Page 131 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Ryland? He was a hunter? The guy I’d thought was nice and easygoing had tried to murder a woman and her unborn child? The thought sent a chill up my spine. All the time I’d spent alone with him on that one date, I’d been feet, inches, from a cold-blooded killer. The horror of that revelation was almost more terrifying than finding out about Steff.

“I can’t believe it. Harley, I was alone with him, and I never would have thought he could do something like that.”

“It’s scary, I know. Especially since the danger isn’t gone. With Ryland around, the hunters are still stalking us. But one thing you need to know is that over and over, I still choose Tate. Always and forever. Curse or no curse, there’s not a man on Earth who would love me and my children the way he does. I’ll be forever grateful that the spell brought us together. I hope you’ll end up feeling the same way.”

It was past midnight when I finally got off the phone with Harley. After talking to her for so long and getting to know her a bit, I really liked her. I hoped I’d made a new friend. Having a friend I could share this secret with would make the heavy weight on my shoulders more bearable. I could tell my brothers a lot, but there were some things only women could talk about.

Sleep would have been a welcome reprieve from all the things I’d learned, but that proved elusive. I tossed and turned for hours. My brain wasn’t able to turn off. I lifted my phone and saw it was almost three thirty in the morning. There was one thing I had to see, and my mind wasn’t going to let me go to sleep until I did.

With a heavy sigh, I rolled out of bed and pulled on my robe. I put on flip-flops and headed out the door. The cool summer night air raised gooseflesh on my arms. Colorado Julys weren’t the same as Los Angeles Julys. It was refreshing and invigorating.

I marched across the yard and walked up the steps to Steff’s house. Before I could raise my hand to knock, he opened the door. I flinched, startled by the fact that he was awake. I’d prepared myself to have to knock five or six times before he got up and came to the door.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before I finally worked up the courage to ask what I’d come to ask. “I want to see your bear.”

Steff grinned and a glint appeared in his eye that I’d never seen before. “My bear would love to meet you.” He looked me up and down and raised an eyebrow. “Go get dressed. Real shoes and stuff. Meet me around back in ten minutes.”

I jogged back home and pulled on a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and sneakers. I was back in his yard as quickly as I could manage. Moonlight shone off Steff’s hair, making him look like a prince out of a fairytale. He held his hand out to me. I took itand let him lead me through the woods. The light of the moon illuminated our path. After a brisk five-minute walk, we came to a small clearing in the forest. He released my hand and stepped out into the opening, then turned to look at me.

“You’re safe. Don’t be afraid. My bear loves you as much as I do.”

His confession of love made my breath hitch, but soon I was gasping. Steff was changing. His body morphed and bulged into furry muscle. His hands expanded and thickened into heavy brown paws. His face disappeared under a mountain of fur. In seconds, a massive grizzly bear stood in front of me.

The creature was huge. If I’d encountered this in the woods a day ago, I would have never stood a chance. It was awe-inspiring. I pinched myself, right below my wrist, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The reality of it hit me, and my knees buckled. I caught myself before I slumped to the grass.

“Oh my god.”

The bear didn’t move. It stood there, eyes locked on mine. My moment of freaking out was over, and I was able to really take in what I was seeing. The creature sat on its haunches and waited patiently for me. Knowing I was safe didn’t make the steps I took any less nerve-wracking. As I approached, the bear tilted its head and watched me. Its eyes were like an animal, but there was an intelligence in them I’d never seen anywhere but in another human.

“Steff, are you still in there?”

The massive head nodded, and I let out a hysterical giggle. I slapped my hand across my mouth, scared of how crazy I sounded. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. Swallowing my fear, I extended a hand and ran it through his fur. The bear made a pleasant rumbling sound that reminded me of a cat purring, and I smiled. The fur was exquisitely soft, not wiry or rough like I’d thought it would be.

After petting him, I stepped back and looked him over again. “Does it hurt? When you change, I mean?”

The big shaggy head swung side to side—no. Even after looking at him, touching him, and watching the change happen, it was still amazing and a little unbelievable.

“This is amazing. You’re amazing,” I whispered.

With a deep breath, the bear reared on its hind legs and in less than a few seconds, he was Steff again. The transformation into the bear had been shockingly fast, but the transition back to human form was even quicker. I wanted to say something, but my mind was still reeling. All I could do was look at him, my mouth hanging slightly open.

“Are you afraid of me?”

The question caught me off guard. Not because of what he was asking, but the way he was asking it. Steff’s voice trembled, and in his face I could see a fear so palpable I could almost taste it. He was beyond terrified that I would run into the forest screaming for help, or worse, call him a monster and walk away. I’d never seen him look so scared. It made my heart hurt seeing that look on his face.

Without hesitation, I stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. His arms encircled me and pulled me close. “I’m overwhelmed, yes. Scared? No, never. Not of you.” I tilted my head back and looked up at him. “Thank you for doing this for me. For showing me.”

“I’d do anything for you.”

The conviction in his voice told me all I needed to know. He really would. I could feel the truth in his words all the way down to my bones. He kissed me then, and it was unlike any kiss I’d ever experienced. He slid his fingers into my hair, holding me in the kiss, claiming me as his own. The kiss was carnal and animalistic, like the bear was still there, hovering right below the surface.

He pulled away, gasping, and ran a finger across my lips. “I need you to tell me now. Are you rejecting me? I have to hear it out of your mouth. I’m having a hard time controlling myself. The desire to claim you is almost too much, but I promise I won’t do that until you’re ready. If you do accept me, I’m taking you home and fucking you until neither of us can see straight.”

A pulsing heat spread through my core, and I was wet in an instant. I shifted, feeling his hardness throbbing against me. He growled and pulled me flush against his chest.

I splayed my hand on his chest and looked deep into his eyes. “I accept you. All that you are, and all that you will be.”

He swept me into his arms and carried me out of the forest. I seemed to weigh nothing to him, and his strength sent my already raging hormones into overdrive. I kissed him as he walked, running my fingers through his hair. The fire of lust was almost too much for me to stand. It took everything in me not to tell him to put me down and fuck me right there on the forest floor.

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