Page 30 of Just Right
So when Rowan says, “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Goldie,” it’s less boasting, and more an undeniable fact. I’m in his charge. If I got hurt, his brothers would be hurt. I’m safe.
I only wish I could say the same for Rowan.
CHAPTER 9
PLEASE
Did Rowan know that, while we were tracking the human’s scent, a different beast was stalkingus? There’s no way to tell because, up until the moment the ginormous wolf comes barreling out the woods, slamming into Rowan from the side, I had no idea how much danger we were in.
Rowan goes flying, the big man landing on his side so hard, the whole fucking ground shakes. Proving just how tough a shifter is, he doesn’t react to the hit. Instead, he jumps right to his feet as the snarling wolf wheels around, targeting him again.
He spares one moment to give me an order—“Run, Goldie, run!”—before his clothes and boots explode right off of him. Completing the shift before I even have the chance to scream a warning at him, anine-foot-tall grizzly is standing tall on his rear legs, digging into the earth before bracing itself for the wolf’s impact.
Compared to just how massive Rowan is as his bear—and I finally understand why he didn’t let me see him like this for fear of frightening me—the wolf looks like a plaything. That just proves how much my eyes are playing tricks on me. I saw it right before it hit the human Rowan, and it’s huge. Now it isn’t, butthat doesn’t mean that Rowan can just bat at it with the bear’s paw and the fight it over.
If only.
The two crash to the ground, each one getting back up again after another collision. Fur goes everywhere. Bloody sprays. Snarls and growls and roars intersperse the sounds of their bodies hitting. It’s brutal and it’s wild, and I want nothing for it to be over with.
Run?
How can I run?
I can’t. I back away so that I’m not in the line of fire, but as long as one of my bears is involved, I’m not going anywhere—and it doesn’t take long before Rowan realizes that.
The bear’s head swivels my way during one short lull in the skirmish. In his fur, Rowan has dark, black, shiny eyes. They’re not like the molten gold shifter’s eyes he has in his skin, but it doesn’t matter. I see Rowan staring back out of me from the beast’s gaze, and I know how suddenly afraid he is that the wolf might realize that the quickest way to defeat the bear in their challenge is by turning its attention on the human woman who is currently unprotected.
Because I didn’t listen.
Because I didn’t run.
I can’t now. I’m frozen in place, helpless to do anything but watch as Rowan falls forward onto all fours, running at a quick clip to reach me. Too bad it wasn’t quick enough. The new way the bear is moving means it’s much lower to the ground—and easier for the wolf to attack.
I don’t think the beast would’ve gone for me. At least, not right away. It always seemed like Rowas was its target, and that’s who it goes for now. Jumping on the bear’s back, aiming for its hump, the wolf uses claws and fangs and pure animalistic strength to tear into Rowan.
My bear roars up, returning to his full height. A rough shake has the wolf falling back to the earth. Its muzzle covered in blood and gore, it lands on its back before rolling over to its feet.
Like Rowan, it’s quick, but it’s not quick enough. Especially not when it’s facing off against a bear in a berserker's rage.
Rowan swings the bear’s arm, catching the wolf in the side. There’s enough force behind the strike that the wolf goes flying this time, smashing into a tree, and landing in a crumpled heap on the earth.
Instead of going after the wolf again, Rowan’s bear plants itself in front of me. Even injured as he is, he’s made his position clear. He’ll die to protect me if he has to.
He’lldie?—
The wolf finally figures out this is a losing battle. Rowan might die, but he’ll make sure he takes the wolf with him. Limping slightly, partially satisfied it got its message across that this territory belongs to the wolf and that Rowan and I were trespassing, it starts trotting away. Within a few steps, the trot becomes a flat-out run before his tail quivers and it’sgone.
Just because he’s out of sight, that doesn’t mean that my protector is falling for it. Using his paw to make a clear gesture, telling me to stay put, he lumbers forward, parking himself in the space between the trees where the wolf disappeared.
Once Rowan assures himself that the wolf is far enough away that he’s no longer a threat, he drops down from his two-legged stance onto all fours. A moment later, he’s on his belly.
I bolt toward him. “Rowan!”
Shaking his head, the bear turns his head away from me.
Oh,hellno.
Once I’m near him, I drop down to my knees. I grip the fur around his face, tugging with all of my strength. “Damn it, Rowan! I know you’re hurt. Stop being a hardass and look at me!”
