Her Christmas Bear by Marie Mason Page A

his hands over the rest of her body.
    “Not.”
    His heart gave a sigh of relief. She was awake and talking. He moved closer so he could hear, not wanting her to exert herself. He didn’t think her injuries were extensive, but he couldn’t be sure. If anything happened to her now that he’d found her… he couldn’t contemplate such a fate.
    “Beautiful.” Her raspy voice sounded again.
    “What?”
    “Not. Beautiful. I’m not beautiful.”
    “Oh, but sweetheart, you are. So very, very beautiful to me.” He leaned over her, seeking the lock of the seatbelt blindly with his hand, unwilling to turn away in case she opened her eyes. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to show you,” he added as he heard the click of the lock releasing and pulled the belt away from her body.
    He cursed again. She wasn’t exactly dressed for the weather. She wore a pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater that did nothing to hide her luscious curves from him or his bear. The animal pushed against his chest, wanting out. Wanting to touch its mate. She was perfect for them. He loved a woman who had enough meat on her bones to let him know she was a woman. For a moment, he was distracted by the rise and fall of her full breasts—until his bear forcibly reminded him he needed to take care of their mate. Scanning the interior of the car, he saw a coat on the floor on the passenger’s side.
    “Do you have a phone?” He tucked the coat around her to keep away the early morning cold.
    “Umm,” she mumbled.
    He watched as she patted the seat beside her, noticing the phone just as she found it. Her eyes started to flutter open, the long, thick lashes lifting from her rosy cheeks. As he stared, she opened her eyes. Dark green looked back at him. Beautiful. His bear chuffed inside his head, agreeing with the man. Their mate was indeed beautiful. But first things first. He needed to get help.
    Taking the phone from her hand, he briefly debated about whom he should call—t he sheriff or his closest neighbor, Dirk Stockwell. The bear lived higher up on the mountain and was closer, but he wouldn’t have any emergency gear to help get Marcus’s mate up the side of the mountain. In the end, he called both. Dirk first so he could bring some blankets for her and a set of clothing for him. Then he called the sheriff, another bear shifter, so he could send an ambulance.
    He’d just disconnected the last call when his mate stirred again.
    “Why are you naked? Am I dreaming?”
    Her hand reached to touch him and he folded it briefly against his chest before kissing it and tucking it back under her coat. “Stay still, beautiful. Help is on the way.”
    He thought about carrying her up the mountain himself. It would be no problem as a bear if she was lucid enough to hang onto his fur. In human form, he was afraid he would slip and slide on the slick mountainside. If he lost his footing, they could both go rolling back down, doing her more harm than good. Besides, he’d still have to wait for the ambulance. He had no way to transport her and he didn’t think the good people of Riverton, Colorado, would appreciate a twelve-foot grizzly showing up in the emergency room, carrying an unconscious female.
    “Uh-uh. You’re the beautiful one. And you’re naked.” She gave a tiny giggle. “I really must have banged my head hard.”
    Marcus smiled. “Do you remember what happened?”
    “Gave it too much gas going up the incline. I’m not use to driving in this much snow.”
    “This ain’t nothing, darling. Just a little light sprinkling.”
    “Great to know,” she scowled.
    “What were you doing on this road?”
    She shifted in her seat and gave a grimace of discomfort. Where the hell was Dirk? Or the sheriff? Where the hell was the ambulance? His mate was cold and in pain. She could be more seriously injured than he’d realized, his bear roared inside him. The man was getting as antsy as the animal. He needed to care for his mate