CHAPTER THREE
Trevor had caught her off guard. Again. But this time, she didn’t really mind so much. Odd, that. Somehow, after spending an evening with him and her friend, Grace and her new mate, Trevor didn’t seem quite so scary anymore.
In fact, after taking his advice and talking with the selkie, Moira, Beth found that she was losing some of her fear of the big apex predators. Oh, she figured she would always be wary around some of them, but she’d at least learned that a few of the really frightening guys in Grizzly Cove weren’t quite as barbaric as she’d always believed them to be.
Jack was one that had won her over. The way he treated Grace—with obvious love and affection—was clear to see. He seemed to really be making an effort with the rest of their old hunting party, including Beth. She hadn’t expected that. After all, she hadn’t been very nice to him and the other bears since coming here.
She was making an effort to modify her own behavior. She wasn’t very proud of the way she’d conducted herself to this point. She had a bit of apologizing to do, and a lot of humble pie to eat. Luckily, the ladies who ran the bakery were very understanding. Beth had started there, trying to erase her earlier snide remarks and bad behavior by actually spending time in the shop, eating there, instead of taking her order to go and running away.
She had been there when the sisters’ mates had shown up a few times now, and she’d done her best to be, if not friendly, at least not as rude as she had been before. They’d seemed to respond well to her change in attitude, but it was early days yet. She had to go slowly because the fear of those big, powerful men hadn’t totally left her.
Oh, she knew intellectually that they were mated to humans. That meant something significant in itself. Those formidable men had tempered their strength in order to be with their fragile human mates. If they could do that—and the evidence of their mates’ happiness and continued good health meant they could—then perhaps, they weren’t as ferocious as she had always been led to believe.
“You might be interested to know, I did as you suggested and had a talk with Moira. She’s very nice, and yes, you were right…” Beth smiled and rolled her eyes to inject some humor into her words. “Moira is already halfway to convincing me that her cousin isn’t as bad as I thought he was. She’s even invited me to dinner once she and Seamus get their house in order. They only moved in yesterday, so everything is in disarray. I helped her do a bit of unpacking in the kitchen while we chatted.”
That innocent domestic chore of unwrapping dishes and putting them in cupboards had been fun. It was one of the very few times in her life when Beth had been in her human form and not afraid of anything or anyone. Moira was easy to like and a fellow water shifter, even if she was a seal and not a mer.
They’d hit it off, talking about the advantages of living in the cove rather than the open sea. And Moira was mated to Seamus—a cuddly little koala bear shifter, not a giant, angry grizzly bear. Even though he was male, his thick Aussie accent and his animal side didn’t make Beth apprehensive. On the contrary, she felt welcomed by them both, and as if she had made two new friends.
Beth never took to people that easily. Not even her fellow mer. Then again, she hadn’t really been as open before. She’d come a long way from the shy runaway she had been only a few years ago. Oh, she was still shy, and scared of a lot, but she was getting bolder each day, with each new experience, and she thought maybe she’d had a bit of a personal growth spurt since coming to Grizzly Cove, and especially since meeting Trevor.
“I’m glad,” Trevor said, and Beth had to backtrack in her mind to figure out what he was responding to. “Everything I’ve seen of Moira, and her cousin, leads me to believe that the Kinkaid Clan is a really good example of how we can all work together—land and sea.”
“They’re pretty unique,” Beth agreed. “At least, that’s the impression I got from everything Moira said.”
“Oh, there are other inclusive Clans out there. The Redstones come to mind. They’ve got more species under their banner than just about anybody else, but I don’t think they have any water shifters. Although…come to think of it, they do have a very strong connection to water nowadays.” Trevor scratched his jaw as if recalling something, and she was intrigued.
“Why is that?” Beth wanted to know. Maybe he was leading her down the garden path, trying deliberately to stir up her curiosity, but if so, he’d succeeded. Drat the man.
“Do you know what a water sprite is?” He answered her question with a question of his own.
“I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never run into one myself, if that’s what you’re asking.” Why couldn’t he just give her a straight answer?
“They’re very powerful and very intensely magical,” he went on, as if he wasn’t driving her crazy with suspense. “And one very notable family of them recently allied with the Redstone Clan via marriage. The second oldest brother, Steve, mated with Trisha Morrow, daughter of Admiral Morrow, who is very high up in the Spec Ops chain of command.”
“Seriously?” Beth was surprised that any magical being could attain such power in a human-run military. Then again, the core group of bear shifters who had created Grizzly Cove were all said to be former military men.
“It’s not that uncommon for magical folk who can pass for human to use their powers for good—or evil. The bad guys hide their true nature, of course. The good guys hide in plain sight for reasons of their own sometimes, too. But, after a very visible operation in Las Vegas a while back, the Morrows were well and truly outed to the magical community. Just about everyone who’s interested knows their secret now.”
“That’s a shame,” Beth said. Hiding was important to her. She’d hate to have everyone know her secrets.
“Trisha has three brothers. I’ve worked with them all at one time or another when I was in the military. And I saluted the admiral more than a few times, as well,” Trevor said with a friendly grin. “The bears have already requested their help with the leviathan, but word is, they’re all out of contact, on critical military missions. When they get back in communication, I’m pretty sure they’ll be on the way here if you all haven’t solved the critter problem by then.”
Trevor was looking out over the water, to the mouth of the cove, but she was watching him. She realized he really was a handsome man, once she got over being scared of his size.
“Why are you telling me all this? Isn’t it privileged information or something?”
“Not really. So many of us know about it, it’s hard to imagine our enemies don’t have a clue what we’re up to here. I would never betray any secrets, but this stuff is well known among the defenders of the cove—your people included. I figured it wouldn’t hurt anything if you knew there was help—really good help—on the way, in case what you’ve got here so far can’t handle it.” Trevor looked at her, and she was struck by the chocolaty brown of his eyes. “I mean, they’ve done a great job so far. Urse’s wards are top notch, from all accounts, and I expect her sister is brewing up something special to add to the protections, or maybe even extend them a bit. But the leviathan will have to be dealt with once and for all at some point in the near future. I’m not sure what that’s going to take, but it could need a bit more firepower than they have here already.”
“And you think the water sprites have the means necessary to defeat the creature?” Beth asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered with an air of honesty. “But they’re pretty formidable. I’d be surprised if they can’t do something.” He was silent a moment before continuing. “Thing is, I’m pretty sure whatever the solution is, it’s going to require all of us to work together.”
Realization dawned. “Which is why you wanted me to make friends here, with Moira and the bears.”
“That’s part of it,” he said. “But I also hoped that getting to know Moira would help ease some of your fears. Those of us who live on land all the time aren’t really all that bad, Beth. I hope you’re beginning to realize that.” His voice had dropped to a low, intimate tone that sent a little frisson of…something…through her veins.
Was she attracted to this giant bear-man? Bright stars above. Maybe she was.
It didn’t seem possible, but then again…
“And I admit, I have an ulterior motive to convincing you of that,” he went on, and all her senses went on alert. Was the other shoe about to drop? Was he going to ruin what little trust he’d already earned?
“Ulterior motive, huh?” She hated the suspicion on her heart. He was going to let her down now. She just knew it. Might as well get it over with. “And what would that be, exactly?”
“Well…” He leaned from one foot to the other, drawing attention to his long jeans-clad legs. She couldn’t help but notice how nicely he was put together, but she braced herself for whatever he was going to say next. “You know I was sent here to gather intel on the creatures out there watching the boundary of Urse’s wards, right?”
She nodded, having learned that much at the dinner they’d shared with Grace and Jack.
“And I’m sending reports back to my commanding officer that go up the line to Sam Kinkaid,” he added. Again, she nodded. “Thing is…” He shifted his weight, seeming a bit uncomfortable. So far, his words hadn’t been at all what she’d expected. “My first report was great, thanks to what you told me about your underwater vantage, but I’ve gotten a little sidetracked with carpentry work, and I’m concerned that I’ll have nothing useful to report this week. I was wondering if you’d help me out.”
She frowned. This wasn’t what she’d expected him to say at all.
“How?” she asked, stymied by this whole direction of conversation.
“I was wondering if you’d swim with me, out near the mouth of the cove. Not too close to the border, of course, but I’d like to see what you see, and I’m pretty sure I’d need a guide to make sure I stay within the safe zone.”
“Nansee doesn’t want anyone swimming alone out there. We’ve been patrolling to make sure nobody gets too close,” she told him.
“Which is exactly why I’d like you to be my escort,” he agreed, smiling in a way that made her think that there might be some kind of loophole she was missing, but she couldn’t see what.
“I suppose I could,” she said, hesitating to agree fully, but seeing no valid reason to deny his request. “I’m scheduled for patrol tomorrow morning. If you can get some time away from the carpentry work, you could come along.”
“I told the guys I was taking a day off tomorrow. I really do need to come up with something to report or I’m just wasting my time here. Reconnaissance is my real job, and the guys understand that.” He gave her a rueful smile. “So, will you help me?”
Beth wasn’t sure why her breath caught at the look in his eyes, but it took her a moment to regroup before she could answer. She nodded, stalling for time to formulate words.
“I’ll swim with you tomorrow,” she agreed, wondering if she’d just signed up for more than she could handle.
*
The next morning, Beth swam up under the boathouse and waited for Trevor to arrive. They’d agreed to meet in the lower level of the structure where shifters could make use of locker rooms for their belongings while they shifted and went into the water under cover of the building, coming out into the cove as clandestinely as possible.
It worked like a charm for water shifters, but Beth wasn’t so sure how this was going to work for Trevor. Was he going to swim out with her in his human form? She hoped so. Although…he might be thinking he’d go in his grizzly form, which would be more problematic for her.
She had no doubt she could out-swim him in whatever form he chose. She could breathe underwater for one thing, which he could not. All she’d have to do was dive deep and swim fast, and she’d be away from him. Not that she was altogether certain she wanted to run from him. He was sort of growing on her. His calm, steady manner and deep voice had soothed her a little more each time they’d met.
He also intrigued her. He was just the sort of man she’d always been afraid of—big, muscular physique, trained to kill. She’d heard all about his badass arrival in town the first time he’d come to Grizzly Cove. He’d created quite a stir when he’d rappelled down a rope from a hovering black helicopter, right in front of the mayor’s office.
She knew full well he could rip a man limb from limb if he chose to do so, but she had begun to think less about his physical strength and more about his gentle temperament. While she was sure he was lethal in many different ways, she was equally certain he would only use his ferocious skills when absolutely necessary.
Why she believed that so strongly, she wasn’t sure, but she did. It made being around him easier.
“Hey, Beth.” His voice came to her from just above the stairs that led down into the water.
She looked up to find him standing there, looking at her. She had maintained her mer form, the scales hiding the more intimate attributes of her body from view. Scales were as good as clothing when she was in her mer form, and she could selectively shift just parts of her body—her face or arms, for example, to reveal more human features, if she needed to.
“Hi, Trevor,” she replied, watching his reaction to her full mer features carefully.
She hadn’t interacted with many non-mer in this form, but for some odd reason, she wanted Trevor to see her. And she wanted to be able to see his reaction to her full shift, which was what she was witnessing right now. If his expression was anything to go by, he looked fascinated…and pleased by what he saw. The thought sent a little tingle through her as she lazily used her fins to keep her steady in the water.
“Just give me a minute to stow my gear, and I’ll be right with you,” he said, sending her a gentle smile. “Will it bother you if I shift?”
“Right now?” she asked, feeling her throat go dry at the idea of him becoming his bear form in just a few minutes, within the confines of this structure. Suddenly, she felt claustrophobic.
“I thought I’d start out human and maybe shift when we get to the barrier. I can sense more in bear form, but I won’t do it if it bothers you.” His words and earnest tone helped the panic recede a bit.
“It’s quite a distance to the mouth of the cove from here. Are you a strong swimmer?” She had to ask. Most humans couldn’t handle that kind of long-distance swim, but she wasn’t sure how a land-based shifter might compare.
“A big part of my military training involved swimming, diving and basically being wet and miserable for long periods of time with sand stuck in unmentionable places. This’ll be a stroll in the park by comparison.” He laughed, and she found herself smiling back at him. “Besides, I’m looking forward to stretching my muscles a bit. I haven’t really had time for a good long swim in a while. It’ll be fun.”
Fun. Now, that was a novel concept. She’d never expected to hear a land shifter regard a long-distance swim as something fun. Apparently, she’d been wrong about quite a few things where land shifters were concerned.
Trevor waved and walked into the men’s locker room, a short distance away. She waited for him, swimming little circles in the enclosed area under the boathouse. The water was nice and deep here, but she didn’t dive. She didn’t want Trevor to think she’d chickened out and left if he came out of the locker room to find her missing.
When he reappeared a few minutes later, he was wearing a pair of green board shorts that made him look more like a buff surfer than a bear shifter. His muscles rippled as he moved, and he was stretching his arms as he walked back toward the stairs that led down into the water. Beth felt her mouth water as she got a good look at his arms and washboard abs. His legs were in perfect proportion to the rest of his long, lean, ripped form.
He was built on the massive side, but it was more from his tall stature than any extra bulkiness. He had the muscles of a hardworking giant, not a steroid pumped weightlifter. She devoured him with her eyes, powerless to stop her slack-jawed admiration of the hard planes of his body. Luckily, he seemed not to notice, and she was able to collect herself before he dipped his toes, cautiously at first, into the water.
The careful dip was followed by a leap and big splash as he cannon-balled into the water. She blinked in surprise as he surfaced a few feet away, grinning like a fool.
“Hope you don’t mind. All at once is the best way to acclimate to the cool temperature. I’m good to go now, if you are. We go out underwater, right?”
She considered how they were going to affect a secret exit. There weren’t really any loose humans in town yet, but the mer always practiced the utmost care when entering and leaving the water.
“How long can you hold your breath?” she asked him, wondering if he had the lung capacity of his bear when he was in human form.
“About five minutes,” he replied quietly. “Is that enough?”
“Five minutes is double that of most well-trained humans,” she replied, impressed. “It’ll be more than enough. I’ll lead, if you don’t mind following me. We can surface a ways out so you can breathe.”
“Sounds like a plan. Lead on, sweetheart.”
The endearment sent a little jolt of pleasure through her body, but she did her best to ignore it. He probably called every female that. She shouldn’t read anything into it.