Free Skin Deep by Sarah Makela Page B

away.
    Angelique cried out in surprise and fear. He wished he could calm her, but he had to focus on the fight.
    Connor put what distance he could between himself and the bear. His side throbbed. However, the familiar tingling of the wound slowly knitting closed soothed some of his pain. He flashed his fangs, letting out a rolling growl.
    The druid wasn’t healing. Connor was. Nature and instincts kicked in. This was something his wolf kin had done before. A nip here, a slash of teeth there. Slowly but surely, he would bring his prey down.
    The same thought must’ve occurred to the druid. One of his paws rose toward his nose as if feeling the wound. The druid lacked the natural instincts of the bear. A soft rush of magic flowed into the room, and the druid’s nose stopped bleeding.
    Connor took an uncertain step back, lowering his nose to scent what was going on with the druid. While the bleeding might have stopped, the bear’s scent had changed. His position was off-center, and his attitude more reserved. Seemed like whatever spell he’d cast had taken much-needed energy from him. That didn’t stop the druid from charging like a freight train, crushing a small chair in his wake.
    Connor jumped to the side, but a sharp pain rippled through his shoulder as the bear kicked him with his hind leg. The shoulder held, but the kick sent Connor rolling to the side.
    Clearing his head, he dug his claws into the wood floor below and leapt at the bear’s exposed rear. The druid still hadn’t been able to turn around in the cramped space.
    Instead of charging the bear head-on, he ran to his right side, which the bear seemed to favor. His assault on the bear was given away by the light clicking of his claws. He lunged for the bear’s leg, sinking his teeth into its calf. A bellowing roar came from the druid, and he tried to kick Connor, missing by mere inches.
    He backed away, seeing the wounds he’d inflicted on the bear’s nose had yet to heal. The blood flow was stemmed, but it seemed the druid was unable to fully heal his wounds in bear form. Their injuries had covered the floor in a slick, bloody mess.
    Connor stayed out of the bear’s reach, trying to keep him moving as he waited for his next opportunity. This needed to end soon. He had to take care of Angelique. Shifting his weight, he heard the tapping of the bear’s claws on the floor. He needed to switch tactics.
    As the bear lunged for him with his maw wide open, Connor danced outside of the druid’s reach. When he noticed his opponent tiring, he snapped his teeth, ripping into the bear’s right ear. Avoiding the bear’s swooping paw, he bit into his plush side near the ribcage. He tasted the blood of his enemy once again. Feeling the bear tense, he disengaged.
    The bear rose to as much of his full height as it could without bumping his head again and paused.
    Connor wasn’t sure what distracted the druid. Tossing his head in the direction of the doorway, he saw Kira crawling into the room, pulling herself forward with her claws and heading toward Angelique, almost completely void of strength. The bear followed Kira’s progress with a hungry gaze.
    The momentary distraction caught them both off guard.
    Connor gathered up his strength, and he lunged into the upright bear’s chest. He landed before the druid had a chance to turn. Both of them dropped to the floor with a loud thump. The scent of bear reminded him of a deep, wild forest. Blood soaked their fur, and he couldn’t tell whose blood was whose.
    With the swat of a huge bear paw, Connor flew to the side, hitting the wall with a thud. His head swam and stars filled his vision. No, he couldn’t blackout now. Stumbling to his feet, he noticed the druid dragging himself out the door in human form.
    Connor’s instincts drove him to his enemy, but a small sound from the bed cut through his anger. The druid disappeared, and Connor huffed, shaking his head in frustration.
    Connor’s shoulders, back, and