Page 3 of Hunny and the Bear (Bearly Yours #1)

Three

W here the hell am I? Hunny thought in bewilderment, her nose twitching as she inhaled a strong, delicious scent; a mixture of bear, musk, and cloves filled her lungs. Like an addict, she inhaled again, the trembling in her whiskers giving her away. She eyed the man across from her warily.

No. Not just a man . A bear shifter. And damned if he didn’t look intimidating.

Even sitting across from her on the couch, one large hand wrapped around the other that she’d bitten, every inch of him was menacing. He was tall and well-built, muscles practically bulging through a tight T-shirt. He was tanned, with unruly brown hair and an equally unkempt beard that could use a trim. And his eyes? They were such a dark brown, they appeared almost black. Objectively, he looked mean as hell, but in a way that would heat any female’s blood.

Mentally, she shook herself, hoping to clear that particular thought. She didn’t need to be thinking that anyone, especially a shifter, had sex appeal. Wasn’t that how she had ended up in this mess?

Speaking of … Was this the same bear she’d caught a brief glimpse of before she’d lost consciousness?

Hunny shifted on her feet, her body immediately protesting against the movement as pain washed over her. Her head ached, her front leg throbbed, and her side was still tender from where she’d hit the tree. The only upside was that her stomach felt fine. She’d once read somewhere that human babies were well protected in the womb, at least in the first trimester, and she suspected that was the case for her as well.

I should shift back . If she did, she’d heal almost instantly. But then, where would that leave her? Naked and vulnerable in an unknown shifter’s home. But if she stayed as a rabbit, at least for now, then she’d be faster and have an easier time hiding if necessary, even wounded.

Although, for some strange reason, she didn’t exactly feel scared or in danger. Ridiculous, really. All of her years living alone and traveling through the States, she’d learned that even if she felt safe, it didn’t mean she was . A vulnerable woman was easy prey to the wrong person. And this particular male, even though he’d saved her life, was a stranger.

“Are you planning on shifting or just sitting there like a stuffed animal?” the male asked gruffly, dropping his hands to his knees. The sudden movement startled Hunny.

She hissed again, her bushy tail stiffening in agitation.

A choked noise came from him then, and his lips twitched as if he were trying his best not to laugh at her.

She narrowed her eyes menacingly, her body shaking with indignant fury. How dare he find her threat funny! She might be small, but she was a force to be reckoned with. Well, okay. Maybe not as a bunny. But if he actually did laugh at her, she’d hop her injured ass right on over to the front door and shit into his shoes.

Who’d be laughing then, you smug son of a bit —

The male ran a hand through his disheveled hair. A few strands fell into his eyes. “At least, let me finish bandaging your foot. It’s broken, and if you won’t shift, I need to ensure the bone is set.”

Slowly, he leaned forward, grabbing a strip of gauze from beside him before moving a roll of the cloth onto the coffee table on her left. It was then she noticed a plethora of supplies set there: a bowl of water, hydrogen peroxide, etc. What kind of person saved another one from an attack, brought them to his home, and wanted to patch them up?

A good one. At least, Hunny hoped so.

She didn’t move as they stared at one another, trapped in a silent stand-off. Despite the choked sound he’d made only a few moments ago, his eyes lacked any hint of humor. Instead, it was almost like she was gazing into a void. No warmth, no depth, no emotion. But no anger either. Or hatred, nothing like she had seen in both Jason and Natasha earlier.

She’d seen that same blank look reflected in the mirror for years—when she’d felt utterly broken after her parents’ deaths, just going through the motions of life day by day, desperate for some semblance of normalcy. It left her wondering; what had broken him? Had someone died that he’d held dear to him? Not a mate, surely. Usually, when one mate died, the other followed.

Her heart twisted painfully, a brutal reminder that she’d just been rejected by her own mate. Not only rejected, but hunted down and nearly mauled to death by his chosen mate, Natasha.

“You gonna let me tend to your wounds, little rabbit?” the male asked, his deep, gravelly voice sliding over her like a warm breeze. Whatever thoughts were bouncing around in her head fled, and cautiously, she took a small step forward.

Fine. She’d let him treat her wounds, if he insisted, and then as soon as he went to sleep, she’d shift, heal, and leave.

Mindful of her front leg, she moved a tad bit closer before daintily holding out the injured limb. Grunting, he moved into her space, his yummy scent growing stronger until Hunny felt like she was bathing in it. She sighed audibly, and his brows shot up in surprise before snapping back down to her wound.

Shockingly gentle for someone so massive, the bear shifter took her paw in one hand, tenderly moving the aching limb. She winced, and he paused, giving her a moment before he carefully began again. Once he was satisfied with how it lay, he began wrapping it, ensuring the gauze covered almost her entire leg. The cloth was tight, but not too painful as he tied it off to secure it.

“Now onto your open wounds.” He grabbed the peroxide and a towel. “This’ll hurt.” He paused, eyeing her speculatively. “No biting.”

Hunny rolled her eyes but remained still as he began treating the rest of her wounds, the liquid burning several spots on her back and side. She made sure to keep her attention focused on him and not the pain, acutely aware of every move he made. She told herself it was out of protection, but in truth, she kind of found her mystery savior intriguing.

She’d never met a bear shifter before, and despite how massive he looked now, she had a feeling he’d still be an impressive size when she was in her human form. What was he? Six-foot-five? Maybe taller?

“Done.” He stood abruptly. Her head tilted back … and then waaaay back as she tried to take all of him in.

Jesus. It’s like looking at a lumberjack gladiator .

Seriously, the guy looked like he could split some wood with his bare hands. And wouldn’t that be a sight to see?

The bear shifter cleared his throat, wincing a bit before he spoke. “I’ll set out some food and water for you.” He moved quickly away from the couch and out of her line of sight. He was quiet, only the sounds of drawers opening and dinnerware scraping lightly together giving away his location. After a few minutes, he returned, holding two small metal bowls.

Setting the dishes down onto the leather cushion in front of her, he murmured, “Bon appétit.” She glanced into each one, which looked suspiciously like it was made for a cat or small dog, and narrowed her eyes at what he’d brought her.

Water filled one bowl to the brim, and the other contained lettuce, chopped carrots, and cucumbers. She’d have snarled at him for the stereotypical meal, but she loved salad. Most vegetables, actually. In fact, it looked delicious, and as her stomach rumbled angrily, she dove into the meal.

“Might want to slow down,” he suggested. Hunny growled low in her throat at his audacity, chomping down aggressively on a carrot as she locked eyes with him. His lips twitched again. “My apologies, little rabbit. Eat and rest.” He pointed to somewhere behind her. “I’ll be up there if you need anything.”

And with that, her rescuer turned off the overhead light, keeping a lamp on in the corner, and left. She turned her head, watching as he hustled up a flight of stairs to the second story, which appeared to be a small room with a balcony overlooking the rest of the house.

Gaze shifting around, Hunny took in the rest of the house while she ate. It was pretty inside, if small, with a high ceiling and beautiful, lightly stained oak walls and floors. A dark blue rug covered the center of the living room floor, but aside from that, the rest of his home looked bare.

Kind of a waste of such a pretty cabin. He needed an interior decorator or something to make this place a home. If she lived somewhere nice like this, she’d have art on the walls, vibrant plants hanging from shelves, and whatever else she could dream up to make the space more inviting.

But this place wasn’t her home. Nowhere was.

With that sobering thought, Hunny stopped eating; the food turning to ash in her belly.

The light upstairs switched off, plunging the balcony into darkness. She stiffened, stock-still for several minutes as she waited for him to fall asleep. After what felt like forever, she heard a soft snore and gingerly jumped off the couch. Moving toward the front door, she shifted, bones popping audibly as the gauze tore from her arm. A few seconds later, she was kneeling on the ground.

Standing quickly, she took inventory of her nude body, pleased that every inch of her had healed. Cocking her head to the side, she relaxed when she heard another snore coming from the balcony, relieved she hadn’t woken up the bear.

Quietly, she placed her hand on the doorknob. She needed to go back to her truck, grab her things, and leave. But before she could open the door, a thought intruded.

What if Natasha was back at the cabin? The bear had mentioned nothing about a wolf, so for all Hunny knew, Natasha was lying in wait for another opportunity to strike. She’d been adamant about killing Hunny, so she highly doubted the wolf would give up after one failed attempt. And she definitely didn’t want to face that bitch again. Not when the female had been so eager to rip her and her baby apart.

But all of Hunny’s stuff was back in the truck. Her ID, her clothes … her money. She didn’t have a bank account because she constantly moved, so she kept all of her cash stashed away in the glove compartment.

She couldn’t just leave everything behind. But the thought of going back there and running into Natasha was too much to handle. Or worse, what if she ran into Jason and found out he had sent his precious new mate to kill her in the first place?

No … he wouldn’t do that. Natasha had been hiding out when Hunny had spotted her initially. Why hide if Jason had given his permission to have her killed?

Then again, Hunny hadn’t believed her true mate capable of using her and discarding her like yesterday’s trash either. She damned sure hadn’t expected him to learn of her pregnancy and abandon her. An ache formed in her chest, ruthless in its intensity. She gripped the doorknob like a lifeline, a sense of hopelessness consuming her.

Stop thinking about Jason , she seethed inwardly. You’ve had a cry, now it’s time to move on .

But that had been before his mate had attacked her. Before she’d found herself in a new place, with fresh wounds and none of her belongings. Hunny sucked in a ragged breath, her chin wobbling as she struggled to dig up a reserve of strength, an ounce of willpower to keep going. Only, she didn’t feel strong. Not right now. She felt beaten down.

Worthless.

Uncertain.

Even if she made it back to her truck without issue, what then? Where would she go? Now that she’d been rejected, she truly had no home. She had belonged nowhere since her parents died, and now she never would. Even her true mate had discarded her.

She was completely alone.

Maybe … maybe she’d just stay here for tonight. Hunny turned around, shifting back into her rabbit form and jumping onto the couch. Getting comfortable on a cushion, she laid down, facing the balcony.

Tonight, she’d rest. And tomorrow, she’d figure everything out.