Making sure he was out of sight of the shop, Dan stripped off the rest of his clothes and left them in a pile, before letting the bear tear out of his skin. Throwing himself forwards, Dan let out a long shout which ended in a roar as his bear came out of his body, finally free.
Shaking his fur, Dan felt his body fill with energy, which practically throbbed through his veins. Roaring again, he pushed himself forward onto his four paws and began to run through the woods.
He didn’t know how long he’d run for, or even in which direction he was going. All he cared about was getting the anger and frustration out of his body.
Coming to the lake – the one that Tom and Savannah used regularly – he didn’t hesitate. Throwing himself in, he let the cool water rush over his fur, cooling him down almost immediately. His paws pulled through the water almost effortlessly, as he swam to the other side.
Climbing up onto the bank, Dan let himself slowly relax. Shaking the water from his fur a few times, he sat back in the grass, leaning heavily against a tree.
All of a sudden, he knew what it was that was making him angry. It was this. This part of his life, the part that Lucy was rejecting.
With a harrumph, Dan pushed himself back up onto his four paws and began to amble back through the woods, using the scent of the mechanics to guide him back towards them. He needed to think about this more carefully, once he was back in his human skin.
Finding where he'd left his clothes, Dan slowly pushed the bear back down and let his human form come out. Bones snapped in two, muscles tore and reformed, forcing a scream from his throat. The bear didn't want to go away, it wanted to stay out. It wanted to keep running through the forest, but Dan knew it was time to head back. Breathing heavily, he slumped forward as the bear finally went away. He could barely get his breath. That change had been pretty painful.
Grabbing his clothes, he pulled on his pants and his shoes, before sitting down on an overturned log. He knew now what it was that had been filling him with frustration. Lucy.
He’d barely been able to believe that a woman like that had practically fallen into his lap. Not to mention she was a shifter. That didn’t mean he assumed she was completely and utterly in love with him or anything like that, but he had hoped there might be something between them, in the future at least. But when Lucy had said she didn’t shift, his heart had shattered into a million pieces.
Dan had always wanted someone who understood him completely, someone he could share his life with. That meant, it had to be a shifter. He'd imagined them running through the woods together, in the way Tom and Savannah did. Nick and Jo were very different since Jo wasn't a shifter and Nick had known that from the beginning. But to meet someone who was a shifter, but who didn't use that part of them, was something Dan couldn't wrap his head around.
In a way, it was as though all his hopes and dreams had shattered in a moment. He'd hoped, even after his disastrous first impression, that he might be able to move things forward with Lucy but now he didn't think he'd ever be able to consider a future with her. Not when she wouldn't shift.
Dan thumped his knee with his fist. He couldn’t understand it. Why would a shifter turn their back on what they knew? On what was a huge part of them? He shook his head, imagining the struggle she must go through. Her bear would want to be out, want to be free, and she was having to force it back down over and over and over again.
The sound of a truck pulling up met his ears. At least his shifter senses were good for something, he thought to himself as he heard Jo’s laugh echo through the trees. He knew Lucy was with her, although he couldn’t hear her voice yet.
Sighing heavily, Dan got to his feet and threw his shirt on over his head. Nick had told him repeatedly that he was now responsible for Lucy, and that meant he was to keep an eye on her throughout the day. It wasn’t something he particularly minded, given just how much he was attracted to her, but there was a sadness there now.
A sudden idea hit him. What if he was able to convince her that being a shifter wasn’t a bad thing?
A slow smile spread across his face. First of all, he’d have to find out her reasons for choosing not to shift, but he’d guess it had something to do with her lout of a brother. If all she’d ever known were shifters like Dominic, then he could understand why she didn’t want to shift. It would be up to him to show her that not all shifters were like that. It had been something he’d had to learn too. Coming from the Northern Wind pack to his one had shifted his entire way of thinking. Instead of seeing himself as a ruthless hunter, he’d learned that there were things like respect and consideration that were just as much a part of being a shifter.
His heart began to lift as he thought about Lucy. Nick would expect him to be spending a lot of time with her, and he would put that time to good use. Whether there was a future for him and Lucy or not, Dan vowed to try his best to show her that her bear side wasn't something she should just ignore. He would show her that it was a privilege, something that set them apart from the rest. Feeling much happier, and filled with a new sense of purpose, Dan walked towards the mechanic's shop, ready to start the day.
Chapter Nine
“Good morning!”
Lucy smiled at Dan, thinking he looked quite handsome this morning. He wasn't built anything like Dominic, but that was a good thing. She didn't like that look. Dan, on the other hand, was still quite strong but in a toned down way. It looked like he'd been out for a run or something. He was breathing quickly and his cheeks were bright red. "Were you outside?"
“Yup,” he grinned. “Nothing like a bear run first thing in the morning!”
"Oh." Her smile died almost at once. She didn't understand that kind of thing, having constantly pushed down her bear's need to get out. It was an on-going battle, one she fought almost every day, but still, she was determined.
“So,” Dan grinned, leaning on the counter. “What are you going to do today?”
She shrugged. “I don’t really know. Help out where I can, I guess.”
“Want to have lunch with me?”
Lucy nodded, surprised at the heat that rushed into her cheeks. “Sure, I’d like that.”
The grin on his face was immediate. “Great. And, if you want to make yourself useful, I know Jo’s keen on having this place redecorated.”
Wrinkling her nose, Lucy looked around. She wasn’t great at that kind of thing.
“Come on,” Dan laughed, seeing her expression. “I’m sure you’d look pretty cute in overalls, with a paintbrush in your hand!” He raised one eyebrow as he looked at her with his usual grin, and Lucy couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine,” she agreed, rolling her eyes. “I’ll see what Jo wants me to do.” She couldn’t help but watch Dan as he walked away, thinking about how the sweat gleaming off his skin in the morning sun made him look even more attractive. Even if it was because he’d let his bear go running in the woods.
She'd seen the look in his eyes when she said she didn't shift. It was as if he was both shocked and horrified that she didn't let her bear out, that he simply couldn't understand why she would do that to herself. It wasn't something Lucy was used to talking about, but she could guess that Dan wanted to know more. Sighing heavily, she turned on the coffee machine and set about making a fresh pot. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about either if she was honest. She'd buried her reasons deep inside, hiding her emotions there too and choosing never to let them out again.
Dan was going to want to talk about it, though. It wasn't exactly normal for a shifter never to shift. She was probably the only one. Lucy remembered how Dominic used to brag about how he was going to be the strongest shifter around, even though he wasn't an alpha. At the time, Lucy hadn't thought much of it, but it wasn't until later when she realized just the kind of man – the kind of shifter – he was, that it all made sense. Dominic wanted to be the biggest, and the strongest so that he could dominate other people. He liked to see the fear in their eyes, whether that was in his bea
r skin or in his human skin. That was something Lucy absolutely hated about him. The way that other people's fear just fed him. He craved it. He wanted to be the one in charge, the one who would be respected but never respectful. He'd told her over and over that all the packs were like that, and that her ideas about having a caring, equally respectful pack were just plain stupid. Lucy hadn't believed him at first, but the more he'd told her, the more she'd believed. Then Lucas had called them, explaining his situation and asking for Dominic's help, and her dreams had shattered. When she'd heard what Lucas wanted, Lucy had pushed away all her hopes about, one day, having a good, decent pack to be a part of. Lucas had said that the Northern Wind pack was attacking this other pack, and they'd somehow managed to kill one of the Northern Wind pack members. He wanted Dominic's help for something but Lucy had stopped listening. She had decided there and then not to be a part of it and hadn't shifted since.
A sudden thought hit her. Was this the pack that had apparently killed one of Lucas's pack? That didn't seem possible. Lucy rolled her eyes to herself, realizing that she'd only known them all for half a day, but they had certainly made an impression. She couldn’t see any of them killing another shifter. Although, that being said, there were two alphas in the pack. They would certainly be able to defend themselves pretty easily if they had to. Was there another pack in the area, one that she didn't know about? Her frown deepened the more she thought about it. Lucas had wanted help to get another pack under control, which Nick had confirmed was this pack. So, had one of them killed a shifter from Lucas's pack? Had it been Dan?
All the air seemed to suck itself from her body as thought about him. Her attraction to him had been intense, but if he was a killer, then she wanted nothing to do with him.
Setting her shoulders, Lucy took in a settling breath. There was only going to be one way to settle this – she was going to have to talk to Dan and just ask him outright what had happened. If she discovered that this pack was involved in killing other shifters, no matter what the reason, then she’d leave immediately. There was no way she was going to stay here if that was the truth.
Glancing at her watch, Lucy heaved a sigh. It would be a good few hours until Dan was free to talk to her. Until then, she’d just have to hang around here and try to keep busy until he was able to speak to her. She couldn’t allow her attraction to him to grow, not until she’d found out what had happened.
“Oh, wonderful!”
Savannah’s voice interrupted her thoughts and Lucy jerked her head up to see Savannah smiling at her.
“Fresh coffee!” she continued. “Just what I need this morning.”
“Sure,” Lucy replied, handing her a cup. “Not much else I can do around here!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jo interjected, just walking in. “Dan just mentioned that you were quite open to helping me redecorate this place.”
Lucy gave her a quick smile. “I’m not sure how much good I’ll be but sure, I’d be happy to help.”
Jo grinned. “That would be fantastic. Seriously, you should have seen this place when I first arrived! It was pretty bad.”
"So you haven't always lived here?" Lucy asked, realizing how little she knew.
Shaking her head, Jo shared a quick smile with Savannah. "No, not at all. Actually, I was involved in the art industry before I came here. When Nick and Tom agreed I could stay, they said I could help out with this place, because apparently, they could ‘do with a little bit of help'." She laughed. "Turns out the business was doing well but in terms of running smoothly…" She trailed off and shook her head.
“Everything was on bits of paper,” Savanna added. “I do the finance and I’m still trying to work out who still owes what and how much we owe the taxman from the last few years!”
Lucy felt her heart grow warm at the obvious friendship between the two women. It wasn’t something she’d ever had before and she found herself almost jealous of what they shared. Perhaps she might stay and end up being a part of it. “So you came along after Jo?” she asked Savannah.
“Yes, I did.” Savannah’s smile dimmed slightly. “If you can believe it, I was actually a member of the Northern Wind pack. I mean, it’s a long story, but I ended up falling in love with Tom and staying here.”
“Wow,” Lucy replied, completely surprised. “So you know first-hand what that pack’s like?”
“Yeah, I do.” Savannah grimaced. “It’s not a good pack to be a part of. Just ask Dan, he’ll tell you what it was like.”
Lucy stared at her for a moment before recovering herself. “You mean, Dan was part of the Northern Wind pack too?”
Savannah nodded. “He was a part of Lucas’ pack for longer than me, and he was here before I came along too,” she replied.
“But not willingly,” Jo broke in, laughing.
“That’s true,” Savannah grinned, turning her attention back to Lucy. “Just ask him about it. He’ll be more than happy to tell you.”
“I will,” Lucy replied, slightly dazed at what she’d learned. “I certainly will.”
Chapter Ten
Unfortunately for Lucy, it was three days until she managed to speak to Dan alone. The pack had tried to make sure she felt welcome, but Lucy simply didn't manage to get a quiet moment with him. They still spent time together – and she still couldn't stop her gaze from drifting towards him – but it had always been as part of the pack. This evening, however, Lucy was determined to have him to herself.
“Dan,” she asked, once everyone had finished eating and were busy clearing up their dishes. “Could we take a walk?”
She saw the surprise in his eyes, which was quickly followed by a grin.
“Of course,” he replied, his eyes glancing over at the window. “It’s pretty dark, though.”
“That’s okay,” she smiled. “We don’t need to go far. I just want to ask you a few things.”
He studied her for a moment, as if trying to guess what she was going to say, but eventually shrugged. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes.”
Soon, Lucy and Dan were out walking along the edge of the woods, away from the cabin. They walked in silence, the only sound the crunching of leaves and twigs under their feet.
“So,” Dan said, eventually. “What did you want to ask me?”
Lucy glanced up at him, seeing his face bathed in the moonlight. He was looking at her with a slight smile on his face and her stomach flipped. She couldn’t help her attraction to him, despite what she had to ask him. Electricity sparked between them, making her shiver.
“Are you cold?” Dan asked. “I can go back and – ”
“No, no,” she interrupted. “I’m fine. It’s just – well, everything is great here so far, and the pack is so welcoming but I have a couple of questions.”
“Then ask them,” Dan replied, quietly. “You could have asked Nick too, Lucy. He’s more than happy to talk to you.”
She stopped walking and looked up at him, seeing his concern on her face. "I know that," she said. "But there's something about you that makes me trust you. It's not that I don't trust Nick but I just feel more able to be open and honest with you." Giving him a rueful smile, she shook her head. "I know that sounds silly since we've only known each other for a few days."
“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” Dan replied, warmly. “In fact, I feel the same way.”
Lucy’s breath caught in her chest as he touched her hand, heat racing up her arm.
“Talk to me, Lucy,” he encouraged. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and began to walk again, as Dan fell into step beside her.
“I guess I’m wondering about this pack,” she began. “Savannah told me that you were part of the Northern Wind pack once.”
“Yes, I was, and so was she.”
Lucy nodded. “Lucas told me that someone from another pack killed one of his shifters.” She stopped again and looked up at him. “Was it you?”
“Me?”
he asked, frowning. “Did I kill someone?”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” Closing her eyes, she calmed herself down and tried again. “Did someone from this pack kill someone from Lucas’ pack?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Oh.” Relief flooded Lucy as all the tension she’d been feeling washed away.
“I mean, Jo tried, but she didn’t manage,” he replied, with laughter in his voice. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here!”
“Wh – what?” Lucy gasped, barely able to understand what he was saying. “Jo tried to kill you?”
Dan laughed at her expression, before putting one arm around her shoulders and beginning to walk through the woods again. “I think I should start from the beginning.”
“Please do,” Lucy murmured, trying not to react to the way he held her so closely. Listening to him carefully, she heard him explain how Lucas had ordered his pack to kill either Nick or Tom, and how Jo had rammed him with a car so that he couldn’t do what Lucas had ordered.
“Lucas thought I was dead,” Dan finished. “But, Nick and Tom took me back to their place and looked after me until my leg healed.” He looked down at her, smiling. “Once that happened, I’d been there long enough to decide that I didn’t want to go back to Lucas’ pack.”
“And Savannah?”
He grinned. "She was meant to be the ‘inside man' – pretend she needed their help before leading them into a trap. You should have seen her face when she first saw me!" His laughter echoed through the trees, lifting Lucy's spirits.
“Long story short, she decided to stay too.”
Lucy thought for a moment. “I’m guessing Lucas is pretty mad about that.”
Dan's voice grew serious. "Yes, he is. We think that's why he's recruited Dominic, to help get his numbers back up. He probably realized that his pack would never be able to attack the Alliance since we have two alphas and they have none."
The Dragon's Mate (Elemental Dragons Book 1) Page 125