Clawed: Wild Things, Book 3 (12 page)

He nodded. “I understand. But just remember that whatever happens, whatever you see, I won’t hurt you.” His expression jolted and thrilled her. “I’d never hurt you. I care too much to ever harm you. You believe me, don’t you?”

He cares.
For a moment, only his declaration mattered and her pulse slowed. Did she care for him? She searched her feelings and found the answer. Yes, she did. She struggled to explain the why of it, then gave up. She cared. Why else would she have stayed?

“Do you trust me, Chloe?”

Did she? Could she trust this man she’d known for such a short time? Once again, her answer came swiftly. “I do.”

They regarded each other, and if he had asked, she would’ve gone anywhere with him. Surprised, she dipped her head, hiding the emotions she knew played across her face. How had she come to care for him so much, so fast?

Think, Chloe. Think with your head and not with your heart.

Regaining control, she lifted her head to find him still staring at her, his own emotions playing over his features. She took a deep breath. “Like I said. Show me.”

He nodded again, closed his eyes, then put his back to her.

At first she wasn’t sure he was doing anything because he stood so still. But then, as she narrowed her eyes, she noticed a subtle change coming over him. His skin, smooth before, became less distinct. She blinked, wondering if her eyes had clouded over. But the hazy outline covering his arms continued to spread over the rest of him. His broad shoulders grew wider, spreading outward as his torso thickened, becoming larger than any man’s could, even a giant of a man like Conan. Soon, the changes became clearer as coarse brown hair—no, fur—covered him.

Crack after teeth-gritting crack split the air and Chloe pressed her hand to her mouth against the painful noise. How could any human withstand the torture? She reached out for him, then drew back her hand as the man gave way to the beast. First one limb broke, then another as some limbs shortened and bent into odd angles while others thickened.

Chloe gasped and stumbled backward. Conan dropped to his hands seconds before his hands no longer existed. Instead, huge paws with deathly claws dug into the ground. A torture-ridden moan erupted from his thickened neck and he turned toward her. His eyes glowed, the darkness giving away to a liquid golden that overtook the black. A large snout filled the bear face, the lips pulled back to expose deadly fangs. Conan, the grizzly, shook his head and shuddered, moving his fur in small waves from his large head to the blunt tail.

Only moments had passed, and yet Chloe’s life had changed forever. A low growl rolled from the bear’s mouth, awakening her from her trance.

“Conan?” Unsure whether he’d heard her whisper, she tried again, forcing her voice louder. “Oh, my God. Is that really you?”

Conan took a step forward, his claws digging into the grass. That small movement sent her stomach leaping into her throat. She’d seen him change and knew the animal before her was the man she’d made love to. But had his mind, his thoughts changed along with the rest of him? Did he still think like a man? Did he remember who she was? She had to clench her fists to keep from fleeing.

Taking the biggest risk of her life, forcing herself to trust him more than she felt she should, she knelt to the ground and reached out her hand, her palm turned toward the sky. The bear cocked his head, then shifted on his paws as though deciding whether to charge at her. At once, he quieted, stopping in his tracks and snorting.

Chloe held her breath as he moved forward, slowly padding his way toward her. Her arm shook and a fine mist of perspiration formed on her forehead. She had no doubt that he could rip her apart with a single swipe of his paw. Fighting to keep from squeezing her eyes closed, she watched the giant animal lift its head and place its face against her palm.

He stretched his mouth open, and fear once again shook her. Was he going to bite her? Would he show his ferocious fangs seconds before tearing into her arm?

A low, slow rumble reverberated into her hand. Although similar to his growl, the sound was different. Softer, almost soothing like a mother cooing to her child. Chloe stared in amazement as the corners of the massive mouth curved upward. Was he smiling?

Tension seeped out of her. Conan the man was still in control. How else could he have given her a smile? She touched the other side of his face and he snorted again, startling her, but she didn’t pull away. Steeling herself, she skimmed her hand just low enough to run her thumb over his nose, letting the cold wetness dampen her skin. He opened his mouth, the hot air of his breath flowing over her fingers, and she slipped her hand back from his mouth and over the side of his face again. She gasped at the touch of the coarse hairs against her palm, then slid her hand up to rub the tip of his ear. A satisfied rumble rewarded her for her affection as he tilted his head, leaning into her caress.

“So you like that, do you?” She scratched the other ear and received another happy moan. “Just don’t expect this much attention every time, okay?” Every time? Would there be more times? Could she stand watching him change again? The pounding of her heart had slowed to a near-normal rate and the heat of her fear had cooled on her brow. Seeking the man inside, she couldn’t help but feel the presence of the animal too.

“You wouldn’t hurt me, would you, Conan?” She shook her head, as much as to reassure herself as to answer for him. “No, of course not. You said as much.”

Although not complete, the trust within her grew. She sat on her knees, nervous tension keeping her body taut, and studied him. “You really are amazing. Scary as hell, but amazing.”

Conan whined his disappointment. Why was she still afraid of him? Couldn’t she see past the beast to the man within? He’d been careful not to move in a way that would frighten her, but he could sense the underlying panic she held at bay. True, sometimes the bear would take over, shoving the human side of him down, but those times were rare and happened only when he was pushed too far. He would never allow the beast to harm her.

Her touch on his ears was intoxicating, reminding him of the way she’d touched him as they’d made love. Her caress soothed her, easing the alarm he could sense lay just below the surface. Tension left her body as she accepted him, learning about him as no other human had. Nonetheless, he could still feel her hesitancy to believe, to turn loose her anxiety along with her need to flee.

As gently as he could, he bumped his muzzle against her chest. She jolted, and he heard the beat of her heart speed up, smelled the fresh fear taking hold. Easing out a soft breath against her skin seemed to quiet her, but her initial reaction still bothered him. She hadn’t run from him as he’d feared she would. In fact, the moment she’d lowered her body to the ground, he’d celebrated. Then he’d frozen to the spot when he saw the panic his prancing had caused, how she’d misinterpreted his movement.

He inhaled, long and slow, taking in her fragrance. Her aroma flowed into his nostrils, the scent of her renewing his desire to shift back to human form and take her again. She possessed an arousing bouquet that was hers alone.

Leaning his head against her wrist, he listened for the rush of her pulse. To hear it calm brought another smile to his lips, one he hoped she’d recognize.

The noise in the bushes behind her kicked in his instincts and he abruptly lifted his head to search past her. Chloe fell backward, her hands flattening against the grass as the snarl formed on his lips. Her eyes widened, and although he jerked his head toward the forest in hopes of telling her where to look, she didn’t understand. Instead, she crab-crawled backward, the panic on her face wiping out the trusting expression she’d held moments before.

The hunter breaking through the trees sent Conan into a defensive posture. Although Chloe was safe, he couldn’t restrain the wariness he felt toward the man. Too many encounters with hunters had taught him to fear them. He reared up on his hind legs and roared. Chloe yelped and plopped down on her bottom, her face stricken, her mouth gaping. The hunter lifted his rifle and aimed at Conan.

“Conan! No!” Chloe scrambled to her feet, her attention still not focused on the hunter, her hands raised defensively.

Uttering an oath, the hunter lowered his gun when Chloe blocked his view. Turning his head to the side, he called into the woods behind him. “Hey, boys, get the hell over here. Hurry! This grizzly bear’s about to attack a girl.”

Finally aware of the man, Chloe whirled around. “No, no! You don’t understand. He’s not going to-”

The shot rang out and Conan heard the
whiz
of the bullet rush by his head. Fear erupted into anger for Chloe’s safety and rushed through him. He roared, ready to charge the hunter. Although his animal nature told him to attack, Conan did the only thing that would keep Chloe safe. He spun around and dashed into the water, barreling through to the other side of the pond and the woods beyond.

“I can’t believe this.” Nina dropped a stick into the flames of the campfire. “You’re both saying that Conan can transform into a grizzly bear. But how is that possible?” She tilted her head and arched one eyebrow. “You’re punking me, aren’t you? Come on. Confess, you guys. Did you really think I’d believe you? Although I’ve got to admit you had me going for a bit.”

“No, babe. We’re telling you the truth.” Billy reached over to take Nina’s hand. “My friend Conan is a shape-shifter.”

Chloe met Billy’s eyes and saw the determination mixed with sadness in them. She struggled to believe what she knew to be true. What she’d seen with her own eyes, not once but twice. Conan could change into a grizzly bear.

Her gaze dropped to the flames. She saw Conan there, his body morphing, twisting and bending into another form, a huge animal. Her gut clenched as it had before, fear that the beast inside him would take over, leaving nothing of the man behind. Resolving to control the panic, she stared into the fire and again experienced the curiosity and fascination that had come on the heels of that first terror.

The bear within the blaze took shape and she had to resist reaching out to touch him. She could see the dark brown fur giving way to a lighter shade around his eyes, then growing darker again with the curve of his body around his dark hump. Her hands itched, remembering how rough his fur had felt, and even now she could sense the pinprick of his bristles along her palm. She smiled, recalling the sensation of her thumb skimming the edge of his long snout, then running along his mouth.

Wincing, she imagined herself next to Conan as she moved her hand away, alarm spreading through her when he’d pulled his lips back. Even as she pulled away, she’d been certain he’d meant her no harm—until he’d reared up on his back legs.

If only she hadn’t let her panic send her scrambling away. She had to know more about the man-animal. How did he live? Where did he sleep? When would she see him again?

I should’ve sensed the hunter behind me. If I had, I could’ve shielded Conan from danger. I could’ve done something more than watch him run away
.

She could still hear the hunters gathering around her, asking her if she was hurt. Their concern, however, quickly turned to boasts for saving her from the ferocious animal.

I thanked them, for God’s sake
. The knot in her stomach tightened. But what else could she have done? Told them they’d shot at a man who could change into a bear?

No. Thanking them and promising to be more careful was all I could do. That and keep my mouth shut until they’d taken me back to Billy and Nina.

“Chloe?” Nina’s shake of her arm brought her out of her reverie.

“Yeah?” She hated her friend’s bewildered expression and recognized the struggle to understand. One glance at Billy confirmed that Nina needed her help to believe. “We aren’t kidding, Nina. Conan’s a shape-shifter.”

Nina’s tenuous smile faltered. “You’re serious, aren’t you? So when you saw him change at the stream…”

“It was real. It’s all real.” Or was it? Conan changing into an animal was real. But was the intimacy they’d shared as real?

They sat in silence, the sounds of the night mixing with the crackling of the campfire. Chloe waited, knowing Nina would soon want more answers.

“I want to see him change.”

Chloe refilled her glass of wine, swishing the liquid around in her mouth before swallowing. “I figured you would. But I don’t know where he is.” She pivoted to face Billy. “Do you?”

Billy averted his gaze from hers and dug the toe of his boot into the dirt. “He’s probably at the cave where we’ve been staying.”

“A cave? You two are living in a cave?” Nina ran a hand along his shoulder. “But why not stay in a tent? Or with me where you’ll be more comfortable? Not to mention safe.” She clutched his arm. “Not to say anything bad about Conan, but what if he changes while you’re asleep? Aren’t you afraid he might hurt you? After all, he’s a wild animal with animal reactions, right?”

Billy laughed, once again sending Chloe an unmistakable message with one look. “Conan wouldn’t hurt a fly unless he thought he didn’t have any other choice. The guy’s a big teddy bear, if you get what I mean. Besides—” he paused to take a breath, “—I’m kind of an animal, too.”

Nina’s eyes went wide and Chloe sputtered her drink. She’d never thought about Billy being a shape-shifter, but didn’t it make sense?

Nina’s hand dropped away from his arm. “Oh, my God. Are you a grizzly bear, too?” Her whisper held both fear and inquisitiveness.

“Me? A grizzly? With a big hump on my back? Puh-lease.”

Nina released a pent-up breath. “Wow, what a relief. Talk about having a heart attack.”

Billy squirmed in his seat. “Well, uh, you see…”

Nina may have missed seeing his uneasiness, but Chloe hadn’t. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more you’re about to tell us?”

“Because there is.” A flash of worry crossed his features. “Ladies, I’m not a grizzly. I’m a coyote.”

Nina’s laugh was cut short when neither Billy nor Chloe made a sound. Nina leaned away from him, her intense regard skimming him from head to toe. “A coyote?” She hopped up, strode to the other side of campfire and glared at him. “Is everyone in these hills a shape-shifter?”