Read Online Get Your Shift Together (Bear Bites Book 2) by Ruby Dixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Ruby Dixon
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then I’m not going to be happy and I’ll definitely leave.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I insist. There’s no point in jabbering about this anymore. I’m merely delaying the inevitable. “Okay,” I sigh. I pat the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Sit here and…” What? Don’t freak out? Don’t run outside because I’m going to want to chase you? Don’t leave?
The last one is the only important one. “Promise you’ll give me a chance to explain after?”
She takes a seat and nods carefully. “I promise I won’t run out on you.”
“Great.” I move away. If I stepped in front of the door, no one could really blame me, right? I’ve found my mate and I want to keep her.
It takes no effort to shift. It’s as innate to me as breathing. I was born knowing how to shift. The change comes from within. Starts in the heart and moves outward. The heart, the soul, the spirit—it all remains the same. I am the bear and the bear is me. I hope that Caro can recognize that, beneath the fur and claws and teeth.
When the shift is complete, I drop to all fours and peer at Caro. She’s stuck to her chair with her hands glued to the side. Her eyes are big and…I can’t tell if that’s fear or fascination. I try to make my four-hundred pound body as small as possible. I was pretty cute as a cub. I remember my mom telling me that. I don’t need to be cute, but I’d be happy if I came off as non-threatening.
I pad slowly and softly over to the chair, and then hunker down by her feet. I still dwarf her.
“Leo?” Her voice is small and tremulous.
I cringe and nod slowly. A delicate human hand drops tentatively on my fur, just behind my ear. I tilt my head into her touch. Her nails lightly scratch behind that spot, and I rumble in appreciative response.
And I hear her laugh. It’s high and thready but it’s not a scream of fear. I shift back and rise to my feet. When a bear shifts, he comes back naked. I hustle back to the clothes lying on the floor, and pull my pants on just in case I need to chase her out of the house.
Then I return to kneel again by her side. Her laughs have turned to hiccups. I place a wary hand on her knee.
“Caro. I’m a bear shifter,” I don’t know why I say it. She saw what I could do, and I take it as a promising sign she didn’t burst out of here, running after old Bill.
“I thought you were lying.” She shakes her head in wonder. “But you actually were a bear there. Or it was a magic show.”
“No magic. Or at least not the sleight of hand kind. I suppose being part-bear, part-human is some kind of magic.”
“So, no girlfriend, huh?” she says, a true smile starting to tug at the corners of her mouth.
“No, unless you count yourself, then absolutely yes.” I slide my hand from her knee up to her thigh.
“Okay then.” She smooths a palm over my shoulder and down to squeeze my biceps. “I can’t believe it, but I’m okay with it. I have lots of questions like, will I…I mean, do women have cubs or babies?”
I hide my smirk at her unintentional reveal. “Babies. But they’ll shift right away from baby to cub after you give birth. It’s pretty cool.”
“My goodness!” She pats her chest. “I’m glad you had me sit down.”
“You ready for more information?”
“If it involves you shifting into another animal, I think we should hold off,” she laughs weakly.
“No, but I’m not the only one. This town is full of shifters.”
“Really?” She cocks her head with interest. “Who else? Is that one guy who stopped by the other day a shifter too?”
I nod. “Yep, also Sheriff Gant, Eli the Lodge owner, Dent who runs the tavern. The lady who owns the spa is the new mate of another bear shifter.”
“Mate.” She tests out the word. “What does that mean?”
“Girlfriend, basically,” I reply. For life , I add in my head.
“Let me get this straight.” She moves so she can look directly into my face without torquing her neck.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I insist. There’s no point in jabbering about this anymore. I’m merely delaying the inevitable. “Okay,” I sigh. I pat the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Sit here and…” What? Don’t freak out? Don’t run outside because I’m going to want to chase you? Don’t leave?
The last one is the only important one. “Promise you’ll give me a chance to explain after?”
She takes a seat and nods carefully. “I promise I won’t run out on you.”
“Great.” I move away. If I stepped in front of the door, no one could really blame me, right? I’ve found my mate and I want to keep her.
It takes no effort to shift. It’s as innate to me as breathing. I was born knowing how to shift. The change comes from within. Starts in the heart and moves outward. The heart, the soul, the spirit—it all remains the same. I am the bear and the bear is me. I hope that Caro can recognize that, beneath the fur and claws and teeth.
When the shift is complete, I drop to all fours and peer at Caro. She’s stuck to her chair with her hands glued to the side. Her eyes are big and…I can’t tell if that’s fear or fascination. I try to make my four-hundred pound body as small as possible. I was pretty cute as a cub. I remember my mom telling me that. I don’t need to be cute, but I’d be happy if I came off as non-threatening.
I pad slowly and softly over to the chair, and then hunker down by her feet. I still dwarf her.
“Leo?” Her voice is small and tremulous.
I cringe and nod slowly. A delicate human hand drops tentatively on my fur, just behind my ear. I tilt my head into her touch. Her nails lightly scratch behind that spot, and I rumble in appreciative response.
And I hear her laugh. It’s high and thready but it’s not a scream of fear. I shift back and rise to my feet. When a bear shifts, he comes back naked. I hustle back to the clothes lying on the floor, and pull my pants on just in case I need to chase her out of the house.
Then I return to kneel again by her side. Her laughs have turned to hiccups. I place a wary hand on her knee.
“Caro. I’m a bear shifter,” I don’t know why I say it. She saw what I could do, and I take it as a promising sign she didn’t burst out of here, running after old Bill.
“I thought you were lying.” She shakes her head in wonder. “But you actually were a bear there. Or it was a magic show.”
“No magic. Or at least not the sleight of hand kind. I suppose being part-bear, part-human is some kind of magic.”
“So, no girlfriend, huh?” she says, a true smile starting to tug at the corners of her mouth.
“No, unless you count yourself, then absolutely yes.” I slide my hand from her knee up to her thigh.
“Okay then.” She smooths a palm over my shoulder and down to squeeze my biceps. “I can’t believe it, but I’m okay with it. I have lots of questions like, will I…I mean, do women have cubs or babies?”
I hide my smirk at her unintentional reveal. “Babies. But they’ll shift right away from baby to cub after you give birth. It’s pretty cool.”
“My goodness!” She pats her chest. “I’m glad you had me sit down.”
“You ready for more information?”
“If it involves you shifting into another animal, I think we should hold off,” she laughs weakly.
“No, but I’m not the only one. This town is full of shifters.”
“Really?” She cocks her head with interest. “Who else? Is that one guy who stopped by the other day a shifter too?”
I nod. “Yep, also Sheriff Gant, Eli the Lodge owner, Dent who runs the tavern. The lady who owns the spa is the new mate of another bear shifter.”
“Mate.” She tests out the word. “What does that mean?”
“Girlfriend, basically,” I reply. For life , I add in my head.
“Let me get this straight.” She moves so she can look directly into my face without torquing her neck.
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