Bear of a Cowboy

Chapter twenty five

**** A look of utter madness swept across his face destroying what was once handsome.

"I'll give her back....after I fry her brain!" He screamed and held up the small remote and pressed the button. Both Gwyn and Bear jumped and grabbed their heads.

Bates was stunned, he pressed it against and again, they both felt the discomfort. This can't be! They can't both feel it! They can't be united like that, it's impossible. She was supposed to be the only one affected.

Gwyn finally worked her hands free and sat up, seeing for the first time that they were surrounded. "Bear!" Tears streamed down the face that she turned defiantly toward her tormentor. "I told you he would come for me."

"He can't have you." Bates sneared.

"I'd rather be dead without him than be alive with you!" He hit the button again and as the pain flashed across Bear's wonderful face, she saw the earring swinging. She felt her ears, one was missing. Bear was wearing the other one. She looked into those beautiful brown eyes.

He saw her hands touch her ears and find one earring missing. They understood as one, the earrings were receivers of some kind.

"Take it out." He mouthed to her and they removed the delicate, dangerous earfobs together.

Furious, Conner screamed and pressed the button again and again. He put so much effort into the remote that he didn't see her brother sneak up to the door and touch his Glock to Bates' temple.

"Put de pretty button down now, and let's all take a nice, long ride downtown to de stinky, ugly jailhouse. Dey done got a cell aw picked out jus' fo you."

As he made to put the control down he grabbed the fire extinguisher and pressed the handle meaning to aim it at Nico. It filled the interior with a freezing cloud of white. Gwyn flicked the seat belt open and flung herself out of the truck. She spider-walked away as fast as she could then stopped and stared...spellbound.

The cold, white cloud rolled out of the suv and along with it came....a huge....white....wolf. It melted out of the white mist, looked at Gwyn and shook itself. It took one step toward her, two, lowered it head and whined.

Several weapons pointed at it at once. "No. Don't shoot! Please." Gwyn pleaded.

"Hold your fire," the Sheriff ordered.

Gwyn licked dry lips and held her hand out to the huge, beautiful animal.

"It's all right. Dey won't hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you again. Ye're de one I've seen so many times befo aren't you? You are so beautiful. It's all right."

Her hands were shaking though whether it was from shock, cold, fear, relief - she wasn't sure. She had seen the wolf on so many occasions when no one else had, she wasn't entirely sure whether to trust her own eyes or not. She glanced around at the other people and was relieved to see them looking at the huge animal as well, although, she was appalled again to realize that many of the weapons were trained it's way. She held her hand out.

"Don't shoot it - please. Bear, this is it. Bear....please."

"This is the white wolf you so often saw in the swamp? You're certain?" Bear answered her plea. She nodded, never taking her eyes off it. Bear watched it carefully, studying it's stance with Gwyn. He nodded to his sister and turned back to Gwyn.

"Then call him, talk to him, become one with him. There is a chance to bond with him."

"How?"

"Search within, Gwyn. He has a name. Call him by name."

"But, I don't know his name." Her voice shook as she watched the beautiful animal.

"Honey, you have to look within, look within yourself. Search your feelings, just like Beau told you he did with Hope. Find his name, and call him."

She swallowed and extended her hand slowly. Taking a deep, unsteady breath.

"Come, Spirit. Come to me." She held her hand out to the wolf and held her breath as it carefully took one step at a time toward her. It nuzzled her hand and allowed her to rub it's massive head and burrow her fingers into the long, soft, silky fur. It stepped forward and placed it's forhead against hers and sat in front of her.

Gasps echoed throughout the garage as the wolf and woman made a lifetime bond out of bondage.

Bear grinned, "I knew you could do it, baby."

"Noooooo! You stupid idiot!" Conner screamed and dove under the suv and rolled toward the two. "Kill, kill her!" He screamed his rage seeing all he had planned and worked for fall apart. He grabbed a knife from his boot and aimed with the intention of embedding it in Gwyn's heart. If he couldn't have her, the Bear couldn't either.

The wolf jumped between the two and barred it's huge, white teeth at one of its tormentors. When Bates did not alter his attempt the wolf jumped at and sank its teeth into the arm that had held a whip or stick so often, and bit down. The wolf snarled and took the man down to the ground, eyes promising death.

Bear shook off the shock first and spoke quietly and insistently.

"Gwyn, call him off, connect with him and call him off. You can do it."

"Spirit, you've got him, you protected me now, let him go now. Release him Spirit, he's not worth it. Come to me, bébé."

The wolf growled and snarled into the frightened stalker's face, shook the arm one last time and released it. He stepped back, back toward Gwyn and sat at her side and leaned against her leg.

Conner stared at the two and he grasped his mangled arm to his chest. Gwyn buried her fingers into the think fur and began to move back toward Bear.
The deputies wrapped his arm and took him to the ambulance as it careened into the garage.

Gwyn turned into Bear's wide chest and held on hard. "I was afraid I'd never see you again but at the same time, somehow I knew you'd come for me." And looked up into the beautiful dark brown eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her carefully, watching Spirit's reaction all the while. "Nothing would have kept me from coming for you....So, this is your white wolf." He said looking at the beautiful animal with respect and admiration.

'Oh yes, his grandmother was going to love this tiny lady of his as would his people. For to hold the heart of a wolf was a special and precious talent.'

He let the wolf sniff his hand knowing that he also smelled of Gwyn's fragrance. He burried his hand in the ruff of the huge neck and held his lady in his arm, content and satisfied.