Chapter 8
Cecilia stared at the window, straining for a sight of Hank’s furry body. He’d just leapt out the window, and she was still holding the phone and waiting to see if he would come right back. Meanwhile, her mind struggled to hold on to anything in the bursting whirlwind of data that came in too fast for her to process. This whole night had been like ripping aside a curtain to reveal a whole new level of reality. It was shocking and wonderful. It was also completely upsetting that she hadn’t even known she was missing it.
That’s what she was trying to deal with right then, but it was too much, and she’d gone too long without sleep. She couldn’t hold on to facts or details like she should. And as much as she wanted to dig into the corpses around her, she kept staring out the window waiting for Hank.
Why had he left and what had he been doing nuzzling her like that?
She didn’t want to think about it, but she couldn’t stop herself. He’d been playful and fun, but her body had responded in ways it shouldn’t. Her nipples had tightened, her belly had gone hot and soft, and that was nothing compared to the wetness that had drenched her panties.
What was wrong with her? She was hot and bothered because a bear had nuzzled her. A bear. A big, freaking bear. And when he wasn’t a bear, he was a big guy with a scar and a taciturn nature who reminded her of her harsh, demanding father. Yuck.
There. That ought to completely kill her libido. Except it didn’t.
“Hello? Are you still there?”
Cecilia jolted, remembering that she was on Hank’s phone talking to his…well, she wasn’t exactly sure who this guy Simon was except that he spoke with clipped authority and acted like Hank should be reporting to him. Kind of like a CO except that, as far as she knew, Hank was out of the military. Either way, he demanded a response from her, so she cleared her throat.
“Um, yeah. Sorry. I was waiting to see if Hank would come back.”
“If he left, he had a good reason.”
“Uh ye—”
“I’ve got your GPS coordinates from the phone, but there isn’t anyone nearby. Are you in danger?”
Simon’s questions helped focus her thoughts. “Not right now. Mother and Sammy are resting. Mother because of her heart, Sammy because that’s apparently normal after a first shift.”
“Sammy popped?”
She frowned. “I have no idea how to answer that.”
“She turned into a bear and then reverted to human.” It wasn’t a question, but she answered as if it were.
“Yes and yes. Golden brown grizzly of approximately two hundred pounds and six foot nose to tail.”
Silence for a moment, and then…“Any other details?”
“Plenty, but I don’t know what you consider relevant.”
“Good answer. I’d like a full report by Monday. You can email it to me. But for now, tell me how she seems as a human.”
“Young African American woman of approximately sixteen years. She’s healthy and…feisty.” That wasn’t a medical term, but it applied. “Once the adrenaline wore off, she fell right asleep. I managed to get her to eat a couple Powerbars, but that was it.”
“Good choice. That’ll keep her until she wakes. And Mother?”
“Heart condition probably deteriorating with age. She needs advanced medical care, but is fine for now.” Then a pause. “Will you be able to help her? She doesn’t have insurance.”
Silence again as she heard tapping in the background. “She’s a werewolf asset. Hank wouldn’t even be there without Sammy in the picture.”
Somehow she doubted that. There was too much affection between him and Mother. Initially she’d thought Mother was his biological parent, but a closer inspection of the two showed too many differences. It didn’t preclude him from being her adopted child though. She really needed to get more details on his history. From a purely scientific perspective, of course.
Meanwhile, Simon was speaking to someone in the background. He’d covered his phone, so the words were muffled, but then he returned a moment later. “I don’t have anyone free to help you. We’re running food to those who need it and tying down those who are hallucinating. It’s our duty to help the people inside our territory.”
Pack logic from a bear. Not a surprise as humans could be extraordinarily territorial, but it wasn’t generally an ursine trait. Apparently, it was for ursine shifters.
“Understood.” She nearly added a “sir” but showing deference wasn’t in her nature. That she almost snapped out a salute was a measure of this man’s dominance.
“Alyssa and I will come as soon as we’re free. Expect us before morning.”
