by Liv Brywood
He turned to face her. She went pale as she backed away, her arms held out in front of her as if to ward him off.
“No,” she whispered. “What… My God!”
He chuffed and took a step forward. She screamed and raced off toward the cottage.
Violet stumbled and ran toward the safety of the cottage. A thousand-pound bear chased her.
A bear!
Aaron’s a bear.
Holy shit.
She pumped her arms as legs as fast as they would go, but the bear kept pace. It nudged her from behind with its wet snout. She turned and swatted it.
“Stop. Get away,” she shrieked.
She slammed into the door and twisted the handle. As she fell into the cottage, she whirled to shut the door. The bear’s nose poked through the crack between the door and the frame. She shoved with every ounce of strength, but she couldn’t make the bear budge. It was going to eat her if it got inside.
Terror stiffened her spine. She had to close the door, so she reached out and punched the bear in the nose. The beast howled and sat back on its haunches, giving her enough space to slam the door. She quickly engaged the lock and backed up toward the kitchen. She needed a weapon. A knife.
She whipped open a drawer and pulled out a sharp butcher knife. The door rattled. She froze.
“Violet, let me in,” Aaron called.
It could speak?
Armed with a weapon, she inched forward. She peered through a window by the door and spotted Aaron standing on the porch in all his naked, non-furry glory.
“Please let me in before someone sees me,” he said.
“Where’s the bear?” she yelled.
“I shifted back.”
“How do I know you won’t turn back into a bear the minute I let you in here?”
“I won’t shift unless you want me to,” he said. “Please, I need to talk to you.”
She held the knife aloft while cautiously opening the door. As she backed into the room, he shuffled in. His head bowed, contrite.
“I should have told you sooner,” he began. “I tried to find a way, but couldn’t figure out how to say it.”
“How could you keep something like this from me? How is that even possible? You turned into a bear. How?”
“I’m a shifter. Throughout the world, there are small groups of humans who can turn into animals. We don’t know anything about how we came into being, but we’re everywhere.”
“Is the rest of your family… can they become bears too?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.” She backed up until her butt hit the kitchen table. She sat in a chair with her back to the wall and rested her knife-wielding fist on the table. “I don’t understand. How is this possible?”
“I don’t know the science behind it. God forbid someone drags us into a lab to study us…”
“So it’s a secret? Of course it’s a secret. If anyone knew about this it would be all over the news,” she said.
“And we’d be locked up in research centers and zoos. Is it okay if I sit?” he asked.
She nodded but didn’t let go of the knife.
“I needed to tell you because of the baby.”
The blood in her head rushed into her legs, leaving her light-headed. Her mouth went dry.
“Would it be…is it going to…” She couldn’t force herself to say the words.
“Yes.”
She shrieked and started shaking so hard she dropped the knife. It clattered against the table. She sucked in breath after breath but couldn’t get enough air.
“You’re hyperventilating.” He stood and circled the table.
“Stay away,” she gasped.
“Slow down.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I’m going to have a bear-baby?”
“Yes.”
She could hardly hear him over the ringing in her ears. Her vision tunneled, but she refused to faint. If she passed out, she’d be defenseless. A surge of anger brought her to her feet. She pushed back, pinning him between the chair and the wall. As she scurried around the table, she grabbed the knife.
“How could you do this to me? To our child?”
“I didn’t intentionally get you pregnant,” he said. “But now that you are, I’m going to do whatever it takes to give our baby a good life.”
“How can our baby have a good life if she’s a freak?” she yelled.
“A freak?” He stepped back as if she’d stabbed him in the heart. “I know this is a huge shock—”
“Ya think?”
“And I know you’re pissed—”
“Understatement.”
“—but I need you to understand. I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s too late for apologies. Way too late.”
“You can’t tell anyone about this,” he said. “My whole family could be in danger if anyone finds out.”
Her head snapped up.
“The last time I was in town I saw a bear by the bee boxes. Was that you? Were you spying on me?”
“I wasn’t spying.”
“But it was you?”
“Yes.”
“Unbelievable. That would have been a good time to tell me. Or, I don’t know, anytime within the last twenty years,” she screamed.
A sudden wave of fatigue set in. She plopped down on the edge of the bed. The shock of it all was too much. But this was Aaron, a man she’d known her entire life. She’d always felt so safe with him. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he’d had ample opportunity.
No. He wouldn’t hurt her, at least not physically.
“How could you do this to me?” she whispered as she set the knife on the nightstand.
“I know you’re angry and scared,” he said softly. “I swear I wasn’t trying to keep this from you—not intentionally at least.”
When he moved closer to the bed, she didn’t protest.
“It would have been nice to know your secret before we slept together,” she said.
“Would it have made a difference?” he asked as he sat beside her.
“Probably not.” She forced a quivering smile.
“Come here,” he whispered.
As he gathered her into his arms, she sighed. She leaned into his embrace, welcoming his warmth. He was still stark naked but it didn’t matter. He’d bared himself to her in more ways than one. But how could he have kept something so important from her?
A heaviness settled into her limbs. She let him lay her back on the bed and cradle her against his body. As she buried her face in his chest, the faint hint of his bear’s scent awakened her senses. No wonder he possessed a hint of feral intensity in bed.
“Have you told me everything?” she asked.
“Yes. And I swear, I’ll never keep secrets from you again.”
“I don’t know what to do about all of this,” she said.
“I know you’re overwhelmed. You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just let me hold you.”
She snuggled deeper into his embrace. Maybe she should be running the other way, but this was the father of her child. She couldn’t run from a man she’d be connected to for the rest of her life. Even if they didn’t end up together, she’d still have to talk to him. And for the sake of her baby, she’d have to find a way to make it work.
Chapter 13
The next morning, Violet woke to the scent of sizzling bacon. As she rolled over, Aaron sat on the edge of the bed. He held a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and pancakes.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.
“What’s all this?” She sat up and took the plate from him.
“You’re eating for two. I have to make sure you’re loaded up. Shifter babies can be hungry little bears.”
“Please tell me she’s not going to shift in my stomach.”
“No.” He chuckled. “We don’t shift until we’re teenagers.”<
br />
“Great. Something else to look forward to.”
“You won’t be in this alone.” He traced her cheek with the back of his fingers.
“I wish I knew more about what to expect. I’m still mad at you for not telling me.”
“But?”
“But it’s too late to do anything about all of this, so I’m going to have to deal with it.”
Her practical side had kicked in around two a.m. She’d spent half the night tossing and turning, finally concluding that no matter how pissed she was, it wouldn’t change anything. She’d decided to accept the situation for what it was—a hot mess.
She’d fallen asleep shortly after, figuring that she still had another few months before she had to have everything figured out.
“My friend Yvette recently had a shifter baby. I’m sure she’d love to meet you,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Let me call her. If she’s free, we could go over there today.”
“Okay.”
Her stomach growled. She stuffed salty strips of bacon into her mouth while Aaron called his friend. The eggs melted in her mouth and the pancakes were to die for. She could get used to good home cooking. Her culinary options in San Francisco consisted of leftover Chinese takeout and TV dinners. Sure, she could go to a different amazing restaurant every night—there were plenty in the city—but she hated eating alone in public.
“It’s all set,” Aaron said as he hung up the phone. “She said she’d love company. We can head over there as soon as you’re finished.”
“Did you eat already?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” She popped the final slice of bacon in her mouth and chewed with gusto. “I think you’re trying to seduce me into moving back here with food.”
He laughed. “If that’s all it would take, then I’d make Zack teach me everything he knows about cooking.”
She smiled and forked a bite of pancakes. Their situation was far too complicated to be fixed with a plate of food, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what it might be like to wake up with a man like Aaron. He was everything a woman could ever want. Strong. Sexy. Furry.
Okay, maybe not everything.
After breakfast, they headed over to Yvette’s house near the center of town. Her cute Victorian home was one block away from the town square. As they pulled into the driveway, a young woman appeared on the front porch. Her pixie-cut hair, reed-thin limbs, and petite frame gave her a fairy-like quality. She held a baby in her arms.
“How ya’ll doing?” she called.
“Great. Thanks so much for letting us come over,” Aaron said.
“I could always use company from someone who can talk.” She jerked her head toward her sleeping baby. “She’s not much of a gabber yet.”
“She’ll be talking before you know it,” he said.
“You must be Violet?”
“Yes.”
She wasn’t sure what to expect, but so far Yvette looked perfectly normal. Maybe she was human and not shifter. She hadn’t thought to ask Aaron. Everything was happening so fast.
“Come on in. I’ve got sweet tea, hot tea, coffee, hot cocoa, orange juice, milk—not from my boob, mind you.”
Violet burst out laughing.
“She’s got a sense of humor,” Yvette said. “Good quality to have in a mate. You picked a good one, Aaron.”
Violet glanced at him. His chest swelled with pride. She didn’t have the heart to tell Yvette he wasn’t her mate. And what an odd way of putting it. Maybe it was a shifter thing?
When they stepped into her parlor, Violet’s eyes went wide. It looked as if a lace factory had exploded across every surface. Sunlight filtered in through cream-colored lace curtains. Doilies of all shapes, sizes, and colors decorated the coffee table. Spring-green lace was draped across the arms of antique, Victorian-style chairs. A matching lace throw was draped over the sofa. The room could have come straight out of a magazine. She was afraid to sit and ruin it.
“Sit anywhere you like,” Yvette said.
Violet perched on the edge of the sofa, careful not to sit on the lace.
“Can you hold Antonia?” Yvette asked Aaron.
“Sure.”
“I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Aaron cradled the baby in his arms and sat next to her. Antonia’s cornflower-blue eyes fluttered open. She focused on Aaron’s face for a moment before looking around. She probably wanted her mom. But instead of screaming, she made cute gurgling noises.
“Who’s the good baby?” Aaron cooed. “Are you the good baby?”
Violet arched a brow. “She’s not a dog.”
“I know. But she likes it when I talk to her in this voice.”
“Do you see her a lot?” she asked, a sudden spike of jealousy stabbing her core.
“Nope. I saw her at the Summer in the Sun festival a month ago, and again when she came by to visit my sister Beth.”
Violet relaxed. She leaned over to brush a finger across the baby’s cheek.
“She’s adorable.”
“Do you want to hold her?”
“No! I mean. I don’t know what to do.”
“The key is keeping her head in line with her spine.” He leaned toward her. “Here, rest her head on your upper arm and use your arm to support her spine.”
She gingerly took the baby. As she followed his instructions, Antonia turned her gorgeous eyes toward Violet. She fell in love at first sight. For the first time since finding out she was pregnant, she couldn’t wait to meet her baby. If she was half as pretty as Antonia, that would be good enough for her.
“She likes you,” Aaron said.
“I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby.”
“We are.” He scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her back. “And look, she doesn’t have claws or fur yet.”
“Good Lord,” Yvonne said as she walked into the room. “Don’t scare her. I know it’s a shock to find out you’re pregnant, and with a shifter baby, no less. But trust me, it’s like having any other baby. She’s not going to claw your guts out or anything.”
She set a plate of sugar-crusted blueberry scones on the coffee table.
“Did you want sweet tea, coffee?” she asked.
“Sweet tea sounds good,” Violet said.
“I’ll have the same,” he said.
“You’re making it so easy,” Yvette said. “I’ll have to invite you over more often.”
“Oh, I don’t live here,” Violet said.
“Where do you live?”
“San Francisco.”
Yvette scrunched her delicate features up and turned to Aaron.
“Did you move without telling me?”
“No,” he said. “We’re still working out logistics.”
“Hopefully your logistics don’t involve a bunch of flying. I hate flying in those tin cans. Every trip I pray we’ll land instead of explode in a fireball of terminal destruction. Scares me half to death until we pull into the gate at the end.”
“We haven’t discussed the details yet. Where’s Tanner?” Aaron asked.
“Tanner! Get your butt in here. We’ve got company.”
A boy who looked to be about five years old came tearing up from the back of the house. He carried a toy fire engine in one hand and a plastic dinosaur in the other.
“Godzilla’s gonna get you,” he shrieked as he dropped the firetruck onto the coffee table. He made roaring sounds while chasing the firetruck with the dinosaur.
“He can get a little rambunctious,” she said, apologetically.
“Maybe we should go play outside so you two can talk,” Aaron said.
Tanner looked up.
“Want to play hide and seek?” Aaron asked.
“Yay!”
“Don’t go too far,” Yvette said.
“I won’t, Mom.”
Tanner bolted toward the front door, leaving his toys on the table. Aaron kissed Violet on the
cheek before following the boy outside.
“He’s a great catch,” Yvette said. “He’s broken a lot of women’s hearts over the years. Word was he never got over you.”
Violet blushed from head to toe. “I didn’t know.”
“He’s a Grant. Those boys like to keep things close to the chest,” Yvette said. “He told me you’re pregnant. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“If you don’t mind me saying, you look a bit terrified at the prospect of having a shifter baby.”
“Is it obvious?” Violet asked with a sigh.
“Yep. But don’t worry. It’s no different than having any other baby. You’ll be laid up pushing like hell just like all the other mothers. Well, unless you end up having a C-section. Then they’ll slice and dice you instead.”
Violet shot her a mortified look.
“Hey, sometimes you need a little dark humor to get through the harder parts of life,” Yvette said.
“So true.”
“When are you moving out here?” Yvette asked.
“Well, I don’t have any plans to move right now.”
“So Aaron’s moving to California?”
“No.”
“I don’t mean to pry,” Yvette said. “But how’s that going to work?”
“I don’t know. This… all of this… it was so unexpected.”
“When I met my husband Barry, I didn’t expect to end up pregnant and married six months later. Although,” she dropped her voice to a whisper. “Not many people know I was a pregnant bride. We got married real quick once we found out.”
“How did you deal with such a sudden change?” Violet asked.
“I cried a lot and railed against God for making me so damn fertile. But Barry’s the most loving, loyal, sexiest man alive, so I think I did okay for myself.”
“It sounds like you’re very happy.”
“He’s a cowboy. They know how to treat their women.”
“And he’s a shifter?”
“Yep. I almost died on the spot when he told me, so I know what you’re going through. I was terrified and didn’t have anyone to talk to. None of the other shifters had babies at the time. Now there’s a few little munchkins running around.”
Violet took a bite of the blueberry scone.
