by Haley Weir
Her teal hair blew in the wind and somewhere an owl began to hoot. Her smile and sense of peace dissipated when her eyes caught sight of movement from across the landscape. It looked like a group of people staring at her from afar. Something was wrong. She turned back, crawling through the small tunnel until she reached the ledge of the rock once more. Sapphire looked up from the ledge for a moment and saw flames roll across the land.
The fear caused Sapphire to stumble.
She closed her eyes as she dropped from the ledge and her body crashed into the side of the stone hill. Sapphire rolled along rocky terrain before splashing into the river. She flailed wildly as the current pulled her down stream. She looked for something to hold on to, pulling roots and stones loose from the riverbed. There was no way she could make it to the bank; it was too far away. Sapphire tried to breathe calmly between mouthfuls of water that threatened to drown her. She struggled to keep her dislocated shoulder from bashing into rocks.
She struggled to remain conscious as she collided with a small, shabbily built bridge smacked into some sort of wooden structure. It was a bridge. Not a normal bridge, but one that had been fashioned crudely from things found in the wild. Sapphire used one arm to try and pull herself up onto the structure. The wood was wet and barely stable even before she placed her added weight atop of it, but she was able to get to the riverbank before it collapsed.
She did not have time to lie down and catch her breath. The winds guided the fire along the east end of the forest, which was right in her path. Sapphire cursed her miserable luck and looked around for any opening. She spotted one and dashed toward it. The water on her clothes weighed her down, so she kicked her skirt off and continued running.
Above the snapping and sizzling that assaulted her senses, she heard alarms reverberating through the trees. As she tried to figure out what direction they were coming from, a wall of fire exploded in front of her. She tried to turn back toward the river, but flames surrounded her. She used what remained of her wet clothes to dampen the grass in hopes that the flames would not overcome her.
“Help! I’m over here!” Sapphire screamed until her throat was raw. She coughed and covered her mouth and nose with her hand, but the flames were too high and the smoke began to choke her. Eyes streaming with tears, Sapphire curled up into a ball and tried her best to stay alive. Not for herself, but for Brock, Tilly, Destiny, and even Jenny. They depended on her, especially Brock. She was his stability in a world that had thrown him away.
A deafening roar snapped her out of her melancholy state. She rolled into a crouch, ready to defend herself even as she cradled her injured arm. Hazel eyes watched the flames as they began to lick at her limbs, but something broke through. Something large and terrifying barreled straight toward her, but Sapphire didn’t scream. She knew the legends of bear protectors who dwelled in the forest.
She ignored the throbbing in her arm and grabbed ahold of the enormous creature. It waited just long enough for her to climb upon its back before it tore through the forest once more. Sapphire held on for dear life, burying her face in the soft, damp fur that smelled of spring soil and berries. When the heat no longer threatened to scorch her flesh, the bear stopped. Sapphire climbed down and watched as it shifted into a man, a man that she recognized instantly. “Dr. McKinney?” she wheezed.
He didn’t stop or say anything as he stalked away from her. Sapphire attempted to follow him, but she tripped. The sound of her startled shout was what gave him pause. He was a doctor. He wouldn’t just leave her there to gasp for breath, would he? Dr. McKinney returned to her side and hefted her into his arms easily. It was an impressive show of strength seeing as Sapphire White was not a thin woman.
As they moved in silence, Sapphire tried to come up with a witty one-liner or some sort of quip to lighten the mood, but she couldn’t concentrate. Dr. McKinney was one of the coveted bears of Haden Springs? She had always believed in tall tales and strange legends, but never had she thought that she would be part of one.
“Thank you,” Sapphire coughed.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve saved your life.”
Though her body ached in many places, Sapphire felt the corner of her mouth curl into a knowing smile. For Dr. McKinney’s life would be so boring without her in it.
***
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dorian asked. Jenny nodded her head and the two of them simultaneously removed their names from the agency list. The agency had served them well, but they were ready to continue things on their own terms. Jenny looked pleased as she reclined onto her back and licked cupcake frosting from her fingers.
Dorian felt a stirring within his chest, but they decided to take it slow until trust was rebuilt. His cell phone beeped and he saw several missed calls from Brock and the fire station, so he instantly called back. “Brock, what’s going on, man? Everything alright?”
“There’s been another fire. Two people were caught up in the forest and one of them was Sapphire. I couldn’t abandon the flames and I couldn’t reach you, so I freaked out a little bit. Got my head back in the game and put the fire out.”
Jenny overheard the conversation and scrambled to her feet. She began packing everything up and tossed it all in the car while he spoke with his friend. “Is Sapphire alright? Did she get hurt?”
“Anders called me from the clinic. I’ll go see her when I’m done here, but yeah. She got hurt pretty bad. Went on one of her walks and took a fall over a cliff, landed in the river, and pulled herself out. That damn bridge we found saved her life, but that entire area of the forest was on fire by the time she got to land.” Brock was silent for a moment. “The thing is…no one called Anders. He worked overtime at the clinic, but Sapphire’s pain woke him up from a dead sleep. It was him that got to her in time and brought her to the clinic.”
“Is she…?”
“I don’t know. But I think it’s a pretty safe bet if his instincts led him into a forest fire in the middle of the night,” Brock supposed. “And all of that isn’t even the worst of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was triggered by her screams, Dorian. Anders shifted in front of her, but he didn’t harm her. He carried her to safety and she let him. Apparently she wasn’t even afraid of him. But there is more. I need your help. The other person in the hills was too far away and we couldn’t get to them right away. We think they’re still alive, but…”
“It’s alright. I’m on my way.” Dorian hurried over to his car and climbed into the driver's seat as Jenny slid into the passenger. He turned the key in the ignition and they were off. “Where’s your car?”
“I took a cab.”
“What if I had left instead of talking things out?” he demanded.
“You wouldn’t have. I’m not sure why, but I trusted that you never would have.”
“Don’t gamble with your safety, Jenny.”
“Why not?” she asked childishly. “I have you to keep me safe.”
Dorian’s thoughts turned to Sapphire and Anders. If she had accepted Anders for what he was, would Jenny accept Dorian? Jenny seemed more comfortable with the concept of soulmates, but he wasn’t sure how she would react when she discovered his biggest secret. “If there was one last secret between us—one that I’ve never told anyone in my life outside of my closest friends—would you be upset?”
“Upset? Maybe, but I think you’re entitled to a few secrets.”
He swallowed nervously. “And if that secret were to be revealed, would it change your perception of me? Or would you choose to see the man I am when I’m with you?”
Jenny turned her head and frowned. “You’re a murderer, aren’t you? That’s what this is? You’re going to kill me and bury my body in the woods.”
“So much for trust.”
“It was a joke,” she snorted. “I guess it would depend on the secret. If people aren’t getting hurt and the things we value in our relationship aren’t at risk, then I don’t see wh
y it would change. Do you have a wife and a child somewhere?”
“No, I’ve only had one girlfriend and that was in junior high.” Dorian peeked over to gauge her reaction. “You don’t have to look so shocked.”
“How many people have you slept with?”
“Three. You?”
“Technically only two,” she said evasively.
“Technically?”
“You and I haven’t gone all the way yet. I’m hoping you’ll be the third.”
Jenny giggled as they drove back to Haden Springs. It was now or never, Dorian thought. He stomped on the brakes and put the car in park before throwing open the door and taking off into the woods.
Before he made it to the tree line, he tore his clothes off and shifted into his other form. A scream sounded from over his shoulder, but it was drowned out by the sound of his heart breaking again. Her scream hadn’t been one of surprise. It was a scream of terror, one that echoed through his mind. He would live with that sound in his head for the rest of his life.
CHAPTER TWELVE
For three days Dorian hadn’t responded to Jenny’s texts or phone calls. She was tired of being avoided. Though the sight of her boyfriend turning into a bear was nearly enough to put her into a mental asylum for the rest of her life, Jenny knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it. Until she discovered what that explanation was, she refused to believe that she had gone insane.
The door to the fire station flew open and Jenny leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Several heads turned to look in her direction, but none of them were Dorian Chandler. She looked up at the fireman’s pole and shouted, “Dorian, if you don’t get out here right now, I’m breaking up with you!” A moment later, Dorian's large body came sliding down the pole to stand beside her.
His head was hung low and dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said accusatively. “That’s not how we deal with things, remember? We made promises.”
“That was before…”
“We’ll talk about that later.” Jenny closed the distance between them. She needed to feel him, to know that he was real; that he was still Dorian. Her hands came up to frame his face as she pulled him down to her lips, gently at first. Then he began to kiss her feverishly. Dorian wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. He tasted like minty gum and black coffee.
Jenny whimpered when he stepped away from the kiss, but the smile on his face was enough to dismiss her insecurities. The room erupted into whistles and well-intended jabs at their expense, but she was happy. Jenny made her way around the fire station, introducing herself to Dorian’s coworkers as his girlfriend. Though they hadn’t made it official, she would accept no lesser title.
“Girlfriend?” he asked quietly. “Are you sure?”
She felt a little playful in that moment. “Don’t you want me to be your girlfriend?”
“You know I do. But, let’s talk about this later.” Dorian’s smile beamed at her from across the station and she didn’t care if she was blinded by it, Jenny had no intention of looking away. Well, not until her phone rang and Dr. McKinney gave her permission to see Sapphire. Jenny kissed Dorian goodbye and made plans to meet at his house later.
Traffic delayed the drive to the clinic. People were packing up and leaving their homes until the fires were taken care of, but the town was far from abandoned. Only those who lived close enough to be in danger were eager to leave. Jenny pulled her car into the parking lot and walked inside of the clinic. The nurses bustled around the halls, too busy to pay her any attention.
She approached the reception desk and asked for Sapphire’s room number. Someone was already visiting when she arrived, so she hung back for a few seconds. Curiosity got the better of her and Jenny pressed her ear against the wood. A man’s voice spoke in a quiet tone to her friend. “This…is all new to me. I’ve used all of my energy trying to ignore you that I’m not sure how to be kind. Well, when you wake up, I’ll be here.”
Jenny jumped away from the door before it opened. Dr. McKinney nodded his head and allowed her entrance. She expected him to give them some privacy, but he pulled Jenny aside. “Miss Owens, my name is Dr. Anders McKinney and I’ll be the one tending to your friend. Does she have any family that we can contact?” he asked.
“No,” Jenny answered. “Her parents died when she was young and she never had any siblings. Sapphire grew up in the foster system.”
Dr. McKinney nodded in response. “No husband or someone else she’s close with? I’ve already informed Brock of her condition, as he is her emergency contact, but I was-”
“What exactly is wrong, Doctor?” Jenny asked. “She hurt her shoulder, right? Why would you need to contact her family?”
“Miss White did injure her shoulder, but that isn’t why she’s here. The extent of her injuries have caused her to fall into a coma. Her fall from the ledge was worse than she thought. It was her adrenaline keeping the pain at bay.”
Jenny gasped, unable to respond.
“My staff and I will do all that we can to help her, but there are no guarantees of anything.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. Jenny noticed how exhausted the man seemed. Not just physical exhaustion, but a sort of weariness that came from the soul. She thanked him once more and then headed over to Sapphire’s bedside. It was strange seeing one of her dearest friends lying motionless in a hospital bed. Sapphire was young and vibrant.
After a few hours of Jenny silently sitting beside the bed, Tilly and Destiny joined her. They took a moment to cry for their friend, but none of them said goodbyes. Sapphire was strong and she would fight against whatever the world threw at her. Destiny looked over at Jenny. “Have you read the book I assigned for the club?”
Jenny shook her head. “I haven’t had time. Not with everything going on with Dorian and now this. It didn’t seem important.”
But it was important. Especially when Jenny recalled her recent conversation with Tilly. Jenny stood up and walked into the small bathroom attached to Sapphire’s room. She sat down on a stool in there and tried to calm her breathing.
“Smart girl. Have you read the new book yet?”
“No, not yet. I’ve barely even glance at the cover,” Jenny admitted. “Why? What’s it about? And no spoilers!”
“If you’d look at the cover, then you would know it’s a steamy romance book.”
“Most of the books we read are steamy romance books. What’s the difference?”
“Well, it’s about shape shifters. Not like werewolves or anything like that, but bears. Gorgeous men that turn into big bears to protect their families,” Tilly sighed wistfully. “It’s very intriguing. You should start reading it.”
“Maybe I will,” Jenny said while reaching over to touch the bracelet Dorian had given her. “Bears seem to be a common thing here in Haden Springs. By the way, what was Saph and Destiny talking about when they said the townspeople don’t like them?”
She had been blind all along. Tilly and Destiny had always known about bears in Haden Springs. A knock on the door jolted Jenny out of her thoughts. “Come in.”
“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” Destiny asked.
“The night Sapphire was hurt. Dorian…he…he turned into a bear right in front of me. At first I was very scared, but then I thought about it more and more until the fear went away. Underneath it all, he’s still Dorian.”
“He must really care about you. I’ve never known one of them to show their other forms to anyone. Sapphire has never even seen Brock.”
“When did you find out?”
“Not long before I assigned the new book,” Destiny said. “I was on my way home and I saw two of them acting a bit strange, so I followed. They started running into the woods and then suddenly they were bears. Well, there was the whole getting naked thing too, but you get the picture. Even so, all the legends around here about sacred bears and spirit protectors really seemed to fit t
he bill.”
“I thought they were only legends.”
“Apparently not in Haden Springs,” her friend laughed. “Might be hard to put on the welcome sign, don’t you think?”
***
Dorian hurried to clear away the takeout containers and soda bottles lying around his house. He didn’t want Jenny to know what a wreck he had been after she left him. It was the first time she would step foot in his house and he didn’t want to scare her away because of the amount of garbage lying around. Dorian heard the doorbell ring and shoved a side closet closed as hard as he could so that the workout equipment didn’t pop out unexpectedly.
And still, when he opened the door, he said, “Excuse the mess.”
“Don’t be silly, it looks great in here.” Jenny kissed his cheek and sauntered past him into the living room. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked himself over in the hallway mirror. Once he deemed himself acceptable, he joined her on the couch. His place wasn’t as nice as hers, but he did all right for himself.
“Stop fussing,” she ordered. “You’re acting like this is our first date.”
“Now that you know who I really am, it sort of is. It’s our first day without any secrets between us. You have no idea how afraid I’ve been my entire life about someone I care about finding out about what I am.”
“When did you learn that you were...different?”
Dorian was taken aback by the amount of genuine curiosity he heard in her tone. “Why aren’t you running from me? Why didn’t Sapphire run away, either?”
Jenny didn’t ask him to elaborate on Sapphire’s situation, but she did explain her own interest. “We are part of The Ladies In Waiting Book Club. A majority of our books are paranormal or sci fi. I guess women who fancy werewolves, vampires, demons, and other creatures of extraordinary abilities just…accept these things like this better than most.”
“What else do these books have in them?” Dorian asked, but he could tell by the way that she blushed that something scandalous had crossed her mind. “So much for being ladies, then? So, aside from your paranormal smutty literature, do the authors tell you the origins of these creatures?”