Bear Shifters: Hunt Collection #2 (3 page)

CHAPTER 4

He found a cluster of blackberry bushes and pawed at them, maneuvering the branches so he could get the juicy, sun-ripened berries in his mouth. He was hungrier than he’d realized, although that was usually true after he transformed. His bear stomach had a lot more room to fill. After a few minutes, he noticed another smell that piqued his curiosity. Realizing it was the party food and wondering if anyone had missed him yet, he decided to go check it out in his bear form. He would keep to the woods, and the darkness would conceal him. The bear’s mediocre eyesight wouldn’t help much, but he would be able to hear practically everything. Maybe if he wasn’t in the midst of it all, he could figure out where the seemingly incorporeal voices were coming from.

He only had to get past the corner of the garage before he could hear party sounds coming from his extensive front lawn. With every step, the din became louder and louder. It wasn’t long before the noise was overwhelming, and he let out an involuntarily growl. He collapsed on the ground and tried to cover his ears with his paws like a human would. Weirdly, the sound was hardly muffled. He instinctively closed his eyes against the racket, and to his astonishment, images began flashing through his mind. Stranger still, he was in many of the images, but it felt like he was watching himself through someone else’s eyes. He could feel a cacophony of emotions too, although somehow he knew they were not his own.

After several moments of overwhelming sensory stimulation, he recovered his faculties enough to retreat. He ran on all fours until there was silence and his mind was his own again. Lying down on the forest floor, he couldn’t help wondering if he was losing his mind. He was almost as crazy as those scientists he met with this week. He tried to laugh, but as a bear, it sounded more like a grunt.

And then it hit him. He was a bear. An animal. And what he was experiencing – the voices, images, and emotions that weren’t his… Was he reading minds? Could this be the animal telepathy the researchers wanted to study?

But he had started hearing things while he was still in his human form. Everyone else was acting normal, so it hadn’t affected them. Maybe whatever it was that allowed him to shapeshift was related to the mind-reading. It could be that the part of his brain that made him a bear was animal enough to give him the ability, even as a human.

Now that he had a theory what was happening, he was anxious to get closer to the party again. He speculated that maybe he could hone in on a certain person’s thoughts, much like he could focus on one conversation and tune out the rest of the party. That way, it wouldn’t be so overwhelmingly debilitating. Besides, he was dying to find out what people thought of him, so he was willing to take the risk.

He mentally prepared himself as he approached the house. He thought he could feel the energy of every person in that front yard. It wasn’t nearly as intense as the first time, but he still had various thoughts bouncing through his head.

I wish I had this kind of money. It’s not even fair.

The pâté isn’t nearly as good as I would have expected.

I can’t believe Daniel is here. That womanizer never called me like he said he would.

Justin closed his eyes to regroup. When he opened them, he would find Elle and focus on her. It should be easy to pick out her thoughts since he knew her so well.

It took a little while with his subpar bear vision, but eventually, he spotted her. She was fluttering about, telling everyone how glad she was that they could attend the party, but he could feel that it was really just her way of looking for him. Concentrating on her, he began to hear her thoughts.

Where could he have gone?
Elle was thinking.
All these people are here for him, and he chooses now to take off? It’s bad enough when he ghosts me, but it’s just offensive that he would ditch his own birthday party. I put a ton of effort into planning this, and he’s making me look bad. Though I suppose that’s nothing new. It seems like with all his money, he could afford some class. But hey, if he’s spending it on me instead, I guess I can’t complain.

It was nothing he hadn’t heard before. Elle wasn’t exactly a saint, but neither was he. That was part of the reason they had lasted so long as a couple. They didn’t feel like they had to be better for each other because they were equally selfish.

He heard Elle’s voice asking his neighbor, Mike, if he had seen Justin. Mike said no, but there was much more that he didn’t say.
No, I haven’t seen Justin, nor do I care. I wouldn’t even be here if my wife didn’t want to see the inside of that atrocious mansion. At least there’s an open bar. I don’t know how anyone could get through this without alcohol.

Justin let out a short grunt. Mike was just jealous. He had the smallest house in the neighborhood, so it made sense that he would be bitter about it. He haughtily wondered what Mike would think if he knew how much his wife flirted with Justin whenever they happened to meet at the mailbox.

His eyes followed Elle into her next conversation. “I’m just so glad you could make it, Joss. What time did you get home last night after the after party?”

“I can’t remember. All I know is that it wasn’t last night. It was this morning.”

“Oh, I’m so sad I missed it! The premiere was outstanding, though. I wouldn’t have missed that for anything.”

“I’m just glad Justin let you come. For a minute there, I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

“I know. Me too. Speaking of Justin, have you seen him around?”

“No, I haven’t. Sorry.”

Elle walked off, but Justin stayed focused on Joss, waiting to hear her thoughts. She had even more money than he did, so he wouldn’t be subjected to shallow envy with her.

I don’t know why Elle is trying to find him. She’s always happier when he’s not around anyway. Aren’t we all? I don’t understand why she stays with him. She could do so much better, especially if she moved to LA. I could introduce her to so many guys, far superior to that pompous jerk.

Justin was taken aback. That wasn’t what he’d expected. He thought Joss was his friend. Apparently that wasn’t the case. It didn’t sound like she liked him much at all.

He was starting to wonder if anyone had anything good to say, or rather think, about him. He moved his focus to one of his employees.
Where did Justin go? I only came so I could suck up to him a little bit so he’ll give me that promotion, but he’s not even here.
A buddy from his gym.
If Justin has enough money for this kind of party and such an extravagant house, why wouldn’t the cheapskate donate to my son’s fundraiser?
A family friend he’d known since birth.
I knew this party would be lame. But it’s the price I have to pay if I want Justin to keep sending checks with his Christmas cards. I guess I can suffer through this for a couple hundred bucks.

With every mind he read, his temper rose. He had spent an inordinate amount of money on this party, on these people, and he couldn’t find a single person who actually seemed to like him. Only his wealth mattered to them. They were merely using him to get ahead.

Justin let out a loud, angry bellow. Several of the partygoers gasped or turned their heads towards the forest surrounding the house. When they didn’t see anything of concern, they went back to their conversations. They all seemed so content to enjoy the celebration without the person they were supposed to be celebrating, and it infuriated him. How dare they saunter around his property like they owned the place? How dare they consume the food and drinks and entertainment he had provided for his friends? How dare they show their faces here when they obviously held such contempt for him? They didn’t deserve any of it.

In his animal form, it was harder to control his impulses, and he felt the sudden need to tear something apart. His bear’s urge to protect his territory took over. Breaking out from the cover of the woods, he charged the party on his front lawn. He snarled and growled, sending people screaming in every direction. He went to the food table, bit the tablecloth, and yanked on it. Food splattered on the ground and glass dishes broke. He went to the bar and pawed aggressively at everything in sight, liquid spilling out of the broken bottles. If there were tables or chairs in the way, he knocked them over. If his guests got too close, he ran at them, gnashing his teeth.

Suddenly, there was a deafening bang, and pain shot through his shoulder. He stumbled briefly, but a new surge of anger gave him the strength to recover his balance. Wheeling around, he saw a man behind him, holding a gun he had just fired. The bear wanted to run at him and slash at his body in retaliation, but Justin’s human mind was just present enough to know he risked getting shot to death if he did. Instead, he fled the scene amidst additional gunshots, disappearing unscathed into the trees.

As his adrenaline faded, the pain in his shoulder began to set in. He limped through the forest, headed back towards the garage, hoping he had done enough damage to break up the party. Elle was sure to hang around. She would be furious. The bear may have torn the party apart, but Justin had ruined it long before that when he took off. He would have stayed in the forest all night and avoided her wrath, but he needed medical attention. His best bet was to sneak back in, and then lie his way out of it.

CHAPTER 5

Kimber’s face visibly relaxed when Justin walked into the kitchen. “There you are!” she exclaimed. “Where have you been?” But before he could answer, she noticed the blood soaking through his shirt. She gasped. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. He was still in a bad mood after finding out everyone hated him.

She looked at him skeptically.
Is he really fine, or is he just acting tough? I wish he wouldn’t lie to me. I don’t care how tough he is. I just want to help.

Using his newfound superpower to his advantage, he admitted, “Actually, I could use some help.”

“Of course! What can I do?”

“There’s a first aid kit under the sink.” As she turned away to go and grab it, he took his shirt off. He had examined his shoulder as well as he could when he was putting his clothes back on, and it looked like the bullet had just grazed his shoulder. Still, he wouldn’t mind a second opinion, and it would be nice to have the wound dressed so it wouldn’t stain any other clothes.

Ahh! No! He took his shirt off! Of course he took his shirt off. How else are you going to help him? Just act natural. Breathe. Not a big deal.

Justin’s eyes widened in surprise and his mouth curled into an amused smile. Did she find him attractive? He never would have guessed. He was curious, though, so he said, “I haven’t been working out as much lately, so don’t make fun of my flabby stomach, okay?”

Kimber laughed. “Okay,” she agreed, but she thought,
What is he talking about? His stomach is perfect. Ugh, get a hold of yourself!

His smile widened. He couldn’t help it.

“What?” Kimber asked. “Why are you smiling like that?”
Is there something on my face?

“I don’t know. I’m just happy.” Honestly, this was the best he had felt all night.

Now Kimber smiled.
I love it when he’s happy.

Justin sat on a barstool at the counter, Kimber standing next to him. As she began to clean the wound, she again asked, “So, what happened to you?”

“I went for a walk and –”

“Wait, in the middle of your own party?”

“Yeah. I was overwhelmed, so I took off for a while.”

“Okay. Go on.”

“It’s too embarrassing.”

Laughing, Kimber wondered, “More embarrassing than that day in PE when Marissa Nelson was standing on the leg of your shorts when you tried to stand up?”

Justin chuckled at the memory that popped into his head, almost like a video from Kimber’s point of view. “Maybe not quite that embarrassing. Nobody saw my underpants tonight. I just walked right into the branch of a tree.”

But his shirt wasn’t torn,
Kimber noticed. But all she said was, “That’s not embarrassing. It is dark out there. And if you were trying to get away from everything, you were probably moving pretty fast.”

Justin was floored. She hadn’t called him out. She knew he was lying, or else a pervert who walked around the woods naked, but instead of forcing the truth out of him, she was trying to help him feel better.

“Wait, so did you miss the whole bear incident?”

He didn’t know if he was a good enough actor to play dumb. Plus, he didn’t feel much like lying to Kimber at the moment. “No, I was here for that. Kind of crazy, huh?”

“Extremely crazy.”
I wonder if it had something to do with the solar storm
.
But I’d have to be an idiot to bring that up again.

“I wonder if it had something to do with the solar storm,” Justin said, voicing her thoughts.

“Don’t mess with me, Justin. I’ve already apologized for wasting your time with that. Can’t you just let it go?”

“I’m serious, Kimber. I’m going to call those researchers tomorrow. I hope they can get some studies set up before the storms end. It sounded like they were prepared to jump in at the last minute. Hopefully that’s all still in place.”

Is he really serious? I can never tell with him. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. Oh, I hope he does call them. They’ll be so excited.

Justin turned on the barstool so that he was facing Kimber, just so he could get a good look at her. She hadn’t thought of herself for even a moment. There was no “I told you so.” There was no negativity whatsoever. She only cared about the researchers, whom she hardly knew.

“Um, I’m not done,” Kimber said. There were no concrete thoughts in her head, but he could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as he studied her face. He didn’t move or respond, and eventually she thought,
Can he tell that I’m blushing? Why is he acting so weird?

He didn’t want her to think he was acting out of the ordinary, so he finally turned his body so she could finish bandaging him up. “I saw that you brought Vivienne tonight. I think it has been years since I last saw her. How is she doing?”

“She’s fine. She’s starting up a business right now so she’s been really busy with that. I think it was good for her to come out tonight.”

“Does she need any investors?” Justin asked. He wasn’t even sure where it came from.

“She’s an arms dealer.”

“What?” Justin asked incredulously.

“I don’t think you want to get into that. Sketchy stuff.” She kept a straight face through it all. When Justin laughed, she finally cracked a smile.

“Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“It just comes to me,” she grinned.
And thank goodness because I love making him laugh.
She taped some gauze to his shoulder and, sitting on the stool next to him, she asked, “Would you really consider investing in her start-up? It’s a graphic design firm.”

“Sure. If I’m going to give money to the crazy animal mind reading people, I might as well give some to your sister too. She’s not crazy, is she?”

“Not too bad.” A little bit of paranoia invaded Justin’s mind as Kimber thought,
He’s not interested in my older sister, is he? He couldn’t be. Could he?

He wasn’t sure why he so wanted to dispel Kimber’s worry, but he couldn’t think of a way to do it without arousing suspicion. Instead, he changed the subject. “Well, I should go and find Elle. Face her wrath and all that.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”
I hope she doesn’t kill him.
“I should get going too. Some of us have to be at work in the morning.”

“What? Your boss must be a tyrant. Asking you to come in to work on a Monday morning.”

“Nah,” Kimber grinned as she got up. “He’s not too bad. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Elle was too preoccupied seeing guests off and apologizing for the traumatic evening to notice when Justin walked up behind her. He took a moment to get a read on her mood, telepathically of course, and though there weren’t any concrete thoughts, he could feel that she was seething with anger. He almost wanted to turn back and just go to bed, but he knew that would make the whole situation a thousand times worse. Mustering all his courage, he cautiously said, “Hey, babe.”

She ignored him, continuing to wave to the last departing vehicles.
“Hey, babe?” That’s all he has to say after destroying my party? I don’t know why I put up with him.

“I’m sorry for disappearing like that,” Justin added. “I had to take a business call. For that huge deal that’s going through tomorrow.” He thought she might accept that excuse better than the one he gave Kimber. If he told Elle he had been overwhelmed, she would just think he was pathetic.

Elle was still quiet for a time, but Justin followed her thought process.
I guess I can’t be mad if it was a business call. It sounds like that deal is going to bring in a lot of money, and that’s all that really matters.
“You should have told me,” she said. “Everyone was wondering where you were.”
Actually, now that I think about it, nobody really seemed to care much that he was gone. They were all having a great time until that stupid bear crashed the party. That was so brave of Trevon to shoot at it. In fact, it was kind of sexy. I wouldn’t mind getting to know him a little better… It’s a shame though that he didn’t kill the bear. We could have sold the skin and made –

Irritated, almost to the point of anger, at Elle’s thoughts, Justin interrupted. “Wasn’t it lucky that Trevon didn’t kill that bear? It must have been terrified.”

Okay, just agree with him. You’re used to this. Don’t rock the boat.
“Oh, I know! I hope it wasn’t hurt too badly. The poor thing.”

Justin clenched his teeth, trying to absorb his anger instead of lashing out. Had she always been this manipulative? He had never noticed, or at least he hadn’t cared. He had always felt like he was getting the better end of the bargain with her. Elle was strikingly attractive, and he had always felt so proud to have her on his arm. Besides, she hardly ever asked for anything, aside from money, which he had always been happy to give her. And no matter how many stupid things he did, she always forgave him, although admittedly he usually had to deal with her temper first. But now he was beginning to see the truth. She was just like everyone else, using him to get what she wanted. But she was the worst. She was their queen.

Cozying up to him and placing her hand on his chest, she asked, “So, do you want to come over tonight? Or I could stay here.”

“No. I’ll call you tomorrow.” It was all he could manage in his current state of rage.

She put on a hurt face, which Justin would have bought if this were yesterday. But today, he could hear her thinking,
Well, if he’s going to be like that, maybe I can get to know Trevon sooner than I thought. I wonder if he’s busy tonight.

“Actually, you know what? Maybe I won’t call you,” Justin burst. He worried about sounding crazy. The outburst probably seemed completely unprovoked, but he didn’t care. Now that he knew who she really was, he didn’t want her in his life anymore, effective immediately.

“Well, I could call you.”

“No, I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Are you too busy tomorrow?”

“No. Well, yes, but that’s irrelevant. I don’t want you to call me at all anymore. I think we’re done.”

“What? Why? This is so sudden. Did I do something wrong?” Elle’s tone was calm, but Justin could feel her anger seething underneath the surface.

“You don’t care about me. The only reason you stay with me is because of my money and the fancy lifestyle you get to live because of it.”

“That’s not true!” Elle gasped. “I do care about you! I love you!”

“I know that you don’t. And I don’t love you.”

“Justin, how can you say that?”
Cry! Why can’t I make myself cry?
“How can you do this to me, especially after this party I just threw for you?”

“I paid for the entire thing! I could have hired someone to do what you did! Besides, this party wasn’t for me. It was for you. I left, and nobody even cared!” His voice rose with every word so that he was shouting by the end.

Elle finally squeezed out some tears. “You know what?” she sniffled. “It’s late. We’re both tired, and we’ve been drinking, and we’re not thinking clearly. I’ll come see you at work tomorrow, and we’ll talk this out.”

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Justin called as she began to walk towards her car.

She ignored him, thinking,
If he goes through with this, I’m going to make him regret it.
She got in her car and drove away, and finally, the only thoughts left in Justin’s head were his own.