46. Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Six
Ash
H er boyfriend turns into a bear. She doesn’t know what this is, magic or otherwise.
Has never seen anything like it, never heard of anything like it.
Of course, there have always been stories of shapeshifters, monsters who come out at night to kill and maim.
But here with Raif, she doesn’t feel any fear from him.
There had been fear at first, of course.
Seeing his change and his bones break and shift and watch him sprout fur, well, that had been a lot.
But he’s clearly gentle like this. Letting her touch him all over, stroke his soft belly and shoulders.
Letting her rub his very adorable ears till he’s practically purring.
“I always knew you were a giant teddy bear,” she says, resting the side of her face against his chest. He’s still sitting up on his haunches, and she crowds in close to him, wrapping her arms around his middle.
He slowly lifts one arm and places his paw on her shoulder, he lowers his face till he’s snuffling in her hair, and she laughs.
“Do I smell good?”
He nods his head yes, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to a bear nodding at her. She lets her body go lax and rests against him till she’s sitting in his lap. He rounds his body and licks her cheek tentatively.
“It’s okay, Raif, I’m okay. I was a little freaked out, of course, I mean, this is really weird shit. But I’m okay, I’m not scared of you.”
He butts his cold nose against her forehead, and she reaches up to stroke his head.
After a while, he nudges her, and she climbs off of him, standing back and watching him.
He stands on all fours, moves around till he’s shifting back.
Now that she’s not freaked out, she watches him.
His whole body twists and turns, fur recedes, and she can hear the snapping of bones.
Finally, he is there, naked and strong, standing in front of her. He looks weary, scared.
“Are you...Are you afraid of me?”
“No, Raif. I am hoping you can answer some questions for me, though.”
He strides over to her quickly, taking her face in both his hands and kissing her hard.
“I love you, Ash. I should have told you before I shifted. I’ll answer anything. I’m so glad you stayed.”
The last part sounds broken, and she surges up to kiss him. They kiss for a long time till he pulls away, blushing.
“What?” she asks, searching his eyes as to why he’s suddenly blushing like this.
“I’m naked, and you’re pressed up against me, and we’re kissing Ash.”
She looks down, and there is his very erect cock, standing up and looking at her with its wet tip.
“Do you want me to?” she reaches her hand out to him, totally willing to help him out with his little problem. When her fingertips touch his cock, he stops her with a groan and a hand on hers.
“No, baby, not right now. We have a lot to discuss first. Then, then I’ll take you apart.”
She can’t help but shudder at his words.
They are back in his cabin, and he’s got her tucked under a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa when he clears his throat. The walk back to his cabin had been quiet. He kept shooting her little glances, and she would smile and squeeze his hand, but he didn’t talk much.
There’s fear in his eyes. After everything, he still seems to be afraid she’s going to run.
“I want to apologize for not telling you sooner, Ash. It’s...this is a big secret. Not just for me, but my whole family. We are all bear shifters, have been for generations.”
“So, your brothers are too? Bear shifters?”
“Yes, my brothers, father, grandfather.”
She nods, not sure what this means. Can he even be with her, be in a relationship with her if she’s not a shifter? Can that even work out? She lowers her head and looks at the mug in her hands, running her finger over the rim.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m human. I mean, doesn't that mean we can’t be together? If you have to be with another bear shifter?”
His smile is soft.
“No, baby. Chloe, Axel’s wife, is human. We can be with humans as well as other shifters.”
“And this is a secret?”
“Yes, you can’t ever tell anyone, Ash. The public doesn’t know. We hope the government doesn’t know. It’s been a secret for a long time, and if people were to find out, we’d most likely be hunted down and captured or killed.”
Tears well up at the thought that someone would want to kill Raif based on the fact that he can shift into a bear. But she gets it, people wouldn’t understand. They wouldn't care that Raif is a good person who cares deeply for others, they would see him and his family as a threat.
“I won’t tell anyone, ever. It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Thank you.”
He takes her free hand and kisses her knuckles. Holding her hand and rubbing his thumb over the back of it.
“I need to ask Ash. Are you upset with me?”
“No, why? Why would I be upset with you?”
“Because I lied to you, Ash. I withheld this huge part of myself. I started dating you, fell in love with you, all with this huge secret.”
She takes a moment to think. What he’s saying is true, he did lie to her, lie by omission. He became her boyfriend, and she fell for him, all while he was keeping this from her.
“Would you not have told me?”
“No, I knew it was time. Every day, I struggled with telling you. I wanted to, I did. But I wasn’t sure how you were going to take it. And honestly...I thought you were going to leave and run away. I wanted as much time with you as possible.”
“Did you really think I was the type of person to run away from you?”
There’s irritation in her voice, anger. She can’t help the way it bubbles up. That he thought, after all they’d been through together, that she would leave him.
“You’re an amazing person, Ash. The most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life. And I count every day I get to spend with you as blessed. And I know deep in my heart you will always accept every part of me.”
He pauses, looks down at his hand still stroking hers.
“I was scared, Ash. I didn’t want to lose you.”
His voice is quiet, strained with emotion, and she can’t take it any longer. She grasps his chin and tilts it up so his eyes meet hers.
“It’s okay, Raif. It’s okay.”