by Kit Tunstall
“Fear what?” she asked in a shrill tone as a wave of anxiety shot through her. He was being so cryptic, and it only added to her fears. “Just tell me.”
With another sigh, he got out of bed, standing in the middle of the room as he faced her. “The world isn’t exactly as you believe it to be. You’re a Homo sapiens, and but I’m Ursa sapiens.”
She frowned her confusion. “I don’t even know what that means.” She was starting to get a bad feeling, and she wondered if she could possibly have bad enough luck to end up with two crazies in a row.
He looked frustrated as he breathed raggedly, clearly trying to compose his thoughts. “Our people followed different evolutionary path. That’s all it is. Keep that in mind, and don’t run screaming from the boat. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Her eyes widened at the words, and of course they inspired a new rush of terror. Despite his reassurances that he wouldn’t hurt her, she immediately assumed that meant he would. He was clearly unpredictable, and her poor judgment in men had manifested itself again. After this, she was going to go live in a convent in the Andes and avoid men for the rest of her life.
Her thoughts shattered into a million pieces as she gasped in awe when Jensen seemed to melt into a white pile of fur before taking a cohesive form. Where her lover had stood, there was now a polar bear in his place, standing upright on his rear paws. With a small roar that was surprisingly unthreatening, the polar bear dropped to the floor on all fours and padded closer to her, moving warily.
Her first instinct was to scramble up and away, and to run off the yacht if she could escape the huge animal. Only recalling Jensen’s words kept her firmly planted in the bed, though she whimpered in fear as the beast reached her.
He inhaled her scent, his dark eyes sparkling. They were familiar, and she realized they were exactly like Jensen’s. The blond of his hair was a slightly darker shade than the bear’s fur, but they were close to each other. As difficult as it was to believe, she couldn’t think of any other explanation for the bear appearing in Jensen’s place other than the fact that he had transformed into it.
She blinked, letting out another small cry when the polar bear gently nudged her with his cold nose. He was docile and tender, and when he swiped his tongue across her hands, she giggled. A moment later, she clapped her hand over her mouth, startled to have emitted such a sound in the circumstances. She stared at him with wonder, feeling her fear edging away. “Is that really you, Jensen?” She felt kind of ridiculous talking to the polar bear, but it was no crazier than the rest of the situation.
The bear nodded his head before laying his chin on her leg and huffing a long sigh. He seemed completely relaxed, and his eyes were at half-mast. She wasn’t at all afraid, and it was completely natural to reach out and stroke his furry white head. When he purred his satisfaction, he sounded oddly like a cat, and that made her laugh again. “I’m not changing your litter box.”
Jensen cocked his head, and though he was in bear form, she could plainly see the puzzlement in his expression. It was strange to be able to read another species so well, and she wasn’t sure if she would have had the same connection with other shifters. Were there other shifters? The thought made her freeze, but then she remembered him saying something about his people, and she realized there must be. “As adorable as you are, could you please change back so we can talk?”
A moment later, the polar bear stepped back, and Jensen appeared on the floor on all fours, standing straight a moment later before dropping carefully onto the edge of the bed, giving her plenty of space as he regarded her warily. “That’s my secret, and I hope you understand why I was hiding it from you. It wasn’t to hurt you or betray you. I simply didn’t know how to tell you without freaking you out.”
Her heart was still fluttering erratically, but she was surprisingly calm. “I’ll admit I’m a little freaked out, but I’m actually more curious than anything. I want to know all about you and your people. They are more shifters than just you, right?”
He nodded. “There’s a whole slew of shifters, particularly in our area. I don’t have a formal census number, but there are shifters all over the world, though we tend to congregate by types and then concentrated locations. I think we’re all sort of hive animals at heart.”
She licked her lips. “Do I know any other shifters?”
He smiled at her. “I have no idea. I don’t know who all you know, Olivia.”
She blushed even as she rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Who else is a shifter?”
Again, he shrugged. “We can smell each other by our pheromones, so if I see some, I’ll point them out to you.” He hesitated for a moment. “Also, Detective Strand is a wolf-shifter.”
Her eyes widened at the news. “The police let in shifters?”
He grinned. “It’s actually kind of a requirement that we have our people in various positions of authority. We also have several shifters who are doctors, or embedded in laboratories at local hospitals and clinical facilities, so they can screen out any results that reveal our Ursa sapiens gene.”
She frowned again. “Wouldn’t that have shown up when you went into the military?”
He nodded. “I was actually recruited because I’m a shifter. My dad’s old friend is a colonel. He’s a hyena, which is funny, because he’s actually a very serious, loyal man, and I’ve never seen him laugh in his human form.”
She was fascinated. “The military knows about shifters?”
“Certain parts of the military anyway. I was part of a special forces unit, and I was excited about the opportunity, though Dad and Kingston didn’t want me to do it. It was too dangerous, they said, but I was gung ho. I don’t regret the experience, but it ended differently than I had anticipated. Almost my whole squad…” He trailed off, his expression one of pure pain.
She patted him gently. “Was your entire squad composed of shifters?” At his nod, she said, “I wonder if Blake Michaels knows his fiancée was a shifter? What kind was she?”
“Panther. And I don’t think he knew. She never talked about it much, but I got the impression that she hid it from just about everyone. Vanessa never seemed to make peace with her shifter heritage.”
“Is it contagious? I mean, can you bite me or something and turn me into a bear shifter?”
He laughed softly. “No, I can’t infect you to become a bear-shifter any more than you could bite me and make me human. However, there is a bite involved. We have the ability to recognize our mates, probably from your pheromone composition. It’s uniquely compatible with ours, and our senses help us detect that. It doesn’t mean we can’t mate with someone who’s not our ideal mate, but when you find your mate, you bite her or him.”
She eyed him skeptically. “How does that work, and what’s the purpose?”
“It marks you with our pheromones and wards off other shifters, so they know you’ve been claimed.”
“How barbaric.” She couldn’t deny the thrill shot through her the idea of him marking her and claiming her as his. “Wait, are you saying I’m your mate?”
He nodded. “I smelled your scent that first night at the hotel, and I followed it to find you. I was desperate for a moment of your time, needing to catch your attention so I could start the process of winning you over.”
She grinned at him. “six million dollars certainly did that. I hope your accountant didn’t have a heart attack.”
He shook his head. “My accountant is a badger-shifter, so he understands the mating impulse. Besides, the Meades have more money than we’ll ever need, and I consider it a small investment to have gotten to spend the evening with you. Look where it’s led us.”
She bit her lip with a hint of uncertainty. “So this mating thing… It’s a forever deal?”
He looked solemn when he nodded. “Bear-shifters mate for life, and once I bite you, I’ve claimed you as mine. I’ll have to periodically mark you again, and even though you find it barbaric, it’s just part of my cult
ure. I hope you can accept it.”
She tilted her head slightly. “It really is barbaric, but I have to admit it’s kind of a turn-on too. So primitive and raw—completely different from humans and their wedding rings and marriage ceremonies that never seem permanent for more than half the population.”
He moved closer to her, taking her hands. “That’s true. Once we mate, I mean completely, and we’re bonded together, it’s generally for life. Divorce is almost unheard of, as is finding another compatible mate after being widowed. It’s a risk, but I hope you’ll consider taking it with me. I want to have you with me forever, Olivia. It’s better to be honest with you so you can know what you’re getting into.”
The atmosphere was tense and feeling far too serious. She couldn’t think about anything at the moment, at least not giving it the full attention it deserved. Not wanting to rush into anything, though her heart was urging her to accept his mating claim, or whatever it was called, she asked, “While I’m thinking about it, are you allowed to persuade me?”
His eyes gleamed interests. “What did you have in mind?”
She twirled strand of hair around her fingers as she gave him a sultry look. “I’m sure you can think of something. You’re the bear-shifter, so be creative—as long as you’re in human form.”
He laughed, even as he pounced and pinned her to the bed, holding her wrists on either side of her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll always be in my human form with you.”
She frowned at him. “And with other shifters?” Her tone plainly revealed her jealousy at the thought of him with anyone other woman, human or bear-shifter.
He shook his head. “There’s no one else for me now that I’ve found you.”
She didn’t really doubt him or his sincerity, but she needed a distraction and something to take her mind off the enormity of what she had discovered. She would need time to analyze it later, to break down the pros and cons, and figure out all the little details of what it would mean to be mated to a polar bear-shifter. In the interim, she wanted to lose herself in the bliss of his arms that only he could provide. “Maybe you’d better get to persuading me then, Jensen.”
***
It was surprisingly easy to fall into a relationship with Jensen, even though he was a bear-shifter. At first, she was certain the knowledge would be at the forefront of her mind every time she looked at him or talked to him, but that wasn’t the case at all. It slipped into the background, simply becoming part of who he was, and there were times when she forgot all about it.
Perhaps it was because he didn’t slip in and out of his bear form very often. In fact, he’d only done so one other time since showing her the first night. That time, he’d done it because she’d asked him to, wanting to cuddle with his polar bear side. It had been strange, but soothing, to lie against his fur for an afternoon nap.
They hadn’t officially moved in together, but they might have well have, splitting their time between her apartment or his yacht as circumstances dictated. She was gaining confidence in her judgment and was no longer questioning if Jensen was another in a long line of mistakes. It felt right with him. She was happy, and she couldn’t imagine anything that could ruin her happiness.
Chapter Six
Friday morning, Olivia’s freshly repaired car was delivered to her apartment, and she was able to drive it back to work for the first time all week. She was running a little late, having waited for the body shop to drop off the vehicle, so when she entered the office, she found Bethany hard at work, and the intern on the telephone, clearly accepting a donation, since she was running numbers to the credit card machine. She nodded at both of them before entering her office, hanging her purse on the coatrack.
She took a step past it and frowned when she heard a thud, looking down with surprise at her purse spilled on the floor. With a small curse, she bent down to scoop everything back into her bag, thankful it had already been a big mess, so she didn’t have to worry about sorting through things at the moment.
She stood up and reached for the coatrack again, abruptly realizing why the purse had fallen. The coat rack was a few inches to the left from where it usually was. With a shrug, she returned it to its normal spot and hung her purse from a hook, assuming the cleaners had jostled it during the previous night’s cleaning. She walked further into her office before realizing something was off.
She stopped in the middle of the floor and stared around her. Eventually, she grasped everything had been moved a few inches to the left. It was the sort of harmless prank college kids pulled, but there was something disturbing about it. Perhaps she was simply supersensitive after the vandalism of her car, but the action made her heartrate speed up, and she strode to her desk, collapsing into the chair as she dialed Jensen’s number with a shaking hand.
He answered before the first ring had even finished. “Hello?”
“This is going to sound nuts, but someone has moved everything in my office a few inches to the left. It’s probably a harmless prank, but I can’t really think of anyone who would prank me. I think it was designed to make me feel uncomfortable. That’s how it feels, like a threat instead of a joke.” She expected him to talk her down, to point out how illogical that was.
Instead, he said, “Call Detective Strand and report this. If it’s provoking your inner alarm, don’t ignore that. Trust your instincts, and make sure this incident is documented.”
She licked her lips, realizing she had hoped to be reassured, but his agreement was actually surprisingly comforting. She hadn’t been reassured in the way she expected, hoping he would dismiss the whole incident, but she was reassured by his instructions to trust her judgment. “I’ll give him a call then. Thanks.”
“I’m always available if you need me. If you want, I can come work out of your office today. I’m just going over boring quarterly reports. Kingston seems to be punishing me for ducking out of the family business for so long, so he’s making me do all the drudge work.”
She laughed softly. “I have my own drudge work to attend to, though we do have an intern for that.”
“That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll have to look into getting my own intern.”
Her tone was teasing, but she was surprised by a jolt of jealousy that shot through her. “That sounds like a good idea as long as he’s competent.”
He hesitated for a moment before laughing. “I’ll make sure he is competent.” He emphasized the gender pronoun as well, clearly getting the message, and likely delighted that she had shown some possessiveness.
After hanging up with Jensen, she placed a brief call to the detective, who promised to write it down in the file, but saw no need to document the incident with photographic evidence. He wasn’t exactly dismissive, but he had the reaction she had expected from Jensen—that it was simply someone’s idea of a joke. It should have reassured her to know that opinion, but instead, it irritated her. Now that Jensen had encouraged her to trust her instincts, she was a little annoyed the detective didn’t do the same.
***
They spent the weekend sailing and scuba diving, which was something she had never done before. Jensen proved to be a patient instructor, and by the time Sunday evening rolled around, she’d spent almost as many hours in the water as she’d spent in his bed. She let out a regretful sigh when he returned the boat to his slip, knowing it meant the beginning of a new week and the end of their idyllic weekend. It was getting harder to be away from him, even for the few hours she needed to work each day. It was crazy how much she had come to rely on him, and how quickly.
Once the ship was secured at the dock, they stood on the deck and drank a glass of wine as they watched the sunset. Her gaze kept darting to him, and the sunlight dipping below the horizon, while painting the sky gold, purple, and orange, wasn’t nearly as enthralling a sight as her companion.
His gaze locked on hers the next time she looked at him, and he seemed a little puzzled. “Do I have something in my hair or on my face? You keep looking at m
e with an unreadable expression.”
She shook her head. “I’m trying to figure you out.”
He quirked a light-blond brow. “I’m pretty much an open book, so what’s there to figure out?”
She drained her glass for courage before taking a step closer to him. “I’m trying to figure out how you became such an integral part of my life in such a short amount of time. I’m trying to figure out why I can’t live without you, and I guess I’m trying to figure out the best time to tell you I love you, Jensen.”
His eyes widened, and he set aside his glass of wine so he could sweep her into his arms, his mouth crushing hers in a hard, bruising kiss that spoke of his raw hunger. When they pulled apart a moment later, he pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you too, Olivia. Does this mean you’re ready to be my mate?”
She nodded, making her forehead rub against his in the process. “I’m ready.”
With a whoop of excitement, apparently uncaring if the captain or his daughter heard or saw the display, he lifted Olivia into his arms and rushed across the deck of the yacht, taking her below and straight to his bedroom. From his frantic actions, she expected him to toss her on the bed and ravish her immediately, and she would have been totally fine with that.
Instead, he started removing his clothes, so she did the same. When they stood naked, she moved toward him as he took a step toward her, and their bodies pressed together as his mouth captured hers in a slow, drugging kiss. It sent warmth throughout her body, and all of her muscles relaxed, except for her core, which clenched tightly, wanting to feel him inside her.
He tangled his hands in her long hair, gently tugging her head back to reveal her neck. She let out a low moan and raked her nails lightly down his back when he nibbled on her neck, finding the spot that sent flutters through her stomach and shivers down her spine. If he spent long enough nibbling and sucking on that spot, she could probably come just from his mouth on her neck.
Her hands moved lower, cupping his buttocks, and she squeezed lightly, laughing when he flexed his cheeks under her hands. It was one of the things she loved best about Jensen, how even a serious moment like this one could still have its fun and unexpected amusements.