Mark of the Bear (Hades' Carnival)

by N. J. Walters

  “I would never hurt you.”

  She nodded and slowly tugged on her wrist. He let it go, though he wanted to keep holding on to it, to her.

  “You could have hurt me many times since I woke in the cave, but you haven’t. Why don’t you take me back to my trailer and we’ll call it even. I won’t tell anyone about what happened.”

  Disappointment gnawed at his soul. What had he expected? That she’d immediately believe what he was telling her. He was a stranger. He was an ancient warrior and she was a modern woman. Of course she would think him mad.

  The world no longer believed in his kind, if they did the Lady would have had the power to free herself years ago. On the other hand, Hades might have gained all the power he needed to take over the world if people still worshiped the old gods. He’d seen it, sensed it happening over the years as belief in the unseen, the magical, gave way to the rise of science and technology.

  His instincts were screaming at him to get her as far away from the carnival as possible. That was Hades’ battlefield, his ground. Yet there really was no choice. If he couldn’t find some way to make her believe him, she would fight him for the next twenty-four hours. He glanced up at the night sky. Probably less than that now. More like twenty-one hours.

  “What would it take to prove to you I’m telling the truth?”

  “I don’t know.” Her honestly flayed him.

  He thought for a moment. “How about if I sneak you back into the carnival and we find the carousel and the bear is gone? Would that do it?”

  She tilted her head to one side, emphasizing her stubborn jaw. “Sure. Yeah, that would do it.”

  He knew she was lying and it cut him to his core. Never had he imagined not being trusted. His word was his bond. His honor was unassailable. That she questioned it hurt worse than he thought it would.

  He leaned down until their noses almost touched. She sucked in a breath and he tried not to notice how she smelled like lavender underneath the dirt and fear. “You’re lying.” He skimmed his lips over hers. She stilled as if afraid to move. He dragged his tongue over her bottom lip and she moaned. Her lips parted and he dipped inside quickly. He didn’t stay, for fear it was another ploy and he’d find his tongue bitten off.

  She squirmed beneath him, and when he eased his mouth away she followed. The kiss was gentle, yet potent. Marko felt it all the way to his toes. Lust was there. But so was something else. Something more. Something he didn’t have time to examine.

  Kellsie’s lips molded to his, welcoming his touch. His chest tightened and, deep inside him, something released. He tilted his head to get a better angle. She made a murmur of assent as he deepened the kiss. This time it was her tongue delving past his lips, tasting him.

  The surrounding forest, the curse, his fellow warriors, everything else vanished as Kellsie touched him. She tasted like the finest wine, rich and full-bodied. Sweet. Spicy. Complex. When she withdrew her tongue, he followed it back to her mouth.

  His body tightened. His cock throbbed incessantly. His fingers itched to touch her, to mold her perfect breasts and tease their hard tips. He wanted to know what color her nipples were, if her pussy was hot and wet, what she found pleasure in, what she wanted from a lover.

  Reluctantly, he tore his lips from hers. Resting his forehead against hers, he sucked in much needed air. There was no time for physical pleasures. Not with so much at stake. Maybe after. If they survived.

  That thought was as good as a dip in a cold mountain lake. Marko eased back and found Kellsie watching him. A thought struck him then. It was so obvious he didn’t know why he hadn’t immediately thought of it. He blamed it on the overwhelming sensations lashing his body after all the years of imprisonment. Coupled with the sensual impact of Kellsie, it was no wonder he couldn’t think straight.

  “I know how to convince you.” He pushed himself up, ignoring how his erection rubbed against her mound, ignoring her gasp and his silent moan.

  “How?” Kellsie scrambled to her feet.

  He could still feel the tingle of her lips and tongue. Her exquisite taste and tantalizing scent would haunt him forever. “You don’t believe I’m a shapeshifter, a bear.” He didn’t wait for her answer, already knowing what it would be. “Watch.”

  Chapter Eight

  Kellsie shivered, the cool mountain air making itself known now that she wasn’t surrounded by Marko’s heat. Her frantic run through the woods had left her heart pounding and her body sweating. She wasn’t wearing her coat and her long-sleeved T-shirt was clinging to her torso.

  She frowned as she wrapped her arms over her chest to conserve body heat. She’d had her coat when she’d left her trailer tonight but had taken it off before getting on the carousel. She honestly wasn’t certain she’d even left her trailer. Maybe it was all a weird dream or a drug-induced fantasy.

  One thing she knew for certain was that Marko affected her in ways she really didn’t want to think about. On cue, Kellsie’s lips tingled and she clenched her hands into fists to keep from reaching up to touch her mouth. It was just a simple kiss, stupid on her part really, but it had rocked her world to its very foundations. He’d tasted like dark chocolate and promises. Earthy. Real. Which of course was the biggest lie of all. The guy was an actor like her.

  But there was no denying the sexual attraction that existed between them. It was hot and potent and real. Her core was hot and achy and damp. Her breasts felt swollen, the tips puckered into hard nubs. Her body yearned to be closer to his.

  Crazy.

  There was no other explanation for it. She was losing her mind. This guy had kidnapped her and was holding her captive and she was attracted to him. If she survived this she was definitely going into therapy. Why couldn’t she be attracted to nice, normal men? She fell for a cheating, smooth-talking bastard like her ex and a rough, crazy mountain-of-a-man like Marko. God, she needed her head examined.

  Marko was standing in front of her, hands on his hips, legs splayed. She tried not to notice how his leather pants clung to his muscular thighs. Really she did. And she especially tried not to notice the impressive bulge in the front of his pants. But she was only human after all.

  She bit her lip to keep from moaning as every cell in her body shimmered in response to his nearness. It was insane to want a man this much, especially in such a crazy situation.

  She needed to get him to take her back down to the movie set. Once she was around people again she’d be fine. She could get Marko the help he obviously needed.

  Why that thought made her so sad she didn’t know. She’d just met him. Had no ties to him. But she really didn’t want him fired from the movie or worse, sent to a mental hospital for observation. She’d already decided she wouldn’t press charges against him for kidnapping as long as he took her back.

  Heck, he’d talked himself into taking her back to show her the carousel. It was her own fault he hadn’t believed her when she told him she’d accept his wild story if the bear were missing from the carousel. But really, a kid could punch holes in that theory. The bear could be in the shop for repairs or Marko could have removed it himself before he’d kidnapped her. Too bad she hadn’t put her acting skills to good use by convincing him she was sincere.

  “Watch,” he repeated, impatience tingeing his voice.

  Kellsie looked into his face and frowned. Damn, he was so familiar. Like a dream long forgotten. She froze. Dream. He reminded her of the man in her dream. Not the scary-assed one with the smooth voice, but the other one. The one who’d held her in his arms and kissed her. The one who’d made her want him with no more than a touch.

  Impossible.

  Unless this was just another crazy dream.

  She grabbed the skin on the back of her hand and pinched. Hard. She flinched and frowned. That hurt. She couldn’t be dreaming if it hurt. Could she?

  God, she was so confused. Exhaustion pulled at her and she had to work to keep on her feet. Her knees were shaking and she was cold. Shivering, s
he rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to make sense of everything. She felt like Alice in Wonderland when she fell down the rabbit hole. Nothing made sense.

  “Kellsie.” His voice jerked her gaze back to him. Marko was massive and strong and, if she was honest, intimidating as hell. Not that she’d ever let him know that. “Watch,” he commanded in that low, raspy voice that filled her stomach with butterflies and made her think of long, hot nights between the sheets.

  She shook off the sensual lethargy that threatened to overtake her. So he was hot. So what? So he made her body sit up and take notice. So what? He was just a man like any other. She’d figure out what to do. Somehow she’d get him to take her back to the carnival.

  “I’m watching.” Impatience ate at her as her shivering got worse. Her legs were trembling and her teeth were beginning to chatter. An owl hooted off to her right and she jumped. God, what else was out there? All kinds of animals came out at night, didn’t they? She was a city girl who loved the outdoors, but she wasn’t stupid. She was no wilderness gal and certainly wasn’t prepared for a night in the woods. She had no water, food or supplies of any kind.

  Marko raised his hands into the air. She could hear him whispering beneath his breath. The language was foreign but the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Suddenly, he fell forward onto his hands and knees. His pants were gone. When had he removed them?

  Frowning, Kellsie took a step closer. Marko’s body twitched and began to change. His head contorted, reshaping itself. His jaw and nose area elongated. She blinked, rubbed her hands over her eyes and gave her head a shake, not quite believing what she was seeing.

  Fur pushed out from beneath his skin. His entire body thickened with muscle, his hands and feet becoming massive paws tipped with razor-like claws. Her fingers automatically went to the necklace around her throat where the bear claw was biting into her flesh. The transformation only took seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime.

  Marko was gone. In his place was a brown bear. No, that wasn’t quite right. This wasn’t just any bear. This was a monster bear. He was as tall as she was, maybe taller, standing on all fours. He’d be more than twelve feet tall if he stood on his hind legs.

  He opened his mouth and released a blood-curdling roar. Kellsie stumbled back, almost tripping over an exposed tree root. His teeth were as big as daggers. Shit, she was in big trouble.

  Reason tried to intervene. This wasn’t real. Couldn’t be real. Men did not turn into bears, especially not giant bears, the kind that hadn’t existed since ancient times. Impossible. She had to be dreaming or possibly drugged. Yeah, she was hallucinating.

  Unfortunately, that realization didn’t help her out at the moment. There was still a big-ass bear in front of her, his warm breath puffing like smoke from his nostrils when it hit the cool night air. Maybe she wasn’t dreaming after all. Maybe this was real.

  The animal lumbered closer. Her heart was racing so hard she feared she might have a heart attack. Her chest ached as she struggled to drag air into her lungs. Screaming was out of the question. It was all she could do to breathe.

  The woods around them had gone strangely silent. Kellsie didn’t blame the other animals for running and hiding. She’d do the same except she was certain he could outrun her. For all his size and bulk, she knew he’d be fast. Because of her fascination with bears, she’d done research on them over the years. And she knew they could move fast when they wanted to. They were also superior trackers. She wasn’t getting away from him. Not unless he allowed it.

  “Nice bear,” she whispered, her voice a low croak as terror tightened her vocal cords. She backed away slowly until she hit a tree, its bark rough against her spine. She glanced around for a weapon of some kind, a branch or rock. Not that anything short of a bazooka would stop him, and maybe not even then.

  He grunted and huffed as he moved closer. He snuffled the air and glanced from side to side. She couldn’t see much in spite of the moonlight. It was too dark for her. She assumed he could see and hear everything. What he couldn’t see, he’d certainly smell.

  Kellsie closed her eyes and prayed. She knew this job had sounded too good to be true. “When will I ever learn?” she muttered. She was going to die. Mauled by a bear in the middle of the woods and no one would ever find her mangled body.

  Her hand was still wrapped around the necklace and she forced her fingers to open, letting it drop back against her chest. Some good her bear totem had done her. She’d attracted the bear that was going to eat her.

  She still wasn’t quite ready to admit the bear was Marko. That was too crazy even for her. It was just like the script. But this wasn’t a movie set and the director wasn’t going to yell cut any second.

  He was so close now she could feel his warm breath on her face. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, ready to face her fate. Huge brown eyes watched her. His massive head was tilted to one side and she could see his questioning expression. He leaned in and his cool nose pressed against the side of her neck. Kellsie jerked at the contact and struck the back of her head against the tree. She winced and blinked as tears of pain filled her eyes and an ache pounded in her skull.

  He made a snuffling sound and withdrew, but continued to watch her.

  It took a minute or two for the pain in her head to subside, and in that time the bear made no move to attack. Okay, so he wasn’t tearing her limb from limb. Maybe he wasn’t hungry. Maybe he was a vegetarian bear. She snorted at that thought. Yeah, like that was likely.

  She licked her lips and raised her hand. It was shaking, which wasn’t surprising. She hoped like hell he didn’t decide that her fingers looked like a tasty snacks. “Nice bear,” she crooned, keeping her voice low and steady.

  He huffed as though impatient and thrust his gigantic head beneath her hand. His fur was thick and surprisingly soft. Holy shit, she was touching a bear. “This is so not real,” she told herself as she buried her fingers deeper into his fur. “I’m dreaming or hallucinating or both.” But she no longer cared.

  Emboldened by the animal’s calm demeanor, Kellsie stepped away from the tree and around to the bear’s side. He tracked her movements, his large head turning to keep her in sight. He was monstrous, yet familiar.

  She stilled her fingers on his side. He was exactly like the bear on the carnival ride. She studied him closer, certain she had to be mistaken. But no, there was no doubting the markings on his fur or his size. He was the bear she’d sat on and ridden.

  Disappointment flooded her. “Damn. This isn’t real. It can’t be.” She rubbed her tired eyes. She wasn’t crying. She never cried and especially not over something as silly as this. She hadn’t wanted the giant bear to actually exist. Not really.

  She walked around to the front of the animal, braver now that she knew this was nothing more than a dream brought on by lack of sleep and her fertile imagination. “You’re not real. None of this is.”

  The bear seemed disgruntled. He stepped away from her and stood on his two hind legs, growling at the night air. Kellsie looked way, way up. She swallowed a lump of fear in spite of herself. He might be a figment of her imagination but he was an impressive one. He had to weigh well in excess of a thousand pounds, probably a lot more. He was magnificent and scary as hell.

  He came back down on all fours and the ground around her shook with the force. He kept his gaze on her as he began to shift again. Too bad they couldn’t do something this convincing in the movies. If the director seemed open to her suggestions, maybe she’d share her dream with him. The bear swiftly disappeared, replaced by the man. Fur receded, bones cracked and reshaped. In the blink of an eye, Marko was back. This transformation was even quicker than the original one.

  Kellsie blinked as he strode to her side. Somehow he was wearing leather pants, for which she was eternally grateful. She didn’t think she could handle a naked Marko on top of the shock of the bear. Although, she knew that a naked Marko would have a much greater effect on her. As it was
, having him stand next to her was making every nerve ending in her body tingle.

  “So you think this is a dream. That I’m a dream.”

  She nodded. There was no other rational explanation. “Yes.”

  He struck hard and fast, scooping her into his arms. He didn’t speak as he turned and started back up the hill, moving swiftly and easily through the dark.

  “Umm, the movie set is back that way.” Kellsie tried to ignore the way her breast pressed against his chest and the hard press of his arm muscles beneath her back and thighs.

  “What does it matter if this is nothing more than a dream?” he countered.

  She thought about it for a moment. He was right. It didn’t matter. Relaxing now that she’d figured everything out, she looped her arms around his neck. “So where are you taking me?”

  “Back to the cave.”

  Kellsie should have been afraid, should have fought and kicked and found a way back to the carnival. That’s what any smart woman would do. But now that she knew it was nothing more than a very vivid dream she wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, she was enjoying being carried in Marko’s arms. That was another reason she was certain this was a dream. No man could carry her this far and up such a steep hill. Marko wasn’t even breathing hard.

  “That was a neat trick changing into the bear.” She’d really enjoyed that.

  His muscles tightened beneath and around her. He didn’t say anything, but she’d sensed she’d hurt him somehow and that hadn’t been her intention at all.

  She patted his chest. His amazing chest, she corrected herself. It was nothing but bands of muscle. “The bear was incredible.” Just remembering the sheer size and strength of the creature left her with a feeling of awe.

  “You think so?”

  “Oh, yes. I’ve never even imagined anything quite so magnificent.” She paused, confused. “Although, I must have imagined it if I was able to dream it.” Damn, it was all so confusing.

  Marko carried her up a rocky path and into the cave. He stopped just inside the opening and released his hold on her legs. The moon was shining right down on them like a spotlight. She peered up into his face, trying to gauge his mood. “Thanks for the ride,” she teased, trying to make him smile.