Chapter 4
Mira
The first thing I see when I wake up the next morning is Ansel’s worried face. He smiles, his expression relaxing as soon as I open my eyes.
“Morning,” he says, helping me as I move to sit up. “How are you feeling?”
“Good. A little sore. Hungry,” I mumble, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
“I made breakfast. Christian said you should take the medicine with food so you don’t feel nauseous.”
He places a pillow on my lap, taking a moment to make sure I’m settled, then sets a plate piled high with bacon, pancakes, fruit, and eggs in front of me.
“I made a bit of everything. I wasn’t sure what you liked or would be hungry for,” he says sheepishly as he looks at the amount of food on my plate.
My stomach growls loudly. “This is amazing. Thanks.”
I dig in, practically inhaling the food. When was the last time I ate? I’m not sure how long I was out for, and I don’t remember eating before Ridley and I went to the office.
“Feeling better?” Ansel asks once I’m done.
I nod. “Much. Thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he says, taking our empty plates to the kitchen.
When he comes back, he seems anxious, which puts me on edge. I watch as he shifts on his feet, his big body coiling tight with nerves.
I take a deep breath, fidgeting with the pillow on my lap. “Is something wrong?”
“I was wondering what you remembered from last night.”
I frown, trying to replay what happened yesterday. “Um, I remember jumping from the truck, the men, you getting shot, the doctor.”
He nods like he wants me to go on, watching me intently.
I sit up straighter on the couch, trying to remember what happened after that, but my brain is fuzzy from the pain medicine and utter exhaustion.
Then a memory of him telling me that we were soulmates hits me. My head spins, and I grimace as I bend my knees and my ankle presses into the couch.
“Careful. Here,” he says, passing me pain medicine and a glass of water.
“Thanks.”
I swallow the pills, praying that they kick in soon.
“I remember some of it,” I admit as Ansel sits in the chair next to me. “But it doesn’t really make sense to me.”
“What do you remember?”
I lift my eyes to his. “You said we were soulmates.”
“We are,” he confirms.
“And you’re a teddy bear.”
He chuckles. “Not quite.”
“And something about fate.”
He nods, clasping his hands between his knees.
I grimace. “It’s all kind of jumbled in my head.”
Ansel clears his throat. “I shouldn’t have said anything while you were on pain medication.”
“Well, you can tell me now,” I offer. “Before this next dose kicks in.”
“I said I was sure we were soulmates because I’m a bear shifter.”
I frown as his words from last night come back to me.
“What’s a shifter?”
“Someone who can change between an animal and a human form. I’m a bear shifter.”
“That’s fitting. You’re all big and cuddly like a teddy bear.”
“I patted your head,” I say.
“Yeah,” he says, watching me like he’s waiting for me to do something.
I’m not sure what to do or how to react. I mean, he sounds insane, but that doesn’t really fit with my first impression of him. He’s been nothing but kind and honest.
I feel bad that I don’t believe Ansel because he’s been so good to me. He doesn’t strike me as a liar, but I’m clearly not a great judge of character if I believed the people at the education center.
I wish what he said was real. I wouldn’t mind having him as my soulmate. He’d keep me safe and love me the way I always wanted to be loved.
I try to shake off that thought, but it’s impossible. Ansel is the first person I’ve ever been attracted to. That feels important somehow, but after being kidnapped, I’m having a hard time trusting my judgment and intuition.
“You don’t believe me,” Ansel says, breaking the silence.
I give him an apologetic look and whisper, “I can’t.”
He straightens his shoulders, his expression determined now. “I’ll prove it to you.”
“How?”
He stands. “I’ll shift for you so you can see that I’m telling the truth.”
“Shift for me?”
He nods, tugging his shirt over his head. “I’ll change into my bear. He’s been dying to meet you.”
“Right,” I say slowly, averting my gaze as he pushes down his sweatpants and boxers.
He moves away from the couch so I can see him.
“Um…” My cheeks blaze as my eyes lock onto his ass, and my mouth waters at the thick muscles in his legs and back.
“Ready?”
I blink, tearing my eyes away from his naked body to meet his golden gaze. “Huh?”
“Watch,” he instructs.
I keep my eyes locked on his face, or I try to, anyway. When I see his body starting to change, I gasp, my eyes widening as fur, teeth, and nails all grow in the blink of an eye. Within a few seconds, Ansel transforms into a beast.
I freeze in shock, unable to move or think as I stare at the giant bear with the same light brown eyes as Ansel. Knowing it’s him is the only thing preventing me from running away, though I wouldn’t get far on my injured ankle. Not that I could outrun a bear even if I wasn’t injured.
When the bear takes a step toward me, I leap to my feet, yelping as I put weight on my ankle.
Instantly, Ansel shifts back, grabbing the brace off the coffee table and kneeling to wrap it around my ankle. “Sit down. I won’t hurt you.”
I plop back down on the couch. “It’s a shock to see a bear coming at you.”
He smiles slightly. “It’s still me.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” I mumble as he steps back.
This time, I watch more closely as he shifts into his bear form. Like the first time, the whole process only takes seconds to complete.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” I admit.
The bear grumbles, stepping toward me slowly. I know he’s giving me time to calm down, and I appreciate it. This whole situation is so surreal. I always thought I’d run if a bear got within a hundred feet of me. Instead, I find myself reaching out with shaky fingers to pet his head.
“Soft,” I murmur, letting my fingers sink into his thick fur.
The bear rumbles happily, tilting his head so I can scratch his ears and run my hands over his back.
I lean against the couch cushions as my pain meds kick in, fighting my heavy eyelids as Ansel’s bear lumbers around the coffee table and shifts back to his human form.
“Okay.” I say, laughing softly. “Either you’re telling the truth and that just happened, or the doctor gave me some really strong drugs.”
“It happened. It’s true,” Ansel says urgently.
I manage a nod before my eyes close and I drift off to sleep.