by Michelle Fox
“Your clothing was soaked. I covered you with my rain slicker and a Mylar blanket.”
“Thank you, Mr.—?”
“My name’s Michael MacBrun—rhymes with prune. It’s an ancient Scottish name. Easy to remember, or make fun of.” He had a broad smile that burned bright as a flare. “If you like, you can call me Mac. I’m the park ranger assigned to the Sierra Portal station. In a few minutes, I’ll get you out of the cold and under a dry roof. Does that sound like a plan?”
“Yes.” Planting her hands on the rock, Andi rolled onto her side and pushed herself to a seated position.
His jaw dropped in alarm. “Let me help you. What are you doing?”
"Ouch! Climbing out of this gorge will be a challenge.” She offered her hand. “But I’m ready. Let’s get out of here.”
He grasped her hand. “Be careful. You could have injuries you’re unaware of.”
She waved him off and rose. “Don’t fuss. I’m bruised, but feel fine.”
The raging torrent ate at the sliver of silt they stood upon and a chunk of riverbank washed away.
“Hold on!” He placed a hand on her back to steady her. “It’s a huge no-no to move an accident victim, but I can’t allow hypothermia or rushing water to whisk you away.”
She hobbled a step and clutched her side. “I can feel where the seat belt bit into me. I’ll bet it leaves a monster bruise.” Glancing up, she noticed Mac’s considerable height. His majestic proportions made her feel downright petite, which was a wonderful novelty.
Squinting, he leaned closer to touch her throat. “What is this bloodied mark? How does it feel? It looks like an animal bite. I see evenly spaced tooth marks.”
“You won’t believe this.” Her voice quaked. “A bear saved me.”
“Really?” He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward a steel cable laid across the bank. “A bear had you by the throat and you lived to tell the tale? It sounds unlikely. Maybe you imagined it?”
“I don’t think so. I had wet fur pressed against me, and warm animal breath on my face, as real as you standing beside me. The bear freed me from my damaged SUV. It opened the driver-side door, which was jammed. I might have drowned if the bear hadn’t picked me up and carried me to safety.”
Something between a surprised huff and an exasperated snort burst past his lips. “A bear carried you in its jaws?”
She did not like his dismissive tone. “No, in its arms.”
His brow furrowed. “You’ve been through a lot. Stress can cause the psyche to break from reality. I’m concerned you might be in shock.”
“Why are you arguing with me?” she snapped. “You’re the one who noticed the tooth marks.”
“You’re right.” Worry darkened his face. “I don’t like the look of the bite. It’s reddened and appears almost hot to the touch.”
“You don’t think the bear could be rabid, do you?”
Offering a slight shake of his head, he frowned. “Hopefully, there won’t be any lingering repercussions. When we get to the ranger station, I’m going to clean the bite with antiseptic.”
Her teeth chattered. “Fine. I’m all for getting out of the rain.”
Mac picked up the end of the steel cable and wrapped it around their waists, locking it with a clamp. Then he fished a pair of leather work gloves from his back pocket and slid them on. “Andi, let the cable and me do all the work. You’re just along for the ride.”
“Okay.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Loop your arms around my neck and hold on.”
Lifting her hands high to drape them over his shoulders caused enough pain to make her whimper. “I’m going to have some souvenir bruises on my ribs, for sure.”
“Do you think they could be broken?” He sounded concerned.
“They’re not that bad.” Glancing toward the road, she saw the front grill of a large pickup truck parked above. “My SUV fell from up there?” she squeaked. “My God, it’s a miracle we’re having this conversation.”
“Yes, it is.” With a gentle touch, he brushed a wet strand of hair from her cheek. “Ready?” From his pocket, he pulled out a keychain with a tiny remote control, and clicked. The motor of the winch attached to the front of the pickup hummed. The cable pulled taut. With one hand gripping the cable, he wrapped his other arm around her. “Here we go.”
A strong tug from the cable pushed them closer together. Cradled in his embrace, Andi ascended the side of the gorge.
“I’ve got you.” Mac’s voice was calm. His heavy boots stomped across each boulder as it approached. “Pretend you’re walking in a sunny park and everything’s fine.”
“A vertical park?” She peered over his shoulder at the turbulent river and mass of jagged rocks below.
“Andi.” He was quick to stop her. “Don’t look down. Look at me.”
Her gaze lifted from the raging waters to meet his. His dark brows were beaded with raindrops. His expressive mouth had a sensual quality, and his chin a fetching cleft. Glancing lower, she saw a few rogue curlicues of dark hair peeking over his collar. The sight hijacked her attention.
“Twenty more feet. You can make it.”
“I hope so,” she muttered. The motor made a high-pitched whirring whine. “That sounds bad. Should we be worried?”
He stomped up the hillside, his boots leaving large imprints in the wet soil. “No. The cable’s getting shorter, that’s all.” His grip on her tightened. “See? We’re almost there.”
True to his words, soon they were at eye level with the road and the undercarriage of the pickup became visible. The moment they crested the top of the gorge and planted their feet on the gravel shoulder, she stumbled forward, still drawn by the spinning cable.
With the remote poised in one hand, he clicked and brought the motor to a halt. In a flash, he unlatched the clamp and freed them. The remaining length of steel cord fell laxly to the ground.
He turned toward her and clasped her shoulders, searching her face with his gaze. “Are you okay? Did we make it up here in one piece?”
Looking into his dark eyes, she felt an unexpected spark of excitement. Considering what she had just gone through, she should feel wrecked, but instead, an odd sense of elation washed over her. “I’m glad to be out of the gorge.”
“I want you to take those wet clothes off next.” A big grin made the edges of his eyes crinkle. He lowered his gaze bashfully. “I meant, I’ll find you some dry clothes.” With his palm placed gently on her back, he steered her toward the passenger side of his truck and opened the door. “Let me help you.” Taking hold of her elbow, he gallantly assisted her into the cab. He even buckled the seat belt for her, as if she were a child. “I know your ribs are sore, but I want you to be safe. We have to drive another couple of miles up a twisting grade to reach the ranger station.” He shut the door and walked around the front of the pickup to retract the remainder of the cable by hand.
She settled into the seat, feeling grateful to be out of the rain. The storm had broken and the last light of day faded behind a western ridge.
He approached the driver side and opened the door. Climbing inside, his big frame filled the cab. He reached for a radio on the console and clicked it on. “Sierra4, Sierra4, come in.”
A burst of static crackled through the air.
“Sierra4 here.” Another calm male voice hung in the air.
“This is Sierra Portal station—”
“Mac! Is everything okay?” The calm was shattered. Whoever was on the other side of the transmission sounded amped-up.
Turning to face Andi, Mac caught her checking him out. Her guilt-tinged gaze met his like two powerful magnets connecting. The provocative hint of interest in his eyes lingered.
“Hi, Warren.” Mac sounded cool and collected. “So far, so good. I reached the vehicle and was able to bring the female occupant out of the gorge.”
“You moved an accident victim? Dude, that’s bad. You’re not a medic. There’
s a lot of sneaky shit that could be going on that you can’t see. They can appear fine, smiling, healthy, and then, boom! Blood clot to the brain. It’s over in a jiff. They’re dead as those dried-up fly carcasses on my windowsill.”
“Warren, I had to. The river was rising fast.” He paused. “By the way, we’re in the truck. She’s sitting right next to me.”
“Now?” Warren yelped.
“Hello, Warren!” she boomed confidently.
“Whoops.” Warren sounded embarrassed.
With a gentle tap to get her attention, Mac offered her the radio. “Tell him your name.”
“Andi Brunell. I’m thirty-two and a resident of West Los Angeles.” As she wrapped the thermal blanket around her, it crinkled loudly. “Just for the record, Mac did the right thing. I was soaked to the skin and possibly in shock. I needed to get out of the situation.”
Mac held the radio to his mouth, which she accepted as a clear indication she didn’t need to say another word. “Would you get a crew up here ASAP? A culvert that drains beneath the highway became clogged with rainwater and debris then burst. I was trying to dig it out when a mudslide covered the road a quarter mile before the turnout. We’re trapped. I need you to alert CalStar air ambulance to fly at first light and take Miss Brunell to the hospital.”
“Will do,” Warren added.
Andi interrupted, “I don’t need to go to a—”
Mac held a finger to his lips to shush her. “One more thing.” He stared out the windshield. “As soon as the road is cleared, we are going to need a heavy-duty crane to get Miss Brunell’s SUV out of the ravine. The vehicle appears totaled and it’s leaking gasoline. We can’t leave it in the riverbed.”
“Okay. Radio if you need anything else. I’ll schedule a chopper to fly tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” He clicked the radio off.
The full impact of events hit. Her purse was in the truck, her clothing and gear, and so much more. She clamped a hand over her mouth in horror. “My mother’s in the front seat!”
Mac’s brows shot skyward. “What? There was someone else? I only caught your scent!” He pushed on the door handle, poised to leap from the pickup.
“Wait!” He’d scented her? What an odd thing to say. “I meant my mother’s ashes. They’re in a plastic box. I brought them here to sprinkle on the summit.”
“Oh.” He relaxed. “You scared me. I thought I left a woman behind to drown.” A nervous laugh gushed. “A plastic box? She might still be in the car. I promise I’ll go back as soon as I can and look.”
“God no. I wouldn’t expect you to do that.”
He put the key in the ignition and turned the engine over. “We’ll worry about it after you’re in front of a warm fire and wearing dry clothes, okay?”
“Deal. But I don’t have any dry clothes. All my stuff is in the SUV.”
“You can borrow something from me.”
Glancing at her reflection in the windowpane, she caught herself smirking. “With my luck, your clothes will probably fit.” The feeling of shock lessened. Except for general achiness, she almost felt like herself again. “By any chance, do you drink white wine? A glass of chardonnay sounds really good right now.”
“White wine?” He wrinkled his nose. “No. Scotch only.”
“I’ll take scotch without complaint.”
Chapter Two
Mac steered the truck onto the highway, grateful the rain had stopped. On the slow, steep ascent to the ranger station, he remained on the lookout for fallen rocks on the road. He cranked the heater and directed the warm airflow toward Andi. Tilting his head, he gazed through the windshield. On the eastern ridgeline, the clouds thinned and the sharp tip of the waning moon peeked over the summit.
He glanced at Andi. Her eyes were bright and she seemed alert. Turning on the overhead light, she snooped around, looking at everything inside the truck. He was no expert, but she didn’t appear to be someone suffering from internal injury or shock. Still, nothing could be taken for granted. Her vehicle had been subjected to a heart-stopping series of rolls down a steep grade. Any number of risks could be lurking below the surface. One issue in particular remained top of his list of worries. Without question, he was ill-equipped to deal with the shit-storm likely coming. What was done was done. Now, he’d have to do his best for her.
She opened the glove compartment. “Do you have a mirror?”
He flipped the passenger visor down and lifted the cover on the hidden mirror. “There you go.”
“Oh!” She tilted the visor to her eye level. “I looked there first and missed it.” With an exaggerated grin, she looked into the mirror and smiled.
He noticed she had a big, bold smile with a slight overbite that lent her an affable appearance.
“I bit my lip and tongue, but I didn’t chip my teeth. That’s a pleasant surprise.” Smoothing the damp hair from her forehead, she gazed at her reflection. Gliding her fingertips along her hairline, she frowned. “At least the scratch from the damn air bag cover isn’t deep. It won’t need stitches. I guess I’ll wear my hair in bangs for a while.” She tugged her collar lower and stared, slack jawed. “Oh, my God! Look at that. I see every tooth mark. Bruising. Redness. Holy shit. Every place the bear’s teeth touched me is on fire!”
Terrified his wrongful act showed on his face, he snapped his attention to the road, not daring to look at her a second longer. Guilt, fear, and, weirdly, hope warred equally for a place in his thoughts. What had he done? In a moment of weakness, the lonely bear in him had seen a prime opportunity and taken it. The worst part was, he didn’t even remember doing it. His initial impulse had been to save a soul in need, but Andi’s enticing scent, her soft curves, and fiery dark eyes had proved too tempting. The man in him would never have bitten her without her informed consent, but the bear, ruled by instinct and a desire for a life mate, chose to act alone.
With a ragged groan, he swore silently to never again allow his inner bear to make life-changing decisions, for himself or anyone else.
“What’s wrong?” She tapped his arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m worried about that bite.”
“You scared me. The look on your face was so dire, like you glimpsed a psychotic Sasquatch sneaking up behind me wielding an ax, or something horrible. Are you worried about what your friend Warren said? I’m pretty sure everything is fine. I refuse to go belly-up from a minor injury. I’m too ornery for that. In fact, I’m starting to feel really, really good, like I’m fully awake for the first time in my life. Joyful even. Isn’t that weird?”
“It’s not so strange.” He swallowed hard. “This could be an aftereffect of shock. You should be joyful you’re alive. It’s a completely normal reaction. By the way, Warren worked search and rescue for seventeen years. He’s seen it all. The dude knows what he’s talking about. If he says to take it easy and call an air ambulance in the morning, that’s what we’ll do.”
“I understand your concern”—she shook her head—“but I don’t want to be billed for a helicopter ride I don’t need.”
“Miss Brunell—”
“Miss Brunell? When did we revert to formal titles? Call me Andi.”
“Andi.” He struggled not to feel responsible for the frown forming on her pretty face. “The area immediately below where your SUV spun out is covered in a hundred yards of waist-deep mud. Short of a tank, the road is impassable. Depending on the weather, it could be days until the road is cleared. A helicopter is your only ticket home. When they show up, take the ride. I’ll talk to Warren. We might be able to work something out with the county.”
She paused to mull over what he’d said. “How did you know my SUV spun out? Were you there? Did you see the bear standing in the road?”
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly the blood fled his fingertips. “From my angle, I couldn’t see a bear.” Technically, he spoke the truth, but he didn’t feel good about lying. “I saw your tire marks in the mud.”
“Oh.” Disa
ppointment shone on her face.
“It’s possible you saw a bear on the road. Maybe that’s why you later had the impression one saved you from the wreck?”
“I swerved to avoid hitting a bear, and a bear rescued me from a damaged vehicle. Period.”
“Wait a minute.” He attempted to inject some humor and doubt into her tale. “I thought I rescued you?”
“You did, but the bear got there first. Odd behavior for an animal, don’t you think? First it caused an accident and then lumbered into a ravine to check on the victim’s welfare?”
“Maybe the bear wanted to eat you, but lost its appetite?”
“That doesn’t sound very nice. Look at me.” She slapped a hand against the top curve of a luscious thigh. “After a lean winter, I’m a lot more than a snack. Why would a male bear pass me over?”
His gaze narrowed. Everything about her was scrumptious, especially following a long lonely stretch of his life with no lovers at all. He wanted to take her to his bed so badly his mouth went dry just thinking about it. “How do you know the bear was male?”
“I gazed into its eyes and sensed it.”
“Gender-sensing? I’ve not heard of that Girl Scout badge before.”
Tugging her collar aside, Andi displayed the bite marks. “I suppose I imagined this? Come on. Who are we kidding? Once I’d been freed from my car, the bear could have snapped me in half. Instead, it picked me up and carried me like a baby. I’m telling you, that creature meant no harm.”
The ranger station loomed into view at the top of the ridge. His heart pounded so fast, his temples throbbed. In a few minutes, he would be alone with her in his home. Soon, she’d shed her wet clothes, don his, and stretch across his couch to relax. At all costs, the bear within must be suppressed. What he’d done wasn’t ethical and could in no way be excused. Biting a woman without her consent was despicable. Taking her to his den was ill-advised, yet unavoidable. Feeling shame, he huffed a long deep grunt. Some days he hated being a werebear.
“What was that impatient-sounding grunt about? I must sound crazy talking about a bear. By the way, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Thank you.” Sliding the Mylar blanket off her shoulders, she leaned closer to the heater vent. “I’m chilly.” Shivering, she hugged herself. Her damp shirt clung to the lush swell of her breasts. A rut in the road jarred the truck and made her breasts bounce. “I can’t wait to ditch these clothes and knock back a scotch.”