What's Beyond the Trees?

Chapter 20 The Wounds

Raine's POV

I stand at the door watching him walk past me, just to shut the door right behind him before we are noticed. I find myself rubbing over my hips because they hurt after that. So bad that when I lift my shirt up slightly I can see red scrapes and maybe bruises forming already.

Cole's hand reaches out and gently touching over the same scratches I'm looking at. "Who knew my fat ass and hips would be what gives me the most trouble in all this.. I thought it would be my attitude or my height if anything." I say playfully as Cole chuckles looking at me.

"I'm sorry you got hurt." He says sadly tracing his fingertip over the skin that's turning purple now. "It's not a big deal.. you got hurt way worse than I did." I say right back to him, gripping his hand into mine just to pull him through the room and to the bathroom. I grab the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to take off as much as I can before he finishes it for me since I can't reach that high. I take his shirt putting it in the sink as I fill it with water to try to wash some of the blood out.

I unwrap his wounds with the gauze that's filled with blood. I throw them away, but notice that those wounds the bandages were covering, are pretty healed from when I did surgery on him earlier today.. Like I said he is astonishing.

I grab a rag, running the water over the top of it until it's damp so I can clean his wounds that are still bleeding out only a little bit now if anything at all.. I think it just looks worse than what it is just because of the wrapping filled with blood, getting it all over him. But somehow I think being a bear helped his wounds heal even if it's just a little bit.

I gently wipe off the stray blood, showing his exposed clear skin. I get to his initial wounds being even more gentle over them just to see that they are not bleeding anymore. "I think you're healing faster than normal." I say with astonishment laced through my words as I continue to inspect each wound across his torso. I spin him around to look at his back that's almost completely healed up.

"I have faster healing as a bear.. or in bear form I should say." He replies to me as I touch over his scratches on his back muttering. "Amazing.. You're amazing." He chuckles at my comment before saying, "And here I was thinking the same thing about you." He says to me as I scoff at that comment.

"How? You're a man who can change into a bear, healing yourself faster than anything I have ever seen.. This is just crazy.. I feel like I'm going crazy.. I never knew anyone like you ever existed." I say to him as he slowly turns around. "You're just not what I expected.. especially knowing now that you're a princess.. I would have never expected you to know slightly how to fight, how to do surgery, know your way around cars, you break into places along with being the bravest little human I have ever come into contact with." He says to me as I suck in a sharp breath before he adds. "Wait.. Hold on.. Did Orion never tell you about him?"

Confusion is apparent on my face as I ask him. "Tell me about what?" Cole clears his throat as he asks. "You said you never knew anyone like me existed, does that mean Orion never told you about him?" He clarifies for himself but it's still confusing for myself. I feel my eyebrows touching in the middle as I shake my head. He let's out a deep breath before saying.. "s**t, maybe I shouldn't say anything."

I reach up without hesitation touching his cheek gently before saying, "Just tell me.. please Cole." He let's out a deep breath before turning me around, picking me up by my hips and setting me on the bathroom counter. He takes the rag out of my hand, getting it wet before cleaning up my head.. I would assume I have blood on it from the fight with Dawn.

"Well.. as a bear I can smell lots of other animals.. and humans.. and well I don't know how to say this but Orion is a werewolf." I chuckle at his comment and looking up at him seeing he is serious about this comment.. I swallow my nervousness as I ask him. "You're serious?" He nervously nods as I feel myself getting mad.. "I spent every day with him for 13 years.. how could I not see it? How could he not tell me?" I spat with so much irritation in my words as I bring my hands together fidgeting with my fingers, feeling the irritation build.

"Well I don't know about Orion, but in our pack we are not allowed to tell humans about us.. it protects not just us but our pack." Cole states to me as I tilt my head to the side before saying with attitude. "But you still told me." I cross my arms across my chest as I feel a pain in my head from his cleaning as I slightly hiss at the pain.

"Sorry.. you have some wood, dirt and rocks in your head wound... But.. I only told you because I was forced to by her.. I'm not supposed to and I bet that's why he wasn't telling you, for not only his safety but yours.. You had enough to worry about." He explains to me as I huff out wanting to be mad but I know that Orion wouldn't keep it away from me unless he had to. "I guess your right... ugh." I say to him, hissing in pain once more before I ask. "Who was she anyways? Why was she coming after you? To sell you too?" I ask curiously before he looks sad and nods.

"She was the shebear I was told about that I was supposed to meet." He says to me as I shake my head. "But I thought you said she wasn't a bear?" I ask him as he sadly nods and I'm putting it together now. "Oh." I say to him sadly as he explains. "They tricked us by saying she was a beautiful bear, so we came here to meet her and quickly figured out they were all wolves and this was a trap.. she was the one that stabbed me here when I thought I was protecting her from the fighting ensuing all around.. Her and her father want to sell me for lots of money.. because I'm rare.."

He looks so sad explaining all this to me making me so devastated that something like this would happen to him.. You just can't trust anyone out in this dark world. "I'm so sorry." I say to him as he shakes his head not saying anything to me.

"I bet you will find another bear out there for you.. like I said I bet women would fight for a handsome bear like yourself." I say softly to him, before hissing in pain again. My head wound hurts and he keeps pulling out little pebbles and shards of wood, showing them to me before throwing them away.

"I don't care if she is bear or not.. I just..... nevermind." He says to me as I reach up touching gently over his hand that's on my cheek now, holding me still, before saying. "What? Finish your thought please." I ask him as he looks away then back to me before saying so quietly it sounds under his breath, but with me being right in front of him I hear him clearly. "I just wanted someone to love.. I'm tired of being alone.. and I thought.. I don't know.. that having someone might make me feel better about this lonely life.. I was just going to this meeting my brother set up because he said it could be something I might never forget.. and it has been but not what I was expecting at all."

I nod at him staring into those gray eyes of his that look so sad. "You will find someone.. There is no doubt about that.. I mean come on, look at you. You're gorgeous.. I bet you have women lining up to be with you, without you even knowing." I say to him making him smirk.

Before I even know what's happening, he leans in letting his lips attack mine. I wrap my hand around the back of his head and pulling his head, making his lips press into mine more. Wait.. What am I doing? There is no way he wants me. I break the kiss saying into his lips. "There is no way you want me Cole. I'm just a regular human.. and you want, no deserve something better." I say as he says right back into my lips. "Well you're the only one that has my interest, so I don't care what other women you think I deserve. Don't I get a say in the matter of what I want?" He asks me as I nod at him. "Well yeah of course you have say.. but." I try to explain but within that same moment his lips are latched back onto mine as I can't help but to press back.. He tastes too good to ignore.

I feel his hands hovering over my hips rubbing them lightly before gripping them tight. He picks me up, then walking us out of the bathroom and into the main room. He flops us onto the bed, hovering over me, still kissing my lips like there is no other pair he would dare to kiss. His hands drift under my shirt rubbing over my stomach and hips as he plants himself between my legs on the bed. I can feel his ready to go member through his sweat pants, liking everything I'm doing which is good because I have never really done this before so not exactly a pro at any of this.. but I have watched plenty of movies and read just as many, if not more books.. So that helps at least. His lips drift from mine to my ear lobe sucking on it just to send chills trailing over every inch of my body before kissing all the way down the curve of my neck causing a light moan to just leave my lips, loving his every touch. I like everything he is doing and want more.. no I need more. But I have something in the back of my mind saying not right now, but later.. Maybe I am being crazy having no experience and just meeting this man, wanting to do all this already. I shouldn't jump into bed the first time of really having a moment with another man no matter how sexy he is.. right? Ugh I haven't had anything like this and who knows when the next time I will get an opportunity like this as sexy as this.. Maybe I should just give into my natural animal instincts. I just wish I had a sign to tell me what I should and shouldn't do. My mind is telling me not right now but man my body is loving every single second of this just wanting as much as he will give me.