using his back legs to kick violently at Caleb’s underbelly. Caleb growled at the pain of his stomach being shredded, but he refused to release the cat. Before long, the cat began to show signs of weakening.
Still kicking his hind legs and tearing at Caleb’s chest with his front paws, the panther fought valiantly. But eventually Caleb prevailed. The cat gradually went limp, and when Caleb was satisfied, he relaxed his jaws and let the panther fall to the ground like a rag doll.
The panther lay motionless on the forest floor, and Caleb stood over him panting. He swayed slightly, and then fell to the ground with a thud.
“Caleb!” I shrieked.
I pried myself from Ivy’s clutches and ran to him, falling to my knees beside his great bear body and burying my face in the fur that covered his massive shoulder blade. I began to cry.
Ivy’s hands were on my shoulders, and I hadn’t noticed until she spoke.
“He’s fine, Penny,” she said. “Just give him a minute.”
I sniffled and opened my eyes, and I watched in amazement as Caleb slowly morphed from the hulking, furry bear into his human form right before me. I whimpered at the sight of him. His whole body was a mass of deep cuts and dangling flesh.
“My god,” I groaned.
“Help me get him up,” Ivy said.
She pulled Caleb’s arm around her shoulders, and I followed suit with the other one. We pulled him to his feet, and he swayed precariously, but he managed to stay upright.
Ivy pulled him in the direction of the den, and he managed to follow her. He was breathing erratically and clearly quite weak, and he kept stumbling every few moments. I was incredibly relieved when we managed to make it back to Caleb’s cabin.
Ivy and I lowered Caleb carefully onto his bed, and he grunted. He clutched his ribs and groaned in pain, causing tears to spring to my eyes.
“Is he going to be alright?” I asked.
“He’s a shifter,” Ivy reminded me. “He’ll heal quickly.”
“But…”
“Trust me,” Ivy said. “I’ve seen much worse.”
As I looked at the wide lacerations that were seeping blood into his sheets, I was skeptical. It seemed impossible to think of anyone recovering from such angry-looking wounds.
“Shouldn’t we… I don’t know… stick him up or something? At least put some Neosporin on his wounds?” I asked.
Ivy laughed and said, “I don’t think any of that will be interested. Look.”
She nodded toward Caleb and I looked back toward him. Astonishingly, his wounds already appeared to be closing up a bit.
“I’ll be damned,” I murmured.
He was sweating profusely and panting, and he kept rolling his head from side to side and mumbling. I sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his blood-caked hair away from his forehead.
“Caleb?” I said gently. “Can you hear me?”
He continued to mutter incoherently, and I looked at Ivy.
“He’ll be fine,” she promised me. “I’m going to go check on some things. If you need me, I’m in the cabin at the end of the lane.”
“Thank you,” I told her.
She patted my shoulder and left the room, and I turned to watch Caleb as he continued to mumble fitfully and writhe around on the bed.
“Penny…”
I perked up. Did he really say my name?
“Caleb, I’m here,” I told him, taking his hand and squeezing it between my own.
“Penny…”
“I’m here,” I told him. “I’m right here.”
“Don’t go…”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I told him. I pressed my lips to his forehead. “I’m here and I’m not leaving.”
“Penny…”
I was helpless. There was nothing I could do for him but sit by his side and hold his hand. It’s a terrible feeling to care about someone so much and be unable to help them in a time of great need.
He continued to call for me, and I continued to hold his hand, stroke his hair, kiss his forehead, and talk to him.
After a couple of hours of this, he sat straight up in bed, his eyes wide as though he were
Still kicking his hind legs and tearing at Caleb’s chest with his front paws, the panther fought valiantly. But eventually Caleb prevailed. The cat gradually went limp, and when Caleb was satisfied, he relaxed his jaws and let the panther fall to the ground like a rag doll.
The panther lay motionless on the forest floor, and Caleb stood over him panting. He swayed slightly, and then fell to the ground with a thud.
“Caleb!” I shrieked.
I pried myself from Ivy’s clutches and ran to him, falling to my knees beside his great bear body and burying my face in the fur that covered his massive shoulder blade. I began to cry.
Ivy’s hands were on my shoulders, and I hadn’t noticed until she spoke.
“He’s fine, Penny,” she said. “Just give him a minute.”
I sniffled and opened my eyes, and I watched in amazement as Caleb slowly morphed from the hulking, furry bear into his human form right before me. I whimpered at the sight of him. His whole body was a mass of deep cuts and dangling flesh.
“My god,” I groaned.
“Help me get him up,” Ivy said.
She pulled Caleb’s arm around her shoulders, and I followed suit with the other one. We pulled him to his feet, and he swayed precariously, but he managed to stay upright.
Ivy pulled him in the direction of the den, and he managed to follow her. He was breathing erratically and clearly quite weak, and he kept stumbling every few moments. I was incredibly relieved when we managed to make it back to Caleb’s cabin.
Ivy and I lowered Caleb carefully onto his bed, and he grunted. He clutched his ribs and groaned in pain, causing tears to spring to my eyes.
“Is he going to be alright?” I asked.
“He’s a shifter,” Ivy reminded me. “He’ll heal quickly.”
“But…”
“Trust me,” Ivy said. “I’ve seen much worse.”
As I looked at the wide lacerations that were seeping blood into his sheets, I was skeptical. It seemed impossible to think of anyone recovering from such angry-looking wounds.
“Shouldn’t we… I don’t know… stick him up or something? At least put some Neosporin on his wounds?” I asked.
Ivy laughed and said, “I don’t think any of that will be interested. Look.”
She nodded toward Caleb and I looked back toward him. Astonishingly, his wounds already appeared to be closing up a bit.
“I’ll be damned,” I murmured.
He was sweating profusely and panting, and he kept rolling his head from side to side and mumbling. I sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his blood-caked hair away from his forehead.
“Caleb?” I said gently. “Can you hear me?”
He continued to mutter incoherently, and I looked at Ivy.
“He’ll be fine,” she promised me. “I’m going to go check on some things. If you need me, I’m in the cabin at the end of the lane.”
“Thank you,” I told her.
She patted my shoulder and left the room, and I turned to watch Caleb as he continued to mumble fitfully and writhe around on the bed.
“Penny…”
I perked up. Did he really say my name?
“Caleb, I’m here,” I told him, taking his hand and squeezing it between my own.
“Penny…”
“I’m here,” I told him. “I’m right here.”
“Don’t go…”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I told him. I pressed my lips to his forehead. “I’m here and I’m not leaving.”
“Penny…”
I was helpless. There was nothing I could do for him but sit by his side and hold his hand. It’s a terrible feeling to care about someone so much and be unable to help them in a time of great need.
He continued to call for me, and I continued to hold his hand, stroke his hair, kiss his forehead, and talk to him.
After a couple of hours of this, he sat straight up in bed, his eyes wide as though he were
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