by Sammie Joyce
Deep down, I knew that she hadn’t really tried to manipulate me, that she had brought Emmett and I together under some delusion that we should be friends because we were shifters, but that didn’t give her the right to trick him or me in such a way.
Particularly, not in such a dangerous way.
I knew I couldn’t sit in that small, dark cave sulking forever, but that morning, I just wanted to be left alone. I certainly didn’t want to deal with my father who, judging by the intense flapping of his wings, sounded irate already.
“That girl and other woman are ascending the mountain on the back of a polar bear,” my father announced, transforming into his human form and entering uninvited. Even though my heart skipped slightly at the information, I didn’t turn my head. Lowell was nothing if not persistent. Not that I thought that would do her any good in this instance. I was far too angry to deal with her at that moment. Maybe after I calmed down…
“Do you know anything about that?” my dad demanded and I shrugged. I wished he’d go away but even as I thought it, I knew it was a hopeless. Flint Locklear was not a man who took to being ignored and certainly not by his own son.
“Dammit, Davis, I warned you about this!” he hissed, advancing on me. “I warned you that your carelessness could have consequences, and now look! We’re being hunted!”
“Stop being so melodramatic,” I snapped back, rising from my spot against the cave wall. “We’re not being hunted. The bear is clearly a shifter.”
“A shifter who has no issue exposing his true nature to the humans. Don’t you get it? There’s a reason we live out here, isolated from the rest of civilization. It’s so we don’t have to risk things like this!”
“Dad, just go away,” I growled, brushing past him. I suddenly was feeling very claustrophobic, wedged between him and the tiny crevasse I’d been licking my wounds inside. But it no longer felt like a safe hole in which to wallow, now that Dad had invaded it.
“Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you!” My father hissed and before I could turn, I already knew what was happening. I felt the rush of wind surge past me as Dad began to shift into something much more formidable than the eagle he usually chose to become.
I spun, my pulse increasing as I watched him fall back onto his haunches, his eyes blazing with anger. A roar of disapproval escaped his lips and I returned his stare evenly, despite my pounding heart. He truly was terrifying when he was like this, but I suppose that was the point.
“Just stop it,” I snapped, turning to spin away, knowing that I was pushing my luck. There was no way that he would attack me. This shift was all for show, hoping to intimidate me into bending to his will, but he’d chosen the wrong guy on the wrong day. I was too disheartened to play at this foolishness. Before I could take another step, my father unleashed another horrific sound and abruptly, the white head of another bear appeared over the hill.
In slow motion, I watched the scene unfold, partially fascinated and partially appalled by what was about to transpire.
Emmett lurched forward, his teeth baring as he rose to his full height. Kea and Lowell tumbled harmlessly off his back and rolled into the foliage, looking as shocked as I felt.
Rising to his full height, Emmett was as tall as my father and I stood, still in human form, too stunned to shift—not that I thought that was a good idea at this point.
If my father had been irate before, he was incensed now and he and Emmett squared off, electric sparks seeming to fly from both their eyes. The terrible noise began to attract more than the aghast gasps of Kea and Lowell. In what felt like record time, shifters in all walks gathered in both forms to watch the battle about to transpire as my eyes darted about, trying to think of the fastest way to diffuse this situation.
I was sure that Emmett had misunderstood my father’s stance as aggression toward me and was jumping to my defense. My father, in his infinite wisdom, deemed the alien bear a threat to the community and wouldn’t back down. Shifting myself wouldn’t calm matters—it would only make things worse. Yet as I watched my friends and neighbors nearing the scene, their own sense of security threatened by the polar bear they didn’t know, I began to fear for everyone involved.
I knew I was the only one who could put an end to this before it turned into a full-on bloodbath and I threw up my hands.
“STOP THIS!” I howled. “BOTH OF YOU, STAND DOWN!”
My dad snarled, gnashing his teeth and Emmett advanced, unperturbed by the movement.
“Dad,” I said, lowering my voice to meet his eyes. “Emmett is a friend. He means you no harm. He thought you were trying to hurt me.”
From behind the fire in his eyes, I thought I saw a glimmer of shame in Dad’s pupils.
“Emmett,” I implored him. “He’s my father. He’s not going to hurt me. Please, just back up.”
For a moment, no one moved but when the first bear did, it was Emmett.
He has more sense than the great Flint Locklear, I thought bitterly, nodding gratefully at Emmett who bowed his head but remained in his bear form. I turned my attention back to Dad who continued to glower.
“Dad, look at me,” I growled. “I’m not shifting. I’m not challenging you but I’m also not backing down. I love Lowell. She’s my mate and I’m not sorry she knows the truth about me, about us. I don’t regret it and there’s nothing you can do to make me change my mind.”
Dad snarled at me but to my relief, he fell off his back legs and landed on all fours, shaking his head in response.
Exhaling a shaky breath, I pivoted and caught Lowell’s eye. I knew she’d heard every word I’d said—the expression of adoration in her face told me everything.
The tension was still thick, but the deadly aspect seemed to have somewhat dissipated from the air, and Kea stepped forward bravely, staring around at the crowd evenly.
“Now that we’ve all calmed down,” she murmured. “Can you please shift back to your human forms so we can all have a conversation like adults?”
Her question was met with a round of gasps and a roar of ire from Dad who only then must have realized that his secret was out too.
Kea threw her head back and met Dad’s eyes squarely.
“Please, Mr. Locklear,” she implored him and for the first time, I thought I saw a glimpse of humility in my father’s eyes. Without being asked a third time, Flint Locklear shifted—under the direction of a human woman.
I knew I’d now seen everything.
25
Kealani
This wasn’t really my story to tell but since I was there, throwing fuel on an already well-lit fire, let me tell you what happened after the shifters settled and begrudgingly joined us in their human forms.
Firstly, I exhaled a sigh of great relief knowing that Emmett, Lowell and I were out of danger—at least for the time being. If anything, the rest of the community seemed stunned to see Emmett. He was clearly the only polar bear shifter they’d ever seen.
However, I could feel the palpable animosity emanating from Flint Locklear as he glared at us, but Davis didn’t seem to notice. He had already removed himself from the line of fire to sweep Lowell into a tight hug and she fell easily into his arms without resistance.
“Mr. Locklear,” I said, covering the short space between us. “I want to explain what happened.”
“I know what happened,” he shot back furiously. “It’s the same thing that always happens when humans involve themselves in shifter matters—chaos.”
I probably deserved that, but I still wanted to plead my case, to wipe that angry glower off his face but something told me I was going to need a special brand of magic for that.
“We mean you no harm, Mr. Locklear,” I told him quickly. “Not me, not Emmett…”
I paused and looked back at where Davis and Emmett were staring into each other’s eyes, not paying any attention to us at all. I could see that their fight with one another was over now.
“And certainly not Lowell.”
“You had no right
to meddle in our affairs,” he rasped but I could tell he was already losing wind in his own tired argument. “We did you no harm, we kept our distance…”
“That’s exactly it though,” I said excitedly, glancing at Emmett. He remained impassively silent, watching but saying nothing like he was a guard at Buckingham Palace, determined to remain expressionless. I wished I knew what he was thinking, at least about what I was saying.
“You’ve kept your distance and we had no idea you were here. We—Emmett—he needed to know that he had people like him out there somewhere. He’s spent years thinking that he’s alone. I know I probably overstepped, but honestly, Mr. Locklear, he deserves to know he’s among friends, doesn’t he?”
I watched as Flint studied Emmett, trying not to show any real interest in his face but he was failing miserably. I was right! Emmett was the only polar bear that they knew of!
I looked excitedly back to my mate, but his expression hadn’t wavered and the fleeting excitement I was feeling disappeared. I’d hoped my little speech would have made him look at me the way that Lowell was looking at Davis right then, but my mate seemed determined to stay angry with me. He’d barely spoken to me, even after Lowell had arrived, and I was beginning to think that he might never forgive me, no matter what I did. Emmett continued to stare ahead, meeting Flint’s eyes but not mine.
Again, I turned my eyes toward Flint and unleashed another confession, my peripheral vision still taking in Emmett.
“The truth is, Mr. Locklear, all I’ve wanted since I’ve learned about Emmett’s ability is to become a shifter too, if only to share in the experience with him.”
Still, there was no response from Emmett and my heart sank deeper into my shoes. But Flint Locklear had something to say and it wasn’t anything I wanted to hear, either.
“We’re doomed,” he declared, adding to my mounting sadness. “We need to find another place to set up our community now. We’ll never be safe here again.”
“No!” I cried, unwittingly reaching out to touch his arm. “That’s not true, Mr. Locklear. Your secret is safe with me, with us. It has been for weeks. Can’t you see that?”
He eyed me warily and I could tell he was trying to determine if he should trust me or not. I didn’t claim to know the first thing about him or the community which still milled around, seeming to sit on pins and needles waiting for an outcome to this mess.
“If we had intended you any harm, don’t you think there would have been people here by now? Lowell has known where to find you for weeks and I have known about Emmett for a while too. In fact…”
I paused, unsure if I should tell him everything but it seemed to me that the cat was out of the bag now. There was no point in hiding anymore.
“I’ve been researching your way of life and I already had a good idea where to find you. Lowell was just brave enough to come looking—for her mate.”
I admitted to myself that if Emmett had been just out of my reach, I would have done the same, but again, this story isn’t about me or Emmett.
I watched as Flint’s eyes turned toward where his son and Lowell stood, still locked in one another’s arms and ignored the pang I felt inside me. I remembered when Emmett looked at me like that—and it wasn’t all that long ago.
I’ll get you back, I vowed silently but he wasn’t looking at me either.
“They do seem smitten with one another,” I heard Flint murmur begrudgingly and he had my attention again. A flicker of hope reignited inside me and I realized that perhaps, he was coming around after all.
I gazed at Emmett and finally, he met my eyes, sensing that it was time to go. Whatever business we had there, this wasn’t the time to pursue it. Without speaking a word, he transformed himself back into the magnificent bear I’d grown to love so much, and I climbed upon him again so we could head back down the mountainside to deal with whatever issues we had to resolve.
Emmett paused beside Davis and Lowell and it seemed to take every fiber of their being to tear their eyes away from one another to look at us.
“Thank you,” Davis said sincerely. “For everything.”
I smiled and Emmett bowed his head, unable to speak.
“It was our pleasure,” I replied lightly on behalf of both of us. I didn’t know how much we had managed to do in the way of convincing Flint that they were safe from any threat on our account but at least I knew we’d tried.
“We’ll stay in touch,” I promised Lowell and she bobbed her head, seeming glad to hear those words for the first time since we’d met. I knew she finally trusted me.
Then, I leaned forward, digging my fingers into the coarse but thick fur of Emmett’s back and permitted him to lead us back the way we came. Whatever happened now was out of our hands.
26
Lowell
We watched the couple amble off, never releasing one another from the embrace in which we’d found ourselves from the moment Davis had run to me. Whatever angst he’d clung to about the previous night had evaporated the second he’d perceived me to be in danger, and after hearing what he’d said to his father, I knew that nothing was going to come between us.
Not even my stupid antics.
I vowed never to be so thoughtless again. After the night I’d spent agonizing what I’d done, I knew I never wanted to put Davis or myself through that.
All seemed to be forgiven on his end, his dark eyes shining with nothing but love and concern when he refocussed his attention back on my face. For the past few minutes, we’d done nothing but reassure one another that we were okay.
“Come on,” he urged. “I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
The sensation of bliss that had overpowered my other senses suddenly dissipated and I was abruptly brought back to reality. I’d managed to block out the others, if only for a few minutes but of course I couldn’t do that forever.
“Everything will be fine,” he assured me but I wasn’t so sure. Still, I let him take my hand and guide me toward the others who eyed me with naked skepticism.
“Everyone,” he announced as we neared the center of their scrutiny. “This is Lowell Carey. You’ll be seeing a lot more of her around here.”
He gazed around the group as if expecting a challenge from any of them, his eyes resting on his own father. To my utter amazement, Flint’s eyes dropped first and he nodded almost imperceivably, almost as if he was acknowledging defeat. Whatever Kea had said to him apparently had some profound effect, even if I hadn’t heard a word of it.
“I guess this all makes sense now,” a nearby male muttered and I glanced behind Davis’ shoulder to stare at him questioningly. My mate released a sigh.
“Lowell, meet Hud, my best friend,” he offered. “Hud, meet my mate.”
I met the suspicious eyes of his friend, willing him to like me and what I saw in his face gave me a glimmer of hope. He was more curious about me than he wanted to admit.
“Let’s get out of here,” Davis murmured in my ear. “I have a spot I want to show you.”
Grateful to be away from the probing eyes, I gave the small crowd a weak smile.
“Nice meeting you,” I squeaked before trailing after Davis. A mumble of responses met my ears, none of them overwhelming perky.
“Give them time,” Davis said quietly. “This entire concept is new to them.”
“Me too,” I quipped and he squeezed my hand reassuringly.
“It’s a learning curve for everyone,” he agreed. He paused as we began to ascend higher into the mountains. “I’m going to carry you the rest of the way.”
I had no objection to that in the least. Watching him morph into the massive beast did nothing but thrill me in a way I knew nothing else ever would.
Once atop his soft fur, he took me nearly to the top of the incline, my ears popping slightly from the change of altitude. The air was colder up there, thinner and cleaner. It was so close to heaven and when Davis finally stopped, shifting back into his mortal form so that we could converse. I almost
felt drunk.
“Wow,” I breathed. “This is beautiful.”
I wouldn’t find a spot like that on any map. This was a place that only animals could find.
Or shifters. This is incredible.
Davis pulled me into his arms and we sank onto the grassy slope, falling back to stare up at the clear, blue sky above.
“I come up here for inspiration sometimes,” he explained. “But I guess I don’t need to do that anymore.”
I cocked my head to peer at him sideways.
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve found my muse in you, Lowell. I don’t need to go anywhere else.”
My heart sang and I snuggled closer to him, relishing the heat of his body against mine. I didn’t notice the chill in the air when he was so warm, so secure.
“We can see the Northern Lights up here when they decide to show themselves,” he told me and I sighed, burying my face in his broad chest.
“I would love to see them,” I replied. “It’s on my bucket list.”
Slowly, he tipped my head back, meeting my eyes with his intense stare and suddenly, I saw a swirl of light I hadn’t noticed before.
“You can see the Northern Lights in my eyes,” he whispered. A curtain of haze overcame me and I became transfixed with his glowing orbs, my chin jutting out to catch his lower lip with both of mine.
Still locked in a gaze, I fell on top of him, pinning him to the cold ground as I straddled him from above.
“Yes,” I breathed. “You’re right.”
It seemed to me that his irises had come alive with a brilliant display of blues and greens, a milky aura just as I had imagined the lights to be and I wondered if I was having a hallucination.
Whatever it was, I embraced it, allowing it to sweep me up higher into a feeling of desire when I again fell against him, our mouths parting for our tongues to explore.
Davis’ hands, splayed along my back, crept beneath my jacket and shirt, his hands surprisingly hot despite the temperature. His fingers made gentle lines against the trail of my spine and I shivered with pleasure against him.
