Chapter 15 - Mira
I only left her for about twenty minutes so I could make us lunch. I hadn’t even heard her leave.
I was fixing sandwiches, albeit moving slower than normal. Every time I took a breath, an unpleasant nausea would slam into me, and I would either have to run to the bathroom or step away for a bit until the sensation subsided. It had been happening on and off for a couple of days now. With everything going on, I wasn’t surprised that my anxiety had manifested via nausea, though I wished it would go away. It was getting bad enough that I had thrown up on more than one occasion. Just the smell of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Dani had requested, that unpleasant smell that blended grape and peanuts, was enough to make my stomach crawl, and I grimaced.
My stomach churned, and I held the back of my palm to my mouth, closing my eyes as I waited for the sensation to go away. It continued to rebel. Just as I was about to run toward the toilet, it abated. Taking a deep breath, I finished the sandwich, threw some of Dani’s favorite chips in a bowl, and went back to her playroom, where I had left her watching TV. I would fix myself something else to eat once my stomach had settled again.
I could hear the TV blaring before I reached the room. Except my instincts screamed at me that something was wrong. I paused, frowning, as I tried to figure out what had put me on edge. My wolf was pacing restlessly as if she were trying to communicate with me. Only, I couldn’t figure out what she was trying to tell me or what was going on.
As I got closer to the room, the more my intuition warned me that something wasn’t right. My heart began working double-time, and I hesitated, wondering what was happening.
I pushed the anxiety to the back of my mind. I didn’t want to alarm Dani by appearing freaked out. Honestly, ever since Harrison had shown up, I had been on high alert, just waiting for something to go wrong or for some complication to arise. I slowed, taking a deep breath and forcing a smile before clearing the final stretch of the hall and rounding the corner into the playroom.
“Dani, I’ve got your—”
The words lodged themselves in my throat as I stopped dead in the doorway of the playroom, only to find the room empty.
“Dani?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even as my heart began to rise into my throat.
Nothing. Just the sounds of cartoons playing on the TV.
“Dani, if this is a joke, if you’re hiding, I’m not in the mood at the moment.” The nausea was beginning to build again, bile bubbling and threatening to come out.
A cool autumn breeze brushed against my skin. Which shouldn’t be the case indoors.
Then my eyes caught on the open window, and the plate dropped from my hand, scattering sandwich fixings across the floor. The window had a lock on it. I know it had been locked. Dani shouldn’t have been able to open it.
Racing to the window, I peered out. The bottom dropped from my stomach, and panic gripped me as my mind went to the worst-case scenario: Dani opening the window for one reason or another, and Harrison or one of his goons sneaking in through it to snag her. To use her as leverage.
My mind spun in a tempest, the thoughts swirling so fast that I struggled to separate them and distinguish one from another. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to take a deep breath. If Dani was in trouble, I couldn’t let panic get the better of me. As I inhaled, I smelled Dani’s scent. Dani’s, and no one else’s. Not even a trace. She had been alone.
That piece of knowledge broke through the panic, allowing a bit of clarity to shine through. As it did, I noticed the large tree nearby. Just within reach if a curious child felt so inclined to jump for it.
God, Dani , I thought, aggravation and relief melding together.
“Dani!” I screamed into the woods. The only response I received was a startled flock of birds taking flight from the brush.
I ran out of the room, pulling my phone from my pocket even as I started racing down the stairs, my heart pounding in my throat as my mind reeled with panic.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I begged as the phone rang.
“Hey,” Declan said.
“Thank God,” I said. “You’ve got to come home right now. Dani’s missing.”
“What?” He asked, a sharp edge to his voice. Not one of anger, one of panic.
“I don’t know what happened,” I said. “I mean, I think I know. But I didn’t… I mean… I was downstairs making lunch. When I came up, Dani was gone and the window to her playroom was open.”
“Did someone take her?” he asked.
“I didn’t smell anyone else. I think… I think she went out on her own via the tree.”
A deep exhale sounded on the other end of the line. “Dani,” he growled in frustration.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice raw. I knew for a fact he was going to fire me, but at the moment, the more important thing was getting to Dani as quickly as possible. I could worry about what would happen to me once she was safe.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “Trust me.” I could hear rustling on Declan’s end of the line, and I could picture him scrambling to grab things around the office before running out the door. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there as quickly as possible.”
“I’m going to go out looking for her.”
“It could be dangerous. Harrison—”
“Fuck Harrison,” I snapped. “I don’t care. I’m going out to look for Dani. She’s too young to shift, so she can’t have gotten too far.” Unless someone kidnapped her , I thought, but didn’t say. I didn’t think Declan would appreciate going down that train of thought, and at the moment, it didn’t matter, anyway. No matter how it happened, Dani was gone, and I was going to find her. “You can follow my scent when you get here.”
“All right. Fine. Just be careful, okay?”
“Yeah, of course. See you soon.”
I hung up. A minute later, I had stripped and was running outside. I took just enough time to close the door before shifting into a wolf. I stretched, shaking my head and digging my claws into the wooden floor. I raised my head, sniffing, hoping to catch Dani’s scent. For a panicked moment, I couldn’t smell her, and my wolf began to get restless. Forcing myself to stay calm, I hurried to the other side of the massive house until I stood beneath Dani’s playroom. The wind changed directions, and the faintest trace of Dani’s smell reached my nose.
I charged through the woods, following the scent as it grew stronger. Then a musky smell joined Dani’s, and panic gripped my stomach, causing it to churn even more than it had been all day. I didn’t need to take a second whiff to recognize the smell of bear.
Alarm bells ringing, knowing that smelling a bear right now could only mean disaster, I increased my pace, the world blurring past. If Dani had come across a bear, I was low on time, and she was in more trouble than I had initially thought.
As if to punctuate that fact, a shriek pierced through the woods, bringing a new jolt of terror running through me. “Help!” a child’s scream echoed. A second later, the low rumble of a bear’s growl answered in response.
Moving faster than I had thought possible, I ran towards the sounds, praying that I wasn’t too late.
I reached a clearing and pulled up short. A giant grizzly bear stood in front of me, huffing as it stared up at one of the trees, looking into its branches. I followed its gaze, and a low, protective growl reverberated in my throat as I saw Dani high in the canopy above. Her eyes were wide with fright, arms shaking as she clung to the tree. A leaf was stuck in her hair as her eyes remained glued to the forest floor and the bear. I could smell fear mixing with her scent. Unfortunately, that meant the bear could as well.
Not noticing me, the bear chuffed and raised its forepaws onto the tree, preparing to climb. Rage and fear mixed inside me. My wolf howled in protective rage, furious at the bear for even considering going after Dani. We were going to do whatever it took to save her. She was ours, and ours to protect. We weren’t going to let the grizzly lay a single claw on her.
Before his final paw could dig into the bark to start his ascent, I snarled, baring my teeth as I lunged toward the grizzly. I barreled into its side, knocking it away from the tree. High above, I heard Dani squeak in fright as the tree jostled.
The bear staggered away but didn’t topple over. It rumbled as it lumbered around to look at me. I snarled, showing all my fangs, fur bristling as I positioned myself between it and the tree.
The bear growled, raising its paw to swipe at me. I shifted to avoid it just in time, its claws running through my fur but not reaching the skin. Growling, I jumped forward, going for its neck. I grabbed the scruff, but barely, biting down hard enough to taste blood. The bear howled and swiped at me. Its massive paw slammed into my side, causing me to fly across the clearing and fall to the ground. Dani screamed above me.
Not bothering to worry if I was hurt, I shot back to my feet, teeth bared, already lunging for the bear. I didn’t need to kill the bear, just make it decide that being in this area was too much of an inconvenience.
I jumped in the air, slamming onto the bear’s back. I bit down as my claws raked across its flesh. The bear grunted in pain, shaking to try and get me off. When it finally dislodged me, I landed feet first and moved forward again, not preparing to give up.
I pushed forward again, this time running my claws across its snout. Blood splattered as my claws dug into its flesh. The bear howled, reeling backwards. I moved forward again, lashing out, barely dodging its own swipe. My claws went for its snout again, forcing the bear to back up.
I put myself between the bear and the tree again, snarling, crouched low to the ground as I kept my eyes locked on it. The bear chuffed, blood still on its snout as it debated whether this was really worth any of it.
A minute later, the bear turned and ran, crashing through the brush as it lumbered away.
I watched where the bear had vanished, muscles coiled and ready to spring if it came back. I heard rustling above and let out a bark to tell Dani to stay in place. I didn’t want her coming down until I knew it was safe. To my surprise, she obeyed.
When I was finally satisfied that the bear wouldn’t return, I shifted back into a human, wincing at the pain in my side. I was probably going to bruise. The nausea flared up again, and I forced it back down.
“It’s safe now,” I said. “Come on.”
Dani hesitated, but after a moment, fall leaves shook off the branches as Dani began her slow descent to the ground. When her feet touched the ground, she shuffled over, looking down at the forest floor, avoiding my gaze.
“Are you all right?” I asked. “You’re not hurt or anything?”
“I’m okay,” she muttered.
“Good. In that case, what were you thinking?” I asked, trying not to come across as antagonistic even as I felt wave after wave of frustration mixed with relief.
Dani sniffed, still wide-eyed. There were tear tracks down her cheeks, and a leaf was stuck in her hair. Her clothes were rumpled, bark and dirt clinging to the cloth and her arms. She trembled as she glanced around.
“Is it gone for good?” she asked.
“It might come back if we don’t move soon,” I said. “But I’ve given it a good scare. But seriously, Dani, what were you thinking running off like that?”
“I thought it would be funny if I ran away and hid for a bit,” she said. “I know how to pick locks, so I opened the window and climbed down the tree.”
Of course she knew how to pick locks. I bit my tongue, letting her finish her story.
“I was going to come back. I just wanted to scare you for a bit as a prank.” Her breath hitched. “But then the bear found me and started chasing me. I didn’t know what to do, so I climbed up a tree.”
It had been one of her jokes. Of course it had been. I let out a soft sigh, crouching so I was at eye level.
“I know you like playing jokes, but pranks are only funny if everyone is laughing.” I reached up to pull the leaf from her hair. “Your dad and I care a lot about you, and putting yourself in danger or running like that scares us instead of being funny. We don’t like thinking you’re not safe.”
Dani blinked, still trembling. “You care that much about me?”
“Of course I do.” I reached out and wiped away the tears forming under her eyes.
Dani hiccupped and then started fully crying. She wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in the crook of my collarbone. I held her tight, trying to soothe her until her panicked breaths had slowed. When she had gotten her tears under control, I gave her one last tight hug and set her down.
“I’m going to shift,” I said. “I want you to climb on my back and hold on tight so I can get us back home as quickly as possible. No jokes. All right?”
She nodded. “Does Daddy know?” Dani asked.
“I called him when I couldn’t find you,” I said. “So the sooner we get home, the sooner we can tell him you’re safe and there’s nothing to worry about. Okay?”
Dani hesitated. “He’s going to be mad at me,” she sniffed.
“Yes, he is.” I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. “But only because he cares a lot about you. And he’s going to be a lot happier that you are home and safe than he’s going to be angry at you for running off. All right?”
Dani nodded. I gave her another tight hug, wincing at the pain in my side, then shifted into a wolf. When I saw she was still nervous, I gave her a reassuring lick on the cheek, making her giggle. Then I shoved my cold nose against her the way Jackson did to me, which caused her to squeak and giggle. Satisfied that the worst of her terror and anxiety had abated, I crouched so she could reach my back. I waited until she clambered on and grabbed tufts of my fur before rising. Once I was certain she was secure, I trotted through the woods at a fast clip, but not at the same breakneck pace I had gone earlier.
Declan, in wolf form, arrived at home at the same time as Dani and me. He saw us and immediately relaxed, his tail swishing in relief. He plodded over, sniffing first at Dani and then at me. He licked Dani’s face, and she giggled softly even as she continued sniffling. Satisfied we were both all right, he shifted.
“Hey, kiddo.” He scooped Dani into his arms and hugged her tight.
“Hey, Daddy,” Dani sniffed.
“Everyone okay?” He looked at me, then back at Dani, checking her over for bruises or injuries.
“As far as I can tell,” I said. “Frightened more than anything else.”
“What happened?” he asked.
Dani glanced at me.
“You need to be the one to tell him,” I said sternly. I might have just saved her from a bear, but this part was her responsibility.
Dani took a deep breath and started telling the story to her father’s feet instead of looking up at him. The more she talked, the more anger and frustration and panic filled his expression. By the time she was finished, I could sense he was livid.
“Are you out of your mind?” he demanded. “You could have been killed. In what world did you think we would think that sort of prank is funny?”
“I’m really sorry,” Dani muttered.
“I should ground you for a year,” Declan snarled. “At the very least, you’ve lost your TV privileges for a month. And I’ve got half a mind to—”
I chimed in. “Declan,” I said. He stopped and looked up at me with a harshness in his eyes, though it softened when our eyes met. “I know you’re angry, and I am, too. But I think Dani getting pinned up a tree by a bear and getting the fright of her life is punishment enough. I think she’s definitely learned her lesson. Don’t you?”
Declan exhaled, frustration still radiating off him, but one look back down at Dani caused his shoulders to relax and the harshness in his features to subside in concession.
“You’re probably right,” he said. He returned his attention to Dani. “I’m not going to punish you this time. But if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’m going to bar your windows shut, and you aren’t leaving the house again until you’re eighteen,” he growled. “Do you understand?”
Dani nodded, still looking at the floor. “Yes, sir,” she said.
“Good.” Declan bent and pulled Dani into another hug, holding her tight. When he finally released her, he said, “Now, go take a shower, all right?”
Dani bobbed her head again, then hurried into the house, leaving Declan and I alone. For the first time, I was painfully aware of the fact that neither of us had a shred of clothing on. Being naked wasn’t uncommon or frowned upon, at least not when it came to shifting, but that didn’t stop the wave of self-consciousness washing over me. I was suddenly conscious of every inch of flab, the way my breasts hung and how big my stomach was. I blushed.
But Declan didn’t seem to notice any of that. Instead, his eyes had gone to my side, which still throbbed dully. I knew the area was beginning to bruise.
“You’re hurt,” he growled.
“Just a bruise,” I muttered. “I’ll be fine.”
He walked over, eyes still trained on the injury. He bent to examine it. His fingers brushed against it slowly, a caress. I sucked in a breath that had nothing to do with any pain and everything to do with how his touch sent electricity through me. I was aware of everywhere his hand touched as if they burned. My heart thudded, and I stayed still, not daring myself to look down at him.
“It looks nasty,” he said, standing. “But it should heal all right in a day or so. I don’t think there’s anything worse below the surface.” His hand went to my arm as he searched my face. “Are you okay? Really?”
“I’m fine. But I’m so sorry,” I said. “I should have kept better watch over—”
Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. My wolf growled in satisfaction as his scent surrounded us, his arms holding us tight. There were so many emotions conveyed in that hug that I could barely process them.
“You risked your life to save my daughter,” he muttered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Thank you.”