Page 154 of Gemini Queen
Ice water pours down my spine and sheets over my skin and shocks every nerve in my body into a clamor of violent life.
I’m staring at a polar bear. A fucking polar bear.
And it’sinthe fucking house.
I think I’m staring at Bjorn, the bear shifter on the custodial staff. In, like, his bear form.
I freeze where I stand like I’m that game warden inJurassic Parkbefore the tyrannosaur attack, but I don’t think this is going to help, since I’m not actually dealing with a tyrannosaur.
Since I’m actually dealing with a shifter, I clear my throat and talk. “Uh, I’m guessing you’re Bjorn? I’m Zara Gemini. New student.”
The bear blinks at me. I have no idea how much human cognition Bjorn normally has in bear form, or in human form for that matter. To my knowledge, we’ve never actually met. Nor am I sure what the supermoon might be doing to him (because Lucius told me it fucks with shifters), but I’m not seeing much in the way of intellect in those little bear eyes.
I guess, to be on the safe side, I better treat him like an actual bear.
If I am dealing with an actual bear, I know I shouldn’t run. Running triggers a bear attack, and the bear will be faster than I am.
This specific bear is between me and the guys, and between me and the front door, but he’s not between me and the courtyard. If I can get out there… without running… I can lock the bear in, then maybe scale the trellis or at least call up to the guys for help.
In fact, I can call for the guys right now, using our bond.
Because I’m through trying to handle shit on my own. Especially serious, dangerous shit like a freaking polar bear.
I start edging carefully toward the courtyard door. The bear’s snout swings to follow me, which is deeply alarming and makes me stop moving. Then the bear drops down to all fours again, which could be good or bad.
I give an experimental tug on the bond that connects me to my fated mate, my alphas, and Ronin who’s the strongest telepath of the bunch. I’m still new at this, but all I can sense at the other end is a heavy, sluggish darkness.
That’s probably because they’re all asleep.
The bear huffs out a visible breath—visible because it’s still freezing in the house. I edge another step toward the courtyard, while the bear watches me closely, and give another hard tug on my bond with the guys. I’m hoping to feel someone, or several someones, jerk awake, but I literally feel nothing.
Shit.
The bear sways slowly toward me, but he looks more curious than aggressive. I remember from childhood camping trips that sometimes you can scare off a bear, so I raise my robed arms over my head to make myself as large as possible and say sternly, “Go away, bear.”
The bear lowers his head and eyes me.
As if,he seems to think.
“I mean it, bear.” I raise my voice, hoping to reach someone upstairs, and keep tugging on the bond with my guys like I’m tugging on a rope. “Vamoose!”
Of course, since I’ve closed the front door, there’s nowhere for him to vamoose to, but we’ll deal with getting him out of the house later. For now, I’ll settle for getting him out of the room.
The bear makes a woofing sound and lumbers decisively toward me. This is definitely not working.
“You’re a bad bear!” I shout, possibly unfairly since he could just be curious and not aggressive, but I’m not giving this particular bear the benefit of the doubt. As I back slowly away, my hand bumps up against the rack of fire tools by the hearth.
I grab the poker and brandish it. “Bad bear!”
Bjorn doesn’t seem to like the criticism, because he lowers his head and charges.
Terror thunders through me and hones my senses razor-sharp. I scramble back and yell and wield the poker like I mean business, but all of this is totally useless. I’ve got maybe three seconds tops before that bear’s right on top of me.
A powerful instinct surges through my central nervous system. A sudden gust of energy lifts the hair from my shoulders and makes my robe billow. The lightning voice gathers in my throat, the useless poker falls from my fingers, and my tingling hands sweep up.
“Bjorn!” I roar at the charging bear in the lightning voice.“Stop!”
My voice unlocks a crack of thunder loud enough to rattle the windows and a flash of blinding ultraviolet light. The electrical discharge slams through me and pours from my hands in an explosion of purple sparks.
