Chapter 4
FOUR
Daisy
When I wake up the next morning, I smile. For the first time in maybe ever, I’m well-rested and happy. It’s such a foreign feeling. I’m so focused on how good I feel that it takes me a few minutes to realize where I am and everything that happened last night.
I groan as I roll over in bed and bury my face in my pillow.
“What even is my life?” I grumble into the soft mound.
“Are you okay?”
I gasp and roll over to stare up at Knox.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, his dark eyes worried as they roam over my body.
“No, I’m okay. Just… talking to myself.”
He relaxes and sits on the bed next to me. “What are we talking about?”
I bite back a laugh. I love that Knox never seems to judge me. He believed me about the bogus robbery charges just like that. He took me home, gave me his room, and promised to help me clear up all of this mess. Now, he’s sitting here acting as if my talking to myself is completely normal.
It’s only been twelve hours, but I think Knox might be the best person I’ve ever met. He’s so calm. So sweet and patient and generous. I lucked out when he found me last night.
“Just wondering what life will throw at me next,” I murmur.
“It’ll be okay,” Knox says, reaching over and squeezing my hand.
“I want to believe you,” I whisper.
He gives me a sad smile. “I actually have a couple of questions for you.”
My anxiety ratchets up a notch as I wait for him to go on.
“I had a friend look into Joe’s police department, and he’s identified a few other dirty cops.”
I sigh. “I’m not surprised. I figured it wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this.”
“Some of it was rumors—granted, multiple rumors that seem to show a repeated pattern—but he also found concrete evidence.”
“On Joe?” I ask hopefully.
“Not yet. We found a stalking complaint, but the victim moved away when the police buried her complaints. It still might help, though. It shows that he’s done this before and gotten away with it.”
“Maybe.” I bury my face in my hands, taking a deep breath. “This is all so crazy. I mean, even if we find out that Joe has done this to ten other women, I don’t think it’ll change anything.”
“It might,” Knox insists.
I shake my head. “I should go back and face the charges. Maybe a judge and jury will believe I’m innocent.”
“No. You’re not leaving,” he says forcefully.
“Knox, I—”
“You’re not leaving. I’m not letting you go,” he growls.
“What?” I croak out, growing nervous. “What do you mean?”
Knox suddenly looks anxious, setting off louder alarm bells inside my head.
“I—Listen, we need to talk about something else.”
I stare at him, wondering what else he could’ve found about Joe and the police.
What could be worse than being framed for a crime I didn’t commit? And why does he always change the subject whenever I ask what he means about me being his and not leaving?
“Have you heard of shifters?”
I stare at him blankly. Did he say shifters? I scramble to figure out if I misheard him or if he misspoke.
“Do you mean stalkers?” I finally ask.
“No. Shifters.” He enunciates the word clearly.
I gape at him as my brain tries to comprehend what he’s telling me.
“It’s someone who can change between human and animal forms.”
He says it so sincerely, but all I can think is that he’s crazy.
I stop that thought. Knox believed me, and I’m sure I sounded crazy talking about Joe and the charges. He’s been nothing but honest and open with me. If he can do that for me, I can give him a chance to explain.
“Okay,” I say, hoping he’ll go on.
“I am one,” he says slowly.
He holds my gaze, looking for signs of what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling.
“You’re a shifter?” I ask, trying to keep the judgment from my tone.
“Yeah, a bear shifter.”
“All right.”
“I’ll show you my bear. He can’t wait to meet you.” Knox pauses. “But there’s more.”
“More?”
God, I wish I could say more than one word at a time.
“Shifters have fated mates. We have one person who’s perfect for us. Our soulmate.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Shifters don’t date; they don’t need to. We’ll never love or be with anyone but our fated mate.”
“Sounds nice,” I muse. “To be so certain about that, I mean.”
“It is, but it can be hard to find your mate.”
“Oh.”
“But you’re mine. You’re my mate. I knew it last night.”
“I—How can you tell?”
“It’s your scent. My bear and I could smell it as soon as we got close to you.”
“What do I smell like? Last night, it was probably grease and oil,” I joke.
Knox grins. “No, you smell like citrus. Like lemons and oranges and pineapple. It’s addictive.” He leans closer, inhaling deeply. “When I said you were mine, I meant it. You’re my everything.”
I blush at the look on his face, wondering how to respond to that.
“I know this is all different for you because you’re a human, but I hope you’ll be able to feel the connection between us. You need more time to get to know me, and that’s fine. I’ll prove I’m perfect for you. I’ll show you that no one will ever love you more or better than I will.”
I want to tell him I can already feel the connection, but I’m uncertain if what I’m feeling is the same as him. I’m attracted to Knox. Who wouldn’t be? I’m comfortable around him, and he makes me feel safe. But is that the same as what he’s describing?
“Your feelings might be more intense during the full moon in a few days.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What happens during the full moon?”
“It’s the mating moon. It’s when shifters and their mates experience an intense need to be together… sexually.”
“The mating moon,” I whisper.
“You might not feel any differently. I’m not sure if humans feel it or not. I can ask around if you want?”
“When is it?”
“Two days from now. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he rushes to reassure me. “I would never pressure you. We’ll go at your pace. But I wanted to prepare you for it.”
I relax. “Okay.”
I’ve gone my whole life not trusting anyone, but I trust Knox. Being with him feels right. I think he might really be my soulmate.
“Do you want to meet my bear?” Knox asks.
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
He grins, pushing off the bed. I smile, watching as he kicks off his boots, then reaches for his shirt.
My eyes widen as he pulls it over his head, and I hold up a hand when he reaches for his pants. “Wait! Uh… what are you doing?”
“If I shift wearing my clothes, they’ll rip,” he explains.
“Right.”
I glance away as he pushes his pants and boxers down, my cheeks heating with a fierce blush.
“Ready?” he asks gently.
I take a deep breath and turn to look at him. Our eyes lock as he steps back. I watch in shock as he changes. It happens fast—crazy fast. One minute, he’s Knox, and in the blink of an eye, a bear is standing beside the bed.
“Whoa!” I squeak, my eyes wide as I stare at the black bear.
I freeze, my heart racing as the bear prowls closer. His nose brushes the back of my hand, and I suck in a sharp breath.
This is insane.
Crazy
And completely real.
I reach out with shaking fingers, brushing my hand tentatively over his head. The bear grumbles happily. I giggle, feeling braver, and scoot closer, stroking my fingers through his fur. I scratch one of his ears, eliciting a deep rumble of approval.
“So soft,” I murmur.
He steps back after a few minutes, shifts back to human form, and pulls on his clothes. Once he’s dressed, he turns to look at me. We lock eyes, both at a loss about what to say or where to go from here.
Finally, he takes a deep breath and breaks the silence. “So, yeah…”
I can’t help it.
I laugh.