Chapter Eleven

Dan threw back his large head and roared, the trees shaking and rustling as the wildlife scrambled to flee the agitated beast. It was long and raging, letting out the frustrations that he just couldn’t seem to expend in his human form.

“Feel better?”

He turned to see Tom’s bear approach from wherever he’d been patrolling, his discerning eyes fixed on Dan.

“Not in the slightest,” Dan harrumphed, toppling a small pile of old leaves in rebellion.

Tom snorted. “Wanna chat about it?” He turned away, beckoning Dan to follow him as he finished the patrol.

Dan paused a moment before falling in step beside Tom. It was a beautiful day, warmer than most at this time of year, but not even a romp through the woods to bask in the weather was enough to lift Dan’s spirits. It had been a week since that talk with Lucy, and she’d actively avoided spending more time alone with him since. He hated the way their conversation had ended, but he understood her reaction, even if he didn’t fully understand her reasoning for not shifting in the first place. He wanted so badly for her to see the good in him, in her, and all he’d managed to do was scare her away with his overbearing pushiness.

I’m such an idiot.

He sighed. “It’s Lucy.”

Tom bobbed his head. “I figured. This about that shifting thing?” Dan tossed him a look of mild surprise and he snorted smugly. “Didn’t think anyone noticed, huh? It was obvious from the moment she said it. You’ve been acting pretty down ever since.” He faced forward as they walked, eyes scanning the forest for any signs of movement. “I know your bear form is a big part of you, way bigger than your human half, so finding out that she didn’t want to share that part of your world with you must’ve been tough to swallow.”

Dan sighed. “Yeah, kinda.” He didn’t deny that he wanted something more between them, it was pretty obvious with how much they’d chatted over the past couple of weeks, but he didn’t think he’d been so easy to read. Hearing it said directly to him hit home in a way that ached his heart.

Tom flit his gaze over to Dan, taking in his lamented state. “Dan, you need to be careful.”

Dan’s head shot up, meeting Tom’s leer. “With Lucy? I thought we already had this argum—”

Tom shook his head. “That’s not what I mean,” he interrupted. “She’s given us no reason to question her motives, so I still reserve judgment. I mean…” He paused shortly to collect his words. “I don’t want you to hear her story and compare it to yours, you know? It may sound similar at points, but it’s not the same.”

The wind rustled the trees ominously as if to accent Tom’s warning before he continued. “There’s loyalty in blood, loyalty stronger than simply being a part of some pack. Just because you and Savannah were able to sever ties so cleanly with the Northern Wind, it doesn’t mean that Lucy can or will do the same with her brother.”

Dan grunted. “I don’t believe that,” was all he said, and he felt that deep in his core.

“I don’t expect you to,” Tom replied. “And I hope I’m never proven right, but it’s something that needed to be said.” He tilted his nose upward, sampling the air. “You haven’t been yourself lately, and I won’t pretend to ignore that it definitely has something to do with Lucy.

“I get wanting to help her—really I do—but as much as she needs you, your pack needs you more. I don’t want whatever conflict you two are having to jeopardize all we’ve been fighting for.” He snuffed amiably. “Plus you snore when you sulk and I can hear it all the way in my room. It’s about time you cheer up so I can get a decent night’s rest again.”

Dan huffed a sad chuckle. “Duly noted.”

“Good to hear,” Tom replied. “Patrol’s over, and Savannah promised she’d be out here somewhere waiting for me. I’ve got to go, but good talk.”

Dan groaned inwardly. He’d long since noticed that Tom and Savannah would often disappear into the woods together to do heaven knows what, and Dan didn’t really want to think about it. He turned back in the direction of the shop and began his trek back before he saw something that couldn’t be unseen.

The bear retreated slowly as he neared the mechanics, protesting quietly as Dan shifted back to his human skin. It seemed the more bothered he became with Lucy, the more the bear wanted out of his skin. As much as he wanted to oblige and just stay in bear form forever, he had an obligation to the pack that unfortunately required him to be bipedal most times.

Stretching long and tall to circulate blood through his human skin, he locked onto his clothes from where he’d left them before he shifted. With a grimace, he walked to his clothes, already hating the way fallen twigs and rocks dug into the bottoms of his feet.

“Dan?”

Panic surged through his naked body as he ducked hastily behind the cover of a tree. “Lucy?” he called, hoping she hadn’t seen anything before he hid. “Just, uh, just give me a moment.”

“Nick said you might be out here,” her disembodied voice replied. “I was kind of hoping we could talk.”

Panic made it hard to pinpoint her location, and Dan felt frozen in place, his clothes still too far out of reach to grab without flashing something.

“I’d love to, but first,” he said, “but first I need for you to maybe… stand back a bit. Maybe go back into the shop for a minute or two.”

Shrubbery rustled as Lucy moved further into the thick of the forest. “Why?” she asked, her voice slightly taken aback. “Is something wrong?”

He felt the familiar heat of embarrassment creep up his neck. “I was out patrolling,” he explained, slightly mortified. “I just changed back only a minute or so ago.” There was a beat of complete silence after he spoke.

“Oh.”

She tried to make it sound neutral, but Dan could hear the slight snicker she tried to hide at the end of the word. He couldn’t imagine feeling more humiliated.

“My clothes are nearby,” he spoke, just wanting to get this whole encounter over with. “I’ll only be a second.”

“Right,” Lucy replied, the smile in her voice prevalent. “Sorry, I forgot about that bit.”

Dan didn’t reply, listening to the sound of her retreating footsteps.

“Okay!” she called. “I’m going to dip into the garage for a second. You’re safe.”

He heard the side entrance of the shop swing closed before practically diving for his clothes pile. He threw them on as quickly as he could, tugging angrily on the shirt as he pulled it over his head.

He’d been doing so well! Now, he was back to his regular clumsy ways around her and making a fool of himself.

Slowly, Lucy stepped back out of the shop with her eyes covered dramatically. “Everything decent now, sailor?” she asked, not bothering to hide her grin.

“You’re certainly enjoying this,” Dan mock pouted, but deep down he was relieved to see her in such high spirits.

She chuckled, uncovering her eyes. They were very blue in the sunlight and sparkling with laughter. “It’s been a slow day. Everyone’s off doing other things, so it’s been a bit boring.”

Dan gave her a wry grin. “Welcome to my world, buttercup.”

She laughed. “Life in a pack with two mated pairs can feel a bit lonely, I imagine.”

He nodded. “More than I thought it would, that’s for sure.” Seeing Nick with Jo and Tom with Savannah had always made him feel things that he couldn’t quite understand. He’d only learned recently that the feeling was loneliness, and it only made the emotion intensify. No one liked knowing they were lonely and being completely powerless to change it.

But now there was Lucy.

“It’s nice to have some company now,” he admitted with a smile. “Makes their spontaneous date nights seem a whole lot less exclusive.”

“I bet,” she replied, eyes travelling down his torso. “You know your shirts on inside out, right?” she asked with a teasing smirk.

Fantastic. “Of course it is,” he said, gazing irritatingly down at the offending shirt. “I was trying to dress quickly, you see.”

“I do see,” Lucy murmured as Dan quickly whipped off the shirt and pulled it back on.

He looked back to see a peculiar expression on her face, and a bit of thrill scurried through him.

She met his gaze with a deadpan expression. “It’s on backwards now.”

Are you kidding me? Dan raged inwardly, tearing off the shirt once more and putting it back on before he died of embarrassment.

He tugged down on the collar with an irritated sigh, and the tiny tongue of the shirt’s tag popped up in between his fingers. “Wait, what?” he began. He could’ve sworn he’d turned the shirt around properly.

Lucy snickered lightly. “I didn’t think you’d do it,” she joked. “Your shirt wasn’t actually on backwards,” she admitted, holding her hand to her mouth to hide her grin behind it. “I just wanted to see you take your shirt off again,” she finished with a wink.

Dan groaned. “I can’t believe I fell for that,” he lamented, but for once, the blush that crept across his cheeks wasn’t from embarrassment.

She laughed at him, but her eyes were kind. “For what it’s worth, I’m happy you did.” That familiar thrill flip-flopped in his belly again. “I like how silly you can be. It keeps things fresh.”

Dan studied her for a moment, not sure if she was being truthful or pitying.

“I mean it,” she laughed as if she could read his mind. “Truly. I like you, Dan Hart. Even the goofy side.” Her grin was radiant. “Especially the goofy side.”

Satisfied with the honesty in her voice, Dan couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his own face. It was just as well that she liked this side of him, it being something of a common occurrence in his human form. “I’ll put on my shirt inside out, backwards, and upside down for the rest of my life if it makes you smile like that every time.” He wanted to apologize for the way he’d acted before, forcing her bear to come so close to the surface, but he caught the blush that stained her cheeks and didn’t want to kill the mood.

He settled for closing the distance between them and placing his lips on hers instead, and hoped that it sent the same message.