by Eve Langlais
“So, you’re a bear, then?” she finally asked.
Such a strange question.
The shifter inclined his head.
“What’s your name? Um, mine’s Caitlin.”
“I know,” he said. “My name is Winter.”
Caitlin rubbed her hands together. “How did you know my name?”
“Cover yourself up,” Winter said, nodding towards the furs.
Caitlin complied, though she did find it a little weird that she wasn’t afraid of him. As intimidating as he was, he clearly didn’t mean them any harm.
Once she’d draped one of the furs over her shoulders, Winter said, “Your daughter told me your name.”
“Sophia? She’s not my daughter, she’s my niece.”
Caitlin wasn’t sure why Winter would assume Sophia was her daughter. Sophia’s mother was Caitlin’s half–sister and they couldn’t have looked more different. Heather and Sophia shared the same pale skin and curly blonde hair, while Caitlin inherited her almond skin and frizzy black hair from her Haitian father.
She said, “I’m surprised Sophia didn’t mention that.”
“She was very concerned for you.” He paused, before asking, “What are you doing out here with a child?”
A strong gust of wind had Caitlin pulling the furs tighter around herself.
“I was on my way to Tye County when my car stalled out on the road.”
He scratched his beard, and Caitlin noticed that his hands were clean now.
“Carter is only a few hours west of here,” he said. “I can take you part of the way back.”
“No,” she replied quickly.
“You’ll never make it to Tye on foot.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
She stared out the mouth of the cave. The snow was falling faster now, adding to what was already at least six inches on the ground. Tye had to be at least twenty miles away. Getting there by foot with a seven–year–old in tow would be difficult under the best of circumstances, but with the weather, it would be impossible.
If she took Winter up on his offer to bring her back to Carter County, they may make it back by tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps, just maybe, no one would notice that they’d tried to leave. She could bribe someone to help her get her car back and then… what?
Try to run away again?
Give Sophia back to Heather?
It was a measure of how undesirable both of those options were that Caitlin found herself asking, “Hey, where are you headed?”
Winter seemed reluctant to respond, and when he did, his reply was vague. “I’m taking my son home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Farther into the mountains.”
“How far?”
“A couple days.”
“How come you’re so far from home?”
“I was aiding in a war.”
“A war? With who?”
“Wolves.”
“Whoa. Like, werewolves?”
His lips flattened. “You ask a lot of questions.”
She shot him an apologetic look. “Sorry. I ask a lot of questions when I’m anxious.”
“Where are her parents?”
“Tye County. Sophia was visiting me. I was taking her home.”
Caitlin wondered if shifters could smell lies, and then she wondered if it even mattered. She’d always been a lousy liar.
Either accepting the lie or not caring to investigate further, Winter nodded. “Well, my offer stands. I can take you back to the borders of Carter.”
With a small sigh, Caitlin shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but we’ll be fine. I’m sure that I’ll be able to fix the car in the morning.”
She didn’t know the first thing about cars, just like she had no idea what she was going to do tomorrow. All Caitlin knew was that she would do everything in her power to keep Sophia by her side.
Chapter Three
The next morning, Caitlin woke to find that Winter’s cub had been replaced by a young boy who looked like a miniature version of his father. Sophia, who was wide awake and eating beside the fire, introduced him as Cole.
“What are you guys eating?” she asked, sitting down beside them.
Winter was nowhere to be seen, though she noticed fresh tracks in the snow outside the cave.
“We’re eating hair,” Sophia informed her.
Caitlin picked up a stick that had been fashioned into a makeshift skewer. There was a generous strip of meat on it that, while slightly overcooked, smelled delicious. She took a bite.
“This doesn’t taste like hair,” she commented, taking another bite. Whatever it was, it tasted fantastic.
“Hare,” said Cole. “Like a rabbit. It’s fresh. Father caught it last night.”
Caitlin coughed as the chunk of meat became momentarily lodged in her throat. Reluctantly, she swallowed it, but put the stick down without taking another bite.
“You don’t like it?” Sophia asked. She was still taking small bites of her own kabob. Caitlin was tempted to take it from her, but decided against it. She had lacked the foresight to pack food and she couldn’t let Sophia go without eating.
“I don’t care for hare meat,” said Caitlin.
“Why not?” Cole asked.
Cole looked to be about Sophia’s age and had the most uncanny, hazel green eyes. Caitlin wondered if he got them from his father.
“Well, I think hare meat is more of an acquired taste.”
Cole asked, “Which meats do you like to eat?”
With a shrug, Caitlin replied, “Oh, I don’t know. Hamburgers, hot dogs–”
“You eat dogs?” Cole asked incredulously.
Sophia looked mortified. “Aunt Cait, you said they weren’t real dogs.”
Caitlin waved her hands frantically in front of herself. “No, no, they’re not real dogs, I swear. It’s just a nickname.”
“Why do you call them that?” asked Cole.
Caitlin sighed. “You know, you ask a lot of questions, kid.”
The children looked away, their attention shifting to something behind her. Though she’d heard nothing to indicate his presence, Caitlin wasn’t surprised when she turned to see Winter re–entering the cave.
Perhaps it was because she was sitting, but he seemed even taller than before. His big frame filled the mouth of the cave and cast a shadow over the dying campfire.
“You’ve got a broken starter and your battery is dead,” he said.
“Huh?”
“Your car. You won’t be able to start it.”
“Oh.”
She had almost forgotten their conversation the night before, not to mention her dire circumstances. A surge of anxiety threatened to paralyze her, but she closed her eyes and willed it back.
“Cole and I are leaving,” said Winter. Caitlin opened her eyes in time to see him stomping out the fire with a heavy boot. “Do you want to come with us?”
She knew that he was referring to taking her back to the border of Carter County, but the way he phrased it gave her an idea, as well as a spark of hope.
“Go with you back to your home? Sure.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Ah, well, it’s still a great idea, don’t you think?” she asked. She stood up to her full height, which put the top of her head somewhere around his pectoral muscle.
“Sophia can come with us?” Cole asked, sounding excited.
Unexpectedly, Sophia also looked hopeful.
Winter stared down at Caitlin, his gaze calculating. Rather than being intimidated, she was mesmerized by his eyes. Hazel green, just like his son’s, but with none of the youthful innocence. He didn’t trust her.
She placed a hand on his chest, only afterwards realizing it was probably an invasion of his personal space. Fortunately, he didn’t seem bothered.
In a small voice, she said, “Please. I just need a few days to get my head straight and figu
re out what to do next. I promise, I won’t cause any trouble for you and your son.”
After a long moment, Winter shrugged off one of the pelts he’d been wearing. She stood, dumbfounded, as he wrapped it around her and secured it over her shoulders, turning it into a makeshift cloak. The pelt was heavy and still held his warmth and scent–sandalwood and smoke.
“Thank you,” she said.
Winter didn’t respond. He crouched down to secure a smaller pelt around his son, and then another around Sophia.
Watching him tend to her niece, Caitlin felt oddly out of place. She’d taken Sophia away from her home in an effort to keep the little girl safe, but she was only now beginning to realize how lofty a goal that had been. She could hardly take care of herself, let alone a child.
“I’m going to carry you,” Winter said, bringing Caitlin back to reality. She pictured the giant man seating her on one of his shoulders, but he quickly dispelled that notion. “Do me a favor and pick up the bed furs after I shift.”
Shift.
He’s going to shift.
Into a bear.
And carry me.
Whoa.
Chapter Four
After a day of crippling motion sickness, Caitlin was beginning to feel like herself again. Riding on the back of a bear over mountain terrain could top any amusement park ride she’d ever been on.
While Caitlin knew that she should be taking the time to think about her situation, instead she found herself putting everything on the back burner in favor of listening to the children.
Sophia and Cole sat in front of her, chatting at random intervals. Both children were quiet and reserved, but each had something that could set them off into a flurry of conversation.
For Sophia, it was deer. They had encountered several families of deer during their trek and, surprisingly, they weren’t the least bit afraid of Winter. Each time Sophia saw them, she would gush over how beautiful they were and even asked Winter if he could get closer to them.
Cole, on the other hand, possessed boundless curiosity and wanted an answer for everything. He seemed unaccustomed to having others he could talk with, which led to him occasionally blurting out random questions.
It was dusk when Winter stopped in a small clearing that was surrounded by pine trees. After climbing off his back and onto shaky legs, Caitlin helped the children down before laying one of the furs out on the ground.
While she set up a small pallet, Winter shifted. She watched out of the corner of her eye, partly out of fascination and partly out of voyeurism. When he’d shifted earlier, Caitlin had been too focused on turning Sophia away to steal a glance. In order to shift, Winter first had to shed his clothes.
This time, with Sophia thoroughly distracted by a conversation about fawns, Caitlin observed the transition from bear to man. The whole thing happened in seconds and looked quite painless. The bear’s body shrank and compressed, bones popping and muscles tightening until he took the shape of a large male. He was facing away from them as he came fully into his human form, and Caitlin couldn’t help but notice that he had a spectacular backside.
Before he could catch her staring, she turned away, occupying herself with detangling Sophia’s flyaway hair. She heard soft rustling as Winter briskly dressed himself.
“I’m going to find food,” he said, his deep voice startling her into jumping. “Will you be all right on your own?”
Caitlin turned to face him, only to find that he still hadn’t put on a shirt. He was even more muscular than she’d imagined and the sight of him made some long–forgotten part of her begin to ache.
Her mouth having gone dry, she simply nodded.
Once he had left, she slumped over onto the furs and threw an arm over her face.
She did not have time to be crushing on guys, let alone a bear shifter. Not to mention the fact that under any other circumstances, a man as gorgeous as him would have been way out of her league.
Who was she kidding? Even being a shifter, he was still most definitely out of her league. Besides, he probably had a wife or mate or whatever it was they were called.
Caitlin cracked open an eye, intent on questioning Cole, but was distracted by Sophia. Her niece gave her a sweet smile before lying down to rest her head on Caitlin’s chest. Caitlin returned her smile and ran her fingers through her niece’s curls.
This. This was the reason why she couldn’t afford to be distracted by handsome bears.
“Aunt Cait, will you tell us a story?” Sophia asked.
“What kind of story?”
Cole joined them, sitting cross–legged next to Caitlin. “One with bears.”
Caitlin scratched her head. “Well, there’s only one story I know about bears.”
Starting with, “Once upon a time,” Caitlin proceeded to tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She was only interrupted by Cole once every thirty seconds.
“What’s porridge?” he asked.
“Ah, I think it’s another word for oatmeal.”
“What’s oatmeal?”
Sophia tried to help. “It’s what you eat when you run out of cereal.”
“What’s cereal?”
Eventually, Caitlin convinced him to stop asking questions and focus on enjoying the story. That lasted all of a minute.
“Why do the bear shifters live in a house? How come they don’t live in a cave?”
Caitlin replied, “They’re very progressive bear shifters.”
“Caves are much safer than houses,” he said, this time directing his commentary to Sophia, who gave a thoughtful nod.
Clearing her throat, Caitlin said, “Anyway, the three bears came home. There was a papa bear, a momma bear, and a baby–”
“There’s no such thing as momma bear shifters,” Cole said, his brow wrinkling. “Our mothers are all human.”
Caitlin had forgotten about that. Despite what little she knew about shifters, it was common knowledge that their females were incapable of bearing children. It was why their males were thought to prey on human women who lived in rural, fringe towns, even though in most cases, women left with them of their own volition.
If every shifter was even half as enchanting as Winter, Caitlin could see the appeal. How many times had she wished as a girl that some handsome man would come and whisk her away from her troubled life? Almost as many times as she wished she could disappear into the woods and never come back.
“How about an auntie bear?” Sophia suggested.
Caitlin grinned. “Good thinking, kiddo.”
She continued the story, until she reached the point where the bears found Goldilocks sleeping in the baby bear’s bed. Cole distracted her with several questions regarding the bear’s house and why they slept in beds. By the time she’d answered all of his questions, she’d forgotten where she’d left off.
“What happened after they found her?” Cole asked.
“Ah, right. Well, they wake her and when she sees them, she runs from the house and never returns. The end.”
“That’s the end?” Cole asked with a frown. “That’s not a very good ending.”
Caitlin was inclined to agree, though as far as fairy tales went, it was one of the better endings. She could only imagine how he’d feel about the ending of Little Red Riding Hood.
“Okay. How would you end it?” she asked, pinching his nose.
It was something she often did to Sophia, though unlike her niece, Cole seemed to appreciate the gesture. He leaned into her touch, his eyes lighting up.
“First, the bears should move out of the house and into a cave where it’s safe,” Cole said. “Then, they should let Goldilocks come live with them.”
“I like that ending, too,” Caitlin said, smoothing his hair. “From now on, how about you tell the stories?”
Cole took her recommendation to heart and dove into a long story about a heroic cub that rescued all the creatures of the woods from a forest fire. Caitlin kept her Smokey the Bear comments to herself and p
atiently listened.
When Winter returned, the children greeted him briefly before going back to their story. Cole had introduced a family of deer to the tale, no doubt pandering for Sophia’s attention. Caitlin’s attention, however, was solely on Winter.
He had brought back three fish and set them aside on the snow as he built a fire. She expected him to rub sticks together, or use flint, or something primitive, but instead he pulled out a lighter and set fire to a cluster of dry moss. The flames slowly spread, overtaking the wood until there was a small campfire burning.
Caitlin and the children gravitated towards the fire, warming their hands over it as Winter staked a fish for each of them.
Though she wouldn’t admit it, the trout didn’t taste nearly as good as the rabbit had. She ate it all the same, glad to have something in her stomach.
When they were done eating, the kids passed out on the furs. Caitlin considered engaging Winter in conversation, but he was staring off into the distance and appeared pensive. Deciding not to bother him, she curled up next to the children and closed her eyes.
Sleep eluded her for a while. Despite the temperature being low, there was very little wind and she often found herself feeling too hot under the heavy furs. No sooner did she kick them off, she would be freezing cold. She alternated between hot and cold until she finally fell into a restless sleep.
In her dreams, she was driving on the same, snowy mountain road as the night before. Only this time, her headlights weren’t working. She tried to brake, but the brakes wouldn’t work, either. The next thing she knew, the car was careening off the mountainside. As she felt the sickening sensation of falling, Caitlin looked over to the passenger side to see Sophia looking perfectly serene.
I’m not afraid to die.
In the early morning hours, Caitlin shot up from the furs in a frenzy of anxiety. As she regained control of her racing pulse, she resisted the urge to scoop Sophia up into her arms. The little girl was cuddled up with Cole, who, at some point, had shifted into his bear form.
After wiping a sheen of sweat from her brow, she reached down to stroke Sophia’s hair. Movement caught her gaze, and she looked up to see Winter staring at her. He sat across from her on a dark fur, firelight reflecting in his striking eyes.
