by Beverly Rae
Conan whined his disappointment. Why was she still afraid of him? Couldn’t she see past the beast to the man within? He’d been careful not to move in a way that would frighten her, but he could sense the underlying panic she held at bay. True, sometimes the bear would take over, shoving the human side of him down, but those times were rare and happened only when he was pushed too far. He would never allow the beast to harm her.
Her touch on his ears was intoxicating, reminding him of the way she’d touched him as they’d made love. Her caress soothed her, easing the alarm he could sense lay just below the surface. Tension left her body as she accepted him, learning about him as no other human had. Nonetheless, he could still feel her hesitancy to believe, to turn loose her anxiety along with her need to flee.
As gently as he could, he bumped his muzzle against her chest. She jolted, and he heard the beat of her heart speed up, smelled the fresh fear taking hold. Easing out a soft breath against her skin seemed to quiet her, but her initial reaction still bothered him. She hadn’t run from him as he’d feared she would. In fact, the moment she’d lowered her body to the ground, he’d celebrated. Then he’d frozen to the spot when he saw the panic his prancing had caused, how she’d misinterpreted his movement.
He inhaled, long and slow, taking in her fragrance. Her aroma flowed into his nostrils, the scent of her renewing his desire to shift back to human form and take her again. She possessed an arousing bouquet that was hers alone.
Leaning his head against her wrist, he listened for the rush of her pulse. To hear it calm brought another smile to his lips, one he hoped she’d recognize.
The noise in the bushes behind her kicked in his instincts and he abruptly lifted his head to search past her. Chloe fell backward, her hands flattening against the grass as the snarl formed on his lips. Her eyes widened, and although he jerked his head toward the forest in hopes of telling her where to look, she didn’t understand. Instead, she crab-crawled backward, the panic on her face wiping out the trusting expression she’d held moments before.
The hunter breaking through the trees sent Conan into a defensive posture. Although Chloe was safe, he couldn’t restrain the wariness he felt toward the man. Too many encounters with hunters had taught him to fear them. He reared up on his hind legs and roared. Chloe yelped and plopped down on her bottom, her face stricken, her mouth gaping. The hunter lifted his rifle and aimed at Conan.
“Conan! No!” Chloe scrambled to her feet, her attention still not focused on the hunter, her hands raised defensively.
Uttering an oath, the hunter lowered his gun when Chloe blocked his view. Turning his head to the side, he called into the woods behind him. “Hey, boys, get the hell over here. Hurry! This grizzly bear’s about to attack a girl.”
Finally aware of the man, Chloe whirled around. “No, no! You don’t understand. He’s not going to-”
The shot rang out and Conan heard the whiz of the bullet rush by his head. Fear erupted into anger for Chloe’s safety and rushed through him. He roared, ready to charge the hunter. Although his animal nature told him to attack, Conan did the only thing that would keep Chloe safe. He spun around and dashed into the water, barreling through to the other side of the pond and the woods beyond.
“I can’t believe this.” Nina dropped a stick into the flames of the campfire. “You’re both saying that Conan can transform into a grizzly bear. But how is that possible?” She tilted her head and arched one eyebrow. “You’re punking me, aren’t you? Come on. Confess, you guys. Did you really think I’d believe you? Although I’ve got to admit you had me going for a bit.”
“No, babe. We’re telling you the truth.” Billy reached over to take Nina’s hand. “My friend Conan is a shape-shifter.”
Chloe met Billy’s eyes and saw the determination mixed with sadness in them. She struggled to believe what she knew to be true. What she’d seen with her own eyes, not once but twice. Conan could change into a grizzly bear.
Her gaze dropped to the flames. She saw Conan there, his body morphing, twisting and bending into another form, a huge animal. Her gut clenched as it had before, fear that the beast inside him would take over, leaving nothing of the man behind. Resolving to control the panic, she stared into the fire and again experienced the curiosity and fascination that had come on the heels of that first terror.
The bear within the blaze took shape and she had to resist reaching out to touch him. She could see the dark brown fur giving way to a lighter shade around his eyes, then growing darker again with the curve of his body around his dark hump. Her hands itched, remembering how rough his fur had felt, and even now she could sense the pinprick of his bristles along her palm. She smiled, recalling the sensation of her thumb skimming the edge of his long snout, then running along his mouth.
Wincing, she imagined herself next to Conan as she moved her hand away, alarm spreading through her when he’d pulled his lips back. Even as she pulled away, she’d been certain he’d meant her no harm—until he’d reared up on his back legs.
If only she hadn’t let her panic send her scrambling away. She had to know more about the man-animal. How did he live? Where did he sleep? When would she see him again?
I should’ve sensed the hunter behind me. If I had, I could’ve shielded Conan from danger. I could’ve done something more than watch him run away.
She could still hear the hunters gathering around her, asking her if she was hurt. Their concern, however, quickly turned to boasts for saving her from the ferocious animal.
I thanked them, for God’s sake. The knot in her stomach tightened. But what else could she have done? Told them they’d shot at a man who could change into a bear?
No. Thanking them and promising to be more careful was all I could do. That and keep my mouth shut until they’d taken me back to Billy and Nina.
“Chloe?” Nina’s shake of her arm brought her out of her reverie.
“Yeah?” She hated her friend’s bewildered expression and recognized the struggle to understand. One glance at Billy confirmed that Nina needed her help to believe. “We aren’t kidding, Nina. Conan’s a shape-shifter.”
Nina’s tenuous smile faltered. “You’re serious, aren’t you? So when you saw him change at the stream…”
“It was real. It’s all real.” Or was it? Conan changing into an animal was real. But was the intimacy they’d shared as real?
They sat in silence, the sounds of the night mixing with the crackling of the campfire. Chloe waited, knowing Nina would soon want more answers.
“I want to see him change.”
Chloe refilled her glass of wine, swishing the liquid around in her mouth before swallowing. “I figured you would. But I don’t know where he is.” She pivoted to face Billy. “Do you?”
Billy averted his gaze from hers and dug the toe of his boot into the dirt. “He’s probably at the cave where we’ve been staying.”
“A cave? You two are living in a cave?” Nina ran a hand along his shoulder. “But why not stay in a tent? Or with me where you’ll be more comfortable? Not to mention safe.” She clutched his arm. “Not to say anything bad about Conan, but what if he changes while you’re asleep? Aren’t you afraid he might hurt you? After all, he’s a wild animal with animal reactions, right?”
Billy laughed, once again sending Chloe an unmistakable message with one look. “Conan wouldn’t hurt a fly unless he thought he didn’t have any other choice. The guy’s a big teddy bear, if you get what I mean. Besides—” he paused to take a breath, “—I’m kind of an animal, too.”
Nina’s eyes went wide and Chloe sputtered her drink. She’d never thought about Billy being a shape-shifter, but didn’t it make sense?
Nina’s hand dropped away from his arm. “Oh, my God. Are you a grizzly bear, too?” Her whisper held both fear and inquisitiveness.
“Me? A grizzly? With a big hump on my back? Puh-lease.”
Nina released a pent-up breath. “Wow, what a relief. Talk about having a heart attack.”
&nb
sp; Billy squirmed in his seat. “Well, uh, you see…”
Nina may have missed seeing his uneasiness, but Chloe hadn’t. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more you’re about to tell us?”
“Because there is.” A flash of worry crossed his features. “Ladies, I’m not a grizzly. I’m a coyote.”
Nina’s laugh was cut short when neither Billy nor Chloe made a sound. Nina leaned away from him, her intense regard skimming him from head to toe. “A coyote?” She hopped up, strode to the other side of campfire and glared at him. “Is everyone in these hills a shape-shifter?”
The same thought had occurred to Chloe. “I guess it kind of figures that Billy might be since he’s with Conan. Although I would’ve assumed Billy was a bear too.”
Nina paced back and forth in front of the fire. “I’m not buying any of this. First one guy’s a bear and now you’re claiming to be a coyote. Are we in some kind of freaky Twilight Zone episode?”
Billy’s face clouded over. “I’m not claiming anything. I am a were-coyote. You can believe me or not. Either way, it doesn’t change what I am. And guess what, babe, I don’t care whether you buy it or not.”
“Then you won’t mind showing us, will you?”
“Fine. I will.” Billy stood and started shedding his clothes.
“Whoa, hold up.” Chloe bolted away from him. “What’s with the no-clothes routine?”
“I have to take my clothes off or they’ll get shredded in the transformation. Shifters aren’t like Superman. Our clothes don’t change along with our bodies, ya know.”
“No, I don’t know. How would I know? Conan didn’t exactly give me how-to manual.” Chloe covered her eyes as Billy started to unbutton his jeans.
“It does make sense, though.”
Chloe could hear the curiosity in Nina’s voice. She kept her gaze on the ground at her feet. “Yeah, it does. Just tell me when your private parts are no longer human so I can look up.”
A groan was her answer, but Chloe recognized the cracking sounds she’d heard when Conan had changed.
“Oh, my God. Billy, are you okay?”
“I know it sounds awful, Nina, but he’s all right. Just keep watching.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Nina’s voice sounded small. “H-he’s twisting, changing. Oh, hell.”
Billy’s groans, however, soon changed to whimpers accented by low growls.
“Holy shit. Are we safe? Will he hurt us?”
Chloe sensed Nina picking up the large stick she’d used before. “No. Don’t hit him. He’s still Billy inside the animal.”
Nina dropped the stick next to Chloe’s feet. The fear she’d felt coming from Nina changed, the tension in the air lessening as her friend accepted what she was seeing.
“Chloe, you should see this.”
“Not until he has fur on his body.”
“Look, Chloe. Now.”
Chloe raised her head to find a large coyote on the other side of the fire. His golden eyes, reminding her of Conan’s eyes when he was a bear, narrowed as his wide mouth lengthened, the tips curving into a smile that was not unlike his human one. Gray fur, growing darker toward his hind legs, led to a swishing tail tipped in black.
“Did you see him change?”
“Yeah, I did.” Nina’s voice was filled with awe. She grabbed Chloe’s arm, tugging her attention away from the animal. “Is this crazy or what?”
Chloe nodded. “Crazy? Yeah, it sure is.”
Nina dropped to her knees in front of Billy. Reaching a tentative hand out to him, she tunneled her fingers through his fur and sighed. “Wow, he’s so soft. Come on, Chloe, touch him.”
She shook her head, preferring to retrieve the wine bottle and refill her glass. “No, thanks. I think I’m going to sit by the fire and see if more wine will help me believe everything I’ve already seen.”
“I can’t believe this. I’m touching a coyote. No, nix that. I’m touching a man who changed into a coyote. Holy shit.” Nina’s cooing sounds echoed Billy’s soft growls.
The envy crashing through Chloe surprised her. If only the hunters hadn’t shown up, she could’ve spent more time with Conan the bear. She took a long drink, letting the warm liquid wash away the knot in her throat.
“Come on, Billy. Let’s get inside where I can watch you change back into a man.”
Chloe watched as Nina led the coyote into her tent.
“Hey, don’t forget his clothes.” Chloe giggled, then took a sip. Was she really telling her best friend not to forget her coyote-lover’s clothes? Could things get any weirder?
“I don’t think we’re going to need them anytime soon,” Nina answered.
The shadows of Nina and the were-coyote played against the side of Nina’s tent. Soon, however, the smaller shadow began changing, growing taller as Nina’s awed exclamations filled the air.
Chloe poured the last of the bottle into her glass. Where was Conan? Had the hunters frightened him away for good? And if they hadn’t, what would happen between them now?
“What do you mean you’re going home?”
Conan grumbled and repositioned the duffle bag over his shoulder. “I mean I’m going back to Colorado.”
“What the hell for?”
Conan’s patience was wearing thin, but it was his own fault. He shouldn’t have mentioned leaving until this morning. Instead, he’d mouthed off and told Billy his plans when the were-coyote had shown up late last night. “I can’t stay.”
“Will you stop and talk to me?”
Billy grabbed Conan’s arm, trying to force him to turn his way. Letting his inner beast a small bit of freedom, Conan turned on the small man, his teeth bared in the same way he’d bare his fangs. “Watch it, pup.”
Billy backed off—at least physically. “I don’t get it. You and Chloe are getting along right now, right? She even knows what you are. Hell, she knows what I am. So why cut and run, big guy?”
“What do you mean she knows what you are? What happened?”
Billy’s shrug wasn’t as nonchalant as he tried to make it seem. “Hey, you exposed yourself to Chloe so I figured I could do the same and show my inner handsome self to Nina. Chloe was there for the unveiling, too.”
Damn, he knew he should’ve stuck around after following the hunters and Chloe back to the campsite. But who knew Billy would decide to bare all for both women? “Great. So now they both know.”
“Yeah, and now we can both stay and be ourselves around them. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess. Except the more people who know, the riskier it is for us.” And for Chloe and Nina? Did knowing put them at risk, too?
“Look, man, don’t blow this. I know you’re not into finding your mate and all, but I want to spend more time with Nina.”
“Then you stay. But I’m done.”
“Really? Then why are we headed toward their camp?”
Conan glued his attention on the path in front of him, unwilling to look at Billy. His friend would no doubt see the truth written on his face. “I want to check on them one last time. To make sure you didn’t upset them last night by showing your scrawny ass.”
“My scrawny ass? Trust me. When they got a glimpse of my fine tail—”
Shouts startled Conan and Billy, halting them in their tracks.
Chapter Eight
Conan tossed his duffle bag onto the ground a second after he’d broken into a hard run. Billy ran behind him on the narrow trail. A few minutes later they came to the edge of the girls’ campsite.
Conan skidded to a stop, bracing his arm out in front of him to keep Billy from running past him. He held his finger to his mouth, then whispered, “Hold up. Let’s find out what’s happening before we barge into this.”
Billy nodded, then tilted his head at the scene in front of them.
“Roger, get the hell away from me!”
“I just want to talk to you.”
Chloe faced the wooded area where Conan and Billy hid. Fe
et planted apart, she fisted her hands and glared at the man trying to take her by the arms. Every time he tried, she yanked out of his grip. Nina took a similar fighting stance and tapped a large stick against her palm.
“You heard her, dirtbag. Leave before I bash your brainless head in.”
Chloe held up her hand, warding Nina off. “Hang on. Let’s let him talk.” She thrust a finger at the man. “But once you’ve had your say, Roger, you have to get out of here.”
“Come on, sweetie. Be reasonable. I’ve missed you.”
“Oh, sure you have. What’s the matter? Did Jilly wise up and kick you to the curb?”
Although Conan couldn’t see Roger’s face, the sudden stiffening of his body relayed his anger even if his tone hadn’t already done so. “That bitch was never anything but a quick fuck.” He noticeably relaxed his body. “You’re the one I want. No one else was ever as good as you in bed.”
Chloe’s surprise resonated in her harsh laugh. “So that’s all I ever was to you? A good fuck? No, wait. I was more than that, wasn’t I? I was the idiot who fed you and gave you beer money. Crap, I can’t believe how stupid I was to think you ever loved me.” She stalked closer to him. “No, that’s not right. I was stupid to think you ever deserved me.”
The growl came from deep inside Conan, and without thinking, he began to take off his clothes. Billy started to unbutton his shirt, but Conan shook his head. “No. You stay out of it.”
Although his animal instincts alerted him of the impending danger, Conan couldn’t believe it when Roger grabbed Chloe around the throat.
He was naked and shifting before the next growl erupted from between his fangs. Roaring, he broke through the bushes and barreled toward Chloe and her attacker.
Chloe couldn’t scream. Not when Roger wrapped his large hand around her throat and not when Conan burst from the forest, shifting from man to bear as he ran. Nina yelled at Roger, but her cry died when she saw Conan pounding toward them, each hand-turned-paw striking the ground to send dirt flying into the air.
Chloe gripped Roger’s hand, struggling to peel his fingers off her neck. She fought to breathe, gasping air in short, agonizing breaths, but the vise he held on her grew tighter. She struck out, landing blow after blow against him, but he acted as though she were merely a pesky gnat.