The mountain lion’s tail lashed harder.
Her heartbeat was so loud Zoe was certain the entire Cascade could hear it. She tried not to breathe too fast, not to make any movement, not to squeak.Don’t be an elk. Definitely don’t be a squeaky elk.
Rex’s growl deepened. It was a promise of violence now.
The cougar’s shoulders lowered further, muscles bunching, but something in its eyes changed. A flicker of doubt. After a second that stretched into a lifetime, the lion gave a short, sharp hiss and angled sideways.
Rex advanced one more step.
The cougar backed up.
One step. Another. Then it turned, fluid and silent, and melted back into the forest as if it had never been there.
Rex didn’t move for several loud heartbeats.
When nothing happened, when no other predator came out, she simply dropped on her ass. She didn’t faint, exactly, but man, everything was very white and her head very light. The ground was cool and damp and solid and safe under her palms. “Oh my god,” she whispered, and it came out breathless and thin. “Sweet baby Jesus and Mary. And Joseph, too.”
Rex stayed in front of her another heartbeat, maybe two, massive and still, ears angled toward the trees. Listening. Making sure. Then he turned.
His eyes found her.
The same intense brown eyes, just framed in fur. There was something in them, maybe a question—Are you okay?
Was she? She hadn’t peed herself, so that was a win, and she was not inside the stomach of that cougar. So, yeah. She figured she was. Because of the wolf in front of her. “You...” She swallowed, still finding it a little hard to do. “That was very cool.”
Brilliant, Zoe.
He didn’t seem to notice, though, and came close enough for her to lift a hand that trembled despite her best efforts. Herfingers brushed the thick fur of his neck. She didn’t expect it to be soft, but it was. She gently closed a fist in it. “You scared the crap out of the lion. And maybe a little out of me.”
He didn’t pull away, and neither did she. They remained there, looking into each other’s eyes, surrounded by the darkening forest, the world slowly breathing again around them. Her chest lifted for the first time in minutes, a shaky inhale that filled her lungs with relief. And for the first time since the lion stepped into view, she didn’t think of it. Or about being an elk and almost becoming dinner.
She thought about how, when danger came, he put himself between her and it. “Thank you,” she murmured.
He nodded. Or she thought he did.
Then he trotted into the closest bushes. A few seconds later, his voice came, and maybe her brain was still short-circuiting, but it sounded gentler than usual. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah?”
“That sounds more like a question.”
Right. She cleared her throat. “Yes. Yes, thank you.”
There was more rustling, then his head popped out from said bushes, and he kept getting up until his torso was out, and green leaves covered him from the waist down.
Oh.
Naked.
He was, um, naked.
And big. Beautiful.
Talking about a glorious, unapologetic hairy chest situation, where dark hair trailed down the best display of pecs and abs she’d ever seen in her life. Her mouth went dry again, for very different reasons this time. Reasons she liked very much. The fading light traced the lines of him in bronze and shadow, as if the forest itself were taking a moment to admire his body. She sure was.
He didn’t comment on her obvious ogling, but cleared his voice. “Ah, do you think you can chuck what’s left of my clothes my way?”
She looked at his face—equally breath-takingly handsome—seriously, it was almost too much—but managed to get a hold of the non-slutty side of her brain. “Sure, sure.”
