by Terry Spear
The rock Kate was holding on to came loose and she cursed, sliding down a few feet, grabbing for something to stop her fall. Lexi’s heart caught in her throat, and she lunged forward in rescue mode, arms outstretched.
Kate finally caught a tree root and held on for dear life as she found rocks jutting out where she could plant the toes of her boots. Panting, she said, “Yeah, I would have. We’re going to be a mess when we return to the cabin.”
“We’ll heal quickly from our scrapes and bruises.” As lupus garous, they healed twice as fast as humans. Of course, Lexi wasn’t taking into account tangling with a black bear sow if they were faced with her next. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just catching my breath.”
Lexi heard the bear cubs again, crying for their momma. She worried about the mother. She glanced across the creek, and sure enough, the momma bear was watching her from the other side of the bank, half-hidden in the trees. She was glad to see the momma bear was alive. Lexi just hoped the bear didn’t attack her and Kate when they tried to rescue the cubs.
“We don’t have to worry about the momma bear abandoning them or that she’s been killed.”
Kate glanced in the direction of the creek. “Great. Good news. Oh, she…uh, looks so big.”
“Yeah, she is.” Waiting for Kate to start her descent again, Lexi peered through a tangle of tree roots beneath a dead tree. “Okay, I found the den.”
“And the mother is now pacing across the creek, watching us,” Kate warned, still paused halfway down the cliff. She had moved over a few feet from where Lexi had come down, the cliff crumbling just as much, but she seemed to be frozen in place.
“Don’t rush the descent, watch your footing. As soon as you’re down here, I’ll go in after the cubs.” Lexi waited for Kate to move again. “When you get down, you can be the lookout and tell me if the mother bear heads this way.”
“And protect you, right?” Kate said.
Lexi gave her a half smile. “It’s your job. Or…one of your jobs.”
“I think I need a pay raise.”
“You might be right.” If Lexi was going to make Kate help her with stuff like this, she definitely had earned a pay raise.
Kate finally got the courage to begin again and started climbing down. Good, she was finally making some progress. “Sorry it’s taking me so long. You made it look a lot easier than this.”
“No worries. Take your time, really. The cliff is crumbling so much that it makes the descent much more treacherous.”
One of Kate’s feet slipped first, and then the other, suspending all her weight from the two rocks she was holding on to, which gave way under her weight. She cried out and fell, Lexi trying to catch her. She did, but she couldn’t keep her footing under Kate’s weight, and they both fell into the water at the base. Kate was sitting on Lexi’s lap, scrambling to get off her, each of them asking, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I am,” Lexi said, figuring she’d have a couple of new bruises on her butt.
“I am too,” Kate said. “You cushioned my fall nicely. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I just hadn’t planned to fall too.”
Lexi and Kate helped each other up. Then Lexi steadied her breathing, yanked off her poncho, and dropped it on the ground while Kate fished her poncho out of her backpack and slipped it on.
Lexi peered into the den and saw four beady little eyes peering at her from deep inside their large home, the water already filling their burrow. She ducked into the den on her hands and knees. Now she wished she’d worn jeans and not jeans shorts. “There are two of them, about twelve weeks old.”
“Okay, bring one out to me, and I can carry him across the creek, and you can… Holy crap.”
“What?” Lexi’s heart was already drumming hard. She was afraid the mother bear was crossing the creek and charging Kate.
“A male wolf just…um…arrived to…um…help.”
Lexi frowned. Now that she hadn’t expected. The wolf had to be a lupus garou, and they didn’t need his help, unless he wanted to run interference with the mother bear.
Sure enough, the light from outside the den suddenly dimmed and she turned to see a very hot, muscular, very naked man crouched at the entrance, rainwater streaming down his tanned skin, his dark reddish-brown hair dripping wet. “If you’ll hand me one of the cubs, I’ll take him out and you can grab the other.” A couple days’ beard growth gave him an even more rugged appearance, his eyes appearing dark-brown in the low light of the damp, earthy den. And he smelled like a wolf—all male, his adrenaline surging, testosterone spiking.
Even though Lexi figured she and Kate had this well in hand themselves, an upset momma bear could be totally unpredictable. Any help from a fellow wolf would be welcome.
Lexi took ahold of one of the cubs by the scruff of his neck—like his momma would do, except the bear would use her teeth—and passed him to the male stranger.
“Ryder Gallagher,” he offered, then carried the cub into the rain so Lexi could grab the other cub and leave the den.
Ryder. She imagined riding the cowboy in the throes of passion—and why that visual came to mind when she had a dangerous rescue mission, she hadn’t a clue.
The cubs’ fur was soft, and they both were still crying, which worried her. The momma bear roared. And that concerned Lexi even more.
Don’t charge. Don’t charge. As soon as Lexi backed out of the den, Ryder reached down with his free hand and helped her up, which was a good thing because she was having trouble getting to her feet under the weight of the bear cub. She tucked the bear cub close to her body, trying to keep him warm.
“I’m Lexi,” she said, intentionally not giving the wolf her last name, though he probably wouldn’t know who she was anyway. It was no doubt just paranoia on her part.
“I’m Kate,” her assistant said, smiling at the hunk when she was supposed to be watching the mother bear.
Ryder was already searching for a safe place to set the cubs down so the mother could come for them. “The creek’s rising. We’ll have to get across it and leave them on the side where the mother is, a safe distance from her. If we don’t hurry, we could get caught in the floodwaters ourselves.”
Lexi already knew that, but she agreed they needed to move quickly if they were going to get the cubs safely to their mom and not be swept away by the rising water themselves. But she was afraid of getting too close to the mother bear roaring again to her babies.
“I’ve got my gun,” Kate said.
Both Lexi and Ryder looked shocked.
“To shoot up in the air. Jeez, not to shoot the poor, frantic mother. Just to keep her away from us.”
“Okay, good thinking.” Lexi thought the mother might not be deterred if she wanted to protect her cubs badly enough.
Ryder started making his way across the creek and Lexi followed him, keeping the cub as dry as she could, but the water was deeper and the current stronger the deeper she got, and the rocks on the bed of the creek were mossy, making them slippery.
Lexi concentrated on her footing while observing the heartthrob wolf specimen in front of her. Muscular legs swallowed up by the water, a gluteus maximus that rated a solid ten, now also covered by water, a sturdy back, broad shoulders, muscular arms—all dripping with rainwater as the rain pelted them even harder now.
Other than enjoying the show in front of her, Lexi was ready to return to the cabin and dry out. Though she realized she hadn’t grabbed her poncho. She hadn’t seen it when she exited the den. Then again, a naked male wolf and the sow and the bear cubs had garnered most of her attention.
Kate was trying to make it across the current, too, attempting to place herself between the mother and Lexi. She didn’t want Kate to take the risk, but Kate did have her gun and noisemaker out to help scare the mother bear enough to keep her from attacking—hopefully.
Kate slipped on the rocks and bumped into Lexi. Lexi nearly fell, but Ryder’s hand shot out to catch her arm and help steady her.
“Thanks,” Lexi said. He really came in handy, and despite not wanting to feel that way, she really liked having his strong hand on her arm for the moment.
“Sorry,” Kate told her.
“It’s not your fault. It’s really slippery,” Lexi said, and then she lost her footing again, tumbling into the water.
Chapter 3
So far, so good. The mother bear hadn’t made a move toward them, and Ryder hoped the bear realized they were only bringing her cubs to her. Lexi’s light-brown hair and clothes were drenched, everything clinging to her curves, her green eyes unusually big, her dark lashes long and luscious, her lips glistening with raindrops, sexy and kissable. And why he would be thinking about that in the middle of this mess was only because he was a wolf, he figured.
Then Lexi slipped on more mossy stones next to him and fell before he could grab ahold of her arm a second time. His heart nearly giving out, he and Kate grabbed for her in the same instant. His bear cub tucked against his body, he wished he was wearing a heavy-duty, lined raincoat to keep the cub warmer, and not his hairless man suit.
They finally got Lexi to her feet, and she was even wetter than before. So was the cub, and that added weight to her handful. He prayed she’d make it the rest of the way, but he continued to hold on to her arm to keep her on her feet the best he could.
“The cub is throwing you off-balance,” he said, wanting to assist her without losing his footing too.
He gripped Lexi’s arm, hoping he didn’t bruise her, and they continued to make their way across the creek with the bears in their grasp. She slipped a couple more times, and Kate went down once but hurried to get to her feet as best she could, saying, “I’m okay.”
Which was good because Ryder couldn’t help but one damsel in distress at a time.
They finally reached the shore, all of them stumbling a little on the wet, mossy rocks. Ryder let go of Lexi once she had her footing and moved farther up the bank away from the water. “Okay, we can release them here.” He set his charge on the ground.
Lexi released her cub next to his sibling, telling them, “Go to Momma.”
The bear cubs bounded toward the mother bear, looking eager to be with their momma. Ryder and the women backed away from the bears as quickly as they could on the uneven terrain, keeping the mother bear in their sights. He just hoped none of them stumbled as they moved away from the potential threat.
When the cubs reached their mother, she checked them over. Once she reassured herself they were fine, the three bears hurried off into the woods, vanishing from sight.
Sounding relieved, Lexi said to Ryder, “Thanks for helping with the bear cubs. Come on, Kate. Let’s get back to our cabin.”
“I’ll go with you to make sure you get there all right.” Ryder was determined to see them safely home.
Frowning, Lexi opened her mouth to say something, but Ryder spoke again in case she was going to tell him they didn’t need his help. Maybe they didn’t, but if they didn’t know another way back, at least he did.
“You saw how the cliff sediment and rocks gave way, even for me as a wolf. As humans, we can’t make it back that way. Probably not as wolves either. Not only that, but the water’s rapidly rising. If you’re staying at one of the Redwood Cabins, I am, too, and I know another way back.”
“All right, lead the way,” Lexi said with almost a challenge in her voice.
Kate was smiling at her, though she was glancing back in the direction the bears had gone. Ryder was also concerned the mother bear might return to deal with them for manhandling her cubs, but she didn’t seem to want to.
“Good, I’ll lead you back then.” Ryder shifted into his wolf and started to walk along the bank of the flooded creek. It had rained since Ryder had been here, putting a damper on the trip. Not that it bothered him while running as a wolf, but hiking in the rain as a human wasn’t much fun.
When he’d heard the bear cubs crying in distress, he’d figured he was going to get himself killed if he had to fight a sow to save her cubs. Even so, he would have done anything to rescue them. What he hadn’t expected was to find two pretty she-wolves attempting to save the cubs. Much to his surprise, he’d recognized their voices as the two women he’d heard conversing with each other in the woods on the other trail. If he’d known they were wolves all along, he would have been racing to meet them.
If the situation hadn’t been so dangerous, he would have laughed at the expression Lexi wore when she turned to see him at the entrance of the den peering in—a mixture of shock, incredulity, and annoyance. Maybe a little bit of intrigue. He could tell she believed he was intruding on her and her friend’s mission to save the cubs, but he hadn’t been about to leave them to their fate, should the mother bear cause them trouble. He was glad Kate had been serving as a lookout too.
Now he hoped things were looking up and he wouldn’t have to spend his vacation alone until his buddy arrived in a couple of days, if the ladies wouldn’t mind visiting with him for a bit. He glanced back at the women following him, both looking over their shoulders for danger.
The she-wolves were both pretty women, but Lexi especially appealed because of her take-charge attitude, how she was willing to brave the danger to save helpless creatures by entering the bears’ den, and that said a lot in his book. Not that Kate wasn’t there to help too. He hadn’t smelled any male wolves’ scents on either of them, so he suspected they were here on their own, vacationing like him.
When he wasn’t needed as a bodyguard, he loved cooking, just like his partner, Mike, did. And that made him think of preparing a tasty dinner for the ladies, if they were up for some male companionship. Things could definitely be looking up.
* * *
Lexi realized the male wolf scent she and Kate had smelled earlier on their hike belonged to Ryder. She watched as he led them through the forest where no path existed, with no indication they were headed for civilization. She hoped he knew where he was taking them. He was a beautiful gray wolf with a black-tipped tail, black guard hairs on the saddle on his back, and blond on his stomach, paws, and face. His bushy tail was held high as he made his way back to the cabins, alpha posturing all the way.
Kate smiled at Lexi again, like she was interested in the wolf. Lexi wished she could shift so her outer wolf coat would repel the rainwater like it was doing for him. She felt like she and Kate were starring in a wet T-shirt/shorts’ contest, their clothes plastered to their bodies. But shifting would mean leaving all their things in the middle of the forest.
“Hold up.” Kate pulled off her pack, tucked her gun and horn away, and pulled out Lexi’s poncho.
“Thanks, I thought I’d left it behind.” Lexi slipped it over her head.
“No way. We don’t want to litter the redwood forest.” Kate extracted her poncho and slipped it over her head.
They were both so wet, Lexi didn’t think wearing the ponchos would make a whole lot of difference.
After about an hour of hiking, Lexi felt the telltale start of a blister on the back of her heel, and she paused in front of Kate. “I’ve got a blister from the wet socks and boots.” Even though their hiking boots were water-resistant, they weren’t fully waterproof. If she’d had time, she would have taken off her boots and socks. Then again, once they’d reached the base of the cliff, they had been standing in ankle-deep water. That was another advantage of wearing a wolf coat. No blisters.
Lexi sat down on a log and pulled her pack off, then fished out her first aid kit. Kate held out her poncho to cover Lexi while she removed her socks and boots and then applied liquid bandage to the blisters and any red, chafed area that could form new blisters.
Ryder sat down nearby, watching to ensure the bear didn’t follow them but also gla
ncing around at the area, probably concerned someone might see him as a wolf. If someone did, Lexi would quickly call him her dog. No wolf liked to be referred to that way, but in a pinch, it would have to do. Though dogs were only allowed on leash in the campgrounds, on park roads, and in developed areas, not on the trails or in the forest. She could see getting a fine for having an unleashed “dog” in the park where it didn’t belong.
Lexi put on dry socks, but she wasn’t sure that would help with wet boots. Then she slipped her wet boots on and Kate changed places with her. Lexi shielded her with her poncho and watched as Kate applied first aid to her blisters.
“We’re a pair,” Lexi said.
“Yeah, my boots are good for shallow creek crossings and rain, but not for being submersed in water.” Kate packed her bag and Lexi did the same; then they took off again.
It took them nearly an hour to reach a real trail that led them to a footbridge. Relieved to see it, Lexi had wondered if they would have ever found a way to cross the creek and reach the top of the cliff. She had to admit she was glad they’d run into Ryder. He’d been a real help.
They hurried across the creaky bridge to the other side of the creek and then ascended stone stairs set into the earth until they reached the top of the cliffs. This was a much better way to get down to the other side of the creek, but she hadn’t felt they’d had any choice when they needed to rescue the bear cubs in a hurry. They walked another hour along the trail, finally reaching their log cabins hidden from view from each other in the forest.
Kate was raising her brows at Lexi, motioning with her head to the wolf before he turned to see her antics. Lexi knew Kate thought she should invite him for supper because he’d helped them with the bear cubs and had made sure they found their way back to the cabins safe and sound.
Lexi felt inviting him to have dinner was against her better judgment, but he had helped them, and she’d graciously offer. Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d turn her down, or nothing more would come of it. “Hey, thanks for helping us with the bear cubs and ensuring we made it back to the cabins safely. Would you like to have steaks with us at our cabin tonight?”