Authors: Cassandra Cole
“Dumb bitch. Imma...Imma put you six feet under when I get you.” He slurred.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Her gaze narrowed to slits and she brought the skillet down on his head. The loud crack of iron on bone was strangely satisfying and as soon as the skillet came in contact with his head, he fell forward and went face first into the musty smelling, beer soaked carpet. It seemed like a good place for him.
She dropped the skillet, vaguely aware of the sound of beer bottles smashing underneath heavy metal. Katie took a step back from his unconscious form, her shoulders shaking as a laugh bubbled up from her chest. It was a hysterical sound that was drawn out of her purely on instinct. She didn’t know what else to do other than laugh.
He wouldn’t stay unconscious for long and Katie knew that. She ran back to her bedroom and snatched the drawing pad from under her bed and went out the front door, tripping on Michael on her way out. Cold rain stung her face as she ran into the dark Iowa night. A street light above her head buzzed and flickered, offering only a small amount of light.
Just past her driveway were the wheat fields she’d feared so much as a child and as a teenager. Getting lost in them once was enough of a scare to last a lifetime. She always felt like the vast fields might swallow her whole of she dared to go back into them. Katie glanced behind her at the open door being slammed open and closed by the vicious wind.
She could hear Michael's’ voice in her head, spitting venomous words into her ears. They trickled into her brain like poison, telling her she couldn’t do this. She was too weak to survive on her own. Katie
needed
Michael.
Just as she was considering turning back, she saw a dark shadow in the field. It was blurry and she couldn’t make out what it was, but she heard one very clear word in her mind.
Run.
Katie took off down the driveway, her bare feet sinking into the soft, cold mud as she ran for the wheat fields, clutching her drawing book to her chest. It was the only thing in that damn house that was important enough to grab. Water and mud splashed up onto her bare legs as she ran through the fields, stalks of wheat whipping her face. It was cold and painful but she felt alive for the first time in years.
The shadow creature was just in front of her and she felt that if she ran just a little further she might catch it. Katie wasn’t sure how long she ran through that storm but she did exactly what she said she was going to do. She ran until her legs buckled underneath her and she collapsed into the thick mud, still clutching her book.
She lifted her head and looked on as the shadow creature continued to move away from her. She held up her arm, pale skin illuminating under the full moon.
“Wait!” She called weakly, her voice thready from running. “Please come back! Don’t leave me out here!”
The cold and exhaustion finally hit her and she curled up in the mud, shivering violently as her vision started to go black. She decided that even if she died out here, it would be better than dying in that house. She was seconds from unconsciousness when she felt a cool, damp nose against her cheek and wet fur brushing her arm and face.
Katie couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes but curled her fingers in the creature’s warm fur, pulling herself onto its back and burying her cheek in the soft fur. The smell that filled her nose was one that reminded her of the woods. Pine and rain. It was a wonderful smell and a far cry from the putrid odor that filled her home. She took comfort in the smell and the softness of the fur, allowing herself to drift off.
*****
Katie half expected to wake up in the field with mud caked in her hair. If she was lucky Michael wouldn’t have found her yet and she would still be alive. Instead, she woke up warm and dry to the sound of a crackling fire. She reached up to tangle her fingers in her long blonde locks, only to find that it was braided back in one large plait.
Her sapphire gaze wandered what she could only guess was some sort of mansion. The floors were dark and made of expensive oak and paintings lined each wall. The bed was soft and covered in silk sheets and monstrous pillows stuffed with goose feathers. She put her hands flat on the bed and pushed herself up so that she could see the room better.
It was easily the size of a small house with two large archways on the left side, opposite the entrance. One led into a marbled bathroom and the other was a walk in closet already filled with clothes she could see herself wearing. Her brows knitted together, and her eyes swept to the wall opposite her bed, taking in the huge floor to ceiling windows that were blocked with heavy velvet curtains. How could a place like this exist? And how could it exist in Iowa?
Katie slipped out of the bed and went to the windows, looking for the cord that would pull the heavy curtains back. She gripped the golden colored rope and gave one strong pull. The curtains separated and when she saw the view her eyes widened and she gasped. There were mountains in the distance and huge rolling hills that were green for miles. Trees sprung up out of the ground no matter where she looked and a huge courtyard led out to a tree line so thick she could hardly see into the woods.
She was hardly concerned with the fact that she was wearing a long silky nightgown she knew wasn't hers. There were bigger problems to deal with at the moment. The biggest being that she knew she wasn’t in Iowa anymore.
Just as she started to turn away she spotted a vaguely animal shaped shadow in the tree line. It lumbered out of the woods and the shape became clearer as it approached the massive house. She squinted and gasped, a hand flying her slightly distended belly on instinct.
The animal coming forward was a large bear with fur as dark as the midnight sky and golden eyes that she could see, even from her balcony. She was surprised when that amber gaze landed on her and she took a step back, heart starting to flutter in her chest. There was something about a huge black bear making eye contact with her that frazzled her nerves.
She was about to turn and run but noticed her worn leather book in the animal’s mouth. It was at that moment that she remembered the warm fur and the smell of pines. This was the animal that saved her the night before.
Against all logic, she turned and ran out of the room and down the hallway lined with plush carpet and an expensive wooden banister. The cold marble stairs hardly registered in her mind as she searched desperately for a way out into the courtyard. She found a set of glass french doors and threw the curtains open.
She screamed and fell backwards, pain shooting through her hips as she hit the hard floors. Instead of a bear on the other side of the glass, there was a naked man. His impressive muscles rippled as he stepped onto the stone patio and moved forward, long black hair floating on the wind behind him. Tan skin glistened with sweat as he moved close enough for her to make out details. There were glass beads braided into his long hair and they caught the light of the sun, reflecting every color imaginable.
He stopped on the other side of the door and held up the leather bound book as if it were a peace offering. Katie's eyes were wide as he pushed the doors open and the cool summer breeze filtered into the airy kitchen.
The fact that he was naked didn’t seem to bother him at all and he stretched out one large hand, offering it to her. She knew she should have been scared but something about this man comforted her.
“Good morning, Katie.”
*****
The man looked Katie up and down for a moment before clicking his tongue and reaching out to help her stand but she smacked his hand away, pointing a finger at him.
“Don’t you touch me!”
Her voice rose in fear but the dark haired man couldn’t help but smile, remembering how petulant she’d been as a teenager. It seemed that some things never changed. He took a step back to put some space between them and hopefully make her feel more comfortable.
“I know you’re scared, Katie, but you have no reason to be. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She didn’t know why she felt she could trust this man but everything inside of her was telling her she was safe. She chewed her lip and pushed herself to her feet, looking him up and down to try and gauge him.
“How do I know you aren’t going to hurt me?” She pressed, keeping the distance between them. Even though her instincts were telling her she was safe, her brain was still questioning the entire situation.
He smiled and shrugged his broad shoulders, meeting her gaze with his own golden one.
“If I was interested in seeing you hurt, I would have left you in that field.” He said simply, leaning against the counter.
“You weren’t there! That was-” She stopped talking for a moment, frowning and looking at the floor.
Whatever saved her the night before was the same creature that meandered up towards the patio that morning. She swallowed thickly and looked up at him, her eyes wide. He offered her art book back to her, that pleasant smile still on his face. There were so many questions running through her mind and she didn’t even know where to begin. Those questions must have been written all over her face because he began to answer them, starting with his name.
“My name is Jason Morellos.” He said softly.
“Morellos...You own...You own all of those state parks.” She said softly, trying to connect this man to something. She’d heard his name in TV before and all she could remember was that he was rich and owned many national and state parks.
“I do. I own several across the nation including the state park your house was across from.”
“My house wasn’t across from a state park. Just some wheat fields.”
“There was a reason why there were never harvested.”
He leaned against the island counter and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and bewildered.
“You...Had it turned into a state park…” She whispered.
He nodded and stepped forward but she still backed away from him, unsure as to whether she could trust him or not. Jason stopped moving and frowned deeply.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Katie.”
She swallowed, eyes still cast down towards the hardwood floors.
“It’s just...Hard to have a conversation with you since...You’re kind of...Naked.”
He looked down and blinked, laughing. He was so used to being able to interact with his own kind without any kind of modesty that he hadn’t even considered that is au naturel state might make Katie uncomfortable.
“I see your point. Make yourself at home, Katie. This is as much your house now as it is mine.”
That statement confused Katie but she let it go for now, wanting to continue the conversation after he put some clothes on. Her sexually conservative upbringing didn’t completely killed her sex drive but it definitely made her very aware of her sexuality in a bad way. Feeling arousal often led to guilt, especially when it was a man she just learned the name of.
While Jason was gone, Katie took his advice and made herself breakfast. When she’d opened the fridge she was surprised to find large slabs of raw meat but could look past them for all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Michael was a fan of fried foods and canned spaghetti. He claimed that fresh fruits and vegetables were too expensive and the closest thing she got to fresh produce came out of a can.
She loaded her plate up with as much of the produce as she could and sat at the bar, devouring it like she hadn’t eaten for days. Katie’s mouth was full of mango when Jason came back into the kitchen and he smiled at her.
“You were hungry.”
“Starving, apparently.” She corrected.
He smiled and settled on a stool beside her, looking her up and down.
“It’s nice to see you smiling.”
She held up a finger, indicating he needed to wait for a moment. She swallowed her food and turned to face him, the same look of confusion on her face from before.
“How do you know who I am?”
“Well, I’ve been saving you all these years. I’ve gotten to know you pretty well.”
“Saving me…?” She whispered her voice breathless.
He smiled and stole a grape off her plate, catching her gaze.
“Don’t you remember the wheat field? When you were a little girl?”
Her mouth went dry and her eyes widened. She’d never told about that strange encounter. Her sister made her promise not to tell their mother about what happened in the field and Katie didn’t want to upset her sister so she’d agreed. Even her sister didn’t know how she managed to find her way out of the field. The older girl just guessed that it was dumb luck. The only two people in the world who knew about the figure in the field were her and Jason.
“You...You’re the shadow...The creature that saved me.” She whispered, eyes wide.
“I am. But...Don’t call me a creature. It makes me feel like an animal,” He said, smiling and tucking his long hair behind his ear. “I’m a bear shifter. I can change into a bear.” He explained, stealing another grape while she sat there dumbfounded.
“So...You...were the bear I saw in the window.”
“You got it.”
“And you’ve been watching me my entire life...Keeping me safe…”