Bear Shifters of Alaska: Three Book Bundle Page 3

  “I can handle this. He’ll never see it coming, and in a blink of an eye it will be over. I’ll protect you with my life. He’ll never hurt you again.”

  Lily swallowed hard. Her voice shook. “Okay.”

  “There’s no easier way. He lives or he dies. If he lives, well, we discussed this.”

  “I just wish I didn’t know.”

  “I shouldn’t have said anything, but thought if you knew he was gone, you’d never have to be afraid of him again. Maybe it was a mistake.”

  “No. It’s okay. He deserves to die,” she said, trying to sound brave.

  Denver started pacing. “When I think about what he did…” His shoulders tensed and pushed up and forward, his back wanting to arch. He could feel the anger leading him. The thought of the man alone… a huffing, then a low growl.

  Lily watched him nervously. “Are you okay?”

  He tried to shake it off. He shook his head, cocking it to the side, trying to force his bear to stay in. His face… Denver stomped his foot down and shot out a firm, “No.”

  Lily backed up. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry. It’s okay. Don’t be afraid.”

  “Your growl, it was like when you were sleeping. It didn’t sound like a man’s voice.” She didn’t quite understand, but he stood right before her.

  “Sorry, I get a little gruff when I’m upset.” He coughed, pretending like it was just an itch in his throat. He’d have to tell her eventually. She needed to know. Denver closed his eyes. Not now. It was too much. Let him rid the world of the douche first, then he’d figure out the rest. Once Gabriel Dante was no longer a member of the world, then he’d decide how to tell Lily his truth. He couldn’t hide his bear forever. She’d eventually realize he was a shifter.

  Chapter 6

  Before he could leave for his evening hunt, Lily stopped him. “I’m having second thoughts about all of this. I loathe the man. I fear him more than anything. Like a creature that has no soul, he’s a living nightmare. I’m afraid of you ending up in trouble, because of me.”

  “Do you trust me?” Denver asked, stepping closer to Lily.

  “I’m afraid you won’t come back; that he’ll hurt you or that the police will get you. Then you’ll be forever gone. There are so many things that could go wrong.”

  Denver sighed. He took Lily’s hand and sat down on the sofa with her. “There are things I can’t tell you. We’ve been through this. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay. The asshole left you to die. Do you remember that? He kidnapped you – tore you away from your family when you were just a child. He’s an evil man. If we don’t end this now, he’ll hurt somebody else. It’s just a matter of time.”

  She nodded. “What if I lose you? You’re the realest thing I’ve had in my life in ten years. In only a few days, the amount of caring and protection you’ve offered has meant so much to me. The way you look at me and wrap your arm over me – I feel human again. You’re my hero. You took me in and made me whole again.”

  He gently tipped her head forward and put his forehead on hers. “You’re going to have a long journey with more emotions that you can handle. The last thing you need is to fear him. We’ll wipe that off of the slate, and it will release that anxiety, okay?”

  “Be safe. Please come home to me,” she begged.

  “I will. I need to go. Stay here. Lock the door behind me. You’ll be safe. And I showed you were the gun was this morning.”

  Lily breathed in his scent, memorizing it. He was woodsy and masculine with a hint of vanilla. Magical. Not like the monster. He always smelled of sweat and filth. She drew another deep breath and let him go. He promised he’d come back. It would be okay.

  ***

  She was getting stronger. Each movement forced a sore muscle to stretch. She paced in the small cabin. It was a nice home – more than enough for one or two people, though certainly not large enough for a family. Her home back in Virginia was a four-bedroom Colonial with a double garage. She’d taken it for granted at that time; just a kid thinking everybody lived that way. The monster’s cabin was no more than a shack, haphazardly fixed time to time. This one was more like a log cabin, like it was built the right way.

  The darkness crowded her heart and lungs. Lily shuddered, then wrapped her arms around her body. Her parents. Did they know she was alive? She needed to get to them. Soon, but first she needed time to absorb everything. So many years had passed. Would they recognize her now? She missed them so much it hurt. She’d replay memories of her parents and brother over and over when she’d try to fall asleep. She’d see them soon. She should at least call and tell them – not yet. She was overwhelmed as it was. There would be so many questions. And what about Denver? He was risking life and limb for her.

  The night moved slowly. Too slowly. It felt like he’d never get back. She paced, then sat, then paced. She took a shower and washed her hair. The hot water soothed her anxiety for a few minutes, but not much more. She towel-dried, slipped a shirt on, then paced more.

  After what seemed like forever, she heard noises near the cabin. She couldn’t make them out. She looked through the kitchen window, but it was too dark to see. Torn between fear and curiosity, she ran to the shelf, grabbed the gun, and then got the ammunition. What if it wasn’t him? She needed to protect herself.

  She cocked the shotgun back like he explained and put the bullets in. When she clicked it closed, she jumped at the sound. It was too real. The only gun she’d held was a toy one that sprayed water as a child. She summoned her courage, then cracked open the door.

  “I have a gun,” she yelled out. Her arms trembled, as she tried to hold on to the weapon through her fear. “Get out of here!”

  She heard the huffing and loud breathing. Was it too late? She should have stayed inside. It was so damn foolish to be out there. Lily stood silently, trying to make out what it was.…then she saw his eyes. Her voice shook as she spoke. “Get back or I’ll shoot.”

  He stepped into view, on all four feet. “Lily, no!”

  Lily’s knees started to buckle. Her head was woozy. She couldn’t hold on. She slowly squeezed the trigger and collapsed. Lily dropped the gun as she fainted and fell to the ground.

  The shot rang out, loud and strong, as the bullets whizzed by Denver’s body. Thankfully, her aim was off as she’d started to fall. It was close, but not close enough to hit anything other than a tree.

  Denver cussed under his breath. “Shit.”

  He’d meant to shift back, but was making better time as his bear self. The deed was done. The wolves would take it from there. The monster was only something of horror stories now. A few swipes with his long, sharp claws and the demon was left in a pool of blood. Unlike Lily, Gabriel Dante no longer had a heartbeat or air in his lungs.

  Chapter 7

  Denver shifted back to his human self and picked Lily up. After he placed her on the sofa, he went back to get the double barrel shotgun. He ejected the cartridges and put it back on the shelf. Lily was coming around. She muttered and opened her eyes slowly, looking around.

  Denver stood over her. “Hey, are you okay?”

  She closed her eyes and reopened them. Maybe it was a dream. She was in the house. Denver was there. She jumped up and hugged him. “You’re okay. I’m so glad you’re home. I had the weirdest dream. It felt so real.”

  Denver shook his head and pulled up a chair beside the sofa. “Sit down. We need to talk.”

  Lily arched an eyebrow. “What happened?”

  “There are some things you need to understand. Things that may make you question reality, but if you’re going to stick around, you should know.”

  “What is it? You sound so serious. Did something happen?”

  “Everything is handled,” he said. “I can’t say anything else, but that creep will never bother anyone ever again.” Denver drew a deep breath. This wasn’t something he revealed to just anyone. He’d barely knew the girl, and yet – he’d risked a lot just to h
andle that asshole. He hoped it wasn’t a mistake, but decided that she needed to know.

  “What?” she prodded.

  “There are some things that are difficult to accept as reality. I don’t know if or how much knowledge you have on a certain topic, but if we have this conversation, then you need to know it can’t go any further. You. Me. I’m going to trust you, just like you’ve trusted me.”

  “Of course,” she said. Lily watched Denver’s jaw tense. It wasn’t fear, more like apprehension. It must be important.

  Denver stood and paced for a moment and then sat back down. “It’s sort of like diving into cold water. You can either just get in and get it over with, or inch in, trying to deal with the shock. I’m going to dive in. Everything you know about me remains the same. You can trust me. I’ll protect you at all cost. I want you to stay. Everything…okay?”

  She nodded. “Tell me,” she whispered.

  “Lily, I’m a shapeshifter,” he said, his eyes drilling into her gaze.

  Lily started to laugh. “Oh, please. You can stop pulling my leg now.”

  “Did you see the bear outside? Hear me call your name?”

  Lily’s color started to fade. The flush of her cheeks was no more. Translucent and pale, she poked the man-bear. “That was you? I thought…no, wait. It doesn’t make sense. There’s no such thing.”

  Denver sighed. “It’s true. You can ask me anything you want, but promise me you won’t go running scared. I promise you’re safe with me.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I believe you. That’s the stuff of fairytales. I’m not stupid.”

  “If I show you…” He hated the thought. He knew it would freak her out at first. “If I show you, will you stay and talk to me after? I’m afraid if I shift, you’ll run. I’ll look like a bear. I’ll be a bear, but I still have my human mind. I’m still me. I’ll shift back into a man after, if you promise me you won’t panic.”

  Her lip twitched. “Right here? Now? You can just snap your fingers and… no, I just…fine. I’ll stay. I’m not sure if you’re pulling my leg or serious. I’ve never. I mean. Yeah, umm, I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say.”

  “Okay, let’s do this. I’m going to talk after the initial shift, so you know it’s me. Usually in the wild, I revert to my bear voice, but I’ll get you through this first part, okay?”

  She nodded, not sure what to think. It was surreal, the idea alone.

  “It’s not pretty,” he said, warning Lily before starting. “I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt, and it’s quite natural for me.”

  “Okay,” she said as her heart lodged in her throat. It was beating wildly.

  He hated to reveal himself, and yet if she’d chosen to stay, hiding his secret would be worse. Of course, she could betray him. It was all a gamble.

  “You ready? I’m going to go through some phases here, but I can’t talk while I’m mid-shift. Just stay with me, okay?”

  She nodded. She wanted to cover her head with a blanket and hide away like watching a horror movie. And yet, it wasn’t horror. Was it?

  “Here we go,” he said, giving her one last warning.

  Bits of hair bristled at his neck. Denver rolled his neck and stretched his shoulders. A large mass of muscle grew at his back near his shoulders, and as his body moved into the shape of his bear being, he dropped to all fours. His size expanded, fur appeared, and his nose elongated as his teeth grew sharper and longer. His bear collided with his human self, crashing over him in an instant. On what once was his hands, large straight claws up to five inches long appeared. His size was massive, and as he turned to Lily at his side, the look of horror faded to fascination.

  “Holy shit,” she croaked out. Her voice trembled with anxiety. She clutched her body, wrapping her arms around herself. She pressed as far back into the sofa as she was able. “Please don’t hurt me.”

  “It’s okay,” he started.

  Her fear grew on top of itself. She questioned her sanity and started to laugh. “This isn’t real. I’m dreaming. Holy shit, no, this is just…wrong.”

  “Lily, you’re not dreaming. I’m right here with you,” the bear version of Denver stated as calmly as he was able. The shock in her eyes, her pupils, gave her away.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “No. Just no.”

  Denver huffed, then focused on coming back to his human body.

  Lily was frantic. “No. This isn’t real.”

  Denver adjusted himself and stood. “Lily?”

  “No. No.” She was coiled up as tightly as she could be, making her smaller, pressed tightly to the sofa cushion.

  He closed his eyes, then sat next to her. He reached over and took her hand. “Scary, right? But it’s okay. I’m here.”

  She looked at him hesitantly, then accepted his gesture. Slowly, she sat more upright and leaned into him. “I’m not sure what just happened. I’m really freaked out right now. I want you to know that. I’m trying to process what just happened. Quite honestly, that’s really fucked up. And I’m not even sure it’s real. Am I hallucinating? I don’t know. What I do know is that I have a fuck ton of questions. I’m scared I’m losing my mind after all that I’ve been through. I’m not crazy, am I?”

  He let her talk, then wrapped his arm over her shoulder. She finally nuzzled in against him, realizing it was safe. She wasn’t so sure about this entire bear shapeshifting thing, but he was the man that saved her. Denver, she recognized.

  “Does it hurt?” she finally asked.

  “I’m used to it,” he answered. “It’s an odd sensation. I remember that from when I was younger. Now, I’ve done it so much, it’s normal to me.”

  “Look, I know you did…but, I’m still not sure I believe what my eyes witnessed, if that makes sense.”

  He nodded.

  “Wait, what about your clothes?” She was confused. As a bear, there were no clothes. Now, he sat there all dressed.

  “Ah, that’s something that’s hard to explain. Okay, so when you’re a young lad, just starting school, you don’t have control the way you do as an adult. Once it’s become apparent you’ve got the ability to shift, you work around that. You either strip down first, or you’d wear tear away pants and the sort. You’ve heard of Velcro? Yeah, well, my mother adapted clothing, so I didn’t have to buy a new wardrobe every other week. You’re just learning, trying to grasp the changing aspect, and clothes are the least of your worries. Then, as you get older, by around high school, you’re trained in the art of control and being able to shift with your clothing. It takes a lot of practice, but over time adults make the transition. I can transform with them on now, as if they’re a part of me. There’s one exception,” he said.

  “And that is?” She was fascinated. Even if it was all phony-baloney, he had her going.

  “Rage. Anger is something that can be hard to hold back. You get this itch; this need for your primal self to emerge. You can feel it raising its head, wanting out. Holding it back takes a lot of focus.”

  She turned sideways and faced him. “This is really weird. Like, totally freaky weird. It’s a little jarring, a lot scary, and a whole lot of crazy. I’m just not sure what to think. Here you sit, and I’m not afraid, and you’re Denver, the guy who saved me. Next thing you know…”

  “It’s a lot to take in. On that note, it can be dangerous for you to share this information with others. It could put me in jeopardy. Shifters used to be more widely accepted around these parts, but over the last ten years, it’s all changed. We keep to ourselves, keep our identities low, and trust is a really big deal. I’m trusting you. Do you understand how big that is?”

  “I think so,” she said. “Your secret is safe with me. I don’t mean to be a pain in the ass, but could you like, do that bear thing again. I need to believe what I saw. I’m not sure I do.”

  “Yeah, okay. One more time.”

  As his body morphed right before her eyes, Lily cocked her head to the side. She was as frightened as she wa
s curious. Goose bumps ran up her arm. She hesitantly reached out to touch his fur, then jerked back her hand. She tried again, trying to keep her hand in place for a moment. Lily pushed her fingers through his thick brown fur. He was all muscle below.

  Her fear turned to nervous laughter. Talking to no one but herself, her voice trembled. “I’m petting a bear. Holy cow, no, holy bear… there’s a bear in the living room. This is completely and utterly insane. Denver?”

  He turned his head toward her.

  “That’s you?” She looked into his eyes, then deeper, locking in on them. There was a hint of recognition.

  He came back to his human self and stood. “Lily, I still want you to stay. My intention wasn’t to frighten you away, but you needed to know about this.”

  She stared at him. “Thank you for trusting me. I need time to process everything, but I still want you to know how flattered I am that you shared that with me.”

  He nodded. He prayed she didn’t run away in the middle of the night, fleeing for her safety. She was safer with him than without him. Denver had no way of knowing what was going through her head, but her words and eyes didn’t align.

  Chapter 8

  Lily twisted a strand of hair around her finger. Her mind was working overtime. If she showed too much fear…well, that wouldn’t do. Not around a primal beast. If this wasn’t some weird dream, she wasn’t sure what it was.

  Denver had saved her, but it only added to the confusion. He wanted to help her, not hurt her. And yet, he was a bear, sort of. There was no telling what a wild animal was capable of. Or rather yet, she knew exactly…oh fuck. It was his bear that came back from the woods. If he could do that to one – who says he wouldn’t do it to another?

  The size of his claws alone were massive. One slice and she’d be done. His teeth, one bite and she’d be crushed. The muscle – yeah, he was big. Too big. Scary big. What if he changed while they were sleeping? What if he lost control? What if she was at risk? Too many questions plagued her. Her brain spun faster than she could keep up with. So many questions, and so much damn fear. She clenched down her teeth, trying to hide it, but didn’t animals smell fear? Or was that just some stupid expression?