Brave Bear

by K L King

  Iris studied the couple and noticed the similarities to their adult children. Petite May was a younger version of Annie and the dark-haired, mammoth Heath was the spitting image of his dad.

  “We have wine, soda, and beer in the fridge,” Ted offered as he continued to cut vegetables.

  “I’ll take a beer,” Deacon said, “but I can get it. Iris?”

  “Just water please,” she answered, staring at the beautiful kitchen around her.

  Deacon, Annie, and Ted all sat around the island, making small talk with her about the bakery and non-scary things for about twenty minutes until Heath and then May arrived. They then moved to a large, but homey, dining room with an enormous table where they sat down to dinner. She was immediately more comfortable once May had arrived since she’d given Iris a big hug and sat down next to her at the table. She was safely cocooned in by May on one side and Deacon on her other. Annie was a comfortable, happy presence at one end of the table opposite her husband. Heath and Ted were pleasant enough, but they had an aura about them that made Iris a little nervous. Each time one of them looked her in the eyes, she was struck with a sense of unease. It was almost as if they were willing her to drop her gaze. I hope this isn’t the start of a panic attack. That would really be the perfect end to this nightmare of a day.

  Iris picked at the mouthwatering pasta and garden salad on her plate since she was still feeling dazed and unsure about what was going on around her. Everyone seemed normal, but she could sense an undercurrent of energy running through the room. May was…well, May was still happy-go-lucky May. Annie was warm and inviting. Deacon was a solid support, so close that she could almost feel the warmth of his body next to her. It was Heath and Ted that seemed to have her on edge. It was almost as if the air around them was thicker than anywhere else in the room. Iris shivered and sat rigidly in her chair.

  Deacon edged ever more slightly closer to her. “Are you OK?”

  “Yes. No. Well…not really. I feel like I’m itching to do something. I feel like a panic attack is coming,” she said to him quietly as she focused on her plate. Her breathing started to get shallower and quicker. She forced herself to raise her head and hold the gazes of the people sitting at the table. They were Deacon’s family. They were good people, so why did it feel like the walls were closing in?

  Deacon put his hand on hers in a comforting gesture, glanced at Heath, and gave him a look that she couldn’t interpret. Heath and Ted excused themselves to go sit outside on the back deck while the rest continued their meal. As soon as the two men left the room, Iris’s breathing rapidly improved. What the hell was that? It was as if the air had thinned out in the room. She immediately relaxed. She saw Annie staring at her with a kind smile.

  As soon as they finished eating, Deacon excused himself to go speak with Heath and Ted. Iris offered to help Annie and May clear the dishes and bring out coffee and tea. “So, is my family weird enough for you?” May asked from the sink.

  “May!” Annie chided before she walked out to where the men were deep in discussion on the back deck.

  “Weird? No. Everyone seems very nice and welcoming. Your mom is so sweet. Your dad is a little scary, though, like Heath.” She whispered the last part as she walked up next to May, ready to load the dishes into the extra-large dishwasher.

  May giggled as she rinsed the dishes and then handed each off to Iris. “They both can seem intimidating, but they’re just really protective of their family. My dad, especially, is very kind to people he cares about. He likes you for sure, both of them do. We all can tell Deke is nuts about you. You help ground him. You’re very good for him.”

  “What? Wait a minute,” Iris whisper-yelled, holding both hands up to face May. “I think you have the wrong impression. Deacon just brought me here to talk with your parents. We’re not dating or anything. We were just out on a hike and some weird stuff happened. He said your parents could help explain things. That’s all. He’s not interested in me or anything like that.”

  May smiled at Iris like she was a small child. “Whatever you say, city girl. Just know that he really cares about you, I can tell. I’ve grown up with the big oaf,” she said with a grin. “I know you haven’t been here very long, but we have a tendency to fall hard and fast when we find our one true mate.”

  Iris turned and gave May a furrowed brow. “One true mate?”

  “You know, the one person you are destined to be with. We’ll explain. It’s a good thing though, don’t worry. I can’t wait until I meet mine,” she said dreamily, drying her wet hands on a dishtowel. She grabbed a tray with plates, mugs, and some homemade cookies and walked out onto the partially enclosed deck off the family room. Feeling puzzled, Iris dried her hands, gathered the second tray with the coffee, cream, and sugar and followed May out.

  Chapter 18

  Iris placed the tray down on the coffee table gently. She started to hand out the mugs, but Annie quickly jumped up. “No, no. Don’t you worry about that. I’ve got it. You just have a seat, sweetie, and get comfortable.”

  Deacon stood up and extended his arm for her to sit beside him on a plush loveseat. He was close enough that his leg pressed against hers, which was comforting. Even though he could be overbearing, he had been very protective of her today, aside from the kidnapping. His hard, muscled body both comforted and warmed her in the cool night air that heralded the end of summer. Her heart raced and her face heated with desire. The pleasure she felt being so close to Deacon warred with the anxiety about what exactly the Jensens were going to be revealing to her. Nervous energy roiled through her body like a wave. Deacon grasped her hand securely in his, almost as if he could sense her unease.

  “Ted, maybe I should explain to Iris a little about the history of Grey Lake.” Annie gave her husband a warm smile.

  “Sure. Sounds like a good idea.”

  Iris turned into Deacon’s right side a bit, seeking reassurance, still wondering what was going on.

  “Has Tessa told you anything about Grey Lake’s history?” Annie asked.

  “Not really. She has shown me around the downtown area, the hiking trails, the parks. She introduced me to a bunch of people who have come into the shop. She told me that Grey Lake is a small town that is supported primarily by tourism. Vacationers come for the lake and beaches in the summer and the skiing and sledding in the winter.”

  “That’s all true.” Annie smiled. “There are only about four to five thousand year-round residents so it’s a pretty small town, more like a village, I’d say. We have a combination elementary and middle school here, but we send the kids to a regional school for high school. We have all the essentials like a medical clinic, library, bank, non-denominational church, police, and fire stations. We have all the shops, restaurants, and activities that the tourists flock here for. We even have a small liberal arts college in town. We’re proud of what we have built here and the town continues to grow.” She sipped her coffee.

  “Tessa did mention that you moved here when you were in school,” Iris said to Annie.

  Annie stiffened, but then looked at Iris with kind eyes and nodded. “Sort of. My family came up for a week-long vacation after my high school graduation. I met Ted while out on the lake. My dad was pulling us kids—my younger sisters, my cousins, and I—around on a tube with his speed boat. Ted and his family were swimming there as well. I noticed him right away—it was hard not to. He made quite a scene. I think he was showing off for me. He kept doing these crazy dives off a nearby dock.”

  “I was not showing off,” Ted interjected. “I was just minding my own business. It wasn’t my fault the most beautiful girl I had ever seen just decided to go tubing right in front of me. I was a victim of circumstance.”

  “Ha! That’s not what I remember. Well, anyway, Ted swam up next to me after I wiped out the third or fourth time. He asked me out almost immediately. My parents obviously forbid it since he was already twenty-two and a policeman in town, while I was just eighteen years old and prett
y sheltered. But we went out anyway. We were inseparable for the whole week. I met Ted’s family and explored this beautiful town with my own personal tour guide. I fell in love with Ted, his family, and this town. On the day before my family was due to go back to Connecticut, he proposed right by the lake. My parents were furious and threatened to disown me,” she said sadly.

  “What did you do?” Iris asked quietly.

  “I chose him.” She moved closer to her husband, who then wrapped his arm around his wife protectively. Annie let out a loud sigh. “My parents did follow through with their threats. I haven’t had any contact with them or the rest of my family since. They didn’t even let me go home to pack my things. They shipped all of my belongings here, including my cat.”

  “That’s horrible. How could they disown you?” Iris asked, staring horrified at both Annie and Ted.

  “What’s worse is they’ve never met their grandkids. Luckily, Ted’s family is great. It still hurts though, even after all these years. But you know what? I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I love Ted. I had two and then three”—she smiled at Deacon—“terrific kids that have grown into great people who I am proud of. I would never disown them, no matter what they did.”

  Iris was staring openmouthed at Annie amid the silence in the room. She knew a little bit about what Annie had been through. Her parents had not disowned her per se, but she grew up being treated like an outsider by them. Her father, especially, continually told her how much of a disappointment she was. She would be ecstatic to be welcomed into a family like Deacon’s.

  “What made you move to Grey Lake in the first place?” Heath asked Iris. She jumped. He’d been so quiet she had forgotten he was there. Pretty impressive trick for a man with such a strong presence.

  Iris straightened her shoulders and sat more upright. “I was sick of living in the city so I started sending out my resume to bakeries and restaurants in small towns in New England. I remember hearing about Grey Lake from my family, my dad I think. I found a brochure for the town in his office about a year ago. I think he was trying to buy some land near the area.”

  Heath and Ted frowned at this. “Did he say why he was interested in this area?”

  “No. I just thought it was one of the many areas he was trying to develop. That’s what he does. He buys up land wherever he thinks he can make a profit. He’s not a very family-oriented person. He’s all business. I didn’t care about his business so I was pretty much a disappointment. I tried to stay away from him as much as possible when I still lived at home. I don’t think he was able to get what he wanted in Grey Lake, though, because he was pretty mad when I mentioned I was moving here.”

  “You told him?” May asked.

  “I sent my mom a letter after I settled in. He must have intercepted it because he called me and started screaming for me to keep away from this area. I just hung up on him.”

  May giggled. “Good girl.”

  Ted frowned at his daughter and then turned to Iris and said in a serious tone, “Iris, we need to tell you something about Grey Lake that the tourists are unaware of. It needs to be kept from outsiders in order to protect townsfolk like my family. Because of what happened today, you need to know about this sooner than we would have liked.”

  Iris started to tremble.

  “Deacon mentioned shifters?” Ted asked her.

  Iris nodded and laughed nervously. “Doesn’t seem possible. Seems like something you would read about in books or see in movies.”

  “Well, I’m not sure what the books and movies show, but they really exist. Most of the people who live full-time in Grey Lake are shifters. Most of your customers—the police, the teachers, the doctors—are shifters of one sort or another,” he said calmly.

  Iris froze, mouth open. They had to be joking. She gaped at the faces around her, but all were very serious. “How can this be? How come no one knows about this? Are they dangerous to humans?” She rattled off questions in a shaking voice, glancing at the others. “Are you making this up to try to get rid of me? Are you trying to scare me away from here?” she asked in a raised voice as tears filled her eyes.

  “Honey, we’ll answer all of those question, but try to stay calm,” Annie said in a soft voice. “The shifters in our town are mostly wolves and bears, but others exist, too. No one knows because we make sure to keep it a guarded secret so we don’t become targets of the government or hunters. They can be dangerous to humans just like humans are dangerous to other humans. Most are good people like us, who are just trying to live productive lives and protect their kids.”

  Iris stilled. She glanced from Annie to Ted to Heath and then May. She couldn’t look at Deacon since she was pressed so tightly to the right side of his body. “So, what Deacon said is true… The man I hit is a cougar. I hit a wild animal. And you’re all wolves?” she asked.

  “No. Ted and the kids are wolves. I’m human,” Annie answered calmly.

  Iris’s jaw dropped and her trembling increased. “Of course, you are. And you four are wolves?” She looked at May as tears starting to run down her cheeks. She rubbed them away, trying to be strong. She didn’t believe this bullshit. They had to be insane. All of them.

  “Sure are,” May answered in a gentle tone as Heath and Ted nodded.

  “I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it,” Iris said, standing up and walking to the edge of the deck near the railing.

  “No one would expect you to. It seems nuts, right?” Heath stared at her with yellow eyes and a smile on his face. Iris shuddered, leaning back against the railing. She wanted to run. No, she would be brave. She’d finish listening to these loons and then drive right out of Grey Lake. She wouldn’t run back to Rhode Island, though. She’d have to figure something else out. She braced herself against the railing trying to stop the shaking.

  “It’s OK. Just watch me shift,” May said happily, turning around so her back was to Iris. She wriggled out of her underpants and bra and then threw her sundress off. “Sorry, have to do this so I don’t wreck my clothes.”

  Almost as soon as she said the words, Iris saw the air shimmer around her slightly as her form instantly changed. Where there had been a petite blond woman stood a brilliant white wolf with glowing yellow eyes. Iris gasped and sat down slowly onto the deck. She couldn’t move. She wanted to run, but she was stuck, frozen. The wolf sat on her haunches, staring placidly at Iris. Then, almost instantaneously, the wolf shimmered back into a naked, grinning May. She grabbed her dress off the deck and threw it back on quickly, then picked up her underthings in one hand. “We shifters aren’t ashamed of nudity, but I know it freaks people out.”

  “Ahh.” Iris tried to say something, but then shut her mouth. What could she say? She must be having a psychotic break. She needed to get it together and get out of here, but this was… She closed her eyes tight and put her head against her folded knees.

  She sensed someone walk up to her and then an arm reached around her shoulders. She forced her head up to see Annie staring at her with a gentle smile. Iris moaned weakly.

  “It’ll be OK. It’s a lot to take in.” Annie started rubbing Iris’s back up and down.

  May sat on her other side and said in a whisper, “We’d never hurt you. You’re Deacon’s mate, or you will be soon. That means you’re family now.”

  That was the last thing she heard before her vision tunneled and she saw only black.

  Chapter 19

  Iris woke with a start. She was lying down on her side in a bed in one of his parents’ guestrooms. Deacon had carried her here right after she passed out. She sat up and gazed drowsily around the dark room. Deacon had been dozing off and on in a chair right next to the bed, but had awoken immediately when she stirred. He watched as her eyes roved the room. She let out a gasp when her gaze met his. She seemed to relax a bit when she realized it was him.

  “You only slept for an hour or so. Are you feeling any better?” he asked in what he hoped was a soothing voice.

  “I’m
not really sure.” She rubbed her head. “This just doesn’t seem like it can be true. Everyone in Grey Lake seems normal, nice, friendly even. Most people, I mean. I never had any idea of any of this.” She beseeched him with tears in her eyes.

  “We’re the same as you thought before. We’re just a little bit different than normal humans.” Deacon sat down on the very end of the bed. He was encouraged by the fact that she didn’t jump up and flee. She stayed right where she was.

  “Brave mate,” his wolf said inside his head.

  “No, not our mate,” Deacon thought in response.

  “So…Heath, May, and your dad are all wolves? Were you born like this? Can you change people into wolves?” she asked with wide eyes.

  “We were all born this way, but we can change humans with a deep bite. We don’t do it except in certain rare circumstances. It’s just too dangerous. Sometimes the people who are bitten don’t survive. So, we don’t go around randomly biting strangers.”

  “What about the cougars? Do they bite people? Can they turn people into one of them?”

  “They can, yes, but you’re safe from them.”

  She visibly shivered. “Who else is a wolf, or is it a secret?”

  “It’s not a secret for you anymore, but it is important for you not to tell anyone who isn’t aware of it. There are a lot of good people here—innocent people—men, women, and kids who need to be protected.”

  “I won’t tell anyone. Who would I tell, anyway?”

  “You can’t even tell your family,” he said firmly.

  “I wouldn’t tell them anything. I don’t talk with them anymore.”

  “Most of the police officers in town are wolves. Sadie and her husband, too. There are a lot of people in the pack. Heath is the alpha, meaning he’s in charge. I’m his beta, that’s second in command. There are a lot of bears as well, foxes and now cougars in town, too.”