Another nightmare wokeme up the next morning before dawn. It was the same old bitter memories replaying in my head like a broken reel. At this point, it was more annoying than upsetting.
Pale milky light filtered in, crawling along the mouth of the hollow. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, then started when I realized I wasn't alone. A thin, naked figure lay curled up along the other wall. The rhythmic rise and fall of his sides indicated he was fast asleep.
That's right. Ashe was here with me.
The memories from yesterday came flooding back. The mountain lion, saving Ashe, tending to his wounds, finding out that we could actually understand each other…
And then, of course, there was a bit about his family. The pack.
A bitter feeling wiggled in my stomach. I squashed it. Being envious of Ashe’s life wasn't helpful. It already ruined my mood last night and ended our otherwise pleasant conversation on a sour note. I didn't want that to happen again. Me being a grumpy bear would only make Ashe want to leave my presence sooner.
Careful not to wake him, I padded silently over to his sleeping form. His intoxicating aroma filled the air, a novelty amidst the usual scent of my home. I closed my eyes and took a deep drag of his scent. Why it made every hair on my pelt tingle, I had no idea.
My gaze moved towards his wounds. The dark brown edges of his injuries were crusted over. They looked worse than they did yesterday, but that was a good thing. It meant his body was repairing itself. I hoped my herbs helped speed things up.
The urge to take care of Ashe was overwhelming. My bear soul wanted to nuzzle him, to keep his wounds clean with my tongue, to use my thick coat to keep him warm during the night.
I grunted softly, startled by my own thoughts. What were these strange ideas running through my mind? I backed away from Ashe and exited the hollow, wanting to leave the strange way he made me feel behind.
When he awoke, he would be hungry. I didn't store any food in the hollow and I didn't want him eating my healing herbs, so I set out to find him breakfast.
As I walked through the dewy grass, I couldn't stop thinking about Ashe. My head buzzed with alien feelings. Dammit, this shouldn't happen when I was in my bear form. It was usually easier to block out thoughts as an animal. But this time, it wasn't happening. They continued to bombard me regardless of the form I was in.
I grumbled to myself as I reached the blueberry bush. It was difficult to cup things in my paws, so I stored all the berries in my cheeks, careful not to crush them on the way home. For good measure, I also snapped a branch of a tree with crisp, lush leaves on it. I hoped this was enough food for a deer.
Voices in the forest stopped me. They sounded familiar. I realized they belonged to the two coyote shifters I'd heard yesterday.
Curiosity sucked me in like a tide. I stayed frozen to the spot, not moving a muscle. I barely breathed for fear of scaring them off again. The thick underbrush hid my large body from view. As long as I didn't move, I could listen in on their conversation.
"… Sure this is safe? What if we run into that bear again?" the second coyote from yesterday asked.
"Ry, you worry too much," the first said in a calmer voice. "Relax."
"Well,Tai, if you didn't get us into trouble all the time, I wouldn't have to worry."
I stifled a snort of laughter. They were called Ry and Tai? What funny names for a couple.
"We can hightail it if he shows up again. Anyway, this is the best tasting water in the forest, so you're damn right I'm going to risk my tail for it," Tai proclaimed before I heard a splash and loud gulping.
"If you drink all that damn water, you're going to piss yourself," Ry said, rolling his eyes. With a grin, he added, "Hey, careful. If you drink too much of it, that water spirit might show up to scold you."
Tai choked. He sputtered water all over his chin, soaking his fur. "Very funny. Anyway, I don't think the water spirit lives around here. He's by the coast." He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully. "Though I don't know if his power extends throughout the area or whatever."
"I thought you knew everything about the spirits," Ry teased.
Tai flicked him with his tail. "Remind me never to spill any gossip again. You don't even appreciate me."
I was practically vibrating with excitement. I wished they kept talking about the spirits. I needed to know where to find one. What did Tai say about the water spirit? That he lived on the coast?
Frustration welled up inside me. If I could only speak, then I could ask the coyotes myself. Then again, that was the reason I was in the situation in the first place, wasn't it? Not being able to speak out loud was the root of all my problems.
If I could do that, maybe Ashe would want to stay.
I shook my head. Why did these nagging thoughts of Ashe cling to me like burrs? A broken alpha like me never stood a chance with a young, attractive omega like him. He could have his pick of the entire wildlife preserve. Hell, I didn't even know if he had a mate already or not. Judging by the size of his so-called huge family, it was possible he had a partner. Maybe even children.
My heart sank into my stomach, making me feel sick. Why was it that the harder I tried not to think about Ashe, the more he stuck in the forefront of my mind?
Morbid curiosity made me want to ask him about it when I got back to the hollow, but I was afraid of the answer.
