seen once before. A face that had now witnessed not only a mortal struggle between two shifters, but their transformation as well.
A face that had lingered in his memory ever since he’d seen it two weeks ago, and who had never failed to invade his memory.
“Lily,” he murmured, half in a stupor.
CHAPTER FIVE
It had all happened too fast for her to process. The roar had signaled her attention first, and when she’d turned there was only a black blur. Somehow she had dived to one side, but rolled her ankle in the process. Then the other bear had crashed into the clearing. She could still smell the rust of blood—the young man who now laid on his side where the black bear had been was still and white, pale as open wood. The other man, the one who had been a grizzly, looked down at her and said her name.
The contrast between Blake and the grizzly was so wide it took her brain several loops to finally recognize the handsome stolid jaw, the shaven head where a darkly golden brim of hair was growing back, and those shale grey eyes. But what gave him away were the tattoos—how could she forget those cobalt symbols running across his bare, hairy chest, down his arms to his elbows? Even now, though, it must have just been the flood of endorphins combined with fear, they seemed to move about his body, animated of their own volition.
“Lily,” he murmured, saying her name again.
She stammered, and scooted back several more feet, wincing at the pain as her ankle dragged. Blake didn’t make any move toward her, but he looked concerned. Lily noticed that he was coated in blood, and there were deep lacerations down his arm and she thought she glimpsed something white. It made her sick to think about, but Blake looked unaffected.
“Y-you, what?” she stammered, her voice trembling. It was all too much.
“Just relax,” he said, holding out his hand. Blood had runneled down his fingers and dripped on the ferns. He made a helpless and comical gesture. “Listen, Lily… I… what are you doing here?”
“W-what am I doing here? What are you doing here? What the fuck is going on?!”
She was becoming hysterical, but she couldn’t help it. Moments ago, she’d been inches from getting decapitated by a rogue bear’s paw. Now she was face-to-face with a naked lover, the father of her unborn child.
He kneeled down and cocked his head. “There are things, about me, about my tribe, things about Beaver Creek that you don’t know—that no one knows. We try to keep it that way.” He sighed, his face fatigued from the fight and from his wounds, but he still put on a strong face. “I’m not what I seem.”
“No shit!” Lily stammered, and stopped as she backed up against a fallen log. Blake took another step toward her, this time limping. He looked like hell, a war zone.
“I’m what you might call a shifter. Something that is both bear and human,” he tried to explain. “Please, don’t be afraid. You’re injured.”
“So are you.”
He noticed his wounds and shrugged. “Had… worse,” he replied. “Listen, we can’t stay here. It may have alerted the cops, they’re not from here. It’s too dangerous. Please, let me help you.” Reluctantly she took his hand and was hoisted up. Her ankle was definitely swollen, but it didn’t look broken. Still, he hissed as she put weight on it. “Here, get on,” he murmured, and she let out a gasp as she was literally slung onto his back. She fought weakly at him, more out of the fact that she was now straddling a half-naked man, but his grip was resolute. “Hang on,” he breathed, and took off at a run.
She was amazed at his speed. Even injured and carrying her, his strength was incomparable, and he practically sprinted through the forest floor, his breath a solid rhythm that pushed heavily at his chest. She wrapped her arms around his muscular torso tighter to keep from getting shaken off, and felt herself unconsciously
A face that had lingered in his memory ever since he’d seen it two weeks ago, and who had never failed to invade his memory.
“Lily,” he murmured, half in a stupor.
CHAPTER FIVE
It had all happened too fast for her to process. The roar had signaled her attention first, and when she’d turned there was only a black blur. Somehow she had dived to one side, but rolled her ankle in the process. Then the other bear had crashed into the clearing. She could still smell the rust of blood—the young man who now laid on his side where the black bear had been was still and white, pale as open wood. The other man, the one who had been a grizzly, looked down at her and said her name.
The contrast between Blake and the grizzly was so wide it took her brain several loops to finally recognize the handsome stolid jaw, the shaven head where a darkly golden brim of hair was growing back, and those shale grey eyes. But what gave him away were the tattoos—how could she forget those cobalt symbols running across his bare, hairy chest, down his arms to his elbows? Even now, though, it must have just been the flood of endorphins combined with fear, they seemed to move about his body, animated of their own volition.
“Lily,” he murmured, saying her name again.
She stammered, and scooted back several more feet, wincing at the pain as her ankle dragged. Blake didn’t make any move toward her, but he looked concerned. Lily noticed that he was coated in blood, and there were deep lacerations down his arm and she thought she glimpsed something white. It made her sick to think about, but Blake looked unaffected.
“Y-you, what?” she stammered, her voice trembling. It was all too much.
“Just relax,” he said, holding out his hand. Blood had runneled down his fingers and dripped on the ferns. He made a helpless and comical gesture. “Listen, Lily… I… what are you doing here?”
“W-what am I doing here? What are you doing here? What the fuck is going on?!”
She was becoming hysterical, but she couldn’t help it. Moments ago, she’d been inches from getting decapitated by a rogue bear’s paw. Now she was face-to-face with a naked lover, the father of her unborn child.
He kneeled down and cocked his head. “There are things, about me, about my tribe, things about Beaver Creek that you don’t know—that no one knows. We try to keep it that way.” He sighed, his face fatigued from the fight and from his wounds, but he still put on a strong face. “I’m not what I seem.”
“No shit!” Lily stammered, and stopped as she backed up against a fallen log. Blake took another step toward her, this time limping. He looked like hell, a war zone.
“I’m what you might call a shifter. Something that is both bear and human,” he tried to explain. “Please, don’t be afraid. You’re injured.”
“So are you.”
He noticed his wounds and shrugged. “Had… worse,” he replied. “Listen, we can’t stay here. It may have alerted the cops, they’re not from here. It’s too dangerous. Please, let me help you.” Reluctantly she took his hand and was hoisted up. Her ankle was definitely swollen, but it didn’t look broken. Still, he hissed as she put weight on it. “Here, get on,” he murmured, and she let out a gasp as she was literally slung onto his back. She fought weakly at him, more out of the fact that she was now straddling a half-naked man, but his grip was resolute. “Hang on,” he breathed, and took off at a run.
She was amazed at his speed. Even injured and carrying her, his strength was incomparable, and he practically sprinted through the forest floor, his breath a solid rhythm that pushed heavily at his chest. She wrapped her arms around his muscular torso tighter to keep from getting shaken off, and felt herself unconsciously
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