The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

  Time is limited for Douglas, but as a good samaritan and an ex-cop, he can’t ignore the impending danger. He considers calling 9-1-1 as a preventative measure, but decides to leave it alone. He can’t get involved in everyone’s business. He’s not a cop anymore. It’s not his job to intervene in the lives of strangers. All he wants to focus on is the time he has left in the evening to spend with his girl, as selfish as that may be.

  When he makes it to the car, he quickly peels out and heads towards Ellen. At that moment, he sees the man appear from the dark bushes and charge at Ellen. A force stirs inside of him. He knows this feeling all too well, because it comes every night at 10:30 P.M., whether he’s triggered or not: he’s about to shift. He pulls over the car and jumps out. He sees Ellen on the ground, but makes sure she can’t see him. He gets undressed quickly and throws the pile of clothes into his car before making an escape into the woods.

  Then, Douglas is gone and the bear takes over.

  Run, his bear tells him. Run and do whatever it takes to protect her.

  He emerges from the treeline and starts to chase down the attacker. He wants so badly for Ellen to know that she’s safe and he will do anything to keep her out of harm’s way, but there’s nothing he can do. He’s no longer in charge. His bear is in the driver's seat, and he is focused on one thing.

  Get him, his bear speaks to him. Kill him if you have to.

  Douglas tries to silence the bear’s animalistic intentions, but there’s no point. Even if Douglas doesn’t want any blood shed, his bear with sharp teeth and razor claws is in control now.

  Finally reaching the attacker, he pounces. Ellen’s behind them now, still on the ground. Douglas paws at the attacker, swinging hard enough to knock Ellen’s purse out of his hands. Douglas pushes him to the ground, and pins him. The attacker has no chance against the bear. He fumbles, trying to take his knife out, but the bear overpowers him.

  He swings a sharp claw at the man, slashing his face through the ski mask. Using his teeth, the bear rips the ski mask off. He notices this “man” is just a kid, maybe 17 years old. Using all of his force, he hits the attacker one more time, slamming his head into the pavement. The man’s scream fills the air.

  “Please,” he begs, his voice weak and quivering. “It’s okay,” he continues, as if he’s trying to calm a frightened puppy.

  The bear just lets out another roar, showing his sharp set of teeth.

  “Come on,” pleads the boy, bleeding from the face and still struggling to free himself.

  The bear effortlessly picks him up by his shirt and runs into the forest. They can no longer be in plain sight. Douglas can’t risk Ellen trying to get involved.

  When they’re deep in the forest, the bear ditches the teenager. His animal instincts are urging to finish him off, but Douglas takes pity on the teenager, hoping his run-in with the bear will be a warning to stay away from town and the people in it.

  As he runs, he begins to shift. His bear had his fun, but Ellen needs Douglas now. He transforms just in time to run to his car, his nudity masked by the dark of the night. He hurriedly puts the clothing back on. He’s sure he looks like he’s been running through the woods, but there’s nothing he can do except find Ellen.

  He slowly drives until he spots her red hair. She’s sitting on the curb with her head in her hands, and Douglas worries that he was too late and she was hurt. He pulls up and gets out, rushing over to her. When Ellen sees him, she flings herself into his arms and cries into his big, strong chest.

  “You won’t believe what just happened,” says Ellen.

  “Someone tried to mug me,” she begins to explain, “and there was...a bear. A huge grizzly bear. He came out of nowhere and went for the guy. They’re both gone now, and I just-”

  “I’m so sorry,” Douglas whispers, rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.

  “I don’t know what happened,” she says, sniffling. “I’m glad you’re here now. Let’s get out of here.”

  Before he can respond, his phone rings.

  “Just one second,” he says, taking a few steps away to take the call. It’s Avery.

  “Hey, it’s almost 10, Douglas. Just making sure you’re almost back here. Your brothers aren’t home but I’ll help you out tonight,” she says. Douglas hates feeling like he needs to be babysat, but he knows Avery means well. He wants to ignore Avery and his bear, but he can’t.

  When he’s in a vulnerable, emotional, or angry place, he’s at the highest risk of losing control and shifting. After what just happened, he can’t possibly risk another moment with Ellen. It’s a miracle he is able to stay in control as they stand there, with Ellen still in shock from her attack. He just wants to hold her all night, but he knows it can’t happen. He must get home. He could lose control again at any minute.

  “I’m coming,” he says, ending the call.

  “What was that about?” asks Ellen softly.

  “It’s nothing, but... I can’t stay with you tonight. Let me take you home,” Douglas reaches out to grab her hand. She dodges him, stepping back.

  “Who is it? Who is she?” Ellen asks, her voice trembling again. This time, though, it’s not from fear. She is seething from disappointment and anger.

  “It was Avery. It’s something at home. I mean it,” Douglas defends himself.

  “I’m sure,” Ellen responds timidly, urging tears not to fall.

  “I’m sorry, Ellen. I really want to be with you-” he begins, but she swiftly cuts him off.

  “If you want to be with me, be with me! Be honest with me! I don’t know where you’re always disappearing to, but I can’t do this anymore. You told me you’d stay. And after what just happened to me...how can you let me be alone?”

  “Please,” Douglas can feel his heart breaking. “Please...” is all he can say. He wants to explain, but there’s just no way.

  “I’m going to leave now,” Ellen says, wiping tears from her eyes. “Don’t follow me. I’m better off alone.”

  “It’s not safe, Ellen, let me-”

  “No,” she asserts firmly. “No more. Just let me be, Douglas.”

  With that, she walks away. Douglas just watches as she goes, his heart shattered to pieces.

  Chapter 17

  The next morning, Ellen wakes up alone in her apartment. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she sits up in bed. For a moment, she feels fine. The sun is shining through her window, and feels warm on her face. Her heart sinks as the memories of last night come rushing back. Sure, she lost her wallet and bag, but the biggest loss is Douglas. She can’t help but wonder if she was too harsh, but at the same time, she is proud that she stood up for herself.

  Getting out of bed and walking towards the window, she gazes out at the beautiful line of mountains in the distance. Ellen keeps replaying the events, wondering if she could’ve possibly changed the outcome. If she walked with Douglas to the car instead of waiting alone, maybe they would’ve gone straight to her house. Maybe he wouldn’t have taken a mysterious call. Maybe, just maybe, she would have rolled onto her side this morning and he’d be there, with his big blue eyes staring into hers.

  Instead, she’s alone and a bit shaken from being attacked last night. What happened to her mugger? Did the bear tear him to shreds, or is he’s lost in the woods somewhere? She also thinks about the bear and how unnatural it all seemed, especially in a town like Blue Ridge. The mountains are home to plenty of wildlife, but there’s never been a violent attack like that reported, at least as far as her Google search is indicating. She also can’t figure out how or why the bear came out of nowhere. It was as if it had been watching her, and knew when to appear and valiantly avenge her. She shakes her head at the nonsensical idea and decides to call her mom to explain what happened.

  “Oh, sweetie, are you okay? Maybe you should come home for a bit,” worries Ellen’s mom, Mary, upon Ellen’s retelling of last night’s events.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Ellen considers the idea. Blue Ridge is turning
out to be a place where more bad things happen to her than good.

  “Plus, you know, your breakup with Mitch wasn’t all that long ago.”

  Ellen hates hearing his name. She hates thinking about him.

  “Yeah, well it’s starting to feel like it was,” says Ellen.

  “Is that so?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Are you seeing someone?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Kind of?” her mom probes.

  “His name is Douglas. He’s really handsome and sweet,” she catches herself swooning, and brings herself back down to the realities of last night. “Or at least, I thought he was sweet. I’m not so sure now,” Ellen explains.

  “What do you mean? Did he hurt you, El? I swear if he put his hands on you-” Mary begins before Ellen cuts her off.

  “No, no. Nothing like that. I think he’s cheating on me, or something,” Ellen is desperately attempting to choke back tears. She keeps trying to think of what the ‘or something’ could be. She wants to believe that there’s another, less hurtful explanation for his weird elusive behavior. But she also refuses to be naive.

  “Honey, I’m so sorry,” says Mary. “You deserve better than that. You need someone who is going to be honest with you, respect you, and love you unconditionally. You know that, right?”

  “I know that, Mom. I thought after Mitch I’d be stronger. I thought I would be better at weeding out the duds. But, as usual, I’m an idiot.”

  “Don’t talk about yourself like that, Ellen. It’s not your fault. Men are terrible, sweetie. Do you know how much trial and error I went through before I found your father?”

  Ellen paces around her living room, pausing to look at her parents’ wedding photo she has framed on the coffee table. It serves as a reminder of true love and patience. When she was little, she was embarrassed by how in love her parents were. She thought their flirtations and PDA were too much, but now she dreams of finding a love like her parents. To her, true love isn’t about anything fancy or magical. The foundations of love have to be stable and strong. She wants someone she can count on, not someone who will leave her guessing.

  “I remember, Mom. I hope I find something that beautiful,” Ellen says.

  “And you will, sweetie, because you are beautiful. Inside and out. If you’re gut is telling you something is up with this Douglas guy, you should listen. I can’t tell you what to do, but I know you’ll make the decision that’s best for you. I just want you to be happy.”

  “Thanks,” Ellen mumbles quietly as tears begin to roll down her cheeks. The realization that she needs to end her relationship with Douglas is hitting her hard. She sits down on the couch and thinks about all the time she spent there mourning her relationship with Mitch, trying to heal the wounds he caused her. Now, she would have to do it all again.

  “Maybe I should just stop trying,” reasons Ellen. “That’s what I said the last time, and then I met Douglas. And now look at where I am.” She’s crying hard now, using the pillow to stifle her sobs.

  “Don’t cry, honey. Men come and go,” Mary coos, trying to soothe her daughter.

  “But I just want one man who will come and stay. Is that too much to ask for?” Ellen wails.

  “It’ll happen. You should talk to Douglas. You can’t go on like this.”

  Ellen knows her mother is right. She wishes it weren’t true, but she needs to meet up with Douglas and get some definitive answers. If he can’t can come clean, she has to end it..

  “You’re right. Thanks Ma, I love you,” Ellen says, feeling a little less lonely thanks to the support of her loving mother.

  “Love you, too, sweetie. Be safe and take care of yourself.” The call ends. Ellen lays on the couch staring at the ceiling, knowing exactly what she has to do to take care of herself, even though it won’t be easy.

  Chapter 18

  Douglas waits outside of the coffee shop at 1 P.M. He looks up at the rustic-styled sign that reads “Point Peak Cafe” and thinks about how the day he came here to work on his resume changed everything. But now, he’s certain it’s all about to change again. Ellen had texted him asking to meet up so they could talk, and he’s sure it won’t be about who should cook dinner next.

  He sees Ellen walking towards him, and she’s not smiling. She gives him a half-hearted wave as she approaches.

  “Thanks for meeting me last minute,” Ellen says.

  Douglas feels nervous sweat drip down his back. He flashes her his million dollar smile while preparing himself for the worst.

  “Do you want to go inside? Sit down for a cup of coffee?” Douglas asks.

  “I’d rather not. Maybe we can just walk, actually,” suggests Ellen. While she’s here to get some answers from Douglas, she also wants to walk around town, near the forest and the area she was mugged to see if she can figure out anything else about her attacker and the bear. She hadn’t heard anything about it, and she isn’t even sure what she’s looking for. Maybe a tattered, bloody shirt would be enough to convince her that what happened wasn’t a dream. But then Douglas speaks up, breaking her train of thought.

  “Sure. Are you okay? How are you feeling after everything?”

  “I’m not great, really. Physically I feel fine. But I’m upset, Douglas.”

  They begin to walk down the block, the shadow of green trees keeping them cool in the summer heat. People are out and about, enjoying family lunches or breaks from work. Ellen notices a young couple holding hands and laughing. It makes her blood boil and her heart sink.

  “I had a feeling,” says Douglas.

  “We need to settle this right now. Are you cheating on me?”

  Before Douglas can answer, Ellen stops dead in her tracks.

  “Shit,” says Ellen. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

  Ellen’s face is pale like she’s just seen a ghost, which is exactly how it feels to her.

  “It’s Mitch,” says Ellen. “Over there. Just ahead of us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. Come with me. He can’t see us. I cannot deal with this today. I really can’t catch a break.”

  Ellen grabs Douglas’s hand and begins to walk in the opposite direction when she hears a hauntingly familiar voice call out after her.

  “This just can’t be happening. Not today, of all days. Shit,” Ellen curses.

  “El! Ellen!” Mitch calls out, running towards her. Ellen whips around.

  “Mitch,” she says through gritted teeth. “What do you want?”

  “I want to talk. I tried to call you so many times.”

  Ellen wouldn’t know. She blocked his number as soon as their tumultuous relationship finally ended for good.

  “I don’t want to talk to you, Mitch. I’m serious,” Ellen says calmly. Douglas can sense the rage she’s masking, and it stirs up his inner beast. He tries to stay relaxed and let Ellen handle her own business. As long as Mitch doesn’t physically threaten Ellen, he may be able to ride out the interaction without fully shifting.

  “Why not? Enough time has passed, don’t you think?” Mitch asks. He wears a t-shirt for a band that Douglas does not recognize as well as cargo shorts and Chuck Taylors. Douglas has at least 4 inches on the guy, who wears his hair buzzed. His face is young, but his beer belly indicates otherwise. Douglas can’t tell if Mitch is 24 or 40.

  “I’m in the middle of something, Mitch,” Ellen says, losing patience. Douglas notices she’s still holding his hand. Mitch seems to notice as well.

  “Who’s this?”

  Douglas reaches out for a handshake. “I’m Douglas, nice to meet you,” he introduces himself, trying to keep his composure. If he doesn’t think about all the trauma Mitch put Ellen through, he can probably remain in his human form. It helps that Ellen’s hand is in his. He hopes she doesn’t notice and pull it away.

  “Yeah, nice to meet you too, bud,” Mitch says sarcastically. He turns his attention back to Ellen
. “So you date models now?”

  “How is this any of your business?” Ellen is ready to end the conversation. “We’re going to keep walking now, and you aren’t going to come near us, alright?”

  “I just want to know what I did wrong,” Mitch says. Ellen responds with a laugh that sounds nearly deranged. Douglas has never heard it before. He worries that the situation is going to escalate. He knows he’d have to leave Ellen and Mitch behind, and she won’t like that very much. But, he also knows that Ellen is going to end things with him anyway, so what does he have to lose?

  Ellen rolls her eyes at Mitch and begins to walk away, squeezing Douglas's hand, urging him to follow her. The squeeze comforts him, a sense of calm taking over.

  “Don’t walk away from me!” Mitch yells after her before lunging for the back of her shirt. Ellen shrieks and without a moment’s hesitation, Douglas decks Mitch, knocking him to the ground.

  “Douglas! Don’t get involved!” Ellen screams. Mitch tries to stand up and Douglas steps on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

  “Don’t come near her again,” Douglas warns Mitch in a low voice while Mitch gasps for air, arms flailing. “If you see her, you don’t come near her, you don’t talk to her, and you don’t ever, ever touch her.” Douglas releases Mitch, who scrambles to stand up before running out of sight.

  Chapter 19

  Douglas and Ellen are now seated on bench in the shade. Douglas is so excited that he controlled his bear that he nearly forgets why he’s with Ellen in the first place.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” Ellen says, shaking her head in disbelief. “I have been dreading seeing him, and this town isn’t very big. It was bound to happen, but I think part of me thought he moved away or something.”

  “I’m glad I was here with you,” says Douglas, who also can’t believe what just happened, but for different reasons altogether. His conversation with his brothers about fated mates echoes in his mind. Is it possible that Ellen is his fated mate? Does she possess the power to tame his inner beast? In his dreams, Douglas imagines a life where he can sleep without chains, without fear of shifting, with his woman by his side keeping the beast at bay.