Page 13

HUNTER

H unter had never really thought about how to tell someone that there was an entire culture of magical people living seamlessly side-by-side with the ordinary.

He had always been quite happy not to speak of it at all, and since he could always tell if someone was a shifter or not, it was easy enough to curb his tongue around humans.

So he figured he was doing pretty well when Trixie didn’t turn and throw something at him. She had plenty of tools to choose from if she did decide to defend herself.

“Shapeshifters,” she said tolerantly. “Okay.”

Hunter frowned. “I should show you.”

“It’s been a long day,” Trixie said patiently. “Everything will probably make a lot more sense after a solid meal and a good night of sleep. Sourdough Campground has good meals and if you’re there at 7:30, they have a pancake toss that is a lot of fun. It’s kind of a tourist thing around here.”

Sighing, Hunter leaned forward onto four legs and Trixie went immediately from patronizing to panic as she backpedaled frantically out of his way.

“Bearohshitohshitohshit!” she said. This time, she did reach for a tool, and she got to a hammer on the floor before Hunter shifted back and stood up.

Trixie trembled, crouched low with her hammer clenched in both hands. She stared at him with wide brown eyes and blinked several times in succession. “You. Were. A. Bear.” She said each word like it was an effort.

“I’m a shifter,” Hunter clarified. “It’s a thing.”

“A thing.” Trixie echoed, still braced for combat with her hammer. “It’s a thing.”

Hunter spread his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You were a bear!” she said, outraged. “Do it again!”

Hunter obliged, flowing out into his larger form, and Trixie slowly straightened. “Hunter?” she said cautiously.

He nodded like a cartoon.

Are we funny? his bear wanted to know.

Trixie started to laugh weakly.

We’re funny! his bear said in delight.

Trixie took a cautious step forward and Hunter was proud of her clear courage. He sat back on his haunches and she carefully closed the distance between them. “Can I touch you?” she asked.

Hunter nodded again.

She didn’t laugh , his bear pouted.

Trixie reached forward, realized she was still holding her hammer, and put it in the opposite hand. She didn’t offer to drop it. Then she carefully touched Hunter’s neck, stroking the fur like he was a dog. “You’re really a bear.”

Hunter shifted beneath her hand and was glad that she didn’t snatch it away from his human shoulder. “I’m a shifter.”

“A shape shifter. ”

“We just call ourselves shifters.”

Hunter was crouched very close to Trixie and he stood up slowly, watching her face as she went through a dozen emotions.

Confusion. Hesitation. Disbelief. Outrage.

A flash of anger. “Are there many of you? Are you all bears?” He watched the moment she put it together. “The wolf in the video footage!”

“Probably Keith or Kyle.”

“Locals call them the Taylor pack,” Trixie observed numbly.

“I always thought it was just an affectation. Can you be more than one thing? Are you born with it or bitten? How do you know they’re shifters?

Can you smell each other? Are you superhuman?

Immortal?” She peppered him with questions but gave him no chance to answer.

“Are you a mutant? Is there a whole race of you poised to take over the world? Where do your clothes go?”

“Trixie…”

“Not that I’m not glad you’re still wearing them,” she added quickly. “It’s just… this sort of upends the whole way I thought the world works. If this can happen, what else? Are there wizards? Fairies? Magic rings?”

Hunter realized that she wasn’t going to give him a conversational gap, so he did the only thing he could think of, leaning over to kiss her.

The hammer dropped from her fingers and that hand slipped up to the other side of his neck as Trixie kissed him back with the passion of shock.

For one long, glorious moment, Hunter’s whole world was that kiss. It was as right as anything he’d ever experienced, pleasure and instinct rolled together in one undeniable pull. Trixie was his .

“Wait, wait,” she murmured against his mouth, finally drawing back. “I’m still your boss.”

“I quit,” Hunter growled .

“What?”

“I quit.”

It didn’t have the desired effect. Trixie pushed him off in earnest. “No, I still need your help. You haven’t signed the paperwork for insurance, and I could use the extra hands tomorrow before the truss truck gets here.”

“Hire me back tomorrow,” Hunter suggested, not willing to spend another night without her now that he’d tasted her lips.

Trixie looked at him, conflicted. “Is that… legal?”

“Who cares?” Hunter demanded. “I quit! Kiss me!”

For a moment, Hunter feared that he’d overstepped. Something flashed in Trixie’s eyes, and then she was flinging herself full force into his arms with her face uplifted.