Chapter 7

After wrapping her injured finger and a pleasant dinner with Beorn, Ornella excused herself for her bath. She waded in the water of the large wooden bathtub, eyes closed and content.

"Look at us, Lucky," She spoke to the horse whose ears flickered at the sound of her voice, "This is much nicer than our old home, don't you think?"

The horse gave a snort, bringing a chuckle out of Ornella. Aldo lay next to the tub, devotedly waiting for her to finish so that they could fall asleep together.

"You are looking very handsome as of late as well," She sweet-talked the dog.

Aldo's fur had been so matted that Beorn had no choice but to sheer the matted fur off Aldo for which the dog was extremely thankful. The painful knots were no more and he felt as light as a butterfly. Regular baths and trimming kept his shaggy hair shining and smooth.

That was perhaps what Ornella was most grateful for; Beorn's kindness towards her only friends.

"I suppose we better get some sleep," She sighed out loud, having to forcefully pull her relaxed body out of the water.

She grabbed a nearby towel as she took a step out of the tub. She felt her ankle give out clumsily, losing her balance, falling and landing on her back with a loud "ouch." She growled in annoyance, feeling the dirt and sprinkles of hay attaching themselves to her wet body. She slowly sat up with a wince, taking a moment.

The sound of swift and heavy footsteps heading her way made her freeze. Her wide eyes shot towards the door. Beorn, who ran towards the sounds of the distressed woman, appeared at the doorway worriedly. Beorn's quickly expression changed, his eyes unwittingly landing on the glorious sight before him.

Time froze for them both.

The woman who plagued his sinful thoughts was sitting stark naked on the ground, wet hair draping down her arms and shoulders like strands of shining pearls. Hints of ample curves underneath her dress were now fully exposed for him to see. He was caught in a trance, unable to get himself out as his eyes goatishly raked her body. Her large hips and breasts were made for birthing children... large children. The realization made him hungry for her.

He was only broken out of his trance when she scrambled to cover herself clumsily. If mortification were a color, she would be the prime example. Her tan flesh was almost maroon from head to toe. Beorn finally tore his eyes away, turning his back to her.

He said nothing, walking out as if nothing happened. Ornella's breathing quickened as she stayed standing, wrapping her towel around herself securely. She stood there for a long while, unable to overcome the humiliation she felt.

Even so, why did it feel so... thrilling?

The tension after the bath incident continued well into the next day. Ornella continued to act as if nothing happened, speaking to him as normal and going on about her day without any indication that she was angry or upset with him. Beorn, however, had been unable to look her in the eye since then. Little did he know that Ornella was upset at herself, not at Beorn.

She blamed her clumsiness and dramatic exclamation for drawing him to her. Had she not sounded like she was falling down a cliff instead of out of the tub, he wouldn't have come running to her aid and they could have avoided it all.

Ornella had been unable to sleep that night. The way his eyes so shamelessly caressed her form excited her. She shuddered even now thinking about it, feeling a small ache in between her legs she had never felt before. Growing up around disgusting men and their foul conversation, she knew exactly what she was feeling. As exciting as it was, it was also terrifying.

Having these feelings towards a friend who took her in gave her a small dose of shame. She wondered if he could sense her thoughts somehow. Maybe that was why he was avoiding her. But it was ridiculous. Unless... skin-changers read minds?

"Oh, heavens, I hope not..." She whispered out loud to herself.

Night fell and Ornella saw no further sign of Beorn. She ate dinner in silence with only Aldo for company before she went to bed. She ended up staring at the ceiling, unable to stop replaying yesterday's events over and over in her mind.

Whilst she lay in bed struggling to sleep, the great black bear ran fiercely through the fields in an attempt to rid himself of his unwanted thoughts and feelings. He ran for a good long while patrolling the lands as he did so, pushing his body to distract from his sexual frustration. He was eventually appeased and made his way home long after Ornella had managed to fall asleep.

His shape shifted as he ran on four paws and ended up finishing with two legs, his nude form bathing in the moonlight. He quickly walked towards his stable, grabbing a pair of brown pants he kept by the entrance and quietly putting them on. He moved stilly as he passed by the sleeping animals until he came upon Ornella's sleeping form in her usual spot.

He leaned against a wooden pillar, allowing himself the pleasure of looking upon her. It had become a guilty pleasure: watching her sleep. She was curled into a ball, lips slightly parted, a blanket draped over her form. The sleeve of her dress fell a tiny bit, bringing his eyes to her creamy shoulder. Even in modesty, she managed to taunt him with her titillating beauty.

I see you are watching her again.

Mara's voice startled him, bringing his attention to the mare who managed to sneak up behind him. He didn't even bother to deny what he was doing. It seemed as if this week he would experience more embarrassment than he had his entire life. Mara noted his discomfort and took pity on him.

Come, my friend, walk with me under the moonlight. We've not spent time together for a while.

Beorn liked the sound of that and spared only one more glance at Ornella before following the mare outside. Mara waited until they were far enough from the stable so that the other animals could not overhear. It was too much to hope for that she would not bring up the sleeping woman.

She notices your odd behavior, you know.

Beorn did his best to look and sound disinterested, only grunting in response. Mara didn't know of the uncomfortable incident between the two. She assumed that the change in him was due to his growing feelings for the girl – which was also true.

She is becoming very skilled with her bow, Mara changed the subject, It will not be long before she is able to fend for herself and able to continue her travels.

Beorn's jaw clenched tightly. If Mara was trying to get a reaction out of him, she was doing a good job getting there. Even so, he said nothing and allowed Mara to continue.

You will not admit it, perhaps not even to yourself, but you do not wish for her to leave.

"You speak as if you know what I am thinking," He responded, his tone sharper than he intended to sound.

How long have I known you, my friend?

Beorn immediately felt guilty for snapping at her.

A long time, she answered for him, Trust me as you once did.

"I never stopped trusting you," He assured her quietly, "Perhaps... I have allowed myself to become... distracted."

Distracted? I think that is an understatement.

A tense lull filled the air. He knew Mara was waiting for him to say the words he was too proud to say himself.

"Perhaps..." He started again, hesitantly and almost painfully finishing his thought, "I care... for her."

Why not ask her to stay? Mara pushed gently, bumping her snout against his arm tenderly as they continued to walk aimlessly.

Beorn's heart ached as he answered the following, "She deserves more."

Since when do you doubt myself, my friend? I have never known you to do so.

"There are many unfamiliar feelings she has cast on me," He admitted, "Perhaps she is a witch."

Mara snorted in what was a horse's equivalent to a chuckle.

Just because she has you enchanted; it does not make her a witch.

And enchanted he was.

I am confident she would accept your offer to stay. She is happy here.

"How can you be so certain?"

How can you not? She countered. She is not the same woman she was when she first came.

Beorn had no response. Even if Mara was right and Ornella agreed to stay, he couldn't ignore the long-term consequences of his feelings. She would steal his heart right from his chest and what then? Telling her why he wanted her to stay was not a matter he could dance around. It would be wrong to live a lie and continue as her platonic companion only to admire her from afar forever. His concern wasn't whether or not she would choose to stay – it was whether or not she would stay and have him in the way he wished to have her.

He thought back to when they first met and how it somehow managed to turn into a friendship he treasured above all else. Their distrust in each other had completely wore off and now she constantly greeted him with a smile and pleasant conversation. Beorn thought of the one and only hug she had given him after receiving her bow. He wished he could relive the moment or have savored it when it happened but it ended it as quickly as it began.

You cannot avoid it forever.

Beorn exhaled deeply.

"I will think about it."

That was enough for Mara for the time being. They finished their walk with no more conversation of Ornella.