“Quite a bit of consideration from the man who attacked me.”
And there was that feisty side that made him harder than granite. Best not to show her that, though, so he adjusted the angle of his chair to keep his horniness hidden.
“I couldn’t let you get the police involved. Not when Theo’s on his way up here.”
She lifted off the pillow, her eyes wide. “You’ve found him?”
God, he’d give anything to reassure her, but he couldn’t lie to her. “Not yet. But we’re pretty sure he’s coming.”
She dropped back on the bed with her eyes closed, the scent of despair filling the room. But a moment later, it was over. She was back in control, her eyes flashing blue fire as she pushed herself upright.
“You’re right,” she said, false cheer in her voice. “I’m sure Theo’s going to show up here any moment. But in the meantime, how about I go back to my apartment just in case he goes home?”
“Amy’s there. She’ll call if he shows up.”
“Right. Of course, but I’m his aunt and guardian. He?—”
“He’s coming here. It’s a bear thing, Becca. After the First Change, we always come here.”
She looked around. “To Camp Max?”
“To Gladwin State Park. Not all bear shifters, of course. Just my clan.” He leaned forward. “But don’t worry. We’ve got spotters out looking for him.”
“Theo’s in Kalamazoo. That’s where we live. Two hundred miles south of here.”
More like 180, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate the correction. “I know it sounds like a lot.”
“Because it is a lot.”
“But bears in their First Change do that kind of thing. They just do.”
She dug her fists into her eyes. “Do you hear yourself? God, do you understand how insane you sound?”
He took a deep breath. “Yes, I do. Which is why I want to show you a video?—”
She bolted. One second she was rubbing her eyes with her fists, the next she was inches short of the door. He caught her. Even startled, he was fast and she had no weight to drag him out of his seat. And this time he was prepared as she began to fight him.
Jesus, she was wiry.
He stood up out of his chair, carrying her as she kicked. Bright flashes of pain on his arms told him he’d have more bruises there. And then she reared back to head butt him.
That was the last straw. He could handle bruises, but her head was hard enough to give them both concussions. So he tossed her on the bed. She landed on her backside with an “oomph,” and he hoped she’d stay down.
She didn’t. Even before she’d finished bouncing, she was scrambling up. So he did the only thing he could think of that would keep her from getting hurt. He spread eagled and dropped right on top of her. It took about two minutes of heavy scrabbling to pin her. She reached up and to the right to grab the lamp, so he nailed that arm first. The second fist came at his head, but he was prepared, and he slammed that down until both of her arms were trapped above and to either side of her head. As for her legs, nothing would do but for him to drop his knees between hers and spread them. She fought every second, but she had no leverage. And all through it, Little Carl got happier and hornier. By the time she stilled, they were both breathing heavily, their faces were inches apart, and his erection was a hot, stone pillar between them. No way to hide it.
“Get off me,” she hissed.
“I’m going to hand you your phone,” he said calmly, though it was damned hard given how her every breath pushed those soft, rounded breasts against his chest. “You can call 911. Tell them who you are and where you are. Will you listen to their answer, please? Will you trust me that much at least?”
She swallowed. It took her two tries to answer, but eventually she got the word out. “Okay.”
“If you run, I’ll have to stop you again. It’s almost dark and it’d be dangerous for you to be out there by yourself. Not to mention how it’ll scare the kids.”
“I can’t believe I brought Theo here every summer.”
“It probably saved his life, Becca. Otherwise he’d be completely lost out there. We teach them survival skills and make sure they learn the safe places in the park. It’s for exactly this reason. In case one of them shifts. Even in bear form they’ll head for safety. They’ll head where we taught them to go.”
She didn’t believe him. God, how stubbornly ordinary people clung to their beliefs. But in her defense, she hadn’t seen anything to suggest he was telling the truth. She hadn’t been quiet enough that he could give her any proof. So first he would have to show her that she was completely safe.
