by Ruby Forrest
She held the book to herself, lost in thought. It would be so helpful if the bears could speak, could let her know exactly what was going on so that she could fix it. If only she could know, could help in some way.
She wondered, idly, what a bear would sound like if it were able to speak and decided, with a quiet laugh, that it would probably sound like Jack- Dean. If a bear was human, Jack- Dean would probably embody that. She chuckled to herself and reminded herself not to say that out loud, in case he took serious offense.
It was true though, with his large, intimidating stature, love of nature and low, intense voice. Smiling to herself, Maria turned back to the book.
***
Finally the laborer squeezed the raven yet again till he croaked, and stated: 'Fourthly, he says that there are a few cakes under the bed.' 'That would be a fine thing!' cried the mill operator, and looked there, and found the cakes. Furthermore, now the two sat down to the table together, however the mill operator's better half was alarmed to death, and went to quaint little inn all the keys with her. The mill operator would have preferred much to know the fifth, yet the little laborer stated: 'To start with, we will rapidly eat the four things, for the fifth is something terrible.' So they ate, and after that they bartered how much the mill operator was to give for the fifth prediction, until the point that they concurred on three hundred talers. At that point the worker again squeezed the raven's head till he croaked uproariously. The mill operator asked: 'What did he say?' The laborer answered: 'He says that the Devil is covering up outside there in the wardrobe on the yard.' The mill operator stated: 'The Devil must go out,' and opened the house-entryway; at that point the lady was compelled to surrender the keys, and the worker opened the storage room. The parson ran out as quick as possible, and the mill operator stated: 'It was valid; I saw the dark scalawag with my own particular eyes.' The worker, be that as it may, made off next morning by dawn with the three hundred talers. At home the little worker step by step jump started out; he fabricated a delightful house, and the laborers stated: 'The little worker has unquestionably been to where brilliant snow falls, and individuals convey the gold home in scoops.'
Then the little worker was brought before the leader, and bidden to state from whence his riches came. He replied: 'I sold my dairy animals' skin in the town, for three hundred talers.' When the workers heard that, they too wished to appreciate this awesome benefit, and ran home, murdered every one of their bovines, and peeled off their skins keeping in mind the end goal to pitch them in the town to the best favorable position. The leader, nonetheless, stated: 'Yet my worker must go first.' When she went to the dealer in the town, he didn't give her in excess of two talers for a skin, and when the others came, he didn't give them so much, and stated: 'What would i be able to do with every one of these skins?' Then the laborers were vexed that the little worker ought to have in this manner outsmarted them, needed to get revenge on him, and blamed him for this unfairness before the major. The guiltless little worker was consistently condemned to death, and was to be moved into the water, in a barrel punctured brimming with openings. He was driven forward, and a minister was conveyed who was to state a mass for his spirit. The others were altogether obliged to resign to a separation, and when the worker took a gander at the minister, he perceived the man who had been with the mill operator's better half. He said to him: 'I set you free from the storage room, set me free from the barrel.' At this same minute up came, with a run of sheep, the very shepherd whom the laborer knew had for quite some time been wishing to be leader, so he cried energetically:
'No, I won't do it; if the entire world demands it, I won't do it!' The shepherd hearing that, surfaced to him, and asked: 'What are you about? Would could it be that you won't do?' The worker stated: 'They need to make me chairman, in the event that I will however place myself in the barrel, yet I won't do it.' The shepherd stated: 'If just that is needful with a specific end goal to be leader, I would get into the barrel on the double.'
The worker stated: 'On the off chance that you will get in, you will be leader.' The shepherd was eager, and got in, and the laborer close the best down on him; at that point he took the shepherd's rush for himself, and pushed it away. The parson went to the group, and proclaimed that the mass had been said. At that point they came and rolled the barrel towards the water. At the point when the barrel started to roll, the shepherd cried: 'I am very eager to be leader.' They trusted no generally than that it was the worker who was stating this, and replied: 'That is the thing that we plan, however first you might look about you somewhat down beneath there,' and they rolled the barrel down into the water. After that the laborers went home, and as they were entering the town, the little worker additionally came unobtrusively in, driving a run of sheep and looking very satisfied. At that point the workers were astounded, and stated: 'Laborer, from whence do you come? Have you left the water?' 'Yes, really,' answered the worker, 'I sank profound, where it counts, until finally I got to the base; I drove the hit rock bottom of the barrel, and crawled out, and there were pretty knolls on which various sheep were nourishing, and from thereupon I carried this run away with me.' Said the laborers: 'Are there any more there?'
'Goodness, yes,' said he, 'more than I could need.' Then the laborers made up their brains that they too would get some sheep for themselves, a rush each, yet the chairman stated: 'I start things out.' So they went to the water together, and only at that point there were a portion of the little warm mists in the blue sky, which are called little sheep, and they were reflected in the water, whereupon the workers cried: 'We as of now observe the sheep down beneath!' The leader squeezed forward and stated: 'I will go down in the first place, and look about me, and if things guarantee well I'll call you.' So he bounced in; sprinkle! went the water; it seemed as though he were calling them, and the entire swarm dove in after him as one man. At that point the whole town was dead, and the little worker, as sole beneficiary, turned into a rich man.
***
Maria put down the book, feeling a sense of satisfaction, as well as a quiet ache. It was a hard book, and really, it was difficult to say who was really in the right. All that she could know for sure was the fact that, when it came down to it, it was important to pay attention to the animals!
Maria didn’t get much more time to think about it. The bathroom door opened and Maria jumped as Jack- Dean stepped out. She turned her head and felt her heart catch at the sight in front of her. He was in casual slacks, and a dark t-shirt that clung to his body, showing off the curves of his muscles, the build that he hid beneath the surface. His hair was damp and clung to his skin and droplets of water rolled down his neck. Maria swallowed as the steam tumbled out behind him, warming the room even further.
He looked good. Under the tense façade and the brusque nature, he was incredibly good looking, with intense, strong features, dark eyes, dark hair and a beautiful build. It struck Maria, quick suddenly, that he didn’t look like a grizzly bear, but a black bear, big and strong. She shivered and smiled, trying to push aside the desire and heat that was rising to her skin, rising within her body.
“Jack- Dean.” She tried to keep her voice light, “Thanks again for the hot chocolate.”
He nodded, wandering out of the bathroom, “You might want to decide where to sleep. It will be an early start tomorrow.”
Maria nodded, looking around. The bed seemed comfortable and inviting and she glanced at Jack- Dean, “Is it alright if I take the bed?” She looked around, concerned, “Where will you sleep?”
He chuckled, a low sound that sent shivers through Maria, “I can sleep anywhere. Take the bed.”
He genuinely didn’t seem to mind, so Maria nodded and grabbed her clothes. She headed into the bathroom, stripping for a quick shower, doing the essentials, before she dried off and changed into her pajamas. Finally feeling ready for bed, sleepy exhaustion washing over her, Maria made her way towards the bed, and slid inside. The sheets were a warm type of flanne
l, comfortable and soft. The covers were comfortable and smelt like smoke and pine. Maria sighed in satisfaction and content, her eyes slipping shut.
She heard Jack- Dean moving around, flicking off the lights and double checking that the doors were locked and latched. She opened her eyes, watching him from the bed. He slid onto the couch, collapsing onto it with languid grace. He stretched out and Maria watched him in the glow of the fire, the strength in his limbs as he stretched, the curve of his jawline as he arched, the water droplets tumbling to the ground.
She shivered and shut her eyes. She reminded herself that she didn’t really like him anyway, that just because he had done a nice thing for her and he knew her father, didn’t mean that she liked him, even in a professional way. She definitely didn’t like him, want him, or need him, in any other way, not as a friend, not as anything more. She certainly wasn’t attracted to him. She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut harder.
Her work was her life and she didn’t have anyone to go home to. Still, that didn’t stop her wandering thoughts, from time to time. And Jack- Dean…well, Jack- Dean just happened to be fueling them in a way that she couldn’t quite wrap her head around. He was attractive, he was cold, and he was hot. He was passionate and completely detached all at the same time. He seemed to care so much about the animals and the forest but so very little about anything and anyone else. She didn’t know what to make of him, or what she was supposed to make of him. She didn’t know what to think, or how to act around him.
With a sigh, Maria shook her head. She was turning into a schoolgirl with a stupid crush. She wasn’t going to have that. She had work to do, work to focus on and Jack- Dean had made it clear enough that he didn’t want her around. She wouldn’t embarrass herself by going after a guy who couldn’t care less.
Still, as she drifted off to sleep, she did so to the sound of the wind outside, the smell of pine and smoke and the comforting sound of Jack- Dean’s breathing. It was perfect, even if she didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Not even to herself.
Chapter 4
I can feel his hand pressed over my mouth. His grip is tight, tight and unrelenting. My heart is pounding, racing a million miles per hour. I try to shift, but his voice is in my ear, hissing and low, “Stop moving!”
I feel the terror shudder down my spine, move through my body and pool to the floor beneath my feet. I have felt terror before. I have felt the unrelenting fear of eyes on my back, day after day. But this is different. This is something new, something intense, acute, and overwhelming.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” His voice is soft in my ear, nothing more than a whisper, but it leaves me feeling cold. I can feel his strong arm wrapped around me, across my stomach, pinning my arms to my sides. My back is pressed against his chest, and I am flush with his body. It’s intimate. At a glance, it could be mistaken for a passionate embrace, but this is something different, something almost sinister.
“I need you to stay quiet.” I can feel his breath on my skin, hot against me. If he lets go, I’ll scream. I’ll run, make a break for it, do something, anything. My limbs feel frozen in place. I think about fighting, about resisting, but the strength in his arms is almost brutal.
There’s something familiar about him, familiar about the glimpse of his face that I caught, before he grabbed me. There’s something familiar in the lilt of his voice, the way he speaks. I know this man.
The realization is like a shock of cold water blasting my system, flooding my senses and leaving me breathless and gasping with fright. I know him! This is the same man who sat across from me last night. This is a man who I had talked to, shared my feelings with, and spoken about my future, my pain, my hopes and dreams.
Chester. The name is like a knife through my body, through my spirit. I thought that I could trust him, thought that he was my friend. I feel a fresh wave of agony rush through me and I blink back the tears that threaten to spill over. I won’t cry. I won’t cry in front of Chester.
I thought that I knew him. I shifted and I could feel the tension ripple through Chester, “Stop moving! I’m not here to hurt you! Just stay still for a minute.” His words spill from him in a hiss, a low threat that has the hair on the back of my neck sticking up.
I thought that I knew him. I thought that I was safe with him, but now I feel nothing but terror and pain coursing through my body, through my chest. I shouldn’t have trusted him. We had only met a few months ago, but he had changed my whole world, changed the way that I thought about things, the way that I treated life. He was like a breath of fresh air, a man who was both edgy and sophisticated, a man who was both cool and unbearably warm. He had seemed so special, so kind and thoughtful. He hadn’t pushed me like other men had- now I knew why!
I swallowed back the ache in my chest. This was the man who I was falling for. This was a man who made me consider dating again, when I had thought that this part of my life was long behind me. This was the man who had given me hope of a better future, of a future where love was possible, a future where happiness was within my grasp.
I feel the tears gathering on my lashes. There was an edge to him, an edge that spoke to my past, and the way that I had grown up, the struggle that I had experienced. He seemed wealthy, but there was something very real about him, something very relatable, something that I could almost reach out and touch.
We weren’t from worlds that were so different. He made me feel that we were close, that we were the same, despite our differences. He made me feel special. A tear rolled down my cheek.
And now he was here, like something out of my worst nightmare, grabbing me in the dark, covering my mouth and hissing threats in my ear. I trusted him. I cared for him. I had let myself think, just for a few, blissful weeks, that he was someone special, that he cared about me. That I should trust again.
I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been, so, so stupid! I had walked right into this and now I was paying for it. The cold air brushes my skin and I feel sick, nauseated. I can smell him, a sweet musk and I hate myself for the way it makes me feel. I can’t feel disgusted by him, no matter what he does. I can’t bring myself to hate him and that makes everything hurt all the more.
He shifts again and I feel his grip loosen, just a little. “Do you trust me?” He whispers.
My stomach lurches and I shake my head. Trust him? How could I ever trust him again?
I can hear him swallowing, his breathing catching, like I have somehow hurt him. He shakes his head and I can feel it against my skin. Then he speaks, “Well, right now, I don’t think that you really have a choice.”
***
Maria pushed herself upwards, a scream caught in her throat. She could still feel his hands on her skin, pushing her down, sending panicked jolts through her body. The blankets were suffocating and, in the dim lights, she wasn’t sure where she was, wasn’t sure what she was doing and where she was supposed to be. The panic that tore at her heart and soul was powerful an intense, sending shudders and shivers down her spine. She spun around, feeling the pounding, unrelenting ache.
Maria jolted upright, feeling sweat bead down her brow. She shuddered, feeling the catch of the nightmare twisting over her skin. It had just been a dream, just a dream and nothing more. It was only a dream that had so caught her heart and made her tremble with the overwhelming ferocity of the emotion that was threatening her even now.
It had seemed too vivid, so real, so honestly entrenched and entwined within her imagination. She had felt his grip against her skin, felt the pressure as she was pushed against the wall. It had felt so real, the way that he had gripped her, his breath on her skin. Even more, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him, he had felt so familiar, felt so much like someone she should trust, should believe in, and should be looking forward to seeing. Instead, she had felt the sharp sting of betrayal, the sharp ache of someone who didn’t know why she had been let down so badly, let down in the worst of ways. She didn’t know why he
had turned on her, she didn’t know who he was. All she knew was that she cared, she cared so much and he had let her down.
“Maria, are you okay?”
A voice cut through the panic that was flooding her system, a voice that was gentle and soft, powerful and calming all at the same time. She felt hands on her skin, someone’s arms wrapping around her. The terror of her dream came flooding back and she pushed him away.
His arms held firm and he held her against his chest. The smell of pine and smoke and the pleasant dirt outside hit her all at once. He smelt like the forest, like the cabin, like everything good in the world. Suddenly, Maria felt herself relaxing against him, collapsing against his chest. He felt so strong, so safe, so secure. He felt like everything she wanted and needed and so much more.
He was here, holding her tight and keeping her safe. He was here and she was okay. Maria tried to breathe, feeling it catch in her throat. His hands brushed her hair, stroked her skin, and held her tight. There was never a move to take advantage of her, but his hands were all over her, grounding her, soothing her, calming her. She felt like she was in the most protective embrace, felt the comfort and the soothing presence and the sensation that everything was going to be okay, everything was going to be alright.
“It’s okay.” His voice was a whisper in the dark, “It’s okay.” That’s all he said, over and over in quiet tones, but Maria could feel her body relaxing, feel the sensation of finally being able to breathe again. It washed over her in waves, washed over her in beautiful, peaceful waves that wouldn’t quit, that were everything she was looking for, everything she needed right now.
All at once, it came back to her. She was flooded with memories of the hike up here last night, getting settled in the cabin, the hot chocolate, the arguments, the peace, the sight of Jack- Dean falling asleep in the couch. It all came back to her with a jolt and she realized, without a shadow of a doubt, who was holding her tight, who was soothing her hair and holding her through the terror of her nightmare.
