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Michael chuckled again before saying, “Fine, fine. Well, I don’t think tonight will be a typical date anyway.”
“No matter what we do that’ll be true,” she agreed.
He turned to look at her and she warned he needed to keep his eyes on the road. The rest of the ride continued in silence but it was not awkward. He drove up the side of a hill until they arrived at a vista park, which offered a stunning view of the town. There were a few other people milling around but it was pretty quiet and private.
“Not many people know about this park for some reason,” he told her as they leaned against the hood of his car and took in the view.
“I didn’t,” she confessed. She had no idea how she’d never known about it but now she was glad she did. It was gorgeous and peaceful. She turned to look at him and admired his strong side-profile, his chiseled features standing out.
“Great dress,” he mumbled with a smirk when he finally turned to look back at her.
Jenna felt her cheeks flush. It was not dark enough for him to miss that so he placed his hand against the side of her face and swept his thumb over the top of her cheek. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers but practically jerked away a second later. It was as if he’d really wanted to kiss her but he’d gotten a shock and was unable to. He cleared his throat and turned away from her, leaving Jenna to feel more confused than ever.
He played it so hot and cold in a way she was unfamiliar with. None of it seemed exactly intentional. She’d finally realized in that moment his changes did not seem like a game. There was more to Michael and she was willing to bet that scar on his arm had something to do with whatever he was hiding, something Harrison knew but would not tell.
“I want to know your secret,” she blurted. At first she was abashed but then she decided it was for the best. She would quickly grow tired of everything that was inexplicable and perplexing. She was already weary of what was going on.
“How do you…” Michael swallowed hard and stood up. He’d wanted to ask how she even knew he had a secret but she knew he’d realized that was beside the point. She’d basically let him know now was the time. He turned to face her and she saw pleading in his eyes before he even spoke again.
“Can’t we just enjoy the rest of our date?”
Jenna stood up. She took a step forward and placed her hand on his arm, right where she knew the scar was hidden under the long sleeve of his shirt. He suppressed a flinch but she caught even that. She wanted to just enjoy the night and make of it what she could but something in her said otherwise. She leaned in and pressed his lips to his and when he was a bit more unresponsive than she would have liked, her mind was made up.
“Maybe just take me home now,” she told him.
Michael nodded and they quietly got back in his car. This time the silence for the length of the ride was awkward. Neither of them knew what to say. Both of them knew the date had been cut short. It was evident there was much to say but words and courage were failing. He pulled up to the front of her place and, much to her surprise, parked the car and turned it off.
Michael turned to face her. She could feel him waiting patiently. He was hoping she would turn to look at him and talk rather than walking out and calling it quits. Now was the moment for her to make the decision so she shut her eyes, took a breath, and then turned to face him. She could see relief in his hazel eyes for a split second and then she knew, in the pit of her stomach, he was about to reveal his secret.
“I’m a shifter,” he uttered without warning.
Chapter Eleven
“You’re a shifter? What does that even mean?”
Jenna felt more in the dark than ever. He’d been so apprehensive of actually telling her, he’d waited until she was safely in front of her house, but she had no clue what he was actually talking about. She looked at him, waiting for an explanation, hoping it was not anything awful or terrifying because as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted more with him.
“I mean I’m a shape shifter,” he told her, not clarifying much.
She was looked blankly at him until her mind finally caught up and pulled something out from the back of her head, a term she’d heard before but not in real life. It was something from movies and books but not anything she ever expected to be real. He must have seen the realization dawn on her because he hurried to let her know she was not in danger.
“People are afraid of the unknown and I get that. I’ve been a shifter since the day I was born. I’ve adapted and know how to live in society without harming anyone, even when in animal form. But I’m not foolish enough to think everyone can accept it so easily.” Michael paused and looked away from her for a moment before adding, “If you want to leave now and never see me outside of things with Harrison, I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
Jenna was speechless. Of any secret she could have imagined this one was unimaginable. So she asked the only thing that came to mind. “What’s your animal form?”
“A tiger,” he muttered, sounding helpless.
Jenna gasped. He made no acknowledgement of it. “Harrison knows?”
Michael nodded. Now she understood why he did not tell her at the store. Now she understood why Michael was different and secretive.
“The scar?”
He nodded again. It was all coming together but the thing that stood out the most was what she felt the two times she’d been with him– his wildness. She’d felt a part of his animal form in the way he’d kissed her, touched her, and drawn her to him. That was why it was uncanny. It all made so much sense despite the explanation seeming like something straight out of the latest blockbuster movie.
She knew there should have been alarm bells sounding off in her mind, warning her to stray away from this man. She knew she should have deemed him the wrong guy after all but something deep inside her felt differently. She did not feel an ounce of fear even though she was sure most would feel at least a small twinge of it. She could see him searching her eyes and face for a sign of disgust but there was none of that either. She was just mystified. It seemed impossible to her that shape shifters not only existed, but they existed so directly in her life.
“You did prove it to me, by the way.”
