Climb!" he shouted.
The bear backed away, shaking his shaggy head, dazed by the impact. He looked at me, and I froze and I knew then what had stopped Rafe from running. When the bear met my gaze, any thoughts of escape vanished. Instinct said to fight. This was my territory, and no bear was going to take it from me. Stand firm and--
"Maya!" Rafe grabbed my jacket again and nearly yanked me off the branch. "Climb!"
That snapped me out of it, and when I looked down now, all I saw was a very big, very pissed off bear. As I scramble up, pain ripped through my foot, and something wrenched my leg. I looked down to see the bear's jaws clamped around my shoe. Daniel was running toward the bear, shouting and waving his arms. Rafe grabbed me under the armpits and yanked. My shoe came off in the bear's mouth as Rafe hauled me up to the next branch.
The bear shook my shoe, growling, then tossed it aside. As it did, it noticed Daniel, standing only a few feet away.
"Daniel!" I shouted.
He backed up, looking for a suitable tree. The bear only snorted at him, then peered nearsightedly up at us. It rose on its hind legs, front paws hitting the trunk hard enough to make the tree quiver.
I swung onto the next branch as Rafe did the same on the other side. I felt the bear's hot breath on my stockinged foot and snatched it away as his teeth clicked together. He roared in frustration, then leaned on the tree and shook it again.
"Hold on!" Rafe shouted, like I was planning on doing anything else.
The bear backed away, shaking his shaggy head, dazed by the impact. He looked at me, and I froze and I knew then what had stopped Rafe from running. When the bear met my gaze, any thoughts of escape vanished. Instinct said to fight. This was my territory, and no bear was going to take it from me. Stand firm and--
"Maya!" Rafe grabbed my jacket again and nearly yanked me off the branch. "Climb!"
That snapped me out of it, and when I looked down now, all I saw was a very big, very pissed off bear. As I scramble up, pain ripped through my foot, and something wrenched my leg. I looked down to see the bear's jaws clamped around my shoe. Daniel was running toward the bear, shouting and waving his arms. Rafe grabbed me under the armpits and yanked. My shoe came off in the bear's mouth as Rafe hauled me up to the next branch.
The bear shook my shoe, growling, then tossed it aside. As it did, it noticed Daniel, standing only a few feet away.
"Daniel!" I shouted.
He backed up, looking for a suitable tree. The bear only snorted at him, then peered nearsightedly up at us. It rose on its hind legs, front paws hitting the trunk hard enough to make the tree quiver.
I swung onto the next branch as Rafe did the same on the other side. I felt the bear's hot breath on my stockinged foot and snatched it away as his teeth clicked together. He roared in frustration, then leaned on the tree and shook it again.
"Hold on!" Rafe shouted, like I was planning on doing anything else.
( Kelley Armstrong )
[ The Gathering ]
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