“They can all shift from their human to their animal sides at will,” Dina added.
“Which takes a little getting used to. But it’s actually really cool when you get over the initial shock. And shape shifters make amazing partners – and lovers!” Kristin said.
“Are you serious?” Melissa said. “This isn’t a joke at my expense, right? I know you guys think I can be a little gullible.” The three of them shook their heads solemnly.
“No, I swear, this is 100% the truth. Connor, Logan, Roman and Timo are all shape shifters.” Melissa was silent for a moment, then she let out a long breath.
“Well, I’ll be damned!” she said at last. “This explains everything.”
“It does?” Lauren said cautiously.
“I just knew that Timo was hiding something from me,” she said. “Now it all makes sense.” The other three burst out into relieved laughter.
“We were so nervous to tell you,” Dina said. “We were worried that you’d freak when you found out that you’d been dating a bear.”
“Well, all my besties are with shape shifters, so that would just be rude,” Melissa said, with a sparkle in her eye. “But why didn’t Timo tell me the truth? Was it because he thought we weren’t compatible?” Dina nodded.
“Yes. According to the laws governing shifter-human interactions, shifters aren’t allowed to disclose their true identity to humans until they’ve mated,” she said. “Unless they have a profile on this little app,” Kristin added, gesturing to the phone.
“So, the app gets curvy girls like us together with super-hot, shape-shifting men? Is that right?” Melissa asked.
“Yes!” they replied in unison.
“That is exactly what it does, girl!” Lauren said.
“Awesome!” Melissa said. “Now, show me how I create my profile, please!” They all laughed happily. This was going to be fun.
Kristin took the phone from Melissa and began entering all her basic details.
“Ok, now you have to sign a declaration that you won’t tell anyone about shape shifters until you’ve found your match. Just check the box here.” Melissa obediently tapped with her fingertip. “Now, hair – dark blonde, eyes – blue, height – 5’1” Hobbies?”
“Um, cooking, reading, salsa dancing, going to the movies, long walks on the beach. Is that really boring?”
“No, it sounds nice, and genuine,” Dina said. “I don’t think many people have crazy hobbies, if they’re being honest about themselves.”
“And what are you looking for in a guy?” Kristin said. Melissa took a gulp of her wine while she was thinking.
“Someone protective and kind-hearted, with a gentle side. Maybe someone who does charity work as well. Someone who cares about family. I don’t necessarily mean their own. Just someone who really wants to be with me, and have a family together.”
“So, I’ll put family-oriented,” Kristin said.
“God, I sound so dull, don’t I?” Melissa said.
“No, honey, I think you sound like practically every shifter’s dream,” Lauren said with a cackle. “Most of the guys on the app are looking to meet their life-long mate.”
“It sounds weird, but kind of cool to be someone’s mate,” Melissa said.
“It’s an amazing bond,” Dina said. “Way stronger than a human marriage. It means forever. It means that your mate will be there for you, no matter what. Shifters believe in destined mates. They don’t all find their destined mate, but it’s like the Holy Grail for them. Apparently, when you meet your destined mate, you feel a crazily-strong bond – like you’ve always known each other. Logan is my destined mate, and when I met him, I also felt this overwhelming connection to him. Like, I knew instantly that he was the one I wanted to be with, forever.”
“Wow,” Melissa breathed. “That sounds totally amazing.”
“It is,” Kristin said, a smile playing on her lips.
“And that’s why Timo was saying that we weren’t destined to be together. It all makes perfect sense now,” Melissa said.
“Ok, now we need some photos,” Lauren cut in. Before Melissa knew what she was doing, Lauren used her own phone to snap a headshot of her. “Perfect,” she said. “And do you have any more photos on your phone? Maybe another couple of headshots and a full body shot?”
“I think I’ll skip the body shot,” Melissa said. “I always come out looking like a sack of potatoes. Especially next to Kristin and Dina.”
“Not true!” Lauren said. “And shifters love to see how sexy and voluptuous you are! Come on, how about one of the pictures we took at the Hope Valley summer ball this year?” She swiped through her own photos until she found one she liked. “This one is perfect. You look amazing – innocent and wanton, at the same time!” Melissa glanced at the photo. She was wearing a white knee-length-dress, with a pink and yellow floral and butterfly pattern around the hem. Her hair was up in a French knot, and, as usual, she was wearing skyscraper heels to boost her petite frame. She bit her lip, trying not to hate how wide her hips looked and how puffy her arms were. She often felt like she got the worst of both worlds being both short and curvy. At high school, some of the mean kids had said she was like a ball – as wide as she was tall.
“Ok, I guess it’ll have to do,” she said at last. She picked out a face shot that she didn’t hate. She looked happy at least, and her eyes were sparkling as if she had just been laughing. It had been taken in a park during a picnic, and the sun reflected off her hair, making it look like spun gold.
Kristin uploaded all of the photos.
“Ok, your profile is live!” she said with a flourish. “Now, all we’ve got to do is select your preferences. For a start, I’d recommend filtering by compatibility.”
“What’s that?” Melissa said.
“The app has a really clever piece of technology that assesses your compatibility with all the shifters, and gives you a percentage rating. Roman and I were actually 100% compatible.”
“And look how proud she is,” Dina said with a laugh.
“Hey! I’m proud that I didn’t miss out on being with him because I thought he was too good for me!” Kristin retorted. “So, I’d suggest that you filter at 80% compatibility at least,” she continued.
“Sure,” Melissa said, and shrugged, having no idea how that translated. “And you can also filter by animal, if you want?” Kristin said.
“What animals are there?”
“Pretty much all of them. Well, the big ones anyway. I mean, you wouldn’t want to be with a rat, right?” Melissa shuddered.
“Definitely not!” she said. Kristin tapped the ‘filter by animal’ option.
“Oh, hey, this is something new,” she said, as another screen popped up. “Looks like Shiftr has put together a quiz to help you find your ideal animal. Ok, I’ll ask you the questions: do you like your guys to be: a) adoring, b) protective, c) respectful, d) submissive, or e) domineering?”
“B! Definitely,” Melissa said.
Nine more questions followed, and at the end, Melissa tapped the ‘find your animal’ button.
“So my ideal match is a wolf. Interesting. I’m also very compatible with bears and stags. My lowest compatibility is with a lion, and my wildcard is an otter. Weird,” she said. “I love the disclaimer: ‘as with zodiac signs, while we have identified your ideal animal, your destined mate may be another species, so please don’t discount any strong matches solely because they’re not listed as your species match’.” Kristin laughed.
“I think Tamika is still beta-testing this feature of the app, and she doesn’t want to scare anyone off,” she said. “Tamika is the creator and owner of the app. She’s an awesome lady, who really cares that everyone finds their perfect match.”
“Ok, so I’m going to filter out lions? Is that a good idea?” Melissa said.
“Yes, you’ve got to be selective, or you’ll end up getting a million messages from shifters, and it’ll be hard to find the right one,” Dina said.
“Ok,” Melissa agreed. “And maybe tigers too. I think they’d be too much of a handful for me.” She flashed Kristin a sly glance. Kristin tapped on the app.
“Now, let’s take a look at your proximity locator, and see if any of these guys are nearby right now!” A map opened on the screen, full of flashing orange paw prints.
“Wow, there’s a ton of them,” Melissa said, her voice full of excitement. Kristin zoomed in.
“So, there’s a bunch at the national park. No surprises there. And there are a few downtown, but looks like the nearest one is just over three miles away from you.”
“Who is that?” Melissa asked. Kristin tapped the icon.
“Hmm, it won’t let me see. You’ve got to leave your scent on his trail, and then, if he likes the look of you, he needs to message you, and then you can communicate.”
“I guess it helps to protect against all those crazy shifter stalkers out there!” Lauren said. “Do you want to leave your scent?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know what he looks like. Maybe we should look at some profiles first?” Melissa said.
“Great idea!” Kristin said. Melissa took the phone from her and located the main profile page.
“I feel like a kid in a candy store,” Melissa said, scrolling from one bare-chested guy to another. There were dark-haired guys; blondes; men with amber eyes; with pale green eyes; with coal-black eyes. Some were lean, others had more meat on their bones; some had angular bone structure, others had softer faces. They were all so different, but what they all had in common was incredible, unbelievable bodies and a wild, animal counterpart. Melissa shivered in excitement. Was it really possible that these guys could be interested in being with her?
She paused on a photo of a dark-haired guy with olive skin, high cheekbones and piercing amber eyes.
“He’s got to be part Native American,” she said. “And I love his body. He’s not too bulky. No offence, but bears are probably a little too large for someone as short as me. This guy is really nice and lithe. But what animal is he?” She clicked on his profile. “He’s an archaeologist. And yes, he’s a quarter Native American. He says preserving his culture is very important to him.” She swiped left on his photo. “He’s a wolf! I knew it.” Lauren leaned close to her to get a better look. But as she did, she let out a gasp of pain.
“Hun, what is it?” Melissa yelled, grabbing her hand. Lauren looked down.
“Oh, God. I think my water just broke,” she said.
“Yep, it sure did!” Melissa said.
“Oh my God, the baby’s coming!” Dina exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
“Wow, I’ve had a bit of a stomach ache all evening, but nothing major. I’m supposed to have another week to go,” Lauren said, looking both excited and scared.
“Just relax. The first bit should be easy,” Melissa said, keeping hold of her hand. Lauren took some deep breaths.
“Ok, I’m just going to call Connor,” she said.
Connor was over within 20 minutes. He burst into the room and wrapped Lauren in his arms.
“I’m sorry it took me so long, baby,” he said. “I was in the middle of the national park.”
“You must’ve driven like a demon to get here!” she said, kissing him.
“Well, yes, that’s true,” he said. Melissa looked at them, taking pleasure in their happiness. But at the same time, a knot of anxiety balled in her stomach. She’d been in exactly the same situation – waiting for her baby to be born, with her husband taking care of her – and it had all gone so wrong. She shook her head, knowing that she needed to push her own feelings aside so she could concentrate on being there for Lauren.
“How far apart are the contractions?” Connor asked.
“Five minutes. Right on schedule,” Lauren said. “Ooh – ” she broke off, as another contraction took possession of her body. Connor gave her both his hands and she squeezed them tightly. “Hold on, that was less than five minutes,” Lauren said, in between pants. “That was like three and a half.” Connor brushed her hair back from her forehead.
“Shifter babies often come out quick,” he said. “Maybe I should call an ambulance.”
“Ok,” Lauren gasped. Melissa looked at her worriedly. She could tell the contractions were really strong. Lauren’s skin had turned a little gray. She went into the kitchen to make her some herbal tea.
When Connor put the phone down, Lauren was hit by another contraction. “How long?” she asked, through gritted teeth. Melissa gulped.
“Less than three minutes. Two minutes, 45 seconds.
“Baby, I don’t think I’m going to make it to the hospital, even in an ambulance,” Lauren said to Connor. She turned her head to Kristin. “I’m so sorry, but I think my baby is about to be born in your apartment!” Kristin put her hand on Lauren’s knee.
“Lauren, that would be an absolute honor,” she said. “I’ll go get the bed ready.” Connor snatched his phone up again.
“I’m calling Doctor Harley,” he said. “He’s a shifter doctor and very experienced at attending births.” Lauren nodded, too drained by the strength of her contractions to think about anything.
The doctor and the ambulance arrived at the same time, and the doctor walked swiftly into the apartment, carrying his medical bag. He went over to Lauren and looked at her with a professional eye.
“I’ve asked the ambulance to stand by in case there are any complications, but hopefully, it’ll be a straightforward home birth,” he said, with a smile. He turned around and briefly introduced himself to everyone, before turning back to Lauren and giving her his full attention. He had a calm, intelligent manner that should have reassured Melissa, but it didn’t. She kept replaying the birth of her own baby, trying to figure out, as she’d done thousands of times before, what had gone wrong. No one knew. At some point during delivery, the baby had just stopped breathing, and that was it.
Lauren stood up and Connor helped her walk across the hallway and into Kristin’s bedroom. Melissa hovered by the door. She should go in there and reassure her. She’d been through this before, and she knew what it felt like. But she just couldn’t. Telling herself that there were enough people in the bedroom anyway, she stayed with Dina and Kristin in the living room.
The contractions were becoming closer and closer together, and Lauren was moaning and yelling with each one. Every scream was like a shot of adrenaline in Melissa’s veins. Kristin glanced at her, and when she saw how pale she was, she took her hand, immediately understanding.
“Oh, Melissa, it’s going to be fine. Please don’t worry. What happened to you was so tragic, but it’s really rare. Lauren’s strong, and the guys have known the doctor for years. He knows what he’s doing.”
“I know. I’m ok. I think I just need some air, and a moment to myself,” Melissa said. She got up and went into the kitchen and opened the window. She felt anxious and tearful, and she didn’t want to spoil the excitement for the other girls, especially as they were pregnant too.
Lauren’s yells became closer and closer together. Melissa sat on the floor and jammed her hands over her ears. There was a serious of extra loud yells, a long silence, then a loud whoop.
“It’s a girl!” Connor shouted, his voice reverberating through the apartment. Melissa stayed put. The doctor would be examining the baby, listening to her heartbeat, making sure she was breathing properly. Minutes ticked by. The wait was unbearable. Kristin burst into the kitchen.
“Melissa! Let’s go see the baby!” she said. Melissa stood up shakily and followed her and Dina to the bedroom. Dina tapped on the door.
“Come in!” Lauren called. They opened the door and were greeted by the sight of Lauren propped up on some pillows, with Connor’s arm around her shoulders and a tiny bundle on her lap. Connor’s face was radiant with pride. They tiptoed over and leaned close, and a little face with honey-toned skin and bright black eyes looked up at them.
“Hi, beautiful,” Kristin whispe
red.
“You look just like your mum, and your dad,” Dina said.
“Is she ok?” Melissa asked.
“Yes, she’s perfect,” Lauren said, her eyes full of happiness.
“Mom and baby are doing well,” Doctor Harley said, from the corner of the room. He was gathering some equipment together. “You should spend the night here, but after I’ve been to see you tomorrow morning, you’ll be good to go.” At his words, emotion welled up in Melissa’s chest. Now she could relax. But, instead of doing that, her chest suddenly felt tight, like she couldn’t draw in any air. She strode out of the room and went into the living room and sat on the sofa. It was getting worse. She put her hand on her chest, gasping for breath. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, and panic flooded her veins. God, what was happening to her? Was she having a heart attack?
As her hyperventilation got worse and worse, she heard the doctor’s voice behind her.
“Breathe slowly,” he said, coming over and sitting down next to her. “It’s ok. You’re having a panic attack. It’s nothing to worry about.” He opened his bag and took a paper bag out. “Here, breathe into this.” He made the opening into a small circle and placed it over her mouth. Melissa gasped into it. Little by little, her breathing slowed and evened out. A minute later, she could breathe normally again. She realized that the doctor was gently rubbing her back and making soothing noises. “Better?” he said.
“Yes, much, thank you,” she said, smiling weakly. “I’m so sorry. Lauren’s just had a baby, and now I’m taking your time up being a freak.” Doctor Harley chuckled. It was a nice, warm sound.
“Don’t be silly. What you just experienced was a physiological response to something rooted deep in your psyche. It’s very common.”
“It’s never happened to me before,” she said.
“Panic attacks can be caused by flashbacks. Was there anything that happened tonight which might have triggered it?”
“Lauren giving birth,” Melissa said. Doctor Harley frowned.
“And why is that?” he asked. Melissa told him all about her own stillbirth, and how it had broken up her marriage. He listened quietly, keeping his big brown eyes on hers. Distractedly, she noticed that he was very good looking. He had fine-textured olive skin, a firm jawline and well-shaped lips.
Bear My Perfect Gift: BBW Winter Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Christmas Bear Shifter Romance Book 3) Page 11