Chapter Thirty Three
Why did I tell Andre to come?
Mary floated in the cool lake water, her eyes closed while the water lapped around her face and the sun warmed her cheeks and nose. The night had been restless. Andre had dominated her dreams. She could still feel the touch of his hand on her skin, the deep tug from within her, building heat in her core. The dreams had woken her shaking with desire. She had reached for him, and when she found that he wasn't lying beside her, her heart almost broke.
So she had gone to the lake just before dawn and had swum in the frigid waters as the sky turned from black to gray.
This isn't right.
Mary left the water, returning to the blue tent that was pitched among a few stunted bushes. Due to the heat and dryness of the summer, there was a fire ban. But David stood near the propane camping stove, cooking hotdogs for breakfast.
He was such a kind man. He deserved more than what she had been giving him. He deserved to know the truth, whatever that truth might be. "David."
He glanced up and smiled.
Some sort of bird let out a trilling call from a nearby tree. It was a small red and black thing. If it wasn't for the accident, would she know what sort of bird it was? David told her that they often went camping. It seemed like the sort of thing that she should know, what kind of bird was native to the area. Or maybe it wasn't even a native species.
Mary turned her attention back to her husband. She sucked her lip between her teeth, hesitating. "The day before yesterday, I met somebody in a coffee shop that I thought I knew."
Was it just her imagination, or did the smile on David's face suddenly look forced? "That's a good thing, then. It means your memories—"
"David."
He fell silent. She could see in his eyes that he was expecting what she was about to say. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in her wet bathing suit. Her towel lay nearby, but she didn't reach for it.
"I think I love him." She forced the words out, not looking at David. "I think I was cheating on you before the accident. The baby… I don't think it's yours."
The wind rustled the trees and the black and red bird sang again. Mary couldn't bring herself to look at David. The sound and smell of sizzling hotdogs filled the space between them. What a bizarre thing to focus on, but Mary didn't want to think about what David would be feeling. Instead, she wondered if he was going to let the hotdogs burn.
"Mary." His hand rested on her arm. "Mary, I'm so sorry."
Her head jerked up. "You're sorry? What are you sorry about? I'm the one who…"
David shook his head. "No. You didn't cheat on me, Mary."
"How could you know? The way I feel around him." She pushed her wet auburn hair from her face. "It's so strong. Like I'm orbiting around him, somehow. I know that sounds lame, but nothing these past two months has felt right. And then I saw him and I just knew him. Even though I didn't recognize him, I knew him and it felt right."
David closed his eyes. He was silent for a long moment, and Mary reached for him, wanting to comfort him. He stepped back out of her embrace.
"And now you feel guilty about something you have no need to feel guilty about. Mary, you didn't cheat on me because… we're not actually married."
A rush of relief lifted Mary's heart before she fully understood what he was saying. When the realization hit her, she stepped back, eyes widening. "What are you saying?"
"It's a long story. It's actually why I wanted to come out here, to tell you. You and I aren't married. We never were. You're pregnant with Andre's child."
"You know his name. How do you know his name?" Mary's heart started beating faster and she felt a coldness creeping into her body that had nothing to do with her wet skin and the blowing wind. "David?"
"I don't know what to say."
"How about the truth?"
"The truth." He turned off the propane stove. "The truth is that it wasn't an accident that took your memories. It was deliberate. I was placed with you while you adjusted to your new life, and then I was going to go back to where we both came from. I was going to stay a month or two, three tops, just to make sure you could support yourself. Then I was going to tell you that I couldn't handle it anymore and leave."
Mary stared at him. Even though she felt no love when she looked at him, he had still been the only thing she knew for the past two months! "How could you do that to me? I… You were going to just let me think that you left me and our baby?"
"I didn't know you were pregnant. Besides, I thought that Andre would find you eventually. Your brother—"
"Brother? You told me all my family was dead!" She wanted to attack him or run away or break down crying. All the confusion of the past two months. Had somebody done that to her on purpose? And David had been a part of it!
Andre is coming. I told him where to find us. He'll come and take me away and tell me the truth.
"I know you're angry, but—"
A thunderous growl made Mary's head turn. Her whole body went cold and a gasp pushed itself out of her lungs as adrenaline pumped into her blood. A huge bear stalked through the trees. She had never seen anything so big. It was all muscle with gleaming white fur. A huge, angular head swung towards her and black lips pulled back over sharp teeth.
What was a polar bear doing this far south?
It started for her and she stood stupidly, frozen to the spot. Her jaw opened to scream when suddenly a wolf leaped from her peripheral vision. The bear turned, swatting at it, but it easily dodged the blow and jumped onto the bear's back, snarling as it tore at the fur on the bear's neck. Cloth clung to the wolf–strips of David's clothes.
Mary finally found her legs and she ran. The car. The keys were on the dashboard. If she made it there she could get away.
She heard the bear pursuing and just as she shut the door behind her, the bear slammed into the car. The whole thing rocked, tilting up on two wheels and crashing back down. Mary scrambled for the keys. They had fallen under her seat, just out of reach. The wolf jumped onto the car hood and then onto the bear. It rose on its hind legs, swiping at the wolf, and then threw its weight against the car again. Metal screeched and spider web cracks splintered over the windshield.
Mary leaned on the horn. The blaring noise made the polar bear jerk back, but it came for her again, mouth open wide as it tore at the car door. The wolf pounced on it, and the bear flipped it away as though it was nothing more than a nuisance.
Something huge and brown suddenly barreled into the polar bear, knocking it off its feet. A grizzly. Mary's jaw dropped as the polar bear regained its feet and went after the grizzly. The noise was like two titans clashing. The roars and growls of the two bears seemed to shake the whole world. Muscles bulged, fur went flying and blood splattered everywhere.
The passenger door opened and Mary screamed. David slid into the car, naked and bleeding.
"Drive!" he shouted.
Mary scrambled for the keys and was finally able to grab them. Her hands shook as she started the car. The polar bear turned at the noise. The grizzly dodged in, its mouth closing around the other bear's neck. Mary threw the car into reverse and began pulling away.
The polar bear roared. It shoved the grizzly off, slamming it into a tree. The tree cracked and fell, and then came crashing down on the grizzly.
Mary stopped the car, heart in her throat.
"What are you doing?"
She ignored David, changing gears. Her foot stomped hard on the gas and the car shot forward. The polar bear was over the grizzly, its back towards them. Mary's hands were suddenly steady, the buzz of acceleration filling her mind, crowding out all other thoughts.
They hit the bear with a sickening crunch.
***
Andre stumbled to his feet, spasms of pain shooting down his spine to his paws. Easton sprawled on the ground, front paws digging into the earth. His back legs lay useless. Blood gushed from his body, staining his white fur and turning the earth muddy.
He deserves this pain. Andre pinned the larger bear to the ground and closed his mouth around Easton's throat, biting down until he tasted blood. When his enemy was no longer breathing, he left the body.
Mary was just exiting the car. Blood trickled down her forehead, but she otherwise looked unharmed.
Andre repressed his Bear, rushing to her side. "Mary!"
"Don't touch me!"
Andre skidded to a stop. His heart died within him at the look of utter terror in Mary's eyes.