by Elle Thorne
Leandra glanced at Mae, mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
“I wonder why she’s sorry,” Mae murmured. “It’s not like she did anything wrong.”
“Maybe she feels responsible for Ciara?” He stared off into the woods, waiting for her to return.
Declan approached them, while Mairi trailed behind at a distance. “Our work is done here. Her bear is no longer soul-chained.”
Mae nodded, acknowledging what he’d said, but Krisztián had questions. “So you are leaving now? Is Ciara okay? Will she need anything else?”
Declan shrugged. “It was all we can do.” He looked at Krisztián pointedly. “The rest is up to ye.” With that final word, he spun on his heel and headed toward the woods in the direction of Mae’s B&B.
Also in the direction of the vehicle he and Mairi had arrived in, Krisztián realized. Taking long strides, he moved toward the departing Declan. “Hang on.”
Declan didn’t pause. Kept on walking.
Krisztián caught up. “What do you mean the rest is up to me?”
Declan whirled around, crossed his arms over his chest. “Dinna ask any more questions of me, shifter.” His brows drew down into a frown, his tone malevolent. “Ye and yer kind have brought us here. Have blown our cover.”
He stared at this man who spoke with a heavy Scottish brogue—almost archaic—but, at the same time, used modern phrases.
“Go to her. Now.” Declan once again turned and left, leaving Krisztián speechless and confounded.
“Well, fuck.” He wanted to finish this conversation. He had an assortment—about Declan, his past, his vehemence toward shifters, his need for privacy, what had brought him from Scotland, why he was in hiding. Questions about what they’d done with Ciara, what she was going through, why Declan thought the rest was up to him.
But at the moment, he had something far more precious to worry about.
Ciara.
In her bear.
For the first time, ever.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
For a few agonizing seconds, Ciara had experienced a pain more excruciating than she’d have ever believed possible. One moment, she was on her knees in the witch circle, absorbed in the chanting and the sensation of the witchery.
The next, torture. Agony. Torment. Suffering.
She’d looked at her hands to discover they were paws the size of dinner plates, garnished with razor-sharp claws emerging from tips.
She’d reared up in pain then dropped to all fours, no longer in control of her body. That very same body was now a several-hundred-pound bear.
And the worst part? Ciara had no control over this bear body. It was fully controlled by her bear.
Ciara had no choice but to accept beyond a reasonable doubt she was a bear shifter. Except, she had no say-so over what her bear was doing. She’d always been under the impression—from watching Griz and others—the humans could control what happened when in shifter form. Like maybe they either worked together or humans were boss.
Ciara tried to put her left foot/paw out. Nothing.
Why aren’t you letting me move? she asked the bear she shared a body with.
Her reply was a roar that shook the trees and reverberated around the forest.
Great. Just great.
Her bear was making threatening sounds that were bound to attract the wrong kind of attention. Like another bear. A bear that might try to kill her.
Freaking fucktastic.
Ciara wasn’t one to curse, but this situation—if any—called for it.
Then she heard another roar.
This one wasn’t from nearby. It wasn’t Ciara’s bear—my bear? Hardly!—she wouldn’t refer to the bear within her as her bear. Nope. It seemed more like an enemy.
And so did the answering roar. One that was closer than before.
Her bear thundered a response.
Awesome. Not.
She looked through her bear’s eyes. The bear was turning around slowly then reared up on two legs and sniffed the air.
She wondered what the bear was smelling, but there was no way to know. She was a passenger in a furry behemoth of a beast that ruled the forests.
Passenger. No, not a passenger. A stowaway? No, not that either. She was a captive. Surely, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Griz never mentioned it was like being a prisoner in a bear’s body. No one ever did. Krisztián made it seem like a choice to shift and shift back.
So why don’t I have choices? Then she pondered if her bear could hear her thoughts because she couldn’t hear the bear’s thoughts.
I need a tutorial for this shit. No, she needed Krisztián. He was a walking tutorial. Except he was not here. He was at the witch circle. She wished she could go back, but she had no clue how. First of all, she hadn’t paid attention when her bear had taken off. Second, and most importantly, she couldn’t operate this body.
In her mind turned her attention to her bear—
Holy shit!
A monster of a bear was barreling toward them—her—the bear and Ciara. Its jaws were wide open. Thick, mucous-y saliva dripped from long canines caked with plaque. At the last second, the bear rose onto two legs and swiped at her bear with talons that put her talons to shame.
The monster’s claws broke the flesh beneath the dense fur. She didn’t feel the pain—was that because her bear wasn’t allowing her in?—but she could tell it hurt from the bellowing scream that erupted from her bear’s throat.
Her bear dropped then veered, placing her canines squarely into the neck of the much larger bear.
For a brief second, it seemed the taste of blood flooded her mind, shocking her into a realization that this was not a shifter. This was a bear bear. A real bear. And this was a territorial dispute.
Ciara’s bear had somehow wandered into the bear’s territory. Of course, it had. Why would she be aware of which bear had what area in this forest?
So, this was going to be a fight to the death.
Damn. If her bear died, would she die, too? Would the bear shift in death to her human form? If it did, then she was as good as dead because she’d be defenseless.
Freaking fucktastic. Because this time, the phrase applied even more than before.
The monster bear shook its gigantic head, breaking her bear’s hold on her neck and tossing her. She crashed into a tree trunk, with a grunt.
Ciara tried to see what was happening, but black-and-white spots filled her bear’s vision.
“Hey!”
She knew that voice.
Krisztián!
Her bear turned her head, studying the man leaning against the tree, looking all nonchalant and unperturbed.
In her bear’s mind, she screamed for him to run away. To escape the monster.
Said monster had swiveled its head, malicious gaze focused on the man who still leaned and had a grin on his face.
Was he crazy? He would be an appetizer for the beast.
Get away! Go! Now!
Did he listen to her? No. Why not? Because of her damned bear.
You’re going to let him die! she told her bear. Fucking do something. Goddammit, don’t you dare let him die. You bitch!
The bear snarled. The sound low in Ciara’s mind. Then she felt the claws pressing against her brain, pushing her, warning her.
So you can hear me. Fucking do something, she railed at her bear.
Another snarl in her mind then her bear swatted at the behemoth bear, pulling its attention from Krisztián. The bear turned, teeth bared, jowls dripping that disgusting saliva. In the background behind the monster beast, Ciara could see Krisztián shifting into his bear in swift—and what she knew was agonizing—motions.
He thundered a growl so loud it made all other sounds seem like whispers.
Monster bear turned, rising, bellowing a warning.
Ciara’s bear watched as Krisztián’s ambled closer, his movements blasé, languid and indifferent. It was as though his bear was out for a Sunday strol
l.
And still, Ciara wanted to scream at him. To howl that he needed to be careful. This bear was no shifter. This beast had no reason. It was a dominant, old beast, and it wanted all outsiders—human and otherwise—out of its territory.
“Don’t you dare let him get killed,” she snapped at her bear. “Don’t you dare. If you do—”
Her threats were cut off by her bear’s growls.
That was when everything went to hell in a handbasket. It all moved so fast. One minute, Ciara’s bear was behind the monster, the next, both Ciara and Krisztián’s bears were on the gigantic brute. Jaws, claws, paws, talons, all was a whirl of energy and blood spatter while she watched from the confines of her bear’s eyes.
Abruptly, her bear was smashed in the face by the monster’s paw. She crashed backward, rolled, then caught herself and jumped on the monster’s back, riding the beast down.
Krisztián’s bear seized the bear’s throat between his canines.
The bear stilled.
Everything went deathly calm. The only sound was the heavy breathing of all three bears.
In her bear’s mind, Ciara paused. Was this it? Would they kill the bear? Then what?
Just as suddenly, it exploded into a frenzy. Ciara’s bear was on its back, Krisztián was sprawled across her, and the bloody behemoth was lumbering away at full speed.
Krisztián’s bear untangled from hers and he rose to his feet, covered in blood. He snarled low, but not menacingly.
Her bear growled back.
And oh, how Ciara wished she could talk to him. To communicate with him.
“Ciara.” Krisztián’s voice.
Krisztián, she called out in her mind, but knew he couldn’t hear her. Her bear was pushing her down, keeping her invisible. Keeping her prisoner. Let me go, you bitch, she scolded her bear. Let me out of here.
In her mind, her bear roared at her and pawed her brain with sharp talons. Ciara bit back a mind-shriek, so strong was the pain.
“Ciara. Remember I told you about the sync?”
She felt like crying. She remembered the sync he’d mentioned before, but how could she tell him so?
I hate you, she told her bear. I fucking hate you. Let me go.
For more than twenty years you kept me soul-chained. And now you want me to let you go?
Ciara mind-gasped. That voice. Her bear. Her bear could talk? Mentally, she shook her head. How was this possible? You can talk? You have human qualities like that? Could all shifters’ bears talk? God, what she wouldn’t do to talk to Krisztián now. To learn more about shifters and their bears.
Her bear was silent. No response at all.
“You aren’t going to tell me? To answer me?”
“We don’t talk like you talk. I can put thoughts into your mind. Make words sound like you would understand them.”
“Let me go.”
“Conversation’s over.”
“You bitch! Let me go!”
Her bear did not reply.
“Answer me. Now!”
Still no reply.
In his bear, Krisztián was watching her, his eyes dark brown. His bear was large, though not as large as the behemoth they’d battled.
“Ciara,” he said in a sync. “I need you to open up. You have to open the lines of communication to enable a link so we can speak in our bear forms.”
But s had no idea how to do that. And her bear was no damned help at all. And she’d gone silent, only her talons pressing lightly against Ciara’s mind, a reminder her that her bear was in control. Fully.
Or was she in control fully? Ciara wondered as she studied Krisztián’s bear. Dark-brown fur covered in blood, making it look darker. Lacerations marred the areas where his fur had been shredded by the monster bear’s claws. He was a beautiful bear, even when tarnished by battle.
Please, she pleaded, to no one, and yet to the universe. Please help me figure out this communicating syncing thing.
Like her bear would respond. Which she didn’t. Of course. Merely dragged a talon across her mind, just one talon, all the way across, making Ciara flinch.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
In his bear, Krisztián stared at the beautiful—but blood-covered—bear before him. Ciara’s bear, in all her glory. She was a stunning specimen. Light-brown fur, and features that, though bear-like, were incredibly feminine. His bear reacted to the sight of her, growling softly deep within his chest.
“Ciara,” he called to her in his mind, hoping she could hear him and allow them to sync. “Link up with me, please. You can do it.”
Her bear merely looked at him. No glimmer of recognition in her light-brown eyes.
Unsure what was going on with her and the bear, the best he could do was try. “Can you shift back to yourself?”
Her bear snarled, lip curling up revealing a threatening canine.
Was that a no? Time for one more try. “Link with me in a sync. It’s like opening a door. You can do it. Open the door to your mind.”
Her bear flashed a paw and sliced him across the face.
Krisztián’s bear roared at the other bear and stepped forward, warning her off, in case she thought of doing that again. “Open the door, Ciara. Try. Your bear’s being a—” He shut himself up. He knew her bear could hear what he told her, even in sync. Couldn’t she?
In his mind, his bear growled the assertion that Ciara’s bear could hear and could, indeed, comprehend.
Well, shit. He still had to try. “Open the damned door, Ciara. Your bear can’t stop that. You’re not soul-chained like she was, so you have control of your mind, if not your body—her body. Either.”
The bear gazed at him intently, unmoving, then—
“Krisztián.” Ciara’s voice.
“You did it.” He couldn’t contain the thrill from showing in his voice.
“I did it.” Her voice sounded drained and at a loss.
“What is it?”
“She won’t let me shift. She won’t give me access to my body. She’s keeping me prisoner.”
Damn. “Have you tried to shift?”
“I’m not exactly an expert at this, Krisztián. I’ve tried. I’ve tried, dammit.”
“And?”
“And this bitch of a bear refuses to let me out.”
And the bear, as if to reinforce what she had just told him, released a roar and stepped closer to him.
Krisztián’s bear bumped snouts with her. The gesture almost friendly.
Screw that. She’s not your friend, he told his bear. She’s hostile. She’s holding Ciara captive. She’s not your mate.
In Krisztián’s mind, his bear grumbled at him.
No. Damn you. You’re working with me on this. Krisztián’d be damned if he’d have a mental battle with his bear about this. Listen to me, he cautioned his bear. You and I can make this a win-win. Go with me on this.
His bear snarled, but the sound was not one of argument. It was one of acquiescence. Relief flooded through Krisztián. With his bear yielding power to him, not questioning what he would do, Krisztián stood a chance to maybe get this runaway train under control.
“I’m going to talk to your bear,” he told Ciara.
“You mean you’re going to roar and growl at her?”
“No. I’m going to talk to her through the sync. I’ll be talking to both of you.”
“Fine, but good luck getting her to talk back.”
“I don’t need her to talk to me. I need her to see reason.”
“Don’t you get it?” Ciara’s voice was a shrill shriek. “She’s been imprisoned for two decades plus. She’s not a very happy bear now. She doesn’t trust me. Or anyone, for that matter, I’m sure.”
Krisztián’s bear stepped forward, rubbing shoulders with Ciara’s bear.
“Then you have to show her you can trust her. We have to show her she can trust us. You, me, my bear. She’s been through enough. It’s time for her to learn some trust.”
“Pffft.” Ciara made a s
ound of derision. “As if we can make that happen.”
“I’m willing to try,” he told her, then he addressed her bear. “You need to let her loose. Give her the body back. Share.”
Her bear grunted then opened wide and sank her teeth into his shoulder.
In his bear, Krisztián paused. What the hell was this? She wasn’t trying to kill him, but she definitely was warning him off.
“See?” Ciara said in their sync. “I told you.”
Time for hardball, he decided. His bear reared up and swatted at her bear. She growled. He roared at her, getting in her bear face, his jaws a large maw he pressed against her face.
Ciara’s bear snapped at him, her canines grazing his snout.
Krisztián’s bear butted her, his wide forehead bashing into hers. He pushed her down, using his massive weight to drive her to the ground. He stood over her, a massive paw against her throat, another on her shoulder, his snout close to her ear, he bellowed until she was motionless.
“Yield,” Krisztián told them. “Yield before I hurt you.”
Her bear whimpered then snarled.
Still wasn’t getting the message, clearly. Krisztián’s bear swatted her about the head.
“I said yield. Let her go, damn you.”
Ciara’s bear was still, but she was still growling low, in her chest.
“She’s not going to let me free,” Ciara said. “I’ll have to be in this body forever. I guess I should be thankful I’m not soul-chained into eternal silence, I suppose.”
His bear pushed off of her bear, then nuzzled her to rise. “You win. You can stay as a bear.”
“What?” Ciara’s tone was incredulous. “You can’t mean this.”
“I do,” Krisztián told her. “And I’ll stay a bear with you. We’ll live as bears.”
He heard a sob in the sync and wished he could comfort her, but right now, he had to deal with the bear. Her bear.
He sighed silently in his mind so she didn’t hear it in the sync.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ciara’d had enough. More than enough.
Days of this. Days and days. Three dawns and two nightfalls.