She snorted again at his unintentional innuendo. He looked at her, then threw his head back and guffawed, his laughter echoing and scattering the birds from the nearby trees. The tension eased with their laughter.
“Anyway, Alice.” He pronounced each syllable separately. “As I was saying, ride me . . . um, I mean, straddle my . . . wow, that’s not good either.”
Alice laughed loudly at his discomfort, waving her hands at him. “Stop, stop, I get it! I’ll climb on your back to get to the camp.”
“Well, at least you figured out a way to say it nicely,” he grumbled good-naturedly. She grinned at him. “Ok, I’m transforming now.”
“Wait! Will you please help me to my feet first? I may not be able to do it.” She grimaced as she prepared to stand. He took her hand and hauled her to her feet, steadying her with his arm.
“You good?” he asked solicitously.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Ok, now I’m transforming,” he told her and stepped back. Moments later, she was staring at him, the beautiful gray and black of his fur tempting to touch.
“Wow,” she mumbled. She put her hand on his back and caressed the soft fur. He shifted towards her hand like a puppy, and she giggled. “You’re beautiful.”
He swung his big wolf head around to her and grinned a wolfy grin, then nudged her to climb on to his back. Briefly, she hesitated, then jumped on, gripping his fur for dear life as he plunged into the forest.
Chapter 2
Alice could feel the muscles of the werewolf bunching and releasing beneath her body. Alex’s silky fur tickled her legs, but it was so soft, she pet him as he ran. Do werewolves purr, because I swear he just did, she thought. She wriggled a little in discomfort; riding bareback on a werewolf wasn’t exactly the most comfortable mode of transportation, and her leg throbbed like a fire burned within it with every bounce. Alice felt the werewolf slow his pace as if he sensed her discomfort, and she was grateful for his thoughtfulness.
Alice had grown up believing horrible things about the werewolf pack that shared this area with her clan, but Alex’s behavior was nothing if not kind and helpful. The elders had raised her and the other werebear cubs on horror stories of the pack attacking a solitary werebear or trapping one and selling it to poachers or torturing it for fun. But Alex had shown compassion and bravery, had saved her from the poachers when he could have walked away. He was carrying her who knows how far to his pack to take care of her wound. She had seen the kindness, the honesty in his eyes. He wouldn’t hurt her. But what about the others? she thought uncomfortably.
Just because Alex was being nice to her didn’t mean that his pack would be. What if he couldn’t stop them from killing her, or worse? Why had she been so stupid? She’d climbed on his back because he was good looking and nice to her. Dammit. I have to look for an escape route just to be safe, she told herself.
This part of the forest was nothing like the more mountainous terrain where she and her clan lived. She’d allowed Alex to believe she’d driven to the forest two miles from where he’d found her, nodding her head eastward to indicate a direction. Truth be told, her clan lived about four miles due north and up the mountain. But no one knew that. The location of the clan was a highly guarded secret, and any werebear who left for any reason had to meander through the forest for hours before returning to their camp. She’d heard the river and considered a quick stop for some salmon, her favorite mountain delicacy. That’s how the poachers had caught her; she’d been taking her time, admiring the beauty of nature around her when one of them had taken a shot.
The poachers had been upwind of her and she hadn’t smelled them. When she’d run, panic gripping her, the forest had enveloped her and she’d become lost quickly. When she’d stumbled into the clearing, her leg bleeding freely, she’d been hopelessly turned around; she would never have made it out of the forest on her own, whether or not she’d been shot.
So she paid attention as Alex carried her further west. Luckily, her sense of direction was impeccable, a trait of all werebears. She briefly wondered if werewolves also had a good sense of direction, then dismissed the thought with the shake of her head. Probably, like her, it was instinctive, born in them as it was born in her.
She watched for specific landmarks, like the tree that bent at a ninety degree angle to the right of a fallen tree covered in ants. A little further along, a large hole in the ground near a tree hinted that a groundhog or gopher lived there. And next to that, someone had hung a rope with a huge knot at the end for children to swing on. We must be getting close to the werewolf camp, she thought. Glancing to the north, she could see the mountain where she lived. She’d be able to keep that in sight if she needed to escape.
Escape, Alice? Really, girl? You can’t even walk, let alone get away from a PACK of werewolves, she chided herself, disgusted. Her leg was still oozing blood, although a lovely scab had begun to crust over the wound. The bullet was lodged in there and would have to be removed. Putting any weight on it without proper binding would be next to impossible for even a few steps, let alone the pace she’d have to maintain if a pack of werewolves chose to follow her.
Further ahead, she saw a break in the trees, indicating a large clearing. She prepared herself mentally to meet the werewolf pack as Alex slowed his pace and stopped. He shrugged his massive shoulders and gave a little whine to indicate to Alice to climb down. She slid off the side, landing on the ground on her good leg, and waited for him to return to his human form.
*****
Alice’s weight on his back had been uncomfortable for him, but not because of her sexy plumpness. He enjoyed the closeness of her, the feeling of her hands running through his fur as if she’d never felt anything so soft. The way she’d clamped her legs around him had aroused him, causing embarrassment to flit into his mind.
He was ashamed of his thoughts. How could he become aroused by this woman? For one, she was injured and needed his help. She had trusted him to protect her, had put her life in his hands. His only concern should be her welfare, not how damn hot she was. And secondly, she was a werebear, his natural enemy. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could happen between them. His pack would forbid it, and she would probably turn him down if he tried. That would be embarrassing, he thought.
As he had run through the forest, he’d listened carefully for the poachers. In this form, he could hear everything, even the squirrels scrabbling up the trees to avoid him. He’d also felt her shift uncomfortably. He’d slowed his pace to accommodate her pain. But the amount of blood she’d lost was concerning. Her chocolate face had looked gray when he’d lifted her to her feet back in the clearing; he had to get her to help.
When he neared his camp, he decided a quick conversation would be best. He needed to prepare her for his family, so he stopped about a hundred yards away from the clearing and shrugged to indicate to her she needed to climb down. He was prepared to catch her if she stumbled when she slid off, but she landed on her strong leg and limped back away from him. He shifted into his human form and looked at her.
*****
Alice stared at him unashamedly when he changed again. Before, she’d intentionally ignored his nudity, as he seemed to ignore hers. Weres didn’t magically have clothes on when they transformed into their human forms. Nudity was something all weres had accustomed themselves too, within their own packs or clans, of course. But seeing a werewolf naked was like voyeurism; it felt a little naughty but was also kind of fun.
Alice shook her head to clear her thoughts and purposefully stared at his face. Her eyes begged to drift lower, but she refused. He stared at her face as well, his eyes dipping to her chest only a couple of times before he restrained himself. Good lord, we’re acting like teenagers, she thought.
His face was thoughtful; he was obviously trying to think of something to say to break the uncomfortable silence their nudity had brought on.
“So, I assume, like me, you’ve seen nudity on a daily basis. But it’s weird to s
ee a different species, huh?” she asked him with a grin.
He smiled back in relief. “It is weird! I didn’t think it would be. We’re always naked at camp, or mostly naked. But this is just plain odd.”
“Makes no sense at all, but I agree with you,” she replied with a giggle. Again, they looked at each other for longer than was necessary. She finally broke eye contact, glancing toward the clearing. “We’re close to your camp?”
Alex cleared his throat. “Yes. That’s why I stopped, to give you some pointers before meeting my family.”
Alice nodded her head, grateful for any information that would make this less awkward. Before she could stop herself, she blurted, “They aren’t going to kill me, are they?”
“No, Alice, they won’t kill you. But they might not be nice,” Alex replied, rolling his eyes at her.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me! You know it’s a legitimate question. You’d have the same fear if our roles were reversed.”
“You’re right, sorry,” he said. “Let me do the talking. Tell them what happened and all that.”
“Sure, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Will they know what I am?”
“Immediately. The stench of werebear is unmistakable,” he replied, winking to ease the sting of the rude comment.
Alice glared self-righteously at him and retorted, “Certainly you can smell the noxious fumes of your fur.”
“Wow, burn. I think I might cry,” he replied sarcastically.
She laughed at him and said, “If you weren’t a nasty damn werewolf, I think we could have been good friends.”
“Gross. I’d never be friends with a werebear.”
They laughed again. The level of comfort they felt with each other had grown alarmingly. Alice bit her lip and reminded herself that this friendship could not be, even though she really wanted it to happen. Maybe more than a friendship, she mused. No! Stop it!
“Ok, Alice. Let’s do this. Waiting here for another ten minutes isn’t going to make this any easier.”
Alice’s stomach clenched painfully, but she nodded at him. She turned to follow him, but nearly fell when she put weight on her leg. Alex caught her before she fell, his arms wrapped around her generous waist. His hands touched the small of her back, and his body was pressed to hers. She’d put her hands on his arms for balance. Alice looked at his face; he was at least six inches taller than her, so she had to lean her head back to do so. He stared down at her, and slowly he leaned closer to her as if he might kiss her. Before his lips could touch hers, she turned her head and shuffled back. She didn’t let go of him, just moved out of range.
Alex sighed and apologized. “I’m sorry, Alice. That wasn’t appropriate.”
“It’s ok. We both did it.” Silence remained between them for a moment. Alice joked, “With pecs like those, can you blame me?”
Alex started in surprise, then threw his head back and laughed. “Damn, you’re funny! Come on.” He shifted her so that his arm was around her waist while they walked slowly into the clearing.
*****
Alex and Alice moved slowly into the camp so as not to startle any of the werewolves. Alice looked around, watching for any attacks. Alex’s assurances hadn’t been enough to assuage all her fears. Everyone was in their human form as far as she could see, and everyone seemed to be mostly clothed. The werebears preferred nudity to clothes, so that was one difference between the pack and the clan.
Organization was obvious in the set-up of the camp. The tents were in three rows, with five or so in each row. A large clearing behind the tents looked like an amphitheater and was obviously the place for pack meetings. Her clan also had such a spot, although it looked more like a revival with backless pews facing a small, square stage.
To the right of the tents was the camp kitchen and several long picnic tables. Currently, some women and men were in the kitchen area, making the evening meal.
Alice’s brow furrowed in confusion. Her clan also prepared large meals and everyone gathered and ate together most evenings. She couldn’t tell how the werewolves handled it, but her clan divided the daily chores so everyone cooked, cleaned, gathered food, went to town for supplies, etc. She’d grown up believing these werewolves were heathens, anarchists, and complete animals even when in human form.
I’ve been fed lies, she mused. She reserved judgment, though, until she met them. A lot of hostile faces were staring at her. She leaned into Alex as much for mental support as for physical.
A large, rotund man moved to intercept them before they could fully enter the camp. Alex halted and respectfully nodded his head, waiting for the man to speak first.
“Who is this, Alex? And why does she give off the distinctive stench of a werebear bitch?” the man asked, narrowed eyes moving from Alex to Alice and back.
Alice stiffened at the rude comment, but remained silent when Alex’s hand tightened briefly on her waist. She stared at the man sullenly, anger in her expression.
“This is Alice, and, yes, she is a werebear, but not a bitch,” Alex replied calmly, his voice not changing. “She was shot by poachers in the forest. They cornered her and would have killed her.”
“So you endangered yourself to rescue a werebear, our enemy. Why, exactly?”
Alex sighed. “John, she was defenseless. They were going to take her pelt.”
“A werebear is rarely defenseless,” John remarked with derision, again glaring at Alice. “I can smell her blood. How badly is she wounded?”
“I can speak, you know,” Alice answered. Alex rolled his eyes at her. “Sorry, Alex, but seriously, I learned how to speak years ago.” She looked back at John. “I’ve been shot. The bullet is still in my leg. I couldn’t make it back to my vehicle in this condition.”
John stared at her, eyebrows raised. She stared back, unflinching, and waited patiently for his reply.
“So, werebear, what do you expect us to do?”
“Nothing for my wound, werewolf,” she replied haughtily. “A ride to my vehicle is all I ask from you. My own people will take care of me.”
At this point, the entire camp had surrounded the trio, listening intently to their conversation. When Alice defiantly spoke to their leader, a few of them gasped, but several of them snickered. Alice wondered if maybe they should take this to the amphitheater and hand out popcorn for their audience. She glanced around at them, wondering if they were at all affected by her appearance or just the fact that she was a werebear, the enemy. Apparently, her nudity wasn’t the problem.
John opened his mouth to retort, but a hand on his arm stayed his speech. A lovely woman stood next to him, a woman who looked a lot like Alex. Her brown hair fell down her back, and her eyes were the color of bark. She looked Alice from toes to top before commenting.
“Alex, who have you brought home?” Her voice was unaccented and melodious, a Disney princess who had aged beautifully.
“Shara, our son has brought home an injured werebear who expects a ride to her vehicle,” John answered. “I’m not sure I like the idea of sending her back to her clan with the location of our camp.”
“I have no idea where I am. I couldn’t give my location if another poacher had his gun aimed at me,” Alice snapped. “Listen, my leg is aching and starting to bleed again. Can Alex please take me to my car?” Alice again told the lie that she’d driven here. She’d have to trust Alex to take her to a meeting place she knew of.
“You were shot by poachers?” Shara asked sharply. “Where? How long ago? Alex?”
“It’s ok, Mom. It was over a mile away, and they left before Alice and I did. They’re long gone.”
Shara nodded and turned to conversed with two men roughly Alex’s age. “Please go with Alex and scope out the perimeter of our camp and near the clearing.” She turned her attention back to Alex. “Take your cousins and go. I’ll take Alice into our tent and care for her wound.”
John protested, “I agree we need to search the area for the poachers for safety’s sake, but we sho
uld drop the werebear at a nearby hospital and forget about her.”
“John, that isn’t right and you know it,” Shara admonished. “I’ll dress her wound and we’ll send her on her way.”
Shara took Alice’s hand and patted Alex’s. Alice looked at Alex, who nodded reassuringly and left with his cousins. Alice felt real panic the moment he was out of her sight. He’s leaving me, she thought. What am I going to do now? Shara seemed nice enough, but John was still glaring at her as if she was a spy, and the large circle of werewolves in human form, though dispersing, was frightening.
Alice limped behind Shara only a short distance to the nearest tent. Luckily. When she entered the tent, Alice nearly fainted. Blood loss, fatigue, and stress had eaten away the last of her adrenaline; she collapsed on the bed, exhausted.
After looking at her wound, Shara touched Alice’s forehead and spoke quietly. “Alice, I’m going to have to take this bullet out here. We can’t leave it in there. My sister is going to come help me, but no one else.”
“Ok, Shara, thank you,” Alice mumbled, about to succumb to sleep.
“Alice, listen for a minute longer before you go to sleep,” Shara said. Alice looked at her, her eyes half closed. “You’re going to have to stay here tonight. Alex and I will make sure that you’re safe. Are you ok with that?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Alice slept.
*****
When Alex returned, he had good news to report: no sign of the poachers. He and his cousins had tracked them back to where their truck had been parked. It was no longer there.
John met them at the edge of camp. “So? What did you find?”
“Nothing. They’re gone. I knocked one of them into a tree and injured him pretty badly, so I’m sure they had to take him to the hospital.”
“So you did intervene. Not just interrupt.”
“Yes, Dad, I intervened. She was defenseless,” Alex defended himself.
Forbidden Love: A BBW, BWWM Paranormal Romance Page 2
