and let a huge sigh of relief. Ryker, or the bear, or whatever he was, had a long road ahead to a full recovery. But at least his condition had stabilized. Kenzie grabbed her flashlight, then slowly tiptoed over to the cabin’s door and creaked it open. She didn’t want to go out into the black night when there were obviously violent bears out there, but she didn’t want to sit in here without a gun, either. Kenzie looked around as best she could in the darkness, sweeping the flashlight’s beam back and forth in large arcs. Satisfied that, at least for the moment, there were no creatures lurking outside, she dashed to her snowmobile. She unstrapped the gun from the sled trailer, and then dashed back inside.
It occurred to her that being trapped inside the cabin with a polar bear might not be all that safe, even if that bear was Ryker. Or formerly Ryker. Maybe that’s part of why she wanted her gun. But she sure as hell wasn’t driving home alone on the deserted snow paths right now. She wanted to wait until the early morning hours when more people would be out and about. At least then she wouldn’t feel so alone out there, even though the darkness would still be there. But she wasn’t quite sure if she could trust this bear that was passed out on the kitchen floor. She wondered if he was permanently a bear now, or could change back. She had heard legends of shifters, who could morph back and forth between human and animal form at will. But, until tonight, she had thought such legends were just that—legends. The stuff of myths and folklore.
Kenzie walked over to Ryker’s bed, and sat down on it. She set the gun down on the floor next to her. She pointed the gun in the bear’s direction, but kept the safety on. She would try to stay awake and watch her patient, both for his safety and hers. But she was so exhausted. She didn’t know how long she could keep her eyes open.
The answer was “not very long.” Only a few minutes after sitting down, Kenzie slowly leaned over to lie out fully on the bed, and drifted off into a deep sleep. She tossed and turned in her sleep, as creatures that were half-men and half-bears chased her across her dreams.
Chapter Eight
Ryker, back in human form, watched Kenzie sleeping soundly across the room from him. The irony of the situation was painful. After all the times he had wished to see her lying there on his bed, that wish had been granted. Just in a completely different way from what he wanted. Ryker wasn’t sure how long she had been sleeping. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept, either. His memory of the night before got fuzzy after he switched to bear form. He still couldn’t believe Kenzie had stayed after he switched. When she had screamed, and a wild, terrified look had filled her eyes, Ryker had thought she was going to take off into the night. He would have certainly died, if she had. But she hadn’t. She had stayed, and sewn him back together. He owed her his life. And he owed her an explanation.
He was sure she had a thousand questions. She had brought her rifle in, and it didn’t escape his notice that she had fallen asleep with it pointed in his direction. He couldn’t say he blamed her. She was going to be astounded at the fact that he was nearly fully recovered from his wounds, too. The Northern Lights bears all had a genetic mutation that allowed their bodies to heal at a super fast speed when the bears were able to sleep for a stretch of several hours uninterrupted. This mutation was one of the reasons the Northern Lights Clan had been so powerful, and so hard to kill. The silver poison the Blizzards had used with the seals had been strong enough to act with lightning speed, purposely avoiding the possibility that the poisoned bears would be able to sleep enough for their bodies to repair themselves before dying. It was also the reason why, when a Northern Lights alpha wanted to punish an insubordinate clan member, he made sure to keep that bear from
It occurred to her that being trapped inside the cabin with a polar bear might not be all that safe, even if that bear was Ryker. Or formerly Ryker. Maybe that’s part of why she wanted her gun. But she sure as hell wasn’t driving home alone on the deserted snow paths right now. She wanted to wait until the early morning hours when more people would be out and about. At least then she wouldn’t feel so alone out there, even though the darkness would still be there. But she wasn’t quite sure if she could trust this bear that was passed out on the kitchen floor. She wondered if he was permanently a bear now, or could change back. She had heard legends of shifters, who could morph back and forth between human and animal form at will. But, until tonight, she had thought such legends were just that—legends. The stuff of myths and folklore.
Kenzie walked over to Ryker’s bed, and sat down on it. She set the gun down on the floor next to her. She pointed the gun in the bear’s direction, but kept the safety on. She would try to stay awake and watch her patient, both for his safety and hers. But she was so exhausted. She didn’t know how long she could keep her eyes open.
The answer was “not very long.” Only a few minutes after sitting down, Kenzie slowly leaned over to lie out fully on the bed, and drifted off into a deep sleep. She tossed and turned in her sleep, as creatures that were half-men and half-bears chased her across her dreams.
Chapter Eight
Ryker, back in human form, watched Kenzie sleeping soundly across the room from him. The irony of the situation was painful. After all the times he had wished to see her lying there on his bed, that wish had been granted. Just in a completely different way from what he wanted. Ryker wasn’t sure how long she had been sleeping. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept, either. His memory of the night before got fuzzy after he switched to bear form. He still couldn’t believe Kenzie had stayed after he switched. When she had screamed, and a wild, terrified look had filled her eyes, Ryker had thought she was going to take off into the night. He would have certainly died, if she had. But she hadn’t. She had stayed, and sewn him back together. He owed her his life. And he owed her an explanation.
He was sure she had a thousand questions. She had brought her rifle in, and it didn’t escape his notice that she had fallen asleep with it pointed in his direction. He couldn’t say he blamed her. She was going to be astounded at the fact that he was nearly fully recovered from his wounds, too. The Northern Lights bears all had a genetic mutation that allowed their bodies to heal at a super fast speed when the bears were able to sleep for a stretch of several hours uninterrupted. This mutation was one of the reasons the Northern Lights Clan had been so powerful, and so hard to kill. The silver poison the Blizzards had used with the seals had been strong enough to act with lightning speed, purposely avoiding the possibility that the poisoned bears would be able to sleep enough for their bodies to repair themselves before dying. It was also the reason why, when a Northern Lights alpha wanted to punish an insubordinate clan member, he made sure to keep that bear from
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