Page 2 of A Bear's Secret

Sloane took a deep, shaky breath, pleased that she’d put together a plan without freaking out.

Then, she saw it.

There was something sticking into his neck. A needle with a tiny syringe on it.

WHAT THE HELL, she thought. She gasped and stepped backwards too quickly, her foot landing on a stump and sending her toppling over backwards.

Sloane yelped as she fell, then scrambled back up and ran for the trail as fast as she could.

What if I’m next?She thought frantically.

She reached the trail and didn’t bother with her pack, just half-ran and half-slid downhill.

“Help!” she shouted, her lungs starting to burn. “Someone help, a man’s hurt!”

What if you’re just attracting whoever shot him?She wondered.

Well, then, you’re probably fucked, she thought, her feet sliding over some small rocks and nearly sending her flying again.

She shouted again at the top of her lungs. She didn’t care any more about what the guidebooks said or about where her pack was. All Sloane wanted was to get away from the part of the forest where someone was shooting darts into other hikers, and to the Double Moon ranch, which presumably had a phone that dialed 911.

“Hey!” shouted a male voice.

Sloane spun around, her heels sliding on leaves, and scanned the trail before her eyes finally alit on a figure, nimbly hopping down after her.

“What’s wrong?” he shouted, coming into better view. In moments he was standing in front of her, his chest heaving.

Sloane noticed two things right away.

One, he was hot. Crazy hot. Calendar-of-underwear-models hot.

Two, he was naked.

The hell is wrong with you?she thought. Sweat poured down her face, and she could practically feel a river running down the back of her neck, sluicing in her sports bra, between her boobs.

“Someone’s hurt back there,” she gasped, her hands on her hips as she struggled to catch her breath. “He’s in the woods, and he seems asleep but there’s a thing in his neck.”

She gestured at her own neck, knowing that she wasn’t explaining anything even a little.

“Show me,” the naked man said. He had a low, musical voice with just a hint of a twang, and he seemed very, very calm, like this situation wasn’t all that unusual and he knew exactly what to do.

Sloane nodded.

Please know what to do, she thought.

Silently, she walked past the naked guy and they made their way back up the hill. Sloane’s brain concocted the worst-case scenario, despite her best efforts: they’d get there, and whoever shot the guy would be in hiding, waiting.

They’d get there, and there would be one extra person, lying next to the guy.

They’d get there, and the guy would be dead.

They’d get there, and the guy would just be gone.

That’s the worst one, Sloane thought. Then I’m the only one who knows that something hinky is going on out in the woods, and the sexy naked guy thinks I’m crazy to boot.

It’s like the beginning of a horror movie.

She reached her pack and turned into the woods. The piece of blue nylon was still there, and despite everything, she felt a quick wave of relief wash over her.

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