The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

  Sophie closed her eyes, feeling daunted by Olivia’s line of questioning. Why did everyone assume that Will was some kind of monster because of her reaction? She pressed her palms into her forehead. Obviously it was because she was treating him like a monster. Her overreaction was really sinking in, and she felt even worse than before. Will was a supernatural being, but she did not believe he would ever hurt her.

  "Our date was perfect. I enjoyed it a lot. I asked him back to my place, and we started making out when I noticed that his eyes had changed colors. I was very confused and I...reacted. He told me that he was a werebear, a shapeshifter, and I couldn’t help but freak out. It scared me. The supernatural isn’t supposed to be real!”

  She moved her hands down to her lap and glanced over at Olivia. "He tried getting me to calm down, but I was so scared. I couldn't. I just wanted him to get as far away from me as possible. I pushed him away."

  The look on Olivia's face was sad and sympathetic. "I'm so sorry you had to go through it all like that. I remember when Liam told me that he was a werebear. It was...intimidating, to say the least. But..." She glanced over toward the door, then walked over to the couch to sit beside Sophie. "The truth is, he saved my life. Liam was at my apartment and saved my life. Jared shot him."

  Sophie’s mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. No wonder Liam was so committed to helping Olivia deal with Jared. The man had saved her life and been shot in the process.

  "It's frightening to think what might've happened if Liam wasn't there. He's the love of my life. I'm sincerely glad he was for me." Olivia blew out a breath. "He had come by earlier that day after Jared first took me hostage. I tried to play it off like I was interested in Jared since he'd threatened Liam and his family. Liam was angry since we'd had an amazing time together, and I hadn't mentioned Jared or that he was a crazy ex. Thankfully, he realized something wasn't right. When he came back, Jared took us both inside and things intensified. But please, please, please...don't ever say anything about this to anyone. No one can know that Liam was there. As my best friend, I'm trusting you with our lives. If anyone knew what Liam was, he could get kidnapped and taken to a lab to get experimented on. Or worse."

  Sophie's eyes widened. "No, of course not, I'd never say anything!" She wrapped her arms around Olivia, resting her cheek against her friend's shoulder. She could not believe that she forced the man who saved her best friends life out of her house because she thought he was a threat. Her stomach soured and churned. She felt like a terrible person. "Thank you for telling me that. I didn't know he risked his life for you. You're so lucky to have someone who cares so much for you like that."

  Olivia pulled back enough to meet Sophie's gaze. "I am. None of the seemingly impossible details matter anymore. Deep down, I know exactly who he is. He’s the man I love. It might be hard to think about the supernatural aspect, but they’re mighty men full of love and compassion. From what I’ve seen, Will is a great guy. I’m not trying to talk you into being with him. My hope is just that you don’t judge him for the wrong reasons.”

  Sophie lowered her gaze and shook her head. “Thank you for coming over and talking to me. For telling me the truth about what happened to you. I really screwed things up with Will, didn’t I?”

  “You’re welcome.” Her friend pulled her in for another hug. “And I’m not so sure you did. Give Will another chance. He might surprise you. But I must say, you and Isabella have a lot of explaining to do. She confessed that she works at Prince Dating Agency and that you were her latest client. You met Will through the agency, huh?”

  She leaned her head back against the couch, feeling close to laughter and tears. “When you first started seeing Liam, I asked you if he had a brother. Maybe if you’d said he did, I wouldn’t have gotten myself in this big mess.” Then again, maybe the date would not have been as magical if they were introduced any other way. All she knew for sure was, if she hadn’t reacted so poorly, she might have saved them both a ton of heartache.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Will finally woke up from the long nap, he couldn't believe how dark the room was. He rubbed his temples and looked up at the ceiling, feeling terrible that he'd spent so much time here at Mason's house asleep. He shifted in bed and grabbed his cell phone to check how much time had passed.

  He saw that he missed a call from Liam. His brother had said he would check in later. Will felt guilty that it was taking him so long to get back to him. He leaned his head back against the pillow, trying to gather his thoughts and prepare himself for the scolding that was likely to come.

  Will thought that he probably deserved it, though. If he hadn't blown things with Sophie and put their kind in danger, he wouldn't have needed to drag his siblings into this mess. He blew out a breath and lifted the phone again.

  Sophie's reaction to his bear was very painful. When he'd imagined revealing his true identity to his mate, he never anticipated that level of fear and terror. He expected to field a little bit of nervousness, hesitation, and maybe curiosity. Instead, she was scared and he basically blamed her for it. He wasn’t sure he could do anything to fix it now, and decided to call his brother back. Maybe he could cheer Will up.

  "Hey, Will," Liam said, answering on the second ring. "I was wondering if I'd need to come over there to check on you myself."

  Will cleared his throat before speaking, feeling like he needed water. "Hey," he greeted, his voice rough with sleep. "Sorry about that. I was more tired than I thought I was. Struggling against my bear took a lot out of me."

  "It's not an easy feat, brother. Don't worry about it. There is something I need to tell you, though." The tone in Liam's voice piqued Will's curiosity.

  What did Liam need to say, and why was he drawing things out? It made him a little suspicious. "Go on. What's up?"

  "Apparently, Olivia is best friends with Sophie. She went over and visited her earlier. The two of them sat down and talked for a little while."

  Will couldn't believe his ears, and did not know what to think of this news. He could not help but wonder how their conversation went. He had to know. "Okay. What happened?"

  "Seems like Olivia convinced Sophie to give you another chance." Liam chuckled, and the sound filled his heart with warmth.

  Will was elated at the fact that he might have one more chance with the woman he knew was his mate. "She did? I'm... What should I do? Should I call Sophie?" The thought of smoothing things over in person filled him with intense anxiety. If he talked with Sophie again, he needed to find the words he lacked the first time. Most importantly, he needed to keep his beast under strict control.

  "She did," Liam confirmed. "Sophie is expecting your call. I told her that you'd call her back as soon as you could. I thought I would have been able to get in touch with you sooner, but a phone call is the first step in the right direction."

  Nerves twisted inside his gut. He needed to calm down and focus on his training if he had any chance of making it through this second chance with Sophie. Perhaps the constant stress of wondering when or if he'd ever find a mate wore down the control he usually possessed.

  "Okay, I'll give her a call. Please give Olivia my thanks."

  Liam chuckled again. "I will. Don't mess this up, Will. Sophie seems like a great girl. Skittish, for sure, so I can see why it wasn't easy for you. But Olivia says she is a strong chick with a good heart and a good head on her shoulders. I didn't realize that your Sophie was her Sophie. If I'd known that, this whole thing could have been solved a lot more smoothly."

  "No kidding." He blew out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache beginning behind his eyes. "I know Sophie is an amazing woman. The date we'd had was fantastic. We went back to her place and were on our way to having sex when she noticed that my eyes changed colors. It sparked the conversation and the argument, ultimately." He moved his legs to the side of the bed and leaned forward, resting his elbow against his thigh as he continued to rub his forehead.


  “Let me know how it goes,” Liam said. “We’re rooting for you.”

  After they hung up, Will stared down at his phone. Was this his moment of truth? His soon-to-be sister-in-law re-opened the door for him pursue Sophie. What if he messed it up this time around too? He took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, then dialed Sophie’s phone number.

  The phone rang until it switched over to voicemail. Maybe she was busy. She had told him she was swamped at work. He’d give her a chance before trying again.

  Mason knocked on the door frame, surprising Will. His brother always had a silent way of moving, especially for such a big guy. “Hey, you’re awake. I was about to call the pack’s doctor. Ava cooked some dinner, if you’d like to join us.”

  Will never had dinner with his brother and Ava before, so it wasn't something he would turn down, especially if Ava went through the trouble of cooking for them. "Sure, thank you for everything." He glanced down at the phone in his hand. "Liam called. Apparently, Olivia is best friends with Sophie and they had a talk. Sophie is willing to give me another chance, or so Liam said. I tried to call her, but she's probably busy right now."

  Mason nodded. "I spoke to Liam briefly earlier. If you don’t hear from Sophie soon, maybe you should swing by her place. It'll be better to talk with her face-to-face. Remember to take deep breaths and don't do anything that you'll regret, though." He smiled at Will.

  "Don't do anything I'll regret? Wow, great pep talk." He smirked at his oldest brother. "I don't know about just showing up at her place. What if she decides to call the cops on me or something?"

  "If she called the cops, Liam knows a good lawyer,” Mason said. “I’m kidding, of course."

  “But-”

  "She'd told Olivia that she would give you a second chance," Mason said, raising an eyebrow at Will. "She's not going to call the police on you."

  "You're right. I know. I just... maybe I'm worrying too much about seeing her again and letting myself fall apart like I did the last time." Will shook his head. "I don't think I've stopped beating myself up for how badly I scared her. Seeing her so afraid of my bear was a big kick in the balls."

  Mason placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've got to stop doing that. That's not going to make things any better for your control. The first step to keeping yourself calm is connecting with your bear and letting him know you're in charge. Remember the lessons our father used to teach us when we were younger? When you're with her, keep them in mind. Don't let your mind drift and focus on your insecurities. The two of you were getting hot and heavy and you lowered your walls around her. Since she's not used to that side of you, so you need to wait until she's ready to accept all of you as you are. Let her guide you." He gave him a reassuring pat and nodded toward the dining room. "Now let's get some dinner before it gets cold."

  It all made sense. Mason wouldn't lead him astray. He trusted his brother. If he didn't hear from Sophie after dinner, he'd head over there and would talk things out without letting his bear get the better of him again. The grumpy old bear living inside of him had never been easy to handle, but he'd thought the two of them were on the same side. It seemed like his bear was just as adamant about them having their mate as he was. He just needed to figure out the best way to introduce Sophie to his bear. He was not sure he could handle it if she pushed him away again.

  Will went with Mason to the dining room, and they dined with Ava. Her pregnancy was showing more and more every day. The protective and loving way Mason looked at his mate filled Will with sincere happiness and hope. His brother was dead set on not having any woman in his life until he was ready, but their father pushed him to make that choice sooner than he'd wanted. Now, he seemed happier than he'd been in a long time.

  After the delicious dinner, Will discreetly checked his phone to see if Sophie had called or texted during the meal; no such luck. "Thank you very much, Ava. Everything was wonderful." He tucked his phone back into his pocket, and he smiled at the two of them.

  "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It gave me a chance to use my cooking skills since someone enjoys dining out...a lot. Too much," Ava said, giving Mason a pointed look.

  Mason let out an exaggerated sigh. "I love your cooking, but you don't need to worry about preparing intricate meals for me. You've got enough to think about right now." He placed his hand on her stomach and gently stroked his thumb over the expanse.

  That simple touch appeared to have ignited something between his brother and Ava. The atmosphere in the room changed, and he scented their arousals. It was definitely time for him to leave.

  "I'll go see Sophie. Hopefully things go better than last time," he said, mostly to himself.

  "I'm sure it will. Good luck, brother," Mason replied, pushing his chair back and helping Ava up from hers.

  Ava briefly broke eye contact with Mason to look over at Will. "I believe in you. You'll do better than you think." Then she wrapped her arms around Mason, resting her head against his chest. "Let us know how everything goes."

  Will nodded to the two of them, grateful for all of their hospitality. "Thank you both for everything. I will." He left without another word. It was time for him to step up and take control of his beast and his life. He needed to talk to the woman his beast reacted to so strongly. He would win back the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sophie squinted at her computer screen, trying to make sense of what she'd been working on all day. After talking to Olivia earlier, Sophie tried to settle down and continue working. She thought Will might call her earlier in the day, and when he finally did, her nerves got the best of her.

  She looked over at her cellphone and chewed on her lower lip. Should she call him back? She told Olivia that she would give him another chance. She wanted to, especially knowing what his brother had done for her best friend.

  Her fingertip hovered over the notification, but she turned back to the computer screen. Maybe he'd call again. Next time she'd be ready to answer. Right?

  Pressure kept building behind her eyes, and she picked up glass of red wine, taking another sip before returning it to the coaster on her desk. Wine might not help improve her headache, but it had helped her nerves relax a little. She leaned back in her chair and shook her head. Most of the work she'd done today would need to be scrapped. She hadn't been able to concentrate, and it showed.

  The wasted time irritated her, but it was better to call it quits for tonight and pick up again in the morning. Maybe she'd see things more clearly with fresh eyes and no impending migraine. The couch looked like a more inviting place for her to finish off the wine before heading to bed early.

  Maybe she'd be less of a coward tomorrow, too. She could surprise herself and give Will a call instead of waiting for him to reach out again. Shaking her head, she turned off her computer, and stood up to stretch her sore back muscles.

  A knock sounded at her front door, and she frowned. More visitors? It probably wouldn't be Olivia again, unless Will told her and Liam that she hadn't called him back. Dread filled her chest as she walked over, ready for a scolding from her best friend.

  She peeked through the peephole to see Will standing there. Her heart thudded in her chest. Surprise replaced the dread, but what was he doing here? He held himself with a hint of determination, and she relaxed a little.

  She held her breath as she answered the door, and tilted her head back to look him in the eyes. "Hi."

  "Hey, sorry to come over unannounced. I didn't hear back from you, and I think it's important we clear the air." He was reminding her more of the man she'd been with on the boat than the one she'd argued with in her living room. It stirred up hope within her, but she shoved that emotion to the side for now. Before she let herself feel that, she needed to hear him out. What if he told her that he didn’t want her after all?

  "I was busy with work earlier. I didn't get a chance to call back." It was a lie, and she hated saying it.

  The moment
those words left her lips, Will's nose twitched and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? I can smell lies. It's part of..." He glanced down the floor, then met her eyes again. "Who I am. Can I come inside?"

  Sophie stepped out of his way, letting him in. Smell lies? What! That was nerve wracking. She wasn't a liar, but the idea of living with a human lie detector was... intense. "Okay, no, I fudged the truth. I was working, but I saw your call. I wanted to answer, but I froze. I'd thought about calling you back, but whenever I even thought of doing so, I just..." She shook her head. "I couldn't. It's not that I didn't want to. I did. I was just scared." There, that was the truth. She wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

  "I wasn't sure if you'd ever want to talk to me again," he said. "After I messed things up last night." His jaw ticked, and she could briefly see the echoing vulnerability in his eyes too.

  Her lips parted, and she stared up into his eyes, losing herself in their blue depths. "What? No, you didn't. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I didn’t give you an opportunity to explain, and I should have. Especially after our time on the boat." She took a step closer, wanting to wrap her arms around him. But what if he pushed her away?

  "You were scared. It's understandable, and I should not have tried to blame you when I was having trouble staying in control. My bear was rattled by actually finding you. I almost gave up on finding a mate until you came into the picture. Meeting you was like a breath of fresh air. After all the time I'd spent before wishing for someone...all of a sudden, there you were. I hadn’t prepared myself. Werebears know they've met their mate when their bear reacts to her. The moment I laid eyes on you in the waiting room, my bear wanted to meet you very badly." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Just stop me if this is too much."

  Love at first sight and the idea of actually having a soulmate never appealed to Sophie. Just because there is a spark does not mean you will spend the rest of your life with that person, and it certainly didn't mean they would end up happily ever after. Happily ever after was for fairy tales and romance novels, right? Despite all of that, she knew how she felt about him. It was stronger than she'd ever felt about anyone before in her life.