by Liv Brywood
She closed her eyes for a moment, but when she re-opened them, he was still in a heap on the ground. Blood matted his hair. Jagged claw marks scored his back. He groaned in agony.
“Oh my God.”
She backed away before turning to race toward the main house to get help. She found Harley by the barn.
“Where’s the fire?” he asked in a joking tone.
“Zack’s hurt bad. He needs help. Quick.”
She and Harley raced back to where Zack lay. He was still unconscious.
“Zack!” Harley sank to his knees and tried to lift his brother up.
Out of nowhere, another brother appeared to help. She vaguely remembered one of the brothers calling him Diesel. Together, both brothers lifted Zack’s battered and bloody frame up and carried him into the main house. They set him on the large, wooden dining room table.
“Beth!” Harley shouted. “We need you! Now!”
Their sister came running down the stairs along with her other brothers. “What is it? Oh, Zack!”
“Bandages and salve, quickly,” Harley commanded.
Beth raced to grab the supplies.
“What can I do?” Kim asked. She wrung her hands as she looked on. She hated feeling so helpless.
“Did you see who did this?” Harley asked.
“No. I didn’t see anyone. He was out there all alone. Is he going to be okay?”
“I hope so,” Harley said.
As the brothers worked to stop the bleeding, Beth returned with a large plastic bucket filled with gauze and other first aid items.
“Is there anything you saw that can help us figure out what happened?” Beth asked.
“He wasn’t himself at first,” she said. “He was…bigger.”
“Tell us what you saw,” Harley urged.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I’m not sure I even saw what I think I did.”
“We need to know everything,” Harley said. “Even if you think it sounds weird, it’s okay. Just tell us anything that could help.”
“I saw him change from a bear back into himself. That’s crazy, right?”
“That means he was injured while he was in bear form,” Diesel said.
“Yeah, which means he’s going take longer to heal,” Beth said.
Kim cocked her head to one side. Why wasn’t anyone questioning her insane story? The brothers glanced at each other as if they’d just shared a guilty secret.
“That makes no sense,” Kim said softly. “I was obviously hallucinating or something.”
When they didn’t respond, a shiver of dread snaked down her spine. No one seemed surprised by her revelation. What the hell was going on? Unless…
“I didn’t imagine it, did I?” she said.
Beth placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think it’s best if you ask him about it when he wakes up.”
“Will he wake up?” Kim asked.
“He’s strong, but the cuts and scratches are deep. It might be a while before we know the extent of his injuries.”
“What’s going on? Why won’t you tell me anything?”
“He’ll tell you everything you need to know once he wakes up,” Beth said. “That’s all I can say for now.”
After they were done patching up him up, they carried him to his room. A large bed rested against one wall. They’d pulled the dark brown curtains closed, but a lamp glowed on the nightstand.
“Can I stay?” Kim asked.
“Sure,” Beth said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on him. If he wakes up, holler. Okay?”
“All right.”
Minutes turned into hours as she waited for him to wake up. Around midnight, Beth returned to tend to his wounds and bring him water.
“He might not wake up for a long time,” Beth said. “If you want to go back to the cottage, I can let you know when he’s awake.”
“I’d rather stay.”
“Can I get you anything?” Beth asked.
“No, but thank you.”
She wasn’t going to leave his side until she knew he was going to be okay. And beyond that, she needed to understand what she’d witnessed. He’d turned into a bear and then turned back. How was that possible? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. And she wasn’t leaving until she got some answers.
Zack groaned. His parched lips scraped together while his head pounded in time with his heartbeat. When he finally managed to open his eyes, Kim was sitting in a chair next to his bed, staring.
“Water,” he whispered.
She grabbed a glass from the nightstand and lifted it to his lips. He took a few sips before shaking his head.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Before or after you turned into a freaking bear?” she screeched.
“You saw me shift?”
“If that’s what you call it, yes.”
He tried to pull himself up into a seated position but failed. He couldn’t believe she’d caught him shifting. How could he have been so careless? And what the hell was he doing in bed?
“How did you… where was I when you found me?” he asked.
“I found you outside lying on the ground. I ran to get help and your brothers carried you home. How are you feeling?”
“Like I got into a fight with—” His memories came rushing back in a rush of snapping gator teeth and pain. He remembered every moment of his fight with the Thompson brothers. “Dammit.”
“What?”
“Where’s Harley?” he asked.
“Downstairs.”
“Can you get him?”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” she said.
“I guess I owe you that much.”
“Since I saved your life, yes, I’d say you owe me,” she snapped.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I have good genes so I’ll heal quickly.”
“Would those genes have anything to do with why you changed into a bear?
“Kim…”
“Please don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth.”
He took a moment. How could he explain it to her in a way that she’d understand? It wasn’t every day that you found out that humans could shift into different animals. He didn’t want to scare her, but he couldn’t sugarcoat it either. He decided to be brief and honest.
“I’m a bear shifter,” he said.
“What do you mean by shifter?” she asked.
“Some people are born with the ability to take on the form of animals. Everyone in my family can shift into a bear. The assholes that mauled me are alligator shifters. I’ve been trying to track them for a long time now.”
“So you’re saying there are people who turn into bears and alligators?” she asked in an incredulous tone.
“There are other types of shifters out there. Polar bears, snakes, coyotes, and wolves, to name a few. You’ll probably never encounter them in their animal form. We’re very secretive to avoid persecution. But shifters are everywhere. You’ve already met some of them.”
“When did I ever see an alligator shifter?” she asked.
“That guy who hit on you in the bar? He was one.”
“Is that why you almost killed him?” she asked.
“I wasn’t trying to kill him, I promise. I’m not usually violent, but sometimes my bear can get very protective. Shifters aren’t inherently dangerous, but there are some bad ones out there.”
“I don’t even know what to think about this,” she said. “The whole thing sounds insane. But… what I saw…”
He reached for her hand. “I know this is a lot to take in.”
“That’s an understatement. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Not too bad, but you could kiss me and help me heal faster.” Even though it was painful to move, he couldn’t resist leaning toward her.
She took a step back.
“This isn’t a joke, Zack.” She stuffed her hands into her pockets. “I need time.”
“Time for what?”
&nb
sp; “To process all of this. I can’t think straight right now. I have to go.”
She didn’t give him a chance to explain. As she turned to walk out, he considered begging her to stay, but he didn’t have the energy to fight with her. If she wanted to walk away, then he couldn’t stop her.
She’d inadvertently taken a piece of his heart with her when she’d walked out that door. Although he was bruised and battered on the outside, it was nothing compared to the pain of watching her turn her back on him. The Thompson brothers had the ability to break his body, but she was the only one capable of breaking his soul.
Chapter 12
Furry beasts. Kim was surrounded by furry beasts disguised as humans. Or was it the other way around? Humans disguised as furry beasts?
She laughed out loud. The sound echoed through the small cottage. Anyone in their right mind would pack up and drive away from this place as fast as humanly possible.
Bear shifters…Good Lord. She didn’t know how to process that information at all. It wasn’t like Zack’s family was hiding a regular secret about money or being in the mafia. They were people who could take the form of animals.
How was it even possible? A part of her almost wished she’d stayed with Zack long enough to ask more questions. But what kind of explanation could he give her, and did it even matter? Did this actually change anything between them? No.
Her phone jingled with her mother’s ring tone. Thank God. At least she had someone mostly sane that she could talk to.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. How’s the competition going?”
“Good, I guess.”
“You guess?” her mom asked.
Kim sighed. She wasn’t ready to talk about the competition or anything else for that matter.
“Have you heard from the doctor?” she asked.
“Yes.” Her mom sounded more positive than the last call. “I went back to the doctor and he scheduled another round of chemo.”
“That’s good, Mom.”
“Enough about me, tell me about you. How’s the competition?”
Kim tried not to cry as she told her mother what had happened during the last challenge. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
“We’ve already talked about this,” her mom said. “You have to stay and win.”
“It’s not just the competition. I found out something about Zack today. He’s a bear,” she blurted.
Her mom laughed.
“Some men can be bears, and others can be dogs… Bears and dogs…” Her mom dissolved into fits of giggles. “Oh, I needed to laugh. Thanks, honey.”
“I’m not joking.”
Kim spent the next ten minutes repeating the events of the day until her mom finally accepted that she wasn’t kidding. She carefully relayed everything from the moment she’d found Zack to the moment she’d left him in his room. She also told her about what he’d shared about his family.
“You’re saying the entire family can shift into bears?” her mom asked.
“It sounds even crazier when you say it out loud,” Kim said.
“How have they been able to keep that a secret? I’d think a four-hundred-pound bear would be easy to spot.”
“I didn’t stay long enough to ask him detailed questions,” Kim said in an exasperated tone.
“I guess you’re more like me than I realized,” her mom said wryly. “Well… shifting into a bear is an interesting problem to have.”
“Interesting? It’s insane!”
“Well, you’re still there for a few more days. Why don’t you take the time to find out what all of this means for you and Zack?”
“There is no me and Zack. There can’t be. When this competition is over, I’m leaving and never looking back.”
“If you really think that’s the best thing to do, then do it. But you can’t keep running from things that scare you. Maybe you’re running away from a good man.”
“Bear.”
“Whatever,” her mom said. “This is the first time you’ve seen him as a bear, so obviously he’s mostly a man.”
“I can’t believe you’re so calm about this,” Kim said.
“I have much bigger problems than a bear shifter,” her mom said.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Exhaustion seeped into her bones. Tomorrow was the last day of the competition. She needed to get some sleep. After she won—if she won—she could return home to look after her mother. “Did you receive any new medical bills this week?”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” her mom said. “The bills will still be here when you get back.”
As she pictured a growing pile of past-due notices, her stomach lurched. The epic failure of the last round could have cost her the competition. She couldn’t let that happen. Her turkey wings had been a disaster, but tomorrow was a new day. She had one last chance to redeem herself and she’d fight like hell to make sure she won. If she lost, then everything she’d been through this week would have been for nothing.
She’d been saving the perfect recipe for the final challenge. She’d made a mistake last round by trying to wing it—literally. She should have used one of her dad’s recipes, but it was too late to stress about the things she couldn’t change. She’d been the leader the entire time and there was no way in hell she was going to give up now.
With her decision about the contest made, her thoughts turned to Zack. What was she going to do about him? Could she actually walk away from him and never look back?
The final day of the barbecue contest arrived with triple-digit heat. Sweat poured off of Zack’s back as he slowly walked toward their cooking station. He hadn’t spoken to Kim since she’d left his room. He’d been too weak to get out of bed and go after her. Fortunately, he’d almost completely healed overnight. Only the deepest scratches remained.
As he passed the leaderboard, the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. Seeing his name in first place made his chest swell with pride. But it was short-lived. There were still five other people in the competition and it was anybody’s game. One wrong move and he’d lose. He could almost taste victory, but he needed to make sure his food was perfect.
As he approached their station, his smile faltered. Kim glanced up and gave him a wary look laced with regret. He never should have tried to go after the Thompson brothers without backup. He’d been stupid to think that Gunther was alone. If he’d circled back to get his brothers, then he never would have been injured and Kim never would have seen him shift.
“Good morning,” she said softly. At least she was speaking to him again.
“Are you ready to finish this thing?” he asked.
“My mom’s depending on me to win, so I’m not about to quit now.”
“I’m glad you didn’t quit,” he said. “Maybe we can talk afterward?”
“Maybe.”
Her noncommittal response worried him. Could he repair whatever it was that had bonded them together this week? Maybe she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him now that she knew his secret.
Sebastian addressed the remaining contestants without using the microphone.
“One of you will win a hundred thousand dollars and your own television show after today,” Sebastian said. “I hope you’ll all be ready to bring your best barbecue dishes to the table. Since this is make it or break it time, you’ll have two and a half hours to prepare, cook, and serve up your main meat-based barbecue dish. Remember, you must use beef, pork, or chicken. Nothing else is allowed. Let’s set the clock.” The countdown time appeared on the clock. “On your mark, get set, cook!”
The remaining contestants scrambled toward a table filled with various meat cuts. Zack grabbed a pork shoulder and raced back to his station. After building a fire in the smoker, he returned to the table to season his meat.
He glanced at Kim. Determination knitted her eyebrows together. He’d never seen her so focused. It was as if nothing else mattered but winning. He couldn’t help but think about wha
t she’d lose if she didn’t win. Her mom’s medical bills had to be horrendous. Although he’d said that their reasons for winning didn’t matter, guilt bubbled up from his core. Was his need to have his own home really that important when Kim could lose hers? As far as he knew, she didn’t have a backup option. He still had his family’s house.
Sure, he hated taking ice-cold showers, but look at the alternative. What would it feel like to be in a position in which any shower was a luxury? He couldn’t imagine the nightmare she was facing. But even with so much to lose, she was calm and focused. She wasn’t giving up.
Something inside him clicked and he suddenly knew exactly what he needed to do. He couldn’t explain it, but he knew if he didn’t go through with it, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
He ran to the spices table and grabbed all of the hot sauces, habanero peppers, and chili powder. Only one of them could win this competition and he knew, without a doubt, who should win.
He’d always been so competitive, so at first throwing the competition felt wrong. But he was doing it for the right reasons.
To avoid suspicion, he continued to act as if he were working as wholeheartedly as everyone else. He poked and prodded and tweaked the heat level until the devil himself wouldn’t be able to eat the food. As the clock ran down to the final seconds, his mouth blazed and his eyes watered. He was dying to take a drink of milk to stop the heat, but that would give him away.
“Time’s up,” Sebastian called. “Congratulations. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we’re dying to see what you’ve created.”
Dying is right. Hopefully they’d sample Kim’s dish first. They wouldn’t be able to taste a damn thing after they’d eaten one bite of his pork. Unfortunately the judges approached him first.
“What do you have for us?” Lori asked.
“I call it Inferno Cowboy Barbecue Pork. Be careful, it can be a touch spicy.” He grinned as Bobby shoveled a huge bite into his face. He almost instantly coughed and sputtered. He spit the pork into the dirt.
“What the hell are you trying to do?” Bobby demanded. “Poison us?”
