Page 7 of Two Wrong Turns

“Inspiration? Like a muse? Are you an artist, Barrett?”

There’s a laugh from beside the table. “Yeah, I’d say he is. He drew this earlier. Looks interesting, don’t it, Nolan?”

She slid the bear I’d drawn on the napkin over to him. I was immediately embarrassed that the first hint of my work he’d see would be the damn animal I couldn’t seem to shake. It wasn’t that the drawing was bad or anything, it just wasn’t my best work.

It was my most consistent thought.

Nolan took in the drawing as if it were a precious piece rather than a basic sketch on a napkin. His finger traced over the patch of white fur right in the center of the bear's face. It was the only spot that wasn’t dark. For some reason, every time I got the mental image of him, it was there. I couldn’t leave that part out no matter how odd it made the picture seem to others.

“This is amazing,” he said flatly, like he was impressed but didn’t want to admit he liked it.

I frowned as I reached for the napkin. “It’s nothing. Just me doodling while I waited for my food.”

His gaze snapped up to mine. “It’s not nothing. This is amazing work. The detail is perfect. What made you draw this though? Have you always drawn bears?”

Ugh. That’s the million-dollar issue.

“No, I haven’t. It’s only been a recent development. And it’s part of the reason I hit the road.”

He tilted his head to the side. “I don’t understand.”

I pointed to the image he kept close to him. “My art isn’t usually this. The first time it showed up in a painting, I worked around it. The buyer didn’t seem to mind, and all was fine. The second time was much the same. By the third, I realized I had a problem.”

Nolan’s eyes went wide. “How many times have you drawn him?”

Wincing, I shook my head. “I’d rather not admit it. It’s embarrassing, you know? I mean, why won’t my brain let me move on? I’ve never even seen a bear in real life, much less one like this.”

“Would you like to?”

“To what? See a bear?”

He nodded. “There’s some in the area. You might wind up coming upon one.”

It was my turn to have a shocked expression. “Can’t say that it’s something I’d actively search out. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for me? Should I get bear spray?”

Lindsea was passing by the table at that moment and laughed loudly. “You don’t need any spray,” she yelled at me while continuing on her way.

I frowned. “How can she know that? You just said there are bears around here.”

That earned me a scoff. “Because everyone knows I won’t let anyone in town get hurt. Especially not by a bear.”

Something about the way he said it made me think there was more to the story. Could I be missing some crucial piece to the puzzle? Was this town special in some way I didn’t understand?

It didn’t matter. Not really.

My stay here wouldn’t be long. I was sure I could avoid running into a bear for a little while.

Chapter 4

Nolan

Fucking Fate would sendme the most deliciously scented HUMAN mate right when I least expect it. Earlier this morning, I’d been getting dressed for work and feeling down at the idea I might never share a space with someone else. This town was so secluded, it would take a miracle to get my mate to find us.

And yet he has.

I’m sitting across from him right now wondering how the fuck to make this all work. He has no clue shifters exist. I could tell that much from the confusion in his scent when he talked about the bear drawing. Plus, he didn’t pick up Lindsea’s very obvious hints that there were shifters around and he didn't need to worry about being mauled by a wild bear.

If anything, he should have been worried about my bear and what the beast wanted to do to him. My whole life, I’d been in this sort of stasis with that other part of me. I allowed him out when needed, but otherwise, he was a silent sentry in my mind.

---