“Police won’t be much help with this,” I said flatly. “And you’re out here alone, how come?”
“I’m a wildlife photographer,” she said dismissively as if anything about her wasn’t important or interesting.
The way she spoke, I had a feeling that she was often looked down upon due to her profession. I knew how it was, my sister was an artist, and members of our pack thought she was wasting her time.
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re injured and naked,” Terri said after a moment.
I cringed. It was time for the truth. “I’m actually a cougar,” I said.
Terri was silent for a moment and then burst out laughing. “No, I’m a cougar—almost forty and single. You’re a … hmm, what do they call older guys? You’re about my age, right?”
I was forty-five, mateless, and childless. I was considered a rarity in my pack, and many people wanted me to settle down, but I hadn’t found the right female yet. I still looked young for my age, if you ignored the grey hairs in my beard.
“No, no,” I said, holding up my hand. “I mean, I’m actually a cougar. A mountain lion. A puma. A shifter.”
Terri pulled a face like she didn’t believe me. She was a city girl; based on the way she talked, and there weren’t many shifters living in the open in urban areas. So it was likely she’d never met one of us before.
“It’s true,” I insisted. “The cougar that you saw on your doorstep. That was me. My powers faded just as you came out with the gun, which was probably lucky for me,” I added with an awkward chuckle. “Nothing like coming eye-to-eye with the muzzle of a gun to spice up the evening.”
Terri was silent, her eyes wide. “You’re serious?”
I let the beast out for half a second, my eyes going black and yellow like my animal form. “Yes.”
“Oh my,” she gasped, and she dropped her tea.
Chapter Three
Terri
I was starting to think that I’d gone crazy. It was only my first day living in the wilderness, and I was crazy enough to believe that this guy was a cougar shifter? A were-mountain-lion? Were shifters the same as werewolves? I had so many questions.
“Wait. Just Wait,” I said and rubbed my forehead. “So, you expect me to believe all of this?” I asked. “Or are you just fucking with me? Is this some sort of elaborate prank? Have I gone nuts?”
Then I noticed the hot tea on my legs, dripping down onto the floor. When did I drop the cup? Was I in shock?
I bolted to my feet. “Damn it!”
“Are you ok?” Paul asked, rushing forward.
“Fine, fine,” I said. I stepped back, dabbing away the wetness with a paper towel. “It wasn’t that hot.” Now I was nervous and flustered. Great.
I tossed the paper towel into the sink and looked back up at Paul. He seemed like an honest guy who was genuinely concerned. He was handsome, with a nicely trimmed beard and square jaw. When he smiled, it went up to his eyes, which had a youthful shine to them. If I was a cougar, then he was a DILF.
Speaking of his eyes, they were normal again. They were regular medium brown, not black and yellow like before. Maybe that was just a trick of the light?
“I know it sounds weird to you, but it’s true,” Paul said. He sighed and ran his fingers through his brown hair. “I’m guessing you don’t meet shifters very often in the city?”
Darn, I thought I hid the city-girl part of me pretty well. Guess I’d have to work on that.
“No,” I said. “Pretty sure you’re the first one I’ve met.” I kept my distance. “If shifters are even a real thing.”
“I assure you, I am. I’d show you, but I’m really weak at the moment,” Paul said.
“How convenient,” I said. If this guy was a nut job, I didn’t want to upset him. Maybe he would just leave now that he had clothes.
“Ok, you don’t have to believe that. But, at least believe that I’m a good guy who got lost looking for his sister and her kids,” he said. “You believed that part, didn’t you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I did believe him. Was I the crazy one?
“Yes,” I said hesitantly. “Yes, I do believe that.”
“Good,” Paul sighed with relief and sat back down on the old lazy-boy chair. “I promise, I’ll be out of your hair as soon as the sun rises.”
I glanced out the window. It was close to midnight by now, and I was exhausted. But how could I sleep with this stranger in my cabin?
“Thank you for patching me up and all that,” Paul said. He took a sip of tea that was probably cold now. “I mean it. I probably would have been dead out there if it weren’t for you.”
“Sure,” I said. I felt so awkward like I should talk to him, but I didn’t know what to say. I rubbed my arms and glanced over at the bedroom. I desperately wanted to sleep. “So, uh, are you going to be ok on the chair?”
Paul nodded. “Yeah, this is great. A lot better than out in the forest, that’s for sure.” he smiled, and my heart melted just a little.
“Well, then I’m going to bed,” I said. I grabbed the shotgun with a little more force than necessary just so he knew that I was taking it with me.
Paul didn’t seem offended by my cautious nature; he just smiled. “Good night.”
As much as I hated myself for it, I fell asleep quickly. The cabin’s bedroom was tiny, barely big enough for the bed and chest of drawers that were in there. There was no closet and no window. It felt more like a closet, but the bed was comfy.
I woke up the next morning with the shotgun still under my pillow. I was safe, unharmed, untouched, and feeling more than a little sheepish for doubting Paul.
The next thing I noticed was the smell of the woodstove. Something was cooking.
I threw on an oversized sweater and peeked out of the bedroom, my hunger getting the best of me.
Paul was using the woodstove, a cast-iron pan in his hand. Something was sizzling. It smelled like ham. He turned, and his eyes met mine.
“Good morning,” he said with a brilliant smile.
I gasped, feeling the blood rush to my face. I opened the door, pretending that he didn’t catch me peeking out from behind the door like a weirdo. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“Making breakfast,” he said. “Fried spam, do you want some?”
I did my best not to turn up my nose at the canned meat. I was never one for that sort of stuff, but living out here on limited provisions didn’t give me much choice. “Oh, sure,” I said, forcing a smile.
I sat down in one of the wooden chairs, and Paul set down a plate of fried spam and potatoes. My stomach growled again.
“I know it’s not much, but I wanted to do something to thank you for saving my skin,” he said.
Paul sat beside me and ate without talking.
I watched him. There was something about him that interested me more than anyone I’d ever met. He was so good looking, but kind and sort of shy, too. An all-around nice guy, the type of guy you could bring home to your parents with confidence.
Paul looked up. “What is it?”
I looked away quickly. “Nothing,” I lied.
“I know I said I’d been gone by sunrise, but I wanted to do something nice for you,” Paul said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gone soon. I don’t want to trouble you anymore than I already have.”
“No, it’s not that,” I said.
Paul furrowed his brow curiously. “Then, what?”
“You’re out there looking for your sister, right? And her kids?” I asked, already knowing the answer. What I didn’t know was why he didn’t ask the police or someone to help. Why hadn’t he reported the missing? When he nodded, I continued. “Is the reason you’re not getting police because you’re a … shifter?”
Paul sucked in a breath and nodded again. “Yes. The packs deal with our own problems. Regular people shouldn’t get involved.”
“What if I could help you?” I asked. The words came out fast before I could convince myself not t
o get involved.
Paul seemed surprised. “You want to help me?” he asked.
“I don’t know how much help I’ll be,” I admitted. “But, the thought of someone being alone out there in the wild with children,” I paused, shuddering. “I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t try to help.”
The man paused to consider my offer, and he seemed genuinely torn by it. “It’s going to be dangerous,” he warned.
“Don’t try to talk me out of it,” I said. I finished the last bite of SPAM and took a sip of tea. “If you leave and I don’t at least try to help, I’m never going to sleep again. Do you want that on your conscious?”
Paul chuckled. “I guess not.”
“And I have the shotgun,” I added.
Paul leaned back in the chair and considered my offer. “Ok,” he agreed. “If you’re sure. Just understand that you’re getting involved with shifter matters. Unless you still don’t believe me?”
Right, the cougar thing.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I said.
Chapter Four
Paul
I should not have let her join in on the search, but my selfishness got in the way of my common sense. I was tired of being alone and searching through the wilderness without anyone. The loneliness only added to the hopelessness of the situation.
I’d been searching for days, following the scent of my sister through the mountains, with barely a clue to go on. Now, this photographer woman had joined me, and I was beginning to think that maybe she was the light I needed to get me through the darkness of the forest.
The only problem was, she was no shifter. She didn’t understand the trees and the rocks like I did. She was loud and unprepared for a proper tracking mission. But, she had a gun, which might come in handy.
We packed some supplies and headed out into the woods, following the path that I’d been tracking before I was cornered by a pair of hungry wolves. Not shifters. Just ordinary wolves that had no business attacking me. They were hungry, driven out of their usual hunting grounds, thanks to the humans. I’d won the fight but not before they did their damage. My shoulder was still aching.
We stopped at a stream to rest after hiking a few hours. Much to my surprise, Terri had been able to keep up, even with a camera around her neck. Yes, she’d insisted on bringing the camera, too.
“This is about where I got to yesterday,” I said, sitting on a flat rock by the edge of the stream. The water ran down towards the lakes, and it was cold and fresh, fed by the mountain glaciers.
Terri set down her backpack and turned on her camera, looking around for birds or other creatures to get some good shots. She was a cute girl, her big eyes were wide as they took in all the details of the forest. Her freckles and bouncy hair made her look younger than she was.
I caught myself staring at her and shook my head. Now was not the time to get infatuated with a female, especially a human.
When the wind blew in the right direction, I got a whisp of her scent, and it was enough to almost drive my inner beast over the edge. She was perfect for me, and she made me wild with desire. If we were in any other situation, I would have tried to claim her by now and, oh, how I wanted to. My inner beast growled at the thought of her being mine.
Terri wandered back over, not having taken a single photo. “The woods are quiet today,” she noted.
“I don’t think you’ll encounter many creatures with me around,” I said.
“Right, cougar,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
I knew she didn’t believe me, but I didn’t have the energy to prove her wrong at the moment. That, and I didn’t want to shred another set of clothes.
“So, you never really told me how your sister went missing,” Kerri said, taking a swig from her water bottle. “How did she get out here, anyway?”
I winced.
“I mean, you don’t have to,” The woman added hurriedly.
“No, it’s ok,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I just haven’t stopped to think about the pain,” I admitted.
When I looked at Terri, my inner beast felt lust, but my human side felt trust and compassion. She was a good person, right through to her soul. I could feel it. I knew it from the first moment I saw her, even staring up at a shotgun, I knew she could be trusted.
“My sister has four kids,” I said. “Her mate, her husband, died last year. He was a good guy, taken too soon.” I shook my head, remembering when I got the call that his truck had flipped in the middle of winter. “She just started dating again a few months back, despite my advice.”
Terri was silent, listening with an attentive expression.
“The guy she hooked up with was no good. I could tell from the moment I met him, not to mention he was from a different pack,” I said. “I still don’t know why she was so obsessed with him.”
“So, last week, she said she was going out with him and the kids, but never came back,” I continued, clenching my fists and grinding them into my knees. “I’ve been on the trail ever since, following them up here into the mountains.”
“That’s awful,” Terri said after a moment. “I can’t imagine being lost out there with little ones.”
“What if she goes back home?” Terri asked.
“My older brother is with the pack. He wanted to go with me, but I convinced him to stay back, just in case she ends up back there.”
I knew that was impossible, though, my sister’s scent was in this forest. She was with that no-good asshole, putting her life at risk. “She’s out here. I know it,” I said.
Terri shook her head, overwhelmed with the thought of being lost in the woods, and jumped to her feet. “Come on, let’s get moving.”
I looked up at her, giving her a tight-lipped by an appreciative smile. “Yeah, let’s go.”
I tracked my sister’s scent until nightfall.
“It’s getting late,” Terri said. She was walking slower now, the fatigue she was feeling could be read on her face.
I didn’t want to stop. We were getting closer now. The scent was stronger, and my inner beast urged me to keep going. My sister and her cubs were alive, and they were closer now than they had ever been. I was on the right track.
I looked over my shoulder at her. “Let’s keep going until we run out of light.”
Terri nodded, even though I knew she didn’t want to keep going. She was doing it for me.
“Thank you,” I added. “We’ll stop soon.”
Terri adjusted her pack. “No problem,” she said.
We’d both packed enough supplies for three days. I could only pray that we wouldn’t be out here that long. Thankfully, the GPS on her satellite phone made it easier to avoid getting lost.
We stopped when we found a rocky area for shelter. This way, we could sleep with our backs to the rocky outcrop and keep an eye on the woods surrounding the other side. The wall was high enough to keep us out of the wind too.
I started by digging a hole in the earth for our fire. It would keep us warm and be harder for predators to detect. The warmth felt heavenly, even though the fire was small.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Terri said. She sat down by the edge of the fire and dug through her bag. She tossed me a protein bar.
“Thanks,” I said, sitting beside her. Was I too close? Maybe a little, but I wanted to be.
I’d never felt so instantly in lust with a female like her before. I’d been single for so long I’d forgotten what it felt like to be interested in someone. But, did she feel the same way? I was never good at reading cues from other people, especially women.
I took a bite of the protein bar. It was supposed to be chocolate, but it tasted more like chalk. Still, it would have to do.
Terri sat with her camera in her lap, scrolling through the photos she had taken while we walked.
“Did you get anything good?” I asked to break the silence.
“Not really,” she said. “It’s hard when we were moving so fast. But, at leas
t I’ll have a good lay of the land after this.” she held up a notepad, where she had been tracking landmarks to prevent us from getting lost or doubling back on our path. “I’ll be an expert once this is over.”
I chuckled, throwing the wrapper into the fire. It curled and smoked, vanishing in a few seconds.
When she looked at me, the beast inside of me flexed and growled with desire. She looked so beautiful in the firelight.
“I’m glad you were in the cabin last night,” I said after a minute.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because this would have been a lot harder without help,” I said. “And supplies.” I dug into the second protein bar; this one tasted like a bland vanilla cupcake. My shifter’s metabolism meant I constantly required a lot of food.
Terri smiled. “I’m glad I was too. You were cut up pretty bad.”
I glanced at my shoulder, remembering where the stitches were. I was so not looking forward to getting those pulled out later. “Yeah. Well, that was my fault.” I said with a shrug. “I should have been more careful.”
“Do you think we’ll find her tomorrow?” Terri asked.
My heart ached whenever I thought of my sister and nephews. “We have to,” I said. “I know she’s close. I just know it.”
Terri reached over and put her hand on my mine. “You’re a good person and a great brother.”
“Most people would do the same,” I said with a shrug.
Terri tipped her head, considering what I said. “I don’t know. I was never close to my family or siblings. I doubt any of them would come looking for me.”
“I’m sure they would,” I countered. I knew shifter packs were much more tightly knit than humans, but humans weren’t that heartless to their own families.
“Well, I just hope that I don’t ever get in enough trouble that I need to find out the hard way,” Terri said with a forced laugh.
“Terri,” I said, faltering mid-sentence.
“Yeah?” she asked.
Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection Page 75