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“I wouldn’t mind.”
“I’d mind asking.”
“There aren’t any rude questions.”
She started breathing heavily. “Are you going to do something to me now that I know. Because I’m also getting vibes that I shouldn’t know.”
“No! I’m not going to do anything to you! No one is ever going to hurt you.” That last part came out nearly as a growl and he needed to back off. Back way the heck off. The last thing she needed right now was a protective alpha male going into alpha male mode thinking of someone or something harming her in any way.
Maybe it helped, because she took a deep breath and seemed calmer. “I believe you. So… how? When? Where?”
“We don’t know how we came to be or where we came from. Most recently, within the past hundred and fifty years, Scotland. Our ancestors came here to escape persecution. They settled in the woods. Not just here, but all over North America. There was a lot of land that could be bought, remote areas. It made more sense than moving further into Europe—plus there’s a native bear population, so chance sightings wouldn’t cause as much of a commotion as they would in parts of Europe.”
“That would explain your name.”
“Yes. Very Scottish. As to how we became what we are, I’m not sure about that either. We obviously can’t, or wouldn’t want to expose ourselves to human scientists, so we don’t have a lot of those answers. We have our stories, but they’re origin stories made up to be passed down. They’re fascinating, but they’re not concrete and wouldn’t hold up in a lab. That’s our worst fear. Labs.”
“I understand.” She was so soft. Her eyes went liquid. “I couldn’t imagine.”
“We’re just like people, but we heal faster. We get sick less often, though diseases are still a threat. We have faster reflexes, we’re built bigger and tougher.”
“So, if they got your DNA, the whole super soldier thing could be a reality?”
“We don’t want to find out.” He shuddered involuntarily.
January amazed him. She reached out this time and brushed her fingers over his. “I won’t tell anyone. Not because I’m scared of someone coming for me, but because I would never, ever want to see anyone be treated like an animal. Even animals, it’s not okay. Any living being should be free of pain and torture and not subjugated and enslaved. I know that sometimes it’s for the study of disease and treatment and that’s how they justify it with animals, but it hurts my heart to think of the suffering and pain. On a human being… no. Just no.”
“Hey.” His heart hurt seeing her think about that. She wore her pain and sadness so clearly. He reached out with his other and brushed away the tears that were starting to trickle down her cheeks. “Please don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even know I was.”
“It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. We’re just like a subtype of humans. Like a species that branched off and evolved over time. That would be my guess.”
“Like different types of cats?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
She giggled. “You’re not a Siamese versus a sphynx or a dachshund versus a dalmatian?”
“Maybe. No one really knows. We’ve learned how to adapt and hide in plain sight. Out in Greenacre, we try to make sure that we know how to survive in a mostly human world. We raise our shifter young to be able to control their bear. No, not control. That’s the wrong word. More like be at peace with one another. Harmony.”
“Things like what happened tonight don’t happen?”
“Not to me they don’t.” But it had, and he was still shaken by it.
“Are you okay?’ She asked, and he could hear the concern in her voice.
“Me?”
“You look really shaken up. And in that alley, you were so scared. You were upset. That bear wasn’t wild and feral. It was wounded and terrified. I was scared, but more in shock, and that’s why I didn’t run. But when you shifted back, Icouldn’trun. I needed to make sure you were okay. It wasn’t sick curiosity that kept me there. It was justyou, Tavish. It was what I felt. I don’t even know how to describe it.”
He believed her.
Was this what mates were? Was this the start of it? The bond that he felt? The pull to her? The strange sensations that kept coursing through his body? The way he couldn’t make himself say no? How he wanted to keep coming back even when he didn’t understand the why of it? Was the insane desire to protect the woman who was meant to be his what brought out the bear? He had so many questions himself, that he didn’t have the answers for. He’d never had to deal with that before. It seemed a far stretch to even consider that word or concept, but was that what was happening? Was that why January hadn’t run? Was that why she was sitting here, trying to understand him now? It couldn’t just be physical attraction or chemistry. Curiosity, maybe, but that didn’t feel right.
Sam and Trace talked all the time about how it felt fated to have met their mates. How nothing could drive them apart and they’d do anything to protect them. It wasn’t all physical, alpha male behavior. It wasn’t just animalistic instinct. It so much more, almost a paranormal sensation.
He should have listened more carefully to what they were saying instead of thinking it was mushy mush he was never going to have to worry about.
