was acting like a damn pervert.

  He forcibly pushed aside those feelings and tenderly dressed the woman in one of his warm terry cotton robes. He carefully tied the belt and made sure that she was as well covered as possible, resisting all temptation except one. He allowed himself to lean his head down slightly and inhale the scent of her neck. Maybe that was a bad choice since he nearly brushed his tongue along her flesh before he stopped himself.

  After he’d moved her gently towards the top of the bed so that her head rested on the pillow, and tugged the covers over her body, a wry laugh escaped his lips. He was so used to living alone, he hadn’t even realized that he was still stark naked. It would probably not be a good idea for her to awaken to a naked stranger staring at her in her sleep, especially since his shaft had been rock-hard since he had undressed her. That would most certainly not make a good first impression, and Cade was a little surprised to realize that he definitely wanted to make a good impression. In fact, he found himself hoping that once she regained consciousness, the two of them could get to know one another bit before she left.

  As he pulled some clothes out of his drawers, his eyes darted to the window. Those clouds in the sky, that was a bad sign. They were still off in the distance, but with the wind direction and speed, those blackened clouds could easily cause a severe storm in the area. He wouldn’t be able to let her leave until he was certain the storm wouldn’t strand her out on the mountain somewhere in the cold. Wonderful. Along with dealing with her wrath once she found he had stripped her down, he would have to explain that she couldn't leave yet, either. Cade let out a heavy sigh, glaring at the sky.

  Tonight just wasn't going to be his night, was it?

  Or, was it?

  Chapter 5

  Mira did not want to wake from her dream. It was so soothing, the feeling of resting atop a cloud but wrapped securely in someone's arms. It was a feeling of safety that she had longed for, but hadn’t felt in quite some time. This dream seemed to stretch on with subtle sensations like fingers brushing along her thighs, tickling at the backs of her knees, a sensual experience that left her feeling highly aroused.

  Mmmm… those feather-soft touches soothing her body, that slow ache building in her belly, her breathing was slow and deep, body quivering slightly with those gentle caresses along her frame, like a tender promise. A quiet little moan slipped past her lips, her head rolled to the side and a light sheen of sweat began to form along her skin. Rolling over, she crushed the wound on her leg, sending a sharp, shooting pain through her and causing her eyes to blink open. She uttered a curse before sitting straight up, looking around the room quickly, and blinking in alarm. A tremor of fear coursed through her. This wasn't home. Where was she?

  She winced and gripped her head, a flash of images racing through her consciousness, the foremost being the reason her leg hurt. Wolves. But, there were no wolves in sight here. It took another moment to figure out that she was out of her clothing. Panic raked through her. Her heart lurched into overdrive and she felt nauseous. Of course, this wasn’t the first time since “the incident” that she had awoken to a feeling like this. She was quite terrified at the moment, and felt a pulling at her thigh. Mira looked around quickly, trying to find something to use as a weapon. She noticed her clothes neatly folded on the side of the bed. A curious thing to do if someone had brought her here to have their way with her. She also felt her bikini style underwear still on, her bra as well.

  But where was she? Mira looked out the window and her heart sank. The house seemed to be hidden away in the woods. What if she were being held captive? She felt the blood drain from her face, and her body began trembling. Her head seemed to be wobbling unsteadily atop her neck. She felt as though her blood sugar was low. That would make sense if she had lost a lot of blood from the wolf bite. It took her several minutes, but using a breathing technique her therapist had taught her, she was able to quell the dizziness.

  Sounds of movement were coming from the other room. Footsteps, to be precise. She hastily looked around, grasping an ice pick that had been placed next to her pack. She still wasn’t convinced that she wouldn’t need to physically defend herself.

  A man walked into the room. No, not just a man, the hands-down most gorgeous man Mira had ever seen. He was tall and wide with ebony hair, thick bulging muscles, and broad shoulders that any football coach would be pleased to see on one of his players. The man’s hazel eyes stirred something in her. There was something about him, something beyond his physical appearance, that drew her in. Mira was astonished when she realized that for the first time in a long, long time, she felt a strong attraction to a man. Actually, it was more than attraction, the man felt safe. The same way she had felt in her dream.

  Why did the fact that she momentarily felt safe in the presence of a male stranger all of a sudden unnerve her? Because, she shouldn’t logically feel safe, right? She reminded herself of how she was clothed, or unclothed as it were, and she raised her pick into the air threateningly.

  The man instantly held up his hands, as if a gun were pointed at him, and he kept himself at a distance from her. Clad in a tight-fitting black t-shirt that stretched over the bulging muscles of his chest and biceps, and low-slung jeans, he looked like someone that should be on a magazine cover, not at all like a perverted-kidnapper-sex-trafficker on the lamb and hiding away deep in the wilderness.

  “Whoa now, sweetheart, I'm not gonna hurt you.” His voice had a low, deep, soothing tone. He waited a moment, watching the conflict in her eyes, before slowly lowering his hands and leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

  “I found you out there on the trail, injured, and bleeding all over the fresh snow. Trust me, sweetheart, you don't need to keep that ice pick raised anymore. I have no desire to do anything obscene to you,” against your will, that is, he added silently. His voice, again, was a soft growling tone, though surprisingly gentle for a man of his size. Mira felt her cheeks tint briefly but only lowered the pic
k slightly. Her free hand tugged at the collar of the robe she wore.

  “Then care to explain this? If you found me injured, you could have just transported me to a hospital. Why didn't you?” Mira's tone was clipped. She blinked in surprise when he let out a soft laugh, running his fingers through his jet-black hair.

  “Not used to getting help, are you? My place was closer, and the last thing I needed was for you to bleed out on me—any more than you had,” he said, and pointed to the bedding beneath her. There was a folded towel under her that had a small amount of blood soaked into it. It was then that she noticed the neatly wrapped gauze bandage dressing her leg. That, too, was slowly becoming blood-stained.

  “Getting you out of those wet clothes was a priority and the nearest hospital is a forty-minute drive west of here. I didn’t want to risk making you wait that long. You were pale enough as is. I tended to your leg and wrapped it properly as soon as possible. Though, it looks like you may have opened the wound again by tossing and turning. Bad dream?”

  Mira blinked, looking down at the bloodied bandage. She lowered her pick onto the bed, before glancing back at him. He noticed her cheeks flush pink as she mumbled, “I… I have nightmares…. Bad ones.” She was still a bit suspicious, though she had to admit, he hadn't given her any reason not to trust him. If he wanted to do something to her, he could have easily done it while she was unconscious.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been rude. My name is Mira Jenkins. I apologize, I’m not used to being helped, as you mentioned,” Mira started. A roaring chuckle came from the man which, in turn, caused Mira’s lips to turn up slightly in a small half-smile.