“You need to get some sleep,” Vixa appeared at her side.
She had been sitting on the floor next to Blake for some time now. They didn’t have a clock in the living room, because the ticking made Anne nervous. A digital clock annoyed Vixa’s eyes.
“I’m okay,” Bree managed a smile.
She didn’t look away from Blake’s sleeping form as she spoke. He was resting peacefully. Bree was wrapped in a blanket and although Vixa couldn’t see, her fingers were entwined with Blake’s. He just rested better when they were touching.
“How did he save you?” Vixa asked.
“He helped me take down one of the guys. Two of them came after me this time. Well, I should say us. He has the mark too. His matches mine.”
“What do you think that means?” Vixa asked.
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out. I’m going to stay with him a while longer. I don’t want him to wake up alone. He doesn’t know where he is.”
“Greg doesn’t know what sort of poison they used, but either they upped the general dose or were prepared to find a man of his size. Greg’s working on the antidote, but just be prepared.”
“He’s going to be okay!” Bree said.
Her pulsed raced as Vixa gave her a sad smile. Blake squeezed her hand gently under the blanket and she sighed in relief.
“Where’s his gun?”
“He doesn’t have one that I know of.”
“How’d he stop the agent, then?”
“Martial arts,” Bree lied.
It wasn’t her habit to lie to her friends. Bree was a firm believer in honesty and not lying to the people who watched your back. This time she made an exception. There was definitely something different about Blake, but Bree was sure he meant her no harm.
“Good night, Bree,” Vixa said. “If he makes it to the morning I’ll be surprised.”
“Go to hell, Vixa,” Bree said.
“I’m just trying to prepare you for the worse. I know you’re lonely and that a matching tattoo hasn’t happened before, but that won’t save him.”
Blake growled and Vixa laughed.
“He just might prove Greg wrong.”
“Good night,” Bree said ending the conversation.
Vixa left her in peace and turned the light out on her way back up stairs. Bree grabbed another throw pillow from the sofa and curled up next to Blake. She left a few inches between their bodies, but she could still feel his body heat radiating into her stomach.
Greg didn’t remember where he learned to make antidotes. It was something he merely woke up remembering. They all had various fields of knowledge without explanation. Their lives wove together so flawlessly because of their shared mysterious and unanswered questions.
“Don’t listen to, Vixa. She thinks Greg is the know-all, end-all to everything, but he’s not. Yeah, he’s smart,” Bree laughed. “He’s really intelligent, but she doesn’t know you. She didn’t see what I saw today in that alley. I know you’re going to be okay.”
Blake squeezed her hand again. Bree swallowed hard and moved closer to him. His skin was cooler than before and he was no longer sweating. She rested her head against his uninjured arm. Being close to Blake felt familiar, had she known him before the waking?
Blake grunted as he freed his fingers from Bree’s grasp and wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. He pulled her closer to him until her torso was pressed tightly against his side. She tensed for a moment before relaxing. Closing her eyes she rested her head on his chest. His heart beat was slow and steady as she drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER THREE
Blake squinted against the pain and gritted his teeth. His body ached from the roots of his hair down to the tips of his toes. What the hell had happened to him? He moved to stretch and the she-bear stirred in her sleep. Despite the pain a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. The bear within was very happy even if he was still on edge from the attack.
“The attack,” Blake whispered.
His words echoed around the empty room and back to him. He opened his mouth and drew in a deep breath, collecting scents on his tongue. The house was full of life. The she-bear’s scent was the strongest of course, because she was close to him, really close to him. The warmth of her body radiated through him, reassuring him of her safety. The men hadn’t harmed her. He glanced down at his injured arm. It was a small price to pay to assure her safety. Blake kissed the top of her head and tried to remember what she had said her name was. Through the fog of the poison he couldn’t remember it.
Blake took another deep breath. He needed to know more about the other inhabitants of the house. The next closest scent was of the rabbit girl he had bitten while he was in the place between life and death. She tasted horrible. Blake had never been fond of rabbit. Their twitchiness made their flesh have an odd smell to it. The rabbit wasn’t a threat. She was currently sound asleep. She was also a friend of the she-bear. Blake chuckled under his breath. Leave it to his she-bear to befriend a rabbit. It must be her maternal instinct.
The smells of the other woman and the man from earlier were entwined. They were definitely mates. The male carried a gun, but the metal didn’t hide the distinct canine scent that radiated from him. He was definitely a wolf. The woman smelled similar, but different. After a few seconds Blake placed the scent. The other woman was a fox.
They were an odd collection, but they seemed to function well as a team. They all seemed to be equally important to the sleeping she-bear. He kissed her on top of the head and was pulled back under into the dark place that wasn’t sleep, the dark place that threatened to pull him into the endless sleep.
The bear within growled and Blake startled awake. His toes curled and he could feel that the bear within was trying to come out. He shook his head. His body still ached, but not as badly as before. Blake gritted his teeth. He couldn’t shift here. The she-bear didn’t know what she was. If she woke to him transforming or already changed into his other form, she’d run. It would be messy.
“No,” he whispered.
The bear within growled. He would definitely heal quicker if he shifted, but he wasn’t really to risk his status with the woman sleeping by his side. The curve of her warm body fit perfectly against his side. He wrapped his arm tighter around her and closed his eyes.
He took several deep breaths before the dark place pulled him under again. This time he dreamed. Cages lined the stark white walls. Things were sterile, too sterile. The smell burned his nose. He charged the bars of his cage, but they didn’t budge. Across the room the she-bear studied the men in white coats in the distance. They were the threat and the prey. He glanced across the room. The wolves were growling and snarling. Greg was attempting to calm his pack, but the tension was too high.
Blake startled awake. This time the first light of the sun was dancing through the blinds. The smell of cooking eggs and bacon wafted into the living room. Blake’s stomach growled. He tended to avoid cooked food, but this morning he’d make an exception. His encounter with the she-bear had hindered his morning shopping trip and the poison had made him unable to eat for the rest of the day. The bear within grumbled causing a growl to seep over his lips.
The she-bear startled awake. He kissed her on top of the head and she pulled away to sit up. Her long black pony tail now hung loose at the nape of her neck. She blushed at having woken up so close to him. A grin tugged at the corners of Blake’s lips.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” the she-bear said and wiped her eyes, trying to clear them of the sleep that still fogged them. “How are you feeling?”
“Hungry,” he chuckled.
“How’s your arm?”
The she-bear climbed over his torso and a rush of heat coursed through Blake’s body. He forced the bear within to be quiet. His comments weren’t welcome this morning. Blake’s temples pounded from hunger.
He watched as the she-bear unwrapped his arm and examined the spot where the wound s
hould have been.
“This is impossible,” she murmured. “It’s healed.”
She ran her soft fingers gently over the newly healed scar. A wave of heat washed over Blake and gave him goose bumps all over.
“That happens,” Blake chuckled.
“How?” she whispered.
“I’m a bear,” he said.
Blake had already told her that the day before and he wanted her to know his secret. The dream vaguely clung to the back of his mind, but he discarded it as a side effect of the poison.
“You’re going to have to tell me what that mean, one day,” she laughed.
“Bree,” Anne said quietly opening the kitchen door.
“Morning,” Bree said.
Bree. The word echoed around his mind. It was the most beautiful and stunning one syllable word Blake had ever heard.
“I thought I heard you. Oh, he’s awake too?” Anne bounced on the balls of her feet before crossing the room. She stopped on the other side of the sofa and pulled her hand to her chest again.
“He’s not going to bite you again,” Bree laughed.
“Sorry about that,” Blake grinned.
“Breakfast is done. Should I bring it out here?”
Bree glanced to Blake. He studied her blue eyes for a moment.
“No,” Blake shook his head. “I can get up, I think.”
“Take it slow,” Bree warned as he tried to sit up.
It wasn’t the effects of the poison that made his muscles tired and achy this morning, but the lack of food. His normal diet was high in calories and missing a day of eating had made a bigger impact than Blake wanted to admit.
“I’ll meet you guys in the kitchen,” Anne said and bounced out of the room.
“Here, let me help you,” Bree smiled.
She rose to her feet and took Blake’s hands. Blake gazed into her eyes for a second before rising to his feet. They stood only inches away from one another. The bear within urged him forward, but Bree looked away and flushed, before he could follow through on his more primal instincts.
In the kitchen the other three shifters had already gathered around the table. Blake observed them upon entering. Vixa was talking animatedly and Anne was eating quietly. Greg looked on edge and tired. His eyes darted around the room and his head tilted every few seconds as if he were listening for a threat. The edge of a handgun stuck out from the waist band of his jeans.
“You’re really up?” Vixa blinked.
“Yeah, I’m alive and it’s morning,” Blake grinned. “Sorry to prove you wrong.”
He nodded to Greg.
“In this case, I’m glad to have been wrong,” Greg said.
The wolf stood and extended his hand. Blake shook his hand and a decidedly male look passed between them. They were sizing one another up. Blake was two inches taller and a bit broader than the other man. Greg glanced at each of the women and back to Blake. They exchanged a nod that acknowledged the tension in the air. Danger was coming and it wasn’t going to wait for them to be ready. Blake glanced to Bree and nodded again. Greg glanced at Vixa and then back to Blake.
Each man was subtly marking what was theirs in an effort to begin on peaceful footing. Blake didn’t know what CASO wanted from them, but now that he was aware of the she-bear there was no turning back. He would welcome the strong alliance if only for the sake of Bree’s peace of mind.
“Quit it you two!” Bree snapped. “This isn’t a boxing ring. CASO isn’t going to wait until you to decide to be friends.”
“The food’s really good this morning, Vixa,” Anne said.
Her voice was high and squeaky. The newcomer and the tension in the air made the rabbit smell even more nervous this morning than she had the night before.
“This is a self-service kitchen,” Vixa said pointing the counter. “Help yourself.”
Bree shot her a dirty warning look and then smiled at Blake.
“You had a hard night,” she grinned. “I’ll fix your plate, this one time.”
Blake chuckled and joined the others at the table.
“Thank you, Bree.”
Her name danced over his tongue and tasted delicious. He wanted to say it again and again until he memorized the feel of it on his lips.
“Where are you from?” Greg asked. When Blake hesitated, Greg said “Did you wake up here too?
Blake tilted his head and arched a brow.
“Calm down, buddy,” Vixa laughed. “We all woke up here. None of us knows what happened before.”
“Before doesn’t matter,” Greg said. “Now matters and currently we’re dealing with an influx of CASO agents.”
“I noticed,” Blake laughed.
After breakfast Blake helped Bree wash the dishes.
“You don’t have to help me,” she said. “You should be resting.”
“My arm’s fine,” Blake said. “It’s the least I can do after all, you saved my life.”
Blake didn’t want to admit that he was only helping with the cleaning because it meant staying closer to her.
“You saved my life in the alley yesterday. I think we’re even.”
“Then let’s stay that way,” Blake said as he dried the first plate.
Bree smiled and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. An ironic familiar silence settled over them as they worked along in a rhythm. Bree washed a dish and as she went to set it into the drainer, Blake would take it from her hand. Their timing was impeccable.
“You two move really fast,” Anne said from the table.
Both of them startled, and looked over their shoulders at her. She was talking about the dishes, but the flustered looks on their faces gave away that they both thought they were moving fast in other ways.
“Sorry,” Anne mumbled and scurried out of the kitchen.
“She’s timid,” Bree smiled sympathetically.
“She’s a rabbit.”
“Anne’s always reminded me of a rabbit too,” Bree nodded.
CHAPTER FOUR
“We just ate breakfast two hours ago,” Bree laughed.
“Yeah, but I didn’t eat all day yesterday,” Blake said. “Besides I want real food.”
“Real food?” Bree asked cocking her head to the side.
“Yeah, you know -- fresh food.”
“But I’m comfortable,” Bree laughed.
She curled back into Blake and rested her head on his chest.
“My pillow can’t just get up and walk away.”
“I could always carry you with me,” Blake grinned.
“I have to help Greg update the security system,” Bree frowned.
“I’ll be back,” Blake said.
“When?” Bree asked.
Blake kissed her forehead and smiled at her.
“I just found you. I’m not going to run away.”
“You should,” she laughed. “You should have run the other way when you saw me the first time. Then you wouldn’t have gotten shot.”
“I’ve had worse,” Blake shrugged and stood up.
“Thank you,” Bree looked up at him.
“For?”
“Saving my life.”
The bear within urged Blake to pull the she-bear close, but he ignored the beast. Bree was still hesitant. Timing was everything.
Outside Blake found himself further from the market than he had thought. Just how did Bree manage to get him back to the house? The bear within laughed. Bree was a she-bear and of course, her strength was much greater than her lean frame gave her credit for.
Blake joined the crowds pouring onto Twenty Fourth Street and turned towards the market. His eyes darted ahead of him checking each alley and street corner. He did not want to be caught off guard by CASO agents. A public confrontation was not ideal for keeping his personal information personal. He took a deep breath searching the air for the metallic smell of guns or ammunition. As a New Yorker, Blake was not unfamiliar with the smell of armed police, but the weapons belonging to the CASO agents smelled
distinctly different. He wondered if it was the poison or if they were made from a different metal.
The shuffling of feet behind him made the hair on his neck stand up. An air of familiarity caused the bear within to growl. His fingers curled, mimicking the claws that threatened to burst forth from his fingertips. Images of bright white rooms and long syringes digging deep into the vein on his forearm urged him forward. The images were eerily similar to his fevered dreams.
Blake turned off on Twenty Eighth Street. He was going to have to take the long way to the market again. The shuffling followed him. Looking over his shoulder, Blake searched the crowd for the source of the sound. His eyes landed on a tall olive-skinned woman. Her brown eyes narrowed on him for a second before she smiled.
The woman raised her hand and waved to him. Blake kept his feet moving. The shirt Greg loaned him was too narrow in the shoulders and made the bear within want to rip it off. It hindered his movements and hindered movements led to injury. The bear within took control. Blake closed his eyes and when he opened them his sight was sharper. He could see tiny imperfections in the buildings, the sidewalk, and the street that were not apparent to human eyes. His sense of smell was magnified. Baking bread mixed with sewage and the undesirable stench of humans. Concrete and rubber and other man-made materials irritated his nostrils.
Blake turned quickly onto the next street. The olive-skinned woman attempted to follow, but Blake was too quick. She’d only turned onto Twenty Ninth Street when Blake approached her from behind. His eyes narrowed on his prey as his light footsteps carried him over the sidewalk.
“This way,” he said taking a firm grip on the woman’s upper arm.
A few humans glanced at them, but the woman smiled and nodded to them. It was more than enough to keep them moving. No one wanted to get involved in trouble if they didn’t have to. Humans avoided conflict to save their own sorry asses.
Simply Bears: A Ten Book Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Collection Page 9
