by Woods, Jade
Dahlia jerked as a mass of fur, teeth and six inch long claws stumbled into the clearing. She realized she was in the middle of a brawl between two big assed grizzly bears. As she stared wide-eyed at the scuffle, she wondered if the man had fallen victim to the animals. She couldn’t help feeling a little relieved by that prospect.
The bears went at it, seemingly oblivious to Dahlia’s existence. She whipped her head around, frantically searching for an escape route. Seeing an opportunity, she made a dash for it, but she didn’t get far. One of the bears—the smaller of the two—flew past her in a blur, and slammed into a young tree. She locked her muscles in place, afraid to move. The sound of cracking wood grated on her ears. The force of the flying animal had cracked the tree in half, and it crashed to the ground in a spectacular collapse.
The bear seemed unfazed and rose to its paws. It shook its body, its cinnamon colored fur flowing like waves, and wood chips and pine needles went flying everywhere. And when it rose up on its hindquarters to roar in a display of confidence, Dahlia stepped back against the safety the pine offered. She knew she wasn’t going anywhere soon, at least until the bears took the fight elsewhere.
The smaller bear charged the other and they clashed. Fur flew, and the surrounding foliage began to turn red with blood. The largest of the bears, swiped his paw in the air, connecting with the other. The animal was knocked to the ground and Dahlia flinched as something warm and wet hit her in the face. She ran her hand across her cheek then glanced at the smear of blood on her fingers.
The bear that was clearly on the losing end didn’t get up. Its opponent towered over it, orange eyes glowing with dark satisfaction. Dahlia realized she was about to witness the most primal side of nature. She wanted to turn away, but that stare slowly slid over to her. She looked into the face of death, the bear’s nostrils flaring as if it enjoyed the scent of her fear. Spittle dripped from its maw, and its blood covered paws impacted the ground as it inched toward her. Dahlia was sure she could see macabre amusement in its unnatural eyes.
Stand tall and look scary. Make a lot of noise, she told herself, remembering the lecture on how to scare a bear. She tried to reach for her noisemaker, but her arm wouldn’t work for some reason. She told her muscles to move, but the electrical impulses in her brain were clogged with fear. Close your eyes, she told herself over and over but she was unable to look away. The grizzly, as tall as she was, stopped inches from her, its shark-like gaze as big as her fists. A blood tinged rope of spittle dripped off its maw, and Dahlia saw herself being swallowed whole by that chasm.
Just like that, the bear was gone. As the ferocious growls erupted again, she realized the smaller bear had tackled the other. Her horror turned to fascination as the beaten animal put its body in front of hers. It stood up on shaky legs, its fur streaked with blood, and let loose a thundering roar. Dahlia couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. The smaller bear was repeatedly bested, but each and every time it forced itself up to stand in front of her like a furry shield.
Memories fluttered before Dahlia’s eyes. How familiar this all seemed, and for the first time in years she questioned what she had really seen that night—what if her savior hadn’t been some supernatural creature, but an ordinary animal doing ordinary things?
That was all good, but whether or not the animal was protecting her, the smaller bear was no match for the other. Once it was dispatched, Dahlia knew she was next. She was sure she could make it if she put all her strength into running. Tensing her muscles to make a mad dash, a moan of agony froze her in her tracks. Her natural empathy had always extended to include animals, domestic and wild alike—how could she leave the bear to suffer a painful death?
It’s not like you can do anything about it, Dahlia told herself. It’s just the natural order of the world. Something warm and hard touched her palm, and she remembered her lucky dagger. She had carried it around with her all her life, and had resigned it to picking dirt out from under her fingernails—she must have taken it out without realizing. In this crazy and tense moment it became something more.
As the big bear descended upon the smaller one, Dahlia gripped the handle and took a step forward. She wasn’t sure where the sudden burst of bravery had come from, but she held onto it and used it to propel her body forward. The aggressive bear’s back was to her so she had the element of surprise and she used it to plunge the dagger into its hind quarter, all the way to the hilt.
The bear made the most agonized sound she’d ever heard. Squirming to protect its flank, Dahlia was thrown backward and landed on her butt. She recovered quickly, and clutched the bloody dagger in defense. Fury twisted into surprise as the bear pegged her with a very human-like expression of bewilderment. Its cries followed as it scrambled for the safety of the trees until its moans cut off abruptly.
Her tush smarting, Dahlia blinked blankly at the trees, fully expecting the Grizzly to return in search of vengeance. After a long moment, nothing happened. Its ass is probably hurting more than mine right now, she mused to herself. As the reality of the ordeal sunk in, she craned her head to regard the lump of fur lying in the middle of the clearing. She eyed it warily for several long minutes, hoping it would get up and go on its way.
Pulling a healthy dose of air into her lungs, she lifted herself up onto her feet and circled around the bear. She was sure it had succumbed to its wounds. A deep sadness squeezed her heart. She looked around the environs as if all the trees and bushes and weeds could tell her what to do.
The cinnamon mass suddenly jerked, and a heavy paw hit the ground. Gasping, Dahlia backed away cautiously, afraid the injured animal might take its pain out on her. Before she could get good and gone, something miraculous happened. The bear sat up like a vampire rising from its coffin. The Grizzly looked completely dazed, its golden brown eyes homing in on her. It wobbled for a moment, and the sound of cracking bone made Dahlia’s stomach turn. Its fur shuddered as if a ripple went through its body, and the strands of hair began to recede. It happened so quickly—either that or time had slowed down to a haze of confusion. The animal’s muzzle shrunk into its face and its skull seemed to elongate. It was startling at first, but when all the reshaping began to resemble the form of a man, Dahlia remembered her camera.
Cursing herself for not using it sooner, she snapped photos as quickly as her finger could hit the button.
A hand with fully formed digits and a thumb went up. “You’re blinding me!”
Dahlia slowly lowered her camera. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull as she took in the form of a buff man on the ground, his body shining with sweat… and blood. His skin was torn in several places that resembled claws, exposing the muscle below. It was a garish sight, but it was quickly foreshadowed by the realization that this man had been a bear.
“I knew it!” Dahlia shouted as the man stumbled to his feet. “Everyone always tells me I’m crazy, but I knew there was another world out there. Oh my God, I can’t believe I finally found it… I wished Jessica had been here to see it!”
The guy fell against a tree, and his faced twisted in pain. Dahlia pulled herself together, and pushed away the excitement. It was misplaced, she knew, no matter how amazing the whole thing was. The fact of the matter was, the man was severely hurt, and who knew if that other bear—or man?—would come back. She was fairly certain this shape-changer had saved her life. She owed it to him to help.
Dropping her backpack on the ground, she stuck her dagger inside then fished out the sleeping bag, and unrolled it. With careful steps, she approached the man who was kept upright only by the tree. His attention slid to her, his honey-colored eyes regarding her warily. He didn’t say anything as she wrapped her bedding around his shoulders.
“Your vehicle. Is it close by?” the man asked in a rough voice.
“Yeah. About three miles that way—” Dahlia said then pointed in a different direction. “Or maybe this way? No, I think it’s that way.”
“Are you kidding?” he growled, the
n winced.
Dahlia shrugged, and offered him a sheepish smile.
****
Garrett did his best to push through the pain, but the simple act of breathing forced his skin to stretch, aggravating his wounds. And little blotches of lights were floating in front of his eyes from the cruel flash of the camera. Ignorant human, he grumbled. If she hadn’t snapped pictures of his rival in a state of half-shift, the male would have left her alone.
But no… because she had to be nosey, Garrett had had to step in and keep her from being mauled to death. He vaguely wondered what had happened to make the invader scamper off like a beaten dog with its tail between its legs. There was no time to find out, however. The danger was not gone, and every second they lingered in the vicinity was another second reinforcements were on the way.
He had to get her out of here.
“Start walking,” Garrett commanded, ignoring the jolt of agony that shot through him. He pulled the sleeping bag closer, the false sense of security it offered doing little to sooth his nerves.
She blinked at him with big, green eyes, her lips parting in delayed thought. “Okay, ah… can you walk?”
He knew she hadn’t intended to insult his bear-pride, but the insinuation cut like claws to his heart. It was a very real concern, however, seeing as he could hardly hold his balance. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I have to.”
“I can go back for help—”
“No. No more people.” The last thing he needed were more humans in the path of a pissed off bear-leader bent on revenge. Erecting his spine, he kept his expression neutral as he ignored the pain. “Walk.”
“I don’t exactly feel comfortable with you at my back,” she said, her voice falling with every word.
Something more potent than physical pain speared him—how could she think he’d hurt her after he had risked his life to save her? As he ran his eyes all over her blond curls and oval-shaped face, familiarity stimulated his memory box… perhaps he had seen her in passing in one of the neighboring townships? There was no time for introspection, so he took a step forward, then another until he was but a few inches from the female.
Slumping his shoulders and softening his expression to appear less threatening, he asked, “What is your name?”
The way her bottom lip went in between her teeth did something to him he wasn’t comfortable with. Finally, she spoke, her tone laced with caution. “Dahlia.”
“Garrett,” he said, then inched closer until her back was against a tree. “Here is how it is, Dahlia. That bear that nearly killed you and me, will be back with the rest of his friends. When that happens, I won’t be able to protect you, not in this condition. So if you want to live, start moving or I will leave you behind out of self-preservation.”
He fully expected her to cower and seek his protection, but she huffed, and planted her hands on her hips. “You could have spared me the grim details. Besides, I can handle myself. If I didn’t poke that bear in the behind, it would have killed you.”
Narrowing his eyes at her challenge, he added, “And then you. You’re going to need a lot more than a pocket knife to kill him. So, if you’re done being stubborn—” he held out his hand, “—please, after you.”
She stared him down for a long moment, and Garrett’s lips twitched up in amusement. Finally, she sighed, turned on her heels, and started walking. He followed behind, his ears perked for the sound of movement. He tried to focus on his surroundings, but the pain was making it difficult to do so. And then there was the scent of this woman with the name of a flower… Garrett shook his head until he jostled his brain. He swooned.
Dahlia was next to him in an instant, her face reflecting worry as she held him steady. Luckily, the sleeping bag shielded him from her touch which he was sure would unsteady him more than the concussion he had probably sustained. He shrugged her hands away. “I’m fine.”
“Of course you are,” she said, then stepped away. “Silly me. I mean, your insides are practically visible, but so what, right?”
With that, she tipped her chin up, and started walking again. Her brash words stoked the animal inside of him, but not in the way he had expected. It was as wounded as he was, but he got the impression it wanted out to play. His head reeling from the passed twenty-four hours, his brain was too smashed to examine that strange desire.
They walked for a good twenty minutes, and Garrett glanced overhead. It would be dark soon, and in his condition the pace was slower than a glacier. But so far he hadn’t detected any sounds or smells belonging to the interlopers.
Looking over her shoulder, the female inquired, “So, I haven’t actually lost my mind, have I? You did change from a bear to a man. Wait, so if that’s true, are you really a man that can become a bear or a bear that turns into a man? My head hurts…”
“You appear sane to me,” he said, surprised by his playful response.
She passed him a droll look.
“No,” he spoke up, concentrating on where he was walking. He knew if he fell, he’d never get up again. “You’re not going crazy. What you witnessed has happened. I would change that if I could, but what is done, is done.”
The female seemed to mull over that for a long while, and he homed in on her heartbeat—it was slightly elevated suggesting she was in a state of heightened alert, but she appeared otherwise relaxed as anyone in her situation could be. The realization that she was handling this whole thing remarkably well worried him, though. Most humans that learned the truth about his species usually freaked out, and formed search parties to hunt the beasts down—of course, that had been a long time ago and nowadays, the chance of discovery was low considering humans paraded around as vampires and werewolves. But she’d seen him shift, and there was no explaining that away.
This whole thing could be solved by convincing her she was, in fact crazy. He’d figure something out, but right now his focus was getting them to safety.
As they walked, he swore he could hear the unanswered questions zipping through her mind. Every now and then, Dahlia would glance at him, her eyes running up and down his body for a quick instant as if she were wondering how he could become a bear. It wasn’t surprising, those that knew of his people’s existence pondered over that same question. Despite her obvious curiosity, she remained silent. At least until they came to the edge of the woods and she gasped, then raced to a beat up Cherokee parked in an overgrown lot. Snatching the little orange slip from her windshield, she whispered some very unsavory curses.
Garrett barreled right for her car and demanded, “Do you have any rubbing alcohol or cleaning solution?”
She blinked at him for a moment as if she hadn’t expected him to be there. “Yeah, I think there is some in the first aid kit.”
Fisting his hand in impatience as she searched for her keys, he examined the environs. The lot was fairly open, the trees that surrounded the picnic area young and smaller so the places to set up an ambush were limited. Finally, the female got the keys in the slot, then leaned in the backseat. Garrett groaned low in his throat as her plump ass pressed against her jeans, and he nearly passed out.
Wrong time and place, buddy. He felt his animal paw at the inside of his skin in gentle urging.
“Got it,” she said, producing a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Snatching it from her grip, he dropped the sleeping bag then ripped the cap off the bottle. He ignored her squeak of surprise as he dumped it over his head. His body lit up like a bonfire as the chemicals irritated his open wounds. He stayed on his feet by sheer will. Shaking from the cold shock of pain, he stiffly handed what was left to her, and commanded through clenched teeth, “Pour the rest on your car and make it count.”
She accepted it robotically, her jaw hanging open in disbelief.
When she didn’t do as he had asked, he explained, “The chemical will kill my scent so I can’t be tracked.”
“Right. That actually makes sense.” She set into action, dousing her car.
The liq
uid dribbled off in several places and Garrett knew it wasn’t perfect, but would do for the time being. Once they got on the road, and far enough from the woods, his scent trail should be destroyed by the alcohol. His body protested every move as he opened the side passenger door and slipped in. The seat abraded the wounds on his back and he hissed, but quickly collected himself. Taking several deep breaths, he managed to keep himself conscious. He lolled his head to the side to find Dahlia sitting at the wheel, those huge green eyes lovely against pale skin and blond curls.
She held out her hand, two white pills in her palm. “Aspirin.”
He sputtered a laugh and instantly regretted it. “Have you seen me?”
Her eyes dropped to the twin tablets and her disappointed expression kicked him in the balls. He snatched the medicine and tossed them in his mouth.
“Right,” she said as she started the car. “The hospital then?”
“No!” he hissed.
She smacked her forehead. “Of course. A veterinary clinic, right?”
He gave her the side eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, but the corner of her eyes crinkled—is she seriously laughing at me?
“I did tell you that a monstrous bear with the intent to slice you in half is after us, right?” Garrett hedged, but it was hard not to be amused.
“Okay, so where am I taking you?”
“As far from here as possible. Preferably in a crowded, secure area with resources, food and medical supplies,” he said, looking out the window for any movement.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed. “I’m really considering doing this, aren’t I?”
Chapter Three
Pain penetrated Garrett’s sleep, refusing him the deep, oblivious-to-the-world rest his body needed. Besides, he couldn’t afford to pass out until they were in a safe location. The steady hum of the car’s engine soothed him along with the smooth thump-thump of the female’s heart—it had a nice, strong rhythm, and he knew it was a sound he could fall asleep too… if his body wasn’t singing with agony.