Trying to distract him from whatever concerns he had, I said, "See, it's daylight outside. Guess we woke up on time after all, even without the sun, huh?"
He nodded but I wasn't sure if he was paying attention.
Finally, after a bit of Bear's work, I could wriggle my arms again. I grunted and pulled them free. Only a layer of dirt remained on my feet so I helped Bear in digging myself out.
As I was freed, the tension hesitantly melted off Bear's expression. He sighed in relief when I kicked the final layer off.
"See?" I said, smiling. "No big deal. Everything's okay."
Bear nodded curtly, but grabbed my arm, like he refused to let me go again. We resumed our escape, only a few strides from the mouth of the tunnel.
The earth rumbled. A large, pointed rock jutted out from the floor, sending us flying. I cried out and Bear grunted loudly. The sudden impact separated us. I fell on my ass as Bear stumbled forward.
The stalagmite pulled back into the earth, moving on its own. It was a chilling sight. It reminded me of a big cat retracting its claws.
I frowned as fear crept up on me. Nowthatdefinitely wasn't normal.
The mouth of the tunnel—our escape—went black. Something blotted it out. My fear twisted into dread.
Bear rushed at me, nearly tackling me to the ground. Whatever that thing was, he was putting himself between it and me. Normally I would've been annoyed at being 'saved' by an alpha, but right now I didn't care. I clung to him. It comforted me to know my fated mate was protecting me from this mysterious, terrible force.
The tunnel was pitch black. The light was snuffed out, like the sun just beyond it didn't exist at all.
"Bear? What's going on?" I asked, my voice rising in fear.
I realized too late that there was no point in asking. I wouldn't be able to see his response anyway. It was too dark. Despair filled me.
Then, in the midst of the blackness, a pair of piercing, cold green eyes peeled open at the end of the tunnel.
18
Bear
My body stiffened.
I knew those eyes. I'd seen them before in my childhood.
Yes, that's right. It was during the cave-in, on the night I was separated from my parents forever.
Back then, I was alone and terrified. I had no idea what the future held, or if I would even have a future at all.
But I wasn't alone now. I knew my future now. I had Ashe, and our baby.
I had too much to live for to let this green-eyed beast terrify me again.
A strange, frigid calm descended upon me. Was it my alpha instincts kicking in? I didn't care what it was, as long as it aided me in saving Ashe from this situation.
I wanted to open my mouth and bark at the thing, demand what it wanted from us, but of course, that wasn't possible. I didn't speak out loud. Maybe I never would.
And maybe that was okay.
Ashe still loved me. He didn't care that I signed instead of speaking. He never once berated me for it, or thought lesser of me.
I could feel Ashe trembling behind me. He was afraid of the dark, and now he had to deal with this green-eyed bastard, too? No, I refused to let him be afraid any longer.
I faced the creature with a scowl. I realized there was a glow radiating off of its sickly green eyes—just enough light for anyone present to see me signing.
But would it even understand me?
