Grumbling, Wyatt stood and carried her to the bed and set her down. He started pacing. Jinger had seen this before. Clearly pacing and ranting was how Wyatt worked through problems. Something she was going to have to get used to she guessed.
“So, my family can change. Into something else, or really someone else but that’s not the important part,” he said his hands on his hips as he paced the small space beside her bed.
Jinger watched then decided they were going to be there all night at this rate. “Change into what Wyatt? A bat? Are you a vampire? Cause I saw that movie and I have to admit, it wasn’t bad,” she joked.
“No! Seriously, vampires?” He looked at her mockingly. “Have you ever heard of…shifters?”
He stopped at the last word and turned to her.
“Shifters. Like werewolves? You’re telling me you’re a werewolf?” She couldn’t help the mocking sound that came out.
“What? Werewolves don’t live around here. We’re bears,” he said crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m sorry, bears? Like grrr bears?” She was starting to feel she was on a hidden camera show. That would be a really mean thing to do to a person with a brain injury she thought.
“Yes, bears. My whole family is bears. Different kinds, since we don’t get to pick the bears, they pick us,” he said sitting back down across from her.
“You’re telling me you can change into a bear. So can Cage and Conner and your mom and dad? Bears, like furry, giant clawed, fish eating bears?” She realized he wasn’t laughing and she was starting to panic a bit. The love of her life was insane. He thought he was a bear for god’s sake. How was she going to tell her parents he was nutters?
Seeing the panic rise in her, Wyatt stood and came over and tried the approach he used last time to convince her he was serious. He got down on his knees beside her bed and looked up to her.
“I’m one hundred percent, truly a bear. Mine’s a Grizzly, just like Conner. Cage is a Kodiak, but that’s just because he’s destined to be an Alpha. Mom is a black bear and dad is a brown bear. My grandparents are bears and my cousins too. We have close family friends that are Cougars that live in California. Shifters don’t usually mix, but since we all have the same secret it’s best to stay on talking terms,” he explained.
“I’m still me, still Wyatt, Jinger. Nothing else is different. I live a totally normal life, except sometimes I turn into a bear and run around in the woods. My bear is very bossy and needs to go out to run pretty often,” he admitted.
Jinger didn’t know if it was the brain damage or maybe she’d taken too many pain meds today, but she had the distinct feeling she was starting to hallucinate. There was no way this was a normal conversation to be having. She decided she didn’t want this in her life, she couldn’t handle it right now. She had too much on her plate to deal with a bear boyfriend and she told him so.
“Wyatt, I can’t take this. I can’t accept this and pretend that I think this is normal or hell if this is even real. You can’t be a ducking bear!” she shouted.
She saw the smirk on Wyatt’s face, then he broke out in peals of laughter. “I’m sorry beautiful, but you’re right, I’m not a ducking bear, I’m a fucking bear. I can’t change here in the hospital to prove it to you. But you’ve seen the yellow in my eyes before, how they almost glow. That’s him. He’s kinda a grumpy gus, but he’s not bad. And he’s crazy about you. He wants to meet you so bad, he’s growling all the time.”
Jinger remembered his glowing eyes. They were strange, not natural. She looked at him now and saw the bright glow he spoke of.
“Watch, but don’t panic okay?” Wyatt held his hand. He warned his bear this was not a full transformation and to stay in control. He let his bear stretch out and saw the look of shock on Jinger’s face as she watched his normal nails turn into long dark claws.
She hesitantly reached out and ran a finger down the length of one. She didn’t scream or jerk away, but he didn’t want to push it so he pulled them back and waited for her.
“Really,” she asked in a whisper.
“Really. I’m still me, baby. I still love you and want to be with you. The question is whether you can accept me for who I am? For all that I am.” Wyatt had both of her hands held tight and Jinger could feel the trembling in his.
This big strong man was scared to lose her. And she didn’t want to lose him either. She’d just seen something she couldn’t explain. But it didn’t scare her. She was confused and a little queasy about the idea of a giant bear. Not known to be the friendliest of creatures regardless of what the cartoons say. She decided she had to compromise, it was too much for her to take, but she knew even if she didn’t know who his bear was, she knew him.