5. Hazel
5
HAZEL
M y eyes blink open at the sound of loud music playing and the smell of bacon in the air.
The cage is still sitting on top of the coffee table, giving me a full view of the man dancing in the kitchen in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that hug his muscular form.
I can't tear my eyes away from the alluring sight, and it's not only because he's half naked, but because at this very moment he's completely carefree.
The temporary happiness is beautiful on him, and as he turns around to reach for a cup of orange juice, his big green eyes brighten when they land on me.
"Morning, little guy. Ready to have some play time this morning?"
He scoops a few pieces of bacon and some eggs onto a plate, sauntering my way.
Sitting on the couch in front of me, he eats his food slowly as if savoring the taste of each bite.
I spot something orange on his plate, and it isn't until he holds it near my cage that I realize it's a carrot.
"Here you go, little guy. It isn't fair you get to watch me eat and not have a sweet treat of your own."
I clench my teeth around the orange vegetable, pulling it further into the cage. Carrots aren't only my favorite food in rabbit form, I also enjoy them as a human. I crunch loudly, hiding my face from the chuckling man who still chooses to remain shirtless.
A rush of warmth overcomes me, and a spell of dizziness has me dropping the carrot. Did he put something in my food to cause this sudden uneasiness? I stare at him again and my skin grows more heated. I need to get out of this cage and find a way to cool down somehow.
I nudge the water bottle with my nose, not able to get more out than a few drops at a time. The cool liquid is refreshing on my tongue so I continue to drink more, hoping it will cool off the rest of my body and help chase away this nausea. It doesn't. I lay down, closing my eyes, keeping them pressed together even when I can sense him approaching the cage.
"You okay in there? Was there something wrong with the carrot?" He sighs. "This is why I shouldn't have pets. I think I may have already killed you."
He lifts me from the cage and his gentle hands are more soothing than I expected them to be with how achy my bones are.
"It's okay, little guy, I've got you. I'm going to be honest, I don't know much about bunnies.”
I nudge his hand with my nose, trying my best to appear fine with the attempt to lessen his stress. Something about him being shaken up with worry has me wanting to come out of my skin even more. I can't stand the helpless look in his eyes. He not only thinks he failed his boyfriend, but his new pet too. His smile only dims my pain temporarily and then it's back times ten with an added tingling under my skin. I clench my teeth together, keeping my ears perked and eyes open.
“Oh thank goodness, you’re okay. You gave me such a fright, little one. You know it’s only you and me now. The house is less lonely with you around.” He presses a kiss to my nose and the cold touch of his lips sends a zap of electricity through me. I feel like a live wire has seeped inside my bones and every part of me starts to itch.
He stands up and sets me down in the cage, closing the door and forgets to snap it all the way shut. “How about you get some rest while I jump in the shower? We should hold off on the carrots for a bit in case this is all some bad reaction.”
He disappears down the hall and, with one push of my nose, the cage door falls open. My skin is tight, leaving me unable to shift. I jump out of the cage, ignoring the ache in my bones, hopping toward the shower. I need relief but not sure what will help me get it.
The sound of the water running is music to my ears, maybe if my skin got wet, I would get cool enough to shift. Squeezing between the open door and the wall, I hurry toward the white porcelain tub, scratching on the long white shower curtain covered in sunflowers. I keep digging my claws into the plastic until the man shoves it open, staring down at me and I buzz on the inside. It's not the water I need to be near. It's him. Oh no, oh no. This can’t be what I think it is.
His loud gasp has me jumping backward but it’s not enough distance to keep him from being able to reach me when he bends down, scooping me off the floor.
“How did you get out? Let's get you back in your cage."
I wiggle in his hands, trying to soak my fur in the water dripping off his skin while also rubbing against the inside of his soft palm. “Careful, you don’t want to fall into the water.” I shift some more, ignoring his warning, and crash hard on the bottom of the tub, landing on my paws directly under the spray of warm water.
I stretch my legs, growing bigger. I’m shifting. My relief doesn’t last long when I remember where I am. Oh no, I’m shifting. I shut my eyes tight, trying to fight the transformation but instinct takes over. My limbs grow longer and my brown fur sheds beneath me.
The man is staring at me in disbelief as I stand in front of him in human form, completely naked. His eyes roam my body, and he takes a step back with his mouth agape. “I’m hallucinating. My depression and loneliness have caused me to see things. I have officially lost my mind.”
“No, you haven’t,” I say. “What you see is real. I’m real.” I step closer and he backs further away.
“You...You’re....no, this can’t be. You were just a rabbit.” He tugs at his hair, eyes wild. “I got you from the pet store. You were just in your cage and covered in fur. You had pointy ears and a tail?—”
“And now I’m human,” I cut him off.
“How?” His head tilts, eyes turning to slits and placing a hand on the wall.
Not many humans know about shifters and most packs prefer to keep it that way. We aren’t supposed to mix with their kind and vice versa. That’s one major reason I tried to hold out here. The last place my father will look for me is in a human's home.
I sniff the air around us. My head is trapped in a fog and I'm unable to answer his question. His scent is heavenly, and his presence is like a giant, warm hug. I've never felt so safe and at home. This only confirms what a part of me has known since the first time he touched me.
Mate .
How can he be when Parker's a human?
My dad said it wasn't possible. Was he wrong? My bunny screams from inside me, begging for me to present myself to the man in front of me. My neck stretches outward with eagerness so it's easier for him to mark me with his mating bite.
I shake my head, trying to fight off my instinctual urges.
He swallows hard, stepping closer to me. "What are you?"
“I’m a shifter. I can change into human and animal form.” My hole twitches and body stiffens as slick drips down my leg. Oh crap. “I think I might be in heat.”
Why did I tell him what I was? I'm putting all my kind at risk. I couldn't stop the words from pouring out of me though, and the lie I was going to use for a cover story catches in my throat when I try to push it out. Lying to him feels wrong. Walking away and pretending this never happened does too. My fever hits again and a dizzy spell comes over me. His hand latches around my arm as I sway from side to side and my skin aches to be covered by more of him.
Mate .
Being in close proximity to him has triggered my heat. I need him. Every fiber of my being does.
Alpha.
Mate.