Holly felt a pang of pity for the man, out here all alone, calling the brush and the bramble home. But she had to tell herself that he wasn’t a man, not anymore. He was a Beast—she’d seen that clear as day only seconds ago. Back at Red Moon Ranch, they had children, families. Horses. How could they let a bear run free around there, where he could be a danger to those around him?
She remembered suddenly all the times when Cassidy or Brent would talk about “taking their bear for a walk up the mountain.” She realized then that it was more than simply stretching their animal legs; they were spending quality time with their father in the only way they could. Everyone except Jacob, that is, who couldn’t shift for fear that he would go the way of his old man and never be able to regain his human form.
Holly’s thoughts were interrupted when the bear’s large snout nudged her out of the way. He turned, then, lumbering through the trees. Holly watched him go, the big, powerful animal parting the woods as he went. She stayed in place until she saw him turn his large head to look over his shoulder back at her. Then he barked.
Was he…telling her to follow him?
Wordlessly, Holly pressed off of the tree and climbed over the bushes, following behind the bear’s much larger footsteps. They walked quietly through the woods, and Holly listened to the sound of twigs snapping under his paws, small animals skittering out of his way, and the occasional grunt and huff from the older animal. Finally, he came to a stop at the bottom of a large willow tree. Holly stepped gingerly over the brambles to catch up and then asked, “What’s here?”
The light broke through the trees, illuminating his dark fur and the pale bark of the old willow. The bear grunted and then began to scratch at the wood with his long claws. Holly crouched down when she realized he was pawing at a notch in the wood. She tugged on it and it popped out, clean, as though it had been carved out before.
Then Holly saw it.
“Oh,” was all she could say.
Chapter 70
Sea foam hissed and gurgled on the sharp rocks below. The wind whistled here without any trees to catch it, blowing the salty ocean smell in Jacob’s face. Never a big fan of the coast—he preferred his water in small, gurgling ponds. Especially not like this, climbing down a steep, jagged cliff face where one misstep could mean his life. The stairs were carved into the cliff, almost invisible to the naked eye unless you knew what you were looking for. Despite his hurry, Jacob was forced to take his time. The heel of his boot slipped and he clung to the polished cliff face, toe snagging on the next step. Fucking cougars.
He inched down until the stairs dissolved into smooth stone. He glanced down and saw a landing a couple feet below, and churning water a little ways under that. An easy leap for a cat, a hard pill to swallow for everything else. His bear wanted to cling to the wall and yowl until someone came and got him.
Here goes nothing. He slung his weight over and launched himself off the steps. He landed on his feet on solid ground. He skid slightly, slipping an inch backwards, and he could feel his heel hang off the lip of the cave.
Jacob exhaled audibly. Just don’t look down. He looked up instead and what he saw wasn’t much better; it made his stomach turn.
It was Brent. His brother. Chained like a dog on a leash. He was slumped against the back wall, shirt askew, and he glanced up when Jacob hit the floor. The chain around his neck rattled when Brent’s eyes met his own.
“She took my hat,” Brent said morosely.
“Let’s get you outta here,” Jacob said. He stepped towards Brent and grabbed a handful of the chain, testing its strength.
“It’s steel,” Brent said. “You’re not gonna break it. Not with your bare hands, anyway. Bear hands, maybe—”
“Shut up,” Jacob said. “What the hell did you do to her?”
“It’s so I don’t transform,” Brent said irritably. “I try to turn into a bear, I’ll choke to death before I get it off. She’s a bitch, but she’s a smart bitch, I’ll give her that. Don’t suppose you brought any keys with you.”
Jacob dropped the chains and growled in frustration. He put his palm on the cave wall, stopped, and tried to think.
“I couldn’t find it,” Brent said. “The talisman. Look, Jacob…you gotta get out of here, boss. She’s set you up for a trap.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Jacob said sternly. He meant it.
“How touching.” Her voice echoed through the shallow cave and Jacob and Brent whipped around just in time to see Miranda drop down into the cave. Landed on her feet—of course.