Donovan so she could see him again.
Full from dinner, Isabelle hadn't touched the cookies and milk. She watched the rest of the news and rolled over onto her left side cuddling a pillow against her body. The plush pillows and blankets of the hotel bed felt like pure heaven compared to where she had slept last night. Her physical aches and pains had somewhat subsided and she wondered when the emotional pain she was in would ease.
Nobody would believe her if she told them about the bear who had watched over her. She wasn't sure if it was real herself. All she knew was how she had felt next to him. He had made her feel safe, the same feeling she'd felt with Donovan sitting next to her hospital bed. Just safe. Donovan would probably have her committed if she told him about the bear she had spent the night with on the mountain. She couldn't escape the fact that the bear could have easily killed her. Why didn't he? Isabelle closed her eyes and saw the bear's face. His dark eyes peered into her and burned into her soul.
*******
Donovan quietly sat down on the bed, trying not to wake her up. He watched her as she slept, just like he had done the night before. Conditions in her hotel room were a far cry from last night on the mountain, and he loved watching her sleep so peacefully.
She had left her TV on and he grabbed the remote to turn it off. Isabelle gasped as she sat up. "Who's there?" Donovan set the remote back down on the dresser. "I'm sorry, Isabelle. It's me. Donovan. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. You scared me. I was having a dream about last night."
"You're safe now."
"That's the thing."
"What?"
"I was safe last night too." Isabelle wasn't sure how to say it, but she felt so safe with Donovan, like she could tell him anything. She hoped he would understand.
"I'm sorry?"
"I was safe last night. You probably wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Okay, well, I don't know. I'm sure I dreamed it all anyway. Doesn't matter, never mind."
"No, tell me. It's alright."
"It's dumb. But last night, I wasn't alone on the mountain. I was so cold and scared. I was so tired and I tried not to, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw a bear fighting a mountain lion right in front of me. The mountain lion ran off, but the bear stayed with me all night. It had to have been a dream. A bear like that would have killed me."
"Isabelle, there's something I need to tell you."
"What?" Isabelle had a sinking feeling that she was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.
"It's about...It's difficult to explain...but there is a lot you don't know about creatures on this mountain." Isabelle watched Donovan as he struggled for words. She wasn't sure why it was so hard for him to get the words out.
"What? I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"
"Well, these creatures aren't what you've read about or seen on TV. They're different. They're...they're protective."
"Protective?" Donovan read her skeptical expression and began to lose his nerve. He wanted to tell her the truth, but now he feared that she wouldn't be able to accept what he had to say.
"Yes. They live in a tourist area, and are acclimated to people. They're not afraid of people, and over time they have developed really strong protective instincts."
"Protective instincts? For humans?"
"Yes, protective instincts."
"Donovan, I'm not sure where you're going with this."
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I better get back to the guys. We've had a long weekend and need to debrief. The rain finally moved in and I just wanted to come by and see you, make sure you were okay. So get some rest, beautiful, and I'll see you later." Donovan kissed her on the forehead and stood up. He drew in a deep breath of her scent and wished he could just stay the night and hold her to his chest. He glanced over at the room service table. "Good dinner?"
"Yes, it was incredible. Thank you so much."
"No thanks required. I wish I could have been here with you. Well, good
Full from dinner, Isabelle hadn't touched the cookies and milk. She watched the rest of the news and rolled over onto her left side cuddling a pillow against her body. The plush pillows and blankets of the hotel bed felt like pure heaven compared to where she had slept last night. Her physical aches and pains had somewhat subsided and she wondered when the emotional pain she was in would ease.
Nobody would believe her if she told them about the bear who had watched over her. She wasn't sure if it was real herself. All she knew was how she had felt next to him. He had made her feel safe, the same feeling she'd felt with Donovan sitting next to her hospital bed. Just safe. Donovan would probably have her committed if she told him about the bear she had spent the night with on the mountain. She couldn't escape the fact that the bear could have easily killed her. Why didn't he? Isabelle closed her eyes and saw the bear's face. His dark eyes peered into her and burned into her soul.
*******
Donovan quietly sat down on the bed, trying not to wake her up. He watched her as she slept, just like he had done the night before. Conditions in her hotel room were a far cry from last night on the mountain, and he loved watching her sleep so peacefully.
She had left her TV on and he grabbed the remote to turn it off. Isabelle gasped as she sat up. "Who's there?" Donovan set the remote back down on the dresser. "I'm sorry, Isabelle. It's me. Donovan. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. You scared me. I was having a dream about last night."
"You're safe now."
"That's the thing."
"What?"
"I was safe last night too." Isabelle wasn't sure how to say it, but she felt so safe with Donovan, like she could tell him anything. She hoped he would understand.
"I'm sorry?"
"I was safe last night. You probably wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Okay, well, I don't know. I'm sure I dreamed it all anyway. Doesn't matter, never mind."
"No, tell me. It's alright."
"It's dumb. But last night, I wasn't alone on the mountain. I was so cold and scared. I was so tired and I tried not to, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw a bear fighting a mountain lion right in front of me. The mountain lion ran off, but the bear stayed with me all night. It had to have been a dream. A bear like that would have killed me."
"Isabelle, there's something I need to tell you."
"What?" Isabelle had a sinking feeling that she was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.
"It's about...It's difficult to explain...but there is a lot you don't know about creatures on this mountain." Isabelle watched Donovan as he struggled for words. She wasn't sure why it was so hard for him to get the words out.
"What? I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"
"Well, these creatures aren't what you've read about or seen on TV. They're different. They're...they're protective."
"Protective?" Donovan read her skeptical expression and began to lose his nerve. He wanted to tell her the truth, but now he feared that she wouldn't be able to accept what he had to say.
"Yes. They live in a tourist area, and are acclimated to people. They're not afraid of people, and over time they have developed really strong protective instincts."
"Protective instincts? For humans?"
"Yes, protective instincts."
"Donovan, I'm not sure where you're going with this."
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I better get back to the guys. We've had a long weekend and need to debrief. The rain finally moved in and I just wanted to come by and see you, make sure you were okay. So get some rest, beautiful, and I'll see you later." Donovan kissed her on the forehead and stood up. He drew in a deep breath of her scent and wished he could just stay the night and hold her to his chest. He glanced over at the room service table. "Good dinner?"
"Yes, it was incredible. Thank you so much."
"No thanks required. I wish I could have been here with you. Well, good
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