Read Online The Right to a Bear's Arms (A BBW Shifter Romance) (Wolf Rock Shifters) by Carina Wilder - Free Book Online
Authors: Carina Wilder
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way of trying to make me feel fat.” Zoe laughed. “Little did he know what my true form looks like.
“Anyhow, when I saw what he’d done I just altered my body to fit the dress. He didn’t understand why his little scheme wasn’t working, and threw a fit. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so pathetic.”
“What an utter bastard,” growled Maddox.
“He was. I knew he was. I know he was now , anyhow. For a long time I made excuses for him. ‘Oh, he’s just insecure.’ ‘He’s just confused.’ But he said he loved me so I believed him. It wasn’t until one day when he caught me in something like my true form that the shit hit the fan.”
“Oh God, what happened?” asked Kyla, though she knew that if she allo wed her mind to open, she’d be able to come up with the answer to her own question.
“He thought some other woman was in our house at first. Fortunately, it wasn’t exactly what you see now. I’d been experimenting and I was big, like I am now, but blond and blue-eyed. My face was different. When he went to attack me, I yelled out that it was me, that it was Zoe. I thought at first that he was going to shift into his hyena, but he didn’t. I suppose he was startled or afraid that I would shift into something bigger. Instead, the man who stood in front of me attacked me with his bare hands. He tried to choke me.
“I let him at first. I was so miserable by that point; he’d beaten my ego up so much that I just didn’t care anymore. And then , all of a sudden, I had this sort of surge of strength and I lost it. I changed then and there into my cat and I slashed at him. I could see my claws rending his flesh, and I saw the blood. He fell to the floor, motionless.”
Zoe’s voice became hoarse, though it wasn’t clear whether it was because of remorse for her own actions, or fear at the memory of such a man.
“I grabbed both Zoe’s and Annette’s I.D.—I always kept Zoe’s hidden because of my fear that he’d find out who I really was—a nd a dress, and ran out the door. That’s when I emptied one of his bank accounts. That’s when I left.”
“You did the right thing,” said Kyla. “And though I wish you hadn’t taken his money, I can’t say I blame you.”
“I know that I shouldn’t have but I was scared. I had nowhere to go.”
“How much money did you take?” asked Maddox quietly.
“Ten thousand dollars.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know. But what can I do? I can’t give it back. I don’t want him to know where I am. I wish he thought I was dead, to be honest. Or better still, that he was.”
“Do you know that he’s not?” asked Maddox.
“He’s not. I know he’s not,” said Kyla.
“I f orgot who I was sitting next to,” Maddox said. “Okay. Well, he doesn’t know you’re here, Zoe. And he doesn’t know your real name. That’s a good start.”
“It is. But he might find me eventually. He knows my smell, after all. Though he’s not nearly as clever as he thinks and I’d be surprised if he suddenly discovered that he’s got detective skills.”
“All you can do for now is live your life. Where are you staying?” asked Kyla.
“In a tree.” Zoe laughed then, a genuine laugh for the first time in weeks. It was all so ridiculous.
“It’s nice to see yo u laugh,” said Kyla. “I wasn’t entirely sure you were capable of it.”
“Baby steps,” Zo e said, wiping a tear from her eye. “But even though it sounds insane I think I’ll stick with my tree for now.”
“Why not? A lot of shifters sleep outside. The ones who are more comfortable with fur, anyhow,” said Kyla.
“I’m just not used to it. Drake—that’s my ex-bastard—was very into his satin sheets and king-sized bed. I always had a bed growing up. But up in a tree, in the woods, I feel safe, somehow.”
“Then stay there. But anytime you need anything, we’re here,” said Kyla. “And you’re going to want to shower and all that sort of thing too. Why
“Anyhow, when I saw what he’d done I just altered my body to fit the dress. He didn’t understand why his little scheme wasn’t working, and threw a fit. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so pathetic.”
“What an utter bastard,” growled Maddox.
“He was. I knew he was. I know he was now , anyhow. For a long time I made excuses for him. ‘Oh, he’s just insecure.’ ‘He’s just confused.’ But he said he loved me so I believed him. It wasn’t until one day when he caught me in something like my true form that the shit hit the fan.”
“Oh God, what happened?” asked Kyla, though she knew that if she allo wed her mind to open, she’d be able to come up with the answer to her own question.
“He thought some other woman was in our house at first. Fortunately, it wasn’t exactly what you see now. I’d been experimenting and I was big, like I am now, but blond and blue-eyed. My face was different. When he went to attack me, I yelled out that it was me, that it was Zoe. I thought at first that he was going to shift into his hyena, but he didn’t. I suppose he was startled or afraid that I would shift into something bigger. Instead, the man who stood in front of me attacked me with his bare hands. He tried to choke me.
“I let him at first. I was so miserable by that point; he’d beaten my ego up so much that I just didn’t care anymore. And then , all of a sudden, I had this sort of surge of strength and I lost it. I changed then and there into my cat and I slashed at him. I could see my claws rending his flesh, and I saw the blood. He fell to the floor, motionless.”
Zoe’s voice became hoarse, though it wasn’t clear whether it was because of remorse for her own actions, or fear at the memory of such a man.
“I grabbed both Zoe’s and Annette’s I.D.—I always kept Zoe’s hidden because of my fear that he’d find out who I really was—a nd a dress, and ran out the door. That’s when I emptied one of his bank accounts. That’s when I left.”
“You did the right thing,” said Kyla. “And though I wish you hadn’t taken his money, I can’t say I blame you.”
“I know that I shouldn’t have but I was scared. I had nowhere to go.”
“How much money did you take?” asked Maddox quietly.
“Ten thousand dollars.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know. But what can I do? I can’t give it back. I don’t want him to know where I am. I wish he thought I was dead, to be honest. Or better still, that he was.”
“Do you know that he’s not?” asked Maddox.
“He’s not. I know he’s not,” said Kyla.
“I f orgot who I was sitting next to,” Maddox said. “Okay. Well, he doesn’t know you’re here, Zoe. And he doesn’t know your real name. That’s a good start.”
“It is. But he might find me eventually. He knows my smell, after all. Though he’s not nearly as clever as he thinks and I’d be surprised if he suddenly discovered that he’s got detective skills.”
“All you can do for now is live your life. Where are you staying?” asked Kyla.
“In a tree.” Zoe laughed then, a genuine laugh for the first time in weeks. It was all so ridiculous.
“It’s nice to see yo u laugh,” said Kyla. “I wasn’t entirely sure you were capable of it.”
“Baby steps,” Zo e said, wiping a tear from her eye. “But even though it sounds insane I think I’ll stick with my tree for now.”
“Why not? A lot of shifters sleep outside. The ones who are more comfortable with fur, anyhow,” said Kyla.
“I’m just not used to it. Drake—that’s my ex-bastard—was very into his satin sheets and king-sized bed. I always had a bed growing up. But up in a tree, in the woods, I feel safe, somehow.”
“Then stay there. But anytime you need anything, we’re here,” said Kyla. “And you’re going to want to shower and all that sort of thing too. Why
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