Page 25 of Bear Hunt

“You sure?” Bear tilts his head and raises his brows, and it just makes his mouth look larger, poutier, softer…

I nod once more, this time allowing a small smile to tilt my lips upward, despite my nerves.

“Okay, her feet may feel a little scratchy, but I promise she won’t hurt you.” Again, I believe him… and that terrifies me.

I shouldn’t. I can’t.

He places Bandit on my palm with the carrot stick from before, and he’s right, it does feel a little scratchy, but it’s not unpleasant. Bandit picks up the carrot stick with her two front paws and sits back to gnaw on it, perfectly content to stay on my hand. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something as adorable as this in my whole life.

“She’s perfect.” The words just come out, but they make him grin again, showing those white teeth and making his brown eyes glisten. I slowly move my other hand closer, then gently stroke my finger down the soft fur of her back, pausing when she makes a noise. “Is that…?”

“Yeah, they purr like cats when they’re happy.” Even his low laugh does things to me, more so than the beautiful smile, the expressive dark eyes, the deep timbre of his voice…

I should go. For more reasons than one, I shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous for everyone in this room. I’ve spent far too long here, considering I don’t know if they’re good people or bad. The fact that nothing has happened yet doesn’t mean anything. Sometimestheirparties went on for hours, with everyone pretending they were sophisticated, classy, until they weren’t.

That Psycho man definitely lived up to his name, though, when he punched the guytheysent, but I don’t know if it was all bad. A part of me wanted to run and cower, but the other part felt protected. It’s confusing beyond compare but trusting myself seems so much easier in Bear’s presence.

I feel like a yoyo with where my head is at and I don’t know Bear well enough to unload whatever this is onto him. I have this new fear of disappointing him, though, so sneaking out of here is going to be my best option.

“Is there a bathroom I can use, please?” I’m sure to use my manners because not using them has consequences and I don’t want to raise any suspicions.

“Yeah, just through the double doors. Would you like me to take you there?” The fact that I want to say yes to that question is exactly why I have to go.

“No, thank you.” I smile, but I can feel the fakeness of it as I hand Bandit back to him. She goes freely, then quickly makes her way back over to the other rat, Ninja, I think Bear said.

“Okay, Baby Girl. We’ll be here.” He winks and my insides melt into mush before I turn and walk away.

I get to the double doors and glance back at the couches, expecting to find Bear laughing and joking with his friends, but his eyes are focused on me, unflinching, watching my every move. I should hate it. I should want him to stop.

I sigh and give him a final sad smile, then I push open the door and prepare to escape… again.

Chapter Eleven

Bear

“Dude, are you fucking kidding me? That douchebag wanted to show off in front of those high school cheerleaders with his wheelie, ‘cept he kinda forgot he didn’t know how.” Crow is regaling everyone with stories about his latest customer who came in with the rear of his bike completely destroyed. Normally, I’d be joining them with the loud laughter and good beer, but tonight, my focus is on only Athena.

“Hey, I love those douchebags. They pay for these digs,” Hoops chimes in and everyone holds up their drinks. Except for me. I’m too busy getting a feel of Athena’s attitude because she’s like a kitten right now. Skittish and ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

Problem is, it seems to me that everything around her feels like danger to her. Like this whole existence is new to her; and maybe it is, I don’t fucking know.

As soon as she walks through the double doors, I stand, then set my barely touched beer on the table with a gentlethwackbefore following her to the bathroom. My gut is guiding me and just as I’m about to burst through those same doors, I stop.

I’m not doubting myself. I know deep down inside that she’s about to fucking bolt, and with what happened this afternoon, there’s no fucking way I’m letting that happen. That motherfucker is definitely dangerous and my tiny Athena is gonna have to get used to me being her shadow.

My head whips around when a thought invades my mind that I cannot shake off and my sights land on the front door. Next thing I know, I’m making a beeline for the exit and ignoring the brothers as they call out for my attention.

“Bear, what the fuck? Where you goin’?”

I’m not sure who’s speaking to be honest, probably Psycho, but the buzzing in my ears and thethump thump thumpof my heart trying to burst through my rib cage are too loud for me to distinguish any of the voices now behind me.

All I can think about is Athena and my overwhelming need to get to her.

Just as I burst through the doors, the cold night air slaps me across the face and seeps into my bones. It’s not the frigid temperatures of Montana in the winter, but for us, nights that dip into the forties are like the tundra on crack.

It takes a while for my eyesight to adjust to the black of night outside, and just as it does, I see her. Barely, but she’s there. If that asshole hadn’t gotten my hackles up, I’d laugh at the sight of Athena trying to escape through the bathroom window, her legs hanging out and her ass shimmying as she tries not to fall on it.

The rectangular pane is just big enough for her to slide down, albeit as carefully as she can, while her chest scrapes against the bottom railing. As quietly as humanly possible, I tiptoe over towhere she’s almost hanging by her arms, ready to catch her if she loses the battle with gravity.

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