Hunter Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Enforcer Bears Book 2) (6 page)

He leaned in to kiss her, feeling out of breath himself. Her hand came up to cup his face, her thumb gently stroking along his cheek as she sighed approval against his mouth—and then she yelped. Both of them slid rapidly downward, scrambling to find a hold until Steven’s hand finally closed around a root.

“Don’t let go,” he gasped. Slowly, he pulled both of them up until their feet found purchase on the slope once more.

Cleo giggled helplessly when she finally got another look at him, then reached out to wipe some dirt from his nose this time.

“OK, let’s try this again. Careful this time,” she commanded, keeping one hand on him and one on another root.

Slowly, they made their way back upwards. This time, they passed the spot where they had first slid down. They were both breathing heavily when they finally reached the top—but the view more than made up for the adventure.

“I believe that is your Christmas tree,” Cleo informed him smugly.

Steven gaped, and then began to laugh. “Sorry! It seems your Grandma was right!”

Before them, a fallen fir tree rested on the ground. It must have been very old, for the trunk was large and wide. Moreover, it had now turned into a new home for mushrooms which had grown all over the trunk and the large branches that remained.

“So these are our Christmas baubles—it was mushrooms all along!” He prodded one of the large protrusions. The mushroom was dry and spongy beneath his fingers.

Now that he knew what it was supposed to show, the small drawing suddenly made sense.

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” Cleo said, still grinning as she pulled out the map once more. “All right, let’s see what’s next!”

Discovering the mysterious Christmas trees had restored their spirits after the effort of climbing up the slope. They were very close to the X now. It was surrounded by a cluster of tiny drawings. Neither of them recognized any of the landmarks from their explorations of the forest, although a few of the sketches were clear enough.

There were two waterfalls at least. The other drawings were more mysterious—one very much looked like a bed.

“Let’s search for a waterfall,” Cleo decided. “I think that’s easiest.”

“And we should hear it if we get close—unlike a bed.” Steven frowned at the map once more.

A bed inside a mountain, if that was even what the map showed? It made no sense—but then, neither had the Christmas tree at first.

They walked for a while. They kept heading east, as the map had demanded, but after fifteen minutes of walking, they still couldn’t hear any sounds.

In fact, the forest was eerily quiet. The trees above them were rustling and creaking, but no birds were singing. There weren’t even any squirrels making angry noises at their intrusion.

They kept going for another ten minutes, scanning the area around them for any sign of water. Finally, just when they wanted to give up and return to the tree they had started from, there was a sudden, distinct croak somewhere in the distance.

They looked at each other with delight.

“A frog!” Cleo pointed excitedly into the direction from which the sound had come. “And there—water!”

When they hastened onward, they found a small creek meandering between the giant, old trees and their roots. They followed it until it was joined by another creek. For a few more minutes, they walked downstream. At last, another small ravine opened before them.

Here, the water came pouring over the stone to fall down into where it formed a small pond in the ravine below. The frog they had heard before gave another croak, as if to congratulate them.

They stopped and looked at each other.

“I think we’ve made it!” Steven said. He was grinning; he didn’t even know why he was so excited. He had no idea what Cleo’s Grandma might have hidden for her.

But they’d had an adventure together, and that was reason enough. A day spent exploring secrets in the wilderness with his mate was all the treasure he could want.

But she doesn’t even know about mates. Would she still want to go treasure hunting with me if she knew…?

“Come on, let’s go down!” Cleo pulled at his hand, openly laughing now.

Her cheeks were reddened from the wind and the exertion. Her eyes were gleaming with delight, and strands of her hair kept falling into her face.

She was stunningly beautiful, and Steven’s heart ached again as he looked at her. How would he be able to leave this behind? She made him laugh. She made him happy. He’d always been content enough with his own company—but then, he hadn’t known that it could feel like
this
. Her smile was enough to cause warmth to spread inside his chest. And her touch…

He quickly had to focus his attention on the small waterfall again when he felt the first stirrings of desire.

Not now,
he told himself.
Later
…

Carefully, they made their way down towards the pond. They had to take a little detour, but eventually found a spot where the ravine widened. Here, the steep stone walls turned into a gentler incline. Some storm had felled a few trees years ago, and now there were bare trunks and withered branches to hold on to as they slowly descended.

The frog was still sitting on a stone at the back of the pond when they finally made their way back. It stared at them and croaked in consternation.

"If this were a fairy tale, it would give us a hint," Cleo said and narrowed her eyes at the animal.

The frog croaked again, sounding almost offended. The next moment, it was gone, plopping into the water with a splash.

Steven grinned. "He said to be less lazy and do our own research.”

Cleo gave him a disbelieving look. "You speak frog?"

"Sure," Steven said easily.

"Any other talents I don't know about?" Cleo's raised brows showed only too clearly that she didn't believe a single word.

"I think you've already seen the most important ones," Steven murmured.

Cleo flushed in answer, then laughed.

"I think I did last night, yes," she said and grinned at him. "Still, to be certain maybe I'll need another demonstration once we've made it back?"

Steven felt desire return at the memory of the past night. "Of my knowledge of frog language?"

Cleo giggled and lightly boxed his arm. "Don't tease! You know exactly what I mean!"

"I think I do," he said with a little growl, eyes lingering on the way her curves pressed enticingly against her shirt.

They were close now to where the X was marked on the map. Soon they'd find whatever her Grandma had hidden away for Cleo—maybe some childhood memento?

From what Cleo had told him, he didn't think they'd find a box full of gold. But their little treasure hunt had made Cleo laugh. And for a grandmother, there was probably no greater treasure than a grandchild's happiness.

"There, look! The frog!" Cleo gasped and pointed at where the small animal had now resurfaced.

It crawled onto a stony ledge as they watched, right where the water came falling down from above. And then—then the frog simply hopped behind the waterfall. It didn't return, even as they waited.

"I think there's a cave behind the waterfall!" Cleo's voice was breathless with excitement. "It's just like a movie. That must be where the treasure is hidden!"

Steven eyed the pond. The ledge ran along the wall the ravine had formed. There were a few large rocks in the way, but when he curiously moved closer, he saw that the rocks led right up to where the ledge started.

"Come, we'll have to climb over these first!" he said, excitement starting to take hold of him as well.

He took Cleo's hand. Carefully, they made it past the slippery rocks, holding on to each other as they searched for footholds.

Once they stood on the ledge, it became easier. The rock was smooth and wet from the spray of the waterfall, but it was easy enough to inch forward with one hand on the wall to keep their balance.

Steven hesitated when he reached the part where the water of the creek came down pouring from above.

"We'll get wet!" he shouted over the noise the water made. "But there's definitely an opening. I can see it!"

"Let's do this!" Cleo shouted back, squeezing his shoulder in excitement. "Pirates aren't afraid of some water!"

Steven laughed in reply. "Aye aye, captain!"

He took a deep breath and then went forward, quickly stepping through the rushing water. For a moment, he couldn't see. The roar of the water surrounded him, and the cold of it came as a shock.

But then he was through, and when he opened his eyes, gasping, he saw that there was indeed a small cave opening up before him.

Then Cleo bumped into him. "C-cold!" she sputtered and shook her hair.

Drops of water hit him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist to stabilize her.

"We made it! This has got to be where your Grandma's map meant to lead us!"

"A real, secret cave behind a waterfall!" Cleo sounded awed. She let go of Steven to look around. "I wish she'd told us about this place when we were children!"

"Maybe she only found it later," Steven pointed out. "Or she was afraid you'd get lost or injured."

"You're probably right.” Cleo's eyes were gleaming as she turned to take it all in. “God, this is amazing! I would have tried to sneak away to explore this place all the time!"

The light was dimmed by the curtain of water that came pouring down noisily over the cave's opening. The back of the cave was hidden in darkness, and Cleo now took a step towards the gloom.

"I'm so glad I brought my flashlight," she muttered as she reached into her pocket.

Steven followed her deeper into the small cave. He rested one hand on her back as he studied the walls around them. They still didn't know what they were looking for.

Maybe there was no real treasure. Maybe there wouldn't even be an old box holding a favorite, old childhood toy...

Steven frowned as Cleo used her flashlight to shine at the wall. It was not enough to illuminate the whole cave, but the focused cone of light was enough for them to explore the stony walls.

"I can't believe we've found a secret cave," Cleo whispered again.

Steven dropped his hand a little, curving it around her waist to hold her close.

He felt a sudden prickling between his shoulder blades. The hair on his skin rose, as if the temperature in the cave had suddenly dropped. His instincts switched to sudden alertness—and that heartbeat of unease was all the warning he got before a large shadow came roaring at them from out of nowhere.

Cleo let go of him and screamed.

She took a step back as Steven spread his arms and jumped in front of her, already feeling the rush of the change coming over him as his body prepared to shift—

And then Cleo toppled and fell.

Steven had no time to think. He acted on pure instinct, throwing himself forward to grab at her hand. The form of the bear was abandoned. He needed his hands to clutch at her.

There was darkness yawning before them. Below them, a tunnel had suddenly opened. Cleo was dangling in it, held up only by his strength—and then the jaguar's breath came hot against his neck. Claws bit deep into the skin of his leg, and Steven felt himself lose his balance.

With a shout of pain, he skidded forward and then dropped into the tunnel as well.

Cleo cried out once more. Somewhere above them, there was a furious roar—and then they fell.

After a long moment, they hit stone. The impact made him groan.

Cleo was still clutching at his hand, gravity pulling at both of them. Amid a shower of gravel and rocks, they rapidly slid down a steep incline.

For several seconds, there was nothing but the terrifying sensation of speed and bruising rocks. It was completely dark down there. Cleo's hand was still in his own as they hurtled downward.

Don't let go. Don't let go,
his bear was roaring at him, furious and frightened for their mate.

Then the ground dropped away beneath them, and they fell once more, with no stones or walls to clutch at.

Cleo was screaming. She heard her voice echo in the darkness as she fell. Her fingers still held on to Steven's hand, gripping him so tightly that her fingers hurt, and she clenched them further, holding on to the only thing she had left in the darkness...

And then they hit water.

With a loud splash, they plummeted into a lake. Instinct made her kick her feet even as gravity pulled them deep into the water. She held her breath, using both legs and her arm now to fight her way back up towards the air, but she still held on to Steven.

She could feel his body working next to hers, his powerful limbs struggling against the weight of the water—until they finally broke the surface.

Air!

Cleo gasped for breath, sputtering and coughing. Everything was dark. She still couldn't see anything.

"Are you all right?" Steven asked hoarsely.

Then his arms came around her, and Cleo clutched at him, shock driving tears into her eyes.

"I'm... I think I am," she gasped. "Oh God, where are we?"

"Don't let go.” Steven’s voice was rough. “Whatever happens, don’t let go! We can't get parted in here!"

Steven's hand brushed her cheek, then clenched around her hand once more. Together, they began to swim, moving very slowly in the darkness.

The sensation was terrifying. Cleo kept reaching out with her hand to make sure that they weren't swimming into any rocks. Everything was black. The thought of the jaguar silently waiting for them in the darkness made her shiver, but the water was so cold that soon, the only thought left was the need to escape this underground lake.

Eventually, her searching hands encountered stone.

"Careful," Steven said breathlessly.

They clung to the edge of the lake for a moment, gathering their strength. Finally, moving very slowly, they dragged their aching bodies onto the rocks they had found.

Shivering, Cleo immediately curled into Steven's embrace.

Everything was silent. The darkness surrounding them seemed impenetrable. How far had they fallen? How deep below the earth were they?

"Oh God," she whispered again, the shock finally retreating enough that she realized the full horror of their situation. "We're lost in the darkness, and there's a wild jaguar somewhere in here with us!"

Steven's arms tightened around her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. His strong hands rubbed her back as she shivered miserably in his arms.

"We might be lost, but we're together in this,” he said, his voice echoing eerily. “And the jaguar didn't fall. It's still somewhere above."

Cleo tried to shift even closer, then groaned. Her entire body felt sore.

"I'm bruised all over," she muttered. Her hips ached where they rested on the cold stone, and her entire left shoulder was sore from sliding down the incline.

"We'll get out of here,” Steven promised. His lips brushed against her cheek, cold from the water, but still comforting.

She sighed softly and tried to move even closer. For long minutes, they rested against each other, trying to get their breath back.

It still seemed unreal. The excitement of their little treasure hunt had turned to horror so quickly.

"Do you think that jaguar was waiting for us?" Cleo finally asked.

Steven's hand stroked up to her nape, playing with the strands clinging to her wet skin.

"I don't think so," he said slowly. "We must have surprised it. Remember, I've been tracking it for a while, and I always lost its trail in the water? I'm thinking that we found its lair by accident."

Cleo shivered again, then propped herself up on her arms. She couldn't see Steven's face in the darkness, but when she reached out, her fingers encountered his chin. There was a hint of stubble on it, and she allowed her hand to curve around his cheek.

"There's so much water down here. An entire lake," she murmured. "And if that jaguar kept vanishing near water..."

"There might be more than one entrance to the cave." Steven's voice was husky.

Cleo brushed the pad of her thumb against the corner of his mouth, then leaned down to kiss him.

For one moment, she allowed herself to forget the true horror of their situation as his arms came up around her. His body was hot against hers, his muscles hard. He kissed her gently but insistently, his tongue hot against her own as she shivered again, but not from the cold.

She felt safe and warm in his embrace.

And they might be lost, but they weren't alone. She still had Steven. She had Steven, and they were both unharmed except for some bruises...

Suddenly she remembered the way the jaguar had pounced, and Steven's agonized cry.

"Are you OK? Did the jaguar hurt you?" She drew back a little, one hand still on Steven's arm as he slowly sat up.

His pained groan was answer enough, and her fingers tightened in worry.

"I'm fine," he said. "Really. His claws got my leg, but it's just scratches. I promise I’ll be fine."

Cleo felt her heart racing in her chest. The darkness felt suffocating. Steven could be bleeding right now, and she wouldn't even know...

"Wait!" she suddenly breathed, eyes going wide.

Her hip ached. It felt bruised—but it wasn't just the hardness of the stone against which she'd rested.

There, in her pocket, the metal of her keys had been jabbing into her hip. And on her small keychain...

She fumbled with her pockets. The fabric was wet and clung to her skin, but after a moment, her fingers closed around the cold metal. She pulled out her keys. Her fingers trembled as she felt along the small ring that connected them.

There!

A small, round piece of plastic, with a little button at the top.

Please work. Please...

She pressed the button. Suddenly, there was light.

She nearly sobbed with relief when finally, she could make out Steven's face in the gloom.

"I keep a small light with my keys, just in case..." she said, then trailed off. She bit back another sob and rubbed at her eyes, then felt sudden laughter come up instead.

"This isn't quite what I thought I’d need it for, but... I'm glad." Again she brushed her hands over her eyes, then took a deep breath and straightened.

Everything had happened so quickly. She still hadn't quite overcome the shock. But there was light now, and that was what mattered.

Steven gently squeezed her leg. "How long do the batteries last?"

"No idea," she admitted. "It's an LED light, aren't those supposed to last forever? I've only used it once or twice to find the keyhole when I came home in the dark..."

"Maybe it'll last long enough that we can find a way out." Steven eyed the tiny device with a frown, then clenched his teeth and stood.

When he gasped, Cleo moved the light so she could get a better look at his leg. The jaguar's claws had left marks; three long slashes stood out against his calf. The water had washed away most of the blood, but as she watched, blood was still trickling sluggishly from two of the wounds.

"Just scratches," Steven said gently and took hold of her hand to help her sit up. "I've got all my shots, I promise. Comes with the job. And I heal really fast."

"Really," Cleo said and gave him a frown, but then relented. "I suppose we can't worry about it until we find a way out. But I'll drag you straight to a doctor afterward!"

"If we find a way out, you can do with me whatever you want," Steven murmured, his voice low and husky.

It woke a sudden pulse of need deep within Cleo. She remembered his strong body moving atop her, his deep voice groaning with pleasure. She shivered, then forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Not fair. No distracting me!" she complained. "And just for that, I'll hold you to that promise!"

"I hope you do." Steven’s eyes gleamed at her in the dim light.

She couldn't help her answering smile. As terrible as their situation seemed, she was glad that Steven was here with her. Their banter had calmed her a little. And it was far more pleasant to think of what they could do once they found an exit, instead of imagining what the jaguar might be up to in the darkness...

Cleo shook herself to get rid of that intrusive thought. "We should follow the water. It's got to leave this cave somewhere."

Steven nodded. "That's probably our best chance. As long as we stay close to the water, we won't get lost."

Again Cleo gave her small light a worried look. How much battery did they have left? They'd have to find an exit quickly. It probably wouldn't last more than a few hours at most.

"Can you walk?" She shone the light at Steven's leg once more.

"It'll be fine. I've been through worse," he said and rested a hand on her back.

Cleo suddenly remembered the scars she'd seen. It had seemed an outrageous story. A man who hunted dangerous beasts in the wilderness? That was something you watched on TV, not something that happened in the peaceful forests and valleys of Linden Creek.

But now she'd seen the jaguar firsthand. And she'd seen Steven acquire what would surely turn into another impressive set of scars.

They held on to each other as they slowly moved forward. The light of her tiny gadget was weak; it was meant to find a keyhole, not to serve as a flashlight in an underground cave exploration. Still, it was an improvement on the terrifying darkness that had swallowed them when they fell.

The light lit the ground in front of them, so that they could see where they stepped and evade rocks and slippery stone. They kept the lake to their right as they moved forward.

Somewhere in the distance was the sound of moving water. It was a soft, rushing sound, and they couldn't quite make out from where it came. Still, it gave them hope.

They walked for quite a while. Half an hour might have passed before they found their way barred by a wall. The lake was still to their right.

Cleo shone her tiny light at the rocks. She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. "We've reached the end of the cave, I think."

What if we can't find a way out?

Steven turned his gaze on the water. After a moment, he tore a small piece of fabric from where his shirt had ripped during their fall. He tossed it into the lake.

"What are you...?" Cleo began to ask, but then fell silent, following the scrap with the small light.

It moved. It was drifting on the water, first slowly, then faster, as if some current had picked it up.

Faster and faster, it was now pulled towards where the water met the wall of the cave—and then it was dragged under and vanished.

Steven made a thoughtful sound.

"Wait here a minute," he said and quickly pulled off his own clothes.

"Steven, you can't—" Cleo protested when she realized what he was going to do.

Steven smiled at her. "I promise I’ll come back. I just want to check if there's an opening."

"What if you get dragged inside? What if you—I don't want you to drown in the darkness," she said, her heart pounding with sudden fear as she imagined it.

"You've seen the current—it's not strong. But it means that the water’s leaving this cave somewhere, and I want to know where." Steven was naked now. He gave her an earnest look, then pulled her close.

"Hey. It'll be fine. Promise," he murmured into her hair.

She pressed his lips to his shoulder, fighting the sudden terror. His skin was hot against her own, his heartbeat strong.

He's right. And we have no choice,
she told herself.

"Be careful," was all she said when she finally managed to release him.

"I promise," he said again and kissed her lightly. Then he turned and slid into the water.

Once more, Cleo followed him with her light. He swam up towards where they had seen the scrap of fabric vanish. Once he had reached the wall, he took a deep breath. Then he dived down.

Cleo felt her heart skip a beat. Her hand that held the light trembled; she tightened her fingers until the keys dug into her skin.

Let him be safe,
she begged silently.

Anxiously, her eyes scanned the surface. The ripples Steven had caused had nearly quieted again. The cave was silent. She imagined she could feel the weight of the rocks above them.

How much worse would it feel for Steven, who was all alone in the darkness without air to breath?

The seconds ticked by. She wished that she would have thought to start counting. How long had Steven been gone?

It felt like minutes. Her heart was fluttering in her chest.

Please come back,
she prayed. For a moment, she thought about jumping in after him.

She used to be a good swimmer. As a child, she'd spent entire summers in the lake by her grandparents' house. Once, she and Walter had gone on a trip to Florida, and she'd braved the waves and the warm saltwater. But the warm sea near a beach resort was nothing compared to a cold underground cave, with water flowing through secret tunnels.