Authors: Writer
“
You don’t need a bear in your life. You should go.” He was thankful the red moon was still a night away. He’d be in trouble if she stood before him on the red moon.
“
You don’t know what I need.” Her words were out before she could stop them. Her cheeks flushed crimson red, embarrassed to have said it aloud.
“
I don’t need a human in my life,” he said, forcing the issue.
She stepped closer. “You asked me out to dinner.” Where was the courage coming from?
“
It was a mistake.” She needed to get out of there. The scent of dampness between her legs, her arousal was doing things to him he wouldn’t be able to control soon. He’d want to ravish her body.
Hesitantly, she reached up and touched his arm.
“
You don’t know what you’re doing,” he warned. He watched her movements.
Ingrid’s curiosity was boiling over, edging out her fear. “You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m not a violent man.”
“
Are you a violent bear?” Saying the word bear pushed her adrenaline higher, like a rush through her veins, unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
He looked away and spoke his truth. “Only when I’m forced into a corner.”
Ingrid licked her lips and dropped her hand, realizing she was playing with fire. She wanted him to want her. She saw it in his eyes. With her fuller curves, he seemed unfazed by her size, unlike some of the other guys she knew. He wasn’t shy about his lustful desire. He didn’t rush to cover his erection and he didn’t turn away. He simply warned her to leave…because he wanted her. That alone set Ingrid ablaze, knowing he craved her body. She’d never experienced such raw sexuality before, open and daring.
“
You should go,” he said again.
She glanced back down at his hard-on and back up to his face. “What will you do with that?”
He shook his head. “Don’t start something you can’t finish. Go home, Ingrid.”
The words stung. But he was right. She had no idea what she was messing with. What was she trying to prove? The idea that he was half man, half bear scared her as much as it fascinated her. And yet all the things her father said left an imprint too. But there she stood fiercely attracted to a man that was capable of turning into a beast. What’s a girl to do? She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile. “I’ll be back tomorrow for dinner.” It bought her time to think. She could always back out, but the thought of heated sex with an incredibly sexy man, yeah, that was hard to walk away from too. Nobody said she was a saint.
“
That wouldn’t be wise,” he finished.
She ignored him and waved over her shoulder. “Tomorrow,” she said. With a grin he couldn’t see, she sashayed her hips just a little more than she normally would. For the first time in a very long time, she felt good in her skin. He obviously liked what he saw, so she flaunted it.
Sitting in her car, her heart was wedged in her throat.
I can’t believe I just did that. Holy cow
. She tried to keep her wits about her as she drove away, and gave out a little yip. She was high on the rush of the moment.
She didn’t want to go home. Her father would still be angry and carrying on about her bringing a shifter right to their front door.
Those mangy mutts were filthy beasts and incapable of controlling their primal longings
. He was disgusted she even considered dating one. The hell he lashed out at her after Jagger Quinn left, it was the first time she truly heard him speaking. She heard the prejudice in his voice, the stereotypes, and the garbage he was spewing…based on what?
Her stomach lurched realizing her own father wasn’t truly protecting her, he thought he was protecting his clean blood-line. He didn’t want half-breeds tainting up his family. The words rang out as he spewed more and more, venting, angry, and yelling after the shotgun incident.
Ingrid opened her eyes and saw the ignorance. It was a hard pill to swallow. She’d never even given the shifters a fighting chance. She’d been brainwashed to believe all these things about them her entire life. And yet, now she was questioning why…why did she believe them? She trusted her father; he loved her and looked out for her. But was he stuck on something in the past? It’s not like he interacted with them, so he didn’t know them well. It was confusing. Was her own blind lust making her susceptible to this new thought process, or was it simply growing up and thinking for herself?
She needed to know. Why the blind rage? Ingrid finally made her way home with nowhere else to go. Her father was waiting on her, disgust on his face.
“
Pack your bags and go,” he said as calmly as he could. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he’d been crying, though his face was stone cold at the moment.
“
Daddy?” She stood, stunned into silence and stared at him. It was hard to speak. She choked on tears, trying to find words. “Daddy, tell me why…” was all she could say.
He looked away from her. “You’re your mother’s child,” he said coldly.
“
What?”
“
Just go.”
“
Daddy?” She was confused by his change.
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You belong with them.”
“
I don’t understand.” She dropped onto the sofa. “Daddy, talk to me.”
He shook his head. “I tried to keep you safe, but you betrayed me, just like she did.”
“
Dad, you’re not making sense.” Her head was swimming after the events of the night.
“
You’re not mine. You belong in Mountain View Crest like the rest of them. Your mother, she betrayed me. You’re not my blood.” He turned away.
“
But, I’m not a shifter,” she started, back pedaling. Her head grew dizzy. “I’m just a human.”
“
You share their blood. I was afraid at first, but you never turned. I realized that while you carried shifter genes, you didn’t turn. Your mother…she…she strayed. I lied on the birth records and recorded myself as your biological father so it didn’t show up in the town records.”
“
But you stayed with her?” Panic laced her voice.
“
She was pregnant, what was I supposed to do? Let her raise a child alone? He didn’t stick around. I loved her. I loved her with all my heart, even after what she did to me.”
“
How do you know I’m not yours?” She was stunned.
“
She got pregnant before we married. She didn’t know who the father was. I told her I’d raise the child either way, because I wanted her in my life.”
“
I could be yours…” she started.
“
You’re not. We got you tested,” he said, dropping his head. “We went out of town for the testing, so it wouldn’t show up on the local register.”
It was too much. It all happened too fast, too soon. It was information she didn’t want to know. Well, she wanted to know, but not like this, and why now? Why all these years later? Would he have ever told her? Her mind circled around the questions, unable to sort them out. “You’re pushing me out?”
“
I don’t need the neighbors to know.” He looked away. “Look, I love you, Ingrid, but there’s hostility here towards Mountain View Crest. I can’t have shifters showing up at my door like that. People will talk.”
“
Wow.” She was stunned. Hurt. Angry. Overwhelmed. What now?
She sat in her car, her suitcase on the seat beside her with nowhere to go. She’d go to a hotel for the night and figure out the rest later. She just couldn’t seem to turn the key in the ignition. Ingrid shook. Her hands white knuckled the steering wheel as she tipped her forehead to rest on the top of it. This was wrong.
She got out of the car and took a deep breath. Approaching the house she’d just left, she went back inside.
“
Dad,” she said, walking back into the family room where he sat unmoving. “This is wrong. Please don’t turn me away. You’ve loved me all my life. Why turn me away now? Why not embrace the fact that you’ve been there for me. That took courage and strength and love. Why turn me away with hate now?” She was broken.
He looked up, his face slack. “I don’t hate you. I’m saving you. If you stay here, and people find out…” he looked away. “It has to be this way.”
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Then come with me.”
“
This is my home, Ingrid. I belong here.”
“
This has been my home my entire life, and now you want me to leave.” She couldn’t process the new information. It was overwhelming.
“
Ingrid, you’re an adult, a fully grown woman. It’s time to spread your wings and fly.”
“
Not like this. Not because of pain. Leaving should be because I want to explore and be independent, not because of some secret.” She wanted to fight the cause, but he had no fight left in him.
“
It’s time, sweetie. My life is here. I’ll come and visit, but it’s better for you to move on.” The pain in his voice was finally coming through, showing his truth. He was afraid….afraid for himself, afraid for her. “If you should turn at some point, if your animal comes out at some point…I wouldn’t want to take a chance with what the neighbors might do.”
“
My animal?” She swallowed hard. She needed to know. “What was he…the other man…?” She hated to bring up the pain of his past, but she had a right to know. How had she gone this long without knowing? It felt surreal.
“
Wolf,” he said, almost spitting the word out. She knew it was his mother’s betrayal that cut him to the quick more than the fact that it was a wolf. He adored her, but for his entire life, every time he looked at Ingrid, he was reminded of what her mother had done. “It’s time to go. I put money in an emergency fund for you. I’ll send you the information later.” He looked away. “You can’t live here anymore.”
The moon was high, and with the sun shining behind it, the moon cast a rare, red glow. The red moon was causing chaos, havoc, and primal urges to come out.
Jagger’s solid body transformed, his bear snout growing longer, his teeth extending, his paws massive, and his body taking the familiar shape he knew well. Powerful and strong, he cast out into the night looking for a mate. His carnal cravings were too strong to deny. The moon’s seduction called out to him. With a ground-vibrating growl, he roared into the night, letting his beast free.
Jagger ran through the wooded part of town, seeking out substance, a body, a mate, and most of all release. Only what he found was that he was restless, unsatisfied, and on a night that was usually a free-for-all, primal, and raw, he couldn’t place what was wrong.
He strode through the woods and down the streets, until he found himself wandering back to his own house. She sat on his steps, like he found her the other night.
Ingrid’s eyes grew large on seeing the bear walking toward the house. She scrambled for her car and jumped in locking the door. Hearing about shifters and seeing it in person were two very different things. Her body trembled as she sank down in her car seat, hoping he wouldn’t come any closer.
Jagger transformed back into his human on seeing the girl run to her car. He scared her, though it wasn’t his intention. He wasn’t expecting her. Shaking off his beast, he went closer to the car. “Ingrid, it’s safe.”
She cracked her window the slightest bit and spoke via the slat. “I didn’t know where to go or what to do.”
“
You shouldn’t be here tonight,” he answered. His dissatisfaction and unsettled feeling that was growing in him slowly started to fade. He knew. He didn’t want it to be her. But he knew. It was her. She was who he wanted. And yet…he couldn’t play with her. Not now. Not tonight of all nights. His lust would be unleashed in ways she wouldn’t understand.
“
I need to talk to somebody. I hoped I could talk to you.” She peeked up over the edge of the door, grateful he was back in his man form. Her heart was beating wildly. Ingrid tried to regain her composure, and slid back up to a regular seated position. She rolled the window down a little more. “I need to talk to…” she paused. “A shifter,” she finally got out. “Can we talk?”
“
Tonight isn’t a good night for this,” he warned. His flesh and blood were speaking to him, his craving building. His shaft started to engorge being around her. He wanted her. He wanted to taste her, to own her, to penetrate her, and to claim her. This was wrong. She was a human. This wasn’t her calling.
“
Please.” There was a note of pleading and desperation in her voice.
He couldn’t say no. “Fine,” he finally said, frustrated. His body wanted this, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d have control over his mind. The red moon’s seduction pulsed in him in ways she wouldn’t understand. It was growing…his need.
He paced as she spoke. She sat on his sofa, fidgeting with her hands. His body ached for a piece of her…but she was vulnerable. He couldn’t take advantage.
As her words spilled out, he watched her visit a range of emotions. He wanted to have answers for her, but he didn’t. All he could do was to offer her a shoulder. He wanted to offer her something else…it wasn’t his fault. She was curvy and soft, feminine and fertile, those round hips, her full body, her extra padding, the way he felt warm inside when she was near him…he forced his bear to stay put. It was killing him. His carnal needs were fighting his human every step of the way.
She looked at him, her eyes hopeful. She barely knew him, but he was the only shifter she knew. The only person she could trust with this new information. If her friends had learned she could be part shifter… her entire world came crashing down. This was real. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Jagger sat beside Ingrid and let her lean into him. That was a mistake. She was soft. She was sexy. She was sensuous. He wanted her flesh. He wanted to inhale her intimate scent closer, to taste her, to thrust his cock deep into her…
control it. Control it
.