Later that night, Travis left Phoenix at her door after a long round of kisses and caresses and extreme petting that left her gasping for breath and horny as hell. She came so close to inviting him in. The only thing that held her back was how different they were and her fear that he’d be disappointed if he knew she was only human.
SEVEN
TRAVIS WASN’T sure why he hadn’t pushed for more with Phoenix.
He was pretty certain a little more coaxing would have gotten him into her apartment and then he’d finally be able to taste her sweet honey, something his bear demanded pretty much every time they were in her presence.
But he knew she wasn’t ready. Her animal was still hiding from him and until she revealed herself, he couldn’t be certain what their true path was. Until then, he’d be patient. Even if it killed him.
Phoenix wasn’t scheduled to work at the bar again until Wednesday, which gave him a full three days to court her animal in privacy without those interfering cougars and wolves around. Surely he could coax her out by then.
Famous last words.
Three days later, he still had no idea what Phoenix’s animal was and even more frustrating, she was hiding from him again. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of her in the three days they’d spent together, not even on Sunday, when the bar was closed and they’d had the entire day to spend together.
Travis had taken her on a hike in the woods to one of his favorite spots and she’d practically melted when she’d seen the waterfall. They’d kissed and made out and played in the water in human form and she’d been completely relaxed with him and so happy. He’d been sure she’d share her animal then, but nothing. What kind of animal was faced with the beauty of that waterfall and didn’t want to shift to play in it? He’d think she was a cat, but the cougars swore she had no feline in her.
The next two days she’d worked at the diner and he’d worked at the bar, so their time together had been significantly shortened. Still they’d had fun, cooking dinner together one night and completing inventory together the next afternoon. Then, later that same night, she’d actually hung out in the bar for a while, just keeping him company. Of course, the damn cougars and wolves had started their guessing games again, but this time she hadn’t seemed as bothered by it. She’d just laughed and let them guess and never answered one way or the other.
It was driving him and his bear crazy. Why was it such a big secret?
The guesses grew wilder as the night wore on because after all, the fact that it was a secret made everyone think it had to be something no one had ever seen before.
“T-Rex?” Karl guessed.
“Don’t you think she’d be a little bigger if she was a T-Rex?” Pete scoffed.
“You never know.”
Phoenix just rolled her eyes and ignored them all.
At the end of the night, they had their usual incredibly sexy make-out session in the entryway of her apartment.
Travis backed her into the wall, hitched her legs around his waist and devoured her mouth. She tasted so unbelievably sweet and spicy all at the same time. He ground himself against her, rubbing her in just the right spot, fingers of his right hand rolling and pinching a nipple while his other hand cupped and squeezed her bottom, holding her tight against him.
When he finally pulled away, he was rewarded by the sight of her animal peeking at him from her gorgeous brown eyes. Her pupils had elongated, forming vertical slits with a tiny ring of gold surrounding them, and her eye color had darkened to a deep and unrelenting black.
“Ah, my love, there you are,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and staring into her eyes. “Come out and play with me, yeah?”
Of course, right then, Travis’ bear stretched and peeked out through his own eyes and just like that, she was gone.
He huffed in exasperation. Stupid bear. Always so impatient.
“Um, Travis, I don’t think–” Phoenix sighed, a look of unhappiness on her face.
Travis kissed her and said, “Don’t worry so much, my sweet. Your animal will come out when she feels safe and that’s just fine.”
“Yeah, but…” Phoenix hesitated, then blurted out, “what if she never comes out?”
Travis pulled back. “Of course, she’ll come out, sweetheart. We just have to be patient.”
Phoenix looked away, making him reconsider his words.
“What makes you think she won’t?”
Phoenix shrugged, but Travis was beginning to realize that her shrugs had a wealth of meaning to them.
“She has come out for you before, right?”
Phoenix didn’t answer.
Shit. Was she latent?
Travis carried her further into the apartment and settled into an armchair with her facing him, legs straddling his. “Come on, sweetheart. I won’t judge you.” He smoothed her hair away from her face and stared into her eyes. “Have you ever shifted into your animal?”
Phoenix’s eyes slid away from his.
“No, sweetheart, stay looking at me.”
Her eyes slid back.
“Please tell me the truth. Have you ever shifted?”
EIGHT
THE MOMENT HAD COME and Phoenix wasn’t ready.
Travis deserved to know the truth though.
She shook her head.
“You’ve never shifted.”
“No.”
“Are you latent then?”
“What’s latent?”
“It’s shifters who have an animal inside, but for whatever reason, the animal can’t get out.”
Phoenix sighed. She really didn’t want have to tell him this. “I’m not latent, Travis.”
He looked confused.
“I’m human.”
Travis laughed. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. Look. I know it’s hard to accept, but I’m not a shifter. I’ve never had an animal, I’m just me.”
“That’s not possible. I can smell your animal, Phoenix. What makes you think you’re not a shifter? What happened to your pack or clan or whatever?”
“I don’t have one. I grew up in foster care.”
“Hold up. Do you mean human foster care?”
Phoenix nodded.
“How the hell’d that happen?”
“I was found at the scene of a car accident in Phoenix – the city, not the pack – when I was a toddler. That’s where my name came from. My parents were killed in the accident and they couldn’t find any relatives. So I went into the system.”
“Which meant what exactly?”
Phoenix shrugged. “I was moved around a lot, from one foster family to the next. They were all given money to take care of me and when they didn’t want me anymore, they’d send me back.”
“Back where?”
“To the state. And then I’d get sent to the next family.”
“So you were raised by humans.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand how this happened,” he growled. “Where was your clan, your pack? How could they just abandon you?”
“Travis.” Though he was starting to understand, he still refused to see. “I don’t have one. I’m human.”
“Okay. I understand why you think that, Phoenix, and now I understand why your animal’s been hiding. She’s never been around shifters before, not for any length of time anyway. If she had, she probably would have shifted by now.”
“Travis–”
“I know you don’t believe me, Phoenix, but I promise you.” He cupped her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. “You are a shifter.”
“But what if I’m not?” The look on his face made her add hastily, “Or what if I’m latent? What if I never shift, Travis?”
“Then you never shift.” He sounded matter-of-fact, but she could tell the thought of it worried him. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
She relaxed a little, sensing his sincerity. Yes, he was worried, but if it truly wouldn’t change his fe
elings for her, then she wasn’t going to worry about it.
“Wait a minute.” He jerked upright, a stunned look on his face. “Does this mean when everyone shifted in the bar…” his voice trailed away.
She smiled at him and waited.
“Was that the first time you ever saw anyone shift?”
“Yep. It was also when I found out that shifters exist.”
“You didn’t even know–of course, you didn’t. You thought you were just human, right? All this time. You never even knew you had an animal inside.”
“I’m still not convinced.”
“I know, sweetheart. Don’t worry though. I promise we’ll figure this out. Besides, once the cougars and wolves hear about this–”
“Wait. You’re going to tell them?”
“Of course. They might be able to help.”
Phoenix was horrified. This was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. “They don’t like humans!”
“What makes you say that?”
“Glory said you wouldn’t rent the apartment to a human and the–”
“Because a human would discover we exist, not because we hate them.”
“But what if I’m right and I am human? What will they do to me?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. It’s rare, but we have had the occasional human-shifter mating and there are a few trustworthy humans who know the truth about us. I promise, Phoenix, even if you were human, which you’re not, I would protect you, and so would they.”
She sighed. He looked so sincere. “Fine,” she muttered, not at all convinced, but willing to trust him for now.
“Besides, the wolves and cougars might be able to help us coax out your animal.”
Phoenix couldn’t imagine anything would make that happen, but she didn’t have the heart to burst Travis’ bubble.
NINE
“SO YOU MEAN to tell me you really could be a phoenix?” Pete demanded.
Max huffed in amusement. When Travis had called the pack earlier that day to share that Phoenix had no idea what her animal was, Pete had immediately started in on his absurd theory again. He’d been impatiently waiting all day, just so he could have this chance to ask that question.
“What? No.” Phoenix rolled her eyes.
“How do you know? I mean, you said you don’t know what your animal is, so maybe you are. Maybe that’s why you’re named Phoenix.”
“I highly doubt the humans gave me the name of a mythical bird because they thought I was one too, Pete. It’s just like I said. I was named Phoenix because that’s where I was found.”
Pete sighed. “Well, that’s not as interesting, now is it?”
“No, but she could still be a unicorn,” Cole called from the next table over.
Phoenix just shook her head and walked away.
The minute she was gone, Glory appeared at Max’s side. “We need a plan, boys.” She grabbed a chair and shoved her way in between him and Karl.
Since she never willingly spent time with Max, he could only stare in amazement.
“What?” she demanded.
He shook his head. “Nothing, nothing.”
“What do you mean we need a plan? For what?” Pete asked.
“Yeah, for what?” the others chimed in.
“My brother’s seriously into Phoenix and you know how bears are.”
“He’s already attached,” Max guessed. Bears. They were stupid stubborn.
“And he’s not going to let her go, even if her animal never comes out.”
Pete shrugged. “So? They’re a cute couple. What do you care?”
Cole reached across the aisle and slapped Pete’s head.
“Hey!” Pete whirled on Cole with a growl. “Knock it off, cat!”
“Well, don’t be stupid,” Cole said. “You know how bears are about their mates.”
“Yeah, so they’re attached. I don’t see the big deal.”
Glory sighed. “If she never shifts, he’ll never know for certain. His bear will never know for certain.”
“Seriously?” Pete asked. “I knew the second I met Jenny that she was mine. Didn’t matter what her wolf or mine said. Luckily they both agreed, but still.”
“Bears are different,” Glory said.
“She’s right,” Cole said as he swung his chair around and shoved his way into their space. “If she never shifts, his bear won’t ever be truly happy because it won’t feel like a true mating to him.”
“That sucks.” Dan stood up from his table and wandered over to join them.
“Seriously?” Max demanded. “Where are all these cougars coming from?”
“Even if it’s a true mating?” Dan ignored Max to ask Glory.
“Even if,” Glory said. “A part of his bear will always be holding back and she’ll know it. Even if she never shifts, her animal will sense that his animal has rejected her and they’ll both be miserable.”
“So what are we going to do?” Karl asked.
“We need a plan,” Glory repeated. “A plan to get Phoenix to shift.”
Max winced. He figured there was zero chance this wouldn’t get out of hand fast.
TEN
TRAVIS DIDN’T like the way Glory joined the wolves and he especially didn’t like it when one by one, the cougars wandered over as well. They were up to something. Especially based on the speculative looks they kept giving Phoenix.
Of course, he knew his sister would never hurt Phoenix, but he also knew Glory was worried. Worried that Phoenix might never shift. Worried that her brother’s bear might never have the true mating it deserved.
Under those circumstances, she might be willing to do anything.
He was relieved when the night was finally over and he was able to usher everyone out and turn his full attention to Phoenix.
Cassie had cashed out thirty minutes before last call, and Glory, to his shock, left with the wolves, leaving him and Phoenix to close the bar on their own. Which wasn’t a big deal. He enjoyed stealing kisses from her as they worked side-by-side wiping everything down, loading the dishwasher and sweeping the floor.
As they worked, Travis contemplated his next steps. Now that he knew Phoenix’s animal wasn’t necessarily hiding from him or his bear, he was rethinking his whole strategy. If as he suspected, Phoenix’s animal had never appeared because it had no shifter connections, holding back from theirs might do more damage than good. And to be honest, his bear was driving him mad, constantly pacing and swiping at the air, trying to catch and savor the elusive, wavering scent of their mate.
This time when they went upstairs, Travis led Phoenix to his door instead of hers.
He captured her lips in a searing kiss, then murmured, “Come inside with me?”
Phoenix didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
Travis gave her no time to second-guess herself and immediately pulled her into his apartment, backed her against the door and kissed her again.
As waves of heat rippled through her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled herself up and hitched her legs around his waist.
He took immediate advantage, sliding one hand to cup her bottom and grinding himself against her.
She threw back her head and whimpered.
He buried his face in her neck and carefully scraped his teeth along the sensitive flesh there.
Phoenix shivered and clutched at his shoulders. “Travis, please.”
With a guttural sound of approval, he turned and strode down the hallway.
A moment later, he tumbled Phoenix onto his bed and followed her down. Gently smoothing her hair away from her face, he stared into her eyes and asked, “Are you okay with this?”
“Yes. Travis, please, yes.” Phoenix practically writhed beneath him, the blood in her veins on fire for him.
He leaned over and buried his nose in her neck again, inhaling deep. When he pulled back, she would swear his bear was looking back at her from feral eyes.
“My bear thinks you’re his,” he rumbled. “Ours.”
Maybe those words should have freaked her out, but instead they made something deep inside relax. “What does that mean?”
“It means he thinks you’re our mate. If we do this, whether it’s true or not, whether you shift or not, whether you’re human or not, you’ll always be our mate. And we will never let you go. Be sure, Phoenix. Be very sure.”
Phoenix closed her eyes, tears burning there, then opened them again. He was telling her that he would never walk away, that she would never be alone again. She lifted a hand and cupped his jaw.
He leaned his cheek into her caress.
“If we do this, Travis, you and your bear will be mine. I won’t ever walk away and I won’t ever let you go. You’ll be stuck with me forever. You need to be certain as well.”
His eyes flared bright and he lowered his head to hers, capturing her lips in a searing hot kiss.
ELEVEN
SIDE EFFECT of sex all night: cranky Phoenix.
Five o’clock came entirely too early after a long night of loving and no time in her dream space. It seemed every time she was just about to get there, Travis woke her in the most amazing and unexpected of ways. Which hey, she wasn’t exactly complaining.
Except now she had to take orders, deliver breakfast and generally act like a patient, kind human being when all she felt like doing was ripping people’s faces off. And she didn’t even have an animal side!
Which really wasn’t something she wanted to think about. Because every time she thought about maybe, probably, most certainly being one hundred percent human, she got depressed.
And crankier.
“Hey, Phoenix, I’ve got something for you,” Karl called from the corner booth in the back.
It was the first time she’d ever seen the cougars and wolves sit together at the diner, which made her rather suspicious, considering this was an almost replica of the weird grouping they’d had at the bar the night before. And just like then, they were all staring at her.
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