I know I’ve let my bear down. He’s sure that we have found our mate, and I don’t know how he’s gotten so confused. I’ve never known a bear shifter to mate with a human, but my bear is so obviously devastated and sad right now, I can feel my heart tearing in two—for him and for me.
I clean her up the best I can. “You need to put some clothes on so you don’t freeze.”
She just shrugs her shoulders, smiling at me, unaware of the inner things that are going on with me. “You can keep me warm.”
And I could. No doubt I could. But feeling her next to me all night, knowing she’s naked, well, I don’t trust me or my bear. “I may have to get up and go out or something. It’s better to stay warm.”
She does as I ask, and I watch as she covers up her glowing, curvy body. She seems to be aware of my changed attitude and lies back and closes her eyes. I stay busy, straightening up, packing up some things, and stoking the fire and wait until she finally drifts asleep before I lie down next to her. I know I should sleep, but I can’t. I lie the whole night, watching Keri, wishing that things could be different.
Chapter 8
Ray
It’s finally stopped snowing by the next morning, and from the look of the sky, the break might not last long. I pack up what we’ll need and leave the rest in the cave.
“Are you sure you want to try and walk? I can carry you. It’s no problem,” I tell Keri. This morning the air between us has been stilted, but she’s doing her best to act like everything is okay.
She walks by me, barely looking at me. “I’m fine. See. Barely a limp. I can walk.”
I look at her with doubt, and unable to hide the care I feel for her. “I don’t want you to make it worse.”
She pats me on the chest. “I’ll let you know if it starts to hurt.”
She stops at the opening of the cave and turns back to me. I’m staring at her, wishing I could find the words to explain to her what I’m feeling. But I can’t. She gestures toward outside. “I’ll have to follow you because I have no idea where I’m going.”
I walk outside and make a point to go slow. “Stay close to me,” I tell her.
We walk for only a few minutes before we are confronted by a bear. Keri is right at my back, and I grab on to her hand, telling her not to move. “Keri, I need you to go hide in the cave.”
She comes around to the side of me, shaking her head, looking between me and the bear. “I’m not leaving you.”
The determined look on her face and the way the bear is pawing at the ground with nostrils flared tells me that I don’t have time and have to make a choice right now.
I look into Keri’s eyes. “Don’t be scared. Okay?”
I gently push her to the side and turn back to the bear in front of me. He’s a shifter from the Eater clan, a rival to the New Law and my family. I’ve seen him before. I’ve been in battle with him before, but I know I can take him, especially if I know I need to keep Keri safe.
I shift, my skin pulling tight, my claws coming out, and my body morphing. I don’t have any time to look at Keri because I’m instantly in a dual with the Eater. The fight doesn’t last long before the Eater takes off down the mountain. Instead of following him, I know that Keri needs me, so I shift back into my human form and run back to her.
She doesn’t know it, but she is now in great danger because the Eaters will make sure there are no witnesses, and the New Law will want her changed or killed. Death is not an option. I won’t let any harm come to her, no matter what.
She’s not where I left her, but I can track her easily and find that she’s back in the cave. I pull extra clothes out of my bag because the ones I had on are shredded to pieces. After getting dressed, I go to Keri, knowing what needs to be done.
Keri
There’s no denying it. I know what I saw this time. I was completely lucid and aware. Ray is a bear shifter. I’d heard rumors of such things being real, but I’ve never believed it. Not until I saw it with my own two eyes. I know I should be terrified, but I’m not. He’s still the same man that saved me. The same man that I made love to last night.