Page 25 of Gold & Shadow

“Cowards live, Lis,” Victor rebuffed, quirking a brow at me as he gestured to the guards. They dropped me, moving quickly to his side as one of his guards spun a hand, opening a swirling section of sky that was a slightly different shade of gray than the rest. Fuck, he had a portalweaver. “Remember that as you are eaten.”

Victor and his guards disappeared through the patch of sky, the portal zipping shut behind them.

Orson had been growling and snarling at the chains trying to extricate himself. With no guards to hold them, he was able to move, but the barbs stuck to him as he tried to roll out of them, leaving streaks of blood in the snow.

He snorted at the blood, chains still wrapped around him, then looked up to meet my gaze.

A growl reverberated, saliva dripping from sharp teeth as Orson stood.

And there was no recognition in his black eyes.

Chapter 13

“Orson,” I rasped, scrambling backward until my back hit the nearest tree. “Orson, it’s me.”

The bear prowled toward me, his maw wide and dripping, eyes devoid of any warmth.

Should I run? I felt like running from a bear was a sure-fire way to get chased and possibly eaten. I was fast, but notthatfast, my ankle still tender. The chains wouldn’t do muchto slow an angry bear. I could climb a tree, but could he follow? A hoot on the branch above me made me look up.

Owl landed above me, hooting wildly as if to try and get through to Orson. I couldn’t decide how I felt about the owl. He had warned us about the ambush, but we’d still stumbled blindly into a trap.

“Whose side are you on, exactly?” I hissed up at the owl.

He dropped his gaze, turning his head at an unnatural angle, and hooted as if I should be able to understand him,

“Gods, now I’m talking to an owl,” I cursed, deciding that rising slowly to my feet would be a better defensive position if Orson tried to charge. “Orson, I need you to snap out of it. It’s me.”

Orson growled, still more beast than shifter. He was inches from me, his expression fierce, his blood still dripping in the snow. On all fours, he was almost as tall as I was, hot breath assaulting my senses as he growled again.

“Orson,” I beseeched him, injecting as much pleading and warmth into my voice as I could. “It’s me. It’s Lis. Little Thief.” The bear snorted angrily, sniffing at me as if trying to decide where to bite first. I put my hands on his muzzle, meeting his eyes as I tried one more name. “Shah-reh.”

The bear stopped, his eyes going wide as warmth crept back into them. He whined, the animal still in control, but tame. “Lis.”

“Gods, you remember me,” I cried, throwing my arms around his furry neck. The coppery tang of blood filled my nostrils, and I pulled back covered in it. “And you’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” he growled, his eyes still blinking as if trying to take me in and focus on me. I gingerly reached for the chains, unwinding them and throwing them to the side.

“Can you shift?” I asked, dropping a kiss on his cold, black nose.

Orson growled, his eyes closing. “No,” he said as he opened them. “I cannot.”

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “One problem at a time. Let’s go home and take care of you.”

Orson grunted his agreement, pushing me ahead of him as if he feared losing sight of me completely.

We trudged gracelessly back through the snow, Orson grunting and snuggling as a thousand thoughts and questions raced through my mind. None of them were worth asking until I had taken care of Orson.

The door had been left open and snow had blown into the cabin. I entered first, Orson shaking his body to dry it behind me and splattering me in snow and blood. Lovely.

He grunted as if amused as he padded to the fire and curled up on the fur rug before it, dropping his head on a paw.

I sighed, closing and locking the door, then grabbing blankets from the couch. I stripped off my wet clothes, laying them out onthe back of an armchair to dry as Orson watched me out of one eye, his gaze hungry.

“None of that,” I scolded, wrapping myself up in a blanket and covering him with the rest. “Not while you’re an actual bear and you’re injured.”

“I’m not that injured,” he grumbled, reaching for me with a large heavy paw.

I skipped out of his reach. “But youarea bear. I’m going to change and dress your wounds, andthenyou get cuddles.”