The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

  “I’m gonna-” she starts to say, but doesn’t finish her sentence before she begins to release. She moans loudly now, not trying to stifle her reaction at all.

  As she finishes, Douglas releases his excitement inside of her. They lay like that for a moment, him on top of her as they catch their breath and let the aftershocks of joy pulsate through their naked bodies.

  “Holy shit,” says Douglas to Ellen. “That was amazing.”

  Ellen nods in agreement, a huge smile across her face. She’s speechless as she still catches her breath. They’re both exhausted now. Ellen puts her head on his chest and shuts her eyes.

  Chapter 13

  Ellen’s in a big white house. She looks out the window at the picket fence and two little children, who she recognizes as her own, running around in the sprinkler. Strong arms grab her waist and she catches the familiar smell of him. She basks in the warmth of his breath on her neck. The sky is a light pink and she feels calm, safe, and happy.

  “Ellen,” she hears Douglas call out. “Ellen, wake up.”

  She opens her eyes, yanked from her beautiful dream. Now, she’s frazzled and unsure of her surroundings. It takes her a moment to process that she fell asleep in Douglas’s bed.

  “Hey there,” she says softly to Douglas. He jumps out of bed, beginning to pull his pants on.

  “What’s going on?” says Ellen. She wants to lie with him forever, basking in the afterglow of their magical night.

  “You have to leave,” asserts Douglas. A digital clock flashes the time: 9:55 P.M.

  Ellen’s heart sinks. She feels like she has to choke back tears. After the night they had, how could he be asking her to leave? She won’t let this go on any longer. She needs to address the elephant in the room.

  “Why?” she asks, sits up, pulls on Douglas’s shirt, and buttons it up. She suddenly doesn’t feel comfortable in her bare skin. She’s exposed and vulnerable. The mood of last night has completely vanished. Now, Douglas speaks with urgency in hushed tones.

  “I can’t...I can’t explain,” he stammers. Douglas hurts, too. He never should have taken her into his room so carelessly. How will he explain himself now? What’s a good excuse for being in such a rush to get rid of her? He doesn’t want to lose her, but he can’t tell her his secret. Getting Ellen involved in the world of shifters could put her in danger. The last thing he wants to do his hurt her, but every situation that Douglas can think of will inevitably end up with him doing just that.

  “Is it...someone else?” Ellen finally musters up the bravery to ask.

  “Of course not. No,” says Douglas. He can’t blame her for assuming so.

  “Then what? I need you to tell me,” says Ellen. She’s desperately trying to keep her cool, but the tears welling up in her eyes are giving her away.

  “It’s...I just. I need to be on my own. Right now,” he says. His heart is beating rapidly and his palms are sweating. What would the worst thing that could happen if he told her the truth? She probably wouldn’t believe him, first of all. Even if she does, she’d probably run away in fear. Most women prefer human men, not men who shift into grizzly bears every evening, with no ability to control the transformation. Even if she decided to stay with him, and something happens, or he accidentally harms her himself, how could he ever forgive himself? There’s no way around this. He’ll run the risk of losing her by withholding the truth, but it’s the safest option.

  “It’s like there’s some secret life,” Ellen continues, the tears now rolling down her cheeks.

  “Ellen, I promise. There’s no one else,” Douglas replies, in a feeble attempt to reassure her.

  “How can I know for sure? I want to trust you so badly,” cries Ellen. She really does. But there’s a nagging feeling that he has a wife and she’s the other woman, or he has a younger, hotter girlfriend who is the other woman. Either way, Ellen can’t shake the feeling of another woman being involved.

  “You have to trust me,” says Douglas, never breaking eye contact. “But you need to leave, please.”

  “Fine,” says Ellen, wiping away her tears. “I’ll go, but can you promise me?”

  “I promise, Ellen. There’s no one else. There’s only you. I swear.”

  Ellen decides to believe him, despite the blatant warning signs. After everything she’s been through with men lying and manipulating in order to make her feel stupid and worthless, she thinks she should be better at responding to warnings. But Ellen feels an undeniable connection to Douglas.

  There’s something between them that she’s never felt in other relationships, something she never came close to with her ex. Even though relationship drama is the last thing she needs at this point, she can’t resist Douglas. If he’s lying, he’s the best damn liar she’s ever met. She is certain there is something he isn’t telling her, but she considers the possibility that it is not another woman.

  “Please, you can tell me anything. I really feel comfortable and safe with you...don’t you feel the same way?” she pleads, her eyes big with hope.

  “Yes. Yes of course. These past few weeks have introduced me to life I never thought I could have. I’m still not sure I can have it.”

  “What do you mean? Why can’t we have this?”

  “It’s not safe for you. Please, just trust me,” he asks, practically begging.

  Ellen is racking her brain for possibilities. Is he involved in a crime? He is an ex-cop, and she never got the full story there. Maybe he’s involved with something dirty, or something mob-related. Although scary in a totally different way, the thought comforts her that perhaps it really isn’t about another woman.

  Ellen decides that she wants so badly for things to work out with Douglas that she’s willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he says it’s not another woman, then she’ll trust him. That is, unless he gives her another reason not to.

  “Okay,” Ellen calmly says. “Okay. I get it. You don’t have to explain anything you’re not comfortable explaining.”

  Douglas lets out a sigh of relief. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “You didn’t get lucky, I’m just patient,” Ellen playfully responds as she begins to put her dress back on.

  “It’s true. You’re incredibly patient. And kind. And sexy...so sexy. Did I mention sexy?” Douglas agrees with his charming smile. Ellen throws a pillow at him. They’re giggling now, and they both can feel the light and happy essence of their relationship returning.

  “Hey Douglas,” Ellen asks. She hadn’t planned to ask the question until it began spilling out of her mouth. “Are you my boyfriend?”

  “I don’t know,” answers Douglas, shrugging. “Are you my girlfriend?”

  “If you want me to be,” she says, surprised by her own straightforwardness. After this interaction, there would be no more blurred lines. They’ll be in this for real.

  “There’s nothing I want more.”

  “Then it’s done, boyfriend,” Ellen says. She likes the way it sounds. If she was asked a few months ago, she would’ve sworn she was done with relationships for the next ten years. Then again, she never knew she would meet someone as perfect as Douglas.

  Chapter 14

  Douglas sits in the kitchen with his brothers Ethan and Blake. As much as he cares about Mikayla and Avery, he appreciates quality time with his brothers while the women are out running errands, probably gossiping about him and Ellen.

  Douglas adds some creamer to his coffee and slowly stirs. The men sit in silence until Douglas blurts out the question he’s been meaning to ask his brothers for some time.

  “Do you guys believe in fated mates?” he asks. Ethan looks up from his newspaper, and Douglas is surprised by the earnest expression on his face.

  “What do you mean? Of course,” says Blake, sipping a glass of orange juice.

  “It’s not just bull?”

  Ethan chimes in. “I fully believe in fated mates. I can see why you’re skeptical... it took me a while to find mine. Someone who
could tame the beast. But I found her. She is a strong, resilient, bright, and beautiful woman who can handle me, for better or for worse.”

  “Chill, dude,” Douglas jokes. “We get it. Why don’t you just propose to her already?”

  “In time,” says Ethan. “Mikayla and I are forever. It’s the only thing I’ve been sure of in this world.”

  “You really love to wax poetic, don’t you?” asks Blake.

  “I’m a man in love, what can I say?” Ethan shrugs it off.

  “But how do you know that’s it? That your partner is the reason you’re more in control? Couldn’t it just be that over time you’ve learned? How can you be sure it’s because of her?” rambles Douglas.

  “I guess I can’t be sure, but it just feels right to me.”

  Blake chimes in. “I could see why you’d be skeptical. I know it hasn’t been easy, and it feels a little hopeless. Losing your job, and everything with Rosie…”

  Just hearing her name stirs up a storm of hurt feelings within Douglas. Rosie is an ex-girlfriend, from before Douglas was a cop. They had fallen head over heels for each other, and Douglas was certain that she was his fated mate.

  One night, before he got a chance to explain himself, he shifted in front of her. It was a mistake he vowed to never forgive himself for. She freaked out and disappeared on him. Rosie wouldn’t answer his texts, calls, or even e-mails. When he went to her house, all of her things were gone. Her neighbors told Douglas she had went to live with her parents. She and Douglas never spoke again, and his heart never quite healed. That is, until Ellen came along. He was immersed in those intense feelings all over again, but this time he would make sure to proceed with caution, not wanting to scare off another mate.

  “Rosie,” Douglas says her name with a sigh. “I really screwed that up, didn’t I?”

  “I wouldn’t say it’s entirely your fault,” Blake replies. “Plus, I don’t know. I would take it as a sign that it just meant to be. Rosie clearly wasn’t your fated mate.”

  “If you think Ellen’s the one, don’t be afraid,” says Ethan. “If you feel this strongly about her, let her know. Tell her who you are and things will fall into place. You can’t be afraid to be honest. What if she really is the thing you’ve been needing to tame your inner beast? How can you ever find out if you don’t at least try?”

  “This is all good in theory, and I appreciate the sentiments, but you guys don’t know what Ellen’s been through already. She needs stability. I can’t come at her with all this bear stuff. It’s not fair to her, even if she is the person I need to be with.”

  “Do what you have to do,” shrugs Ethan. “But, you don’t have forever. What if she leaves town? What if she meets someone else?”

  “You can’t hold onto that Rosie thing forever. You can’t let that be the reason you’re afraid,” Blake adds.

  Douglas thanks his brothers for their surprisingly profound advice. The three of them have always been close, even as children, when they were just beginning to learn about their inner beasts. Their mother always told the trio to trust their instincts. And Douglas’s instincts were strong about Ellen.

  Going up to his bedroom, Douglas picks up the phone. He dials Ellen’s number, hoping she’ll accept a last minute offer to spend the rest of the day together. She picks up after one ring.

  “Douglas! I was just thinking about you,” she says. “How are you?”

  “I can’t stop thinking about you,” says Douglas. “I want to be with you. Today. Now.”

  “I have work today, but what about later tonight?” asks Ellen. Nighttime is dangerous territory for Douglas. There’s risk of shifting and exposing himself to Ellen. But, per the conversation with his brothers, he knows he has to try. He’ll ask her for a night at the movies and see where it goes from there.

  “Do you want to catch a movie in town?” Douglas proposes.

  “Perfect,” agrees Ellen. “And you can stay over after.”

  Douglas nervously pauses for a moment. Finally, he gives in. “Sure,” he says.

  He can’t believe how nervous she makes him, and the way butterflies flutter in his stomach everytime they talk. He’s a cop, after all...or at least, he was a cop.. Would keeping her in his life become yet another failed dream, or can he show her who he really is?

  Chapter 15

  “That was pretty good,” says Ellen as she and Douglas walk hand-in-hand out of the small movie theater in town. It only plays lesser-known indie movies, but it’s one of Ellen’s favorite spots. It has an old-fashioned feel to it, like so many of the shops and storefronts of Blue Ridge.

  It’s a beautiful evening, and the sun is setting . The hum of the summer’s bug population is the soundtrack to their night. Ellen is sure other women are staring in jealousy as she walks hand-in-hand with the tall, gorgeous, well-dressed Douglas..

  “I liked it, too,” says Douglas. “But I loved watching you.”

  “Don’t be weird,” Ellen scoffs, playfully shoving him.

  “No! Stop. I just like watching you react. It’s cute,” Douglas laughs.

  “Hey, are you patronizing me?” Ellen says, stomping her foot. But she can't keep a smile off of her face long enough to pretend to be mad.

  “You just seemed really into it the whole time, and it was more fun for me to watch you laugh, cry, and I think...scream...at one point?”

  “What can I say,” Ellen shrugs. “I get very invested. In like...everything I do.”

  “That’s what I love about you,” blurts Douglas. He immediately regrets using the L-word, andhis palms start to sweat. Although he feels like he could very much be in love with her, he doesn’t want to freak her out by jumping the gun. He shakes his head at his word choice and hopes she doesn’t think too much of it.

  “Yeah, I made my parents send me to an overpriced acting camp in LA because I decided that I was born for the stage,” Ellen continues, pretending to be unphased by his word choice. Deep down, it feels like butterflies are doing somersaults on a trampoline in her stomach. Just the thought of him associating her with the word “love” makes her weak in the knees. She tries not to read into it too much.

  “You’re kidding me,” says Douglas. He loves that he’s learning more about her all the time.

  “Wish I were,” she says. Then, Ellen surprises herself by taking a chance.

  “Douglas, do you want to come stay at my place tonight? My roommate is gone. I have wine.”

  Douglas checks his watch. It’s 8:45. While he wouldn’t be able to stay the night, he could at least go see her place and hopefully he could get her in bed again. He knows he’s pushing it, but how can he resist her?

  “Yeah,” says Douglas, “I’ll come for a bit. Why don’t I go get the car? I’ll swing around and pick you up.”

  While they could walk, Douglas is feeling crunched for time, and wants to make the most of the few hours he has left. He feels like Cinderella.

  “Sure,” says Ellen beaming. She isn’t sure how long he’ll actually stay, but she’s happy he’s coming at all. She was expecting him to make a half-hearted excuse about why he couldn’t come over.

  “Be right back. Wait here,” says Douglas, heading back toward the direction of the car, practically running. He understands that time is of the essence, afterall.

  Ellen watches as he disappears. Stars sparkle across the clear mountain sky, and she takes a deep breath of fresh air. The sights of this town are beautiful, and she feels like she may have finally found someone to share the views with.

  Suddenly, the wind is knocked out of her. She recognizes that she’s on the ground. A tall,skinny masked man is trying to wrestle her pocketbook out of her hands. She opens her mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. She’s holding onto her bag, wishing she could muster the strength to stand up or scream for help.

  “Get off of me,” she grunts, kicking her legs in the man’s general direction. She makes contact with his knee, knocking him off-kilter for just a moment.

&nb
sp; “Bitch,” he growls in a terrifying low voice, and takes a small knife out of his pocket. Ellen knows keeping her purse isn’t worth risking her life, but she can’t stand up. It’s like her legs have given up on her. She relinquishes the purse, and the attacker begins to flee into the night.

  Ellen can barely comprehend what she sees next. A giant, brown grizzly bear comes charging out of the woods, chasing down the attacker. Ellen watches in shock, horror, and amazement as the bear picks up speed, catching up to the attacker and surprising him.

  Ellen is still on the ground, watching the scene in the distance. Just before they are out of her sight, the bear catches up to her attacker and pummels him to the ground. Ellen hears a ferocious growl and the shrieks of the man, who now sounds like he may be just a kid. The magnificent creature pins him to the ground. She watches on as the bear mauls the attacker. She’s not close enough to make out the gory details of the scene, but she knows it’s not good for the man. Finally finding the strength to stand up, Ellen heads back towards town, towards Douglas, and towards safety.

  When she looks back, she’s almost positive the bear is making direct eye contact with her. She’s terrified. She knows there are bears in Blue Ridge, but she’s never heard of them coming into town and attacking a human like that. Both the bear and the man have disappeared, and Ellen wonders if she was knocked out during the ordeal, and whether or not all of this is a dream.

  Chapter 16

  Douglas is in full sprint to the car, excited and anxious to spend the rest of the night with Ellen. He’s ready to risk it all and see how it goes. As he’s walking to the car, a man dressed in all black bumps into him. The man doesn’t offer an apology, and continues to walk in the direction that Douglas is coming from. He doesn’t like the vibe he gets from the man. His cop instincts take over, and he turns around to watch him. Then, the man stops, takes a small, glistening knife from his pocket, and puts it away again. He pulls on a black ski mask and walks swiftly, nervously glancing around.