BEARed to You(7)

That had been the first time he’d felt like this, the first time he’d changed into whatever beast he was now. It had surprised and confused him, both times.

Trying frantically to hold on to his humanity, which seemed to be fading quickly, he looked down. Thick brown fur covered his arms and hands. His fingernails had lengthened into long black claws. What was happening to him? This was impossible.

He looked at his woman. Her eyes. She was terrified. He could smell her fear. The scent was bitter, like burned coffee. It called to the beast, to the predator he had become.

He wanted to chase her.

He wanted to take her.



Abby knew it was futile, that nobody would hear her, but she screamed again. Mid-shriek, though, she realized that her reaction to the animal seemed to be making things a whole lot worse. The louder she screamed, the fiercer the animal’s stance, the more it bared its teeth and the louder it growled.

Somehow, she shut up, smacking her hand over her mouth to make sure she didn’t scream again. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hand, which was still firmly holding back another shriek by some miracle, shook so badly she struggled to keep it in place. But with her silence, the animal’s terrifying growling stopped.

In serious need of oxygen, she choked on a sob of relief and released her mouth to drag in a much-needed deep breath. Her eyes never left the huge animal standing on its hind legs in front of her. It sniffed the air, kind of shuffled back and forth.

It looked…confused.

To think a man lingered inside there somewhere. A man who seemed so normal and level headed. Right now, did the human being—or more specifically the conscience only humans possessed—rule the animal? Or did raw, untamed instinct rule the man? How could she know? She might be safe if it was the former.

And dead if it was the latter.

Her reactions mattered somehow. Why? Hadn’t she read that animals could sense a person’s fear? Was that it? Keeping her eyes on the animal, she consciously tried to slow her breathing, calm her nerves. It was close to impossible with an animal that big and potentially dangerous standing a few feet from her, but she knew she had no choice. More than any other time, she was grateful for the yoga she’d practiced for years. It seemed to be helping both of them. As she calmed, the bear tipped its head, regarding her like a puppy. Yes, it seemed to be true. Somehow the bear sensed her terror.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, willing her heart rate to slow. The fear to leave her.

Inside the animal lay hidden the heart and soul of a man. A man who she didn’t know, granted, but a man she’d sensed was not a cold-blooded killer. She rejected the fear. It would do her no good. A tentative peace took its place.

Blinking open her eyes, she checked to see what the bear was doing.

It was on all fours now, its head lowered, its gaze traveling over her. Had she discovered the key to taming the beast? Could it be so simple?

“It’s okay, Tarik. It’s okay,” she murmured in the most soothing voice she could muster.



His mind fought a battle with the blind instinct trying to take over. Caught in the middle of an inner war, Tarik backed away from the woman. She was so beautiful, her full breasts, curvy hips, softly rounded stomach and smooth thighs. His body, this strange new body, wanted to claim her. But what little remained of the man he had once been wouldn’t allow it. He sat back on his rump, raised his head and sniffed the air again. The bitter scent of her fear had faded.

Then she did what he hadn’t expected. Her gaze focused on his face, she slowly stood, lifted her hand and stepped forward, whispering comforting words as she walked. Like magic, her gentle touch released him from the beast’s grip. His roar of agony as the change reshaped his muscles and bones turned to a fading scream.

The room fell silent.

She visibly swallowed. Her eyes were wide as saucers. “Y-you changed. You’re back.”

He wanted to comfort her, to tell her it was okay. He wanted to protect her too. What would have happened if he’d lost the battle with the beast? What would he have done to her? “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“I’ll tell you what’s happening. You turned into a bear. Holy effing shit.”

“That’s impossible. People can’t change into animals. I know that for a fact. I study genetics for a living. There isn’t a genetic disorder known that causes animals to change into other species. It just doesn’t happen.”

She raised trembling hands to her mouth. “I’d say it’s impossible too, except I saw it with my own two eyes.”

“This makes no sense.”

“I don’t understand it either. But it seemed that when I stopped being afraid, you changed back.”