Part 21 (2/2)
What was it doing? Playing with her before it attacked? Or giving her time to adjust? Adjust to what? Her death or her future?
It stood again and moved closer. She held her breath.
It nudged her foot with its snout, then looked at her. Its blue eyes looked peaceful, almost friendly.
She drew in a shaky breath.
It nudged her knee with its snout, then looked at her again.
”Howard?” she whispered.
It made an odd, groaning sound, then moved closer, its snout only inches away.
This was it. She closed her eyes. It was either going to let her go or maul her to death.
It nudged her right shoulder.
Burning hot flames shot through her birthmark. She gasped in pain, then slumped over as everything went black.
Chapter Sixteen
Holy c.r.a.p! Howard s.h.i.+fted back to human form. Howard s.h.i.+fted back to human form.
”Elsa?” He brushed her hair back from her face, his hand still gray from the s.h.i.+fting process.
She was breathing, but unconscious. He didn't know if she'd fainted from shock or pain. Maybe both. His nose still burned from where his snout had touched her birthmark.
With his hands now back to their normal color, he rolled up the short sleeve of her T-s.h.i.+rt. He'd been curious about her mark since their first meeting. The bear had been curious, too, but Howard would have restrained the beast if he'd known the touch was going to hurt her.
Heat radiated from the birthmark, an angry red circle on her shoulder with clawlike extensions. It resembled an animal paw and looked like a large animal had grasped her by the shoulder.
”Elsa, it's all right.” No response.
He lifted her in his arms and carried her back to the stream. A few feet into the pool, where it was still shallow, there was a flat rock. He sat on it with her draped across his lap.
”Time to wake up,” he murmured, trying not to think about her lovely rump nestled against his groin.
He dangled his hand in the cool stream, then stroked her cheek with his wet fingers. ”Wake up, sweetheart.” He dampened his hand again and brushed her hair back from her brow.
She moaned.
Was she still in pain? If he touched her birthmark with his bare hand, would it hurt her again? He looked around for something to use and spotted his cotton briefs nearby on the bank, where he'd dropped them on top of his pants. With his trousers and s.h.i.+rt both torn and b.l.o.o.d.y, the briefs were the cleanest choice. He grabbed the underwear, dunked it into the cool water, then pressed it against her hot birthmark.
Her eyes fluttered open.
”There you are.” He smiled. ”You were starting to scare me.”
She stared at him, a dazed look on her face.
”You fainted.” He sloshed his underwear into the stream again, then pressed it to her birthmark. ”I didn't mean to make this burn again. I'm sorry.”
A shudder skittered through her, then she frantically looked around.
”It's all right.” He gave her a rea.s.suring smile. ”You should know by now that I'm not going to hurt you. I'm wild about you.”
Her eyes widened, taking on a tinge of panic. ”Wild?”
He winced. ”Bad word choice. How about smitten? Infatuated?”
”No!” She scrambled out of his arms and stumbled onto the bank of the stream. ”You-” She pointed a trembling finger at him. ”You're-you're-” She blinked and looked him over.
”Four letters, starts with a b b.”
”b.u.t.t-naked!”
”That, too.” He nodded. ”Though it's probably a minor issue at the moment.”
She dragged a hand through her hair as her gaze darted nervously about. ”I didn't imagine it, did I?”
”No.”
Her gaze landed on the tree where she'd hidden earlier. With a shaky breath, she pressed a hand to her heart. ”I thought I was going to die.” Her eyes s.h.i.+mmered with tears. ”I thought you were going to kill me.”
”Elsa.” He started to get up. ”Sweethea-”
”No!” She jumped, her hands spread out. ”Don't move.”
He sat back on the rock, half of his rump underwater. With his knees bent and his arms crossed over them, most of his groin was hidden. Which was good at the moment. ”There's no need to be afraid of me.”
”No need?” She waved her arms. ”You're a bear! A huge, freaking grizzly bear!”
”And I didn't hurt you.” He winced. ”Except for the burn from your birthmark. I didn't expect that to happen. I thought it was a onetime deal.” Maybe it was a onetime occurrence for him in each form as human and bear.
She bit her lip, watching him with a look that was part disbelief, part terror.
Dammit, he didn't want her to be afraid of him. Some day they would laugh about this, and the sooner that day arrived, the better. ”I knew you were there, Elsa. I could smell your scent. And you moved through the forest like a herd of buffalo-”
”What?”
He smiled. That was more like it. He'd take her anger, embarra.s.sment, annoyance-any emotion but fear. ”Did you enjoy the show?”
”Watching you turn into a beast?” She shuddered. ”Of course not! It was a horror show.”
<script>