Page 2 of The Right to Bear Claws
Miriam's sharp brown eyes took in his soaked clothing, the woman in his arms, and the protective way he held her.Something knowing flickered across her features. "Room three. It's got the best view of the lake, and the wards are strongest there."
Elias climbed the narrow stairs two at a time, hyper-aware of every breath his mystery woman took against his throat. Room three was small but comfortable, decorated in Miriam's signature style of handmade quilts and antique furniture. He laid her gently on the bed, then stepped back before his control could snap entirely.
She looked impossibly small against the white pillows, blonde hair spread in damp waves around her shoulders. In sleep, her features held an innocence that made his protective instincts roar, but he couldn't shake the sensation of wrongness that surrounded her. Something had happened to her before she'd ended up in the lake. Something dark.
"She'll need dry clothes," Miriam said from the doorway, arms crossed as she studied the scene. "And probably a doctor, though I'm guessing that's not what you want to hear."
"No human doctors." The words came out rougher than intended, his bear's possessiveness bleeding through. "Whatever happened to her, it wasn't normal. I can feel it."
"Can you now?" Miriam's tone was carefully neutral, but her eyes sparkled with interest. "Well then, I suppose you'll be wanting to stay close. Make sure she's safe when she wakes up."
It wasn't a question. Elias nodded, already pulling a chair closer to the bed. Nothing could drag him away from his mate, not when she was vulnerable and whatever had tried to claim her might still be hunting.
"I'll fetch some clothes and tea," Miriam continued. "Something to settle nerves and help with shock. You should probably change out of those wet things before you catch pneumonia."
But Elias was already settling into the chair, silver gaze fixed on the steady rise and fall of her breathing. "I'm fine."
"Stubborn bear," Miriam muttered, but there was affection in her voice. "At least tell me, do you know who she is?"
"No." He reached out without thinking, brushing a damp strand of hair from her forehead. Her skin was warming under his touch, color returning to her cheeks. "But I'm going to find out."
And then he was going to find whatever had put her in that lake and make sure it never threatened her again.
The thought surprised him with its violence. Elias had always been protective, but this was different. This was the kind of territorial fury that could level mountains and burn forests. This was what happened when someone threatened a bear shifter's mate.
Even if she didn't know she belonged to him yet.
"Well," Miriam said softly, "I suppose we'll have our answers soon enough. She's starting to wake up."
Elias's attention snapped back to the bed, where violet-blue eyes were fluttering open for the first time. The most unusual eyes he'd ever seen, like amethyst shot through with silver. They were unfocused, confused, but alive.
And looking right at him.
He leaned forward in his chair and whispered, "You're safe now."
2
KAIA
Kaia Monroe woke to the scent of lavender and old wood, her mind floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness where dreams felt more solid than the soft mattress beneath her. For a moment, she clung to the fragments of those dreams. A silver-eyed guardian watching over her. Strong arms pulling her from cold, dark water. A voice like distant thunder promising safety.
Then reality crashed in with all the subtlety of a freight train.
She bolted upright, heart hammering against her ribs as she took in her surroundings. A cozy room with hand-stitched quilts and antique furniture that belonged in a fairy tale, not her scattered life of cheap motels and borrowed couches. Sunlight streamed through lace curtains, painting everything in warm gold that should have been comforting but only made her feel more displaced.
Where the hell was she?
"Oh dear, you're awake. I am so glad you're alright." A woman's voice, warm with a hint of mountain drawl, drew Kaia's attention to the doorway. The speaker was somewhere in her sixties, silver hair pinned back in a neat bun and half-moonspectacles perched on her nose. She carried a steaming mug and wore the kind of genuine smile that made Kaia's throat tight with unexpected emotion. "I was starting to worry you might sleep clear through to Halloween."
"I..." Kaia's voice came out as a croak. She cleared her throat and tried again, forcing her lips into the bright smile that had gotten her through countless awkward situations. "I'm sorry, I don't remember... where am I exactly?"
"Hollow Oak, dear. You're in my inn." The woman moved closer, setting the mug on the nightstand. "I'm Miriam Caldwell. And you, according to the man who pulled you from our lake, are in need of some serious TLC."
Hollow Oak. The name whispered through her mind like an echo, familiar yet impossible. She'd never heard of any place called Hollow Oak, but something deep in her chest recognized it anyway.
"The lake?" Kaia touched her throat, where the pendant she never removed still rested against her skin. Her crescent moon, the only constant in a life of constant motion. "I don't... I can't remember how I got there."
Miriam's expression softened with understanding. "Memory can be slippery after trauma. Don't push too hard. It'll come back when you're ready."
