by Dakota West
She was human.
“Fuck this,” said Craig. “Let’s go.”
“No,” said Olivia. “We stay. He can’t control my life like this.”
Despite her shakes, she stabbed a piece of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth defiantly.
Then, behind her, she heard, “Hello, Olivia.”
She didn’t have time to brace herself.
Her bear expanded inside her in a heartbeat, and before Olivia knew it, while she was still chewing her salami, she was shifting.
She almost felt like she was watching herself grow claws and fur and teeth, her brain folding in on itself and simplifying as she struggled to stop the shift, but it was too late.
For a moment, Olivia looked around L’Aubergine as she stood on all fours, baring her teeth as Buck. Screaming patrons ran everywhere, but she hardly noticed them.
Olivia looked at Buck with bear eyes, and suddenly, she recognized something. Not the human who’d locked her in the barn.
No, she recognized the wolf.
Memories came back to her in a flood: blood and fur and teeth and claws. A surprise ambush.
Then she had one final, lonely human thought:
NO.
The tiny human part of Olivia screamed and pushed, pushed harder than she ever had before.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then, at least, she felt her bear recede, the fur and claws and teeth folding back into her, her whole self collapsing, and suddenly she was falling to the floor, naked and sweaty.
Behind her there was a crash and liquid splashed across her. Then someone — either Craig or Jasper — covered her with a table cloth and then with himself. Both of them were shouting something, everyone in the restaurant was screaming, but Olivia could only think about one thing.
From the floor, she looked up, slowly pushing herself to her feet. She held the tablecloth in front of herself, wrapped tightly around her, and she felt someone put a huge, tentlike dress shirt around her.
She stared at Buck, right into his steel-gray eyes.
It was the eyes that she remembered.
“It was you,” she said.
Buck raised his eyebrows mockingly.
“It’s still me,” he said, his tone cruel and cold.
The restaurant patrons who hadn’t left were all gathered around the walls, broken dishes and plates everywhere. It was mostly shifters still present, and Olivia’s over-sensitive nose could scent the adrenaline rolling off of all of them in waves.
“Call the police,” she heard someone mutter.
“Call animal control,” a tart female voice responded.
“She’s getting locked up for sure now,” said someone else.
Olivia ignored them all and kept staring at Buck, the tablecloth wrapped tightly around her, the dress shirt over her shoulders.
She didn’t give a shit what anyone said about her, because she finally remembered.
“I killed those wolves,” she said, staring Buck in the eyes. “You know I did, because you were there.”
A slight crease formed between his eyebrows, and instantly, Olivia knew that she was right.
“You’re wrong,” he said.
“There were three of you,” she went on, ignoring him. “It was spring, and I’d just woken up form hibernation, and I was so hungry. I was rooting around for grubs and berries somewhere, and then I turned, and there were three wolves right behind me,” she said.
Buck’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t say anything. One of the other pack members he was with gave him a sideways glance.
“There was one in front and two behind, and the front wolf was huge, with these yellow-gray eyes and gray-brown fur with one black streak right down the middle of his forehead.”
She reached out and tapped Buck on the forehead, and her hand didn’t even shake.
“Right there,” she said.
The rest of his pack looked at Buck, and Olivia could sense a change coming over them.
“You lunged at me,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. Wolves never attack grizzlies, especially shifter wolves, so I had no idea what was going on. You got me on the shoulder but I knocked you off, and then the other two attacked.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head quickly, trying to shake the memories free, get them in the right order in her head.
“I was so tired and weak and hungry, but I got them off of me. I didn’t mean to kill them, I just wanted them to stop, especially because I thought you were going to attack me too. But instead, there were two dead wolves and then I watched you slink off.”
Buck’s face hadn’t changed. He said nothing, but then his eyes darted from Olivia to Jasper to Craig, and in that tiny motion, she could sense that she’d won.
“You watched as they died and you did nothing,” she said. “You goaded them into attacking me, and then you ran away.”
Buck snorted.
“That’s a nice story,” he said.
“It’s a true story,” she said.
“It’s bullshit is what it is,” Buck said. He puffed up his chest, drawing himself to his full height, and behind her, Olivia could sense Jasper and Craig doing the same, and they had a couple inches on Buck, easy. “I’d never put my own peoples’ lives at risk, and for what? To kill some feral girl? Ferals do a pretty good job of that themselves. They don’t need our help.”
“You’ve got that black streak, Buck,” one of the other wolves said softly.
Buck shrugged.
“And you were acting pretty odd that day,” added another one.
Buck turned to face them.
“You’re not going to believe a half-crazed grizzly over me, are you?” he asked. He kept his tone genial, his hands spread before him beseechingly, but everyone there could hear a slight wheedling tone, a note of worry, in his voice.
A big wolf stepped forward, going nearly nose-to-nose with Buck. Olivia didn’t recognize him. She didn’t recognize anyone besides Buck; the wolf who’d brought her meat and been nice to her while she was in the cage wasn’t there.
“Let’s talk about it back at the ranch,” the man said to Buck.
It was clear from his tone, and from the way that the other wolves closed in, that it wasn’t merely a suggestion.
“We can talk about it here,” Buck said.
“Do you fellows want to talk about it here?” the other wolf ask.
They answered in the negative and started to walk out, the wolves surrounding Buck in a circle.
“She’s a hysterical liar,” Olivia could hear Buck saying. “She just wants attention.”
When they disappeared from sight, Olivia collapsed into a chair. The tablecloth she’d been holding around her slipped, and the restaurant burst back to life, with people rushing everywhere, streaming out, and waiters trying to get them to pay their bills first.
Olivia ignored everything, slipping her arms into the shirt she’d been given and pulling it around her. Finally, she looked back at Jasper and Craig. Craig was only wearing a white undershirt.
“Thanks,” she said, simply. The arms came far down past her hands, but the front of the shirt went almost to her knees. Good enough.
At the back of the restaurant, she could see a fat human in chef’s white standing, looking out over the dining room, his face turning a furious shade of purple.
Jasper grabbed her hand.
“We should go,” he said. “We’ll deal with this later, but first things first.”
Olivia took one look at the man and followed the two of them out of the restaurant.
“Hey!” she heard a man’s voice shouting behind her. “HEYYY!”
They booked it to their waiting car.
For an hour, Olivia sat in the back of their car as Jasper held her close while Craig drove around. At first, she’d been worried that either the police or animal control was after her, but the sirens never materialized.
Even so, the awful scene played in her head, non-stop: the
wolves attacking, her spinning around, clawing them open. If it wasn’t that, it was the scene she’d just caused in the restaurant: the horrible feeling of her bear being totally out of control, the screaming patrons, the way that everyone had looked at her like she was an animal.
Olivia hadn’t meant to kill anyone. She hadn’t meant to shift. It had just happened.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Jasper whispered into her hair, over and over again. Olivia stayed silent for a long time, trying to process everything.
Now, she was almost certainly going to get locked up somewhere. She’d shifted in a restaurant, for the love of God, and you couldn’t just do that. Besides, given her reputation, it was unlikely that anyone would believe her account over Buck — though his pack had certainly been willing to take her side into consideration.
“Do you want us to take you home?” Craig asked from the front seat.
“No,” said Olivia, snuggling further into Jasper’s solid, comforting warmth. “I can’t face my mom right now.”
“Do you want to come back to our place?” Jasper asked.
Olivia nodded. She knew that usually, that question had sexy overtones, but she was totally certain that she’d ruined any chance she had of getting it on with these two.
I should have been more persuasive that night in my backyard, she thought. Turns out that was my only chance. They’re only taking me home because they feel sorry for me now, for sure.
Suddenly, bright lights flooded through the car and it came to a stop. Olivia sat up, feeling panicked, and looked around for the cop cars.
“I’m just picking up dinner,” Craig said. “Aren’t you hungry?”
Olivia’s stomach growled, as if responding to him, and for the first time since they’d left the French restaurant, she smiled.
“I guess,” she said.
When they got to Craig and Jasper’s house, the moment Olivia got inside, a wagging black shape made a beeline for her.
She panicked for a millisecond, her nerves still on edge, then realized: it was a dog.
“That’s Ninety Nine,” Craig said. “You can just call her Ninety.”
Ninety sniffed Olivia, nudging her face underneath Olivia’s hands like crazy, wagging her tail and licking her hands.
“She likes you,” Craig said.
“I smell like barbecue,” Olivia said.
“She doesn’t like barbecue that much,” Jasper observed.
The three of them didn’t even bother to sit at the table. Instead they stood around the island in the kitchen, eating barbecue ribs with their hands, smearing the sauce all over their faces.
“These are amazing,” Olivia said between mouthfuls. “What is this place?”
“Benny’s Barbecue,” Craig said. He chewed and swallowed. “Weird little coyote-run place up in a holler. It’s out of the way, so we almost never go there, but since I was driving around aimlessly tonight I figured I’d go there.”
Olivia ripped the meat from another bone with her teeth, feeling half-feral but wonderful.
This isn’t sexy at all, she thought. I’ve already ruined my chances, though, so why bother eating politely?
When she finished, she made a half-hearted attempt at wiping her hands and face with a paper napkin, but it just tore, leaving bits of paper on her skin.
“You can use our shower if you want,” Jasper offered.
Olivia raised her eyebrows.
“You probably want to shower after today anyway,” said Craig. “It’s upstairs. Here, I’ll show you.
He led her up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The whole house, bedroom included, was decorated in what Olivia thought of as Grizzly Shifter Lite. There was just enough bare wood around to suggest a cabin in the woods, but not so much that it was overwhelming, like Cora’s place could be.
Not that Olivia would ever tell Cora that. Particularly while she was pregnant.
In the middle of the bedroom was a truly massive bed, covered in a plush-looking comforter.
They have a bed built for three, Olivia realized. Suddenly, a pang of guilt shot through her. There was no way she could be in a triad, no way she was meant to be anyone’s mate.
She’d tried to be normal, and she’d failed. It didn’t matter what she wanted, because she knew as well as anyone that most former ferals ended up living alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, mateless.
I should let them find someone else, she thought, looking at Craig, opening the door to the master bathroom.
I’m sorry, she thought, appreciating his form even as she thought it.
“Shower’s in here,” he said. “Fresh towels in that cabinet. Soap and shampoo and stuff should be pretty self-explanatory, I think. The shower just works like a shower. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks,” said Olivia, as Craig left, closing the bedroom door behind him.
She took a long, hot shower, letting the water wash over her until it started running lukewarm. She washed her hair once and scrubbed her body hard, afraid that she still smelled like a combination of bear and barbecue.
Why does it matter? She asked. You’re sleeping on their couch and then you’re going home in the morning, because they don’t deserve to have to deal with trouble like you.
She shut the water off and then wrapped herself in an enormous, fluffy bath towel, resisting the urge to shake herself dry. The thing went all the way around her nearly twice.
Finally clean, she padded back into the bedroom to find a pair of boxer shorts and a soft, old t-shirt that said Vote Sargent 2006! On it. She put them on and ran one hand over the fluffy comforter, feeling her hand sink into its soft surface as she did.
Suddenly, she was dead tired.
Just for a moment, she thought. You can’t just sleep in their bed, but you can lie down for a minute.
I mean, you used their shower and you’re wearing their clothes.
Olivia crawled onto the enormous bed, her weight sinking down into the comforter, and she lay there for a minute.
I should get back up, she thought.
Within moments, she was fast asleep.
Chapter Ten
Jasper
When Craig came out of the bedroom, Jasper was already setting the thick white candles around the living room, across the coffee table, in front of the fireplace, all over the end tables. Ninety laid on the living room floor, watching.
“It’s going to look like a Meatloaf video,” Craig said, hands on his hips.
“She deserves it,” said Jasper, lighting a tall pillar.
For once, Craig didn’t argue. He just reached for a pack of matches and started lighting candles himself.
“What if she doesn’t like it?” he asked. Craig sounded uncharacteristically uncertain, like for once, he needed his mate’s reassurance.
“Then she doesn’t like it,” Jasper responded. “We try something else.”
“What if it’s us she doesn’t like, though?”
Jasper just stared into the candle flame. He’d had the exact same thought, that maybe being feral for so long had affected Olivia to the point where she didn’t want mates.
He put the candle down and picked up another one.
“Then she doesn’t like us, and life goes on the way it has,” he said, firmly. “Then we just don’t get a third.”
They finished lighting the candles and both collapsed on the couch, watching the tiny flames.
“It’s not so bad with just the two of us,” Jasper said.
Craig took Jasper’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together.
“Don’t give up just yet,” he said. “We’ve been looking for her for years, and now she’s in our shower. The hard part is over, remember?”
Jasper squeezed Craig’s hand, trying not to think of Olivia in the shower, the steam rising up as the hot water cascaded over her luscious curves.
“But if she doesn’t want us, it’s over for good,” he said. “No more searching and finding. It’s just over.”
“You know she wants us,” said Craig. “She was ready last night.”
“I couldn’t,” said Jasper. “Not like that, I wanted to give her romance and candles and chocolates and all that.”
“I didn’t get any of that.”
Jasper looked over at him.
“I didn’t want any of that,” Craig clarified. “But we met and half an hour later, if I remember correctly, we were rubbing naked cocks together in the back of a state-owned SUV. And, frankly, I think we’re fine.”
Jasper grinned at the memory. Aside from his father’s aide finding them, it was a wonderful memory.
He felt his cock stiffen, just a little.
“True,” said Jasper. “I just... she was feral, you know? She seems more delicate.”
“I think she can take care of herself just fine,” Craig said, seriously. “She just faced down the guy who locked her up and told him off in front of his wolf crew. I bet she could handle a little sex.”
“You’re right,” said Jasper. He looked around at the candles.
“They’re nice, though.”
For a few more moments, they watched the candle flames flicker. Jasper checked his watch.
“She drown or something?” he asked.
Craig stood from the couch, went up the stairs, and knocked on the bedroom door. No answer. He exchanged a worried look with Jasper — Had she drowned? — And then opened the door.
When he turned back to Jasper, there was a grin on his face.
“Dead asleep,” he said.
Jasper was mostly relieved and a tiny bit disappointed. She hadn’t drowned or run away. She was sleeping in their bed, probably because she’d had a crazy day and she was tired.
He stretched his arms and yawned, grinning up at his mate who came around the back of the couch and put his arms over Jasper’s shoulders.
“You sleepy?” Craig asked.
“Very,” said Jasper.
In the bedroom, Jasper lifted Olivia off the bed, holding her almost like a baby, as Craig turned down the blankets, then placed her gently in the middle. She barely stirred, and only then to snuggle further into the mattress.