The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

“You know what she means,” Mikayla reasons. “We’re just trying to help you adjust.”

  “It just all seems a little too much to handle at once,” says Douglas. He sips his lemonade, wishing there was something stronger than sugar in his drink.

  “Can’t you just go with the flow, see how it goes?” Avery suggests.

  “Yeah!” Mikayla adds. “Maybe it’ll be nothing, or maybe you’ll make a friend. But from everything you just shared with us, it sounds like you have a little crush. Isn’t it worth seeing what happens?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” says Douglas. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll call in a few days. What’s the rush?”

  “Fine, put it off. But if she’s as fantastic as you’ve described, then who knows how long she’ll wait around,” says Mikayla.

  “Mikayla’s not wrong,” confirms Avery. “If I didn’t know you any better Dougie, I’d think you’re nervous.”

  “What makes you think I don’t get nervous?”

  “Have you seen yourself?” interjects Mikayla. “I can’t imagine you’re used to getting turned down by women.” Douglas laughs.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, ladies.”

  “Hey, we’re just looking out for you. You haven’t been excited by anything for months, and then you come home with a stupid smile on your face spilling your guts about a woman you met at the coffee shop. If there’s a chance that you might find happiness, whether it’s with a new job or a special person, we want that for you,” says Avery.

  “She’s right,” Mikayla says. “Plus, Ethan said if you ever got a girlfriend then maybe we’d all go on a couple’s vacation. So, personally, that’s why I’m invested,” jokes Mikayla, and the two explode with laughter.

  “You girls are something else,” says Douglas. He stands up and glances at his cellphone.

  “Invite her over!” says Mikayla. “Do it, do it!”

  “Tonight?” Douglas glances at the clock on the stove. 6:30 P.M. His heart sinks. Like clockwork, he transforms every night by 10:30 the latest. Every night, he is chained up by one of his brothers promptly at 10 P.M. He imagines her idea of a first date doesn’t include chaining him up or shifting into a giant bear.

  “Maybe lunch tomorrow would be a better idea,” says Douglas.

  “Oh, come on. We’ll get her out of here by 10. You can trust us. We get it. We’ve both been in her shoes, more or less. I mean, if she’s gonna get to know you, she’ll inevitably have to get to know all of you,” says Mikayla.

  “I appreciate it,” says Douglas, but his thoughts are already racing. That’s exactly what he fears. He can’t reveal his truth. For a woman who just came out of a difficult relationship, he can’t picture her being very cool and casual about dating a shifter. He’d have to withhold that information until he can get a sense of how she might react. Being a shifter has already cost him so much.

  “Invite her over! Right now!’ Mikayla says, practically jumping out of her seat in excitement.

  “Fine, I’ll do it. I’m going to call her right now.” He grabs his phone and leaves the room to find some privacy.

  Chapter 7

  Ellen’s done working for the day, and is in her living room with Chris. They’re both sprawled out on the couch, half-watching the movie playing on cable. Ellen’s scrolling through her phone, enjoying the time to let her brain relax and turn to mush by staring at screens. It’s much easier to enjoy her downtime now that she’s back at work and feels like she deserves to relax. Before, it was all down time, but she was too sad to enjoy the time off. She felt like she was in some sort of purgatory, with her abusive relationship behind her, but she still couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, after just a few days back at Peak Point, Ellen feels like she’s slowly becoming herself again. She feels like the light at the end of the long dark tunnel might finally be within reach.

  “You certainly seem like you are in a better mood,” Chris notes. “And I’m sure it has nothing to do with that model dude you met.”.

  Ellen blushes. “He’s not a model! He’s an ex-cop!”

  “Whatever he is, you’ve been practically giddy since you told me about him.”

  “I know. It’s weird, right? Ugh, this is the last thing I need right now. I’m an idiot,” groans Ellen. She sits up.

  “No, no. Stop it. You’re spiraling. Have you considered that maybe this is...exactly what you need?” asks Chris.

  “No, I’m not sure that’s true. My romantic endeavors haven’t gone smoothly in...well, I can’t think of one time, ever.” Her body tenses up as the reality of the situation sinks in. She needs to have some semblance of self-control. What would be best for her mental health is to stay focused, and think about her future, like whether or not she should go back to school, or figure out a career that isn’t the working at the smalltown coffee shop.

  “Ellen, you’re 26 years old. You are allowed to throw caution to the wind sometimes, you know?”

  “Look where that’s gotten me in the past,” she responds.

  Before Chris can answer, her phone lights up. It’s an incoming call from Douglas.

  “Shit! He’s calling me!” says Ellen, beginning to panic. Although she fantasized about going on a date with him, drinking wine lakeside or enjoying a seafood dinner together, she hadn’t actually expected him to call. At least not so soon.

  “Answer it!” Chris barks at her.

  “Go away!” she yells back. “Don’t listen.” She frantically waves her arms, motioning for him to get out of the room.

  “Okay, okay. I get it. Weirdo,” says Chris, and walks into the kitchen.

  Ellen picks up the phone.

  “Hey, Ellen, it’s Douglas.”

  “Douglas! Hey. What’s going on?”

  “Oh, nothing really. I just...I was thinking about you,” he says. Ellen feels like she could faint. Her heart skips a beat. She feels like she’s in high school again.

  “Cool, me too. Well, like, thinking about you, too,” stammers Ellen. She’s nervous, but she hopes that Douglas can’t pick up on it. Ellen is usually pretty good at keeping her cool, or at least pretending to. But there’s something about Douglas that sends jolts of electricity through her body.

  “Would you want to hang out? Like, come over for a movie?”

  “Yeah, I really would. What night are you thinking?” Ellen asks.

  “You know, whenever. I mean, I know it’s kind of last minute, but tonight could work for me if-”

  “Yes!” Ellen blurts before even letting him finish the question. If there’s one thing Ellen has not mastered, it’s the art of playing hard to get. She doesn’t believe in playing games like that, anyway. Being direct has always been her M.O., but some of her confidence was a casualty of her last relationship. Fake it until you make it, she tells herself. And if a guy like Douglas is calling her for a date, then she must be doing a pretty good job at least pretending she’s confident and cool.

  Douglas laughs in response to her enthusiasm. “Awesome, it’s a date then. Come by my house whenever you’re ready. I’ll text you my address.”

  “Great!”

  “Oh, one more thing. I can’t really make it too late of a night. I have an obligation in the morning. Early,” he says. Ellen doesn’t care if he can hang out for five minutes. She’s just excited to see him at all.

  Chapter 8

  “Okay, it’s done. She’ll be here soon. Can you guys at least pretend that you have something else to do besides hover around?” Douglas says. He’s showered, changed, and wearing just a dab of cologne. He thinks about shaving his face entirely, but decides he’s going to embrace the scruffy look he’s established over the past few months of unemployment.

  “Yeah, yeah. We’ll just introduce ourselves!” says Avery.

  “What she said,” Mikayla agrees.

  The doorbell rings.

  “I’ll get it!” Avery practically jumps up with joy. She opens the front door to greet Ellen.

  “Hi, you must be El
len. I’m Avery, Douglas’s sister-in-law,” says Avery.

  “Oh hi, yes. I’m Ellen. Super nice to meet you. Is this your house?”

  “Sure is!” Avery says as she leads Ellen to the living room. In the hallway, they pass Mikayla.

  “Oh! This is Mikayla, she dates Ethan, Douglas’s other brother. I’m sure Douglas has mentioned all of this to you already,” says Avery. Mikayla says hello.

  “I’m Ellen, nice to meet you. No, Douglas didn’t actually mention his brothers but we only met a few days ago, so…” Ellen trails off.

  She begins to feel a little overwhelmed as she takes in the setting. The house is huge, and Ellen wonders if Douglas’s family is wealthy. Hers certainly is not, but she makes it work with her barista gig and a lifetime of carefully saving money. Also, she didn’t know she would be at his brother’s house, meeting his family. She worries that, as the new girl, all eyes will be casting judgement on her. Would she be able to fake a stomach ache in time to get out before the night gets started? Before she has time to continue spiraling, they stop in the living room where Douglas is standing, waiting for her.

  “Ellen,” he greets her with a huge smile on his face. Ellen’s previous anxieties vanish. Now, she wonders if her hair is perfectly in place and if her dress is too much for their casual hang.

  “You look beautiful,” he says.

  “You really do,” Avery adds on, gushing like a proud mom before her sons first school dance.

  “Oh, thanks,” says Ellen, giggling.

  “Yeah Avery, thanks,” says Douglas, the look in his eyes demanding her to leave the room.

  “Have fun! I’ll be around if you need anything,” says Avery before disappearing upstairs.

  “She’s nice,” says Ellen, nervously trying to make conversation.

  “Yeah, she can be a bit much, but she means well,” says Douglas.

  Ellen smiles and makes her way to the couch. Douglas positions himself next to her, close enough that their legs are ever so slightly brushing together.

  “I’m really glad you came,” says Douglas. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot since we met.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, really,” says Douglas. He wants to respect her space, but he also wants to know just how soft her pale skin would feel against his. He moves his hand close enough to hers that the back of their hands touch.

  Ellen notices his hand inching towards her. Instead of getting flustered, she feels another one of those electric jolts course through her body. It makes her feel alive in a way that she hasn’t in so long. Without overthinking, she grabs his hand.

  “I like this,” says Douglas.

  “So do I,” says Ellen.

  They stare at each other for a moment, letting a comfortable silence wash over them. Ellen’s green eyes are big and welcoming. Douglas so badly wants to lean in and kiss her. He wants to skip the formalities and the “getting-to-know-you” phase, and plan the rest of his life with her. But, before he has a chance to act on his impulse, Ellen breaks the sexually charged silence.

  “What movie do you want to watch?” Ellen says, facing towards the TV and breaking eye contact.

  “Have you seen Fight Club?” Douglas asks. Ellen laughs.

  “What?” he asks in response.

  “Yeah, of course I’ve seen Fight Club. What is it with dudes and that movie?”

  “Gee, sorry. I didn’t mean- I don’t -,” Douglas begins to flail.

  “Hey, it’s cool. I’m just messing with you,” assures Ellen. “I’d watch it, if you want.”

  “Whatever you want,” says Douglas.

  “Let’s do it,” says Ellen. She puts her head on his shoulder. Douglas looks down and smiles, leaning his head on hers.

  Suddenly, Ellen’s eyes open and it takes a minute for her to recall her surroundings. Her head is on Douglas’s shoulder. Avery stands above both of them, looking like she has something urgent to say.

  “Douglas. Wake up,” she says.

  “I’m up, I’m up,” says Douglas yawning. “What time is it? Damn, we must have fallen asleep during the movie.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I don’t remember watching any of it, really,” says Ellen. “Do you want to finish?”

  “It’s already 10:00 P.M.,” asserts Avery.

  “Thanks,” says Douglas to Avery. “Can you give us a minute?” Avery leaves the room.

  “Do you want to finish the movie?” Ellen asks. She doesn’t feel ready to leave. She had the sweetest dreams while cuddled up next to Douglas.

  “I really want to, but I can’t,” says Douglas. “I’ve gotta get to sleep.”

  “Oh yeah, early morning tomorrow. What do you have going on? Job interview?”

  “Yeah, an interview,” Douglas lies. He feels bad lying to her, but it’s easier to lie than try to explain the truth. He’ll take his secret to the grave, not willing to let it screw up his life yet again.

  “I had a great time,” says Ellen getting up. “Can we do it again?”

  “Absolutely,” says Douglas. He ushers her towards the door, hoping she doesn’t feel rushed, but it was too big of a risk. What if he started to shift in her presence?

  “Good night,” says Ellen. She surprises herself by leaning in for a kiss. Douglas is surprised, too. He leans in, giving her a quick peck. Ellen’s flattered by his gentlemanliness, but feels safe with him. She is ready for more. She goes back in for another, more passionate meeting of lips but Douglas pulls away.

  “I really want to, but I can’t. Not tonight,” says Douglas. Ellen feels embarrassed for throwing herself at him when he’s clearly in a rush to get to sleep.

  “That’s fine,” says Ellen. “Good night, Douglas.”

  He watches her as she walks to her car, wishing so badly she could stay sleeping on his shoulder all night.

  Chapter 9

  A week after their first date at Douglas’s house, Douglas and Ellen walk hand-in-hand through town. It’s a beautiful day, and Douglas suggested he and Ellen were going for a hike. Blue Ridge is known for its gorgeous views of upstate New York, especially in the summer when the trees are full and green, and the sun stays out until 8 P.M.

  They are heading towards the base of the mountain where the trail begins. Ellen’s hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she is wearing shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top. Without makeup and dressed down, she’s somehow even more of a headturner. Douglas makes a conscious effort not to stare, but he’s caught in the act of checking her out.

  “What?” says Ellen with a coy smile.

  “You just look so stunning,” he says. “I love your hair up like that.”

  “Well thanks. You look nice yourself,” Ellen returns the compliment and acts nonchalant, but she is also taken aback by the physical beauty of the statuesque man holding her hand. When she’s with him, she feels like she’s floating through the air. Ever since their first movie night, they’ve seen each other nearly every single day.

  Ellen has noted something peculiar, however. Whenever she makes a suggestion for evening plans, he becomes very tense. He never wants to have a sleepover, and is always worried about getting home on time to get sleep. Ellen can’t help but feel weird about it, like he’s hiding something. But she’s still just getting to know him, and doesn’t want to scare him off by being too pushy.

  As they begin their hike, which is really more of a nature walk, Douglas drapes a strong arm around her shoulder. She likes how it feels. Mitch used to be sweet with her like this, especially after a bad fight. But then he would turn sour again, yell at her, and make her feel guilty and ashamed. He would call her lazy for working as a barista and not pursuing a more lucrative career path. It got to the point where Mitch’s arm coming towards her would make her flinch. She feels giddy with Douglas’s arm on her, though. He’s nothing like Mitch.

  Rays of warm afternoon sun peak through the tree trops, the golden sunlight casting a glow around Ellen’s silhouette. Douglas stops Ellen in her tracks.
>
  “What is it?” she asks, panicked that they’ve come across a bear or coyote.

  Douglas takes his phone out of his pocket and snaps a picture of Ellen. This makes her bashful, and he takes another, capturing her blushed laughter in action.

  “I just want to have this moment forever,” Douglas says. Ellen’s blush deepens. “You’re glowing, you know? You radiate beauty.”

  Ellen responds with a shy giggle, unsure how to take the compliment. She’s not used to being showered in affection.

  “Thanks,” she says.

  “I hope you don’t think I’m being too cheesy,” Douglas adds on. “I just want you to know how I feel. I want you to know what I’m thinking.”

  “I appreciate that,” she says. “A lot. You’re sweet. Thank you, Douglas.”

  They keep walking.

  “Have you ever been in love, Douglas?” Ellen asks.

  “I’m not sure. I thought it was love. Looking back, it’s hard to be sure. And the fact that I’m uncertain makes me feel like it wasn’t love. When it’s love, true love, I’ll know.”

  “You seem really in touch with yourself,” Ellen remarks as they continue up the winding path.

  “Ha! ‘Seem’ is the keyword there.”

  “You’re not?”

  “In some ways, sure. But in other really big ways, no. There’s a lot about myself that I’m still figuring out.”

  “Like your job,” Ellen suggests. Douglas nods in agreement.

  “Yeah, like my job.” A job feels like the least of his worries compared to his other problem.

  “You’ll figure it out,” Ellen comforts him. “Isn’t that what we’re all doing, constantly? Just figuring it out?”

  “You’re right,” says Douglas. For the first time in a while, he feels hopeful about his situation.

  “I mean, I don’t want to be a barista forever,” says Ellen. They’ve stopped walking. Douglas finds a boulder to sit on, a perfect spot in the shade. He pats the spot next to him, welcoming Ellen onto the rock. They sit side by side, thighs touching, her hand in his.

  “What do you want to be?” asks Douglas in a soft voice. He leans in closer. The only sound is the buzzing of bugs and the chirping of birds. Nature’s soundtrack.