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“We are not evil,” Leo said.
Margo swept her arm out. “Your kind is definitely cruel. Look at us.”
“Ms. Templeton, I don’t know the circumstances of your relationship with Gracie’s father, but I can assure you things have changed. Gracie would be welcomed into my clan with open arms.”
Gracie’s head was swimming with what she was hearing, and she tried to process the information. “Hold on here. Can I become a bear?”
“Gracie, no!” her mother cried.
“Mom, please. I’m trying to understand what Leo is saying.”
“You can’t shift right now,” Leo said, “but if you would like to become a full werebear, I can make that happen.”
“And live like a beast?” Margo grimaced. “An animal, Gracie. Is that what you want to be?”
Leo took Gracie’s hand and held it over his heart. “The love you have for me… Think about how intense it is. That’s because your bear recognizes me as your true mate. We are destined to be together for life.”
“Oh, please,” Margo said. “He’ll leave you behind the way your father left me.”
Leo let go of Gracie’s hand. “Unfortunately, Ms. Templeton, because you’re human, you wouldn’t have been safe in a clan. I can’t speak for Gracie’s father, but at the time, it would have been dangerous for all of you if he’d left the clan to stay here. I suspect he did what he thought he had to do to keep you and Gracie safe.”
Gracie could imagine that being a shapeshifter in a human world would have its challenges, but she didn’t know enough about what being a werebear meant to fully understand. She wanted the freedom to have a conversation without her mother’s interruptions. “Can we talk someplace more private?”
He nodded. “My truck heats up quickly.”
“Let me get my coat.”
As she dressed warmly, Margo said, “Gracie, please. Don’t make any rash decisions because you’re angry at me. I was only doing what I could to keep you safe.”
Gracie did believe that her mother wanted to protect her from the heartbreak she went through. The zipper on her jacket hummed when she tugged it up. “I know, Mom.” She opened the door for her and Leo to leave. “I’ll be back.”
Once she was in Leo’s truck, he put the heat on full blast, and she held her mittened hands up to the vent to feel the warmth. What Leo had just told her seemed crazy, but little things made her realize it might not be. He was certainly tall enough to be a polar bear, and his pale coloring suggested it. She recalled the way his chest had rumbled with what sounded like a growl. She thought about how he never got cold, as well. She asked, “Is that why you don’t get cold?”
“Yes. Our internal temperature is higher than that of humans.”
Gracie imagined that was nice in the winter months, but wondered what it was like in the summer. Especially for a polar bear. “What’s it like to live as a werebear?”
Leo smiled. “It’s amazing. I’m told that everything we can smell, taste, hear or feel is ten times more intense than what your senses are capable of. And to run or swim like a bear? I can’t imagine not being able to do it. You’d love it, Gracie.” He gazed at her with such love in his eyes that she felt as if her heart would burst. “But I won’t force you to wake your bear if you choose not to. My clan is like a big family, and I know you’d be happy there, but you would be leaving your current world behind. At least until you had a handle on shifting and keeping what we are a secret.”
While Leo made his life sound amazing, Gracie wasn’t sure it was something she wanted for herself. She thought about how she had been instantly attracted to Leo in a way she’d never experienced before. Her love for him was intense, and imagining life without him made her heart ache. But there was a lot to consider before she would want to leave her human world behind. “I don’t know what I want to do.”
“You don’t have to decide until you’re ready. Also, I need to mention that changing is a painful process that takes place over the course of a day. But let me tell you the best part about becoming a werebear.” Leo reached out for her hand and wrapped his large fingers around hers. “Your shifter genes dictate that the love we have will never die. It will only get better. We won’t be able to leave each other any more than we could live without oxygen.”
Gracie inhaled slowly, and when she blew out a long breath, she pulled her hand away. “What if I decide to stay human?”
Sadness swept over Leo’s face. “We’d eventually break up. It’s still not safe to live as a human in a werebear clan, and I hold a position that I can’t give up.” He sighed. “It would hurt like hell for the both of us. But I’m told you would be able to get over it.”
“And you?”
“I’d have to find a way to go on.”
“Leo.” Gracie’s chest burned with the urge to cry, and she reached out to touch his arm.
“I would be fine,” he said. “You need to determine what decision is right for you.” He gazed intently into her eyes. “I realize this is a lot to think about, and I want you to know that I’ll understand if you can’t be with me.”
“Being without you is not what I want but…”But what?Gracie wondered if her hesitation had to do with acceptance or if she was afraid to leave what she knew behind. “I guess I need time to think.”
“Take all the time you need.” Leo took her by the arms and brushed his lips over hers before he pulled away. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
