still as any predator awaiting its prey, and listened to the crackling and snapping outside their makeshift tent. In this remote country, most bears weren't afraid of people. This one certainly didn't seem to be. It was nosing around, curious about the plane.
He could smell it clearly now. Polar bear. Not a shifter, just a regular bear. And it was a male. His bear roused further, snarling at the proximity of another male bear.
There was a sudden rustling very close, and the other bear thrust its broad white head under the dangling flap of the tarp.
Nathan didn't even think about it. Instinct took over. His mate was in danger, and in that instant, the human and bear sides of him were in perfect agreement. The bear erupted out of him, fangs growing, shaggy white coat rippling down his back.
He surged out of the sleeping bag with an earthshattering roar. His tremendous white bulk filled the tent; the tarp collapsed on one side as he shouldered his way out of it.
The other bear sprang backwards in utter shock. It wasn't a large bear, as Nathan could see now that he was in his bear form. It was only a little boar, probably a couple of years old. It was horrified at having come face to face with a full-grown and very large male bear. Flattening its ears, it turned tail and fled across the tundra.
Nathan roared after it, bristling to make himself look even larger than he was. His deep roar echoed across the landscape. Mine! it seemed to say.
The fleeing heels of the small bear vanished over the nearest hill. A low growl of satisfaction rumbled out of Nathan's chest.
Then a voice behind him said in soft shock, "Nathan?"
Horror filled him.
The one thing he'd never wanted to do, the one thing he'd desperately tried not to do for his whole life was change into his bear form in front of someone who didn't know.
And he'd done it in front of the one person he'd have given anything not to find out the truth about him.
He couldn't even look at her. He didn't know what to do. All he knew was that seeing her look at him with condemnation and hate would shatter him, like a piece of hot, hardened steel doused in ice water.
All he could think to do was get away before she had a chance to tell him what she thought of him now. Nathan turned and galloped over the tundra away from her. As long loping strides carried him, step by step, away from his mate, he felt like he was being ripped in half, as the biggest part of his heart stayed with her.
7. April
He's a bear.
April stared in the direction Nathan ... no, the bear that had been Nathan had gone, trying to comprehend what her eyes had told her. He'd turned into a bear. Right in front of her.
How is this possible?
But clearly it was possible. April was too much of a scientist to dismiss the evidence of her own eyes. She knew she wasn't crazy, so what she'd seen, however strange, must be the truth.
She slowly got up. She was still naked, and the breeze blowing under the tarp was cool on her bare body, raising goosebumps. She picked up her clothes and began to pull them on. It was possible that the other bear might come back, though she was fairly sure Nathan had scared it off pretty thoroughly. The only predator polar bears had, besides humans, was other polar bears, which meant that when they fought, it was for keeps. A little bear like that one had a very real chance of being killed by a bigger bear. And therefore, when a big male like Nathan told a smaller bear to get out of Dodge, it got right the heck out of Dodge.
And Nathan was a big bear. She supposed it shouldn't be a shock; he was a big human too. Of course, bears probably seemed bigger when you were right next to them. The only other times she'd been close enough to touch a bear, they'd been tranquilizer-darted for radio collaring.
Why did he run off? Did he think I'd be afraid of him?
"Nathan!" she called. Her voice echoed across the tundra.
It had stopped raining, she noticed, though the day remained dank and gray.
He could smell it clearly now. Polar bear. Not a shifter, just a regular bear. And it was a male. His bear roused further, snarling at the proximity of another male bear.
There was a sudden rustling very close, and the other bear thrust its broad white head under the dangling flap of the tarp.
Nathan didn't even think about it. Instinct took over. His mate was in danger, and in that instant, the human and bear sides of him were in perfect agreement. The bear erupted out of him, fangs growing, shaggy white coat rippling down his back.
He surged out of the sleeping bag with an earthshattering roar. His tremendous white bulk filled the tent; the tarp collapsed on one side as he shouldered his way out of it.
The other bear sprang backwards in utter shock. It wasn't a large bear, as Nathan could see now that he was in his bear form. It was only a little boar, probably a couple of years old. It was horrified at having come face to face with a full-grown and very large male bear. Flattening its ears, it turned tail and fled across the tundra.
Nathan roared after it, bristling to make himself look even larger than he was. His deep roar echoed across the landscape. Mine! it seemed to say.
The fleeing heels of the small bear vanished over the nearest hill. A low growl of satisfaction rumbled out of Nathan's chest.
Then a voice behind him said in soft shock, "Nathan?"
Horror filled him.
The one thing he'd never wanted to do, the one thing he'd desperately tried not to do for his whole life was change into his bear form in front of someone who didn't know.
And he'd done it in front of the one person he'd have given anything not to find out the truth about him.
He couldn't even look at her. He didn't know what to do. All he knew was that seeing her look at him with condemnation and hate would shatter him, like a piece of hot, hardened steel doused in ice water.
All he could think to do was get away before she had a chance to tell him what she thought of him now. Nathan turned and galloped over the tundra away from her. As long loping strides carried him, step by step, away from his mate, he felt like he was being ripped in half, as the biggest part of his heart stayed with her.
7. April
He's a bear.
April stared in the direction Nathan ... no, the bear that had been Nathan had gone, trying to comprehend what her eyes had told her. He'd turned into a bear. Right in front of her.
How is this possible?
But clearly it was possible. April was too much of a scientist to dismiss the evidence of her own eyes. She knew she wasn't crazy, so what she'd seen, however strange, must be the truth.
She slowly got up. She was still naked, and the breeze blowing under the tarp was cool on her bare body, raising goosebumps. She picked up her clothes and began to pull them on. It was possible that the other bear might come back, though she was fairly sure Nathan had scared it off pretty thoroughly. The only predator polar bears had, besides humans, was other polar bears, which meant that when they fought, it was for keeps. A little bear like that one had a very real chance of being killed by a bigger bear. And therefore, when a big male like Nathan told a smaller bear to get out of Dodge, it got right the heck out of Dodge.
And Nathan was a big bear. She supposed it shouldn't be a shock; he was a big human too. Of course, bears probably seemed bigger when you were right next to them. The only other times she'd been close enough to touch a bear, they'd been tranquilizer-darted for radio collaring.
Why did he run off? Did he think I'd be afraid of him?
"Nathan!" she called. Her voice echoed across the tundra.
It had stopped raining, she noticed, though the day remained dank and gray.
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