Bearing My Soul: A Paranormal Werebear Shifter Romance (4 page)

“I’m the only one who knows about these bushes,” she hushed me breathlessly.  “You can’t tell anyone else, understand?”

I nodded. “Of course,” I promised.

After a few minutes of struggling to keep up with her, she stopped and looked around. Seeing we were alone, she darted off the trail and down into a ravine. I hesitated, staring after her in horror.

She turned around when she realized I wasn’t behind her. She motioned to me to follow. Panic swelled up in my stomach. I shook my head. “Maybe we should go back,” I suggested in desperation.

She studied my face. “You’re scared,” she realized. She looked as though it were a revelation to her.

“There was a bear in my backyard,” I squawked, trying to keep my voice down.

“I heard,” she groaned. “We all heard. Now, if you want to know what Jonathan really would like you to bring him, get your scared little butt down here!”

I cringed hard and forced myself to step through the tall weeds and groping bushes. I watched the ground for snakes or rats or anything that might jump out and bite me. When I looked up, Roanne was laughing at me.

“Good god, Andrea,” she smirked, “you act like you’re wading through sharks. Now, come on!”

She turned and raced between the trees. I had to scurry to keep up with her. At last we burst out into a little meadow covered in large bushes heavy with dark purple berries. My jaw dropped in awe at the sight of it.

“Are they blueberries?” I asked.

“Better,” she giggled. “They’re huckleberries. Jonathan loves them and they are hard to find. I found these the other day. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“No, of course not,” I breathed. “We can just pick these and eat them?”

She nodded. “You could also just eat them off the bush, but Uncle Johnny would prefer they’re picked.”

I plucked one and gingerly put it in my mouth. It burst with an invigorating, sweet, musky taste. I smiled over to Roanne, but she was already busy picking.

I picked one after another. I quickly discovered how carefully they needed to be handled to avoid smashing them. I popped several into my mouth as I worked. The basket was about half full, as I rounded back to where I had last seen Roanne.

My heart lodged in my throat, as a black-furred animal swung around to face me. It lunged up on its hind legs. It tossed its head back and forth, as it snorted and growled. I stood paralyzed, as I stared up at the bear.

CHAPTER FOUR

Roanne called out to me. She was walking slowly and cautiously toward me. I tried to motion her not to come any closer, but I couldn’t move.

The bear lifted its paws in warning and glared angrily at me.

“You startled her,” Roanne spoke softly, still coming toward me.

“I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I really didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay, Andrea,” Roanne breathed. “She’s just here to eat berries. She’s as scared of you, as you are of her.”

“Really?” my high-pitched voice cracked in terror. “Do you see pee dribbling down her leg?! Because I don’t!” I couldn’t feel anything below my waist anymore.

“Stay calm, Andrea,” Roanne walked past me and toward the bear. Her voice was low and calming.

“Roanne, no!” I groaned.

“She doesn’t think of us as food,” Roanne explained. “She’s afraid we’ll try to hurt her.”

“Let’s just run, okay?” I blurted out. “On the count of three, let’s run back to the road. Maybe she won’t chase us.”

Roanne shrugged. “Right now she doesn’t see you as food. If you run, that’s when she’ll think you’re food. She’s a predator, Andrea. She chases whatever runs away.”

The fear tasted metallic in my mouth. “I’ll just stand here and pee myself then,” I said.

Roanne nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

She stepped up next to the bear and put a quieting hand to its side. I felt like I might pass out as I watched, but the bear dropped to all fours and stared at her in silence. Roanne slowly lifted a hand to its head, patting it calmly. The bear nuzzled her gently, then it turned and trotted away.

I stood, still paralyzed, and waited in shock. Roanne walked calmly up to me. “Black bears are common in the area,” she explained. “They don’t usually hurt people. We actually have much more in common with them than you realize.”

I shook my head, finally finding the courage to move again. “I really don’t think I have much in common with that animal,” I objected.

She shrugged, as she walked toward the trail. “I never said you did,” she laughed. “I think we have enough berries, though.”

“Damn right we do,” I muttered, as I hurried after her.

“You go home,” Roanne instructed, as we came out in front of the flower shop, “change your pants, and take those over to Jonathan. I’ll drop by later to see how it went.”

I showered and changed before going over, letting my nerves calm. I was still shaking a little as I walked over to his house. The basket swung in my grasp.

I knocked, suddenly finding myself scared once again. After a minute, Jonathan yanked the door open. He saw it was me and grunted. “What?”

I imagined cleaning huckleberry juice from the outside walls of the house.

“I brought you a little peace offering,” I held up the basket.

He stopped abruptly and lifted his head to sniff the air. His expression softened, then turned oddly sad. He pulled the door open and motioned for me to enter.

“I know I’ve done something to offend you,” I submitted, as I stepped inside and handed him the basket. “I’m so sorry. I promise I never wanted you to become angry with me.”

He stood, his brown eyes gazing in surprise at the basket. “Huckleberries,” he whispered. “They’re fresh. Where did you find them?”

I fidgeted. “I promised a friend I wouldn’t tell.”

He sighed, as his large chest heaved. I felt an involuntary thrill, as we stood there in the hall of his home together.

“Thank you,” he managed to mutter. He plucked a handful of berries up and relished them. He looked at me, his eyes lost and confused. My heart skipped several beats.

“Look,” he finally spoke again, his hand still grasping the basket. “This is really sweet of you, especially considering how cold I’ve been to you lately. But... you really don’t belong here. You shouldn’t be in this town, Andrea. You need to leave.”

I choked back on a cry. I peered deep into his eyes. My own eyes begged him to understand. “I have nowhere else to go,” I moaned. “And, even if I did, I don’t know that I would want to.”

He stared down at the berries, as he struggled with himself. I longed to touch him, hold his hand, and beg him to understand. I took a step toward him. He stepped sharply away.

“You should go,” he grumbled. “Thank you for the berries, but you should go.”

I had stopped crying by the time Roanne arrived. I took the time to make hamburgers for the two of us and I told her all about what had happened. She nodded as though she understood. When I noticed her shiver, I took the last of the fire starter logs and stuffed it into the fireplace.

She stooped down next to me and pulled it back out before I could light it.

“Take some paper and loosely ball it up,” she explained.

I looked over at her, puzzled. Her calm demeanor told me I should follow her instructions. I grabbed some old newspaper and bunched it up. She showed me how to stack twigs and thin sticks around it, then small chunks of wood, and finally a log.

“You can throw in some more paper around it, too,” she explained. “Anything to heat up the firebox is helpful.

She wiggled the damper handle. “You want it mostly closed, to keep the heat in as much as possible. Then, close the metal doors on the front. It should burn fine.”

“The doors closed?” I stammered.

She laughed. “It won’t warm up the house if you keep them open. You must have been freezing in here all the time.”

“Not all the time,” I muttered, but she was right.

“Okay,” she huffed, “it sounds like Jonathan is determined here. But meet me tomorrow morning down at the flower shop. I’ll give you one final piece of advice. If this doesn’t work, I’m lost.”

I gave a weak smile. “I don’t know if that’s comforting or not,” I mumbled.

She shook her head. “It’s really not much. The huckleberries should have gotten through to him. There is one last gift you can get for him that should work.”

The next morning I got up early and hurried through my chores. I made it to the little flower shop just before noon. I pulled over a little down the street, behind an old pickup truck. Roanne saw me coming and hurried out to meet me.

“Jim is the town butcher,” she huffed as she ran up to me. “He’s a nice guy, but you’d better let me buy the roast for you. No one in town wants to find out we’re eating Andrea burgers, okay?”

I hesitated until the words sank it, then handed her a fifty-dollar bill. She disappeared into the butcher shop.

As I waited, three men stumbled from the grocery mart, large paper bags and six packs of beer in their hands. They eyed me up and down as they approached. I huddled back against the wall.

The guys tossed the groceries into the back of the truck, then sauntered over to where I waited. One of them stepped brazenly close to me. I turned away to avoid his sour smell. He grinned, as he chewed a toothpick. His unshaven face bulged with fat and his gut hung down over his belt. I leapt back as he reached for me.

“There’s no need to be shy,” he belched. “I just want to give you a little fun, darlin’.”

The other two chortled nervously, as they looked me over like I was a bag of their favorite chips. I felt squeamish, but stared at the big guy in front of me. “You three hit the road or I’ll scream,” I warned.

“We don’t mean you no harm, girl. Watcha doin’ out here by yourself, love?”

I clenched my teeth hard. “I’m waiting for a delivery from the butcher.”

“Hey,” one of the other guys chortled, “if it’s a big piece of meat you’re after...”

The big guy scowled him into silence, then turned back to me. “How about a bit of fun, love?” His breath was like acid.

“I would rather be beaten to death with rocks,” I snarled. “Now leave me alone before I get all of you arrested.”

They grunted and waffled about it for a minute. Then, they sauntered off to a nearby picnic table and sat down with a six pack of beer. I squirmed as they gawked at me, but was grateful they were keeping their distance.

A minute later Roanne emerged, hefting a bulky brown package. “It’s elk roast,” she explained. “Jonathan won’t be able to resist it. Don’t cook it very long... at all. Just warm it up a bit, so it’s not cold. He’ll love it.”

“Thank you,” I smiled warmly, then motioned with my head over to the three men who were all still staring at me. “You’d better go back to you shop now. Those creeps are giving me the willies. I don’t trust them.”

“Ah,” she said as she stared back at them. “They’re hunters, here for deer season. I hate hunters.”

“I’ll wait here until you’re back inside,” I offered.

She nodded and hurried down the sidewalk. Once she disappeared inside, I jumped into my car and sped for home. Grateful to be back, I shoved the roast into the fridge and took a deep breath. I was puzzled over how it could possibly make a good gift. Glancing at the clock, I saw there was enough time to straighten up the backyard before getting the roast ready.

My heart was thudding, as I thought about taking the elk roast to his front door. He had let me inside with the huckleberries, so maybe this time he would give us the chance to talk and work things out.

I pulled on work gloves and a coat. The brisk air rushed to meet me, as I stepped outside and started raking up leaves.

I wondered how Jonathan would react if I simply kissed him. Last time he had moved away from me when I stepped closer. If I could just take his hand and keep his eyes on mine, maybe he could see who I really was.

I heard the truck doors slamming out front and took a heaving breath. I glanced over at the wood shed to be sure it was still secure. I smiled as I recalled seeing Jonathan nude. I wondered if I could get a better vantage point, one where I could see everything.

I glanced along the side of the house, eyeing up Jonathan’s backyard with my windows.

“Oh god!” I yelped. I saw the fat hunter from the butcher shop rounding the corner of the house. He was followed closely by the other two. He grinned greedily when he saw me and started running at me.

I recalled hearing the truck doors out front. Suddenly, I realized they had followed me back.