Page 56 of Grizzly Sleuth
“He seemed very anxious to get outside the compound gate. I wonder why?” the doctor stated, staring right at Svetlana.
She knew. Her lover had hoped to free her.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the reunion. Can’t exactly open the cage while you’re awake, now can we?”
Worried she’d maul him? He should be.
“Enjoy your nap while I handle your brother.”
Nap?
She wasn’t tired.
Tell that to the gas that filled the cell. No way to avoid breathing it and the effect proved instant.
When Svetlana roused, she found herself lying on the floor, still a bear, but at least not alone.
She pushed to her four paws and shook her head to eliminate the lingering effect of the sleeping drug. While unconscious, she’d been removed from the cage, leaving her free to lumber over to Idris, who remained passed out on the narrow bed, the term bed being kind. A foam mattress with a thin blanket, no pillow, placed directly on the floor.
She sniffed, the scent of him a pleasing blend she couldn’t describe but recognized as uniquely his. He didn’t stir, even when she nudged him with her nose.
A glance around her cell showed they’d been given only the bare necessities. A toilet with a sink built into the back. No other furniture. They did have one of the skinny barred windows, so at least they’d get some daylight. As for an actual exit, a solid metal door with a sealed slot at the base of it. A peek above showed the lights protected by steel cages along with cameras similarly guarded.
It shouldn’t have surprised they’d be watching, and yet it somehow hammered home the fact she was well and truly fucked. The thing she’d feared her whole life had come to pass, only she’d never imagined it would be her stuck in that situation. She’d spent her life worrying about Yuri. In her defense, she wasn’t supposed to be able to turn into a bear.
“Ugh.”
The groan had her whirling in time to see Idris pushing himself up on the mattress, rubbing his face. The moment he spotted her, he murmured, “Yuri?”
She shook her head.
His nostrils flared, and a second later, his eyes widened. “Svetlana!”
A nod had him scrambling to approach. “How? Don’t tell me Levy’s already experimented on you. How long was I out?”
Since she couldn’t exactly reply, she tapped the floor once.
“One month?”
She shook her head.
“One week?”
She grunted in frustration.
“One day?”
Probably more like hours but it was close enough so she dipped her head.
“Levy didn’t do this to you.” He finally grasped the truth. “Holy shit, you’re just like Yuri.”
So it appeared. Although why that ability chose now to show itself, she couldn’t have said.
“Jeezus, this is bad.” Idris paced.
Understatement.
He paused in front of her. “I take it you can’t just shift back?”
