by Milly Taiden
Charli rolled her eyes. “In my defense, you scared the crap out of me. People don’t sneak in the back door without a reason.”
“Yeah, my reason being I didn’t know where I was, or why, or who you were.”
Her eyes narrowed and her sexy lips flattened into a straight line. “What were you dreaming about?”
She would ask that question. If he told her he’d dreamed he was a bear, she’d put him in an insane asylum, or shoot him on the spot as a deranged loony. “I dreamed I was chasing a guy, when out of nowhere, something sharp stung me in my leg and as I was falling under, I saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.” His hand slid from his waist to his thigh, feeling for an injury that wasn’t there. “When I woke up, I found myself looking at a stack of hay and you walking away.”
Her brow raised. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.” He cleared his throat. He’d love something to drink but wouldn’t ask her. He had bigger problems than feeling thirsty. There was this primal need to touch the woman and something strange going on with his body. He didn’t even know how to explain it to himself, much less someone he didn’t know.
She blinked her beautiful long lashes and glanced down, her gaze sweeping over him like a hot caress. Fuck, he wanted to grab her and kiss her like nothing else mattered. “What about before?”
“Before what?”
She sighed with exasperation. He wasn’t trying to be difficult, really. But she was hot enough to melt steel. At that moment, she was adorable as she rolled her eyes. “When you woke in the stall, did you see a bear? My bear is missing and injured.”
“A bear? You had a bear in the horse trailer? Are you sure?” He didn’t like the way this conversation was going. There was a bear, then there was him. And he wasn’t a bear. He had hands, for crying out loud. His entire body tensed as if it knew something he didn’t.
She clenched her teeth and glared at him. “Yes, I know what a bear is. I’ve been a vet here in the mountains for several years.”
“Oh, this is a vet’s office?” That made sense, especially now that he saw the framed degrees hanging on the wall behind her, including one for veterinary forensic sciences. Brainy and beautiful. And his. His? There was something wrong with him.
Her face flushed and she glanced around the room as if trying to see it from his point of view. “It’s not really an office office. I usually don’t work with small animals like cats or dogs. I work mostly with farmers’ livestock and bigger animals. So I’m on location mostly. Occasionally a horse or cow will come in. I keep them in the stalls you’re familiar with here.”
Her words caught his attention. There was a massive emptiness in his brain. “Where is here, exactly, besides your non-office office?”
Her delay in answering brought his eyes to hers. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, chewing on her plump red lip. He would like to have that piece of flesh in his mouth, too. He felt the coat covering his lap rise again. He shifted in his chair.
Charli sat forward, elbows on the desk. “Okay, I’ll bite. Here is southwestern Oregon, not far from the California border.”
“Oregon?” He didn’t know why, but he wasn’t expecting that answer.
Her brows rose and she gave him a curious glance. “Where did you think we were?”
“I’m not sure. But the East Coast came to mind.” At that moment, his situation sank in. He had no identity, no family, nowhere to go, and his mind kept saying he was a fucking bear. He dropped his head into his hands and pulled on his hair—just a little pain to prove to himself he was alive. This wasn’t a dream. His stomach gurgled loudly.
“I’m taking a guess here,” Charli said. He heard a smile in her voice and looked at her sparkling eyes. “But I bet you don’t remember when you last ate.” Her smile blew him away. Laughter bubbled out of him, partially from her humor, partially to keep from breaking down. It was surreal. He had no idea of anything in his life and the world at the moment, but being near this woman kept him from losing his shit. Her smile, her scent, her eyes, they all kept him grounded and able to try to figure out what was going on.
She laid her arm across the desk and held her hand open to him. “I’m going on a hunch and trying something I’ve never done before.” He looked from her palm to her face. She wiggled her fingers. “Give me your hand.”
This was weird. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. What did he know? Squat. He laid his open hand on hers. Instantly, sweat popped out on his forehead and a cold shiver ran down his back. Joyous energy spread outward from his heart, lifting the gloom of his situation, taking away his worry, filling him with happiness. Mate. Mate? What the fuck did that mean? And who said it?
He knew Charli felt the same way. Not only by the mixed expressions on her face, but also because he felt her heart. Then he felt her in his mind, but only part of it. She was searching for something.
Hello?
Yes, mate. Waiting. Always for you.
She didn’t reply. He couldn’t ignore what just happened. He snatched his hand from hers and backed against the wall. “Who the fuck was talking in my head without me?”
She looked astounded. “You really don’t know, don’t remember, do you?”
“Don’t know or remember what?” His body fought an invisible pull for control. A low rumble sounded in his chest. He tried so hard to make a memory, any memory, come to him. Nothing. His pulse pounded in his ears. He couldn’t catch his breath. Out. He had to get out of the room.
Charli stood from her chair. “Barry, calm down. Barry. Look at me.”
He snapped his eyes to hers. “My name is Barry? Seriously?” Damn, if that wasn’t a corny name. He’d prefer a manlier one. She smiled.
“I doubt it, but since I know who half of you is, Barry is appropriate.” Half of me? What the hell? She held out her hand to him again. This time he was more hesitant. Maybe she was a bit kooky herself. She snagged his hand and opened the door. “Stop being a sissy and come on.”
“Sissy? Me? I wasn’t the one saying things in my head.” What did he just say? She laughed. Damned if the sound didn’t make him happy.
She tugged him into the house. Even though he was chilled from the reality of his situation, her holding his hand warmed him to the marrow. “Let’s get you clothes and breakfast. Then we can figure out what to do with you.”
He liked the sound of that. And boy did he like the feel of her hand in his. If he had his way, he’d keep it there forever. Mine. Always mine. Shit. He didn’t know where the thoughts were coming from or why he fought this dominant side trying to control him.
CHAPTER FOUR
In her kitchen, Charli chopped the last of the chives and tossed them in the pan with the eggs, tomatoes, and spinach. Coffee would be ready soon. The seventeen-inch TV under the far cabinet aired the local morning news with weather and traffic every twenty minutes. Not that traffic in Shedford was bad, but having another voice in the house made her feel less lonely.
Her mind wouldn’t stop returning to the gorgeous man she’d found in her horse stall. Obviously, he was a shifter, but the entity she’d encountered wasn’t like other animals she’d communicated with. When she made contact with his bear, she knew Barry wasn’t a bad guy, or wouldn’t hurt her, at least. The bear would make sure of that. She felt a strong bond she’d never had with wildlife. Charli didn’t really know how to explain to a shifter that he was one. As far as she knew, they were all aware of their animals, so this was not only unusual, but difficult to figure out.
She had never tried talking to a shifter’s animal while he was in human form until that morning. The thought had never occurred to her in the short time she’d known of their existence. She needed to compare the difference the next time she was with Devin or Russel. Maybe Barry’s animal was perfectly normal for a shifter.
Her ear caught the anchorwoman talking about the jewelry store heist a couple of weeks ago. Not only was neither the thief nor the loot found, but the police had no theories
on how the burglar got in and out without tripping the sophisticated alarm system. Similar to a bank robbery a month ago where the vault was entered and no one had any idea how the perp got in or out.
Barry walked in from the bathroom where he had put on the clothes she handed him. He was a big guy . . . everywhere. He filled out her biggest pair of sweatpants quite nicely, except the legs stopped above his ankles. But honestly, her eyes didn’t get that far down. Her XL T-shirt would barely go over his head. It draped over his well-muscled shoulders. Damn, damn, damn. She knew what she wanted for breakfast.
Barry’s head snapped up. His eyes flashed between gold and his normal hazel and drilled into hers. He stalked toward her with aggressive steps, pushing her against the refrigerator. His nose ran up the side of her neck. Chills raced down her arms.
She should be afraid of this stranger cornering her, threatening her wellbeing. But her body screamed the opposite. It wanted to take this man to the floor and sit on his face until he learned to breathe through his ears.
Fortunately, or not, her brain overruled, bringing everything to a screeching halt.
His chest vibrated against hers. “I told you, you can’t do that. You smell so good. I can’t control it. I—I lose myself.”
Well, yippy-ki-yay. The bear part of him she’d spoken to in the clinic was right. He’d decided she was his mate. When she got to the office, she needed to have a long talk with one of the shifters about mate stuff. And could it be turned off?
She couldn’t deny the physical attraction between them. Shit. Their chemistry was off the friggin’ chart. But she was human, and her heart didn’t fall instantly in love because someone called her mate. Though her heart was already doing flip-flops every time he met her gaze. She could see how easily it would be to fall for a big guy like him. Those eyes, that face, and oh, good lord, that body. It was impossible to ignore her hormones bouncing for his attention.
Charli pushed Barry back, hurried to the stove, and flipped the omelet before it burned. She called over her shoulder without looking back, “How about you put toast in. I want two pieces. Butter is in the fridge door, at the top. Jelly, too.” While he rustled around the kitchen, she calmed herself and clamped down on her emotions.
The little she did know about shifters included that they could smell a hot babe from five streets over. According to the two single males she worked with at the fellowship, anyway. She’d swear they were horn dogs if she didn’t already know what they were. Her knowledge about shifters was very much limited to the masculine side. Not to mention they were half human male, which made it worse. But she liked the guys and was glad they worked together.
After making her plate, she shoveled the rest onto Barry’s, figuring he ate like the guys from the office. And she was right. His plate was half empty before she got to her first piece of toast.
For conversation’s sake, she thought she should ask him about his life, but she realized that would’ve been a short story. She snorted. Barry looked up at her.
“What’s so funny?” He gave her another of those panty-melting smiles, and her appetite for food was replaced with a different one.
“Just me, being a dimwit.” Being around a hot guy was messing with her mind. She wasn’t used to having one in her house.
He nodded and tilted his head toward his plate. “Do you have any idea why I lost my memory? Was I in a car accident or something where I hit my head?”
She doubted it. Shifters were known for being strong, so whatever happened had really hit him hard. “From what Fred and Jed said, the bear went down with the rockslide and was buried. My guess is your head got banged around quite a bit.”
His eyes widened and he stared at her. “Wait a second. How are a bear and my head related? Did we both fall?”
Maybe this would be a good time to bring up this shifter thing with him. “Say, Barry. You know what a shifter is?”
He gave her a confused look. Poor guy. “You’re probably not talking about someone who works shift hours, are you?”
“Why would you say that? Do you remember something from your past?” It could be so helpful. Especially seeing she had no idea what to do with him. The guy had no memory. Not to mention she was incredibly tempted to keep him. Even if it was to stare at his gorgeous face. Right. Okay, and maybe do some really dirty things to him.
“Sorta. From my past two hours, I’ve learned nothing with you will be normal.” His sincere smile warmed her heart. “So I’m expecting a wild ride.”
Oh yes. A wild ride would just be the beginning. She’d ride him all night long and then let him do whatever he wanted with her. Remembering what her emotions caused, she sucked in a sharp breath and pointed at Barry, who breathed deeply across the table.
“Sit still, dude. That was my fault, but you need to control yourself. That’s part of being a shifter.” Sure, get him to feel guilty over her inability to stop her lustful thoughts.
His head tilted and eyes narrowed. “So you’re telling me I’m a shifter, which is what, exactly?”
Great. How was she to convince someone they were part animal? Usually it was the shifter trying to convince the human.
She set her fork down. “Okay, there’s no beating around the bush here. You were born with two souls. One is human and the other is ursine or bear.” She stared at his stoic face, unable to tear her eyes away from his gold-rimmed irises. Suddenly he threw his head back and guffawed, slapping the table with his hand. The orange juice in her glass rippled.
Barry collected his dishes and strolled to the sink. “You’re a funny woman, Charli. I like you.” He washed his plate and rinsed the glass. “Next, you’re going to tell me I can turn into a bear during a full moon.”
“A full moon has nothing to do with it. As I understand, it’s based on want. If you want to shift.” She watched him closely, worried how he’d take the idea.
He rested his palms on the edge of the sink and stared out the window. The view from the kitchen was her favorite in all the house. A lake big enough for taking out a paddle boat stretched beyond the flat plain of evergreens, to rocky hills, then the mountains in the distance.
Most of the town was nestled between several mountain ranges. In the countryside here, she found peace like no other place she’d been. Right now, she hoped that peace found Barry.
Without moving from the window, he spoke. “In my dream, the first thing I remember thinking was that I was in my animal form—my other half. The thought angered me. I felt a rage build toward that other half. The bear went berserk and attacked the first person it saw, which happened to be some skinny guy wearing camo overalls.”
Charli remembered Jed had on camouflage clothing. As did Fred, but he was standing on the tractor laughing his ass off at Jed.
“Then you came into sight, and the fury burning inside vanished. I wasn’t lost anymore. I felt whole. There weren’t two parts of me when I looked at you. You completed me.”
Tears came to Charli’s eyes. Men didn’t say things like that to her. Ever. Maybe it was that this man with no past and the ability to start fresh was telling her that she’d given him something when he felt lost. If she found out later that he’d seen Jerry Maguire, she’d so kick his ass into next week for making her all mushy. But for now . . .
Barry’s head bent for a moment before he continued. “So when you say there’s another half to me, I fully believe you. But I will never, ever believe I was born this way.” He turned to face her. “I know in my heart, I was born human, one soul.”
Charli sat stunned. She had no words to comfort him, no way to tell him if he was right or wrong. He really needed Devin and Russel to talk with him. They could help and answer his questions. “I’m going to take you over to visit some friends. They’ll be able to help us out.”
The gorgeous man dipped his head with a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he looked up with a sly grin. “So, have I convinced you to have sex with me yet?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Charli held tightly to Barry’s elbow as she rushed them up the steps to the pack fellowship’s office. She was a few minutes late, but she had a darn good reason. And it wasn’t sex. She was not that easy. Men.
They entered the main area, where partitioned desks lined the long sides of the room. A few of the people in the office gave Barry a curious look, but Charli’s frown had them turning back to mind their business. At the far end sat Director Scott Milkan’s office—the big kahuna. The wall opposite his side was covered by whiteboards with unreadable writing; corkboards with newspaper clippings, notes, recipes, the phone number to the pizza delivery joint, and everything else that could be pinned to it; and taped-up crime scene photos.
Charli plopped Barry at her “office” partition and told him to wait until the meeting was over. She didn’t know what else to do with him. Besides, he needed to talk with Devin and Russel.
Opening the door to Director Milkan’s office, she gave a guilty grin, said good morning to the four gathered around the table and took a seat. A box of donuts sat in the middle of the table. Looked like she wasn’t the only late one today. She didn’t make a habit of having breakfast twice, but there was a first time for everything and those donuts were calling her name.
“All right,” Director Milkan began, “now that we’re all here, let’s get started.” He turned to the lady sitting beside him. She was pretty, with thick auburn hair falling around her shoulders. “This is Detective Tamara Gibbons with Shedford City Police. She has a case she’d like our help with.”
The director cast his attention to Charli. “This is Agent Charlynne Avers. Charli, to us. She’s our in-house animal expert and longtime veterinarian for the area. She’s also what we call a critter whisperer.”