by Meg Ripley
“Pleased to meet you. I’m glad you guys were able to catch the culprit!”
“Possible culprit. We’re waiting for blood samples to confirm,” I corrected.
Does Knox tell his girlfriend everything?
“Gotcha. Well, is there something I can help you with?” Hannah asked as she returned to her typing.
“Um, yes, actually. Do you happen to know where Mr. Bernard is at the moment? I have some questions about Acadia for the paperwork and I’m assuming he’s probably the best person to ask.” I held up the forms.
“And you would be correct about that. He actually went with Trent to clear some weeds on the trail. It’s a pretty tough job that usually takes them all day. It’s only 3pm, so I would imagine they’ll be at it for at least a few more hours.”
“Oh, well, okay then…” I wasn’t sure what to do. “Maybe I’ll just try again tomorrow.”
I began to turn away and her voice stopped me.
“Hey, are you okay, Ms. Gianni? You seem like you have a lot on your mind or something.”
She was right. I did have a lot on my mind. In fact, she might just be the person to talk to, but I would have to play it cool.
Bring it up vaguely to see if she has a reaction that signals she knows what you’re talking about. If she’s confused, let it go and walk away.
I took a deep breath and turned around; I wanted to make sure I could read her facial expression.
“Um, yeah. Trent told me something about the suspect—and himself—yesterday. Something that makes them…change. Would you happen to know anything about that?” I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but I heard my voice tremble a bit. I was nervous. I didn’t want to give too much away, in case she had no idea that her boyfriend could turn into a goddamn bear at any moment.
I watched Hannah’s eyes grow wide. She walked to the door and locked it, and I immediately went on guard.
Why is she locking the door?
Hannah walked back to the desk but didn’t return to her seat. She stared at me, almost as if she was looking through me, and then finally spoke.
“Yes, Ms. Gianni. I know about bear shifters,” she said finally, making direct eye contact with me. “How did you find out?”
“The suspect changed in front of me while I was interrogating him, so Trent told me about everyone here. Why did you lock the door?” I asked, my eyes moving from hers, back to the exit. “Are you a bear shifter, too?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, I just didn’t want us to have to worry about someone interrupting us and I thought you might feel better talking if it was more private. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can open it for you.” Hannah looked very apologetic and moved closer to the door.
“That’s okay. You’re right, I think I’d feel more comfortable knowing that we won’t be interrupted. Thinking about it now, you’re the only person I can talk to about this…” I looked down and started twiddling my fingers.
“I know the feeling; I’ve had to keep it a secret for the past few months myself. None of the other shifters have human girlfriends. It kind of sucks; I feel like an outsider most of the time.”
“How did you find out?” I glanced up and Hannah was moving back towards the desk, motioning for me to sit in the chair in front of her. I sat, while she perched herself on the corner of Knox’s workstation.
“I heard from a local, who was deemed crazy, that something freaky was happening in the park during the full moon. Being a reporter and all, I just had to see for myself. I happened to be close by and watched when Knox shifted.” Hannah shrugged, but her demeanor didn’t seem as nonchalant; I could tell this secret had been wearing on her. “But I felt something with Knox, and after some time, I warmed up to the whole bear thing. It took me a while, but I was able to see past it so I could be with him. Things happened so fast with us, and before I knew it, I was in love.”
It looked like talking about all of this was taking a huge load off her shoulders; seemed like she needed this conversation just as much as I did.
“So, what are you going to do now that you know?” Hannah asked in a worried tone. “You aren’t going to tell the FBI, are you?”
“I don’t know, honestly. It’s my duty to tell them, but I know it would be wrong of me to do so. Who knows what they would do with this kind of knowledge. They could be just as alarmed as I was when I first found out and try to eliminate all shifters or destroy Acadia. I don’t want that to happen. Acadia is such a beautiful place and everyone I have met here is so nice. And Trent…” I stopped.
What about him? I was still so unsure of my feelings. We only kissed, but in that one moment, I had been willing to give up everything for him. And I have never felt that with anyone before. It had to count for something, right?
“Do you like him? I heard you guys didn’t start off on the right foot.”
“We didn’t. He obviously has a problem with women in authority, but he warmed up to me eventually. Then, he picked me up from the hotel the other day and things just…clicked. I felt like a googly-eyed teenager all over again.” I blushed, thinking back to our hot and heavy moment in the car.
“It was like that for me as well. I was here doing a story on Acadia and Knox swept me off my feet before I even knew it was coming.” Hannah chuckled.
“I like him, but I just don’t know if I can deal with the whole…shifter thing.” I admitted, looking up at Hannah. Her expression held nothing but understanding.
“I know what you mean; I needed some time to get there, too. I had Knox shift in front of me a bunch of times until it seemed as normal as it could. It’s still quite magical for me to experience, and I’m not frightened by it anymore. In time, we moved to hanging out while he was in bear form. I would stroke his fur and lay with him sometimes. Getting to know his bear as well as his human side really helped me become more comfortable with everything. But you have to understand, even though the animal is a part of them, it’s not the main part. They are not bears who play human, they’re people just like us who, for some reason, can turn into bears for as short or as long as they wish. Some shifters choose not to change form at all except for during the full moon. So, I don’t want you to think that if, say, you wanted to be with Trent, you would have to deal with him being a bear all the time. It would only be every once in a while. And if you wanted,” Hannah grabbed my hand and smiled at me, “I could help ease you into the whole thing.”
She really made me feel comfortable for some reason. I had just met her only moments ago, but I felt perfectly safe being locked in a room with her and having her hold my hand. Her presence was so soothing, and she made me feel like I could possibly do this.
No. I can do this.
“Yeah, I think I’ll keep our little secret here from the FBI. And I’d love to get in touch with Trent to tell him about my decision…and to see where things stand between us. In fact…” I checked the time. My watch said 5:30pm. “They should be getting back soon, right?”
I looked up at Hannah and she was smiling. I could have sworn I saw tears pooling in her eyes as well.
“I’m sorry, I’m just so happy. Thank you so much for doing this for us—for the clan. I’m sure it will mean a lot to Knox, and Trent, even if things don’t work out between you two. I really hope they do, though. Trent needs someone. And I think you’d be perfect for him.”
“You really think so?” I could feel myself tearing up a little, too. She didn’t know this, but I think I needed someone myself. I’ve spent years focused on my work and trying to establish myself among the ranks. I long abandoned the thought of relationships or even just enjoying time with someone. That’s why the moment in the car felt so nice. It had been so long since I allowed myself to be with someone like that, and I was ready to see where this could go.
“I do.” Hannah nodded and at that moment, her phone rang. She wiped her eyes quickly and answered. “Hey, honey, how’s it going? Uh huh…okay, I’ll see you soon then!”
She hung
up the phone and gave me a huge smile.
“They’re on their way back now!”
“What should I do?” I gave Hannah a slightly panicked look. I thought I’d have a little more time before I saw Trent.
“Maybe you could head over to Trent’s cabin and meet him there? I can give you directions; your walk over will give you some time to put your thoughts together.”
“That would be perfect.”
Hannah started jotting some notes down. “And I’ll tell Knox you had some questions for him, but that you’ll be back tomorrow. I’m sure he won’t mind. I’ll keep him occupied,” Hannah handed me the directions and winked.
“Thank you so much. For everything,” I said, hoping my eyes showed her how grateful I was for the talk and for her help.
“You’re welcome. Now go, before they see you!” Hannah shooed me away, giggling. I ran to the door, unlocked it, and headed out into the wilderness, hoping I could reach Trent’s cabin unnoticed.
12
Trent
I hiked back to my cabin, wiping the sweat from my forehead with a bandana I had tucked in my pocket. My shirt was drenched, and I needed a shower—badly. As I got closer to the cabin, I noticed someone sitting on the front steps. The individual was looking at the ground, so I couldn’t see his or her face at first, but as I got closer, I could see that it was a woman fiddling with her hands.
And there was only one person I knew with that nervous habit.
Shit! I reek and I’m covered in sweat… I looked around quickly and jumped behind a tree, taking a whiff of my shirt and coughing at the stench. Ugh, gross!
It wasn’t like I had another clean shirt on me that I could just change into, so I decided taking it off was probably the best option. I pulled its hem over my head and rubbed it all over my chest and neck, trying hard to scrub the stench and sweat from my body. I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the tree, continuing to approach my cabin. A branch crunched under my boot as I approached Blanca and she snapped her head up, looking directly at me. She seemed startled at first, but her eyes lowered to my chest, I could see a blush spread across her cheeks.
“Hello, Ms. Gianni. Were you waiting for me?”
Of course, she was waiting for you, dipshit. Why else would she be here?
“Um, yes, I was. I, uh…I’m ready to talk…if you are, that is…” She was looking down at her hands again.
“Sure. I might have to take a shower first, if that’s okay?” She glanced back up at me and her eyes widened a bit as she nodded, appearing even more red than before.
“Why don’t you come inside? It’s getting a little chilly out here.” I stepped up to my door and turned the lock, allowing her to step inside first. I watched her look around my cabin and I saw a smile spread across her lips.
“Wow, this is really nice. Not quite what I expected, honestly.”
“What did you expect?”
“I just thought it’d be more like a frat house. All sporty, you know?” She shrugged.
“Well, I can’t take any credit for the decorating. The cabin was fully furnished when I started working at Acadia.”
I really liked my cabin, which had been designed to match the environment outside, decked out in earth tones. The front door opened to the living room, which had a wide window to the left, covered by beige curtains. The walls had a stained-oak finish and there was a small cherrywood dining table by the window with two chairs. In one corner of the room sat an overstuffed recliner, and on the other side, there was a fireplace with a matching couch facing it.
The cabins didn’t have televisions because they were designed for people who enjoyed the outdoors and wanted to be away; I never liked watching TV, anyway.
“Well, it’s lovely,” she said, turning to me with a smile.
God, she’s so beautiful…
Our eyes locked and her face told me everything. I knew why she had come without her uttering a single word, and my heart almost leapt out of chest.
“Trent, I—”
“Kiss me.” I quickly closed the distance between us, my eyes pleading for her. There was that blush again, but she looked up at me, her arms reaching up to lock around my neck and her lips met mine. The kiss was tentative at first, our lips testing each other, finding a rhythm, but when we found one, it was like a waltz, slow and passionate. One of my hands intertwined in her hair while the other drifted to her waist. She placed a palm on my chest and I shivered; her hands were cold against the heat of my skin.
The kiss deepened, our tongues exploring each other wildly. I felt starved; I wanted more of her, but I didn’t want to rush this. She came to me and I didn’t want her to regret it.
Her palm moved along my torso, feeling her way around me. One of my hands slid past her waist to her hip, then around back, cupping one fleshy cheek. The gesture lifted her slightly on her toes and she released a light moan. I smirked into the kiss, happy with her response, but when her hand drifted down my stomach to my belt, I stopped her there.
“Would you like to accompany me in the shower, Ms. Gianni?” I whispered against her lips. She nodded, and when she pulled back from the kiss, her face was flushed.
I led her up the stairs, our hands linked. The hallway only had two doors: the one on the left was to my bedroom, while the door on the right was to the bathroom. I veered right, and once we were both inside, I gently tilted her chin up, keeping her gaze locked with mine as I pulled the hem of her blouse over her head. I felt my manhood twitch at the sight of the lace bra cupping her perfect C-cup breasts.
I allowed my gaze to leave hers and bent down to unbutton her black dress pants. She ran her hands through my hair and started kissing my neck as I unzipped them, letting them fall down over her hips and pool on the floor, allowing her matching lace panties to greet me. She stepped out of her pants and slipped off her shoes and I saw her behind was bare—she was wearing a thong. Just like that, I felt my girth swell, pressing against the zipper of my jeans.
I could see that she noticed the bulge in my pants when I followed her eyes, which were wide with wonder.
“Aren’t you going to help me out, too?” I asked playfully. Her cheeks flushed even more deeply, but she walked over to me confidently. She fumbled with my belt and fly, but finally got them open and pulled my jeans and boxers down in one fell swoop, exposing my member. It stood at full attention, seven inches long. It wasn’t the most impressive size, but I knew how to work with it.
I was surprised to see shock in her eyes. “Is something wrong?” I asked, running my hands through my hair.
“You’re just…so big…” She flushed as she spoke, trying hard to look somewhere else. “I’m sorry, I just haven’t been with anyone in a long time…”
She seemed embarrassed, too, and I felt even more of a connection.
“It’s been a while for me, too.”
“Really?” She seemed relieved to hear me say that.
“Really.” I said, pressing my body against hers. “We’ll take it slow.”
I was thankful at how easily I was able to unclip her bra. It wasn’t exactly my greatest skill, but I tried really hard to get it right. Her breasts were perky and full, hardly moving as I released them. I could feel her body tremble as my hands moved down to her hips. She seemed nervous about me removing her panties, so I decided to kiss down from her ribs to distract her. Her breathing picked up a little and I looked up to see her eyes closed. I nibbled on her hips as I hooked her thong over my thumbs and pulled them down. And then it hit me.
Her scent filled me, and I felt my need grow stronger. She was completely shaven and looked delicious. I was throbbing, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out.
“I’ll go in and start the water. It takes a bit to get warm and you seem cold enough already.”
“I’m warming up now…” There was that voice again, the seductive one I remembered from our moment in the car, and I almost exploded right there.
I couldn’t bri
ng myself to say a word. In mere seconds, she had the ability to shift from shy, timid and flushed to a sexy, confident goddess. It amazed me and made me want her even more.
I turned the water on and stepped into the shower, taking a deep breath before I peeked out and held out my hand to her. She smiled and my heart skipped a beat; I couldn’t believe this beauty was not only in my house, but stark-naked right there in front of me.
She placed her hand in mine and I pulled her into the shower, allowing her to soak herself while I poured some body wash and worked it into a lather.
“May I?” I asked, and when she gave me that sly grin with a nod, I started at her shoulders, working the soap down her arms, then back up, gliding over her breasts. I spent a little more time there, kneading them softly and stroking her nipples lightly. I heard her gasp and push her chest into my hands, her hands tangled in my hair. Her lips were by my ear now and I enjoyed hearing her quickened breathing against it. I moved my hands down over her stomach and back, gliding my fingertips through the suds, making her shiver.
“I thought you were supposed to be warming me up?” she teased.
Oh, I can warm you up alright… I thought, needing no further invitation. My hands moved over her hips, down her thighs and back up toward her center. As my hands made their way between her thighs, she spread them slightly, allowing me entrance. The closer I got, the warmer I felt and the more my need grew.
I finally reached her womanhood, making the area slick with soap, causing my hand to slip and slide against her. I allowed my finger to explore a little, gently caressing her folds and then slipping into them. Finding her little pleasure nub, I let the suds guide my finger over it in a tight, circular motion. She released a load moan against my ear, moving her hips along with my fingers. When I felt her speed against my finger quicken, I moved my hand, grabbing more body wash from the bottle. I heard her whimper and chuckled.
