Me and Bear

Chapter seven

Austin

That look on his face keeps circling in my head, the malicious smile and crazy eyes as he showed me the body laying some ten feet from me. The way he told me I would soon be laying next to her, the girl that everyone thought went to travel the world but had ended up here instead, hidden from the world she was so curious about.

The smell was unbearable and I couldn't even breathe through my mouth to try and not inhale the rotten smell of that decaying body because he had gagged me with a kitchen towel. I'd tried to scream once I woke and he opened that little door in the ceiling. He had just grabbed a towel from the kitchen and hopped down to stuff it into my mouth. "Not another peep from you," is what he told me.

I decided to stay quiet from then on, no whimpers, no nothing. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. That much I still had. When he came down he always had a flashlight with him because there was no lightbulb down in the cellar. I saw a glimpse of his face every now and then and every time I wished I hadn't. It was terrifying, he looked like a lunatic. Mad eyes that were bulging out of their sockets and that smile plastered onto his face. The way his hands twitched and the way he abruptly tilted his head to the sides.

A rubbing sensation on my back makes me open my eyes and come back to the present, where I'm sitting on Bruin's lap as his arms are wrapped around me. The plastic chair under him keeps groaning every time he moves like it's about to collapse under us any minute. I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Those half-cups of water really helped with my parched throat, thankfully I had enough sense left that I knew I couldn't drink too much. It would all come back up and my throat is sore enough as it is. I take a deep breath in and Bruin's warm scent wafts up into my nose, calming me down even further.

Bruin starts rocking us side to side on the creaky little plastic chair and I rest my head on his chest, his heart beats frantically under me. Is he alright? I look up into his face and see that he's staring into nothingness with a blank look in his eyes. "Bruin." It hurts my throat but not as much as it would've if I hadn't drank water. His head snaps down and his eyes focus in on me, chocolate orbs filled to the brim with concern. "Everything alright, baby?" So we're now at nickname basis? I blush at the endearment and nod, trying to send him a small smile of gratitude and to let him know I am alright now. All thanks to him.

He grins back at me but his heartbeat tells me he is anything but calm. "Are you?" Is all I can manage at the moment, I don't want to overdo it and hurt my throat even more. Bruin nods but when he sees the look on my face, the nods turn into shakes. I'm glad he's honest, I appreciate that. "I do?" I hope he understands what I'm trying to ask him because if there is anything I can do to help him, I'd like to know. He grins brightly at the wording but shakes his head again. "I'll feel better once we get out of here and I can snuggle you all day long."

I - oh wow. I wasn't expecting that last part. But now that I think about it, it does sound really good. Also, even though I was locked in some lunatics dungeon, I had some time to think things through and I decided I will give Bruin that second chance if I ever get out of there and he still wants me. His words make it clear that being with me is still something he desires, his shapeshifter legacy also gives me a more or less definite reassurance that he won't just hump and dump me.

Sure, people might have some words to say when they see us walking down the streets hand in hand or other small affectionate gestures between us but who the hell cares. I certainly don't anymore. I almost lost the one chance of being with someone who genuinely cares about me and I'm not going to let him go a second time just because some people say they don't like it. So what? Mind your own bloody business.