Page 79

It was the smell of a nearby fire and the sound of crackling wood that roused me.

For a second, I just kept my eyes closed, taking in my surroundings with my other senses. Everything rushed back to me in startling clarity.

Standing by the creek. Seeing three massive bear-beasts looking at me with interest and a lot of heat.

I heard nothing aside from the fire, but I could feel my heart racing a little faster, because I knew I wasn’t wholly alone.

Were they close? Where had they taken me?

Whatever platform I was on was soft, the furs underneath me warm. Another thick covering had been draped over my lower half, and I stretched my toes, realizing they had taken off my boots.

They’d gone to a lot of trouble to keep me comfortable, to make sure I was warm.

That went a long way to easing my worries, but still, the heavy weight of confusion and fear floated beneath my skin.

Although I should be terrified of the creatures, instinctively I knew they’d never hurt me. I knew they were the ones who watched me as a child, who led me back to my cottage when I’d gotten lost.

I never told my parents what happened, always keeping that secret close to my heart, knowing that if I uttered a word about them, it would be dangerous.

For them.

I opened my eyes and slowly looked around. I couldn’t see much from my vantage point, but I could tell I was inside an unfamiliar cottage.

The ceilings were massively high, with gorgeous, natural wood beams running parallel, and exposed wooden framing.

I pushed myself up and braced my hands on the soft fur beneath me. A fire was roaring steadily in the hearth across from where I sat.

I glanced around the room and saw a kitchen off to the side, and although everything was normal in appearance, I took note that things seemed larger.

The counters. The shelving. Even the furniture was slightly larger than normal, as if they were built to fit a larger frame than that of a human.

My pulse started beating a little faster, because I knew where I was. I knew for what creatures this home was built.

I sat on the edge of the platform and listened, but still I heard nothing but the sound of my pounding heart.

To my right were three large chairs, the next bigger than the previous one. Although my head ached from when I fell, and my wrists and ankles were sore, I could stand with little difficulty.

When I stood, my head pounded slightly, but it went away as fast as it arrived.

I stood there and listened, looking around. I took everything in for another second before I made my way into the kitchen,mindful of my still slightly sore ankle, and got myself some water.

I drank two large glasses before I finally set the cup down and braced my hands on the counter, staring out the window. The sun had set, and everything was cloaked in inky darkness. I could hear the howl of wind. The violent pounding of ice and water hitting the glass followed.

I shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold.A chill raced over my arms and legs, because I knew at any second I wouldn’t be alone, that I’d have to face this new reality of what was happening and who—or what—had brought me here.

And as much as that should have frightened me, I felt a strange tightening in my belly.

My heart started beating faster for far different reasons, and my body lit up as if I had touched a hot coal.

I stood, seeing a large hallway off to the side. My feet were moving before I realized what I was doing.

The first door opened up to show a massive bed in the center of the room. The second room was designed in much the same way, but this bed was a little bigger than the previous one.

The last room at the very end of the hallway had the largest bed out of the three.

I imagined the bear creatures sleeping atop them, their big, beast-like bodies sprawled out across the top. My body once again lit up, and every erogenous zone tightened as my blood heated.

I started breathing a little faster and harder as images played through my mind, things I’d never thought about before.