Authors: Sky Winters
ROMANCE: BIKER ROMANCE: Werewolf Rider (MC Shifter Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Paranormal Romance Short Stories) (58 page)
“I’m coming to get you,” Luther replied.
“You can’t get here, Jackson. The flames are all around me. There is no way out. I’m not going to make it, Jackson,” he told him, feeling completely defeated and getting hotter still. He was going to roast out here.
“The hell you aren’t,” he heard Luther call back.
Then, nothing. Andy stood looking around him, trying to figure out what to do next. Getting a second wind, he turned toward what looked like the most likely direction that he could maybe just attempt to run through and it not be a long wall of flame. Deciding to go south in hopes that the area behind the wall was already clear, he started into the flames. He could barely hear the voice on the radio calling out to him and to Jackson and fear rose in his throat at the thought that he might take Luther down with him.
Then, he heard a loud sound behind him. Turning, he saw the most enormous black bear he had ever laid eyes on raised up on both paws and growling at him. He stood, frozen, as the bear rushed him and snatched him up in its teeth, slinging him around to flatten him on its broad back. He clung to its neck, suddenly more frightened by being killed by a bear than flames. Before he could register what was happening, it shot up a nearby tree and scurried up above the flames before jumping back down to the ground on the other side.
Andy continued to hold on for fear of being crushed by the big beast as it ran up the mountainside well beyond the flames. It suddenly stopped and reared up on its back paws, letting out another violent growl. Andy took the opportunity to drop off its back and make a run further up the mountain but the bear was suddenly blocking his way, towering over him. He was afraid to move and stood looking back at it with wide eyes, hoping that him being still and the approaching flames would send it moving on elsewhere. Instead, he watched as it began changing, getting smaller. He had to be hallucinating.
“Luther?” he said simply, watching as the shape in front of him quickly became human.
“Look, I know that this is bizarre. Just don’t freak out on me right now. I don’t have time to explain. Come with me,” Luther told him, running naked a little further up the pass. Andy stood behind him, feeling like he might be in shock as Luther quickly retrieved his pile of gear from behind a nearby tree and got back into it.
“Luther, I don’t understand what just happened,” he began as Luther approached him.
“I know you don’t. We will talk about it when this is over. Let’s go,” Luther replied, giving him a quick kiss on the lips and steering him away from the fire and back down toward the trucks. He walked him over to the EMTs that were on standby and addressed one of them. “Check him out. He was in a heavy smoke and heat area.”
The EMTs nodded their heads and pulled the disoriented Andy toward the back of their van, stripping his gear off and putting him in an oxygen mask. They checked him over for burns or injuries and found that he was okay, but wouldn’t let him return to the fire due to his obvious state of shock. Instead, they took him to the hospital for a more extensive exam by the doctor there. He was treated and released, hopping into a cab to return to the location of the ongoing fire.
“Oh, hell no. You aren’t going back in there,” the captain told him as he saw him approaching.
“I’m fine, Cap. They said nothing is wrong with me,” he said, eager to finish what he had fouled up earlier.
“That’s great. Now, get your ass over there and sit down. You are not going back up this mountain today, McCall,” he told him.
“But Cap!” Andy protested.
“I don’t have time to argue with you, McCall. Now, get out of my way. If you want to be useful, go over there and help Brubaker with those coolers for the guys coming down,” he said, stomping off in a different direction.
Andy scowled and made his way toward the drink station Brubaker was setting up. At least he didn’t have to leave altogether. He looked around and didn’t see Luther anywhere, but he was most likely up the mountainside again doing his job properly. Andy felt foolish for how badly he had screwed up. Luther had been forced to risk his life to save him and Luther was a bear. He let that float around his mind for a while and it made no more sense than it had before.
The day went on well into the night before they finally got the fire under control and made their way back to the station. Andy tried to catch Luther alone to talk to him, but there was just too much going on at the station. There was no way they were going to get any privacy for a discussion about the weird events of the day. By the time things settled down a bit, it was bunk time. Andy gave up and climbed into his rack, lying awake remembering how he had watch Luther change from being a bear to a man. How was that even possible? He wondered if perhaps he shouldn’t get check out again.
The rest of the night was uneventful. Andy stepped out of the firehouse the next day and looked around for Luther, but he was nowhere to be seen. Noting that his truck was gone, Andy could only assume that he had snuck out before he could catch up with him. Perhaps he didn’t care to explain what had happened. Or, maybe, he just thought Andy was stupid for the mess he had gotten himself into and lost interest. Whatever the reason, it was obvious that he was making himself scarce.
Andy headed to his car and made his way home, still pondering it all in his head. He made his way into his apartment and headed for the shower. He had taken one at the station last night, but it seemed that he still could smell nothing but smoke. He wanted to scrub down and finish getting it off his skin. Tossing his clothes in the washer, he kicked it on and headed to the bathroom, staying in the shower until the water began to run cold. He could hear his phone ringing as he finally stepped out and grabbed it up from the bed where he had tossed the contents of his pants before washing them.
“Andy, it’s Luther. I’m sorry to run out without talking to you this morning, but I had to be somewhere right after work and I wasn’t really sure what to say anyway,” he told him.
“How about telling me that I’m not losing my mind and you really were a bear,” Andy replied.
“Okay. It’s a good start. Andy, I’m a shape shifter. I can change into a bear when I need to,” Luther replied.
“See, no. That really didn’t make it better, after all. That’s just crazy,” Andy replied.
“I’m not the only one. There are several in the Burning Bears unit. That’s how we selected the name,” he replied.
“Does that mean that I’m going to start turning into a bear once I’m past some sort of trial period or something,” Andy said sarcastically.
“No. You are either already one or you aren’t. You are safe,” he replied.
“Thank goodness. I don’t believe in wearing animal fur,” Andy snapped back.
“Look, I get why you are out of sorts about this, but I don’t want to have this entire conversation over the phone. Let me come over there,” Luther told him.
“Fine. 2971 Rosemont, apartment 39,” Andy told him.
“I will be there in ten minutes,” Luther told him.
“I’ll be here,” Andy replied, ending the call and getting dressed. The bell rang right as expected and he went to answer, waving Luther in and telling him to have a seat.
“Listen, Luther. I guess I should thank you for what you did. If you hadn’t come when you did, I’m not sure I would have made it out of there. I was about to just try to run through the fire to get out and I couldn’t even see how wide it was,” he said.
“Don’t beat yourself up about that, Andy. You thought you were doing what you were supposed to. The chief was shouting orders at everyone and not being clear on exactly how we were all supposed to fan out. It was a fluke. No one’s fault,” Luther replied.
“I just feel so stupid,” Andy replied.
“Don’t. We have all been there. You are okay and you won’t make that kind of mistake again,” Luther replied.
“I sure hope not,” Andy replied.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about what I am. It isn’t something I can just tell people easily,” Luther said.
“You have a lot of secrets, it seems,” Andy told him, studying his face and wondering what else he didn’t now.
“I do, but let me ask you this. If I had told you upfront, would you have believed me or would you have thought I was a real basket case?” Luther asked.
“You have a point,” Andy said.
“I would have shown you eventually. We could have gone out somewhere, I would have told you and then showed you, rather than you finding out this way,” he said.
“Why didn’t you just maintain your bear form until you were out of my sight after you saved me?” Andy asked curiously.
“I don’t really have control over that part. It’s like an adrenaline rush. I can tell myself there is danger and that I need to shift, but once it passes, I automatically resume my human form. Besides that, I couldn’t have you going around telling people some crazy story about how a bear came in and saved you. Last thing any of us shifters need is any curiosity seekers paying any special attention to bears in the area,” Luther told him.
“I can see that, I guess,” Andy replied.
“I know it is a lot to digest, but I hope that you can come to grips with it. Do you think you could ever love someone like me?’ Luther asked.
Andy looked at him, surprised. Was he already talking about love? It seemed too much, too soon and especially on top of just learning he was some sort of were bear. He just wasn’t sure how he felt about all of this.
“Love? That is a pretty strong word,” Andy replied.
“I’m not saying that I expect you to be in love with me right now. I’m not saying I’m in love with you. We have a lot more to learn about one another. I’m just asking if you think that you could live with the knowledge of what I am,” Luther asked.
“Are you a danger to me? I mean, you aren’t going to get too excited during sex and tear me apart are you?’ Andy asked, completely serious.
“No, of course not. It isn’t like that at all,” Luther said.
“Then I think that we can keep getting to know one another. As a matter of fact, I was just about to lay down for a while if you would like to join me,” he said.
“I would love to join you,” Luther replied with a smile. Andy took his hand and let him to his bedroom, pulling down the covers and climbing in. He patted the area beside him and smiled.
“Well, come on, you big teddy bear. I’m ready to be mauled to orgasm,” Andy teased.
“I’d be more than happy to taste your honey,” Luther said, laughing at his corny joke as he climbed in beside him and pulled him into a deep kiss.
*****
THE END
A group of men thundered by on horses as Lady Catriona emerged from her tent. The animals’ hooves tore up the ground, tossing clumps of mud and grass across the encampment. In the lead was Lord Hector - Catriona’s husband. They rode into camp, throwing up whoops and hollers, having captured a single Highland rebel. Hector turned his horse ‘round and kicked it towards his wife.
“What do you think of our game, my love?” He asked loudly, to put on a show.
Catriona suppressed a curl of her lip and raised her chin. “It is very grand, my Lord.”
The Lord laughed, barked, in amusement. “This mangy cur?” He spat on the ground, “first time he’s ever been called
grand,
I’m sure.”
The other men joined in with their own thick laughter. Jeering at the man they held captive - though the prisoner’s face remained still, distant. Catriona bowed her head, quitting the conversation without further comment. Her husband spurred his horse and returned to his task. Looking up, Catriona took a brief glance at the stranger.
Mangy cur
was not the phrase she would choose to describe him. The man held his head high, and his shoulders straight - despite the harsh pull of the rope around his wrists. His body was well toned, muscles taught - there was an animal-like quality about him to be sure. But not one of weakness or frenzy. He was strong and lean - and his presence couldn’t help but remind Catriona of what her life might have been, had Hector not chosen her as a bride.
The captive turned his head, meeting Catriona’s gaze before he was dragged from her sight. His eyes were piercing even from a distance - and they made Catriona shiver. Before she could blink, he was already gone - spirited away to another part of camp, to be bound and ridiculed. Her husband out of sight, Catriona did little to hide the disgust on her face. Life had turned out so much differently than she had once expected as a young girl. Marriage to Lord Hector seemed the only practical choice at the time - he would provide security and wealth in a time when the Scottish lands were in uncertain upheaval. The Highlanders were fighting back against the Englishmen who continuously stole their land and enforced their rule. In truth, Catriona had been lucky to catch Hector’s eye. Instead of leaving her to be taken by the men of his camp, he instead took her aside to woo for himself. With this, Catriona ensured the safety of her own family - if not those of her former village.
The first year or so was easy - she was still in Hector’s good favor. He doted upon her and showed her off as frequently as possible. But soon the question of a child became an issue. Hector hadn’t the gall to force himself upon her, but the few times Catriona did allow him into her bed, it was cold and unpleasant. His sweet words quickly turned into admonishments and strings of hateful whispers into her ear. She had never suspected Hector a kind man, but the strength of his cruelty was sharp. While he still played the part around his men, or men and women of the court, Catriona dreaded being left alone by his side. Over the course of a few years, Catriona had become attuned to her husband’s moods, his movements. She knew when a strike would come, when he was merely yelling, or when he would destroy the room to intimidate her. To confront Lord Hector directly…Catriona couldn’t be truly sure of the outcome. That is why she decided to make a fool of him behind his back. To make him small in the eyes of his men. She would free the Highland rebel that night.