Page 36 of Goldie's Grumpy Grizzly
I’m in a rocky recess. I thought it would help keep me warm in case… Well, just in case.
In case she was out here all night, on her own.
That’s smart thinking. I swallow the lump in my throat and search the area for a recess. Then, I see it. A torn scrap of buttercup yellow floral print wafting in the breeze, and below it, a blood trail leads into a small, hidden alcove.
I’m in the meadow. Have you got her? Clayton calls out.
Yes, I answer, shifting back into my human form and squeezing myself into the dark, narrow entrance. “Goldie?”
“You found me.” She reclines against the rock, legs elevated and her green eyes glassy and somewhat unfocused. The color’s drained from her cheeks and she offers a weak smile. “I’m so tired. Can I rest now?”
“No, sweetheart. Stay with me.” I swallow the hard lump lodged in my throat as I crawl over to her in the small space. I grab hold of her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. But I don’t dare move her as my gaze slides to her leg. Her bone pokes out of her skin and there’s a pool of blood gathering beneath her. The shirt she’d discarded and tied around her leg to slow the bleeding is soaked through, and my bear roars in my ears.
Her eyes drift shut. “Only for a little while, Cole.”
“No! Stay with me. Rae, can you hear me?” My voice is sharp and it breaks on a sob. I stroke her cheek and telepathically beg my brothers to hurry. “I need you to stay with me.”
Chapter Fifteen
Rae
Iwake up in a hospital bed, sore all over and surrounded by the Osbornes and Janelle. One of my legs is suspended in a cast, and even without looking, I know that I’ve got several cuts and abrasions all along the left side of my body. Groaning, I try to lift my head to see who else is around, but my neck feels stiff. Actually, everything feels stiff and achy, but there’s one thing that feels strong and steady.
Cole.
“I’m here, baby.” He jumps up next to me and comes into view. His brown eyes fill with relief, and the worry lines in his face ease. I reach up to touch his cheek, and he nuzzles my palm. “Don’t move, don’t move. For Goddess’ sake, I don’t want you to hurt anything else. How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” I wince. “But all things considered, not bad.”
“Oh, honey, it’s so good to have you back.” Melanie dabs at her eyes and gives me a watery sort of smile. “You gave us all a fright for a minute there.”
“Especially me,” Cole adds. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“Next time, maybe don’t try to navigate through an enchanted forest on your own.” Clay crosses his arms and leans back against the wall. “Those trails are easy to get lost in, especially if you don’t know your way.”
“You’re lucky Cole found you when he did. You could’ve–Ow!” Connor’s words are lost when Janelle digs her elbow into his side.
Someone pushes a button and the bed adjusts beneath me so I can sit up and see everyone.
“The point is, you’re safe now,” Melanie says. “They got you all fixed up in no time flat.”
“The medical staff here in Fable Forest are, ah, uniquely talented. Maybe you should write about a medical paranormal crossover series next,” Janelle says, closing the laptop balanced on her knees.
“Wait. Is that my laptop?”
She nods.
“How did you…?”
One of these bears fetched it for me. You did tell me it’d be done by the end of the week, so…”
“We’re not dogs. We didn’t fetch it,” Clay grumbles.
“You know my password?”
“Babe, I know everything. Besides, BreedMeBruno123 isn’t the most secure password in the world, now is it?”
