by Ava Walsh
“It will be fine, you’ll see.” Taesha held her at arm’s length.
“You have to remember that it's been awhile since you dated anyone. You’re not as strong as you used to be. It will take some time but you’ll get over it, you always do.” Taesha pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and hugged her again.
“But he listened to Metallica,” Melissa whimpered into Taesha’s hair. Taesha laughed and gave her a slap on the arm.
“See, you’re healing already.” Melissa wiped the tears from her eyes and let out a small laugh before grabbing her wine glass and heading to the washroom to check on the water in the tub.
Melissa lowered herself into the water, letting it envelop her and all her agony. As she started to relax she realized that it was too quiet. Her mind had started wandering back to Clayton and last night. She quickly grabbed her phone and turned on some music. She set the phone down on the floor and waited for her playlist to load. Just as she was about to plunge herself into the sound of the music, Enter Sandman was the first song up on the playlist. Instead of turning it off she just listened. It was always going to be one of her favorite songs, no man was ever going to change that.
Melissa racked her brain for the answers to why she was thrown off by Clayton. She had no idea what she had done but this guy was beyond bipolar. One minute he was all sweet and romantic and just like that, like a flipped switch, he was angry and infuriating. She shook her head. She had to stop thinking about him. It was obvious that he wasn’t into her. She just had to let it go.
She closed her eyes and hummed along with the rest of Enter Sandman until she thought she heard Taesha yelling. She reached to the floor and pressed pause on her phone.
“You are not welcome here, you need to leave!” Taesha was definitely yelling at someone.
Melissa shrugged it off as one of her latest conquests and sunk back down into the tub.
“You made her cry. She never cries,” Taesha was saying. It was him. Melissa’s eyebrows knit together. She sat up in the water and closed her eyes, trying to listen in.
“I don’t care what excuses you could have possibly come up with. I’m not letting you talk to her. You’ve done enough.”
Melissa pulled herself out of the tub and grabbed her housecoat.
“I said you can’t go in there, what’s wrong with you?” Melissa barely got the robe wrapped around her waist when the bathroom door flew open.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Melissa fumbled with the robe tie.
“I need to talk to you.” Clayton shot Taesha a furious glare. Melissa pushed past them both.
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” She started walking toward her bedroom.
“Even if I did want to talk to you, I’m sure you could have waited until I had some clothes on.” Melissa tried to shut the door behind her but Clayton blocked it and walked in after her. He rushed to her and grabbed her hand.
“Please.” He stared into her eyes. Melissa looked up at Taesha and gave her a nod. Taesha gave Clayton the I’m-watching-you signal and backed out of the room, closing the door.
“What do you want?” Melissa crossed her arms and pulled every ounce of strength she had out of her body just to keep from falling to the floor and crying like a tantric toddler.
“I need to explain what is going on with me.” Clayton took her hands and sat her down on the edge of her bed, kneeling in front of her.
“I just have one question first, before I start telling you things that I’ve never told anyone else.” Clayton gently caressed her knuckles with his thumbs.
“How do you feel about me? Am I worth listening to after everything that I’ve done to hurt you?”
Melissa sighed and pulled her hands from his.“That’s two questions. And can I please go put some clothes on for this conversation?
Clayton gave her an odd look before moving out of her way. She disappeared into her closet and reappeared wearing a tank top and a pair of sweats. Clayton was getting up.
“No stay sitting. Please. If I am going to answer your questions, I can’t have you anywhere near me.” Melissa cleared her throat and turned her back to him.
“I am also going to turn around so that I’m not distracted.” She could almost hear his smile from behind her back, but she continued anyway.
“There are so many things that I feel about you, things that I just can’t explain. I have no idea how these feelings developed so quickly or why. Yes, I do have feelings for you but you broke my heart.” Melissa took a deep breath, trying to keep from crying.
“I spent all night and most of today thinking about why I felt so empty. I didn’t want to admit the obvious, mostly because I didn’t believe it could have happened in such a short period of time.” Melissa started to pace the room as Clayton sat quietly on her bed, watching her as if at any moment she could jump from the window and escape.
“I finally convinced myself that the reason I felt so empty was your fault. You made me feel like I was a piece of trash that you throw out on garbage day, like a used napkin at a restaurant.” Clayton opened his mouth to speak but Melissa brought up her hand and his mouth snapped shut.
“I felt empty because I started thinking that I wasn’t good enough. That someone as amazing as you couldn’t possibly love someone like me.” She stopped pacing the room and turned to face him.
“But then I realized that wasn’t it at all. I was empty and hurting because I’m in love with you.” She stopped and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. She could feel her cheeks turning red as he stared at her.
“I love you too,” Clayton whispered as he stroked her hair. Melissa looked up at him, tears had started to form in her eyes once again but they never had a chance to fall. Clayton softly kissed the tears from her eyes and moved down to her mouth.
Carefully he took her bottom lip into his mouth and gave a short suck on it. He moved his large hand to the nape of her neck, pulling her upward. His kisses grew hot and passionate. Melissa gripped his shirt with both hands as she matched the heat in his kiss. In one swift movement, Clayton lifted her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Melissa could feel the massive bulge in his pants. She slowly started moving her hips in slow tantalizing circles against it. She only grew wetter as he growled into her mouth. She reached down to the bottom of his shirt, placing her hands on his skin, where she tormented him as she moved her hands upward, taking his shirt with them. She pulled the shirt over his head and hungrily took his mouth again. Melissa let out a lamented sigh as he massaged her neck with his tongue and lips. She arched her back as he made his way down her collarbone and to her chest. Next thing she knew, he had taken her tank top and tore it in half, pulling it from her over sensitive skin. She let out a small whimper as she looked at the pieces.
Clayton laughed into her neck, then whispered in her ear, “I’ll buy you a new one.”
Then he stood up from the bed and flipped her on her back. She watched him look down at her topless body, biting his lip as he struggled to pull his jeans over the anxious swell in his briefs. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her sweatpants and pulled them slowly down her thick thighs. She watched his eyes relish her skin as he revealed it. She peeled herself from the bed, sitting eye level with his pulsating shaft and kept her eyes on him as she greedily took him into her mouth. She watched his eyes darken as he mimicked the shape of her mouth, letting the ecstasy escape from his lips.
When Melissa backed up for some air, he grabbed her and flipped her around on the bed so her head was still toward him, giving her access to his ready cock. She took him back into her mouth and as she did, he lowered himself over her, supporting his weight with his arms. He spread her thighs as wide as they would go and he ran his tongue over her lush center. Melissa trembled beneath the expertise of his tongue. The way he moved at her velvety center was making it very difficult for her to concentrate on pleasing him. As if taking the hint, he moved off of her, spinning her lower half to the edge of the
bed. Kneeling down in front of her, he took her back into his mouth. He gently sucked on her bud as he swirled his tongue between her folds.
He jolted upward as if consumed by insanity. He hovered over the center of her arousal before slamming into her. Melissa writhed with pleasure beneath his rhythmic movements. He clenched at the bed sheets, letting out small moans each time he rammed himself into her. He grabbed the backs of her knees, forcing them backward, opening her up to him, before letting out a guttural growl, as his unrelenting thrusts grew more intense. He pummeled into her mercilessly, then with lightning speed pulled out of her, leaving her feeling empty. He flipped her over on the bed and lifted her to her knees, pushing her bottom high into the air. Melissa’s face was forced down onto the bed and she could hear his heavy breathing as he tightly gripped her plump ass. She waited for him to bury himself into her core but nothing happened. She slowly raised herself from the bed and turned to look at him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing rapidly.
Melissa positioned herself on the edge of the bed and rose up on her knees so she could reach his face. She took his chiseled jaw into her hands, coaxing him to open her eyes and look at her. His breathing started to slow but she could feel his pulse in her fingertips.
“What’s wrong? You’re not going to freak out and walk away again are you?” Melissa was teasing him but he winced as if she had struck him.
“Look at me.” She jerked his head toward her and he slowly opened his eyes. They were glowing yellow. She let out a sharp scream, then she heard a rush of footsteps and a knock on her door.
“Is everything ok in there?” Taesha’s voice pierced through her shock. Melissa looked toward the door, hesitating a moment before answering.
“Yes, everything is fine.” She looked back at Clayton’s agonized face.
“Okay, I’m heading out. I’ll make sure my ringer is on if you need me call.” She heard Taesha’s footsteps recede down the hall, then the slamming of the front door. Melissa let out a shaky breath. She took Clayton’s clenched fists and pulled him onto the bed.
“What’s going on?” Her voice was barely audible. Clayton took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them they were back to their deep chestnut brown.
“It’s what I needed to talk to you about.” He swallowed and looked up at her, taking her face in his hands.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you. It’s just not a good time of the year for me. Normally I’m fine but you trigger something in me and it dissolves my control over it.” Clayton dropped his hands from her face and took her hands into his.
“There is this curse. It runs in my father’s side of the family. I am a Shifter.” He trailed off a little.
“A wh-what?” Melissa stumbled.
“Every fall I enter transition. It’s the worst time of the year for me. I’m overly aggressive, I’m constantly hungry. Over the years, I’ve learned the warning signs that I am entering into the first stage of my transition. The first two symptoms are the aggressiveness and unquenchable hunger. But they are just the mild signs. When those surface I usually have a few weeks before the rest of the changes occur. Once the next set of symptoms come in, I usually start my preparations. I get all the supplies I need for the next few months and barricade myself in my home until Winter.”
Melissa sat there, listening intently. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or just trying to let her down easy.
“My transformation is dormant throughout the Winter. Then in the Spring, it awakens once again. The Spring is easy. All I have to do is eat. Most Shifters with a transformation like mine can change at will after that, until Fall hits again. But I can’t. I transition in the Fall because I don’t have a choice. If I could get rid of the curse all together I would. Holding back my transformation all Summer is most likely the reason the Fall is so unbearable for me.” Melissa nodded slowly, trying to take in everything he was saying.
“Is that why you weren’t around the Anderson’s? Are the Anderson’s Shifters too?”
“No, the Anderson’s aren’t Shifters. But my situation is why I haven’t been with my family for most of my life,” Clayton answered, a grave look shadowing his eyes.
“My mother was an Anderson. My father was a Shifter. He was like me in the fact that he only ever let himself transform in the Fall. He wanted to live a normal life with my mom and me. One Fall, he decided that he was going to neglect the change altogether. He wanted so badly to just be human. But the more he resisted, the more powerful the animal became.” He fell silent for a moment as if he was replaying the scene in his mind.
“One night the aggression and hunger got out of control and the animal forced itself through, and because he had been ignoring the symptoms, the animal went on a ravenous rampage and killed my mother. The next morning when my father woke up, he found my mother. Ever since then my father hid inside his animal. His human form hasn’t resurfaced in years. Before he left town, he took me to my Aunt Bonnie. He told her the story and told her to look after me and she did. She raised me until my transitions started at sixteen. Then out of fear, she purchased a piece of land out in the woods and had a home built for me. She told me to stay away from them.” He let out an abundant sigh.
“That’s horrible,” Melissa gasped. She ran a hand through her hair. “How could she do that to you?” Melissa could feel anger and hurt rising from the pit of her stomach. She would never be able to look at Bonnie the same again.
“I don’t blame her. She had no idea what to do with me. She was scared. It’s completely understandable. It was my kind that had killed her sister.” He took her hands in his once again.
“She still checked on me in the spring to make sure I was okay. She didn’t completely abandon me.” He tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear.
“So you keep mentioning the animal, but you never said what it was.” She looked up at him with a look of interest. Clayton smiled brightly and walked out into the hall, returning shortly with a small bag.
“I bought you something. It’s something to remember me by for the next couple of months while I go into hiding.” He handed her the bag, his beautiful smile was almost splitting his face in two. Melissa reached into the back and pulled out a stuffed bear. She giggled and held it tight to her chest.
“You’re a Werebear?” She gave an awe-stricken smile. She looked at the cute little bear in her hands.
“When are you going away?” Melissa’s smile faded at the thought of not being able to see him over the next few months.
“As soon as I leave here.” He caressed her cheek.
“But I’ll be back for you. Don’t worry.” Melissa couldn’t help but smile. She truly was in love with this man, and now she knew for a fact that he loved her too.
Chapter Eight
Clayton wandered through his house mentally crossing things off of his checklist. He was ready for his transformation. He had stocked all the meat he had bought in a cooler outside and turned on the electric fence that surrounded the property. He made his way outside, locking the door behind him and hiding the key in a metal safe by the door. He had already walked the perimeter checking for damages in the fence and had found none. Everything was ready. He sat down on the porch swing and stared out at the forest wall. He wanted so badly to talk to Melissa, just one more time before he changed. But his phone was already put away in the safe. He watched as the sun sank in the sky. He could feel the pins and needles starting to riddle his body. The transition was starting. By the time the sun went down he would be transformed into his bear form until winter arrived.
Clayton decided to walk out into the middle of the yard while he still could. He sat in the dry grass and closed his eyes. The transformation always went so much smoother when he wasn’t trying to fight it.
His eyes started to burn and his nose started to itch as the new scents hit him that his human form couldn’t detect. His gums started to bleed as his new teeth cut through. He rolled his should
ers as his muscles started to swell and his skin started to crawl as the fur forced its way through his skin. He dug his fingers into the earth as every bone in his body started to fracture and reform. He pounded his fists into the ground as the aggression took hold of him. The pain from his bones breaking started to pull him under. His vision blurred and he saw stars floating across his field of vision. His head started to swim. The transformation was nearly complete. He knew that as soon as the animal surfaced he would have no control anymore. He was in full transition, not just the early stages where he would get to keep his own mind for a few hours. It was the beast’s turn and he had no choice but to let it take him.
***
Clayton had finally regained consciousness. He looked around in confusion. His two months couldn’t be finished already. He looked down at his smooth human skin and hands. A painful shiver racked his body. Little spots of snow covered the ground. He pulled himself up from the ground, leaning against a tree for support. His muscles were protesting with every movement. He imagined this is what a person’s body would feel like if they had worked out nonstop for hours on end.
Once his equilibrium was back on track he made his way to the house. When he was out of the shelter of the trees he no longer doubted that the two months were up. There was at least a foot of snow covering the ground and the air felt like tiny daggers piercing his skin. He took a deep breath and sprinted toward the house and fell to his knees in front of the safe. He made quick work of the combination lock and grabbed his keys and phone. The inside of his house was perfectly toasty. He knew the bills would be outrageous but it was worth it to crank the heat so the house was warm when he came out of his bear form. He tossed the keys on the table and turned on his phone. The only thing he could think about doing was talking to Melissa. He listened to the phone ring as he made his way to his bedroom to jump in the shower. The call went to voicemail but he didn’t leave a message. This kind of thing wasn’t something you announced on a voicemail.