Read Online Bait This! (A 300 Moons Book) by Tasha Black - Free Book Online
Authors: Tasha Black
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to sweat the small stuff, Hedda could only pray that the demon bear wouldn’t harm him.
She need not have worried.
Before her eyes, Derek’s brown bear attacked the black one without hesitation.
Before the black bear could turn to defend himself, the brown bear had bitten savagely into the scruff of his neck and thrown him to his back.
The ground shook as if there had been a lightning strike.
Hedda had seen bears fight before. There was normally a lot of posturing and circling first. This was altogether different.
The black bear jerked strangely on the ground, then wrenched itself free of the brown one, leaving a chunk of its own fur and flesh hanging from the brown bear’s mouth.
Blood collected in the black bear’s wound, but he seemed unconcerned. He threw himself heavily onto the brown bear and bit into its spine.
Hedda gasped.
The brown bear glanced at her and she saw the glimmer of Derek’s blue eyes beneath the mop of glossy brown fur.
Twisting sideways, he bit again at the black bear’s face: once, twice, viciously slashing his teeth into the meaty jaw.
But the black bear didn’t seem to mind having part of his face removed.
And then Hedda realized that the demon didn’t care what happened to his host. He would simply migrate to another if this body didn’t survive.
Just like that, she knew that Derek was doomed if someone didn’t help him.
Good thing Hedda had her magic.
The bears were on their hind legs now, gripping each other’s scruffs and shaking savagely.
Hedda fought her instincts and stepped in closer, calling the magic into her palms once more.
She got as close to the battle as she dared, then she began to look for an opening. It would be hard just to hit the demon bear without hitting Derek too.
Taking a step closer would bring her magic too close to Derek, but bring her within striking distance of the bears as well.
At last Derek twisted, presenting the black bear’s back to her.
Hedda launched the ball of blue energy.
Her aim was true. She hit the black bear squarely in the back of the head.
Derek threw the other bear to the ground with a resounding thud.
Before he could mount it and attack again, the life seemed to go out of the possessed bear for a moment.
A small bird sailed past Hedda, crashing through the tree canopy and into the sky.
Meanwhile, the black bear began to moan.
Derek froze, and then backed away from the other bear quickly.
The black bear sat up and bellowed, batting a paw at its face as if to ask what had happened to its cheek. Then it shook itself and staggered into the woods.
“Derek,” Hedda whispered to the brown bear.
She expected that he would shift back right away, but he didn’t.
Instead, he whirled to face her.
She froze in place at the wildness in his eyes. This wasn’t mostly Derek, allowing his bear out. This was mostly the bear with Derek still inside.
He sidled up to her and nuzzled her hands.
Hedda stood perfectly still, even when he growled at her hands and nosed the fly of her jeans.
“Derek, please,” she heard herself whisper.
It was enough. The bear reacted as if she had slapped him. He lumbered away swiftly, uprooting a sapling at the center of the clearing as he left.
“Come back, Derek,” Hedda encouraged in a soft voice.
The bear slowly stood upon his hind feet, but did not shift. He paused, his large eyes squeezed shut.
Nothing.
He threw his head back. His ear-splitting roar ripped through the clearing.
Then he came back toward Hedda. His eyes were dark pools without a trace of his own blue color. He panted with excitement, knocking a large stump into the trees with one paw, ripping another sapling out of the ground with the other.
He was out of control. And there was nothing Hedda could do to stop him.
17
A s if on its own , the magic gathered in Hedda’s hands.
“ Obtundo, ” she heard herself say.
A shock wave rippled through the air toward the big brown bear. It hit him in his massive chest,
She need not have worried.
Before her eyes, Derek’s brown bear attacked the black one without hesitation.
Before the black bear could turn to defend himself, the brown bear had bitten savagely into the scruff of his neck and thrown him to his back.
The ground shook as if there had been a lightning strike.
Hedda had seen bears fight before. There was normally a lot of posturing and circling first. This was altogether different.
The black bear jerked strangely on the ground, then wrenched itself free of the brown one, leaving a chunk of its own fur and flesh hanging from the brown bear’s mouth.
Blood collected in the black bear’s wound, but he seemed unconcerned. He threw himself heavily onto the brown bear and bit into its spine.
Hedda gasped.
The brown bear glanced at her and she saw the glimmer of Derek’s blue eyes beneath the mop of glossy brown fur.
Twisting sideways, he bit again at the black bear’s face: once, twice, viciously slashing his teeth into the meaty jaw.
But the black bear didn’t seem to mind having part of his face removed.
And then Hedda realized that the demon didn’t care what happened to his host. He would simply migrate to another if this body didn’t survive.
Just like that, she knew that Derek was doomed if someone didn’t help him.
Good thing Hedda had her magic.
The bears were on their hind legs now, gripping each other’s scruffs and shaking savagely.
Hedda fought her instincts and stepped in closer, calling the magic into her palms once more.
She got as close to the battle as she dared, then she began to look for an opening. It would be hard just to hit the demon bear without hitting Derek too.
Taking a step closer would bring her magic too close to Derek, but bring her within striking distance of the bears as well.
At last Derek twisted, presenting the black bear’s back to her.
Hedda launched the ball of blue energy.
Her aim was true. She hit the black bear squarely in the back of the head.
Derek threw the other bear to the ground with a resounding thud.
Before he could mount it and attack again, the life seemed to go out of the possessed bear for a moment.
A small bird sailed past Hedda, crashing through the tree canopy and into the sky.
Meanwhile, the black bear began to moan.
Derek froze, and then backed away from the other bear quickly.
The black bear sat up and bellowed, batting a paw at its face as if to ask what had happened to its cheek. Then it shook itself and staggered into the woods.
“Derek,” Hedda whispered to the brown bear.
She expected that he would shift back right away, but he didn’t.
Instead, he whirled to face her.
She froze in place at the wildness in his eyes. This wasn’t mostly Derek, allowing his bear out. This was mostly the bear with Derek still inside.
He sidled up to her and nuzzled her hands.
Hedda stood perfectly still, even when he growled at her hands and nosed the fly of her jeans.
“Derek, please,” she heard herself whisper.
It was enough. The bear reacted as if she had slapped him. He lumbered away swiftly, uprooting a sapling at the center of the clearing as he left.
“Come back, Derek,” Hedda encouraged in a soft voice.
The bear slowly stood upon his hind feet, but did not shift. He paused, his large eyes squeezed shut.
Nothing.
He threw his head back. His ear-splitting roar ripped through the clearing.
Then he came back toward Hedda. His eyes were dark pools without a trace of his own blue color. He panted with excitement, knocking a large stump into the trees with one paw, ripping another sapling out of the ground with the other.
He was out of control. And there was nothing Hedda could do to stop him.
17
A s if on its own , the magic gathered in Hedda’s hands.
“ Obtundo, ” she heard herself say.
A shock wave rippled through the air toward the big brown bear. It hit him in his massive chest,
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