“C’mon sweetheart,” Felix said, letting go of her hand. “You shift first so I can tell them to turn around. Then I’ll shift and we can take a walk. Deal?”
She nodded, too nervous to speak. She fidgeted a little. Felix was her mate, but she’d never been naked around him, not yet.
He seemed to guess the problem. “I can’t turn away, Sara,” he said, sounding apologetic. “I need to watch so I can make sure your polar bear isn’t about to attack or run.”
She nodded unhappily.
“I’ll go first if you like,” he offered.
She smiled at him and he began to remove his clothes, kicking off his boots and removing his jeans. Then his shirt. Finally, his underwear. Sara knew she shouldn’t stare, but he was perfect, all hard muscles and warm lightly tanned skin. A small part of her warned about the danger of being around a naked male. A naked aroused male. She swallowed hard.
“Eyes up here,” Felix said. She dragged her eyes to his face, noting his smile. “Ignore it. I’m with my mate and she’s beautiful. I lost all control over that part of my anatomy when I met you. It doesn’t mean I’m planning to do anything with it.” His expression softened. “You can trust me.”
She took a deep breath. This was Felix. She could trust him, she knew she could. He was her mate, her true mate, and he was the sweetest, most gentle man she’d ever met. He had never pushed her, never made her feel threatened, never hurt her. Somehow she knew he never would. She forced herself to relax.
“Take your time,” he told her, his voice a murmur. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Sara forced herself to move, taking off her shoes and placing them neatly to the side. She shrugged out of her jeans, folding them and setting them next to her shoes. She flicked a glance at Felix’s clothes that had been left wherever they’d landed when he’d tossed them off. Yet another way in which they were different. She pulled off her t-shirt, leaving her standing in her underwear.
She risked a glance at Felix, expecting him to be looking her over, much like she did with him. Surprisingly, his eyes were firmly on her face. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted.
He smiled at her, seeming to know what she was thinking. He shrugged. “Plenty of time for that later. Right now, it’s about dealing with your bear. I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you already are.”
She smiled gratefully at him, thankful that he seemed to understand. It gave her the strength to remove her underwear and stand naked in front of him. True to his word, Felix continued to look her in the eye.
She allowed the change to wash over her, changing faster than usual with her bear’s eagerness to get out. Finally, it was done, and she could feel the strength in her body. It had been so long since she’d felt so strong. Her last shift had been a short one, when she’d lost control after Barry, Tara’s ex, had abducted her. She hadn’t been able to rein it back in, but thankfully Tara had been able to calm her down and get her to shift back. It hadn’t lasted long, and it was her only shift since the incident with Ryan. Now, she revelled in the strength flowing through her.
She squinted up at the sky. It was a little overcast today, but it was still a little warm for her polar bear. Not enough to bother it for a short time though.
“Okay guys,” Felix called. “You can turn around now.”
The men turned around.
“Oh man, put that away!” Leo said, flapping his hand at Felix. “I do not need to see that.”
“Am I giving you a complex?” Felix asked, grinning at him. “Do I make you feel inadequate in some way?”
Leo scowled at him. “Hurry up and change.”
Felix laughed and Sara shivered with delight. She adored the sound of Felix’s voice. It always managed to both soothe and arouse at the same time. She wouldn’t have thought that possible, but it was true.
He went through his change, emerging as a powerful male lion. He shook his head, tossing his mane. Even inside her bear, Tara snorted. In lion form or human, he was vain about his hair.
He swung his head around to look at her and then sat down, waiting for her to make the first move. Smart lion.
Sara held herself still, waiting for her polar bear to decide. This was the moment that Sara dreaded. Would her bear fight for control? Would she run? Try to find Ryan? Attack? Instead, her polar bear urged her to amble forward, moving toward Felix. He watched her, unmoving, making no sound. She edged closer and put her snout up against his, bumping noses. His scent curled around her and she breathed deeply. She adored the smell of him, rubbing her head in his mane, taking in more of his essence. Sara smiled to herself. Her polar bear was totally besotted with the lion, with Felix. He represented warmth, safety, trust. On some level, the bear recognised him as her mate, accepted him, even if it was not ready to let go of Ryan. For now, the bear was content to be with Felix, making no move to leave.
Felix, being the giant goofball he was, pulled back a little and rolled on his back, paws in the air, tongue hanging out. It made him totally vulnerable to her and further lessened her anxiety. He was not a threat.
“Aw, c’mon,” Leo whined. “Now you’re just embarrassing me, cousin. We’re lions, mighty kings of the jungle, we’re not puppies looking for belly rubs.”
She swung her head around to look at him, but felt no compulsion to attack. No, she was much more interested in the overgrown kitty at her feet. The one who was wiggling as he looked at her with sad kitty eyes. She snorted. Still, she couldn’t resist. Leaning down, she nuzzled his stomach with her nose, causing him to chuff happily. She moved her head, brushing her nose against his in a sign of affection.
Stepping back, she waited for Felix to stand up. He continued to lie at her, looking sad. She sighed and rolled her eyes. With one last chuff, Felix rolled to his feet, once again shook out his mane, and then he was ready to go.
They walked through the woods, the men keeping their distance but never leaving them. They weren’t necessary, but she had no way to tell them that. Her polar bear would not cause any trouble. It was happy and content just being around Felix. She felt the rest of her anxiety melt away, relieved that she and her polar bear were in agreement for once.
This afternoon was a gift. Free from worry and stress, able to let her polar bear out to play without worrying about the possible issues, she began to enjoy herself. She continued to walk, breathing in the scents around her, happy to be outside in nature, loving the lion’s company as he padded along beside her.
Eventually, they looped around, heading back to the clearing. Sara felt happier than she had in some time. She waited for Felix to change back, watching as he pulled his clothes back on. Once he was finished, the others turned their backs, waiting for her to complete her own change.
Once again in human form, she hurried to get dressed, feeling too vulnerable without clothes. This time, Felix had turned his back to give her privacy, now that nobody had to watch her bear.
“I’m done,” she said softly.
Felix turned around, a smile on his face.
“We’ll leave you to it,” Alex said, smiling at her.
“Thank you,” she said, looking at Alex, Ethan, and Leo.
“No problem,” Ethan said, “but I should get back to Dana. She’ll be missing me.”
Leo snorted. “In other words, you miss her but you don’t think it’s very manly to admit it.”
Ethan shrugged. “Whatever.”
The three men left, leaving her alone with Felix. She shifted her feet, suddenly feeling awkward. She looked around at the trees surrounding them. The last time she’d been alone in the woods with a man… She couldn’t stop the shudder that came over her. On their way here, she had been too worried about shifting to think of anything else.
Understanding spread across Felix’s face. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He kept his distance, not crowding her or touching her, merely walking by her side. She breathed a sigh of relief as th
ey exited the woods. It was ridiculous, she knew it was. Women were not only attacked in woods or lonely places. It could happen anywhere. She was no safer out of the woods than in them. Besides, this was Felix. He was not Ryan, bore no resemblance to Ryan in any way. She remembered the image of him lying on his back, paws in the air, and she smiled. She couldn’t hold that image of him in her mind and be afraid of him at the same time.
“Better?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “Yeah, I’m sorry…”
He shrugged. “Don’t be. It’s fine.”
“You were right,” she sighed. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “I did need to let the bear out.”
“I’m often right,” Felix said, his expression smug. “You should remember that in the future.”
On impulse, she leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. It was light at first, but his lips were so warm, so soft and yet firm, his scent teasing her again. She licked at his lips, slipping her tongue into his mouth when he opened for her. Her hands came to rest on his chest, the warm, hard muscles enthralling her. She kissed him, enjoying every moment, allowing it to sweep her away. Her body began to respond to him, driving her to step forward, her chest hitting his. Her polar bear nudged her, urging her to go further, to take him, to claim him.
She pulled back, almost stumbling in her haste. Only Felix’s hands stopped her from falling. She shrugged him away. What on earth was she doing? She couldn’t go there with him. With anyone.
“Sara?” Felix asked, his face creased with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking her head, she took a step back, staring at him. Then she took a leaf out of her sister’s book. She turned and she ran.
Chapter 9
“What’s wrong with you?” Katie asked, poking him as he lay on the couch. “You have a face like a wet weekend.”
He glared at her, batting away her hand when she went to poke him again. He wasn’t feeling his usual tolerant self. Sara had run from him and he had no idea what to do.
“Didn’t things go well with Sara?” Katie asked, frowning. “I though Leo said it was fine. Or at least, nobody got shot in the ass with a dart. That’s my definition of everything going well.”
“That’s all it takes? Not getting darted in the ass?” he asked, looking up at her.
“I have unusual friends,” Katie said with a shrug. “Sometimes that’s the best you can hope for.” She eyed him. “As far as I’m aware, Operation Let Sara’s Polar Bear Out went pretty well. She didn’t try to run away or kill anyone, and she seemed to be in control. That’s a good thing, right?”
It was. It was a very good thing. That wasn’t the problem. No, the problem was what happened after that. She had kissed him and it had been glorious, pure heaven. Right up until she’d pulled away, an expression of horror on her face, before fleeing from him.
“Felix?” Katie poked him in the forehead.
“What?” he grumbled.
“You’re being very un-Felix-like, and I don’t think I like it.” Katie frowned at him. “I thought you’d be more fun if you were grumpy like the others, but you’re really not. So stop it.”
He sighed. “She kissed me.”
She tilted her head, still frowning. “And that’s bad? There has to be chemistry there with you being true mates. The kiss had to have been good.”
“It was.”
“Still not seeing the problem,” Katie said, her tone exasperated.
“She kissed the living daylights out of me, then freaked out and ran away,” he ground out. His lion sulked inside his mind.
“Did you go after her?” she asked.
“No,” he grumbled. “I thought I’d better give her space. She looked scared of me.”
Katie looked at him incredulously. “Scared? Of you? Nobody is scared of you.”
He snorted. “Thanks, sis.”
She looked thoughtful. “You know she’s been through a lot. I guess you can’t expect everything to just fall into place. It’ll take time. And probably a few freak outs.”
He sighed. “I can deal with freak outs, but I don’t like the running away.”
“You’re a lion. Hunt. Pounce. Just do it carefully,” Katie said. “Go be a mighty hunter.”
He pulled a face. “Hunting is women’s work.” He ignored the slap on his forehead. “You know it’s lionesses who hunt and feed their mighty males.”
“Yeah, you know we’re also human, right?” she pointed out. “So us mighty lionesses say you can go do your own hunting.”
He grinned at her. “Even though you love me.”
“Especially because we love you,” she said. “We’re just saving your furry ass from getting fat from all that lying around.” She frowned at him. “And why do you always have to mope on my couch? You have your own couch. In your own house.”
He shrugged. “Yours is more comfortable.”
She sighed. “Well, I’m going out for a bit. Try not to worry about it, Felix. She’s dealing with a lot right now.”
“I know.” He did know, and he also understood that he had to be patient. Felix was good at patience in most things, just not when it came to his mate. He really didn’t like the running away. It’d been funny when Tara had run from Alex. Now that her sister was doing it to him? Not so much. It had to stop.
“I’ll catch you later,” Katie said, picking up her jacket and leaving the room.
Felix lay there, letting the soft couch soothe him. He’d give Sara a little time to calm down and then he’d go find her. She had to be told that freaking out was fine, but running was not. Next time she ran from him, he might decide to take it as a challenge and chase her down.
***
“Why did you run from Felix?”
Sara looked up to see Katie standing over her, Tara right behind her. Her sister merely shrugged.
“Don’t I even get a ‘hello’ first?” she asked. “A fake but polite enquiry about my health? Anything?”
Katie shrugged. “Hi Sara. You look well. Why did you run from Felix?”
Sara threw down her magazine. She’d been on the same page for the last hour anyway. “I like him.”
Katie sat next to her, one eyebrow raised. “You ran because you like him? Was he supposed to chase you? Because, I gotta tell you, that doesn’t work with lions. Me? Some hot guy runs from me, and I will chase him down, across borders if I have to, until I catch him and pounce on him. I’m a lioness, we chase things. Male lions? Lazy kitty cats, the lot of them. Won’t move a muscle unless they have to.”
“I don’t want him to chase me,” Sara protested. She didn’t, right? “I needed some space.”
“Not ready, huh?” Katie said, her face creased with sympathy. “I get that. The problem is that he is your mate, and you’re going to be driven toward him whether you’re ready or not. It sucks, I know, but you can’t ignore it.”
Sara sighed. “I know,” she said. No matter how much she wanted to slow things down, her shifter nature wanted to speed them up. Which really sucked for someone in her position. Hence the freaking and running.
“Felix is a good guy,” Katie told her. She squinted at Sara. “Tell him I said that and I’ll deny it, but he really is. Just talk to him, explain how you feel, and he’ll be fine. Please don’t run away and refuse to tell him why. That just makes him lounge about on my couch feeling sorry for himself.”
Sara winced. She liked Felix, really liked him, and she didn’t want to hurt him. At the very least, he deserved an explanation.
“Do you have his phone number?” she asked.
Katie grinned at her. “Atta girl.” Pulling out her phone, she texted Sara the number. “Go easy on him. Felix is a big softie.”
Sara smiled and then stared at her phone, wondering how to phrase her text. She could call, but she wasn’t feeling brave enough to speak to him.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Katie said, patting her knee. “Hey, Tara, do you have any
cheesecake? I’m feeling peckish.”
Katie and Tara left her alone with her phone. She prepared several messages, always deleting them rather than sending them. Why was this so hard? In the end she settled for a simple message.
“Sorry. Can we talk?”
She waited a minute. Waited some more. She chewed anxiously on her lip. What if he didn’t answer? What if she’d offended him? What if he’d given up on her? What if –
Her phone buzzed with a new message. Hands trembling, she picked it up to check.
“Sure. How about tonight? Dinner?”
Relief coursed through her. He didn’t seem mad.
“Okay. Pick me up at 6pm?” she sent back. “Where do you want to go?”
“Leave it to me,” the answer came back. “I’ll see you at six. :) Felix. x”
She snorted at the little smiley face. It was typical Felix, but it did make her feel better, although not as good as the kiss he’d sent. Maybe, just maybe, this might actually all work out.
***
Felix whistled to himself as he parked outside Sara’s house. He practically skipped along the path in his eagerness to see her.
The door opened as he reached it, and Sara stood in the doorway.
“Hey,” he said, grinning at her. “You look awesome.”
She flushed a little and glanced down at herself. Dressed casually in jeans and a blue satin shirt, she looked pretty but not overly dressed up. She shifted her stance a little, betraying her nervousness.
“Thanks,” she mumbled. “So do you.”
“I always do,” he said, winking at her. She rolled her eyes at him, some of the anxiety draining away.
“Where are we going?” Sara asked, stepping out of the house.
“My place,” Felix said. He looked at her. “Is that okay? It’s just dinner and talking, I swear, but if you’re not comfortable, we can always go get pizza.”
She hesitated, obviously trying to decide. “Your place is fine.” He did a little mental fist pump. “You can cook?”
Polar Opposites Page 6