Fern grasped for purchase, clinging to his big furry head and shrieking, “Oh my god, Elliott. This better fucking be you!”
He dropped her back down and shoved against her chest with his huge noggin. Though she squealed and swatted at him, it worked. Fern stumbled back until the water was no deeper than her knees.
“Elliott. Shift back, right now. I need to talk to you.”
What did she need to talk to him about? His bear certainly didn’t care, not now that he had her where he wanted her. Unfortunately, the beast was still acting like an absolute fool, huffing and shoving his nose between her legs. Surely he wouldn’t try to bite her there... right?
“Could you do me a favor and change back, dude?”Elliott tried a new tactic. He didn’t hate his current position, not by any stretch of the imagination. But he couldn’t imagine Fern was into it.
“Elliott Fitzpatrick. If you’re not going to change back, I’m just going to talk to you. Okay?”
His grizzly grunted.
“Do bears even understand English? Oh well, I hope you’re listening in there.” She tapped the top of his skull as he panted against her thigh. “Do you actually have a crush on me even though you said it was a mistake to kiss me? Because I’d like to know the truth.”
When his bear lifted his head, Elliott caught a brief glimpse of vulnerability and freckles spread across her sun-tanned face. Then his grizzly’s massive tongue lolled out, and he licked her nipple.
“Oh my god, Elliott!” she shouted, giving his head a shove, before she went right back to scratching him between the ears.
Dropping his snout, his bear happily enjoyed her enchanting scent while staring at her toes, half-buried in silt and stones beneath the ripples.
With a soft sigh, Fern said, “Listen, I should’ve told you this on our walk to Northrop House, but I’m actually afraid of dating these days anyway. I’m just trying to figure myself out first. So, Igetthat you don’t want a relationship. That’s... that’s fine. I just thought I’d tell you in case, um— Oh my god, this is fucking awkward. I’m just going to say it. I figuredI’d tell you that, in case you want to do a friends with benefits thing. If you want—” When she cut herself off, Elliott heard her teeth snap closed.
She didn’t want a fucking relationship. He was putting himself underallthat stress for no reason. A sour sense of relief flooded him while nothing but pure, unadulterated determination took hold of his bear.
The beast really said, “let’s fuck,” and shoved his nose between her legs again,nuzzlingagainst her, not just sniffing.
“NOT LIKE THAT!” Fern screamed. “Jesus Christ! That’s an offer for Elliott, notyou, bear. Shift back for me, please. I need you to shift back for me.”
He licked her from knee to hip, and she laughed, though she shoved him away the whole time. His grizzly finally got the message—sort of—and sat back on his haunches, panting at her like a playful puppy.
Panic seized Elliott as he recognized the feelings stirring in his animal. He was positive sheneededhim. And the best way to ensure that was by biting her, marking her, starting the bond. She neededhim, not a human, she needed a—
“Mate,”his bear rumbled in a low tone, the purr in his chest strong enough to send little ripples out over the surface of the water.
Helpless against his beast’s whims, Elliott’s human heart stalled out, and panic struck him dumb when his bear rose up on his hind legs, hitting his full height and shadowing her beneath him.
11
Fern is an animal.
Thatwasfununtilitwasn’t. Why Elliott’s bear was rearing up at her, she had no idea, but she didn’t like it.
When his mouth fell open like he was going to eat her alive, a droplet of hot saliva landed on her forehead, and Fern screamed. “You’re scaring me! Stop!”
He lunged, and she leapt left, diving into the stream. It was shallow, and the grainy bottom scraped her stomach as she kicked for dear life, waiting for his huge claws to rip through her back. Her lungs burned, and she wished she’d taken a big breath before going under. Still, she stayed as deep as she could get—like it would stop a fucking grizzly. Reeds slicked past her face as she bashed her shoulder into a rock, but she kept going.
A shriek leapt from Fern’s lungs as something huge and unyielding wrapped around her waist, hauling her up and out of the water. She waited for teeth and claws and certain death, gasping when she smashed back into a solid surface.
Her feet found purchase in the silt, and she thrashed, only to be gripped tighter against that furless—mostly—surface. And things clicked.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Elliott panted against her hair as water lapped at her stomach. “Fern, please forgive me. I’m so, so sorry.” His voice rumbled low in her ear, sending tingles through her body.
Struggling halfheartedly against his hold, she tried to determine if it was adrenaline or lust making her heart pound and her breath shallow. “Why did youdothat?!”
“I lost control of my bear.”
Staring into the clear stream ahead, she asked, “Does that happen often? I thought everyone was joking about animals being dangerous. Then I really thought they were, after I learned the truth about you all. Is Beckett Falls not safe for me?” She squirmed in his grip, trying to look at his face without breaking contact. “Why would Liv have me come someplace dangerous? Do I need to leave?”
