Page 34 of The Bear's Forever Mat
I do not look like that when I wink,his inner bear protested, but the animal was snickering as well.
The fourth day of the journey, they hit a snag. This fuel cache had been used lately, and only a limited amount of supplies were left.
Amber eyed the skimpy stockpile. “If we fill both our sleds, somebody else is going to hit this stop and be in big trouble.” She glanced at him. “What if I take the sled, and you run along in your bear form? We can hook a small toboggan behind me for anything extra we want to take, but then we’ll only have to fuel one vehicle.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m the one who suggested it,” Amber said dryly. “Come on. It makes the most sense, as long as your bear is up to it, which I’m pretty sure he is, because he’s awesome.”
Why is it that I know she’s buttering me up, yet it still feels good when she makes a compliment? This is a human thing, correct?
It was damn amusing is what it was.
It was also hopeful because as long as his bear was still trying to figure things out, Cooper thought he wouldn’t be making any rash decisions like trying to take over full time.
It’s a human thing, he agreed. It means she likes you. Humans also deal with this by teasing the people they want to spend time with. And occasionally poking each other. Only that one gets complicated as to who gets to poke who, when, without overstepping boundaries.
Humans are weird.
No arguments there.
Which is how Cooper and Amber ended up abandoning one of the sleds and heading out. A skid full of extra supplies was attached behind Amber’s sled, and Cooper, in his fur, bounded along at her side.
There was something exhilarating about having the snow under his feet as they raced forward. Amber drove the sled with confidence, the occasional dip or rise hidden by the sheer strength of the sun on the snow occasionally sending her jerking. But she kept her seat, and they made good time.
Darkness welled near the distant horizon.
Cooper moved toward Amber to make sure she’d spotted the change in the coming weather. She was already focusing on the sky. She waved a hand forward, gesturing to the right where the faintest shadow suggested there might be trees or a place to find shelter from the coming storm.
The wind picked up. Cooper tucked his head down and put all his energy into moving forward. Beside him, Amber fought the wind and the increasingly rough terrain.
They were still too far from the protective shelter of the ridge when the wind unexpectedly changed direction. It picked up the layer of snow that had been on top of the base, and suddenly they were surrounded by whiteout conditions.
Between one breath and the next, Cooper lost sight of Amber.
He slowed, keen ears listening for the sound of the sled engine. The steady buzz slowed as Amber dropped speed—
A grinding whine rang out. Cooper cursed because he knew the noise. The shocking sound of the engine whining at high speed followed by a muffled crumple as if a paper bag were being folded against a snowy mattress.
Amber.
He moved quickly, the tumbled skid the first thing he discovered. A few feet away, the sled lay on its side. The engine was still whining, smoke billowing from the electrical system.
He put his nose down and tracked straight to Amber.
She lay so still and motionless he was nearly scared to death. He stuck his nose beside her neck and was delighted when she shouted, rolling and scooting away from him, crab-like.
“Dammit, Cooper. I told you not to sneak up on me.” She pressed her hand to her forehead and swayed.
He shifted, catching her in his arms. “Sorry about the nose. I know it’s cold.”
She laughed softly then moaned. “Okay. Next move?”
Cooper glanced around quickly. He spotted a gear bag that had been tossed off the skid and hauled it back to her side. By some freak luck, he’d found the sack holding their sleeping bags, and he wrapped the warm fabric around her. “Stay here. I’m going to make a basic snow cave. I’ll go as fast as I can.”
When she didn’t protest, he stepped away and shifted again so he could use all fours and his full bear power to dig into the snow. The wind whistled past, but as soon as he broke through the upper layers and got down a foot or two, the hard snow beside him created a wind block. The temperature was still cold but lessened without the windchill.
In the distance, the sled engine hiccuped then stalled.
