Roped By The Bear (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance)

by Meredith Clarke

  2

  “Finn! What are you doing out here? What am I saying? Get in here!”

  I pulled him in by the arms, and my fingers burned with cold where I touched his frost-covered coat. “Oh my God, you must be freezing. What happened?”

  “The… the snowmobile ran out of gas,” he said through chattering teeth. “I’m ssssorry. I had to walk back. I was too cold and I couldn’t shift.”

  “You don’t apologize! Of course you had to come back. Here, you need to get out of those clothes.”

  I start to remove his jacket and take off his hat, trying to see if some of the color was returning to his lips. I had only ever seen one other person this cold before, and they got hypothermia. If that happened to Finn now in this weather, no one would be able to come save him.

  He attempted to pull off his gloves, but his hands were shaking so badly that I had to assist him. I grabbed a blanket off the bed, and wrapped it around him.

  He pulled the blanket tight to cover his body, and sat down one of the kitchen chairs, rocking back and forth. I grabbed a teakettle and filled it up with water. I turned on the stove, hoping that some warm tea would help him regain some of his body heat. As soon as I turned on the stove, the phone started to ring.

  “Hold on, Finn. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  He nodded slowly, still huddling in the blanket.

  When I answered the phone, it was the person I least expected it to be.

  “Allie, it’s James. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I can’t get out there. The snow is way too thick, and the snowmobile’s just sinking through it. Is there someone you can call at the ranch who can come get you?”

  I didn’t get it. He wouldn’t come get me, but he wanted someone at the ranch to risk his or her life for me? What the hell was his problem? This was not the James I knew.

  “No, James, there’s no one who can come get me. Why didn’t you call me earlier? Before the storm got so bad?”

  I heard the wind howling outside, and noticed that there was hardly any light coming in from the windows anymore. This wasn’t just a storm; this was a blizzard. Finn and I were stuck here together.

  “I thought I could still make it. You know me, I can get through anything.”

  “Well you obviously didn’t. And now I’m trapped!”

  “You’re being a bit dramatic don’t you think?”

  “James have you even looked outside? No one is coming for me.”

  He didn’t respond. I thought about Finn shivering under the blanket. No one was coming. If he didn’t get warm soon, he could die.

  “Listen, James, I gotta go. When you figure out what you’re doing, let me know. Until then, have a nice weekend.”

  I slammed down the phone, and went back to the living room to check on him. His chin was tipped onto his chest, and he looked as though he was sleeping. I knew that could be a bad sign. I couldn’t let him become unconscious.

  “Finn, hey, wake up. No sleeping right now, okay?” I shook his shoulder, and he lifted his head slightly. “Good. No more falling asleep on me,” I said, as I checked the tea on the stove. It would still be a couple more minutes before it would be hot enough to warm him up. I turned back to examine him again, and I realized that his boots were soaking wet from the snow. I bent down on the floor, and began untying them as his eyes fluttered open.

  “What are you doing?” he asked groggily.

  “Taking your boots off. Finn, you’re in trouble. We’ve got to get you warmed up.”

  While I was removing both of his shoes, the teakettle started to whistle. I filled a mug and put a black tea bag inside. I allowed it a moment to cool down and steep, while looking over my shoulder and assessing Finn. He was my responsibility now, and in this storm, it was just the two of us. But as I watched him carefully for a moment, it crossed my mind that if I was going to be stuck here, Finn was the person I wanted to be stuck with.

  Finn drank the tea slowly, regaining full consciousness as he did so. He shook his head as he watched me sitting in the chair next to him, anxiously awaiting his recovery.

  “I’m not usually this dumb. I always shift before I get too far into trouble. But this time was different. The snow got too deep and I couldn’t control myself. I don’t know what I was thinking. Thank you for everything.”

  “What are you talking about?” I squinted my eyes at him, trying to decide if he was back with me or if he was still in a daze.

  He bit his lower lip before meeting my eyes; I could see something was plaguing his mind. “I got lost in woods once before. I wasn’t like this though.”

  “Like what?”

  “Human.”

  “Oh.”

  “I was in bear form. I got in a fight with a mountain lion and she won. She dragged me back to her den. When I woke up I had no idea where I was.”

  “You were attacked by a mountain lion? Oh my God!” I had read about people in the newspapers dying from lion attacks. We were encroaching on their territory, and there had been a number of attacks in the past few years.

  He shrugged, “I’d gotten in fights before. I knew how to defend myself. I’ve been like this my whole life. But she took a good chunk out of me. That’s actually how I ended up on your ranch. George found me, Marge took care of me. Then they offered me a job. Getting attacked by that lion was the best thing that happened to me.” He took another slow sip of tea.

  “Wow, I had no idea.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t, would you? You don’t really ask many questions of the staff.” He eyed me carefully trying to determine my reaction. “I mean…. not that you should. It’s not like we’re friends or anything.”

  “That’s not true. I do care about my staff.” Some of them anyway. But he was right, others I didn’t even know their names. “But you’re right, I’ve been raised to not ask questions. I just assumed you were hired for your skills as all the other ranch hands are.”

  He raised his chin up. “I do have skills. I like honest work. I’m good with my hands, though the horses don’t always like me. But I’m not totally useless.”

  “I never said that you were. Someone of your stature couldn’t be useless.” I blushed as I realized what I had said. I tried to backtrack. “And the calluses on your hands, they show hard labor.”

  “You’ve been looking at my hands?” He grinned slyly.

  Dammit. Totally caught.

  “Whatever,” I said, rising from my chair. “Clearly, you’re feeling better. Maybe you should take a shower and warm up. Bathroom’s just through there.” I pointed at the back of the cabin.

  He nodded and stood up slowly, crossing the room. I noticed as he entered the bathroom that he forgot to completely close the door. But could I dare to sneak a peek? No. Even though James was being a complete asshole, he was still who I wanted to be with. I wouldn’t risk that for a weekend fling with one of my ranch hands. Totally not worth it.

  But as I passed by the open door to sit on the sofa, it was hard not to notice Finn’s beautifully tanned back. Four large scars marred his delicious muscles. The results of his mountain lion attack. He turned around, and I ogled his gloriously defined pecs and biceps. I had to tear myself away before I saw anything more.

  I sat on the couch, and stared at the empty fireplace. When I heard the shower turn off, I made myself stay put. Finn came out in jeans and a hoodie, looking much more comfortable than he had in his snow pants.

  “I always carry change of clothes with me,” he said. “Guess it’s the survival instinct. And that I take them off pretty often.”

  “I’m sorry?” I asked gasping. Did he really just say that?

  “Uhh the shifter thing. I always take off my clothes before I shift.”

  “Oh of course.”

  He followed my eyes to the fireplace. “Ugh, I left you here without a fire? Jesus, I’m a terrible man servant.”

  “You’re not my servant.” If you were, I’d have other things for you to do.

  “Well, okay, then
let’s be friends. Tell me something about you.” He knelt down in front of the fireplace, and worked diligently for about ten minutes until finally I saw a small blaze. He took some of the firewood from the stack and placed it in carefully. When he was satisfied he turned around and sat cross-legged with his back to the fire, and all of his attention on me. Suddenly, I felt like I was being scrutinized, and I pulled a long strand of hair around my finger, and twirled it absentmindedly.

  “What do you want to know?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you like to do for fun?”

  That was an easy answer. “I love to ride. I’m a rancher’s daughter, so there’s nothing I love to do more than take a horse out of the stables and go out into the world. It’s the only time I’m free.”

  “Free? Allie, you’re part of the richest family I have ever come across. You have more financial freedom than anyone I’ve ever known. How is that not free?”

  I looked down at the hair around my finger; no one ever took an interest in me like this. Finn made me feel exposed, but in a natural sort of way. I wanted to tell him how I really felt about my life. For some reason, I knew he would understand.

  “Just because you have financial freedom doesn’t mean you’re free. It means you’re held to a higher standard, and that you don’t get to make your own choices. My life has been planned out for me ever since I can remember. No Finn, I’m not free. To be honest, this is the freest I’ve ever been, out here with you.”

  He nodded. “I guess I never really thought about it like that. I just always assumed that all you rich folk could do whatever you wanted. I’ve always had to work to stay afloat. My family didn’t really take care of me like yours does.”

  “Depends on who you ask,” I countered.

  “What does that mean?”

  I sighed, “It means that just because your family seems great, well it doesn’t mean that it is. People hide secrets behind closed doors.”

  “Secrets about what?”

  I shrugged.

  He looked away for a moment and then back at me. “My dad used to hit me. He thought it would make me tougher.”

  His honesty shocked me. I felt the need to return the gesture. “My mother died when I was little. And I think my father blames me.”

  I felt relief flood over me. It wasn’t something I’d ever said out loud to anyone who knew my dad before. My therapist knew how I felt, but she had never met him. Finn worked for him.

  “I don’t think that’s true.”

  “You wouldn’t know.”

  “He talks about you. He thinks a lot about you, and how you are.”

  “Really?” I was shocked. I hardly thought my father considered me during his work day. Which was mostly all he focused on.

  “He was looking at a horse the other day, and he said that she’s yours. That you bought her, and he was proud that you picked a good horse.”

  “Butterbee, my newest addition. Cute little thing. Needs training though.”

  He smiled. “Your father says that too.”

  “Oh.”

  “I think you have more in common than you realize.”

  “Maybe we do. And your dad?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing in common there. He left when I was eight anyway. Wanted to be a clan leader, but didn’t have the respect. But he left his legacy for sure. I won’t forget what he did to me and my mom. Never.”

  “So know that you know a little about me, what do you think?”

  Finn laughed. “I’m not going to tell you that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. It’s not my business to judge you.”

  “People think I’m a spoiled little rich girl.”

  “Well you certainly give off that feeling. Is that not what you want people to think?”

  “No!” I protested.

  “Then tell me what you want them to know. What would you want people to say about you?”

  “Well I mean, I have goals, aspirations.”

  “Like what?”

  I couldn’t get over his intrigue. He truly wanted to know everything about me. No one ever just talked to talk anymore. It was always for a benefit. What was his?

  “I want to own a ranch. I want to be a businesswoman and have my own cattle and train my own horses. It's my dream.”

  “Then why not do it?”

  “Because I can't. That's not the way that things work around here. My life has been predetermined for me and I don't really have any choice in the matter. Like I said I'm not as free as you think I am.”

  He sighed, “Freedom’s overrated. At least you have people that care about you and want what's best for you. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have that.”

  For some reason I wanted to tell Finn that I cared about him. But I barely knew him. He was quickly making an impression on me though, it was one I was a little worried about. I wasn't meant to be with Finn at this cabin, so why had fate intervened with other plans?

  We sat there in silence for a moment, perhaps in reflection of our discussion when, suddenly, we were plunged into darkness. The only light remaining was that from the small fire that Finn had created.

  “Finn!” I screamed. There was one thing I was afraid of, and it was the dark. As he came over to the couch, I could already feel some of the heat leaving the room from the lack of electricity. The wind was really blowing outside, and there was a draft coming in.

  He sat down on the sofa and gingerly put his arm around me. “Shhh, it’s alright. You’re fine. It’s just the power. I’m sure it will be back on soon.”

  His words were comforting, but I knew they weren’t truthful. If we had lost power, we weren’t getting it back on. I sat cradled in his arms wondering what I was doing with myself. This wasn’t me. Unloading my dreams and feelings? I hardly spoke about this stuff outside my therapist’s office. What was it about Finn that made me feel so content, so safe? As I started to fall asleep to the rhythm of his heart, I prayed that he wouldn’t unlatch his arms around my shoulders, I didn’t want the feeling of safety to fall away.

  3

  When I awoke the next morning, Finn had a frying pan over the fire, and had managed to make some scrambled eggs and bacon. My stomach gurgled in anticipation of the great smelling food. I stood up from the couch, stretched, and Finn turned to look at me. It was then that I realized he was only in pajama bottoms. I didn’t know whether to avert my eyes or react at all, but instead I just stared at his well-formed muscles, raising my eyes slowly to meet his. When our eyes locked, Finn didn’t turn away. Instead, he stood, and walked towards me. He stopped just a foot short of me and said, “Good morning. Ready for some breakfast?”

  I sighed deeply. “Smells amazing. Where did you get the pajamas?”

  He winked. “Another survival trick,” he laughed. “They were my pack.”

  He turned around to pick up the frying pan with an oven mitt, and walked over to the kitchen table that was set for two.

  Finn picked up a bottle out of the sink. “How about some champagne to go with our meal?”

  “Sounds great,” I said. He poured me a generous glass, and I knew our conversation would flow easily with some alcohol pumping through my blood.

  I smiled as he served me a delicious breakfast, and we sat and chatted for hours by the light of the fire and a single candle that was placed on the table between us. There were moments where the magnetism could not be denied: knuckles would brush against each other reaching for the syrup, or the moment when I touched his hand when he made me laugh. My feelings couldn’t be denied. Finn was sucking me into every piece of him, and I couldn’t get enough.

  “So tell me more about you! You couldn’t have just been out hiking in the woods all this time.”

  He shook his head. “Nah. Like I said, my family wasn’t really there for me, so I started looking for work when I was fourteen. I finally settled at this one old lady’s house, and she helped homeschool me so I could graduate high school. She used to
say there is nothing as important as an education.” He laughed. “If she could only see me now. I haven’t picked up a book in years. She was so good to me. When she passed away and left me what was left of her estate, I decided to go hiking for a few months. The rest is history as they say.”

  “Wait. She left you her estate?” I said, scowling.

  “Yeah, what of it?”

  “Well, last night you made all these comments about my life and financial freedom… you didn’t happen to mention that you’re also financially free.”

  He frowned. “No, I said she left me what was left. It wasn’t much, just enough that I could live on for a few months before I found a new job. Mostly what she left me were books. I had read so many of them over the years that I decided other people should enjoy them and donated them to the library. I certainly couldn’t take them with me while I hiked.”

  “What types of books?”

  “What?”

  “I said, what types of books? What types of books did you like to read with her?”

  “Well, the last one we read was Moby Dick.”

  I was impressed; finishing that book was no small feat. “You’re an interesting character, you know that?”

  He laughed, “You’re fairly interesting yourself, Miss Allie.”

  “Tell me more, about the woman and you. What was that like?”

  “Lucy was amazing. A totally classy lady. She taught me manners, and how to act like a southern gentlemen in what she refers to as the Wild West.”

  “Why did she need help? She sounds like she was pretty good mentally.”

  “She got sick.” He looked away.

  I nodded. I knew the feeling that was in the pit of his stomach right now. I had felt it the whole time my mother was ill.

  “Didn’t want her family’s help. I always kind of thought she helped me more than I helped her though. She really took care of me.”

  “Sounds like you were lucky.”

  He smiled. “I really was.”

  I paused for a moment, taking another swig from my glass. “Are we going to get out of here, Finn?”