Page 62 of Whisked Away
“The real me scares some people. It has... before.”
“This isn’t before,” I whisper, as if I could erase Dean from the room. I know better, of course—our apartment is smaller than a breadbox. “You can trust me.”
“I think I can. And I want to show you. But—no matter what happens, promise me you won’t panic. That’s why Dean is here. He won’t let anything bad happen to you, okay?”
I glance quickly at Dean, who’s moved closer, his focus entirely on Ethan. Ethan steps away from me, his gaze dropping, head bowed like he’s bracing for something heavy.
I want to tell him that whatever it is, I can handle it—that I’ve already seen the real him. But before the words leave my mouth, something happens.
It starts with a shimmer in the air, like heat rising off sun-baked pavement. Ethan’s skin pulses with a soft golden light. The air around us crackles, charged with energy, thick with the sensation of a storm on the horizon.
The same glistening magic Zoe had shown me in Magnolia Cove surrounds Ethan, but this is different. It’s not just a spark—it’s alive, vibrating with power, as if every cell in his body is singing in a language I can’t understand but feel deep in my bones.
His eyes, normally pale blue, flare with an inner fire, the color swirling in a whirl of gold and amber against a sea of endless black. The transformation is breathtaking, and yet, utterly terrifying. I can’t look away.
I hold my breath, watching as his fingernails stretch into sharp claws. Golden-brown fur ripples across his skin, replacing his flesh in an instant. His hands, once soft and gentle, elongate into massive paws, tearing through his clothes as they fall to the floor in shredded remnants.
My heart pounds, the world shrinking to this moment—this impossible, breathtaking moment.
Where Ethan stood a moment before, there is now a massive bear. For a terrifying second, I choke on my breath. Dean dashes forward, positioning himself between the bear and me.
I stumble back toward the kitchen, my back colliding with a stool. It topples with a thud. The bear cowers, ducking its head, its brows furrowing together.
That’s when I realize—it’s not a bear I’m looking at. Not really.
“Ethan?” I whisper.
The bear’s eyes look nothing like Ethan’s. But somehow, I know it’s him. And he’s not frightening. This is Ethan—the gentlest man I’ve ever met. The baker who coaches a boy who needs to see that you don’t have to fit the mold to matter. The man who hands out free treats to neighborhood kids and talks about baking with passion and vigor.
And a person who can change into a bear, apparently.
I realize it changes nothing. I spent a night wrapped in his arms without a drop of fear. Gulping down a deep breath, I straighten.
This is still Ethan. And even though a wild creature takes up the limited floor space in my apartment, I know it—he—won’t harm me.
Istep forward, slowly raising my hand. Ethan-the-bear pulls back slightly. Dean moves even closer, and I want to shove him away. Ethan wouldn’t hurt me. He only ever fought to protect me, and now that all the secrets are out, there’s nothing left between us but the truth.
My hand lands on the fur around his face, and the bear shudders, but I twine my fingers into the thick strands. “I see you, Ethan,” I say, my voice steadier than I expected. “And I’m not afraid.”
In a blink, he’s back—human, naked, and crouching on my cheap laminate floor. I barely notice the lack of clothing as I drop to my knees beside him and pull him into a fierce hug. His arms wrap around me, strong and sure.
“Okay,” Dean’s gruff voice breaks the spell. “This is outside of my pay grade. Where’s your bathroom?”
I point vaguely down the hall, not taking my eyes off Ethan. As soon as we hear the bathroom door close, I cup Ethan’s face in my hands and tilt it up, trying to make out the bear in his features, but I can’t see it anymore.
“This is what you were hiding?”
Color flushes his cheeks. “I’m dangerous, Alex. Even other people with magic fear shifters.”
I study his strong jaw, the length of his nose, still searching for the powerful creature I just witnessed. All I see is Ethan—kind, gentle Ethan with his soft blue eyes and a worried frown. “You don’t seem dangerous to me.”
“You’re not… afraid? Or disgusted?”
I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips. “Ethan, I’ve heard you wax poetic about sugar grades. I’ve listened to you patiently teach Jas how to pipe the perfect rosette. The most dangerous thing about you is how easily you’ve made me fall in love with you. If this is the only thing standing between us, then there’s nothing standing between us at all.”
His eyes widen, something blooming within them, making them sparkle. “Alex, I?—”
My mouth finds his, cutting off his words. The kiss is gentle and warm. “I love you,” I say when I finally pull back. “All of you. The baker, the shifter, the man who unfairly won theBaking Bonanzawith his kitschy shortcake.” He chuckles, and my fingers find their way into his curls. “I love the man who can transform into a bear just as much as I love the man who can transform simple ingredients into something magical. You’re not dangerous to me. You’re… You’re the first time I’ve felt like I’ve found home.”
