was break free and push him back a few steps. Breaking free would have to be enough. She turned and bolted for the back door.
Caleb couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Or rather, his bear couldn’t. He could feel the disturbance inside him, pacing back and forth like it was in a cage. He was twitchy. His body flooded with adrenaline, the bitter taste of it in the back of his mouth. It was like the warning scent of a forest fire. Of smoke. Of an IED. It was a sixth sense he’d come to trust.
Something was wrong . And because it was his bear that was so agitated, the very bear that had come back to him thanks to Michaela, he couldn’t shake the idea that something was wrong with her. It wouldn’t hurt to check.
He turned his truck around.
Turned out, breaking free wasn’t quite enough. Michaela just managed to get her hand on the doorknob when Reuben caught up to her and grabbed her around the throat.
“I don’t think so, bitch.” He pulled her backwards while she grabbed at his arm, trying to pull it loose. “You’re going to come with me.”
She stumbled down the steps and nearly fell to her knees. The arm around her neck tightened enough that she saw stars. Panic clawed at her with sharp bright talons. She couldn’t breathe. He was going to kill her. She couldn’t even scream. She managed to rasp, “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere we can talk. Somewhere quiet.”
It was quiet here, she thought absurdly. Why did she want to live somewhere so quiet? Why didn’t she live somewhere with dozens of neighbors nearby who might look out their window and see she was in trouble? That’s what she’d do, first thing, if she got out of this. Move somewhere with people. All the people.
Then Reuben’s arm tightened and she had to fight for each breath. Don’t pass out, ’Chaela. You pass out and you’re dead for sure.
Caleb pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. The sense of urgency was overwhelming now. Every muscle in his body quivered and the hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. He slid out of the truck and walked toward the house in a half-crouch, suddenly wishing he had his old M16 in his hands.
“Stand up, you cow. Don’t make me drag you.” A man’s voice, and it sounded like it was coming from behind the house, not in it.
Caleb had planned to be tactical about things. He’d planned to get a clear picture of what was happening before he acted. But then he heard a small yelp of pain and knew it was Michaela’s voice. The bastard had hurt her. He’d hurt Caleb’s mate. His bear roared now in outrage and fury.
It happened before Caleb had time to think about it. He felt the seams popping in his clothes and the straps holding his prosthesis to his leg snap and give way. His bear surged forward and took over, and to hell with tactics.
For the first time in over a year, Caleb and his bear were one, and they were both out for blood.
At first Michaela thought the lack of oxygen meant she was hallucinating. She heard a terrifying roar, and from around the corner of the house came the biggest black bear she had ever seen. Its gait was awkward but it tore across the back lawn, heading right toward them.
She felt Reuben flinch and realized she wasn’t hallucinating. At the same time, she saw the reason for the bear’s awkward run: it was missing half of its rear left leg. Like Caleb. The thought was dazed and half-formed and she distantly thought she might be going into shock.
Reuben let her go and turned to flee, leaving her to face the bear’s wrath alone. Michaela’s legs gave out beneath her and she sank to the ground.
The three-legged bear brushed past her close enough for her to feel the ruffle of its fur against her skin as it chased after Reuben.
Reuben screamed like a little girl and tripped over his own feet. Michaela felt a slight twinge of sympathy for him. She would have reacted the same.
The bear
Caleb couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Or rather, his bear couldn’t. He could feel the disturbance inside him, pacing back and forth like it was in a cage. He was twitchy. His body flooded with adrenaline, the bitter taste of it in the back of his mouth. It was like the warning scent of a forest fire. Of smoke. Of an IED. It was a sixth sense he’d come to trust.
Something was wrong . And because it was his bear that was so agitated, the very bear that had come back to him thanks to Michaela, he couldn’t shake the idea that something was wrong with her. It wouldn’t hurt to check.
He turned his truck around.
Turned out, breaking free wasn’t quite enough. Michaela just managed to get her hand on the doorknob when Reuben caught up to her and grabbed her around the throat.
“I don’t think so, bitch.” He pulled her backwards while she grabbed at his arm, trying to pull it loose. “You’re going to come with me.”
She stumbled down the steps and nearly fell to her knees. The arm around her neck tightened enough that she saw stars. Panic clawed at her with sharp bright talons. She couldn’t breathe. He was going to kill her. She couldn’t even scream. She managed to rasp, “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere we can talk. Somewhere quiet.”
It was quiet here, she thought absurdly. Why did she want to live somewhere so quiet? Why didn’t she live somewhere with dozens of neighbors nearby who might look out their window and see she was in trouble? That’s what she’d do, first thing, if she got out of this. Move somewhere with people. All the people.
Then Reuben’s arm tightened and she had to fight for each breath. Don’t pass out, ’Chaela. You pass out and you’re dead for sure.
Caleb pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. The sense of urgency was overwhelming now. Every muscle in his body quivered and the hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. He slid out of the truck and walked toward the house in a half-crouch, suddenly wishing he had his old M16 in his hands.
“Stand up, you cow. Don’t make me drag you.” A man’s voice, and it sounded like it was coming from behind the house, not in it.
Caleb had planned to be tactical about things. He’d planned to get a clear picture of what was happening before he acted. But then he heard a small yelp of pain and knew it was Michaela’s voice. The bastard had hurt her. He’d hurt Caleb’s mate. His bear roared now in outrage and fury.
It happened before Caleb had time to think about it. He felt the seams popping in his clothes and the straps holding his prosthesis to his leg snap and give way. His bear surged forward and took over, and to hell with tactics.
For the first time in over a year, Caleb and his bear were one, and they were both out for blood.
At first Michaela thought the lack of oxygen meant she was hallucinating. She heard a terrifying roar, and from around the corner of the house came the biggest black bear she had ever seen. Its gait was awkward but it tore across the back lawn, heading right toward them.
She felt Reuben flinch and realized she wasn’t hallucinating. At the same time, she saw the reason for the bear’s awkward run: it was missing half of its rear left leg. Like Caleb. The thought was dazed and half-formed and she distantly thought she might be going into shock.
Reuben let her go and turned to flee, leaving her to face the bear’s wrath alone. Michaela’s legs gave out beneath her and she sank to the ground.
The three-legged bear brushed past her close enough for her to feel the ruffle of its fur against her skin as it chased after Reuben.
Reuben screamed like a little girl and tripped over his own feet. Michaela felt a slight twinge of sympathy for him. She would have reacted the same.
The bear
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