Bearly Christmas

by Becca Fanning

  “So are you ready for our first day?” Melanie asked trying to break the ice a little bit since they were both just staring at each other for the past five minutes.

  “Yes, I just hope the doctor I get paired with doesn’t have a problem with Shifters.”

  “It should be fine, right? I can’t imagine he’d have something against Shifters.”

  “You don’t though, right?” He was looking at her quizzically now, and she couldn’t blame him. She wasn’t quite sure why she wasn’t more afraid of him.

  “You’re the only one I’ve met so I can’t say really.”

  “Most people are afraid of me because of my size alone.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was trying to intimidate her now, or just figure her out. She refused to back down now. “Well other than worrying about if you are going to run me over, or toss me across the room you seem fairly harmless.”

  He smiled at her, and she swore she saw a faint blush on his face. Another giant man came up just then, and slapped Tye on the back. She saw some resemblance between the two, but the other guy seemed younger somehow even though his size and overall hairiness suggested otherwise.

  “Big bro you didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend?”

  “Jake, leave.”

  Jake clutched his hand to his chest like he had been actually injured at Tye’s brush off, and Melanie couldn’t help but giggle.

  “Hello beautiful, I’m Jake the younger much more attractive Brigham man.”

  “Nice to meet you Jake. I’m Melanie, and I’m not Tye’s girlfriend. Just a friend from the internship.”

  Jake looked at Tye, and Tye shrugged but didn’t comment further.

  “I’m glad to hear Tye has some back up out there in the human world.”

  “I don’t know how much I can offer to him.” She laughed at the thought of her doing anything to help a giant like Tye.

  “You can do plenty. Don’t worry it’ll just come naturally to you.” With that Tye stood and shoved his brother out of the way. Melanie wasn’t sure why Tye was so bothered by the comment. Maybe he was feeling badly about what had happened when they first met.

  “Anyways big bro I just came by to let you know your fight is up.”

  “Fight? What’s going on?”

  “You mean you didn’t tell her. You’re in for a treat tonight, girl. Tye’s fighting and he never disappoints.”

  “Like boxing?” Melanie was really confused by what was happening. She followed the Brigham men out a back door to an open field that had several areas mapped out for fights apparently.

  “You really didn’t tell her anything did you? He’s going to fight Mike Bunner tonight. He’s a lion. It’ll be a wicked good fight. There’s not many who can give us a good run for our money but lions are formible.”

  Melanie grabbed Tye’s arm and tried to turn him to face her. He didn’t budge so she grabbed hold with two hands and tugged harder. He kept walking.

  “Damnit, Tye.” She immediately regretted yelling at him because several Shifters close by turned to look at them now.

  “Melanie, I think you should go. I don’t want you to watch this.”

  “Watch what? I still don’t understand what’s happening.”

  “For us it’s like exercise, but it can be alarming for humans to see. It’s brutal and bloody.”

  “I’m a doctor. Blood doesn’t bother me. I’m staying.” She wanted to advert her eyes from his, but stood up a little taller and kept his gaze.

  “Fine. Stay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He winked at her then as he pulled his shirt up and over his large perfectly sculpted chest. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open as she marveled at his sculpted torso. She had to actively refrain herself from reaching out and running her fingers over his abs. Then his hands went to his belt, and removed that. She was sure she was going to faint when he started to take his pants off.

  “What are you doing now?” She squeaked.

  “It takes a lot to find clothes to fit my body so I like to preserve them. You don’t mind do you?” He was now stark naked handing her his clothes. She pulled herself from her stupor and kept her gaze locked on his eyes as she took them.

  “You can look down if you want honey.” He was loving her embarrassment which made her want to kick him.

  “Not much to see I’m sure.”

  “You are so cute when you lie.” He rubbed his fingers across her chin with that comment, and then where there was once Tye was now a gigantic bear. He had to be almost nine feet tall. She stumbled back a few steps so that she could look all the way up at him without breaking her neck.

  She was completely in awe of him. She clutched his clothes to her chest with one hand and reached out with the other to touch his fur. He dropped to all fours in front of her, and leaned his head into her hand. He was magnificent in his bear form. Finally, a whistle blew and Tye sauntered off towards one of the circles where there was a lion waiting. Melanie couldn’t believe this was real life. She looked around to see if anybody else was freaking out, but everyone else seemed to expect this.

  “Sure you’re up for this?” Jake said casually, but his eyes said he was a little concerned for her.

  “I guess I’ll find out now.”

  Tye and the lion started circling each other. The lion finally swiped his paw out and let out a roar letting Tye know he was tired of the foreplay. Tye lunged and tried to wrap the lion up in his death grip, but the lion eluded him and tried to pounce onto his back. Tye rolled effortlessly considering his size and landed back on his hind feet. They continued going after each other in a fury of fur and blood.

  Melanie was positive that she hadn’t taken a breath the entire fight when the whistle blew again and the two shifters let each other out of their grips. She wasn’t sure if there was necessarily a winner of the match. She was shocked to see how differently Tye moved in the arena. He was confident, even lithe. Jake was still next to her, and he was shouting and clapping loudly with the rest of the crowd pleased with the fight.

  “Yeah Tye! Wooo!”

  “Does he do this often?”

  “Not anymore. He’s busy with his new life. Not much time to give his bear a release.”

  There was that word again, release. Jake was looking at her the same way Tye had looked at her when he said it earlier, like she was supposed to take care of his release. Good luck with that. She may have drove out in the middle of nowhere to see more about him and his way of life outside of his human form, but she had no intentions of helping with anybody’s release. She still had her goals to reach, and she had to stay focused. She looked up again to find Tye now that the fight was over, and realized he was back in his human form, naked, and bloody while a woman leaned over him poking and prodding some of the bigger wounds.

  “Does he need to go to a hospital?”

  “We don’t do hospitals, Heather is our healer, she’ll tend something if necessary, but they all look like they’ll be healed in the next thirty minutes or so.”

  “Like a Shifter doctor?”

  “Yes, but she didn’t go to school for it, she was blessed by our Goddess with the abilities to look after the Shifters health.”

  “This is all so crazy.”

  “It’s normal to us.”

  Normal. This was not her normal, obviously, but she didn’t have much a normal herself. She had boring. She had been so focused for so long on achieving her medical degree and getting that coveted prefix for her name that she hadn’t done anything else. While the other girls in undergrad had been out partying, and even venturing to Havens to party she had been studying. When she got to medical school some of her fellow students there even took the occasional night off and let loose. Most of them had significant others, friends and family circles they could chat with, and lean on throughout the rigorous course work. She didn’t have any of that. Her mom was always willing to lend an ear, but she didn’t understand her drive to be outside of the home so she didn’t really have m
uch input. Her dad just told her to give up and come home. Maybe for the first time in her life she wanted more.

  “What did you think for your first Shifter fight?” Tye was back and fully clothed.

  “You were impressive. I kept waiting for you to trip and just simply fall on him and smother him.”

  “I’m usually not so clumsy. Humans make me awkward. Well you make me awkward.”

  Melanie wanted to melt into him. His deep golden eyes beckoned to her to just lean into him and let him give her that comfort that she had been missing out on her whole life. This man, this giant beautiful Shifter was more dangerous to her than anything else she had ever come across in her life. He could make her feel complete, like she didn’t need to strive anymore. She needed to get away from him.

  “I’m glad you’re okay. I have to go.” She turned around and hurried off before he could say anything. She needed space. She could hear him yelling her name behind her, but she just put her head down and kept plowing her way through the hordes of people. She finally made it back to her car, and didn’t waste any time throwing her car in drive and getting the hell out of Haven.

  Chapter Seven

  Tye

  What the hell. Tye stared after Melanie completely dumbstruck. She drove all the way out here just to see him, and then she took off just as fast as she showed up.

  “Easy come, easy go.” Jake gave him a good slap on the back. Tye was still a little in shock.

  “I know. I just thought Melanie had more backbone than that. She’s not some weak human just looking for a good time. She’s made of tough stuff. There’s been a couple times she put me in my place.”

  “Well you did just take down a lion, maybe she’s a little spooked. Give her some space man. I can’t believe you’re even considering a human.”

  “I didn’t say I was considering. I have to work with her, and you know I haven’t made many companions in the human world. I don’t want any, but it would be nice to have a friend during this internship.”

  “Friendship? Right.”

  Tye didn’t bother responding. He shrugged his brother off, and decided to head back to his parents’ house. The fight had appeased his bear for the time being, and now he just wanted to eat and catch up on some sleep. He needed to get Melanie out of his mind. He realized when she left that he actually cared that she left, and he couldn’t venture down that rabbit hole.

  Tye’s time at his parent’s house came and went quickly. He had to actively work to keep Melanie from popping up in his mind. His bear paced. He had to participate in two more fight nights just to appease the beast. He wasn’t normally this hostile, but his time in medical school coupled with Melanie walking off had him in a frenzy.

  It was time for him to go back to the city, back to the hospital, and more importantly back to Melanie. She would be there tomorrow, and every other day going forward until they were out of their internship. That thought alone was the only reason he was excited. As much as he wanted to be a doctor it had been nice to be back around his people where he could be himself and feel comfortable.

  “Tye, honey. Are you feeling okay?” His mom was a worrier, and she had that crease on her forehead now that told him he was in for one of her heart to hearts.

  “I’m fine mom. I’m just tired.”

  “I know you’ve been working so hard, and you know I worry.”

  “I know mom. I’m fine though, really. I got to get going soon though. Tomorrows the first day of my internship. I’m sure tonight will be my last night of decent sleep for a while.”

  “Just be careful. You know what sleep deprivation can do to us. I hate to see you be made an example of out in the human world. Is that girl from the other night in your internship?”

  There it was. What is mom was really worried about. Whether or not he was involved with a human female.

  “Yes she’s in my internship.”

  “Oh. That’s good. I’m glad you have a friend.”

  “She’s just a friend mom, try not to worry.”

  Tye showed up to his first day of the internship early in hopes of catching Melanie beforehand, but with only minutes before they were to meet with their attending doctors she was still a no show. Tye paced frantically wondering if maybe she dropped out just because of him. She seemed too determined to drop out simply because of whatever happened the other night. Finally, just as he was turning to make another lap he saw the top of her head enter the room. She was dressed professionally with her white coat on, and her long hair was pulled up into a bun high on her head.

  The attending’s came in just then to pair them off so Tye’s mission would have to wait.

  “Hello, welcome to Pittsburgh’s finest teaching hospital. My name is Dr. Bala, I’m the chief resident and will be handling you all while you’re here. I don’t have time to deal with you so unless it’s life or death my door is closed. We’ll be pairing you off to go and do rounds. Get to know your new buddy you will be spending a lot of time with them. You’ll make rounds with them, study with them, and pretty much you will see them more than you see yourself.”

  Tye kept his eyes on Melanie the whole time the doctor was reading off names. His bear lunged forward when he caught her scent. He wasn’t sure how it was possible for his bear to be showing the mate bond signs with a human, but he was. As the room started to empty and there was only four of them left Tye couldn’t help but hope that Melanie would be his partner. He could sense her anxiousness, and knew she was thinking the same thing.

  “Doctor Brigham and Doctor Gloss, you’ll be working under Dr. Byron. I chose you two because you both were top of your class. I know you can handle it, and won’t be bugging me about anything.”

  The doctor gave them a stern look as they made their way past him both nodding in agreement. Tye wanted to reach out and put his hand on the small of Melanie’s back and lead her out, but he resisted the urge. He had a feeling she had a mean right hook waiting for him if he ever tried anything like that.

  “Good to see you Melanie. How have you been?” He tried to keep his annoyance out of his tone, but he found that now that he had her attention he was angry all over again.

  “Fine, Tye. Yourself?”

  “Fine. I do happen to have this kink in my neck from whiplash a few days ago.”

  “You’re a doctor. I would assume you should be able to take care of that yourself.”

  “You’re correct. I’m more concerned about the cause though. You’re quite fast when you want to be.”

  “Tye, can we not do this now. We need to go and find Dr. Byron, and do rounds. I don’t have time for this now.”

  Tye started to ask her when she would have time for it, but she ended the conversation by walking off. He pulled himself out of his thoughts,and took off after her. She was right, right now they needed to focus on their internship. Later though he would get his answers.

  Chapter Eight

  Melanie

  “So did you off the other kid?”

  “Excuse me?” Tye was absolutely floored by her question.

  “Rumor has it that there was supposed to be someone else here. At the last minute he suffered an injury that kept him from the program. You took his spot.”

  “How in the hell would anybody even know that type of information. I didn’t know I got in myself until that meeting let alone who else received letters or should have received them.”