Free The Sheikh Bear by Ashley Hunter Page A
Authors: Ashley Hunter
dark-skinned man threw an arm up, gritting his teeth when his brother’s jaws clamped down over the flesh of his arm. Blood exploded from the wounds, dripping over Malik’s face and staining his clothes.
Elle gasped, throwing a hand to her mouth as she watched the fight proceed. Malik lifted his legs before kicking hard at the bear’s stomach, throwing the beast over his head.
The bear rolled, claws swiping hard in the direction of the man, managing to slash at Malik’s chest.
Four long stripes over his chest burst with crimson and in the darkness of night, Elle could see him double over for a moment, grasping to the wounds.
“Zayn!” Elle shouted.
“Stay back!” He snapped back, throwing his wounded arm in her direction.
And then his body was suddenly writhing as well. “ Priya! Take her away!”
Without warning, a small petite figure darted in front of Elle, making the woman yelp in surprise.
Priya’s eyes were wild with focus, grabbing around Elle’s wrists before pulling her.
“Look at me, gori . Are you wounded?”
Elle couldn’t reply, her eyes jumping back to Malik’s figure, unable to tear her attention away as Malik’s body expanded not unlike she had seen the other Malik’s body do. A loud roar escaped Malik’s throat, filling the air with its resonance.
“ Gori! ” Priya exclaimed, yanking at Elle’s face to look at her. “Stop looking and come with me. We need to get you away from him.”
“But—Malik… What—” Elle stammered, but Priya didn’t give her a chance to protest, pulling the woman with her with surprising force.
Still, Elle turned her head to try to see, her eyes wide as she beheld the two beasts collide with thunderous power.
Claws swiped left and right, and in the scramble, Elle could no longer tell who her Malik was and who was the imposter.
Priya yanked her away from the battle towards Malik’s Mercedes Benz, stopping short when one of the bears let out a particular high roar. Turning her head in the direction of the battle, the woman gave a sound of distress before turning toward Elle.
“You get in the car and you drive away, do you understand me? Get out of here and you don’t come back.”
“Priya—what is happening?” Elle asked gripping to the woman’s hands tightly.
“What is he—who was that other man?”
“Just go , gori! ” Priya snapped before tearing herself away and rushing toward the sounds of the battle.
The last thing Elle saw of the woman was her body shift as well before disappearing into the woods. But Elle couldn’t just leave. She just couldn’t.
Another roar burned through the air and Elle felt her stomach fall.
Zayn…
Running back toward where Priya had disappeared, Elle tried to focus on the task at hand, but her body was shaking so hard and stumbling over tree roots nearly made Elle collapse against the earth.
But she pushed onward; she needed to know that Malik was alright.
The firelight from within the cabin was the only thing that cast a light over the area, shining over three bears as they roared and attacked each other. Elle paused to watch, the cold air stinging against her throat.
One of the larger bears was rearing, pushing its weight over its hind legs before slamming down over the earth. The other two bears pulled away from the attack, and Elle noticed one of them—a smaller built bear—dart to the side and lunge toward the bear’s head, jaws snapping hard against its neck.
The third bear was pouncing once more, slashing its claws at the other bears chest. The first bear let out a snarl, slapping its immense paw against the smaller bear and shoving it away.
The smaller bear bounced off the earth before turning to its feet, snarling viciously through a parted maw.
The two large bears faced off, rising to their hind legs and shoving at each other, enraged roars echoing through the woods and making Elle brace herself against the nearest tree.
She had no idea what to think, no idea what to do,
Elle gasped, throwing a hand to her mouth as she watched the fight proceed. Malik lifted his legs before kicking hard at the bear’s stomach, throwing the beast over his head.
The bear rolled, claws swiping hard in the direction of the man, managing to slash at Malik’s chest.
Four long stripes over his chest burst with crimson and in the darkness of night, Elle could see him double over for a moment, grasping to the wounds.
“Zayn!” Elle shouted.
“Stay back!” He snapped back, throwing his wounded arm in her direction.
And then his body was suddenly writhing as well. “ Priya! Take her away!”
Without warning, a small petite figure darted in front of Elle, making the woman yelp in surprise.
Priya’s eyes were wild with focus, grabbing around Elle’s wrists before pulling her.
“Look at me, gori . Are you wounded?”
Elle couldn’t reply, her eyes jumping back to Malik’s figure, unable to tear her attention away as Malik’s body expanded not unlike she had seen the other Malik’s body do. A loud roar escaped Malik’s throat, filling the air with its resonance.
“ Gori! ” Priya exclaimed, yanking at Elle’s face to look at her. “Stop looking and come with me. We need to get you away from him.”
“But—Malik… What—” Elle stammered, but Priya didn’t give her a chance to protest, pulling the woman with her with surprising force.
Still, Elle turned her head to try to see, her eyes wide as she beheld the two beasts collide with thunderous power.
Claws swiped left and right, and in the scramble, Elle could no longer tell who her Malik was and who was the imposter.
Priya yanked her away from the battle towards Malik’s Mercedes Benz, stopping short when one of the bears let out a particular high roar. Turning her head in the direction of the battle, the woman gave a sound of distress before turning toward Elle.
“You get in the car and you drive away, do you understand me? Get out of here and you don’t come back.”
“Priya—what is happening?” Elle asked gripping to the woman’s hands tightly.
“What is he—who was that other man?”
“Just go , gori! ” Priya snapped before tearing herself away and rushing toward the sounds of the battle.
The last thing Elle saw of the woman was her body shift as well before disappearing into the woods. But Elle couldn’t just leave. She just couldn’t.
Another roar burned through the air and Elle felt her stomach fall.
Zayn…
Running back toward where Priya had disappeared, Elle tried to focus on the task at hand, but her body was shaking so hard and stumbling over tree roots nearly made Elle collapse against the earth.
But she pushed onward; she needed to know that Malik was alright.
The firelight from within the cabin was the only thing that cast a light over the area, shining over three bears as they roared and attacked each other. Elle paused to watch, the cold air stinging against her throat.
One of the larger bears was rearing, pushing its weight over its hind legs before slamming down over the earth. The other two bears pulled away from the attack, and Elle noticed one of them—a smaller built bear—dart to the side and lunge toward the bear’s head, jaws snapping hard against its neck.
The third bear was pouncing once more, slashing its claws at the other bears chest. The first bear let out a snarl, slapping its immense paw against the smaller bear and shoving it away.
The smaller bear bounced off the earth before turning to its feet, snarling viciously through a parted maw.
The two large bears faced off, rising to their hind legs and shoving at each other, enraged roars echoing through the woods and making Elle brace herself against the nearest tree.
She had no idea what to think, no idea what to do,