N. Walters: Mark of the Bear

Goose bumps raced down her arms and she shivered, not with cold but with dread. Her stomach churned and sweat rolled down her spine, making her clothing stick to her clammy skin.

“Shit.” She raised her left foot and wrapped her right hand around her instep, while hopping around trying to keep her balance. She’d stepped on something sharp. And why the hell was she barefoot?

Laughter echoed off the walls and a light went on at the far end of the tunnel. It momentarily blinded her and she blinked. She released her foot, letting it fall back to the ground as she squinted to try to see better. Who the heck was there?

Cautiously, she moved toward the light. Maybe it was a way out of this place, whatever it was. She’d been in enough horror movies to know this wasn’t good. It didn’t pay to get trapped somewhere with no way out.

“Very good, Kellsie,” the voice praised.

Her fingers curled into fists. Whoever was up there made all her internal alarms blare. She wished she had a gun. Not that she’d ever fired a real one. Plenty of fake ones on movie sets. But still, being armed was better than not being armed.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t want to know. Not really.” The condescension in the male voice made her hand tingle. She wanted to smack the owner of that voice right in the mouth. She was normally a nonviolent person, but she hated being talked down to. Just because she hadn’t gone to college didn’t mean she was stupid.

“We’ll meet soon enough, you and I.” The voice was low and compelling. Seductive, yet menacing. This dude could make a fortune in the movies just doing voiceovers. “You’re going to give me something I want.”

“I don’t think so.” She wouldn’t give it to him on principle alone after this display of male stupidity.

“Oh, I think you will.” He seemed closer now. She whirled around to keep her back to a wall as she slowly crept toward the light. There had to be a way out of this place.

“You keep telling yourself what you need to hear.” He laughed again and she hated like hell that she seemed to be amusing him.

“Kellsie. Kellsie,” he chided. “You’re a survivor. Like I am.”

She shivered and shrank closer to the dubious safety of the wall. She didn’t know who he was, but she instinctively knew she didn’t want to be anything like him.

“When the time is right, you’ll save yourself.”

“Damn right I will.” Kellsie didn’t need anyone to save her. She’d been taking care of herself her entire life.

“I’m counting on it, sweet Kellsie.” The voice seemed to whisper in her ear and she struck out. Instead of meeting flesh, she hit her hand off a column of rock.

“Damn it.” She cradled her abused hand against her chest, praying she hadn’t broken any bones. The light dimmed and she sensed she was alone. She almost called to him to come back. Any company was better than being alone. Wasn’t it?

At the last moment, she swallowed her cry. On second thought, in this case being alone was probably preferable.

Ignoring the pain throbbing through her right hand and her left foot, she limped forward. There was a dim light still there. She needed to get out of here. The walls seemed to be closing in around her, the path narrowing the farther she went.

She was gasping now. The air was thick and hot, sucking the moisture from her mouth and lungs. Dizzy, she used the wall for support. The rock should have been cool, but even that was warm. Or maybe it was her who was hot. Maybe she had a fever. Maybe she was ill and hallucinating.

“No, child, you’re not hallucinating, you’re dreaming.” The voice was strong but distinctly feminine.

“Who are you and how do you know I’m dreaming?” Kellsie shook her heading trying to make sense of things. Her vision dimmed and she swayed.

“It doesn’t matter,” soothed the woman. “You need to get out of here.”

She couldn’t argue with the new voice. “How?”

“Follow me.”

Kellsie squinted. She couldn’t make out the woman’s features, but she could see a female in a cloak ahead of her. It flowed over her skin. Was that hair spilling down her back and not a cloak at all?

Making her feet move, Kellsie followed, never seeming to get closer. She was beginning to think it was a trap of some kind, or a mean joke. “Where are we going?” she managed to gasp out. It was getting impossible to breathe.

“You’re going back to where you belong. You’re only caught in a dream.”

Such sadness tinged the voice that Kellsie immediately felt pity for the woman. “Come with me,” she impulsively offered. No one should have to stay here, especially not a woman by herself.

“I cannot. Not yet. This is your time. Hurry.”

The urgency in the woman’s tone gave Kellsie a boost of energy and she made a dash for the light. Cool air stroked her skin. Fresh air filled her lungs.

She turned to thank the woman but could see nothing but darkness behind her. Guilt assailed her at leaving the woman behind, but there was nothing she could do. The passageway seemed to close behind her.

Kellsie turned and hurried toward the light. She glanced over her shoulder one final time. There was literally nothing behind her but a void. Before she could face forward again, she smacked into an immoveable object. Grunting, she fell back, lost her footing and started to plummet toward the ground

Strong hands wrapped around her shoulders and kept her upright. Her eyes widened as she took in the man who’d caught her in a steel grip. He was at least a foot taller than her and his shoulders were as wide as a mountain. He was also naked.

Kellsie threw back her head and screamed. It was louder and more spine chilling than any scream she’d ever let loose. It even raised goose bumps on her arms. The sharp yell echoed around them and he released her and covered his ears as she stumbled back a few steps. “Stop it, woman. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The voice was rough and low, almost a growl, and bore no resemblance to the smooth, cultured tone that had taunted her earlier. Just because it wasn’t the same guy didn’t mean he was safe. After all, he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Still, she closed her mouth, and silence surrounded them.

She swallowed when he stepped farther into the dim light and she got a really good look at him. He was huge. Massive. There was no other word to accurately describe him.

His hair fell thick and straight around his shoulders. The texture looked soft, but it was the color that captured her attention. Every color of brown ever invented seemed to streak through his hair. Had to be highlights. She wondered who his stylist was. It was cowardly on her part, but she didn’t really want to look any lower. Okay, maybe just a peek, but that was all. Just as soon as she could screw up the courage.

Dark brows lowered as he stared back at her. His eyes, which were a deep, mesmerizing brown, studied her. She suddenly felt as though he was sizing her up to be his next meal.

“Why are you here?” That low rumble of a voice made her skin tingle and her toes curl. And her toes hadn’t curled in a very long time. Considering the situation she was in, this was no time for them to start.

“Why are you here?” She countered. “And where exactly is here?” She just wanted to go home. She frowned. No, she didn’t want to go home. She was on her way somewhere. Wasn’t she?

“You are in my thoughts.”

“But this is my dream.” She was certain of that. Even the lady she’d met had understood that this was Kellsie’s dream.

His frown deepened and the muscles in his jaw tightened. She really should be more terrified of the giant in front of her. Instead, she was fascinated. It was like being before some great predator, a perfect specimen of the species. She only hoped he found her interesting enough not to kill her.