Dark Panther (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) by Tara Shuler Page A

She imagined him as being very creepy, and the thought made her shudder.
    She tried again to open her eyes, but everything was a blur. All she could see was a flickering orange-yellow light that she assumed must be a campfire. She could hear the cracking and popping of the flames, and feel their warmth – a welcome change from the frigid temperatures she’d felt prior to the storm.
    She tried to sit up, but quickly collapsed with a groan of intense pain. She wrapped her arms around herself and whined pitifully.
    “Relax,” Logan said. “You’re hurt pretty badly; you need to rest.”
    “Oh, right,” she said. “Could you rest if you were alone in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger you couldn’t see?”
    “I could if I knew how vital it was to my health,” he argued.
    “Well, okay, fine, but you’re a guy,” she pointed out. “I’m a female, and you’re a male.”
    “Point taken, but I assure you that you are safe with me,” he said.
    “Well, you would say that, now wouldn’t you?” she said.
    “Please, just rest,” he implored. “ Nothing I could do to you at this point would likely hurt you any worse than you’re already hurt, so just close your eyes and get better.”
    He had a point, and Lucy could see it. Every part of her body ached. It was a dull, throbbing ache that radiated from spot to spot. If she moved, the pain would stab her like a thousand searing blades all at once. At this point, even if he was a serial killer, death might be welcomed as a way to take away her pain. Besides, it hurt too much to argue.
    Lucy felt her muscles begin to relax. She felt herself beginning to drift away, and she quickly said, “I’m Lucy, by the way. Lucy Scott.”
    “Nice to meet you, Lucy. Now rest.”
    The crack and pop of the fire and its blessed warmth began to lull her to sleep, and before she knew it, she was carried away into blissful sleep.

Chapter Two
     
    “Please, drink this,” Lucy heard someone say. “Please!”
    His voice echoed as though he were at the end of a long tunnel. It reverberated inside her head until she could hardly understand his words. Her eyelids fluttered, and she tossed her head from side to side, muttering incoherently.
    She felt something against her lips, and cool wetness washed over her tongue. She sputtered, coughing as it trickled into her windpipe.
    “You have to swallow,” he commanded her. “Swallow it!”
    Again, the cool liquid hit her tongue. Confusion clouded her mind, and she began to shiver. The fire crackled nearby, but she felt as though she were enveloped in a raging snowstorm. Her teeth rattled together, and she curled into a ball. Pain wracked her body, and tears stung her eyes. She coughed, and the liquid spewed from her lips.
    “Drink!” he demanded, and one again the cool liquid entered her mouth. This time, she swallowed a little.
    As the cool liquid hit her stomach, it lurched. Nausea overtook her, and she clasped her hand tightly over her mouth. She gagged, but managed to contain it. Moments later, she was asleep once more.
     
    *****
     
    Lucy awoke to intense heat. Her whole body felt like it was in a furnace. Her hair clung to her forehead and neck in thick clumps, and sweat trickled down every part of her skin.
    “Hot…” she whispered hoarsely, clawing furiously at her clothi ng and kicking violently at whatever covered her. “Hot!”
    She immediately felt something cool and wet touch her forehead, and she could have sworn she heard it sizzle when it touched her skin. The coolness slowly soothed her, and before long sleep took over again.
     
    *****
     
    The sound of a vicious growl jerked her out of sleep. Her heart began to thump wildly, fearful that some snarling beast was about to devour her. She tried to open her eyes, but they still burned like someone kicked sand in them. Again came the growl, and her heart jumped, but then she realized the sound was accompanied by a ravenous gnaw deep inside her.
    “Would you