by Cara Wylde
“Are you certain you want me to look after them? I’m not really sure what to do.” While relieved that Margaret hadn’t asked her about the previous night, nor blamed her for Hunter not being around, Nieve was surprised at the request.
“There is no one else, and if I don’t work, then there’s no food. You may never have gone without a meal but I have, and I don’t want that to happen again. In any case, the cubs become very agitated when they’re hungry. All you have to do is keep them inside, that’s all. Play with them for a while. They’ll get tired and sleep most of the day.”
Nieve knew that Margaret had to be desperate to ask for her help, and with the cubs around her, now pleading with her to stay and play with them, Nieve capitulated. In fact, a plan was forming at the back of her mind.
Margaret was gone in a flash. She knew the cubs would have high energy in the morning and then sleep in the afternoon. It would be okay. The cubs weren’t bad, they were just used to rough and tumble play. Margaret couldn’t help but smile at the Princess trying to deal with the cubs’ antics. She just hoped Hunter wouldn’t return home. She was afraid of him when he was angry. He wouldn’t like it one bit.
Alone with the children, Nieve studied them for a while, then decided to at least try and do her job.
“Okay boys, what do you do after breakfast?”
The cubs began to talk all at the same time, and Nieve had no idea of what they were saying. They loved this young lady in their home.
“Boys, you have to talk one at a time. You… You talk first.” She realized she didn’t know their names. She would soon fix that.
Nieve smiled at the shyness of the little boy she had asked to speak. He immediately shifted in his bear form and dipped his head as though trying not to be noticed. Nieve laughed wholeheartedly, thinking how cleverly he had found a way out of the uncomfortable situation. She stood up and tickled him under the chin. The others didn’t like him getting all the attention and jumped on him. They went into full play mode as Nieve watched them. They had very different personalities. One of the older ones just stood back and watched his brothers perform for the strange female in their little home. He had probably noticed his mother’s indifference to Nieve, and now he wanted to honor her feelings and show the same indifference, although Nieve caught him staring at her a couple of times.
Nieve engaged them all in a game, one she remembered from her childhood, and soon they were all under her spell. She realized she was actually enjoying herself for the first time in many years. These little cubs needed some fun, and she was supplying it. She felt needed for the first time in her life, and it felt good.
The cubs got worn out in no time, and soon they began to yawn. Eventually, they landed in a pile and fell asleep, comforted by being so close to each other. She smiled as she watched them. Her father, the King, would be shocked to see his Princess taking care of bear-shifter cubs. Why were people so afraid of them? Right now, it seemed to her they were just a bunch of adorable balls of fluff. She allowed herself to watch them for a while, then decided it was time to return to the real world. She had enjoyed herself, but her mission for the day was to find her way home. She hoped the cubs would sleep until Margaret came back. She felt guilty for leaving them like that, without even saying “goodbye”, but the truth was she couldn’t stay there any longer. This wasn’t her home, and it certainly wasn’t her life. She had to get back to her father and find out the truth.
Very gingerly, she opened the door. One of the cubs opened his tired eyes, but she put her finger to her lips and he snuggled back with his brothers. She waited a few more moments to make sure that all the boys were fast asleep, then she snuck out of the cottage, closing the door quietly behind her.
As soon as she got out, she sighed. She had a new problem now: surrounded by the dense forest, she had no idea where she was and which way to go. She didn’t even know which direction was north. And if she did figure that out, she didn’t know which direction led back to civilization, and which just led deeper into the forest and away from home.
“Well then,” she thought. “I’m not going to get anywhere just standing still. I guess I’ll have to take my chances…”
She walked between the trees, leaving Margaret’s cottage far behind, and looked around once more. Even thought she was in the middle of the forest now, there were trails cutting their way through the dense foliage. There was no telling which direction was the right way, or if any of the trails would lead somewhere, or just turn around in the forest and lead her in circles, but she had to do something, she had to at least try. She picked one at random.
As she made her way through the forest, she began to feel a little more confident. The sooner she found some kind of marker to indicate where she was, the better. She hurried as fast as she could while trying to step over fallen branches and vines growing underfoot.
Then, she heard the sound of twigs being broken and her heart jumped in fear. It was beating like a trapped bird in a cage. She stopped and looked around, but with the denseness of the forest, it was hard to make out any forms. The sound had stopped, so she moved along slowly. She had a feeling she was being watched. By whom or by what, she had no idea, but Nieve was sure she wasn’t alone anymore. She walked faster, and for a while she couldn’t hear anything. Just as she was calming down and telling herself what a frightened chicken she could be, the sound of quick, heavy breathing came through the trees. And it was getting closer!
There was no mistake. She could feel herself being stalked. The only thing she could do was run and hope her stalker lost interest in her. The overgrown branches stuck out into the forest trail, making it hard for her to both see where she was going and to pick up any kind of speed. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and knew that something big was hunting her. Something she could not outrun, could not lose, could not convince to leave her alone.
Out of breath, Nieve turned and saw a big bear coming towards her, easily pushing its way through the dense trees and going directly for her. She stopped, standing frozen in fear as the black bear closed in on her. What was she doing? This wasn’t Hunter, she knew that. In his bear form, Hunter had soft, brown fur. This bear, however, had black fur and black, cruel eyes.
Nieve opened her mouth to scream, but was so frightened that no sound came out of her trembling chest. Then the bear was right in front of her, and there was no time for any kind of reaction. If she had had any chance of escape, she had lost it. With one backhanded swipe of its massive paw, the bear sent her tumbling through the undergrowth, knocking her breath out of her lungs and leaving her whole body stinging with pain. The bear roared and reared up on its hind legs, as if to declare his impending victory. He dropped back down onto all fours and casually swiped at her again. From somewhere deep inside, Nieve found the strength to move, and the bear’s claws just caught the skirt of her dress. She struggled to her feet and turned to run even as she heard the bear’s claws easily rip through the embroidered fabric, pulling her back for a moment, then releasing her as the fabric was torn asunder.
Nieve stumbled forward, running blindly away from the monster that was trying to kill her.
The bear reared up once more and let out another enormous roar that reverberated around the forest and sent chills to the very marrow of Nieve’s bones. She kept running. No matter what, she knew she had to keep running. The bear roared after her, but it was more of a mocking tone than anything, as if it were laughing at her for trying to escape. She didn’t have time to feel anger or frustration, to think of how unfair this whole thing was. If she wanted to stay alive, then she had to push back all her feelings and focus on one thing alone: run, run and never look back.
The tree branches pulled at her hair and clothes and scratched at her face. She could hear the bear coming towards her, easily ripping his way through the dense undergrowth that had almost entangled Nieve. She managed to wiggle free, but not for long, because she became completely entangled in the rough branches once more. The bear was
upon her now. It reached out and grabbed her, tearing her away from the branches and throwing her onto the forest floor. She screamed even as she knew there was no one to hear her. She had to do something to try to save herself.
Then, out of nowhere, another bear jumped out of the forest and swiped at the bear attacking her. She was too dazed at first to realize the bear that was towering over her, about to tear her apart, had been replaced by another bear. She screamed again, expecting his claws to descent and rip her apart. She closed her eyes and waited. There was an enormous crash and more roars that reverberated through her body, then something heavy landed on the ground beside her, sending dirt spraying across her already dirty face.
It took a few moments for Nieve to realize she was still alive. She opened her eyes and saw the two bears grappling with each other. They were both up on their hind legs, huge, furry arms wrapped around each other as they pulled and pushed. The black bear let out a huge roar, and the brown bear roared back, making the very ground shake with his voice.
Nieve was just glad the bears were fighting amongst themselves because it gave her the chance to get away. Then, she looked more closely and realized the brown bear was Hunter. He was saving her life. Again.
She didn’t know if she should run and hide, or stay and help Hunter. But of what help could she be? Either of the two bears could kill her without even realizing that they had as they fought each other. So, Nieve slowly walked away from the fighting bears until her back hit a tree. She wanted to turn and run. She knew she should be putting as much distance between herself and the bears, but she could not take her eyes off the struggle. She wanted Hunter to win, and she needed answers. She needed to know why all this was happening to her. What had she ever done to her stepmother that she’d send a second killer after her? Because she was pretty sure this was the Queen’s doing.
She watched in amazement as Hunter pushed the other bear away, throwing him to the ground and slashing at him with his sharp claws. The black bear squealed out in pain and tried to lunge back at Hunter. Hunter easily dodged his attack and sent him flying head first into a tree. The mighty oak shook and bent, almost pulled loose from the ground by the force of the black bear’s impact, and loose leaves and branches rained down around the bear as he slumped against the tree trunk.
Hunter let out another earth-shattering roar. The black bear turned and fled, leaving a trail of blood on the ground as he ran away. Hunter roared at the top of his lungs once more, declaring victory, and then took off, racing after the black bear.
“Hunter!” Nieve called after him. “Hunter, no! Don’t leave me.”
Hunter paused. Every instinct in his body was telling him he needed to go after his enemy, an enemy who had just tried to hurt Nieve, and kill him. Not just kill him. He felt the urge to totally eradicate him from existence. However, he was also drawn to Nieve. He needed to know that she was unharmed, to hold her in his arms and physically know that she was safe. So he turned and came back to her. Stopping a few feet away from her, he reared up onto his back legs and his fur started to disappear inside his pores. His head and face morphed into a human head and face, and his body compacted and shifted into his smaller human form.
Nieve ran into his strong, human arms, tears running down her face.
“You saved me! You saved my life, Hunter!”
She was crying, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, but as her adrenaline settled down, she realized she was nestled into his bare chest. He was naked. A new thrill surged through her body, a feeling unlike any she had ever felt before. It caught her breath and made her heart race in a totally different way than the fear of the recent attack had done. She pushed herself away from his chest and averted her gaze, embarrassed and blushing. Still unused to seeing anyone naked, nevermind such a handsome man as Hunter, she backed away from him, unsure of herself.
Hunter was still riled up and the adrenaline was still flowing through his veins. It hadn’t been the ending he had wanted for the other bear.
“Why aren’t you at Margaret’s? I told you to stay there. It’s the only place where you can be safe. Why didn’t you do as I said?” Hunter’s voice was still gruff, a leftover of his bear now hiding under his skin.
The sound of his voice and words startled Nieve, and she burst into tears. It was all too much for her. She fell to the ground, overwhelmed by what had just happened.
Seeing her so vulnerable and upset, Hunter quickly let his gentle side rise up. She needed comfort, not a telling off or scolding. After all, she wasn’t one of his nephews. She was a young woman who had been living a nightmare for the past two days. And none of it had been her fault.
“I’m sorry for speaking to you like that, Princess. When I shift, my voice can take a little more time to soften. I just got such a fright, and I’m afraid it was my fear for you that made me angry. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
He reached towards her and brushed her hair away from her face. He saw her torn dress.
“Did he hurt you?” Hunter asked as he pointed to her dress.
“No, it’s just torn. I’m not hurt. It was just a big fright.”
She looked at him. There was that warm feeling inside her again, invading her heart and soul. He was so strong, so masterful, and yet, he had this gentle side of him. Nieve had never met such a confusing man before.
“What were you doing here?” He asked, conscious of his voice, making sure he sounded concerned rather than annoyed.
“I wanted to go home. I wanted to find my father.” She looked away as she spoke. She knew that wasn’t possible now. The black bear had proved that.
“I don’t think the Queen believed me,” he said. “I had to bring her proof of your death, so I gave her the heart of a deer. She screamed at me saying she wanted your head, but I told her it was destroyed.” He looked at Nieve and hugged her closer to him. Even speaking these terrible words was hard. He couldn’t understand how that woman could hate beautiful, innocent Nieve so much. “Now I know she didn’t believe me,” he continued. “She’ll send someone else to kill you when the black bear reaches her palace and tells her he failed. She’ll keep sending assassins until she knows you are dead.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, Hunter. It just seemed too unreal. I think I knew you were telling the truth, but I couldn’t accept it. I’ve been so silly and childish.” She sniffed her nose loudly and allowed him to hold her. His nakedness still made her feel uncomfortable, but he was warm, his skin was white and soft, and his muscles were as hard as a rock. He made her feel safe. “What I am supposed to do now? I can’t go back home. There is no one to trust except you. I’ve been trained for nothing but to dance, wave, and smile politely, so I have nothing to offer. You should have let the bear kill me, Hunter. My life is over.” And the tears streamed down her face once again.
Hunter did the only thing he could do: hold her as tightly as he could.
Nieve’s whole body shook. Now she knew the truth and it broke her heart. She’d never see her father again. She just held onto the one person who truly cared about her.
He kissed the top of her head and whispered into her ear that it would all be okay. As long as he was there, it would all work out.
***
Hunter was boiling with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he was angry at Nieve for not staying at his sister’s cottage and putting herself in danger. On the other hand, seeing her so shaken up with fear after the attack, he could not help but feel relief that she was unharmed.
“What were you thinking?” he murmured into her hair. “What were you thinking…” Over and over, in a careful, soothing way. He thought it would have been so much easier if he had just killed her, but he couldn’t tell her that. Margaret and the cubs would have been taken care of, and he’d finally afford to give up this dreadful job. Why did she have to look at him and smile the way she did? Now, he and his family were in danger too, and all for this slip of a girl.
But then,
Hunter felt her sobbing in his arms and he realized that she had lost more than he would ever know. All her life up until then had been a lie. Her stepmother had just been biding her time until she could get rid of her and solidify her control over the kingdom. Her father was under the spell of her stepmother, and there was nothing Hunter, or anyone else, could do to save him. All Hunter could do was to save Nieve. It was what he needed to do with every ounce of his strength. It was a primeval need. Once he held her in his arms, he could no longer deny that she was his soul mate. She was the reason he had been put here, on this Earth. And nothing would ever make him hurt her, or stop him from protecting her.
Eventually, Nieve cried herself out. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself together and stepped away from him.
Hunter knew where he could take her. He had a cave where he sometimes stayed when he was out hunting, and she would be safe there. No one, not even another bear-shifter, would be able to find her there.
“Come with me,” Hunter said as he offered Nieve his hand. “I will take you to a safe place.”
Nieve reached out and took his hand. The hand of a strong, handsome man. A very naked man, at the moment. This time, however, she didn’t complain. She wasn’t afraid of him anymore, and strangely enough, his naked form didn’t make her feel as awkward and apprehensive as before. In fact, she took her time to admire his broad shoulders and firm thighs as she followed him down the forest trail. Unfortunately, a little way down the trail, they came upon his discarded clothes, and Hunter released her hand. He picked them up and started to get dressed.
“Well,” Nieve said after she swallowed hard and made sure her voice didn’t waver. “At least, now I know you don’t go around naked all the time.”
Hunter smiled at her. “These human clothes don’t fit me when I’m in bear form.”
“No,” Nieve smiled back at him. “I guess not.”