a long stretch of sleep. Otherwise the wounds from the bear’s beating would just close up in a day or two at most, defeating the pain of punishment.
Ryker was wearing a pair of jeans and a button down flannel shirt, but he had left the shirt unbuttoned for the moment. The cabin felt incredibly warm to him, although that might just be because he was still on adrenaline overload from the events of the previous evening. He glanced at his watch. It was after 8 a.m. now. Ryker stood and went to the front window. The bodies of the Blizzards he had killed the night before were gone. Other Blizzards would have come at some time during the night to remove them for proper burial. Ryker was lucky that they hadn’t tried to attack his cabin, although he realized that they probably didn’t know how badly he was injured. After losing six bears in one night, they might not have been in the mood for another fight.
Ryker heard a stirring behind him and turned back from the window. Kenzie had woken up, and was looking around the room in confusion. He watched her face slowly registering where she was, and he saw her look at him with suspicion.
“Ryker? Did I drink too much last night or something? I had the weirdest dream, although I swear it felt so real. But you were nearly dead in the dream, with a huge chest wound and a broken leg. And… other stuff. But you’re sitting here in front of me looking pretty healthy right now, so that couldn’t have actually happened.”
Ryker watched Kenzie shake her head in confusion, as if trying to settle all of the confusing fragments of memories into some sort of coherent form.
“Kenzie, it wasn’t a dream. I have a lot to explain to you.”
Kenzie narrowed her eyes at him. “Did we sleep together?”
“No! I was at death’s door last night. As lovely as you are, mating with you was not exactly my priority.”
“Mating?” Kenzie looked at him like he had lost his mind.
“Sorry, sleeping together. I forget mating is a weird term for humans. Look, I have a lot of things to explain to you but I can’t do it alone. I need some help.”
“Okay. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I must have had a lot of booze last night because I dreamed you were a bear. I know that sounds ridiculous. I promise my imagination isn’t usually that crazy. And now you’re acting really bizarre. I think I need to get home.” Kenzie threw off the blanket that was covering her and stood up.
“Kenzie, I was a bear last night.”
Kenzie stood still and just stared at him, like she wasn’t sure if it was him or her that had lost their mind.
“This is all too weird,” she finally said, then grabbed her medical bag and started walking toward the door.
Ryker hesitated. Should he just let her go? If she thought she had dreamt the whole situation, and didn’t realize that he actually was a bear, then his cover had not been blown. Maybe he should just let her think she had imagined the whole thing. But what if she talked? What if she told someone familiar with shifters about her “dream?” There were plenty of Alaskans familiar enough with shifter legends to become suspicious of Kenzie’s story. And besides, the bear bodies might be gone, but the massive blood splotches across the snow were still there. If Kenzie saw those she was going to freak out and realize that at least some part of last night hadn’t been just a figment of her imagination. And Neal would never forgive him if he let Kenzie loose in the village to potentially let everyone else in Glacier Point know that there were shifters among them. He had to convince her to stay.
“Kenzie, wait,” Ryker said. “Look at me. Look at my hands.”
Kenzie sighed, but paused by the cabin door and turned to look at Ryker. He held up his hands, and then morphed them into giant bear paws. Kenzie’s face was overcome with an expression Ryker couldn’t quite pin down, but she definitely looked a little on the frightened side.
“Now do
Ryker was wearing a pair of jeans and a button down flannel shirt, but he had left the shirt unbuttoned for the moment. The cabin felt incredibly warm to him, although that might just be because he was still on adrenaline overload from the events of the previous evening. He glanced at his watch. It was after 8 a.m. now. Ryker stood and went to the front window. The bodies of the Blizzards he had killed the night before were gone. Other Blizzards would have come at some time during the night to remove them for proper burial. Ryker was lucky that they hadn’t tried to attack his cabin, although he realized that they probably didn’t know how badly he was injured. After losing six bears in one night, they might not have been in the mood for another fight.
Ryker heard a stirring behind him and turned back from the window. Kenzie had woken up, and was looking around the room in confusion. He watched her face slowly registering where she was, and he saw her look at him with suspicion.
“Ryker? Did I drink too much last night or something? I had the weirdest dream, although I swear it felt so real. But you were nearly dead in the dream, with a huge chest wound and a broken leg. And… other stuff. But you’re sitting here in front of me looking pretty healthy right now, so that couldn’t have actually happened.”
Ryker watched Kenzie shake her head in confusion, as if trying to settle all of the confusing fragments of memories into some sort of coherent form.
“Kenzie, it wasn’t a dream. I have a lot to explain to you.”
Kenzie narrowed her eyes at him. “Did we sleep together?”
“No! I was at death’s door last night. As lovely as you are, mating with you was not exactly my priority.”
“Mating?” Kenzie looked at him like he had lost his mind.
“Sorry, sleeping together. I forget mating is a weird term for humans. Look, I have a lot of things to explain to you but I can’t do it alone. I need some help.”
“Okay. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I must have had a lot of booze last night because I dreamed you were a bear. I know that sounds ridiculous. I promise my imagination isn’t usually that crazy. And now you’re acting really bizarre. I think I need to get home.” Kenzie threw off the blanket that was covering her and stood up.
“Kenzie, I was a bear last night.”
Kenzie stood still and just stared at him, like she wasn’t sure if it was him or her that had lost their mind.
“This is all too weird,” she finally said, then grabbed her medical bag and started walking toward the door.
Ryker hesitated. Should he just let her go? If she thought she had dreamt the whole situation, and didn’t realize that he actually was a bear, then his cover had not been blown. Maybe he should just let her think she had imagined the whole thing. But what if she talked? What if she told someone familiar with shifters about her “dream?” There were plenty of Alaskans familiar enough with shifter legends to become suspicious of Kenzie’s story. And besides, the bear bodies might be gone, but the massive blood splotches across the snow were still there. If Kenzie saw those she was going to freak out and realize that at least some part of last night hadn’t been just a figment of her imagination. And Neal would never forgive him if he let Kenzie loose in the village to potentially let everyone else in Glacier Point know that there were shifters among them. He had to convince her to stay.
“Kenzie, wait,” Ryker said. “Look at me. Look at my hands.”
Kenzie sighed, but paused by the cabin door and turned to look at Ryker. He held up his hands, and then morphed them into giant bear paws. Kenzie’s face was overcome with an expression Ryker couldn’t quite pin down, but she definitely looked a little on the frightened side.
“Now do
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