Bear Next Door (Shifter Protection Agency Book 1) Read online

  “Laura?” Stella was leaning forward in her chair, dark lips pulled down into a concerned frown.

  “I’m fine,” she said quickly, actually wincing at how fake she sounded. Thankfully, Stella didn’t push it. “When do you think you’ll have some results for me?” she asked, suddenly wanting nothing more than to go back home and think. Maybe even break out some graph paper to make sense of the mess she’d landed herself in.

  Stella got up and grabbed the bag off of the table, holding it up to the light consideringly. The platforms, with all their height, only made her as tall as Laura so she still had to get onto her tiptoes to reach the light. Laura tried not to laugh at how adorable it made her look.

  “At least overnight, maybe a couple of days, depending…” she looked back at Laura, head tilted. “That okay with you?”

  “Of course, I know you must be busy. I’m surprised you said yes at all to be honest.”

  “I’ve always had a curious streak,” Stella said with a shrug, putting the bag back on the desk and sitting on top of it. “I get side-tracked very easily,” she said with an almost feral grin, reaching into the top pocket of her lab coat which Laura noticed had a hand-embroidered skull and crossbones sewn onto it. “Take my card and call me in a couple of days.” Laura took the proffered card, also covered in skulls, and left Stella to it.

  If Sam is a shapeshifter, she thought to herself on the walk home, it would make sense that he didn’t tell me for the same reason the police didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on. Laura had no idea how she was supposed to feel, but she had way too many questions that needed answers and, no matter what he might look like, Sam was a person she’d grown to trust… To love.

  She had to talk to him.

  15

  Sam

  In retrospect, Sam should have known something like this was going to happen. Working for what was essentially a police department for shifters always meant there was a chance of a surprise attack, either by angry shifters or crazy humans determined to prove they existed. Sam looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom and let out a long sigh. He should have told her, wanted to tell her, but he’d been waiting for the right time… On a walk in the forest maybe? She once told him she liked the woods where she grew up… That would have been perfect.

  He’d contemplated staying in Laura’s house in case any more freaks of nature were sent her way but the way she’d flinched back when he reached for her…he couldn’t bear it. So he’d run. Like a coward. After tidying up the ruined sofa…and most of her belongings… Oh god, that was weird, wasn’t it? Who tidies someone else’s stuff without asking after turning into a bear in her living room and wrecking the place? Probably not many…

  Sam rolled over and buried his head in his pillow. His ribs still hurt, sharp pangs of pain sparking down his spine every time he took a breath. Where the fuck is Stella?

  “Okay, you big baby, what’s all the fuss about- oh, Sam…” Sam jumped, then whined in pain. Stella stood over him, the last flashes of a portal fading behind her. The witch was dressed in ripped jeans with chains hanging from the pockets and a faded tank top with a picture of a person on fire printed on the front.

  “You look ridiculous,” he grumbled through a mouthful of pillow. Stella put her hands on her hips, heavy ingredients-bag landing with a loud thump on the floor by the bed.

  “Oh, nice, is that what you say to the girl here to patch your ass up?” She took a seat beside him on the bed. “I was feeling bad for you but now I don’t give a shit, I had so much other stuff to do today and here I am bandaging wounds I’m sure you could have avoided. Roll your shirt up.”

  Sam didn’t think he could move if he wanted to but he dutifully wriggled around to lie on his front and gripped the edge of his t-shirt, tentatively pulling it up and over his head. Stella’s face remained impassive, if a little annoyed, until she got a proper look at his ribs. Her face softened, still annoyed but now she looked worried too. Sam felt like an asshole.

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I thought I’d be fine on my own. There wasn't much time to call for backup.”

  “Sam, don’t apologize. I was being a bitch. These look bad.” He could smell her perfume, earthy and soft – something she’d proudly declared was called petrichor when he’d asked. He smiled at her.

  “You are a bitch.”

  “And you’re an idiot. What happened?” She reached for her bag, pulling it up onto her lap and beginning to search through it.

  Sam took another deep breath and contemplated lying. That would probably be the smart thing to do, but he was tired and in pain and he was sick of lying.

  “Laura got attacked by these…things this morning and I had to shift to fight them off.”

  Stella paused. Sam watched her search for the right words.

  “You shifted in front of her?” she asked, hands moving again. She pulled out a swath of bandages and a first aid kit. Sam nodded. “Fuck.”

  “Fuck, indeed.”

  “That’s going to be fun to explain to David.”

  “I will not tell him.”

  “You’re going to have to at some point, hon’.”

  “I know.”

  They lapsed into silence, Stella’s cool hands gently disinfecting the cuts that littered his body.

  “What is a ‘thing’?” she asked eventually, guiding him into a sitting position. Sam pounced on the change of subject eagerly.

  “They looked like werewolves.”

  “Turn-on-a-full-moon, freaky-looking half-human werewolf?”

  “Yup, straight out of a goddamn children's book.” He gritted his teeth to stop his gasps and pants of pain as lean fingers prodded at his ribs, feeling for the break. “I didn’t think werewolves existed,” he said. Witches knew more about other creatures than any shifter he’d ever met. The perks of being practically immortal.

  “They don’t,” Stella said firmly. “The only way they could is if a witch or warlock decided to play god and tried hard enough.” Well, that sounds ominous.

  “You mean someone could create a creature like that?”

  Stella retrieved the bandages and started wrapping them around Sam’s ribs, getting him to hold one end whilst she worked.

  “I don’t really know the ins and outs of the process,” she admitted. “As far as I can guess, it’d have to be more of a transformation using humans, shifters at a push.” She tied the bandage off and got up from the bed, reaching into the pocket of her jeans and handing him a couple of fluorescent pink leaves. “For the pain,” she said as he took them from her. “I have to go to the hospital. Chew those for a half-hour and then spit them out.” Sam shoved them into his mouth, wincing at the bitter taste. “Do not swallow them, okay? You’ll be dead in minutes.” Sam looked up at her with wide eyes, mid-chew and she laughed at him. “Just don’t swallow them and you’ll be fine.”

  She made a gesture with her hands and another portal opened in the middle of the room, purple and glowing faintly around the edges.

  “Thanks, Stella,” Sam said around the leaves. She sent him a two-finger salute, stepped through the portal and then she was gone.

  After a hot bath and chewing his way through the rest of the leaves, Sam was feeling a little more human. Which was, of course, when David decided to call him.

  He stood there, naked and dripping wet as his phone rang from the low shelf he’d put it on.

  “Fuck.” He had to answer it; apart from being the closest thing to a father-figure he had, David was his boss. He ran back into his bedroom, pulling on a set of sweatpants as fast as he could and collapsed back on the bed.

  “Hey, David.”

  “Sam, how’s it going? Learn anything helpful?” David sounded normal, a little grumpy but then again when wasn’t he? Sam let himself relax slightly. He knew Stella wouldn’t say anything but it was still nice to know she hadn’t immediately told him everything.

  Have I learned anything? Sam thought about the dates, holding hands with La
ura while they walked around the aquarium, thought about the sex and how she made him see stars with every flick of her tongue and every clench of her around him…

  “Well, I was attacked by two honest-to-god werewolves this morning,” he said breezily. He could hear David’s withering sigh and the corners of his mouth curled up despite himself.

  “What in the ever-loving fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  “They were after Laura, I got to them before they got to her.” Sam figured changing the story slightly wouldn’t do any harm. David needed to know about the fight. He did not need to know he was actually in Laura’s house, about to have sex with her when it happened. “They were ugly bastards, mangey. I got a few broken ribs for my trouble but they’re both dead now.”

  “And the bodies?”

  “Out in the woods, they’ll be eaten by tomorrow.” More than one lesson of basic training was how to inconspicuously get rid of a body so as not to alert any humans to a shifter territory fight. Shifter training was a lot like making a serial killer, Sam thought with a frown.

  “Well, that’s just perfect,” David groaned. “Okay, I’ll get on it. Someone has to know what the fuck these things are. Stay with Laura, okay? If someone’s coming after her, they might not stop at one try.” Sam couldn’t bring himself to tell him that Laura probably wouldn’t let him anywhere near her ever again. “I’m proud of you, Sam, well done for beating them and protecting her.” David’s voice was softer now and Sam instantly felt guilty for lying to him. “Did Stella clean you up?”

  “She did,” Sam said softly. “I’ll be okay, David.”

  “Of course you will, son, I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and Sam fell back onto his bed.

  His phone beeped again a few minutes later and Sam opened a text from Stella: “Laura was just at the hospital asking for help identifying something she found in the woods? It’s definitely magic based. “

  Sam frowned, tapping out a reply.

  “Think it has something to do with the werewolves?”

  “Pretty sure, yeah. She said she was heading home so I guess you’ll see her soon.”

  Sure enough, the sound of Laura’s footsteps reached his ears. Sam’s stomach clenched hopefully and he went to the window just as Laura disappeared through her front door. He looked back at the phone in his hand. There was another message.

  “Told her you bragged about her to me and her face lit up. You can do this x”

  Sam took a deep breath. I can do this.

  I can’t do this. Laura’s front door was right there but he couldn’t make himself knock. What if she never wanted to see him again? What if she was still angry with him, or worse. What if she was scared of him?

  He was talking himself out of it when the door suddenly swung open and there was Laura shrugging into a coat. They looked at each other, both of them shocked and Sam wanted to sink straight through the wooden porch.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck, say something!

  “Uh-”

  “I was just coming over to your place,” Laura interrupted him, voice quiet. God, I missed the sound of her voice. It’d been a day but he’d missed her more than he’d missed anyone his whole life.

  “You- you were?” She nodded and they stared at each other again. Just like the first time we met. “I know you must have questions.”

  “Only about a million.”

  Sam smiled tentatively, not sure if he was allowed. Laura smiled back.

  “I’d like to have the chance to answer them.” No more lying. He cared about Laura. Whatever she wanted to know, he would tell her gladly. If she’d still have him. Laura held the door open, looking just as hesitant and Sam gave her a grateful smile and slipped inside.

  Sam felt like they were strangers again. He sat gingerly at the kitchen table as Laura set about working the coffee machine. When he couldn’t bear the silence anymore, he spoke.

  “So, what do you want to know?”

  “Just- just give me a minute, I’m still trying to sort myself out.” His mouth snapped shut and they descended into silence again. Laura poured two mugs of coffee and set them down on the table. She still wasn’t looking at him and Sam was desperate to see those eyes again.

  “Can you do it whenever?”

  He almost jumped at the sudden noise and made a questioning hum.

  “Do what? Shift?” She nodded, stirring her coffee absently. “Uh yeah, I never usually think about it but I guess so.”

  “Could you…could you do it now?”

  “You sure?” Again she nodded and Sam got to his feet. Shifting for someone else was an odd sensation. It wasn’t something he usually had to think about but now he found himself considering his stance. What face did he make when he was about to shift?

  “I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious,” Laura said with a concerned expression.

  “You didn't, it's just…weird. I’m not supposed to shift in front of humans. It feels slightly ridiculous.”

  “This whole situation is ridiculous,” she muttered lowly. Sam huffed a laugh and then he shifted.

  Laura flinched back but then relaxed and Sam tried to make himself as small and unimposing as possible. She reached out a hand and Sam nosed into it, sniffing at her slightly. Her scent was stronger in his bear form and he reveled in it, wanting to drown in it.

  “Can you understand me?” she asked. Sam nodded, still rubbing his head against the palm of her hand, trying to get her to stroke him. She giggled quietly and obliged, running her hand up and down his snout. Sam purred at the feeling. “But you can’t talk?” He shook his head. She watched him for a few more seconds, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was looking at, and then she retracted her hand. Sam whined but shifted back, sitting back in his seat and picking up his coffee. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.” The sarcasm might have been too far but it was true. How do you bring up your ability to shapeshift to your girlfriend of three weeks? “Humans aren’t really supposed to know about us either.”

  “So why did you shift in front of me then?”

  “Those things were gonna kill you, Laura I couldn’t just do nothing. I never wanted to scare you… The way you flinched away from me… Fuck, I never want to be the reason you’re scared ever again. If you don’t want anything to do with me anymore, I’ll understand…”

  “Hey, hey, hey, Sam, look at me.” A hand touched his cheek, soft and sweet and Sam looked up to find Laura right in front of him. “I was surprised and, yeah, a bit scared but I still- I still love you, Sam.”

  Sam’s breath caught in his throat. He’d been so ready for her to tell him she never wanted to see him again but here she was, telling him she still loved him.

  She still loves me.

  “I love you too,” he gasped out, his hand cupping hers against his face. “I love you so much.”

  She kissed him, hands tracing his face gently and Sam let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. It was like he was coming home, somewhere safe and warm.

  “Right.” There were tears in her eyes when she pulled back. “I’m gonna put the coffee machine on again and then we are gonna watch the sappiest, stupidest movie we can find, okay? We both need to relax and just…be together.”

  She got up, gathering the mugs and walking back to the sink. Sam watched her with a small, contented smile. They had a lot more they needed to talk about but for now, they were both safe and together. And he would never let anything hurt her ever again.

  16

  Laura

  When Laura woke up she was curled up in Sam’s arms, one leg thrown over his. She loved waking up with someone, feeling them snuggle in closer as she wriggled around. She didn’t remember going to bed. I must have fallen asleep on the couch. The thought of him being so strong he could carry her to bed without waking her up did funny things to Laura’s insides. She nuzzled into his shoulder with a barely-suppressed squeal of glee, heart racing.

  Being th
is happy all the time is going to be exhausting, she thought cheerfully. She buried her face right into the crook of Sam’s neck. He smelt amazing; like sweat and cloves, musk and leather. She couldn’t help but take another deep breath. Come to think of it, Sam smells me a lot…

  Bears scent their mates all the time, maybe it’s a sort of claiming thing? Heat flooded through her and Laura squirmed. Oh, she liked that… Sam lifting her effortlessly, pressing her back against a wall and growling “mine” into her ear… She liked that a lot. She could feel her pulse racing, skin heating as she imagined Sam teething at her neck, folding her into his arms and inhaling and she’d whine and plead “alpha”.

  Fuck.

  Laura suddenly felt too hot; too restless. She squirmed, rubbing her thighs together and trying to get some friction to her clit, letting out a tiny whine when she couldn’t quite get the right angle.

  “You okay there, darling?” Laura froze, looking up at the deep gravelly sound of Sam’s voice, still thick with sleep. His eyes were almost predatory, pupils blown wide, and Laura shivered.

  “I was just thinking,” she murmured, sliding impossibly closer and hitching her thigh a little higher up Sam’s leg, pressing herself firmly against him. The pressure was heavenly and she started rocking her hips in tiny movements. “Bears, like most pack animals, have an alpha, right?” Sam hummed in agreement, tensing his thigh as she ground herself down on it. Laura’s head was getting fuzzy as her pleasure climbed. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips. “Does that mean I should call you alpha?” She tilted her head, hoping he’d catch her double meaning. The idea turned her on no end, but only if Sam was into it too. If it was going to make him uncomfortable, she didn’t want any part of it.