The she-bear was haggling with a merchant at the open air farmers market. The man stood several inches taller and wider than her, but she had him backed in the corner. A grin tugged at the corners of Blake’s lips. She was feisty and fearless. She would protect her cubs.
Blake shook his head and tried to push the beast’s thoughts away from his own. He had yet to speak to the woman across the street. It was too soon to consider offspring, but still the bear within made that a valid point. In the second Blake had looked away, the she-bear had moved. She was quick. His heart thumped against his chest and a thin layer of perspiration formed on his forehead. Had he lost her already?
Blake darted across the street and wove his way through the crowd. Several yards ahead, he spotted the bobbing of her long black pony tail. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. His muscles ached to begin the chase of the female.
The she-bear stopped at another merchant stall and he waited. He watched her intently, careful not to look away again. Blake had never met another like himself and he didn’t want to lose the opportunity. Usually the farmers market was an over-stimulating experience to his senses. The scents of food and people would mingle and he would want to dive face first into the baskets, buckets, and shelves of food. Today he didn’t even notice that he was standing next to a stall of fresh raspberries and they were usually his favorite.
The she-bear bent over to examine a basket full of large round melons and her t-shirt inched up, revealing a thin line of flesh just above the waist band of her jeans. Blake’s legs begged him to lurch forward, but he dug his heels into the concrete and observed the she-bear. He knew if he made a sudden move it could ruin the chance of her accepting his advances.
She reached out to examine the fruit more closely and her t-shirt rose higher. On the she-bear’s left side was a round tattoo. Blake inched closer for a better look. Inside the thick ring was the unmistakable inked branding of a bear claw. He looked down at his own arm and pulled up his sleeve. Their tattoos bore unmistakable similarities. In fact they were identical except for size. His was much larger.
“Damn it!” Blake swore under his breath.
The she-bear had moved again while he was examining his own marks. He opened his mouth and drew in a deep breath. A breeze lent its assistance. He turned into an alley just as the she-bear’s pony tail disappeared around the next corner. Away from the prying eyes of humans, Blake gave into his primal instincts. The chase began.
The she-bear moved much quicker than Blake anticipated. She was smaller than him and used her size to her advantage. She could easily weave in and out of large crowds. Her gender aided her as well, when it came to darting across busy intersections. Most humans were more reluctant to harm a female. That common courtesy was something most species shared.
Blake was slowly gaining on her. He panted as he ran, but knew that his efforts would soon be rewarded. This time when he turned into the alley her full form was in view. She glanced at him over her shoulder and flipped him off.
Blake laughed and pushed his aching muscles harder. Faster. He had to move faster. The scent of the she-bear was like an invisible rope pulling him forward. His shirt snagged on a jagged brick that hung loose from the corner of a building. He ripped it off over his head and left it where it fell. Shirts were cheap. Shirts were useless to the bear within.
The she-bear had only made it halfway down the next alley before Blake turned the corner. He grinned when he looked ahead. It was a dead end. The she-bear had cornered herself. He won the chase.
The she-bear turned to face him. She was breathing hard and her face was flushed from running. Her muscles were tensed to spring. The scent of anger and hatred radiated from her. Masking her light odor of fear. Why was she so disturbed by his appearance? Perhaps she thought she was the only one as well.
“Listen here you CASO bastard, if you want to leave with your nuts intact I suggest you just turn around and walk away.”
Blake took a step closer. Who did she think he was? He opened his mouth to explain, but the she-bear pounced. She landed on him with a thud. Caught off-guard, Blake crashed onto the concrete. Before he realized what happened the she-bear pulled the blade from his hair and held it to his throat.
Her nimble fingers entwined in his hair to bare his throat against the sharp metal. She was even more alluring up close and personal. Her large blue eyes pulled him in and the curve of her lips made him want to claim them with his own hungry mouth.
“You sicken me! You’re one of us and you’re working for them! How much are they paying you? How much is your soul worth?” the she-bear spat on him.
“I don’t work for anyone,” Blake said. “I’m an independent contractor.”
“That’s what the last bastard claimed too,” the she-bear growled. “You’re a traitor!”
“Look lady, I didn’t even know there were any other bears in New York City until this morning. I haven’t betrayed anyone!” Blake growled.
“So that’s what CASO calls us? Why bears, though?”
“I don’t know what CASO calls anyone. It’s what I am and it’s what you are too.”
“What?”
She let go of his hair and twisted his right arm until she could plainly see his tattoo.
“What’s this?”
“A tattoo.”
“It’s CASO’s mark.”
“Who the hell is CASO?”
“We don’t know. None of us know who they are. We only know what their badges say. No one seems to have heard of them before, but if you have this mark and you’re not on their side, they want you dead.”
“What side?”
“We don’t know. They never talk to us. The cowards like to stalk us when we’re out alone. Vixa was almost caught yesterday by a thug of your description.”
“Look I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I followed your scent.”
“So you were following me?” she narrowed her eyes and dug the blade into his flesh.
“Yes!” Blake growled. “You smell too good not to follow.”
The she-bear sniffed her shoulder and then the other.
“Stop with the cheesy pickup lines, because they’re not going to work on me, buddy.”
“You smell really good,” Blake said again. “You’re the first she-bear I’ve ever met.”
“Are you on drugs?”
Blake blinked up at her. She really didn’t know. Had she never shifted in her sleep? That’s how he discovered the bear within. When the man sleeps the beast is more likely to wake.
“SHIT!” the she-bear whispered under her breath.
Two long shadows blocked out the sun.
“Looks like it’s our lucky day. The bears were out for mating. It’s a twofer today,” the taller man laughed.
“You’re really not with them, are you?” the she-bear whispered.
Blake shook his head.
“Get ready to run.”
The she-bear leaped to her feet and Blake quickly followed suit. The men advanced. Each of them held out a large metal gun. The she-bear threw her blade. It grazed the shoulder of the shorter man and his grip on his weapon faltered. The she-bear’s scent wasn’t as sure as it was before, but she stood before the men with her shoulders squared. They were humans and fortunately were unable to smell her fear.
The scent of her fear made Blake’s stomach boil in rage. Power and anger surged through his powerful body and he lunged forward.
“NO!” the she-bear shouted.
Blake lunged too quickly. The shorter man was distracted by the knife wound, but the larger man had trembling hands fully equipped with a trigger-happy finger. He pulled the trigger and the shot echoed through the alley. The smell of gunpowder filled Blake’s nostrils long before the bullet dug into the flesh of his arm.
He growled in pain, but didn’t stop. Red hot pain surged through him, urging him on. Now that he was wounded it was more important than ever to take down their attackers as quickly as possible. He s
lammed his powerful uninjured forearm into the smaller man. With a whoosh and a thud he tumbled into the wall and slid onto the concrete.
The man was still breathing, but immobile. It would have to do for now. The larger threat was still standing and taking aim again. This time he aimed the gun not at the charging Blake, but the smaller she-bear. An angry roar echoed from Blake’s stomach and he lunged. This time his reflexes didn’t fail him. He knocked the gunman to the ground. Blake bit into the man’s throat until the metallic taste of blood and flesh filled his mouth.
The gun now lay forgotten on the concrete and the man reached up with trembling fingers to feel his throat. The man’s shouts echoed through the alley. .
“Come on!” the she-bear insisted. “We have to get out of here before the cops show up! A gunshot brings every cop within two miles down on us. They never believe us about the CASO assholes! We think they pay them off or something!”
“You’re beautiful, but I don’t think I should be seeing three of you.”
“What?”
Blake dropped to his knees and growled. He shook his head. The bear within longed to lunge from his skin and attack the man who had robbed him of his senses. He sniffed the air. Blood mingled with the worried scent of the she-bear.
“Come on, we have to go!” the she-bear tugged on him until he finally rose to his feet.
She was even stronger than she appeared to be. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, she half-dragged him from the alley. Sirens shrieked in the distance.
“Come on. It’s not far. We’ll take care of you. I promise,” she cooed to him. “Damn those CASO bastards and their poisons.”
The last thing Blake remembered before the dark void pulled him under was a small wooden door. His nose was filled with the scent of the she-bear. She was safe and for him that was enough.
CHAPTER TWO
“Help me get him onto the sofa!” Bree called out.
A scurry of feet came down the stairs. Vixa, Greg, and Anne all raced towards her voice. Bree panted and leaned against the wall. The brute was heavier than she thought he’d be.
“This isn’t groceries,” Anne laughed. “He’s cute, though.”
“Put him on the sofa,” Bree panted. “He’s wounded. CASO is out wandering the beautiful streets of New York today. . We interrupted their stroll, apparently.”
“Don’t you dare put him on the sofa! It’s new! The last one was soaked with blood stains within the first week! I saved for two months to buy that damn thing! Put him on the floor!” Vixa snapped.
“He saved me,” Bree shook her head. “Put him on the sofa, Greg.”
Greg looked between the two women.
“Sorry, Bree, but you know I have to side with my girl,” Greg said, taking on the weight of the man’s heavy form.
“Who is he?” Anne asked.
The small blond girl wrapped her arm around Bree’s shoulders and led her to the sofa.
“I don’t know, but he’s one of us. He’s fucking weird, though. Claimed he smelled me and all sorts of shit,” Bree laughed. “He saved me, though.”
Bree almost said that he ripped out the CASO agent’s throat, but decided to keep that detail to herself. Her blood was still pumping fast. She had to protect the man that Greg was laying at her feet. He had saved her life at a very high risk to his own.
One of the group, a little bobcat named Deva, died last year from a poison bullet wound that ate through her side. It had been a very painful death that stretched over a week.
Remembering Deva’s small frame twisting in agony set Bree into action. She wasn’t going to watch her mysterious, yet very handsome savior suffer the same fate.
She dropped from the sofa onto her knees and crossed the small distance between the sofa and the man. His face was contorted in pain. Vixa had the first aid kit ready and Greg was bringing down a bucket of hot water to clean the wound. He set it next to Vixa. Bree reached out to stop her as she wrung the excess water from the rag and moved towards the man’s arm. She was too slow.
A primal growl bubbled from the man’s throat and his uninjured arm swung in a wide arch. His fingers bent in a claw-like manner and he only missed Vixa by a few inches.
“Damn,” Vixa blinked as she dodged the blow.
“Here, let me,” Bree said.
Her words were meant to be kind, but her eyes narrowed on Vixa. The tall red head blinked her brown eyes twice and backed away.
“She’s bitchy today,” Vixa whispered to Greg.
Bree pursed her lips and sighed. Vixa was her best friend, but sometimes she was too much of a drama queen. Usually, her comment would have sparked an hour long bickering match that drove both Greg and Anne out of the room. Today Bree chose to ignore it. She had a more important task ahead of her.
Bree settled on her knees at the man’s side. His tense muscles relaxed a bit as he attempted to turn towards her. The small movement jarred his injured arm and the man mumbled in his sleep. A thin layer of sweat was already forming on his face, chest, and arms. Bree hoped it was because of the pain, but she feared the poison was already beginning to take its toll on his body.
“Anne, bring him so water,” she snapped and then added more softly, “please.”
“Sure,” Anne said and scurried off into the kitchen.
“I’m going to wash your wound,” she said to the man. “No taking a swipe at me. I’m not against punching an unconscious wounded person, even if he did save my life.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth. He was fighting the poison racing through his veins. Gently, Bree wiped away the blood as best as she could. The man growled under his breath.
“Shh,” she cooed to him. “I have to get this bullet out so Greg can test it. If it’s the same poison they used on Deva, we have the antidote now. It was a day too late for her, but we’ll have it for you. If it’s not the same,” Bree sighed, “well, if it’s not the same we’ll figure something out. You’re not allowed to die, you know. I don’t even know your name yet.”
“Blake,” the man hissed through gritted teeth.
Bree was startled. How was he awake despite the poison pumping through his veins? Deva had been out cold within minutes. He was even stronger than Bree had originally thought.
“I’m Bree,” she whispered.
Anne re-entered the room carrying a glass of ice water. Blake fell silent and still again.
“Give him a drink and then I’ll get the bullet out,” Bree nodded to Anne.
Anne approached the sleeping man very cautiously. She held the water out before her as if it was an offering to a god. She knelt carefully next to him and moved it towards his lips. Blake growled and her hands began to tremble. Anne moved slowly towards his lips.
Blake’s powerful jaws snapped open and latched onto her hand. Anne squeaked and jerked away.
“Blahk,” Blake shook his head. “Rabbit.”
“I’ll take care of it, Anne,” Bree smiled softly.
She took the cup from Anne who was cradling her hand against her chest.
“Bite me and I’ll bite you back,” Bree said.
A smirk tugged at the corners of Blake’s mouth.
“Pervert,” she whispered.
She managed to get Blake to swallow a bit of the water. Next, she went to work getting the bullet out of his arm. She ignored Anne’s whimpers from the corner of the room. The blonde had never had a strong stomach for blood. Bree could hear Vixa in the kitchen and Greg making his rounds of the house to check security. The CASO agents were getting braver and braver. They had never attacked in daylight before.
The bullet slid out with a slick sound and Blake growled again. His body tensed and he gritted his teeth. Gently, Bree set about doctoring the wound the best she could with their limited supplies. Things had been tight since she lost the babysitting gig from the neighbors down the street. After a CASO agent broke out their bathroom window, thinking she was inside their house, Bree couldn’t blame them for
firing her. They sorely missed the money, though. The neighbors still avoided Bree and the others, thinking the broken window was due to gang involvement. Bree wished it were that simple.
It wasn’t easy to be stalked, hunted, and assaulted constantly without knowing why. Bree didn’t think it would be very easy even if she did know why, but at least then she and the others would be better prepared to fight against the threat.
She had woken up along with Deva, Vixa and Anne in the bushes outside of the New York Botanical Gardens. None of them remembered what happened before, but a familiar feeling of kinship had knit them together instantly. They all shared similar tattoos. Only the paw prints inside were different.
They met Greg a few weeks after waking up. They had been scrounging the dumpsters behind a popular restaurant, the Marseille. The food was good, but since none of the girls had the funds to pay, they had to resort to eating what had been thrown out.
A CASO agent had descended from the roof and held them at gun point. It was sheer luck that Greg had been wandering the alleys that night. The CASO agent didn’t know how to react to having a gun pointed at his own head. When Greg pulled the trigger Vixa cheered, Deva looked on, Anne fainted, and Bree tilted her head and pursed her lips. You couldn’t interrogate a dead man for answers.
The man grunted in pain. Bree rinsed the rag and wiped the sweat from his brow and face. Slowly she washed down his neck and shoulders. His muscular chest quivered in an effort to breathe. She bit her lip.
He was obviously in pain, but Bree was captivated by the contours of his muscular chest and stomach. His tan skin was a portrait of flawless perfection. She forced her gaze back to his face. He had strong cheekbones and full lips. She swallowed hard and shook her head. This wasn’t the time to consider kissing anyone.
The hours passed and Bree alternated between caring for Blake and pacing the living room floor. She moved a throw pillow from the sofa and placed it under his head. He seemed to be resting a bit more peacefully now. She couldn’t go too far from him, though. Whenever she tried to wander into the kitchen or left to use the restroom, his body would go rigid and tense and he would growl. It was even worse if someone else was in the room.
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