Waking the Bear (Shifter Wars) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Amy soaked in the tub. She lay back, warm water up to her ears and bubbles popping faintly all around her. If she didn’t move, she could pretend she was floating, meditating, far away from all her troubles.

Away from lions and murders and bears.

She couldn’t. Too much had happened. She’d never have dreamed that coming to the mountains would cause such an upheaval. The things that had happened here made her time at ADvert seem like a shopping trip to the grocery store without her debit card. One good thing, she’d gotten Darren off her mind. He’d been replaced by someone even worse, and she could barely believe that was possible.

Evers.

She sat up, her heart racing. The faint scent of men’s soap floated in the air. Evers scared her. He had targeted her. Was it like Griff said, revenge for his parents’ death? Could that consume someone so much that they carried a grudge for so many years? He’d said he’d rape her. She shuddered in the cool air. She would’ve tried to defend herself but Evers was strong. She pushed her wet hair away from her face and lay back in the water again.

I don’t know what to believe anymore.

Fear must’ve clouded what she thought she saw. What she’d seen Evers do on the mountainside couldn’t be possible. People didn’t change into animals. Maybe Evers had run when the mountain lion showed up.

No, I saw him change into a lion.
And he changed back, too.

It made no sense. Sure, she’d seen movies where humans changed into bloodthirsty werewolves when the moon was full. Those were myths and Hollywood magic.

Right?

The water had cooled as she’d washed. She rinsed her hair with the plastic cup Griff had given her. Then there were the bears. Huge brown bears that weren’t native to New York. Griff had said that he and his friends had rescued her from Evers, but she hadn’t seen them. She massaged her temples.

Adrenaline pumped through her, icy hot in her veins.

If Evers was the lion, then were Griff and his friends...the bears?

She shook her head. Now she knew she was Alice and she’d fallen down the rabbit hole. No other explanation made sense other than they were all insane. Griff was going to provide the truth. She pulled the bathtub plug and the water began draining.

She’d ask Griff about the mountain lion. He was familiar with the animal life in the forest. Maybe he’d have an explanation, if he didn’t think she was crazy as hell. Or he’d tell her that the people around here changed into animals and she was in some kind of fairy tale. Either way, the conversation was going to be interesting.

She grabbed a towel and stepped out of the tub. Things were never simple. Last night, in Griff’s arms, she’d been happy. Not merely satisfied. Not content.

Happy.

She wasn’t planning their wedding, or even what would happen beyond her vacation. Things felt right. Then the mountain had fallen down on everything and now the whole world was a mess and she had no idea how to right it.

Now what?

She was at Griff’s ranger cabin, naked, and alone with Griff out in the kitchen. He’d said he’d make them some food. Her stomach growled in agreement. Griff cooking; she laughed. That was a funny image, despite the trauma of the day.

Though living alone, she supposed he had to cook sometimes. Images of burnt grilled cheese played through her mind. Or maybe instant noodles. Or canned soup. Any of those would taste yummy after the day she’d had. The day they’d had.

She dried herself off and wrapped her hair in a clean towel. Griff had set out his robe for her to wear. She slipped it on. Green-checked flannel, it screamed lumberjack-chic. The sleeves hung well past her fingertips, and she rolled them up several times before cinching the belt at her waist. The robe dragged the ground by several inches.

Griff. Since she’d rented the cabin, he’d been in the wings to save her every time something went wrong. Things had been going wrong a lot lately. The spring, the bar, the mountain. This was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, but instead had turned into a series of crazy dangerous happenings. Was Griff the cause or the one saving the day?

She towel-dried her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like death. Large circles bloomed under her eyes, and a thin scratch slid across her forehead, angry red from the warm bath. She remembered getting it on her walk home with Powell and Derek.

She picked up Griff’s comb and pulled it through her wet hair. Tugging at the tangles, she picked and pulled until her hair lay smooth about her shoulders. Her mind wandered back to how it felt to have him inside her. It felt right. Perfect, even. Would she get the chance again, or had the day’s events ruined any opportunity for the two of them?

It all depended on what he had to say. What the truth was.

She steeled herself and strode out of the bathroom.

“How do you feel?” Griff called from the kitchen.

“Better.”

“I’m glad. I figured a bath would help.”

Getting the answers to all the questions would help more.

The ranger cabin was larger than Griff’s rental. The living room opened up to the ceiling, two stories high, the walls made of reddish wood logs. The kitchen was at the far end of the room, separated by a breakfast bar, and the heavenly scents of cinnamon and bacon wafted toward her. She made her way over to Griff. Bacon made everything better, didn’t it?

“Thanks for letting me use your bath.”

“It’s the least I could do.” He plated scrambled eggs beside cinnamon toast and bacon. “You’ve had some day. And I have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Everything isn’t your fault.”

“Most of it is.” He placed the plates on the table, already set with orange juice and silverware. “Let’s eat.” He pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit, then he sat opposite her. “We can talk afterward.”

“Okay.” She sat, not sure what to say. “Thank you.”

Griff peeked at her, his smile not reaching his eyes. Worry lines in his forehead deepened. “You’re welcome. I hope you like bacon.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Amy rearranged her food on the plate. “Part of this was Evers’s fault, not yours, you know.”

“Eat. Then we can talk.” Griff shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. “Not polite to talk with your mouth full,” he garbled.

She smiled and tugged at a piece of her bacon. “He’s the one that hurt me. Thank you for saving me.”

Griff’s face reddened and he took a sip of orange juice. “No need to thank me. It’s my duty. My honor. Now, eat.”

Amy ate her toast in silence. Evers was dead and Griff killed him. The thought both pleased and frightened her. If the police got involved they might think she was partly to blame. This was self-defense. Griff had gotten out of control, but it had started with Evers attacking. That had to be important.

“Toast taste okay?” Griff asked. His plate was almost clean.

“Yes, thank you.” She picked at her eggs with her fork. “Griff, I want to tell you something, and I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.”

“What is it?” He took a long drink of his orange juice, his shoulders tensing at her words.

“When I was at the car. In the rain, I mean, maybe I imagined it, but I saw Evers turn into a mountain lion. He took off his clothes and then—well, his body actually changed. Into a lion. That’s not possible, is it?” She watched him for a response.

Griff sighed and set his glass down. He licked his lips and didn’t say a word.

“I’m serious. That’s what I saw. I know it sounds crazy. People can’t change into animals, right?”

Griff crossed his arms and nodded. “I need to tell you something, but I need you to promise me that you’ll listen to everything before freaking out.”

She set her fork beside her plate. This couldn’t be good. “I won’t freak out until you’re done.”

He wiped his mouth with his napkin. She met his gaze for a moment, then glanced away. No, this wasn’t going to be okay at all.

“Maybe we should go into the living room. This is pretty important, and is going to take a few minutes to explain.”

“Okay.” Amy drank the last of her orange juice then stood, her knees weak.

Griff seemed so serious—more than usual, anyway. Whatever he was going to tell her was going to change her world, she was sure of that.

* * *

Griff rubbed his head and leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees. How to tell her? Amy sat across from him on the couch, waiting. She’d seen Evers shift. She wasn’t freaking out over it, so maybe learning he was a bear wouldn’t affect her too much.

Maybe
.

He glanced around his sparse living room. It could benefit from having some life breathed into it. A female touch. There was plenty of room for a few cubs. No, he and Amy would live in his family’s cabin, at least while their family was small. He didn’t need to daydream. She might run when he told her about his bear.

He might lose her forever.

The fire he’d built in the stone fireplace while she was in the shower crackled and jumped, casting yellow and orange reflections across the room.

If only he knew how she’d react to the news, he’d have more nerve. His heart thudded and he felt every beat in his temples.

“So tell me.” Amy crossed her arms. “Did Evers turn into a mountain lion or not?”

She looked so tiny wrapped in his robe. One slit from his claws and the robe would be off her. He smiled.

“Is it funny?”

“No, no...” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure out where to begin.”

“If you’re going to tell me that Evers can change into a mountain lion, I’m not sure there is a place to begin. So just start.”

He took a deep breath. She was his mate. He had to be honest, even if it scared her away. She deserved the truth and he probably should’ve told her sooner.

“Do you remember when you saw the bear and the mountain lion fighting at the stream behind the cabin?”

“Yes. I had gone down to the creek to sketch and the mountain lion showed up to drink. Then the giant bear came and the two started fighting. It scared me.”

“Well, you know how I told you that I’d fallen on a stick when I showed up at the cabin?” He stared at the fire. “That same day?”

“Yeah.”

“That isn’t exactly how it happened. I was scratched by a mountain lion.”

He looked at her right as realization came over her.

“You!” she shrieked. “You are that bear!” She stood. “Oh my god. How is that possible?” She backed across the room. “What the fuck?”

“Amy, sit down and listen.” He motioned her to sit. His heartbeat galloped and it took all his willpower not to grab her and hold her. “I promise, I won’t hurt you. I need to explain... You said you’d listen to the whole story. Please, sit.”

“Explain how a person turns into an animal? Like bears and lions? What about squirrels? Do you know people that turn into squirrels? I thought I was the crazy one.”

“Sit.” He patted the couch. If she wouldn’t listen, then all hope was lost. “Please. Let me explain.”

“I’m sitting over here.” She sat on the easy chair. “Go on...explain. I want to hear this.”

“Well,” Griff began, “humans aren’t aware of this—well, most humans—but there are animal shifters throughout the world. There used to be more, we evolved alongside humans, in fact, but our numbers have dwindled. We keep things secret because humans would trap us, study us, and worse. So usually, we band together in remote areas and small towns where we’re less likely to be found out.”

“What kind of shifters?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Werewolves?”

“Wolves, bears, lions...not werewolves like on television.”

“I see. And you’re a bear shifter?”

“Yes. So are Powell and Derek. They were with me along with a couple other bears at the slide. They came to help me rescue you.” He scooted forward on the couch. “They helped me track Evers into the woods when he dragged you off. If it weren’t for them, I might not have found you in time.”

Amy rubbed her face then raked her fingers through her hair. “I saw it happen, but I was trying to convince myself it didn’t. This is a lot to take in.”

“I know it is. I swear it’s the truth.”

She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. The robe lay open a little and Griff felt guilty trying to peek.

“You should know,” he finally said, “that the bears and lions have been fighting for generations. We are enemies.”

She sat up, interest in her features. “Why? If there are so few shifters, why fight amongst yourselves?”

“That’s a good question, but you know that there are other reasons for wars and fights. This battle is primarily territorial. The land around Deep Creek is very special. The cave I took you to is called the Cave of Whispers and inside it is a lake with healing powers. That is what saved your life. It also healed the scratches on my back.”

Amy chewed her bottom lip. “So the lions want this cave? You know how absolutely insane this sounds, right? It sounds like an episode of
Scooby Doo
.”

Griff nodded. He picked at a string on the hem of his shirt. “But it’s true. They’ll stop at nothing to get it. War is coming. I fear that a lot of lives will be lost.”

“That’s too bad. Can’t you work out a peace treaty or share the cave?”

“The lions have no interest in sharing, and to be honest, I don’t think we trust them enough to even try to share the cave with them. There’s something else about the cave. The ‘whispers’ in the name refers to a spirit that lives there. An ancestral shifter that serves the purpose of giving advice and glimpses of the future. An oracle of sorts. Her name is Shoshannah.”

“Have you seen her?” Amy leaned forward. “I mean, is she real?”

Griff sighed. “Yeah, I saw her for the first time today. I’ve never believed in her, but she appeared to me today. Just after you left the cave.”

“That’s interesting timing.”

“Yeah. She had me bring Evers to the lake so his soul could be released. When he died, when I killed him, he returned to mountain lion form. I went back and got his body and took it to the lake. He was reunited with his parents. It was...beautiful.”