Kelly still couldn’t fathom what was happening.
Finally, the bear went still, its cold, black eyes staring motionlessly into the sky. The cougar held on for a moment more, making sure the deed was done, then let go, withdrawing from its prey with a look of obvious satisfaction.
Then, to Kelly’s shock, a throng of giant wolves in every color emerged from the forest, stalking slowly toward the giant, lifeless beast. Their eyes were locked on the carcass, their expressions grave as they circled around.
But her attention was more focused on the cougar as it limped away, one of its front legs tucked into itself, a deep gash keeping it from being able to walk on all fours as it left the wolves to have their way with the bear’s remains.
If only she could help it somehow.
Then, suddenly, the cougar collapsed on the ground only a few feet from her car. And before her very eyes, the shape of the cougar disappeared into a tanned, naked man. A man who looked exactly like… Hunter?
She blinked, definitely sure her eyes were playing tricks on her now. It just had to be the adrenaline of the bear, the fight, of everything.
Of her heart’s wish that he could be there.
But… could it possibly be?
Kelly wanted to open the door and run to him, to make sure he was okay. She could make out deep cuts and scores up and down his body, some still bleeding openly. But as she put her hand on the door handle, she realized there were still giant wolves and a bear, all of them possibly just as interested in attacking her as her stalker bear had been.
Still, that looked like Hunter lying there helpless, chest barely moving. She couldn’t just—
Kelly threw the driver-side door open, jumping out and running over to Hunter as quickly as she could. With great effort, she was able to turn him onto his back, noting with dismay even more deep cuts on his arms and chest that she hadn’t been able to see before.
She let out a sob of shock as she looked over his face, his beloved features. It was definitely Hunter. She knew him too well now to deny it.
Not knowing what to do to help, she ran a hand through his dusty, golden hair, and he opened his eyes finally, gaze meeting hers, so blue and so full of love it broke her heart.
“See?” His voice was weak. “Told you I could beat him. It wasn’t even… hard.”
His eyes rolled back and then shut, and his body went limp in her arms. She tried to pull him up, but he was so much bigger, so much heavier than she’d ever imagined.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a huge, brown mass moving nearby. She whirled around, nerves on edge, to see the gigantic grizzly that had waited patiently at the edge of the fight, just watching before, now standing right in front of her.
It’s golden-amber eyes were watching her, then Hunter with deep concern.
“Are you all right?” The deep sound boomed even as it spoke softly to her.
She blinked, suddenly feeling faint. Was an animal really talking to her, or was she going into some kind of shock?
And was that Garrett’s voice?
How on earth were there people who could turn into animals? Gigantic ones at that?
“I… I’m fine.” She somehow managed to find words in spite of her shock. “But Hunter, he’s…”
The bear that she somehow knew was Hunter’s friend Garrett lowered its head, sniffing and appraising Hunter’s body. “He’s alive. But we should get him to the hospital just to be sure.”
Off to the side, the crowd of wolves was starting to slowly disperse, slinking back into the forest. Kelly turned away, not wanting to see the bear’s carcass, but accidentally caught a glimpse of something a wolf was holding in its mouth.
Something that looked a lot like a human hand.
But by the time she had turned back to see if she was imagining it, the wolf was gone, along with the rest of its friends.
Kelly took a step back, her legs starting to feel like they were going to give out on her. But from behind, she felt Garrett’s nose nudge her back.
“Can you help me with Hunter real quick?” His voice was calm, reassuring enough to put her at ease, even though it came out of a bear.
So she helped, attempting to position Hunter as Garrett got his muzzle under him and scooped him onto his back so he could carry him over to the car. Kelly followed him to the passenger’s side and opened the door, then helped move Hunter’s still-limp body into the front seat.
“You get back there the normal way. That way nobody will ask questions. Just tell them there was an animal attack or something. Please don’t tell them anything else,” Garrett said, his voice oddly soothing despite the stress and sheer unbelievability of the whole situation.
Kelly mustered a weak nod, and the big grizzly sauntered into the woods, kicking up into a gallop, the black wolf watching her for a moment with gray eyes, then turning and following the bear.
Had that been Grayson?
But she didn’t have time to wonder, instead buckling herself and Hunter in, and starting her car. Thankfully, in spite of her stalker bear’s mauling of her poor little sedan, the damage seemed to be only cosmetic, and the engine puttered to life.
Would Hunter really be all right?
As she headed down the road, trying to go as fast as was safely possible, she looked over at Hunter every few seconds. Thankfully, his breathing had normalized. And, if she wasn’t wrong, the bleeding had somehow stopped in his deepest cuts. So that at least was a good thing.
While she focused on the road for a moment, she heard a sharp gasp of air and turned to see Hunter, eyes finally open and alert.
“What happened?” he said, sounding surprised, looking up the road ahead. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to the hospital.” A mixture of hope and renewed worry sat heavy in her chest.
“No hospital. I’m fine.” He folded his arms and tried to look intimidating, completely oblivious to the fact he was still naked and badly hurt.
“But you’re bleeding.” But as she glanced at him, she saw with shock that the gashes seemed a little less bad than she’d remembered only a minute ago.
He relaxed into the passenger seat, looking exhausted but very satisfied with himself. “Flesh wounds. Take me to Garrett’s.”
“He told me to take you to the hospital.”
“He’s a worry wort,” Hunter said. “Besides, he’s not a cougar. We have faster regeneration. I’m going to be just fine.”
She looked over at him suspiciously, unsure of what to do. Normally, she’d have insisted they see a doctor. But this situation was everything except normal.
But Hunter had tracked her down as a giant cougar, fought off the bear that had stalked her for months, and was now sitting in her car, somehow alive after all of that. If he said he would be fine and he wanted to go home, then she just had to believe him.
“Okay,” she said, passing the exit toward town and heading toward their friend’s house.
Their friend who also happened to be a giant bear.
Damn, this was going to take getting used to.
Thankfully, Hunter’s calm seemed to affect her, and she felt her heart flutter as he sat back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face as he watched the trees go by. He let out a long sigh. “The bear is gone.”
And finally, for the first time in what felt like forever, Kelly felt her heart relax in relief.
Chapter 17
Garrett shook his head a bit when Kelly returned with Hunter, but he quickly got to helping her as soon as he realized the stubborn cougar wasn’t going to budge on going to the hospital.
Kelly was already surprised to see how well Hunter was healing, because she was pretty sure any normal person would be dead after so many wounds.
Then again, no normal person could turn into a cougar.
Dawn came forward with towels and washcloths, pushing them into Kelly’s hands as Garrett helped Hunter into their room.
April started the water running and
asked Kelly if there was anything else she could help with, but Kelly just shook her head gratefully.
She appreciated all the help she was getting, but what she really wanted was to be alone with her man.
Garrett helped lower Hunter into the large Jacuzzi-style tub that took up most of the bathroom and then walked to the bedroom door to talk to Grayson.
Kelly came over to talk to them both as the hot water continued to run, steaming up the room.
“He’ll be fine,” Grayson said. “Cats have amazing regenerative powers. It’s the only thing I’m jealous of.”
“I wouldn’t mind having an undetectable scent,” Garrett said, folding his arms.
“So, um, you’re a bear and you’re a wolf?” Kelly asked them, feeling crazy even as she heard herself say the words.
“Hunter can tell you more,” Garrett said.
“Yeah.” Grayson agreed. “And by the way, props for getting out of the car for him, even though there were shifters everywhere.”
“Of course,” she said awkwardly. “Um, and thanks for the help.”
“Not a problem,” Grayson said with a wave, following Garrett down the hallway. “He’s our family. Now you’re our family, too.”
She gaped after him, not sure how he had come to that conclusion, but feeling what he said did sound right.
The men disappeared down the hallway. Kelly had questions she wished she could ask them, like whether their wives knew about them, but she needed to go check on Hunter first.
She found him sitting languidly in the tub, still naked, one knee bent and rising above the sudsy water.
She sat on the edge of the tub and picked up a washcloth, dipping it in the water and wringing it out before using it to dab lightly at one of his wounds. “So when were you going to tell me about being a cougar?”
He blinked at her, long lashes shading his perfect blue eyes. “Probably after I defeated your bear. Though, now I realize I should have done it sooner. It would have stopped you from worrying about me enough to run away.”
“It’s not my bear,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “The only animal I claim is a cougar.” She felt herself flush as she dabbed at his wound again, marveling at how closed up it already was.
He still hissed slightly at the contact and covered her hand with his own. “Come in with me.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure? The last thing I want to do is injure you further, and—”
She shrieked as his hand snaked around her waist and pulled her into the tub with him with a huge splash. She gasped and struggled for a moment, suds all over her, but steadied as his strong arms came around.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said, his voice raspy. “When I woke up and you were gone, it was the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life. My mate could be out there suffering, and I was asleep like a house cat on a bed.”
She stroked her hand through his hair, popping some of the bubbles she’d splashed on him. “It was my fault. I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t know you were a very capable cougar.”
“Well, now you know.”
“I saw you the other night,” she said softly, marveling at how his eyes were nearly the same shade as his cat’s. A luminous clear blue like the sky at midday, but more liquid. “Did you see me?”
He nodded. “When my cat saw you, he froze. Both of us knew you were mine.”
She laughed. “Okay, back up. We need to talk about this. Your cat has feelings for me?”
“I have feelings for you,” Hunter said, keeping his arms around her tight, not caring that he was totally ruining her clothes. “But my cat knew long before I did that you were mine. My mate.”
“Okay, I’ve heard people say that a few times now. What does it mean?”
Hunter took a deep breath. “You know Dawn and Garrett and April and Grayson…”
“Yes.”
“They aren’t actually married. They’re mated instead.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that’s how shifters connect. Most of us know our mates really soon after meeting them. We believe in fate leading us to the right person for us. The one we will love for the rest of our lives.”
“Oh,” she said faintly. “That sounds romantic.”
“I think so,” Hunter said. “Then again, not so romantic when a shifter gets the wrong idea about it, like your shitty bear.”
“Yeah.”
“Though that’s pretty rare,” Hunter said. “My guess is somewhere deep down, he knew you weren’t for him, but the predator in him, the feral bear, loved the chase. Fuck, when I saw him trying to get at you, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“I’m sorry I screamed at you,” she said. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“I’m just glad you came out for me. I heard Grayson talking about it in the hall.”
“Of course,” she said. “If there was even a chance it was you, I couldn’t let you die for me. I mean, that’s why I ran in the first place. It would be pointless if I just let you die.”
“I can’t imagine what you were thinking, seeing me turn from cougar to man.”
“Um, it was a little unbelievable,” she said, swirling the washcloth in the water and then dabbing it on his skin, using it as an excuse to touch him more than anything else. “But then again, so is being stalked by a bear that doesn’t act like any other bear on the planet. So I guess I kind of have an advantage there.”
Hunter’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t even thought about that. Maybe I should have told you before.”
“When you live the unbelievable, you tend to believe when other people tell you about their own unbelievable things.”
“Yeah,” Hunter said. “Just like how when you told me about the bear following you, I immediately didn’t think you were crazy because I live in the shifter world and knew what it meant.”
“Oh, right.” She hadn’t thought about that either. “I guess so.”
“I originally thought it was some human ex, and I wasn’t even close to nervous. I really did just want to help you, from the moment you walked into the bar. You were right. Nothing would have pulled me away. But when you told me about the bear, I had no idea how much information to give you. I didn’t want you to think I was crazy and run away.”
“I wouldn’t have if you showed me your cougar.”
“That’s the thing. We aren’t supposed to show women before they’ve agreed to be our mates.”
“But you did,” she said.
“There are exceptions when someone’s life is in danger.”
“Oh.” She let the washcloth drop back into the tub and leaned against his chest. “Well, I’m glad you made an exception for me. I think your animal is beautiful.”
He straightened slightly, and when she looked up, he was flushed.
“What is it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I’ve never had my mate accept my cat before. It feels… pretty fucking incredible.”
She grinned. “Well, I’d be a fool not to snap you up. I mean, I liked you pretty much from the moment I met you, too. I didn’t think I’d be able to have you, but as things went on, I couldn’t resist.”
“And I’m glad.”
They sat there for a moment, listening to bubbles form and pop, inhaling the soapy scent and the steam all around.
“So you accept my cat, and you seem to like me. Want to make this official?” When she looked at him curiously, he bit down on his lower lip. “No, what am I thinking? You’ve been through so much today—”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, not caring as water splashed all around. Then she pulled back with a smile. “I love you, Hunter. I don’t ever want to be without you again.”
“I love you, Kelly. I’ll love you forever.” His eyes were earnest as he came back to return the kiss, pressing his lips to hers firmly as a sensual ache built inside.
His hands moved over her body, pulling off her soaked shirt, then unhooking her
bra, pulling off her pants, then her underwear, kissing her all the while.
When she was naked against him, everything felt perfect, even more than before. Skin on skin, steam and heat all around them, no lies or worries holding them back.
Absolutely bare.
She wound her arms around his neck as she faced him, coming onto his lap. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay for this?” All she knew was that he’d fought for her, fought with his very life.
That he’d been there for her. That he wanted her forever.
And she, after all she’d gone through, knew she wanted him as well.
Having struggled, betrayed and lonely, for so long, she was better able to appreciate a man like Hunter for the treasure he was. And her heart held a soft, warm confirmation that they were meant to be together, just the way he said.
So yes, she wanted to make it official, if her mountain lion could just hold on.
“Of course I’m feeling okay,” Hunter said. “I’ve never felt better.” His hands moved to her waist, then her hips, cupping them. “I should tell you a bit about mating in my world.”
“Okay,” she said, loving the way his fingertips slid like silk over her wet skin.
He moved his mouth to her neck, biting lightly as his nails grazed over her shoulders and back. “I’m going to come inside you, nothing between us.”
“Okay,” she gasped out.
“And then I’ll use these to make a mate mark.” He lifted a hand, showing elongated nails that looked like those of his cat.
She nodded, gasping again. “Okay.”
“It shouldn’t hurt, but if it does, it won’t be long.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “Do what you want to. Anything is fine now that I’m finally free.”
“Mine,” he said, biting her shoulder again as his hands trailed down to her hips, gripping them.
She took in a breath as he lifted her, settling her down over his hard length, letting himself slowly slip inside.
It was tight and so hot, and she braced herself as she moved all the way down until they were fully joined. She felt her cheeks redden at the sight of him beneath her, so handsome and muscled and strong.
Purrfect for Me Page 13
