Page 57 of Cold Foot Croc

Stop.

Garret gritted his teeth against the urge to slam on the brakes.

Stop, the bear said louder.

“You stop.Youstop! I’m doing what you fucking asked me to. Raynah said I need to compromise with you, and you said we need to Change, so I’m taking you to the woods to Change.”

Stop, he said again.

Garret jerked the wheel and pulled over in a rush to the shoulder of the road, then hit the brakes and skidded to a stop. “What?”

Not like this.

“Not like what?” he growled, and now he didn’t even recognize his own voice. He sounded like a demon.

Not a demon. We’re just angry.

“We’renot anything. I am upset, and you are confusing.”

The bear was quiet, and Garret gripped the wheel until it squeaked in his grasp. Part of him wished the bear would keep pissing him off so he could take his frustration out on his animal, and part of him wanted the animal to shut up.

What was this? What was it? His emotions were up to the freaking moon right now, and for what?

I want to go back to her. I changed my mind. I don’t need to Change.

Garret let out a purposeful, long breath. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax back into the seat.

She’d hurt him.

I know, the bear whispered.She didn’t mean to. She’s scared of us.

Garret shook his head. “I wouldn’t ever hurt her. Not on purpose.”

“She hasn’t figured that out yet.” Geez, he’d said the bear’s words out loud. That was scary. He could just control his speech like that?

“I can kill someone with your body too, but I don’t.”

Garret shook his head hard and clamped his mouth shut. It was hard to think straight when the bear was so big in his head right now. He picked up his phone, checked the screen, and froze when he saw a text message from Raynah sitting there.

I’m sorry. You really didn’t do anything wrong.

He blew out a breath and connected a call to her, then leaned on the window frame, staring out at the woods beside the truck.

“I’m sorry,” she answered the phone.

And just like that, the uncertainty inside of him evaporated. It was the heartache and the guilt in her voice that softened any harsh emotion he’d had.

He swallowed hard, and closed his eyes at the relief of the confusion melting away from him.

“I don’t know why I started that fight. You have been so kind to me. I think I have moments where I feel like it’s all too good to be true.”

“You feel like you have to test me?”

She paused for a few seconds, thinking it over. “Yes. That feels right.”

He nodded. “Okay. Test me then. I’m not going anywhere, Raynah. It’s a waste both of our time testing me, but if you have to do it to feel better? Okay.”

“Can you come back?”

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