Trevor looked at Ian like he had lost his marbles. “Ian, have you been listening at all? She kicked me out of her hotel room, and she looked at me like I was a monster. If she was my lifemate, she wouldn’t have reacted like that. She would have been more understanding.”
Ian chuckled again. “I hate to break it to you, buddy, but even the lifemate bond isn’t enough to overcome the initial shock humans often feel when they discover that a man they love is a bear shifter. What makes you think that just because she reacted that way that you’re not fated to be together? Being someone’s lifemate doesn’t mean that things are always going to be perfect. It just means that you can overcome the obstacles placed in your way if you’re committed to working together.”
“I never thought about it that way,” Trevor said. “I always thought that when I found my lifemate, she would just accept me, bear and all.”
“Buddy, you’ve got a lot to learn. Don’t you remember when Charlotte first found out about my being a bear shifter? I thought for a little while there that she was going to give up on me for good. She didn’t talk to me for days. But I tried to be understanding and give her time to process everything. That’s all you can do. I know shifting seems normal to you. But try to put yourself in a human’s shoes. Shifting can be hard to understand at first, especially for someone who’s never even heard of bear shifters.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Trevor said. “But I’m not sure what to do now. She yelled at me and told me in no uncertain terms to get out, and I stormed off in a fit of anger.”
“The only thing you can do is apologize and hope that once she’s had some time to think about it, that she’ll give you another chance to explain.”
“I don’t think she’s going to give me another chance,” Trevor said. “When I left she was so angry that I’m surprised she didn’t have smoke literally coming out of her ears.”
“Give her a chance,” Ian said. “If you shifted in front of her, then it’s no surprise that she had a strong reaction. But if you show her that you’re committed to her, and that you’re going to give her all the time and space that she needs, then I think you’ll be positively surprised by her response.”
Trevor frowned. “I guess I’ll try,” he said. “Do you really think it’s possible that she’s my lifemate?”
“That’s something that only you can truly know,” Ian said. “But I’d be willing to bet by the way you’re acting that she is. I think your gut is trying to tell you something. Listen to it. To be honest, I’ve never seen you act so emotional. I’d say that’s a dead giveaway that something’s going on there.”
Trevor felt his cheeks turning red with the heat of embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess the whole situation has affected me quite strongly,” he said.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed,” Ian said. “It’s a common thing for a bear shifter to feel a flood of emotion when they meet their lifemate.”
Trevor nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. “So, you’re not mad?” he asked.
Ian smiled. “I’m not mad. As I’m sure you’ve realized, Zach came to me very upset. He said that you’d put the clan at risk by shifting. It’s always a risk when you shift in front of humans, and you know that I don’t like for anyone to ever take that risk. But, sometimes, life demands that we take chances. I understand that. And one of the most important chances you can ever take in this life is a chance on love. Who am I to deny that to anyone in the clan? Don’t let Zach’s grumpiness get to you. He’s got his own set of issues to deal with. You know that.”
Ian stood and thumped Trevor’s shoulder. “I’m going to get some rest. Let me know what you decide to do about the girl.”
“Thanks,” Trevor said. He felt relief rushing through him at his alpha’s words, and a strange stirring of hope as well. The despair of leaving Bailey behind in that hotel room had been the emptiest feeling he’d ever felt. But the thought that maybe it hadn’t been the end gave him a renewed sense of purpose. First thing tomorrow morning, he would go back to Bailey’s hotel room and lay his heart on the line for her. He would explain everything about shifters to her, including lifemates—and the fact that he believed she was fated to be his lifemate. Then the ball would be in her court. Maybe it would take some time, but, like Ian said—if they were meant to be together, then hopefully she would eventually accept who he was.
All he could do was hope.
Chapter Twelve
Early the next morning, Trevor hopped into his SUV, and drove to the Red Valley Inn. Heart pounding with excitement, he made his way to Bailey's hotel room. When he arrived, he found the door wide open, with two of the hotel's housekeeping staff inside. They were preoccupied with their task of cleaning the room, and didn’t notice him at first.
“Excuse me,” Trevor said. “Do you happen to know where the woman staying in this room went?”
The housekeepers looked up and shrugged. “I don't know,” one of them said. “She checked out this morning.”
“She checked out? She’s gone?” Trevor asked, suddenly starting to panic. For some reason, it had never occurred to him that Bailey might leave so quickly. He’d been so excited about his plan to come talk to her that he hadn’t considered what he would do if she left. It made perfect sense, though. Why would she stay? She’d lost a colleague here, and she felt like Trevor had duped her. All that remained for her in Red Valley would be bad memories.
Trevor ran back out to the front desk. Breathless, he described Bailey and asked the woman behind the counter if she had any information on where Bailey might be.
“Oh, yeah. I know that girl. She left about an hour ago. I called a cab to the San Francisco airport for her.”
Trevor grabbed the counter to steady himself. He felt like the floor was falling out from under him. Why hadn’t he come back to the hotel earlier? He’d just assumed he still had time. As he felt the same desperate feeling from the night before washing over him again, Trevor knew with certainty: Bailey was his lifemate. He had to catch her.
“Do you have any idea which airline she was flying?” Trevor asked.
The front counter attendant shrugged. “I think I heard her mention Delta, but I’m not sure. And, I’m also not sure that I should be giving you all this information. How did you say you know her, again?” the attendant asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Uh, she’s a good friend. She, uh, forgot something here and I want to return it,” Trevor lied, and then ran out the front entrance of the hotel. He jumped behind the driver’s seat and started his engine, peeling out of the parking lot before he’d even fastened his seatbelt. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Bailey if he managed to catch her, but he had some time to think about it—San Francisco’s airport was about a ninety minute drive, and Bailey had a significant head start on him.
Trevor drove like he had a death wish. He weaved in and out of traffic at speeds nearly double the speed limit. He ignored the constant chorus of angry honks he left in his wake. The only thing his mind could focus on was catching Bailey. He arrived at the San Francisco airport in an hour and ten minutes, parking his car as close as he could to the terminal that had signs for Delta Airlines. He ran into the airport, and scanned the monitors with flight information. There was a flight to D.C. leaving in twenty minutes. Since the next flight wasn’t for three hours, Trevor knew that first flight must be the one Bailey was taking. Which meant she was probably already at the gate, about to board.
Trevor didn’t stop to debate his next move. He ran to Delta’s ticket counter, hopping back and forth impatiently on one foot while he waited for the older lady in front of him to finish speaking with the service agent. He probably only waited about three minutes, but it felt like forever. When his turn came, he ran up to the counter.
“Do you have space on the flight to D.C. that leaves in fifteen minutes? I want to buy a ticket,” Trevor said.
The service agent raised an eyebrow at him. “That flight is already boarding, sir. You might not
make it through security in time. And it’s too late to check a bag. Checked baggage needs to be here an hour before the flight.”
“I’m not checking a bag. I just need a ticket for that flight. Are there any available?”
The agent hesitated, looking at him suspiciously. “I can check for you, but if you miss the flight there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to get on the next one.”
“I don’t care,” Trevor said. “I need a ticket for that flight.”
“Okay, just a moment. Let me see what we have available.”
Trevor fidgeted impatiently again for several moments as the agent searched on her computer.
“Okay,” she said. “We have a seat left. But, this late, the ticket is going to be six hundred dollars.”
Trevor didn’t even flinch. He threw down his credit card and driver’s license. “I’ll take it,” he said.
Five minutes later, he was standing in the security line. “Come on, come on,” he said. “I’m going to miss her.”
Although it felt like an eternity to him, the security line actually moved relatively quickly. He slipped off his tennis shoes and threw his wallet and car keys on the x-ray belt, cursing the slow moving machine as he waited for his stuff to come back through on the other side. As he stood there, he heard a voice on the loudspeaker announcing the final boarding call for his flight. He didn’t even bother to put his shoes back on—lacing them up would have wasted precious time. He just grabbed everything off the x-ray belt and started running for Gate B31. His stocking feet pounded as he ran, dodging sleepy-eyed travelers who looked at him with mild amusement as he sprinted past. Right before his gate there was a shop modeled after a farmer’s market stand that had displays of fresh fruit and flowers for sale. Trevor glanced at his watch and skidded to a stop. He pointed at one of the bouquets, a lovely arrangement of delicate blue, white, and yellow flowers.
“How much?” he asked.
“Um…that one is fifteen dollars,” the salesman said.
Trevor grabbed the bouquet and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet, then threw it down on the counter. “Keep the change,” he yelled over his shoulder as he ran the last short distance to his gate.
The gate attendant took his boarding pass from him, shaking her head in disapproval. “You like to cut it close, don’t you?” she asked.
Trevor didn’t answer her. He was already running down the jet bridge, carefully holding the flowers out from his body to keep from damaging them. When he stepped onto the airplane, he looked around wildly.
“Bailey?” he called out. “Bailey, are you on here.”
The other passengers on the plane, who were already buckled in and settling into the magazines they had bought to read on the flight, looked up curiously at the loud interruption.
“Trevor?” she called out from about ten rows back. Bailey slowly stood, her face etched with confusion. Relief flooded Trevor at the sound of her voice. When he saw her face, those familiar, multi-colored eyes looking over at him, and that auburn hair pulled into her signature bun, his heart felt like it was melting. God, she was so beautiful.
“What in the world are you doing here? How did you get past security?”
Trevor took several long steps down the aisle to reach her. “I bought a ticket.”
“You bought a ticket?” she asked, her voice incredulous.
Her lip quivered with emotion, although Trevor wasn’t sure exactly whether it was a happy or sad emotion. He nodded, and then got down on one knee in the middle of the tiny airplane aisle. He held up the flowers to her.
“Bailey, I know I screwed up. I’m sorry that I didn’t make who I am clearer to you earlier. I’m no good at relationship rules. I’m no good at words. But what I am good at is being loyal. I’m good at giving my heart over completely to the ones I love, even when I don’t always do a perfect job of showing it. I’m good at spending time with you, and squeezing the life and fun out of every day. Please, give me another chance. You’ve got a chance to start over new, to really jump off into the unknown and live the way you want to live. Let me take that leap with you. Together, we can fly. You know that. We’ve already done it—we have the video to prove it, remember?”
The entire plane fell silent, watching Bailey and waiting for her reaction. She stood, looking at Trevor with her hands over her mouth and tears welling up in her eyes. After the longest moment of Trevor’s life, she reached out and took the bouquet that he was offering up.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s give this another shot. And I’m sorry. I was ready to conquer the world with you and then I let one unexpected hiccup throw us completely off track. I’ve known who you really are deep down since the moment I met you. You’re a good man. A hero. My hero.”
Trevor jumped up and threw his arms around Bailey as the entire plane erupted into applause. She kissed him, putting her lips against his and her hands on the back of his head. Hoots, hollers and cheers from the plane’s passengers surrounded them as Trevor felt a rush of happiness surging through him. A warmth started burning in his chest, and he knew in that moment that his initial intuition had been correct—Bailey was fated to be his lifemate.
The captain’s voice came crackling on the loudspeaker. “All right, ladies and gentlemen, I understand we have two lovebirds on board. My best wishes to the happy couple, but we do need everyone to be seated with their seatbelts securely fastened before we pull away from the gate.”
“Bailey?” Trevor asked. She grinned at him.
“Let’s ditch this plane,” she said. “Looks like I’m not going to need to head back to D.C., after all.” She reached under the seat she’d just been seated at and pulled out a small canvas bag that she’d been using to hold her few belongings. Trevor led Bailey off the plane, giving the flight attendants a slight shrug as they stepped onto the jet bridge and walked back into the airport.
“What do you say we spend the day in San Francisco, since we’re out here anyway?” Trevor asked.
Bailey smiled. “That sounds like a great plan to me.”
“It’s a date, then,” Trevor said, squeezing Bailey’s hand as he started walking back toward the parking garage.
Chapter Thirteen
Several hours later, Bailey sat with Trevor at a restaurant table overlooking the San Francisco Bay. In front of her stood the Bay Bridge, and behind her was the Golden Gate Bridge. The morning had been foggy, but by noon the sky had cleared. The sun now shone brilliantly down on the city. Bailey and Trevor had visited San Francisco’s Chinatown, walking through the busy, colorful displays, and popping in to one of the many restaurants to indulge in Chinese food for lunch. Then, they had driven across the Golden Gate Bridge and back again before taking a boat excursion to Alcatraz. They had finished up their tourist tour by browsing through the Ferry Building, where a Farmer’s Market was taking place. Fresh, local produce tempted passersby at every stand, and several local artisans had set up booths to sell their wares. Bailey bought herself a pair of dangling earrings that were made out of jade hewn into a rectangular shape.
Now, she sat sipping a glass of red wine from a Napa Valley winery, and taking in the beauty of the afternoon light streaking across the bay.
“It’s so gorgeous,” she murmured.
“It is,” Trevor said with a wink. “That’s why you should stay here in the area forever.”
Bailey smiled over at him. “I might consider it, if you stay here forever, too.”
“I don’t have plans to leave anytime soon, especially now that I’ve convinced you not to go back to D.C. Besides, my whole clan is here, and I always stick with them. You need to meet them, by the way. I promise the rest of them are not as rude as Zach. If I tried to set up a barbeque tomorrow, would you be interested?”
Bailey nodded. “That would be awesome,” she said. “I hope they’ll like me.”
“They’ll love you, I promise,” Trevor said. “And the girls will be so excited to have another female around.”
“Um, I thought it was nice, I guess,” Trevor said. “I’m not much of a jewelry expert. Why?”
“I think I could do that. Make jewelry and sell it, I mean. I used to love handmade jewelry when I was a little girl. I would get beads and twine from the craft store and spend hours making my own bracelets and necklaces. I miss being creative, and it seems like the market for unique, handmade stuff is pretty big around here.”
“If that’s what you want to do, then you should go for it. There’s plenty of space on base for you to stay and work on your jewelry. Life’s too short to not give your dreams a shot. And I only want to see you happy.”
“But what about you? What are you going to do until the fire season starts again?” Bailey asked.
Trevor shrugged. “I might try to help my buddy Luke out. He’s trying to get a woodworking business going on the side. I’ve never really tried my hand at that kind of thing, but it might be fun to see if I have a knack for it at all.”
Bailey nodded. “Well it would be nice to have some time to spend with you before the fire season starts and you get really busy. Spending this day with you has been amazing. But I shouldn’t be surprised, really. Every day I’ve spent with you has been full of fun and surprises.”
“I have one more surprise for you today,” Trevor said. “Are you done with your drink?”
Bailey nodded, and her eyes took on a twinkle. She loved spending these long days with Trevor. He knew how to plan a good time.
“Come on,” Trevor said, and took her by the hand. He led her a few blocks away, into the lobby of a luxurious hotel. Bailey gave him a questioning look as he told her to take a seat in one of the lobby’s plush armchairs before walking to the front counter and handing his credit card to the attendant. A few moments later, he returned with hotel room key cards in his hand.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 34