Mark of the Bear

Chapter Eight

Kellsie shivered, the cool mountain air making itself known now that she wasn’t surrounded by Marko’s heat. Her frantic run through the woods had left her heart pounding and her body sweating. She wasn’t wearing her coat and her long-sleeved T-shirt was clinging to her torso.

She frowned as she wrapped her arms over her chest to conserve body heat. She’d had her coat when she’d left her trailer tonight but had taken it off before getting on the carousel. She honestly wasn’t certain she’d even left her trailer. Maybe it was all a weird dream or a drug-induced fantasy.

One thing she knew for certain was that Marko affected her in ways she really didn’t want to think about. On cue, Kellsie’s lips tingled and she clenched her hands into fists to keep from reaching up to touch her mouth. It was just a simple kiss, stupid on her part really, but it had rocked her world to its very foundations. He’d tasted like dark chocolate and promises. Earthy. Real. Which of course was the biggest lie of all. The guy was an actor like her.

But there was no denying the sexual attraction that existed between them. It was hot and potent and real. Her core was hot and achy and damp. Her breasts felt swollen, the tips puckered into hard nubs. Her body yearned to be closer to his.

Crazy.

There was no other explanation for it. She was losing her mind. This guy had kidnapped her and was holding her captive and she was attracted to him. If she survived this she was definitely going into therapy. Why couldn’t she be attracted to nice, normal men? She fell for a cheating, smooth-talking bastard like her ex and a rough, crazy mountain-of-a-man like Marko. God, she needed her head examined.

Marko was standing in front of her, hands on his hips, legs splayed. She tried not to notice how his leather pants clung to his muscular thighs. Really she did. And she especially tried not to notice the impressive bulge in the front of his pants. But she was only human after all.

She bit her lip to keep from moaning as every cell in her body shimmered in response to his nearness. It was insane to want a man this much, especially in such a crazy situation.

She needed to get him to take her back down to the movie set. Once she was around people again she’d be fine. She could get Marko the help he obviously needed.

Why that thought made her so sad she didn’t know. She’d just met him. Had no ties to him. But she really didn’t want him fired from the movie or worse, sent to a mental hospital for observation. She’d already decided she wouldn’t press charges against him for kidnapping as long as he took her back.

Heck, he’d talked himself into taking her back to show her the carousel. It was her own fault he hadn’t believed her when she told him she’d accept his wild story if the bear were missing from the carousel. But really, a kid could punch holes in that theory. The bear could be in the shop for repairs or Marko could have removed it himself before he’d kidnapped her. Too bad she hadn’t put her acting skills to good use by convincing him she was sincere.

“Watch,” he repeated, impatience tingeing his voice.

Kellsie looked into his face and frowned. Damn, he was so familiar. Like a dream long forgotten. She froze. Dream. He reminded her of the man in her dream. Not the scary-assed one with the smooth voice, but the other one. The one who’d held her in his arms and kissed her. The one who’d made her want him with no more than a touch.

Impossible.

Unless this was just another crazy dream.

She grabbed the skin on the back of her hand and pinched. Hard. She flinched and frowned. That hurt. She couldn’t be dreaming if it hurt. Could she?

God, she was so confused. Exhaustion pulled at her and she had to work to keep on her feet. Her knees were shaking and she was cold. Shivering, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to make sense of everything. She felt like Alice in Wonderland when she fell down the rabbit hole. Nothing made sense.

“Kellsie.” His voice jerked her gaze back to him. Marko was massive and strong and, if she was honest, intimidating as hell. Not that she’d ever let him know that. “Watch,” he commanded in that low, raspy voice that filled her stomach with butterflies and made her think of long, hot nights between the sheets.

She shook off the sensual lethargy that threatened to overtake her. So he was hot. So what? So he made her body sit up and take notice. So what? He was just a man like any other. She’d figure out what to do. Somehow she’d get him to take her back to the carnival.

“I’m watching.” Impatience ate at her as her shivering got worse. Her legs were trembling and her teeth were beginning to chatter. An owl hooted off to her right and she jumped. God, what else was out there? All kinds of animals came out at night, didn’t they? She was a city girl who loved the outdoors, but she wasn’t stupid. She was no wilderness gal and certainly wasn’t prepared for a night in the woods. She had no water, food or supplies of any kind.

Marko raised his hands into the air. She could hear him whispering beneath his breath. The language was foreign but the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Suddenly, he fell forward onto his hands and knees. His pants were gone. When had he removed them?

Frowning, Kellsie took a step closer. Marko’s body twitched and began to change. His head contorted, reshaping itself. His jaw and nose area elongated. She blinked, rubbed her hands over her eyes and gave her head a shake, not quite believing what she was seeing.

Fur pushed out from beneath his skin. His entire body thickened with muscle, his hands and feet becoming massive paws tipped with razor-like claws. Her fingers automatically went to the necklace around her throat where the bear claw was biting into her flesh. The transformation only took seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime.

Marko was gone. In his place was a brown bear. No, that wasn’t quite right. This wasn’t just any bear. This was a monster bear. He was as tall as she was, maybe taller, standing on all fours. He’d be more than twelve feet tall if he stood on his hind legs.

He opened his mouth and released a blood-curdling roar. Kellsie stumbled back, almost tripping over an exposed tree root. His teeth were as big as daggers. Shit, she was in big trouble.

Reason tried to intervene. This wasn’t real. Couldn’t be real. Men did not turn into bears, especially not giant bears, the kind that hadn’t existed since ancient times. Impossible. She had to be dreaming or possibly drugged. Yeah, she was hallucinating.

Unfortunately, that realization didn’t help her out at the moment. There was still a big-ass bear in front of her, his warm breath puffing like smoke from his nostrils when it hit the cool night air. Maybe she wasn’t dreaming after all. Maybe this was real.

The animal lumbered closer. Her heart was racing so hard she feared she might have a heart attack. Her chest ached as she struggled to drag air into her lungs. Screaming was out of the question. It was all she could do to breathe.

The woods around them had gone strangely silent. Kellsie didn’t blame the other animals for running and hiding. She’d do the same except she was certain he could outrun her. For all his size and bulk, she knew he’d be fast. Because of her fascination with bears, she’d done research on them over the years. And she knew they could move fast when they wanted to. They were also superior trackers. She wasn’t getting away from him. Not unless he allowed it.

“Nice bear,” she whispered, her voice a low croak as terror tightened her vocal cords. She backed away slowly until she hit a tree, its bark rough against her spine. She glanced around for a weapon of some kind, a branch or rock. Not that anything short of a bazooka would stop him, and maybe not even then.

He grunted and huffed as he moved closer. He snuffled the air and glanced from side to side. She couldn’t see much in spite of the moonlight. It was too dark for her. She assumed he could see and hear everything. What he couldn’t see, he’d certainly smell.

Kellsie closed her eyes and prayed. She knew this job had sounded too good to be true. “When will I ever learn?” she muttered. She was going to die. Mauled by a bear in the middle of the woods and no one would ever find her mangled body.

Her hand was still wrapped around the necklace and she forced her fingers to open, letting it drop back against her chest. Some good her bear totem had done her. She’d attracted the bear that was going to eat her.

She still wasn’t quite ready to admit the bear was Marko. That was too crazy even for her. It was just like the script. But this wasn’t a movie set and the director wasn’t going to yell cut any second.

He was so close now she could feel his warm breath on her face. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, ready to face her fate. Huge brown eyes watched her. His massive head was tilted to one side and she could see his questioning expression. He leaned in and his cool nose pressed against the side of her neck. Kellsie jerked at the contact and struck the back of her head against the tree. She winced and blinked as tears of pain filled her eyes and an ache pounded in her skull.

He made a snuffling sound and withdrew, but continued to watch her.

It took a minute or two for the pain in her head to subside, and in that time the bear made no move to attack. Okay, so he wasn’t tearing her limb from limb. Maybe he wasn’t hungry. Maybe he was a vegetarian bear. She snorted at that thought. Yeah, like that was likely.

She licked her lips and raised her hand. It was shaking, which wasn’t surprising. She hoped like hell he didn’t decide that her fingers looked like a tasty snacks. “Nice bear,” she crooned, keeping her voice low and steady.

He huffed as though impatient and thrust his gigantic head beneath her hand. His fur was thick and surprisingly soft. Holy shit, she was touching a bear. “This is so not real,” she told herself as she buried her fingers deeper into his fur. “I’m dreaming or hallucinating or both.” But she no longer cared.

Emboldened by the animal’s calm demeanor, Kellsie stepped away from the tree and around to the bear’s side. He tracked her movements, his large head turning to keep her in sight. He was monstrous, yet familiar.

She stilled her fingers on his side. He was exactly like the bear on the carnival ride. She studied him closer, certain she had to be mistaken. But no, there was no doubting the markings on his fur or his size. He was the bear she’d sat on and ridden.

Disappointment flooded her. “Damn. This isn’t real. It can’t be.” She rubbed her tired eyes. She wasn’t crying. She never cried and especially not over something as silly as this. She hadn’t wanted the giant bear to actually exist. Not really.

She walked around to the front of the animal, braver now that she knew this was nothing more than a dream brought on by lack of sleep and her fertile imagination. “You’re not real. None of this is.”

The bear seemed disgruntled. He stepped away from her and stood on his two hind legs, growling at the night air. Kellsie looked way, way up. She swallowed a lump of fear in spite of herself. He might be a figment of her imagination but he was an impressive one. He had to weigh well in excess of a thousand pounds, probably a lot more. He was magnificent and scary as hell.

He came back down on all fours and the ground around her shook with the force. He kept his gaze on her as he began to shift again. Too bad they couldn’t do something this convincing in the movies. If the director seemed open to her suggestions, maybe she’d share her dream with him. The bear swiftly disappeared, replaced by the man. Fur receded, bones cracked and reshaped. In the blink of an eye, Marko was back. This transformation was even quicker than the original one.

Kellsie blinked as he strode to her side. Somehow he was wearing leather pants, for which she was eternally grateful. She didn’t think she could handle a naked Marko on top of the shock of the bear. Although, she knew that a naked Marko would have a much greater effect on her. As it was, having him stand next to her was making every nerve ending in her body tingle.

“So you think this is a dream. That I’m a dream.”

She nodded. There was no other rational explanation. “Yes.”

He struck hard and fast, scooping her into his arms. He didn’t speak as he turned and started back up the hill, moving swiftly and easily through the dark.

“Umm, the movie set is back that way.” Kellsie tried to ignore the way her breast pressed against his chest and the hard press of his arm muscles beneath her back and thighs.

“What does it matter if this is nothing more than a dream?” he countered.

She thought about it for a moment. He was right. It didn’t matter. Relaxing now that she’d figured everything out, she looped her arms around his neck. “So where are you taking me?”

“Back to the cave.”

Kellsie should have been afraid, should have fought and kicked and found a way back to the carnival. That’s what any smart woman would do. But now that she knew it was nothing more than a very vivid dream she wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, she was enjoying being carried in Marko’s arms. That was another reason she was certain this was a dream. No man could carry her this far and up such a steep hill. Marko wasn’t even breathing hard.

“That was a neat trick changing into the bear.” She’d really enjoyed that.

His muscles tightened beneath and around her. He didn’t say anything, but she’d sensed she’d hurt him somehow and that hadn’t been her intention at all.

She patted his chest. His amazing chest, she corrected herself. It was nothing but bands of muscle. “The bear was incredible.” Just remembering the sheer size and strength of the creature left her with a feeling of awe.

“You think so?”

“Oh, yes. I’ve never even imagined anything quite so magnificent.” She paused, confused. “Although, I must have imagined it if I was able to dream it.” Damn, it was all so confusing.

Marko carried her up a rocky path and into the cave. He stopped just inside the opening and released his hold on her legs. The moon was shining right down on them like a spotlight. She peered up into his face, trying to gauge his mood. “Thanks for the ride,” she teased, trying to make him smile.

His expression remained stern and forbidding. Kellsie tried to take a step back, but he still had one arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him until her breasts were touching his chest. Her nipples puckered and strained to get closer. She no longer felt the cold, not with the heat rolling off his large body.

Her panties were damp and she knew her sex was swollen and moist. A pulsing ache grew deep within her core. Kellsie wanted him. This dream man had done what no other man had done for years—he’d made her want him. But that only made sense since he was a figment of her imagination.

He brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Kellsie,” he began. Suddenly, she didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to hear what he had to say. She wanted him. Nothing else mattered. She had no idea how much longer she’d sleep. The last time they’d met in a dream she’d been afraid and pulled back, ending the encounter before it really started.

Not this time.

This time she wanted it all. Wanted to slide her body over his, feel his weight on top of her as he thrust his hard cock into her body. There was no doubt he wanted her, if the solid erection pressed against her stomach was anything to gauge by. She could feel the heat and the pulse of his shaft through her shirt and it sent an answering bolt of need firing through her.

She didn’t want words. And really, what kind of promises could a fantasy man make? This could be the last time she ever dreamed of him.

Kellsie reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt and dragged it over her head. Marko stilled. She sensed every part of him was alert and ready to pounce. She shivered at the intensity in his gaze.

“I want you.” Reaching behind her back, she unhooked her bra. A quick shimmy and the straps fell down her arms. The wisp of material was caught between them.

Marko picked it up and held it to his nose. He inhaled, dragging in her scent. Kellsie was momentarily embarrassed, knowing it had to smell more like sweat than her bodywash.

He rubbed the material against his cheek. The action was incredibly sensual. She could almost imagine they were her breasts he was touching. Her nipples ached and she leaned inward to rub them against his hair-roughened chest.

Marko groaned and tossed her bra aside. He caught her face between his two massive hands, framing it. “Are you sure?”

Wow, a dream man with a sense of honor. She smiled. “Yes, I’m sure.” And she was. She ached for him in a way she never had for any man. He might not be real, but in this world, in this dream, he was real enough.

She’d worry about her growing obsession with a fantasy when she woke. For now, she wanted to simply enjoy the sensations coursing through her.

Marko leaned down, his long hair brushing the sides of her face as he touched his mouth to hers. It was a brief caress, a whisper. But it made her toes curl in her sneakers. Warmth spread throughout her as he let his hands slide down her neck and arms. One hand settled on the small of her back, urging her even closer. The other came to rest on her left breast.

Kellsie didn’t even try to suppress her moan of pleasure as Marko cupped her breast. He palmed it, weighing it in his hand. His thumb brushed her turgid nipple, sending a blast of heat straight to her sex.

She squirmed, pushing her breast closer.

“Beautiful,” he whispered. His lips skimmed over her cheeks, nose and forehead. He nipped lightly at her chin and nibbled along her jawline.

She tunneled her fingers into his hair and tugged his mouth back to hers. “Kiss me,” she ordered. Not giving him time to act, she plastered her lips against his. His mouth was firm yet gentle as he tasted her bottom lip and then the top one. She gasped, her lips parting, and his tongue snuck inside.

Heat exploded through her like a fire burning out of control. He tasted so damn good she knew she’d never get enough. He was addictive. And, for tonight, he was hers.

She rubbed her tongue over his. The hand at the base of her spine shifted to the back of her head. He kissed her as though she was the only woman who could satisfy the hunger in him. It was a heady feeling.

His shaft throbbed against her belly. She wanted to get closer to him. Her pussy positively ached to feel him. She loosened her grip on his hair and grabbed at his shoulders. She slung one leg over his left hip and gave a little jump, hooking her other leg around his right hip. She held on tight, tilting her pelvis until her mound was hard against his cock.

It felt better than she’d imagined. Hot and thick, he pulsated against her core. His hard hands cupped her ass, holding her securely. She’d never doubted for a moment Marko would support her and keep her safe.

That thought gave her pause. She didn’t trust any man. History had shown her she had to look out for herself, not depend on anyone. But this was only a dream, wasn’t it?

Sadness threatened to intrude on her erotic interlude. Reality reared its ugly head.

What was she thinking? What was she doing? It might be a dream, but it felt so real. She couldn’t let herself get attached to a figment of her imagination. Heck, she was already halfway in love with him. He was strong and honorable and…crazy. He thought he was a shapeshifter, an ancient warrior, a bear. And maybe he was. In this place, in this dream, he could be anything.

As if sensing her distraction, Marko broke away from their kiss. He was breathing as heavily as she was. He looked at her, his dark eyes growing sad and distant. He expected her to back away and was fully prepared for it.

That alone gave her the courage to move forward. After all, it was just a dream.

Mordecai glared at Brittany. “What do you mean we don’t know where they are?” Kellsie had freed the bear and then they’d both disappeared.

Brittany shrugged, appearing totally unconcerned. “Everyone is looking, but they’re not anywhere on the carnival grounds or in her trailer.” Behind her, he could see members of the crew rushing around like bumbling idiots.

He dragged a hand through his hair, barely keeping from ripping out the heart of the succubus in front of him. It was no wonder Hades needed him and his brethren in his war if he surrounded himself with such simpletons. “Then expand the search. They must be in the forest somewhere.” Mordecai stared out at the surrounding darkness, knowing they could be anywhere.

“Why don’t you just ask Hades?” Brittany snapped the gum she was chewing, looking more like a petulant twenty-year-old than a three-hundred-year-old succubus.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Mordecai snapped. Really, the girl was too stupid to live. Hades would not be pleased to arrive only to find out they’d lost the bear and the woman. Mordecai did not want to be the one to tell Hades he’d lost them.

Brittany paled. “No, that’s okay.” She backed away. “I’ll keep looking.”

“You do that,” he muttered. He continued to gaze out over the landscape, searching the darkness, searching for any hint of power or life force. They must be in a cave somewhere. The thick stone would be capable of blocking his ability to find them.

Time was running out for all of them. “You can’t stay hidden forever,” he muttered. If they couldn’t find them, Hades would when he finally deigned to grace them with his evil presence. For now, they would search and hope for the best.

Mordecai left the lights of the carnival and the loud din of voices behind and headed into the thick woods.