A Taste of Honey by Ranae Rose

strength and fierceness, but his dark eyes looked intelligent.
     She hadn’t been looking at those when he’d rushed at her, though. All she’d seen was a gigantic animal barreling toward her. She’d scarcely had time to wonder about its identity before she’d fallen. On the way down she’d almost had a heart attack. Even now, her pulse beat more quickly than usual, though to be fair, the kiss had contributed to that as well. Why had he been in such a hurry, anyway, and why had he assumed his animal form and left his clothing behind?
    He started toward the cabin and she walked at his side, leaving the remains of her ruined outfit behind. He moved at a steady clip that was nearly a run, and though she would’ve liked to think that he was simply eager to reach the cabin and pick up where they’d left off, another shiver crept down her spine, telling her that something was wrong.
     
* * * * *
 
    “Everyone’s accounted for.”
    Ronnie breathed a sigh of relief as his grandfather’s voice resounded, speaking the exact words he’d wanted to hear. “Good.” He loosened his grip on the phone a little. “I’ve got Violet here – she’s fine. I’ll give you another call as soon as I have an update from work. Make sure everyone stays inside until then.”
    The tribe was safe for now, each member accounted for. Ronnie exhaled slowly, allowing the tension that’d built up inside him to slow from a boil to a simmer. In all probability, the morning’s events were only a coincidence and the stark sense of alarm they’d incited would blow over before the day was out. Still, he’d better call Jack.
    He didn’t have to explain much to Jack, just told him about what had happened that morning with the bear and warned him to be wary, just in case.
    Calling work was different. Alarm reared its ugly head again as he dialed Hargrove’s personal number – if anyone would be willing to talk, it’d be him.
    “Sweetwater.” Hargrove’s voice rang over the connection, too loud, as always.
    “Hargrove. Any new information on the bear?”
    “Blake and Armstrong just took a guy into custody.”
    Ronnie’s heart skipped a beat. “Yeah?”
    “Yeah. Some hiker. No permit to carry the weapon he shot the bear with. They found the gun concealed in his backpack.”
    It was illegal to carry a concealed handgun without a proper permit, and even then, it was still a crime to discharge one inside a national park. Which meant that a criminal investigation would be launched and the supposed hiker wouldn’t be allowed back out onto the trails anytime soon.  Ronnie’s heart began to slow, though suspicion still leant an edge to his voice. “Why’d he do it?”
    “I don’t know. Listen, I’ll call ya back when I find out.”
    “Fine.”
    “If you don’t answer, I’ll understand.” It was easy to imagine the stupid grin that was probably splitting Hargrove’s face, one that could practically be heard over the phone.
    “I’ll answer.”
    “You sure you don’t have anything better to do on your day off?”
    “Just don’t forget to call me, Hargrove.” Ronnie ended the connection before Hargrove could crack another joke. After his phone emitted a tiny beep and the screen went black, Hargrove’s voice rang in his ears and the cabin seemed quieter than ever. The only sound was the soft rush of falling water, white noise that drifted from behind the bathroom door as Violet showered.
    A wave of heat swept over Ronnie as he remembered her dripping wet with spring water, her hair plastered to her cheeks and her torn clothing clinging to her body. So cold, and yet, so hot at the same time. His palms tingled as he remembered gripping her and his lips felt like they were still swollen from contact with hers. He swept the tip of his tongue over the edge of his lower lip, hungry for stolen sweetness.
    He tasted only himself.
    As he took a step toward the hallway, his bare feet were silent against the floorboards. “Violet?” He