[The Shifters Committee 01.0] Time Shifters

by Rebecca Foxx

  But I bet your boyfriend never revealed to you that he’s a bear shifter, Colton thought to himself.

  But when he thought back on it, Lisa had caught him staring down that bear in the forest. She must have had some theories about what he was—that he wasn’t entirely human. He decided it was best to keep this information to himself, that it might be too dangerous to admit to her that he was half bear.

  He’d never told any of his friends and had only ever told other bear shifters. It was rare that he met other shifters; mostly he just came across other bears or animals that weren’t able to shift.

  When Colton first came across his powers, he’d just turned eighteen years old. His parents hadn’t told him that he had latent shifting powers that had been passed down his family for generations.

  The gene was passed down on his mother’s side, and almost everyone had the ability to turn into a bear. Colton had just been rummaging around in his fridge around twelve in the morning, as he hadn’t eaten all day and he was starving.

  It was a few days after Thanksgiving and there was still leftover turkey in the fridge. He was sitting on his bottom, surrounded in a pool of blue light, when he realized his fingers had suddenly turned into claws attached to paws. He began eating more ferociously, knocking dishes over and consuming plate after plate of food.

  He didn’t notice that his father was standing behind him, watching him consume everything in the fridge. Suddenly he heard the familiar sound of his father clearing his throat.

  Colton instantly turned back into a human being, surprised at both what had happened and the fact that his father had caught him.

  “Son,” his father said.

  “Dad,” Colton said quietly. He had no idea if he’d hallucinated or had been dreaming. When Colton thought back on it, he remembered placing his arms being his back and pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

  He then proceeded to sit Colton down to explain to him the history of their shifting abilities. He also instructed Colton to never tell anyone of his secret, for if he did he would be hunted and killed for his fur.

  “I’m not going to lie to you,” his father had said. “It’s dangerous out there, and you need to keep your wits about you. I suggest trying to live like a human being for a while and don’t shift unless it’s truly necessary. It’s better this way, you’ll see.”

  But Colton hadn’t felt better about that. He had strange urges to run amongst the wildlife in the forest, and he longed for eating fresh salmon out of the river. All he wanted to do was shift, so why couldn’t he? But out where he lived, there were hunters and it was too dangerous.

  He didn’t live near any conservation land, and there was a high chance he would have been shot if he’d so much as shifted in this type of climate. He’d immediately thrown himself into his work, trying hard to forget about the call of the wild.

  But one night during a rainstorm, his desires had taken over him and he’d shifted. It had been after the breakup, and he was distraught. He shifted in his house, refusing to go outside and risk his life.

  It felt good to walk around in his natural form, healthier almost. He simply strolled around his house for an hour or so, admiring how strong his muscles were and how thick his teeth had become. When he shifted back into a human, he slept like a baby for a solid twelve hours. Talk about hibernation.

  Working at Lake Tahoe allowed Colton to shift whenever he pleased. The land was protected there, and he’d never been hunted down by another poacher. The other bears were afraid of him, for they didn’t understand how he could run on four legs on some days, two legs on others.

  As they cozied up on the edge of the lake, Colton thought about whether or not he would tell Lisa. He continued to flip-flop over the situation, nervous that he would lose her before things even begun. She would call him disturbed; maybe even use that monster slur that he hated so much. The only thing Colton could think about was how unfair the situation was.

  As for Lisa, she sensed something was wrong with Colton. She could feel his agitation as he held her, and knew his pulse was beating out of control.

  She wanted desperately to ask him what was wrong, but knew it might send him over the edge. She didn’t know Colton very well, and barely knew anything about his past. Whatever it was that was affecting him so deeply was definitely a sign that his past was coming back to haunt him.

  She leaned her head into the nape of his neck, making sure he knew that she cared about him. It didn’t matter that they were still strangers. She’d come to care quite deeply for him, and had been forming an intense crush.

  Neither of them noticed the storm crackling in from the West. Smoldering black clouds entered the sky, bearing with them strong rain and wind. The forecast had predicted clear skies, but someone had failed to check it again.

  The newest forecast said thunderstorms and lightweight with the potential of winds up to 45 MPH. There was also a hurricane warning for neighboring cities in Cali, especially those near bodies of water. The weathermen were concerned that the water would flood and that anyone living close to the shore would lose either their possessions or their lives.

  It wasn’t until the first of the fireworks were obscured that Lisa knew something wasn’t right. She looked at Colton, who seemed to be bristling with anticipation. His sensory perceptions were spiraling out of control. A storm was coming and he needed to do something to stop it, to keep the people at his resort safe.

  He told Lisa to wait for him as he headed towards the bridge, using one of the megaphones to announce an emergency. All residents needed to return to their cabins as soon as possible. They obliged, standing up quickly in clusters of two and five, running hurriedly back to their cabins.

  For the next few minutes, everything was a blur of clothing and screaming. Lisa couldn’t keep her feet properly planted on the ground, and on more than one occasion she was knocked over by someone running towards safety. She had no idea where Sunflower was, and had lost sight of her in the crowd.

  When at last someone knocked Lisa over so hard she couldn’t get up immediately afterwards, Colton was at her side. He picked her up, asking if she was okay. She explained that the breath had been knocked out of her and she’d be fine in a few minutes.

  He carried her to the cabin as the rain started to come down. It fell in such thick sheets that their clothes were immediately soaked. Colton loved the way Lisa’s breasts looked through her wet t-shirt. She looked utterly ravishing, and he would have had her right there if it weren’t for the hurricane warning that was climbing from green to yellow.

  They reached Lisa’s cabin and Colton instructed her to stay inside where she would be safe.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, terrified.

  “I’ll be right back. I just want to make sure that everyone out there is safe.”

  “But you can’t leave! What if something happens to you?”

  He leaned towards her and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back before you know it.” But he wasn’t. And when a few minutes turned into half an hour, Lisa opened her door and headed out into the storm to look for him.

  Chapter 5

  Rain beat down hard upon Lisa’s back and she could barely see in front of her. The trees were waving about wildly and everything was a shad of blue and grey. She screamed Colton’s name but couldn’t find him. Eventually she took cover by the lake, hiding next to the bridge that connected one side to the other.

  At least one side of her body could be shielded from the wind and the chaos. Se had no idea that Colton was very close by, and he had taken the form of a bear to prevent himself from getting injured.

  Colton knew it was risky stepping outside the house in his bear form, but he needed to make sure all the citizens were safe in their houses. As far as he was concerned, not a soul was left outside. Each of the cabin door and been locked tightly and everyone was either cowering in the
living room or hiding out in their bedrooms.

  They were safe, and he could now head back towards Lisa. He couldn’t stop thinking about how romantic it would be to share her cabin during the thunderstorm. Ahead, a crackle of lightning split the sky, illuminating the ground as if it were made of gold.

  As he walked back towards her cabin, braving the wind and barring his muscular, furry arms against the rainwater, he noticed a body lying next to the bridge. As he approached, he realized it was none other than Lisa. She was shaking and hiding her head in her arms.

  He had no idea what she was doing out in the storm but it didn’t matter. He needed to save her. Without thinking, he placed his paws beneath her stomach and lifted her up into his arms.

  Lisa had no idea who or what was picking her up. She was freezing, and could barely feel the fur on Colton’s arms. She knew Colton was out there somewhere, and it was her fault for getting so cold—now she couldn’t save him. All she could think about was the fact that he might die out there and she’d never see him again.

  Why…why is this happening to me? She thought to herself. I’ll never see him again. I suppose that doesn’t matter now. Why am I so cold?

  She shivered in the stranger’s arms, still surprisingly unaware that he was not a human being.

  When they got to his door, Colton made sure to burst through it with all his might.

  He lay Lisa down in her bed and proceeded to cover her with a thick blanket. She opened her eyes just then, but didn’t scream when she saw him. They stared at each other for a few seconds, Lisa unsure of what to do or say. She didn’t want to scare him away.

  I knew it! She thought to herself. Colton was the bear all along! But why is he staring at me like that?

  He shifted back into the body of a human before her very eyes.

  “Lisa,” he said weakly, collapsing on the floor.

  “Colton! Are you okay?”

  “No don’t move. I’m worried you have hypothermia. Stay underneath the blankets.”

  “I’m much better, really, I think I was just cold because of the rain and my clothes. Um, which I’m not wearing anymore, so I’m fine.”

  “I wish I had the energy to hop into bed with you right now,” he said weakly from the floor.

  “I had no idea you were a shifter,” she said. “You’re amazing.”

  Colton bit his lower lip, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t believe that she’d just complimented him. After all this time, he’d finally found a woman that wasn’t afraid of him.

  “Lisa,” he croaked out. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Is that unusual? That I complimented you? I’m surprised your ex left. I know it’s none of my business, but how could someone leave you because of that?”

  “How did you know why she left me?”

  “I guess I just assumed and you just confirmed the answer for me. Well if you want my opinion I think she’s crazy for leaving you.”

  He smiled and lifted himself slowly off the floor. Making his way towards the bed, he tripped on something and fell on top of Lisa.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m really weak. I’ve been in my bear form for too long, exerting too much energy.”

  “Mmm,” she said, enjoying his naked warmth upon hers. “Let’s just lay like this for a while.”

  “That sounds good.”

  They fell asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms. Lisa’s body temperature climbed back up to normal, and she began to feel much better. The strange aching that had been hurting her bones out on the bridge was now gone. As for Colton, he fell asleep knowing he might have finally found a place to call home.

  Lisa had been able to recognize something in him that no other woman had been able to: the fact that he was still human, regardless of his shifting abilities. She was also kind and supportive, and he knew she ‘d make the perfect girlfriend.

  Outside, the storm raged on destructively. It tore through the land, knocking down trees and threatening to flood the first floor of every cabin. Luckily for Colton and the other tenants, the flood never happened.

  The storm died down in the early morning, leaving broken ranches and messy clumps of leaves in its wake. Colton woke around four in the morning, noticing bright light spilling through Lisa’s window. He couldn’t believe that they’d survived the storm.

  When he looked over at the bed, he saw Lisa curled up like a fox. Her skin was illuminated with gold and her hair was tangled down her back. He wanted desperately to run his hands through her hair, to drag them down her back until he drew blood. Instead of waking her from her slumber, he went into the shower and began to touch himself.

  The water was warm and inviting and he let himself play out different fantasies of him and Lisa. She was so sexy, all he could think about were the curves of her body, her watery eyes. Perhaps when she woke up he would have her again in, this time in the bed.

  Lisa stirred from a dream in which she was running through the woods with an enormous brown bear. She knew it had ben Colton, but he wasn’t chasing her—he was running with her. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. Then she heard the shower running.

  Happy that Colton hadn’t pulled a disappearing act again, she fell back asleep, waking only when he planned a warm kiss on the left side of her neck.

  Chapter 6

  Colton shifted Lisa onto her back and proceeded to straddle her. She moaned as he rode her hips, but didn’t enter her—yet. Instead he let his tongue linger on her nipples, biting and sucking at them until she begged for mercy. He covered her breasts in small pink circles, areas that he’d sucked at too long, marking his territory.

  Even though she’d been drenched in rainwater, she smelled oddly of honeysuckle and vanilla. His tongue traveled down her stomach, her most ticklish spot, to her bikini line and well beneath it.

  Colton lifted Lisa’s legs in the air, spreading her legs apart softly so he could begin his feast. She tasted even better down there, and he was famished. He licked her softly at first, inciting her pleasure sensors before letting his tongue become ferocious. He bit her clit, sucking it out like he was sucking the very life out of her lungs.

  Every so often he’d let go of her legs and reach up to massage her breasts, loving that she arched her back like a cat every time he touched her in a way she especially liked.

  Lisa ran her hands through Colton’s thick brown hair, turned on by the fact that he was half human. All she could think about was that she’d be hooking up with a beast. She was like Belle, having been seduced by a man that thought no one could love him.

  Colton’s tongue was soft, and made her feel tingly all over. She dug her nails into the sheets and rocked her hips slowly in time with his mouth. Occasionally she would look over at him and he’d glance back at her, winking in a teasing manner that only turned her on more.

  She was always worried that it took her too long to climax, but Colin was a passionate and patient lover. He ran his hands in warm circles across her stomach and thighs, eliciting goose bumps all over her body. She felt soft as a pillow beneath his hands. As Colton continued to work on her lower body, Lisa fell into a series of daydreams in which she and Colton were screwing like animals out in the backyard.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about what new adventures were in store for their relationship. Perhaps she’d even leave her job and come work down here so she could be around Colton all the time. He’d mentioned something to her the previous night about the future and what it had in store for them, but she’d fallen asleep before she could answer.

  Suddenly, Lisa felt pleasure begin to rip her apart at the seams. Her orgasm was so intense that her legs began to shake afterwards. Colton continued to eat her out for a few seconds longer, making her beg out in mercy for him to stop, it was tickling her too much.

  He sat up and wiped his mouth off, climbing on top of her and entering her forcefully. She felt every angle of his member as it dove deep inside her, and she wrapped her legs around him, prompting him
to move harder and harder. She was still feeling the after effects of the orgasm, and each pump in and out of her elicited a new wave of pleasure.

  It was so intense she feared she might pass out if she wasn’t carful. Colton held her wrists above her head and bit her neck and collarbone. She cried out loudly, arching her back and turning her neck in an attempt to escape but Colton was too strong. He bit at her ferociously, and she felt her eyes rolling back in her head from the serenity and pleasure.

  When he’d had his fill of her neck, Colton placed his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes. His were unwavering, and gorgeous. His stubble tickled her cheeks, making her laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, tickling her sides. “Keep laughing why don’t you,” he said, biting her earlobe.