Page 16 of Shared By the Werebears
I strained, heart pounding, but all I sensed was the wind whispering through dry leaves. For a moment, it felt like we were alone in the world, the three of us floating in a black bubble of night, suspended above the forest floor. Then it came again—a shuffling, scraping sound, maybe twenty feet ahead.
Ronan gestured for silence, then motioned for me to hang backwith Goldie. He slipped ahead, his boots nearly silent on the rotting pine needles. I drew Goldie to my side, smelling the scent of her fear.
“It’s all right,” I murmured, keeping my voice low. “Whatever it is, we won’t let it hurt you.”
“Thanks.” She gave me a grateful look and I felt a swell of protectiveness. I didn’t know her very well, but I wanted to keep her safe. She was important to me already.
Ronan vanished into a pocket of darkness where the moonlight didn’t quite reach, and for a few seconds, I lost track of him. The woods had grown so silent, even our own breathing sounded too loud. Then, from up ahead, I caught the faintest grunt—Ronan’s “come here” sound. I squeezed Goldie’s arm and we crept forward, careful not to snap any twigs or stumble over roots.
He was crouched in a shallow depression, one hand raised for us to slow down. At first, I couldn’t see what had alarmed him, but then Goldie let out a soft, relieved gasp. Nestled between a cluster of boulders and a mess of fallen branches, a young deer struggled in the grip of a snarl of brambles and thorned vines. Its flanks quivered in terror, eyes wide and rolling, but it made almost no sound—just a desperate, shuddering panting.
Ronan motioned for me to come forward, but Goldie surprised me by taking the lead.
“Here—let me. The poor thing is scared to death.”
She knelt beside the struggling deer and put a hand on its heaving flanks. A soft, crooning sound came from her throat and I could feel a calmness flowing from her and into the deer. It was flowing into me, too—and to judge from the way Ronan’s tense shoulders had relaxed, he was feeling it too.
Was this part of her Succubus power? But there didn’t seem to be anything sexual about it—the emotions coming from her were just sweet and warm and comforting. It was like being wrapped in a soft quilt while you sipped a cup of hot cocoa.
“It’s all right, baby. You’re going to be okay,” Goldie murmured tothe deer. It calmed down and nuzzled her hand. She stroked its head and it made a soft sound of contentment. “All right,” she said, looking back at Ronan and me. “He’s calm—we can untangle him now.”
Goldie’s hand moved slowly, stroking the deer’s neck while her other hand gently freed its legs one at a time. Thorns raked her skin but she didn’t flinch. In fact, I’d never seen anyone move so gently—with such care for a wild animal. The tangle of vines seemed almost to loosen under her touch, as if the forest itself wanted to help her. I wanted to help her too.
I knelt beside her on the cold forest floor. I half expected the deer to recognize my Were nature and the Bear I keep inside me and shy away, but Goldie’s crooning kept it calm. Together, we worked to get it free as Ronan kept watch.
At last, it struggled to its feet. It pressed the top of its head to Goldie’s midsection—a thank you, I think—and I heard her say,
“Oh…you’re welcome, baby.”
Then it ran away, into the forest. The last thing I saw was the flick of its short, white tail waving as it disappeared into the shadows between the trees.
“All right.” Ronan’s voice broke the silence. “It’s time we got moving again.”
We kept walking. The woods closed around us again, darker now, and somehow quieter—as if Goldie’s act of kindness had brought peace to the forest.
I was kind of in awe of her, honestly. She was so warm and sweet and kind…nothing like the temptress I would have expected her to be since she was half Succubus. But then I remembered the way she’d let me stroke her…the way she’d given herself to my touch in the diner and my cock was suddenly hard at the thought. God, I wanted to do that again! I wanted to cup her breasts and stroke her soft pussy and hear her moan in pleasure. But I knew Ronan wouldn’t approve and with Thorne, gone, he was in charge.
Goldie walked between us, her boots crunching softly on frost-bitten leaves. Her body brushed mine every now and then, and I could feel how much colder she was getting. I felt the tremble in her limbs. Her breath came out in small puffs, white and misty in the moonlight.
“You’re shaking,” I said quietly, ducking my head toward her.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, though her voice was tight with effort. “Just…a little chilly, that’s all.”
Ronan shot me a glance from her other side. He didn’t say anything, but I saw the stiffness in his shoulders again. Even after the encounter with the deer he was suspicious—watching her too closely. I wished I could reason with him—make him see she didn’t want to harm us. But now wasn’t the time to argue.
“Let’s stop here for the night,” I said, slowing to a halt when we came to a clearing in the woods. “It’s not safe to keep pushing.” I looked at Goldie. “You’re freezing.”
“I c-can k-keep going,” Goldie started to protest, but Ronan cut her off.
“Finn’s right,” he growled. “Your teeth are chattering. Last thing we need is you passing out from cold and freezing to death.”
That earned him a glare from her, but she reached into her jacket pocket anyway and pulled out something small and round—the tent her friend, Goody Albright had given her. It didn’t look like much, but I could sense the magic humming in it.
“All right, let’s see if that thing really does have everything we need in it,” Ronan remarked.
Goldie frowned at him.
“I’m sure it’s good—Goody A’s magic is always top-notch.”
