Page 8 of Alokar
A strangled sound tore from my throat, high-pitched and raw, the kind of mortifying squeak that would have sent waves of shame through me if anyone I knew had been around to witness it. Still on my hands and knees, I slowly lifted my gaze upward, my neck muscles protesting the movement.
Him.
I scrambled desperately to get my feet under me. My limbs felt disconnected and clumsy, betraying me as I flailed likea newborn colt trying to stand for the first time, and I ended up on my ass.
What the hell was he doing here? Had he somehow followed my trail? How was that even possible? I’d waited around a bit to see if Hank would show, but the trailhead had been completely deserted when I finally set out.
“Take it easy. You’re okay.”
He knelt down a few feet away, his palms out in the universal gesture of no harm. “I won’t hurt you.”
Damn it all to hell, I believed him, or at least I really,reallywanted to.
I thought him handsome last night under the dim bar lights, but out here, bathed in golden sunlight, he stole my breath. He possessed the kind of masculine beauty that belonged to one of those Greek statues—all sharp angles and perfect proportions that seemed too flawless for mortal flesh. His voice carried a faint accent I couldn’t quite identify, each word rolling off his tongue in deep, gravelly tones that sounded sexy as hell. Definitely not American. The bronze undertones of his skin and features suggested Mediterranean ancestry, though the striking mixture of silver and black hair hinted at something more. For a moment, I wondered if he might have Native American heritage—his high cheekbones and complexion could have supported that theory—but we normally didn’t grow them this big. No, there had to be some ancient Viking blood coursing through those veins, because the man was absolutely massive. Even kneeling, he towered over me.
“You were at the bar last night,” I said, the words more an accusation than a question.
“I was,” he admitted easily, the corners of his full lips quirking into a smile that made him even more devastatingly handsome.
Damn! I hoped I wouldn’t end up having to shoot him. He was really too pretty to kill. “Who are you? What are you doing out here?”
The broad shoulders lifted in a casual shrug, muscles rippling beneath his flannel shirt. “Hunting grizzly, the same as you.”
His words brought back in a flash what I should be more worried about than the handsome stranger lurking in the wilderness.
“I shot it,” I said. “I shot it, but the bullet didn’t hurt it.” I opened my mouth to tell him that Bigfoot actually spoke to me, but decided it sounded too crazy. “Did you see anything?” I pointed at the game trail that disappeared into the shadows between the pines. “It was just down the path.
“I only saw you passed out.” Those warm teddy bear eyes narrowed in genuine concern, studying my face.
“I didn’t pass out,” I claimed, pushing to my feet with all the indignance I could muster, dirt and pine needles cascading from my clothes.
“Okay.” He at least had the wherewithal not to appear amused as he rose in one fluid motion, taking a step closer. Jesus, this guy was huge, at least seven feet tall.
“What are you doing so high up on the mountain?” I demanded, brushing the leaves and twigs from my jeans with agitated movements. “Are you following me?” Strangely, the idea didn’t bother me as much as it should have. I was smartenough to know there were dangers in the mountains for a woman alone, and not just from Bigfoot.
Trying to be stealthy, I slid my gaze toward Jubal and the stock of my rifle where it emerged from the sheath. Twenty feet away, maybe a little less. This guy was huge. Surely, someone that big had to be a little slow, and I was fast. Fast enough to get to my gun if I needed it. Although I really didn’t want to have to shoot him.
“Yes, I am following you,” he said, his deep voice sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. Were serial killers this honest? I cast another nervous glance at my rifle. “I overheard you talking in the bar last night. You’re going after the grizzly that killed your father. I thought I could help. I am an experienced hunter.”
“Hunter?” He looked like most of the hunters I knew, albeit a lot better looking. He smelled a lot better, too. But there was one thing missing. “Where’s your weapon?”
He nodded to the olive-green backpack leaning against the trunk of a pine a few feet away. “It’s in my pack.”
The snort of disbelief was out before I could stop it. “You can’t get a gun big enough to kill a griz in a backpack.”
What had only been a faint smile before now turned into a dazzling spectacle that lit up his entire face, revealing straight white teeth. “Who says it’s a gun?”
I blinked at him, my heart skipping a beat. “Seriously, you’re not going to take on a grown Big....” I bit back the truth and regrouped, “grizzly with just a handgun or knife?”
He chuckled, and it felt like warm honey flowing over my skin. “Have you noticed how big I am?”
I’d noticed everything about him—every impressive inch—but that was beside the point.
“Thanks, but I don’t need any help.” The words came out sharper than I intended, laced with the kind of stubborn independence that had gotten me into trouble more times than I could count.
I pivoted away from him, my boots crunching against the carpet of fallen pine needles as I made my way over to Jubal. The familiar weight settled between my shoulder blades—that prickly sensation of being watched by a stranger. Yet the instinctive crawling of skin that should have warned me of danger didn’t manifest. Instead, an inexplicable warmth spread through my chest, wrapping around me like a protective blanket, whispering that I was safe with this man.
“How long do you think you would have lasted passed out in the dirt with a grizzly... or something else nearby?” His voice carried across the small clearing, calm and matter-of-fact.
