He agrees, but as we head back to the truck, the van takes off without waiting for us.
Bas swears and ushers me into the passenger seat before taking off as soon as he has the seat adjusted.
“Yeah don’t listen,” he mutters as he takes a bend with low visibility faster than I would have dared. Luckily he knows these roads. It’s so bad out there now I can barely see the camper. “Don’t stop and wait for us to put the chains on. Fucking fantastic. Should have fucking arrested them. That’s what I get for giving them the benefit of the doubt.”
He growls and grumbles all the way along the track until we reach a sharp bend. I trust him, but my knuckles are white where I’m gripping the edge of the seat, and my shoulders are tense. Conditions are terrible and getting worse every second.
As we round the corner, Bas taps his foot on the break, stopping as quickly as he can without sliding us off the road. The camper’s driver was obviously less skilled.
The vehicle is halfway off the road with its tire stuck in a ditch.
“Shit. Do we have a tow rope?”
“I have one, but there’s no time. If we wait much longer, this track is going to be unpassable.” He slips his jacket off hisshoulders and starts unbuttoning his shirt, and I realize what he’s planning.
“Bas, you’re not going to try moving it by yourself!”
He stops in the act of opening the door of the truck and a freezing wind gusts in, blowing the tendrils of hair poking out from under my beanie against my cheeks.
“I’ve already put you at risk by staying out here longer than we should have. I’m not wasting any more time.”
EIGHT
Bastien
I slide out of the truck and tug off my pants behind the door, not really caring if the tourists see me getting naked or not. They’re about to deal with ten foot two of angry bear in a minute, so a naked ranger is the least of their problems.
I’m an asshole, though, because I draw in a deep breath and the savor the way Vera’s scent changes as I do it, getting a sick pleasure from knowing my nakedness has an effect on her.
I should be shutting that down, not enjoying it.
I don’t linger to berate myself, though. Instead I shift, staying in my beast form—the form part way between bear and man. My face is not exactly human shaped and my teeth sharper, ears higher on my head and rounded like a bear. But unlike my four-legged form, my center of gravity is higher, and I walk more easily on two legs than four. Most importantly, I still have thumbs and I can talk, even if it comes out more like a growl.
The woman in the camper shrieks as I approach, but I ignore her. The icy wind whips through my fur. The man presses hisfoot to the floor, spraying muddy snow from the tire up at me, and I growl. “Wait until I’ve lifted you.”
The woman is too busy screaming to listen, and the guy just keeps right on flooring the accelerator, digging them further into the ditch they’re stuck in.
I’m suddenly aware of a small figure beside me. “We’re going to push you so you can get unstuck. Wait for my signal!” Vera shouts at the tourists.
Finally the man stops accelerating and listens.
I throw my shoulder against the back of the vehicle. It’s heavy, but in this form I’m strong. I push forward, heaving, and the van lifts an inch and then two.
I’m about to call out to Vera, but she’s already on it. “Now!” she shouts.
The camper’s engine revs to life again, and it shifts forward. I keep pushing, lifting with my legs, slipping a little in the icy sludge.
“More!” Vera shouts.
I push harder still, and the man revs the engine and the wheel catches on solid ground. I lower the vehicle, and he lurches forward onto the road again, rolling a few yards before coming to a stop.
Their window winds down, and he twists to give me a wave. “Hey, um… thanks.”
I’d shift back, but he probably wouldn’t appreciate the view. “Don’t mention it.”
The wind has picked up, and the snow is really falling. There’re already a few inches on the ground.
“Have you got snow chains?” Vera shouts over the wind.
