bringing her to town in a few days, understand? Until then, forget any of this ever happened. Got it?”
Kyle whimpered loudly, but nodded.
Matt stepped off of Kyle with slow, deliberate movements. He watched with satisfaction as Kyle scrambled to his feet, terrified.
“And don’t tell anyone about what you saw here today,” Matt growled.
Kyle nodded and stared, paralyzed with fear. For a brief second he glanced down at his rifle.
Matt charged at him, roaring, and Kyle spun around and raced into the forest, leaving behind the faint aroma of urine. For a few yards Matt chased after him, growling and threatening. But once he was confident that Kyle wouldn’t return, he stopped and trotted back to the rifle. He shifted into human form and pulled his clothes back on. Picking up the rifle and a few logs, he walked back to the cabin.
“Oh my God!” Tawny yelped as she saw the blood on his arm. “Matt, what happened?
“I came across some guy hunting the bear you saw the other night, and he shot me by mistake. Apparently it’s believed to still be in the area. I’m sorry, Tawny, but it looks like it’s going to be a few more days at least before it’s safe to travel into town.” Matt leaned the rifle against the wall and carefully set the wood near the fireplace.
Tawny held a terrified hand over her mouth. “Let’s not worry about that now, Matt. Get your shirt off; we need to stop the bleeding.”
“I think I’m okay,” Matt assured her.
“I don’t!” Tawny insisted. She untied the tethers and carefully pulled his shirt over his head as he moaned with pain.
Tawny sat Matt down and carefully washed his wound. “You said he shot you?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
Matt nodded. “But I think it went clean through. I should be okay.”
Tawny leaned in and inspected the wounds on both sides of his shoulder, touching them gingerly with her fingers. “It does look like it went all the way through. But it looks like it’s already healing over. How is that possible?”
Matt fidgeted nervously. “I’m a fast healer,” he said, giving her a calming smile.
“No one heals this fast, Matt. No one.”
“And yet . . .” Matt sighed, shrugging. “It still hurts a bit, though.”
“The fresh bullet wound still hurts?” Tawny scoffed. “Gosh, do you think that’s a symptom of something — like being shot maybe?”
Matt stood abruptly and put on a clean buckskin shirt while Tawny watched in dismay. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I’m telling you, I’m going to be fine. Up here in the hills you have to recover quickly, or you don’t recover at all.”
Tawny swallowed nervously, and slowly put her arms around Matt. She pulled him tight, tears filling her eyes. “I need to stay here longer?” she asked, her voice cracking.
Matt nodded. “We need to wait a few days still to be certain that the bear isn’t going to get you,” he said. He tried to sound stern and comforting, but his voice wavered. “We just can’t take any chances. And there’s no sense in doing so.”
Tawny’s teary gaze roamed over to where the rifle leaned against the wall. An uneasy feeling gripped her as she noticed how similar it was to Chad’s gun.
After a breakfast of mushrooms and seeds, Matt picked up the rifle and took a deep breath.
“I need to get something taken care of real quick. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay? You’d better stay inside until I get back.”
Matt scurried out the door before Tawny had a chance to object.
Chapter 10
Bradly stopped dead when he saw Matt step out onto the worn deer trail from the thick brush. The men with him stopped as well, shifting uneasily as they noticed the rifle in Matt’s grasp.
“Are you guys going somewhere important?” Matt grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he looked them over. “Hey Mike, Ralph. And
Kyle whimpered loudly, but nodded.
Matt stepped off of Kyle with slow, deliberate movements. He watched with satisfaction as Kyle scrambled to his feet, terrified.
“And don’t tell anyone about what you saw here today,” Matt growled.
Kyle nodded and stared, paralyzed with fear. For a brief second he glanced down at his rifle.
Matt charged at him, roaring, and Kyle spun around and raced into the forest, leaving behind the faint aroma of urine. For a few yards Matt chased after him, growling and threatening. But once he was confident that Kyle wouldn’t return, he stopped and trotted back to the rifle. He shifted into human form and pulled his clothes back on. Picking up the rifle and a few logs, he walked back to the cabin.
“Oh my God!” Tawny yelped as she saw the blood on his arm. “Matt, what happened?
“I came across some guy hunting the bear you saw the other night, and he shot me by mistake. Apparently it’s believed to still be in the area. I’m sorry, Tawny, but it looks like it’s going to be a few more days at least before it’s safe to travel into town.” Matt leaned the rifle against the wall and carefully set the wood near the fireplace.
Tawny held a terrified hand over her mouth. “Let’s not worry about that now, Matt. Get your shirt off; we need to stop the bleeding.”
“I think I’m okay,” Matt assured her.
“I don’t!” Tawny insisted. She untied the tethers and carefully pulled his shirt over his head as he moaned with pain.
Tawny sat Matt down and carefully washed his wound. “You said he shot you?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
Matt nodded. “But I think it went clean through. I should be okay.”
Tawny leaned in and inspected the wounds on both sides of his shoulder, touching them gingerly with her fingers. “It does look like it went all the way through. But it looks like it’s already healing over. How is that possible?”
Matt fidgeted nervously. “I’m a fast healer,” he said, giving her a calming smile.
“No one heals this fast, Matt. No one.”
“And yet . . .” Matt sighed, shrugging. “It still hurts a bit, though.”
“The fresh bullet wound still hurts?” Tawny scoffed. “Gosh, do you think that’s a symptom of something — like being shot maybe?”
Matt stood abruptly and put on a clean buckskin shirt while Tawny watched in dismay. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I’m telling you, I’m going to be fine. Up here in the hills you have to recover quickly, or you don’t recover at all.”
Tawny swallowed nervously, and slowly put her arms around Matt. She pulled him tight, tears filling her eyes. “I need to stay here longer?” she asked, her voice cracking.
Matt nodded. “We need to wait a few days still to be certain that the bear isn’t going to get you,” he said. He tried to sound stern and comforting, but his voice wavered. “We just can’t take any chances. And there’s no sense in doing so.”
Tawny’s teary gaze roamed over to where the rifle leaned against the wall. An uneasy feeling gripped her as she noticed how similar it was to Chad’s gun.
After a breakfast of mushrooms and seeds, Matt picked up the rifle and took a deep breath.
“I need to get something taken care of real quick. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay? You’d better stay inside until I get back.”
Matt scurried out the door before Tawny had a chance to object.
Chapter 10
Bradly stopped dead when he saw Matt step out onto the worn deer trail from the thick brush. The men with him stopped as well, shifting uneasily as they noticed the rifle in Matt’s grasp.
“Are you guys going somewhere important?” Matt grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he looked them over. “Hey Mike, Ralph. And
Similar Books
