Tracking the Bear (Blue Ridge Bears Book 1)(17)

“I think I can guess. What happened after that?”

“Well, we weren’t, you know…done…but I heard this noise. It sounded like a crash. I got up to go see what had happened, and he said he’d be waiting when I got back. I put on a pair of underwear and a robe, and I went to go check. I knocked, and I waited for Keith to come to the door. Luke was still supposed to be recovering from the procedure.”

“And what then?”

She flinched, as if the question had actually been a physical blow. “A bear broke down the door. It was big and it had shaggy black fur. I just remember it standing on its hind legs and roaring at me. I ran. I didn’t know what else to do.” She sniffled, and I reached over to her bedside table to retrieve a tissue for her. She took it with a nod of thanks and blew her nose.

“I was such a coward,” she muttered.

“No, you weren’t,” I said, taking her hand. I gave it a firm squeeze. “You did the only thing you could have done.”

“B-but aren’t you supposed to play dead during an attack?”

“That only works with real bears and even then, usually only if a female is defending her cubs. A predatory bear or were-bear is going to charge you regardless. You were right to run. What happened then?”

“It followed me into the lobby. Brian was out of the room by then and I told him to run, to get help. I think he went out the emergency exit, because the alarm started going off. The bear was roaring, and the siren was so loud. I sort of lost my head. I smashed open the glass on the case and pulled out a fire extinguisher. It was coming right at me, and I didn’t know what else to do. I sprayed it in the face. You would have thought it was buckshot, the way it reacted. He reacted, I guess…”

She trailed off, rubbing at the gash on her arm again. “He tried to swipe at me, and I hit him over the head with the fire extinguisher. I was screaming, he was screaming, the damned alarm kept going off. I don’t really know what happened then. I was too out of it. The window was shattered when I came to, so I guess he must have jumped or fell.”

“Have you gone to your local shelter?” I asked, gesturing to her arm. “They could provide you with recourses.”

“Please,” she scoffed. “I’ve done a report on those shelters. They’re constantly underfunded and understaffed.”

“What were you planning to do on the next full moon, then?” I asked, raising a skeptical brow at her. “Chain yourself to a tree?”

“Get the hell out of dodge,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve told my professors. I’ve dropped out of college for now. I was supposed to turn in my room key today.”

I pulled my wallet from my pocket and removed one of the many cards I kept inside. I offered it to her.

“Call this number. I know some people who can help you.”

“I don’t want to be a monster,” she whispered, tears brimming over and running down her cheeks. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Call the number,” I repeated quietly. “They’ll make sure you’re in a safe environment for your first change.”

She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me down so she could give my cheek a light peck. Her lipstick smeared all over my cheek, and I knew I’d have a red smudge, no matter how hard I rubbed at it.

“Thank you.”

“Erm, you’re welcome,” I muttered, patting her awkwardly on the back.

She drew away with a small, self-conscious smile and led me to her door. “I hope I helped.”

She led me to her door, and when I emerged, two angry women were waiting for me. The cop launched into a lecture about how insubordinate I was being, and how she was going to put in a call to my superiors.

Worse though was Lucy’s fury. As soon as she’d spotted the lip print on my cheek, her lips had drawn into a thin line and she’d fixed me with a glare so intense I could practically feel it boring a hole through my forehead.

“We’re leaving,” I told them both. The cop followed us all the way to the elevator, still muttering threats. When we got on the elevator, she punched the button down with unnecessary force. I took the corner opposite of her, belligerently not wiping the lip mark off my cheek. I hadn’t done anything, and she had to know that.

When we got back to the main floor, she stalked out ahead of me. I let her, knowing what it must cost her to walk so quickly on her bad leg. And because the view was actually pretty pleasant.

The drizzle started up again when we reached the car, and I really hoped I was wrong about my predictions for the night. Lord knew I didn’t want another standoff in the rain.

Unless it was followed by a steaming bath afterward, of course.





Chapter Seven


Lucy


“How did you injure your leg?”

We’d been traveling east for most of the day. He’d been throwing out questions out periodically when he hadn’t turned on the radio to fill the silence. I hadn’t said a word in response the entire trek, and we were nearing our hotel for the evening. Another night of lying near him while my fingers itched to explore his broad chest.

It was childish of me and I knew it. I hadn’t actually employed the silent treatment for longer than an hour since fifth grade. When we’d left the university, I’d been so furious with him I hadn’t been able to form a coherent sentence. I’d continued to ignore him out of spite the entire trip down. We’d passed through two states, stopped for food and gas twice, and still, I’d said nothing.