men lay on the ground, one gutted. The stench of blood and bowels hung in the air, recalling the hideous night from three years past. Her stomach twisted.
Three women and two children huddled on the far side, their men trying to protect them from a…a creature.
Grizzly-sized, but rendered almost prehistoric with bony, spiked plates. Its head was shark-shaped with terrifyingly huge, pointed fangs.
Oh my Goddess, a hellhound.
As terror iced her blood, her courage shattered. She froze. Even the God’s enormous cahirs couldn’t win against a demon-dog. She was just a small bear.
The monster darted forward and seized a man’s shoulder in massive jaws.
“Fuck. No!” Shouting, the human hammered it with his fist.
The blows rained off the creature’s back like snowflakes. After tossing the man aside, it stalked toward the women. The children.
No, not the cubs.
The humans were losing. Couldn’t protect them. Move, bear. She had nothing to lose. Not really. She could save the children.
Jolted out of paralysis, Emma charged the hellhound. She swung her paw, wide and heavy, expecting her thick claws to rip hunks from its flesh.
Her paw impacted—the creature barely swayed—and she felt a hideous snapping as the toes of her forepaw broke.
As her claws scraped uselessly across its ridged armor plates, the hellhound whipped around. Its mammoth jaws closed on her hind leg. Razor-teeth sliced through her fur and into her flesh.
Pain.
Roaring, Emma slashed her undamaged forepaw across the thing’s head. Its armored head. She didn’t even scratch it.
The hellhound bit down viciously, and her bones shattered.
At the blast of agony, she panicked. Her paws battered at its head, but her claws were worthless against its armor. The armor covered its whole body—nothing was vulnerable. Except…
Instinctively, she twisted her foreleg and shoved her claws directly at the recessed left eye. One penetrated.
The creature shrieked horrifically and scrambled backward.
Freed, Emma tore away across the clearing, her savaged leg dragging behind her. At the forest’s edge, she hesitated. Turned.
Shaking its head, the hellhound splattered blood everywhere. With another shriek, it fled into the forest.
Victory. But at what cost? Head sagging, Emma moaned as the pain increased, a red fire encompassing her leg.
The humans stared at her. One lifted his branch—his weapon—threateningly. As if she could be a threat. On three legs. But she was a bear. Of course they were frightened.
As she forced herself to move away, the enormity of the disaster struck her. Her leg was past merely broken. Shattered bones wouldn’t heal.
She was crippled. Alone. But if a slow death was the price she had to pay, she was content. Because, with the Goddess’s help, she had saved the little ones.
Chapter Two
‡
Farway, Deschutes Territory
“Y ou have a cub. Just don’t tell that screaming shrew I was the one who ratted her out. I still have to live in the Deschutes Territory.”
Standing on the sidewalk in the town where he’d once lived, Ryder Llwyd remembered the pity and worry in Harold’s expression. The male had good reason for his anxiety; Genevieve held vicious grudges. Sliding his hand under his jacket, Ryder touched the rough bite and scratch scars on his left shoulder. Those weren’t the worst of the wounds she’d given him in their months together.
Apparently, she’d given him something else as well.
A cub. What the fuck would he do with a child? He wasn’t a female or good at nurturing. He was an unmated male who didn’t even have a littermate to help, because he’d chosen a malicious, self-centered female over his brother.
By the God, he was as stupid as a garbage-addicted gnome.
Deep in his soul, the frayed littermate bond ached far worse than any bite. Over the years, the link had grown more painful until he’d known he had to try to make amends. Only a week ago, he’d left the Garibaldi Territory in Canada,
Three women and two children huddled on the far side, their men trying to protect them from a…a creature.
Grizzly-sized, but rendered almost prehistoric with bony, spiked plates. Its head was shark-shaped with terrifyingly huge, pointed fangs.
Oh my Goddess, a hellhound.
As terror iced her blood, her courage shattered. She froze. Even the God’s enormous cahirs couldn’t win against a demon-dog. She was just a small bear.
The monster darted forward and seized a man’s shoulder in massive jaws.
“Fuck. No!” Shouting, the human hammered it with his fist.
The blows rained off the creature’s back like snowflakes. After tossing the man aside, it stalked toward the women. The children.
No, not the cubs.
The humans were losing. Couldn’t protect them. Move, bear. She had nothing to lose. Not really. She could save the children.
Jolted out of paralysis, Emma charged the hellhound. She swung her paw, wide and heavy, expecting her thick claws to rip hunks from its flesh.
Her paw impacted—the creature barely swayed—and she felt a hideous snapping as the toes of her forepaw broke.
As her claws scraped uselessly across its ridged armor plates, the hellhound whipped around. Its mammoth jaws closed on her hind leg. Razor-teeth sliced through her fur and into her flesh.
Pain.
Roaring, Emma slashed her undamaged forepaw across the thing’s head. Its armored head. She didn’t even scratch it.
The hellhound bit down viciously, and her bones shattered.
At the blast of agony, she panicked. Her paws battered at its head, but her claws were worthless against its armor. The armor covered its whole body—nothing was vulnerable. Except…
Instinctively, she twisted her foreleg and shoved her claws directly at the recessed left eye. One penetrated.
The creature shrieked horrifically and scrambled backward.
Freed, Emma tore away across the clearing, her savaged leg dragging behind her. At the forest’s edge, she hesitated. Turned.
Shaking its head, the hellhound splattered blood everywhere. With another shriek, it fled into the forest.
Victory. But at what cost? Head sagging, Emma moaned as the pain increased, a red fire encompassing her leg.
The humans stared at her. One lifted his branch—his weapon—threateningly. As if she could be a threat. On three legs. But she was a bear. Of course they were frightened.
As she forced herself to move away, the enormity of the disaster struck her. Her leg was past merely broken. Shattered bones wouldn’t heal.
She was crippled. Alone. But if a slow death was the price she had to pay, she was content. Because, with the Goddess’s help, she had saved the little ones.
Chapter Two
‡
Farway, Deschutes Territory
“Y ou have a cub. Just don’t tell that screaming shrew I was the one who ratted her out. I still have to live in the Deschutes Territory.”
Standing on the sidewalk in the town where he’d once lived, Ryder Llwyd remembered the pity and worry in Harold’s expression. The male had good reason for his anxiety; Genevieve held vicious grudges. Sliding his hand under his jacket, Ryder touched the rough bite and scratch scars on his left shoulder. Those weren’t the worst of the wounds she’d given him in their months together.
Apparently, she’d given him something else as well.
A cub. What the fuck would he do with a child? He wasn’t a female or good at nurturing. He was an unmated male who didn’t even have a littermate to help, because he’d chosen a malicious, self-centered female over his brother.
By the God, he was as stupid as a garbage-addicted gnome.
Deep in his soul, the frayed littermate bond ached far worse than any bite. Over the years, the link had grown more painful until he’d known he had to try to make amends. Only a week ago, he’d left the Garibaldi Territory in Canada,
Similar Books
Echoes of Tomorrow
Jenny Lykins
The Death of Rex Nhongo
C.B. George
The Butcher of Smithfield
Susanna Gregory
T.J. and the Cup Run
Theo Walcott
The Ivory Road: A Walk in the Sand
Siobhan Muir
Murder in the Dorm
C.G. Prado
Looking for Alibrandi
Melina Marchetta
Rescue Nights
Nina Hamilton
