10
ZOE
Hunger woke her. Hunger like she'd never known, even in the days when her parents forgot to leave food on the table before they went on a binge. Zoe sat up in the hospital bed, her mind on one thing: food.
Something smelled delicious. Those shiny new super senses said fish. Fresh fish. Probably eggs. Her mouth watered as she eased out of the bed. She barely noticed Simon, snoring in a gentle purr next to her, and hardly cared that she was naked except for her underwear. Zoe tugged one of the blankets from under Simon's massive leg and wrapped herself in it after pulling all the tubes and needles and shit out. All she cared about was food.
She limped to the door in a daze, even though her leg and hip ached, and a little blood dribbled down her arm from one of the needles. She eased into the hall and the smell of cooking fish and eggs and meat made her so faint she had to brace herself on the wall for an eternity. Zoe staggered past the office and turned the corner into the kitchen, trying to inhale everything in the entire freaking lodge. She blinked at the four startled men in the kitchen, but all of her attentionlanded on the stovetop and the fish filets that crackled and popped in the skillet. She used the blanket to wipe some drool from her chin and edged closer to the food. "Can I have some?"
None of them moved, almost comical in their panic, and Zoe tried to care why they would be so afraid. It wasn't like she was naked. She shuffled closer to the fish and her stomach rumbled.
Ethan, poking the filets with a fork, took a deep breath. "Good morning, Zoe. Is Simon coming out soon?"
"I don't know." She chewed her lip and unconsciously reached for one of the filets. So hungry. So unbelievably hungry. "I'm hungry. Can I have some of that?"
Her brain stalled out as everything else in the world faded. Even Ethan giving quick orders to the other guys sailed right over her head; even when the other three retreated, she couldn't look away from the food. Ethan didn't move, though, and he didn't give her any of the fish. "It's not ready. Sit down."
She didn't want to. And that wild part of herself that she didn't know very well, since it only showed up a day ago, wanted to shove him out of the way and eat all the fish in the entire river. Something else grumbled and it wasn't her stomach.
Ethan cleared his throat but kept his voice even and calm and didn't look away from her. "Simon, she's growling."
"I am not," Zoe said, just as Simon said, "I know," behind her.
Zoe blinked but didn't budge as Simon moved close behind her and his arms slid around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled behind her ear. "I thought you wanted to sleep in."
Zoe frowned. Why the hell wouldn't they let her eat? But she didn't want to lose the warmth of Simon at her back, soshe didn't leap forward to knock the skillet out of Ethan's hand. "I'm so hungry."
"I know," he said again, and moved to rub his cheek against the other side of her neck. "I'll feed you. But first you need to put clothes on."
"I want to eatnow," she whispered, reaching once more for the fish in the pan and almost burning her fingers before Ethan pulled the skillet away.
Simon caught her hands so she couldn't do it again, and hugged her tighter. "This is your bear telling you what to do, Zoe. You need to tell her she has to wait. You'll get as much fish as you can eat, but you can't hurt yourself or come out here in just a sheet. What if there were guests, sweetheart?"
She barely registered the endearment, although it surprised the hell out of Ethan based on his expression. Zoe frowned and tried to fight through the fog of hunger to decipher what Simon said. The warm pressure of his hand around her wrists only distracted her. "All I had was a blanket. There weren't any clothes. What was I supposed to wear?"
After a moment, Simon chuckled. "You're right. I'm sorry. Tell you what — I'll take you upstairs so you can change, and Ethan will finish making breakfast. Then we can eat together."
"Can't I have a bite now?" She tore her gaze off the delicious, crispy fish and twisted around to look up at him. "Please? I'm so hungry."
The beard made him look stern, but he ducked to kiss her forehead. "Just a bite." He glanced at Ethan, who passed him part of a filet wrapped in a corn tortilla. Simon held it for a moment, watching her with a strange expression, then offered the food. "Here."
Zoe inhaled it, almost dropping the blanket, and licked her lips as she glanced back at the skillet. She wanted another one. The first bite only whetted her appetite to a roaringfurnace, but before she could plead for another, Simon picked her up and carried her up the stairs.
A growl bubbled up in her chest and Zoe blinked. "Is that me? What the hell is that?"
"Your bear." Simon squeezed her close against his chest before he put her down outside the door to her room. "She'll be wild to start with. You'll probably find it difficult to control her and her reactions to things, particularly basic things like food and fear and anger. Everything will be bigger until you get used to her — you'll be hungrier, and you'll get madder, and you'll want more of things, compared to you before."
He sounded wary. Zoe limped over to the suitcase, open on the floor, and dug around for clothes. She kind of wanted a shower but that would have to wait until after breakfast. She would knock Simon down the stairs if he tried to keep her from eating again. The blanket toga slipped as she straightened with a new pair of jeans and t-shirt in hand, and Simon made a hungry noise behind her.
Zoe glanced back, holding the blanket enough to cover her front even though it dipped low enough on her back he could probably see the top of her butt. "What?"
His gaze remained on her lower back, and naked lust sharpened his features. Zoe flushed, heat crawling up her chest and throat to her face, but a spark ignited in her core as well. He wanted her. She knew it, could see it in his face and parted lips and the way his fingers dug into the door jamb, as if he had to hold himself back from grabbing her. She loved it. Not so long ago, she thought a man like that would never chase her — even if she weren't so scared of confident men and stopped fleeing the moment one expressed interest. The wild part of her fluttered and growled, excited at the thought. Maybe hewouldchase her.
His eyes flashed gold as he lifted his chin and scented theair, and an impressive bulge grew in his jeans. Zoe held her breath, not daring to take her eyes off him, and let the blanket fall the rest of the way to the floor. She wanted to feel his gaze as he saw her, as the desire flushed through him and his hands flexed and the doorjamb came apart with the force of his lust. For the first time, she didn't care if someone saw her body, the ample hips and generous ass. She turned slowly to face him, almost wild with the desire to see him naked again when she was confident enough to touch him, and swallowed whatever remained of her nerves.
Simon groaned, then moved into the room and quickly shut the door behind him, but he didn't grab her. Didn't kiss her or touch her with those giant hands. She ached to feel his hands on her, to feel those long fingers moving over her sides. He looked wild, almost out of control, and his voice dropped. "Baby, I want you so bad it hurts, but this probably isn't a good idea."
"It's a great idea," she said, and the tenor of her voice surprised her. Deeper and husky, like a cabaret singer. She eased a step closer. Her breasts tightened with want and the cool air, her nipples peaked, and she touched her stomach. "Simon says it's a great idea. Simon says you should come over here and kiss me."
