Fated Attraction_Shifter Nation_Werebears Of The Everglades

by Meg Ripley

Thanks, Boss.

  Ezra?

  Yeah?

  Did anyone get hurt?

  Not us.

  Good. Now get some sleep.

  He went quiet after that, and Ezra wasn’t one for silence, so I assumed he had shifted back. When I finished my run, I rinsed off in the shower and dressed for work. Being a manager of rangers at the park, I was on the first shift in the morning. It was part of my job to assign the rangers to the tasks needing to be completed, man the radios, and check in with the other departments. Then, I’d go off to do my own tasks for the day.

  I parked my Jeep and entered the ranger station, heading right for my office. The office assistant, Rachel, smiled when she saw me. “Morning, Owen.”

  “Morning.” I poured a cup of coffee and picked up the thin stack of reports that had come in overnight. They were still warm to the touch and sitting in the printer’s output tray. “Looks like things were pretty quiet last night.”

  “Last night, they were. This morning…” She widened her eyes and blew out a breath. “You have several messages waiting for you.”

  “Great.”

  I shut the door to my office and hit the blinking red button on my phone. I was told I had five waiting messages. Rachel wasn’t kidding. Usually, I had one or two at the most.

  The last message had me running out the door the second I’d finished listening to it.

  “Owen.” It was one of the human junior rangers, Pete. He sounded out of breath and distressed. “We need your help. A kid is stuck in the grass river by the overlook. I have the small cat, but I think we’re gonna need the big bear.”

  I tried to stay calm as I hopped into our larger utility vehicle, lovingly called the big bear. I had no idea why Pete would have only taken the smaller utility vehicle—the small cat—for something like this. And I also had no idea why he hadn’t called my walkie. All the rangers carried walkie talkies so we could be reached immediately if there was an emergency, which it sounded like this was.

  I drove fast over the dirt and stone paths that made up the roads and ranger trails through the park. One and a half million acres was a lot of space to cover, but luckily, Pete wasn’t too far from the main ranger station. It took me only a few minutes to reach the overlook he mentioned.

  When he saw me pull up, he ran over. “Thank goodness!”

  “Why didn’t you use the walkie?” I asked, holding it up.

  “Oh, I…” He scratched his head and looked around. “Sorry, sir.”

  “And why in the world would you bring the small cat for a rescue mission?”

  “Oh, well, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal at first and I…” He turned and gestured toward the small crowd that had formed.

  Two other rangers pulled on each of the kid’s arms while another junior ranger watched. A crying, shrieking woman, who had to be the kid’s mom, stood off to the side, loosely held back by a big man who was likely the father.

  I took charge immediately. “Hello, folks. I’m Owen, the ranger manager here. Don’t you worry, we’ll get him unstuck in no time.”

  I assessed the situation. The grass river was tricky. It looked like solid grass in many places, but water hid beneath. If you didn’t know and walked too far, it was nothing but mud and muck. And this kid had walked too far.

  His hiking boots were barely visible in the mud. He looked terrified and could only be about eight or so. I walked as close as I could to him without getting stuck myself.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Robbie.”

  “Okay, Robbie. The first thing I want you to do is stay calm, okay? Worst case scenario, we just untie your boots and your mom and dad get mad at me for losing them in the mud.”

  He nodded and kept his eyes on me.

  “Now. Take this rope and wrap it around your waist.”

  I held the end of the rope out to him and he did as he was told.

  “Now, I’m going to get in my UV there and press the gas real slow, but it will give you enough of a lift that you’ll start to feel yourself being pulled up and out. When you feel that, don’t panic and don’t fight it. Just hold on tight and let the rope do its thing, okay?”

  Robbie nodded again and held the rope tightly enough to make his knuckles white. I walked back to the big bear, where the other end of the rope was attached to the back roll bar.

  I watched in the rearview mirror as I slowly pressed on the gas; soon, I saw Robbie pop free and splash into the wet, swampy grass. When I got out to check, he was still mostly upright from hanging onto the rope, and he still had both shoes. I stepped into the water and scooped him up, then handed him to his grateful mother.

  “Oh, thank you, thank you!”

  The boy vanished from sight in a flurry of hands and arms making sure he was okay.

  “Thanks,” Pete said, still looking flustered.

  “I want a full report by noon,” I said and drove off, heading back to the station. I’d need a few more cups of coffee if the day was going to start like this.

  2

  Addie

  I stretched my arm out the window, letting the wind blow over my skin and weave through my fingers. I looked at Emma behind the wheel and smiled. “This is going to be an amazing vacation!”

  “Yay-ya!” Emma shouted.

  Julie chimed in from the backseat. “Whooo!”

  “I’m just glad to be done with finals,” Emma breathed. “All those hours of studying were starting to make my brain turn to mush.”

  “Actually,” Julie countered, “You were building stronger neuropathways that increase brain matter, not decrease it.”

  Emma rolled her eyes.

  “Come on, now,” I said. “If it weren’t for the medical geek’s wisdom, you wouldn’t have made it through finals in the first place.”

  “True.” Emma looked in the rearview mirror and stuck her tongue out at Julie. “It’s still annoying though.”

  “Say whatever you want,” Julie snickered. “Just remember that when you get struck by lightning, I’ll be the one fixing you up.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think she’ll have to worry much about that being a weather girl.”

  “Hey.” Emma gave me a mock glare. “A degree in meteorology, Adeline, gives me a lot more opportunity than just being in front of a camera.”

  I was in trouble if she was using my full name. “You’d make a perfect weather girl or anything else your heart desires. I’m just looking forward to getting out in nature and using my degree to explore,” I said. “And you can let us know if the weather is going to be bad.”

  “Maybe you’ll actually figure out what you want to do this week?” Julie asked me.

  I sighed. I had known my whole life that I would study animals and the environment. The only problem was, now that I had, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with my brand-new bachelor’s degree in ecology. The options seemed endless—zoologist, field biologist, ranger. They all sounded amazing, too. I hoped this vacation to Everglades National Park would help me get into nature and figure out a direction to move in.

  “I can always work in a pet store,” I said.

  Emma dropped her head to one side. “I did not just spend the last four years studying with you and correcting your papers so you can go sell cuddly kittens to little girls all day.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’ll figure it out. We just graduated. I have time.”

  “Should have gone into the medical field,” Julie said. “I’d give you one of my three job offers, but, you know, ecology doesn’t really work in a hospital.”

  “Unless it’s an animal hospital,” Emma said. “Maybe you should be a vet!”

  “That’s an entirely different field of study from ecology,” I said.

  “It’s still animals,” Emma replied.

  I laughed. “Right.”

  “Hey,” Julie said. “We just spent four years studying and focusing on school, as Emma pointed out. Can we, like, not talk about that stuff for jus
t this week, please? I want to enjoy this time before I have to join the real world.”

  “I agree,” I said. I didn’t need the stress of trying to figure out the rest of my life when it was only just beginning.

  “Yes, yes,” Emma said. “It would be a lot easier if we’d gone to the beach with the rest of our classmates. Just saying.”

  “Who needs all that sun?” Julie said. “The rates of skin cancer have been increasing exponentially over the years. You do know that, right?”

  “And the sand gets everywhere.” I wrinkled my nose.

  “Worth it,” Emma said. “On both counts.”

  “Next time,” I said. “That was the deal.”

  Emma sighed. “Just promise me that at least one night we’ll go out and get trashed.”

  “Umm, yes,” Julie said.

  “Of course,” I said.

  The drive only took about an hour, but when we got closer to the Everglades, it felt like entering a different world. Miami was so built up with businesses and houses and people. The Everglades was the opposite. Few buildings and they were all part of the park. No homes or tall structures to break up the skyline. Trees and clouds and chirping birds. The air smelled cleaner and fresher. The greens were brighter, the sky bluer.

  This was why I’d chosen a degree in ecology. I couldn’t get enough of the outdoors. I loved to be in nature, letting my inner animal run wild, experiencing all that the natural world had to offer. It refreshed and invigorated me. I’d been in desperate need of some nature after years of college, and this was why I’d chosen the Everglades as our vacation destination. Emma and Julie had bargained for other locations when my vacation became our vacation, but I’d stuck to it. The beach was nice, but there were way too many people and not enough trees. In the end, they’d agreed, but only under the agreement that our next getaway would happen at the beach.

  When Emma stopped at the check-in station, I hopped out and went inside. “Reservation under Pearson.” I bounced on my toes, the excitement filling me, as the woman searched for our reservation.

  The woman handed me a tag for the car. “Site 382.” She pointed to a spot on a map and circled it. “Right here.”

  “Thank you!” I dashed out to the car with the tag and map. “Okay,” I said as I buckled my seatbelt again. “Turn left up here.”

  I navigated to our spot. When we found site 382 and parked, I got out and stretched tall, taking in a nice long breath of Everglades air.

  Julie and Emma joined me. We stood together, looking out at the trees and greenery.

  “This was a good choice,” Emma said.

  “My hiking boots are calling my name,” Julie said.

  “Oh!” I ran back to the car and got the map. “There are lots of trails. Look!”

  We checked over the map, noting the hiking trails and other sites to see.

  “Let’s try this one first,” Emma said, pointing to a colored line on the map.

  “We better set up the tent first,” I said. I’d set up tents in the dark or near dark before and it was always so much easier with full daylight.

  We pulled our bags out of the car and I heaved the tent into the middle of the site. I opened the bag and started pulling out stakes and poles and other pieces of tent, and Emma and Julie grabbed pieces and helped me. I’d set up this tent enough times to have each piece’s location memorized. I directed and they followed, and within minutes, the tent was standing tall and proud in the middle of our site.

  We spread out our mats and sleeping bags inside, chose a spot to set our bags, then changed into our hiking gear. I packed my small backpack full of essentials; my pocket knife, flashlight, map and compass were all tucked in their spot in my bag. I added a bottle of water and was set.

  When my friends were ready, we set out toward the path. There weren’t a lot of other tents set up. Being May, maybe it was still early in the season for camping. It was plenty warm and the perfect weather for camping, I thought. Later in the year, it would be unbearably hot, muggy, and buggy. July and August were difficult months for me. I wanted to be outside all the time, but I could only stand it for so long before my hair was wet with sweat and sticking to me annoyingly. Thank god my apartment complex had a pool.

  “Already a half mile,” Emma announced.

  She was watching her fitness app and anytime we walked anywhere, she would give updates on how far we’d gone, how fast we’d walked, and how many calories we’d burned. She might claim she wasn’t interested in being a TV weather woman, but she sure cared about her physical appearance as if that were her goal.

  Emma was concerned about the exercise aspect and Julie was, too, of course. It wasn’t that I didn’t care as much about that part of it, but I got plenty of exercise. I was more interested in studying the plants and animals, seeing what sort of things lived here and what their environment was like.

  I watched two squirrels tangle through tree branches, feeling complete delight at seeing them in their natural habitat. Several times, Julie or Emma called out to me to catch up. They wanted to keep a good pace so their heart rates stayed elevated, but I just wanted to appreciate everything my gaze fell across.

  As we walked, our footsteps were quiet on the well-worn dirt path. We didn’t make much sound, so when I heard a strange noise, I stopped immediately. It was a sort of whining chirping sound. A bird, maybe? Whatever it was, it sounded distressed.

  “Guys,” I whispered to my friends.

  They walked a few steps back to where I’d stopped.

  “Do you hear that?” I asked. “I think there’s a hurt animal.”

  Emma took a step away. “Don’t animals attack when they’re hurt?”

  “Only if they think you’re going to harm them further,” I said, trying to locate the sound.

  “Here,” Julie said.

  I walked to where she was holding back a patch of tall grass. There, sitting hidden in the brush, was a white ibis. As it made the distressed sound again, I became more concerned; this was bizarre behavior for a bird like that.

  I crouched down and got on my knees, making soft cooing sounds in attempt to let the bird know it was okay. I slowly moved closer, not wanting to scare it. Emma was right about one thing: if this bird were afraid of me, it would at least peck my hand if I tried to touch it.

  I watched it for several minutes. Its wings were tucked around it as I would have expected, so perhaps it hadn’t hurt its wing. Could it be sick? I moved my hand closer until I gently touched the bird’s head, and to my surprise, it didn’t attack me or flinch.

  “Addie! What are you doing?” Emma hissed. “That thing is going to eat you.”

  “Shh,” I said. “Ibises don’t eat people. It’s fine.”

  The bird let me run my fingers over both wings; those couldn’t be the source of the problem, then. It then made a sound and fluffed its wings, and I noticed that it tried to stand, but couldn’t. I carefully lifted one wing, and when I lifted the other, the bird pulled back.

  Then I saw the problem: one of its legs was twisted in an unnatural way. It must’ve landed badly or something had hit it and broken its leg. Even if it could fly, the bird needed help. It might sit there for too long and end up starving or being attacked by something else in its vulnerable state.

  I stood up and took out my phone.

  “What are you going to do?” Julie asked.

  “The same thing you would do if this was an injured person.” I dialed the number for the ranger station located closest to our location. Good thing I’d thought to bring the map. Not only did it have trails and other places of interest marked, it had a list of numbers to call if there was a problem.

  When someone answered, I explained the situation.

  “I’ll send someone out to you right away,” the man on the other end said. “Will you stay in the area to guide our ranger to the injured animal?”

  “Of course,” I said. “I couldn’t possibly leave this bird alone to be attacked.”

  I
gave as much detail as I could about our location, then hung up and waited. I tried to find bugs and berries to feed the bird, but it wouldn’t take anything. We heard an ATV in the distance and watched for the ranger.

  When the vehicle came into view, we waved to get the ranger’s attention. Two rangers rode in the ATV, wearing their khaki uniforms.

  “Hi there,” one of the men said. “Were you the ones who called about an injured bird?”

  I opened my mouth to answer yes, but nothing came out. I stared at the other ranger, and he returned the gesture, both of us standing there in complete shock.

  “Owen?” I nearly choked on his name.

  “Addie.”

  I looked into the eyes of my high school boyfriend. It’d been four years since I’d seen him. He looked the same, but somehow, even better. He’d always been gorgeous with his black hair and blue eyes, but he’d gained some muscle over the years and the stubble across his chin was not something he’d had during our high school years. He looked much more mature. And, if I were being honest, he was downright hot.

  “Good to see you,” I said. What else could I say? It wasn’t entirely a lie, but he’d broken my heart. If I’d had to choose any person in the world to run into, he would have made the list, but wouldn’t have been high on it.

  “You, too.” He nodded slowly. He seemed to be thinking hard, but didn’t say anything.

  Finally, I broke the silence. “So, this ibis is right over here.”

  I pointed to where the patch of grass hid the bird, and the other ranger went to it immediately. Owen hesitated, then followed him over.

  I stood back to let them do their jobs. After a few minutes, Owen picked up the bird, and I was impressed. He must be very good with animals if he’d gained that much trust in such a short time—and from an injured bird, at that. He tucked the ibis under his arm and carefully got back into the ATV.

  “Thank you for calling us,” the other ranger said.

  “You think it’ll be okay?” I asked Owen.

  He nodded. “We’ll have our vet take a look. I think it’s just a broken leg.” He stroked the bird’s head. “She’ll be up and flying in no time, thanks to you. If you hadn’t called, she would probably have been attacked.”