Shifters in Seattle: Box Set Books 1 - 5

by Thorne, Truli

  Amy didn't know what to say so she just smiled. She knew nothing about acting.

  “It's the final scene in the movie,” Diana said. “Right before the kiss. Zach, you'll need to portray Tom Hanks. No one else is here.”

  Zach joined Amy on the stage. “I don't normally go in front of the camera,” he told her. “But for you I'll make an exception.”

  Diana interrupted. “Zach, you say, 'Don't cry, shop girl.' And Amy, imagine you love Zach as you say the words, 'I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.' Ready?”

  “Imagine I love him?” Amy was terrible at pretending. She'd never even been in a play when she was in high school.

  “Yes. Let's do a few takes.”

  “This is just an audition, right?”

  “Sure, no pressure. No worries,” Diana said with a smile.

  “Now?” Zach asked.

  “Whenever you're ready,” Diana said.

  Zach turned to Amy, and nodded. “Don't cry, shop girl,” he said in a gruff monotone.

  “I wanted you. I wanted it so badly. To be you. Sorry,” Amy said, feeling ridiculous.

  “Again,” Diana said. “Zach, you'll need to put some effort into this.”

  He took a moment.

  “Don't cry, shop girl,” he said, a little more sweetly.

  “I wanted—sorry. I suck. I can't do this,” Amy said, breaking away to look at Diana.

  “No, that was fine, Amy,” Diana said. “You can definitely do this. Give yourself time to get used to the idea. Think of someone you love. Think of something sad. Once more, please.”

  She had to just think of the money.

  Amy closed her eyes and imagined the check for twelve thousand dollars, imagined depositing it into her account and finding a new space to open her next store. She imagined that new store at 152 Market.

  It was beautiful.

  Then she imagined not having a store and going back to working as a barista. She imagined grinding coffee beans for hours and burning her fingers on the milk steamers. She imagined customers yelling at her for not reading their minds about low-fat milk and decaf espresso. She imagined not having a store of her own ever again.

  It was heartbreaking.

  She'd lost her mama and now she'd lost her store too.

  She let the sadness resonate until she felt tears.

  Real tears.

  She opened her eyes and looked right at Zach. She bit her lower lip.

  “I wanted it to be you,” she said. “I wanted it so badly.”

  Zach took her in his arms. Without thinking, she tilted her lips up toward him. Amy had never felt this way before, so connected, so safe, so alive.

  Zach reached under her hair, caressing the back of her neck, gently pulling her closer.

  She opened her mouth as he pressed his lips onto hers in the most delicious kiss of her life, tugging at her deepest core, opening her up like a flower.

  Why did he have to be the one who took away her store?

  “I'm here for you,” he whispered. “Believe it.”

  But how could she?

  Diana yelled, “Cut! That was beautiful. Really, Amy. That's a wrap.”

  “That was the audition, right?” Amy felt startled and overwhelmed as she pulled away from Zach.

  “No, you nailed it. You're done.” Diana turned off the camera and walked into the production office. “You'll have a check on Monday.”

  “I will?” Amy felt joy rush through her body. That was so easy!

  “Here's your contract,” Diana said, returning. “Just sign it and you'll be all set.” She handed a single piece of paper to Amy, who read it quickly and signed the bottom.

  “Thank you!” Amy said. She was going to be in a commercial and she'd have enough money to rent the space at 152 Market.

  She couldn't wait to e-mail him!

  Once Diana had the contract back, she turned to leave them alone. “Zach, will you get the lights before you leave?”

  They walked through the studio, turning off the lights.

  Zach carried her cooler in one hand as if it were a pencil box. He was seriously huge—almost a whole foot taller than her. Except for the part about destroying her business he seemed sweet and was so hot.

  He turned and caught her looking at him. She blushed but maintained his gaze. “What?” she said, barely noticing that she had stopped breathing.

  “So we're good?” Zach asked Amy. “About the lease thing?”

  “If I hadn't lost my lease, I wouldn't need this extra money. I'd be just making and selling chocolate, which is all I've ever wanted to do.” Amy felt sad, as if she were being unkind to Zach. He didn't seem to understand that she was upset with him about closing her store.

  “There's someone else, isn't there? Another man,” he said.

  “Why do you assume that?”

  “I'm not assuming. I'm intuiting. There's someone else you care about. You're excited to tell him about the money.”

  Amy didn't know what to say.

  Zach's kisses felt so good, but he was out all night with Diana the night before. She couldn’t believe that he was truly interested in her. He was so rich and she was so not.

  Amy felt confused about...well, everything.

  She was shocked that Zach could sense it, but she did want to e-mail 152 Market.

  She wanted to e-mail him right now.

  While Zach finished powering down the studio equipment, Amy slipped away to the restroom to do just that.

  20

  From: Cocoa Girl

  Date: Sat, Oct 17 at 2:55 PM

  Subject: New Rental Space

  To: 152 Market <14987492@craigslist.net>

  Dear 152,

  I have the money! I’ll have a check on Monday.

  So excited!!

  Also, tell me more about bear shifters. You seem to know a lot about them and I’m fascinated.

  oxxo—

  Cocoa Girl

  21

  From: 152 Market <14987492@craigslist.net>

  Date: Sat, Oct 17 at 2:58 PM

  Subject: New Rental Space

  To: Cocoa Girl

  Dear CG,

  That’s great! I had a feeling it would all work out for you.

  More about bear shifters? Okay.

  Bear shifters have lived in the Pacific Northwest for centuries. They don't often mingle with humans, but lately that's changing because they want to exist without hiding.

  Eventually, bear shifters and humans will walk down the street together, own businesses side by side, and educate their children together.

  But for now, they don't broadcast who they are. A bear has strong intuition about things—strong opinions—he's like an internal beast, guiding the shifter when he is in human form.

  Yours truly,

  152 M.

  22

  Zach couldn't tell Amy that his bear sensed her every emotion and mood.

  He didn't want to scare her, yet he knew what he knew. He trusted his inner beast.

  Damn right!

  “You're dating someone,” he said to Amy. “I'm not surprised, a beautiful woman like you.”

  “Dating someone? No.”

  Who is it? his bear demanded. Ask her!

  Dude, we're only adding to her confusion, Zach told his bear.

  He had to just let it go. For now.

  “I'm glad we can spend some time getting to know each other anyway,” Zach said, walking toward a door off the side of the studio. “I have another surprise for you. You haven't seen the best part of working on commercials.”

  “How could anything be better than making twelve thousand dollars in two hours?”

  “Get ready. It's called craft services.”

  “Crafts? Like knitting and scrapbooks?”

  “No. It's food.” He opened the door to show her a dining room with a buffet table overflowing with huge platters and bowls of food.

  “You must b
e hungry after the day you've had. I know I am.”

  It was nearly dinner time and Zach hadn't eaten anything since his salmon feast last night. He typically ate very well and gained an extra twenty or thirty pounds every fall, even though he didn't hibernate anymore. The extra weight fell off in the spring.

  Meanwhile, he enjoyed his meals. Savory or sweet, it didn't matter. Zach loved to eat.

  He could sense Amy's mouth watering at the sight and scent of roast beef and vegetables, mashed potatoes, lamb kabobs, and fresh bread. There was even an enormous chocolate cake, which he had ordered especially for her.

  “Who is all this food for?” Amy asked.

  “Today, it’s for us. Normally it’s for the video crew.”

  Sounds of a kitchen behind the dining room told them the cooking was still going on. “The kitchen staff is demonstrating their skills.”

  “I should go clean up my store,” Amy said, even as her stomach grumbled and they walked closer to look at the buffet.

  “I had the janitors go in there. It's all cleaned up.”

  “You did?” Amy gasped. “Thank you.”

  “Here, I'll make you a plate,” Zach said, grabbing one from a stack. He smiled. “You deserve a good meal.”

  He scooped a mound of mashed potatoes onto the plate.

  “But…I promised the homeless shelter I would be there before five.”

  “Oh,” Zach said, spearing roast beef slices and placing them next to the potatoes.

  Was courting supposed to be this hard?

  Or was he doing something wrong?

  He grabbed two hot rolls.

  “Mmm…smells so good,” he said, doing his best to tempt Amy.

  Who is it? his bear demanded again. Ask her!

  His bear was so damned direct. Zach didn't want to frighten Amy. He spooned fragrant roasted vegetables next to the beef.

  “How about we eat together and then I'll drive you to the shelter? You’ve already had a full day.”

  “No, it's okay,” Amy said, propping her hands on her hips like Wonder Woman. “I'll be fine.”

  “Come on,” Zach said, leading her to the nearest table. “I won't bite.”

  Zach felt confused.

  He knew Amy was aroused by his kisses and loved his attention; his bear was positive about it. But she seemed to have such a tight control over her emotions, never letting what he felt to be true about her—interest, arousal, desire—show through to the surface of her skin.

  Was Amy so used to not getting what she wanted that she didn't even recognize desire when she felt it? Or was she really already in love with someone else?

  Zach had to find out.

  Now! his bear growled.

  Maybe if he could get her to take just one thing she so obviously wanted, like this scrumptious meal, he could also figure out how to get her to accept everything he wanted to give her.

  Like, him. And passion. And love.

  “We could put this meal in a to-go box,” he said, “but by the time you got home, it won’t be as hot and delicious as it is right now.”

  He unfolded a cardboard container. He could sense her desire; it matched his own, and it thrilled him.

  What a beautiful woman!

  “It might only take a little while to enjoy this meal together,” he said.

  With a fork, Zach lifted a slice of delectable roast beef, ready to put it into the box.

  “You’re right,” Amy said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take a short break.”

  “Of course it wouldn’t,” he said. “Especially when times are stressful, you need to keep up your strength.”

  Zach pulled out a chair and Amy sat down. He placed the plate before her, the succulent aromas drifting upward. He served a second plate for himself.

  She poured two glasses of hard apple cider and placed a napkin on her lap.

  When he sat down he lifted his glass to toast her.

  “Bon appétit,” he said with a smile. “To good food and good company.”

  “This is amazing. Do you always eat this well?”

  “Absolutely. What better way to enjoy life than to make sure each meal is as delicious as possible?”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she said.

  They tucked into the meal in companionable quiet, each bite more delicious than the last. When it was time for dessert, Zach sliced two huge pieces of chocolate cake and their conversation picked up again.

  “Which homeless shelter? The one on Mission?”

  “Yes. Do you know it?”

  “I volunteer there,” he told her. “Mostly in the kitchens, cooking and cleaning.”

  “That's really sweet of you,” Amy said.

  “I had a friend end up there once. He was sick and didn’t know where he was, and they took good care of him.”

  Two years ago an illness had ripped through the bear shifter community and many bears had gotten sick. The fever resulted in confused and delusional bears, but even worse: sometimes they couldn't shift and were stuck as humans.

  This was so disorienting that some of the sick bear shifters ended up in the shelter system.

  Several had even disappeared at that time, and hadn't been seen since. Zach volunteered to keep an eye out for their return.

  It had been a tragedy, but not one that Amy needed to hear about right now.

  “Believe me, the shelter has given me more than I've given them.” He’d ended up enjoying the work and the people.

  “It's kind of you to give chocolates to the shelter,” he said.

  “I'm not one to let food go to waste.” Amy smiled.

  “You're just perfect in every way, aren't you?”

  “Zach,” she said with a smile. “You're making it hard for me to hate you.”

  “Good.”

  He picked up her hand, it fit perfectly in his.

  Their meal was over. He didn’t want to pressure her. “Ready to go?” he asked.

  When they got to her van, Amy took the cooler from him and said goodbye.

  Zach leaned in and kissed her, and for once she didn’t pull away from him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed into him, her soft warmth caressing and exciting every cell, every fiber of his being.

  Our mate.

  “When can I see you again?” he asked. “Later tonight? Tomorrow?”

  Amy pulled back and took a step away from him. She got into the driver’s seat. “I don’t know. I think I have plans for tomorrow.”

  Grrrr… His bear couldn’t wait.

  Dude, relax.

  She turned the key in the ignition, but nothing happened. The engine didn't turn over.

  “Pop the hood,” Zach said.

  He poked around the engine while Amy got out of the van and watched.

  “Your starter is gone,” he told Amy.

  “You mean it's not working?”

  “No, I mean it's missing. It's been removed. This is seriously fucked-up.”

  “Mitchell,” Amy said.

  “This is bigger than Mitchell.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Whoever it is, he doesn't know who he's messing with,” Zach said ominously. He pulled his keys from his jeans pocket. His black truck at the edge of the parking lot lit up and beeped as he unlocked it with the remote.

  “I'm giving you a ride home and then I'm coming back.” Zach had had enough with the vandalism. “This ends now.”

  His truck was covered with mud from the last time he four-wheeled in the forest.

  “Don't worry,” he said to Amy. “It's clean on the inside.”

  “I need to take the boxes to the homeless shelter. I promised.”

  Zach was glad that she kept her word

  “I'll get the boxes. We can stop at the shelter on the way. Let me get you inside first.”

  Zach escorted Amy to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door.

  His bear was nearly uncontrollable, ready to shift, ready to fight.

  Fight the v
andal.

  Mate with Amy.

  He held her hand to give her a boost, admiring her ass as she climbed in, happy to distract his bear.

  Damn! She was fine.

  “Thank you,” Amy said for the boost, settling on the cushioned leather seats.

  Amy hadn't put on her seatbelt yet. Before she could get it, he grabbed the belt and leaned over her body to buckle. He couldn't resist caressing her arm as he slid across her body.

  Zach held his face very close to hers. Her scent was sweet but also musky; the urge to kiss her was overwhelming. She looked up at him, opening her mouth slightly. Zach leaned even closer until their lips were almost touching.

  Who is it? His bear demanded. Ask her!

  “I want to know who I'm competing against,” he said.

  He buckled her with a click and then pulled away, standing beside the truck and looking in at her.

  “There's no one,” she said.

  But he knew she wasn't telling the truth. Diana's words came rushing back to him like a jolting splash of ice water.

  Humans can be fickle. If your fated mate doesn't want you, your life is ruined.

  “Amy, do you know what you do to me?” he said quietly.

  “What did I do?”

  “Don't you feel it? Don't you feel this connection between us?”

  He couldn't believe she would hold a grudge. Not any more.

  So what was it?

  “I'm crazy about you,” he said. “I want you to know, this is real. I'm real.”

  Zach leaned in and kissed her. He kept kissing her until she pulled back. He picked up her hand and kissed the palm, drawing his lips across her warm flesh.

  “Right now we've got to get to the homeless shelter,” she said softly.

  “I’ll get your boxes from the van and put them in the back. Be right back.”

  As he walked, Zach huffed air out his mouth, taking the time to get a grip on his bear. Once out of sight, he checked his phone.

  As he suspected, Amy had e-mailed 152 Market as soon as Zach was out of sight.

  Was she in love with Zach as 152 Market? How could his e-mails be more compelling to her than his kisses?

  23

  From: Cocoa Girl

  Date: Sat, Oct 17 at 4:39 PM