Chapter Ten

Savannah told herself it was probably a terrible idea to see Tom that night after how intense things had gotten between them in the office that morning, but she found herself back in the woods and eagerly awaiting his arrival the moment she got out of work.

With every step, the bear pushed against her skin, eager to be set free after waiting for hours, but Savannah stayed her ground. Now that she’s had time away from Lucas’s pack, she was slowly becoming re-accustomed to her human skin. In the Northern Wind, it wasn’t odd at all to stay in bear form for weeks at a time before being offered a short stint as humans once more, so Savannah rather enjoyed exploring the familiar woods with feet and hands rather than paws.

Though there was definite power in becoming her bear, there was sensuality to the way her human body moved that the bear couldn’t emulate. Despite the added strength of her bear, most other shifters were stronger than her by far. The pure appeal and allure of her human body was something no other human or shifter could dampen or take away. That was something she’d come to learn in her time here with Tom’s pack… with Tom. It made her feel more in control of her life than any amount a shifting ever could.

Of course, Lucas wouldn’t stand for whatever was happening between her and Tom. She knew that with everything in her being, and still here she was. It was too amorphous to put into words, too fleeting to rely on, but it was fun to behold, and she’d live in the moment as long as Lucas allowed her. With a bittersweet smile at the thought, she dipped into a nearby brush and finally set her bear free.

It exploded from her skin in a torrent of agony, impatient in its exit and angry with her refusal to let it out sooner. She bore the pain well, already anticipating the bear’s irritation long before muscles tore and bones snapped. It was over quickly enough, but she’d never be fully used to it.

The bear’s immense strength and power filled her newly changed body almost immediately, providing her with newfound energy as she sought out a place to hide. Tom would be about soon, she had to think fast. Her heart sped gleefully at the thought of him hunting for her, and the possibilities of what could happen once he found her.

The perfect place flashed in her mind. She growled in pleasure before setting off with renewed vigor.

***

Tom growled to himself, growing more impatient as he lost Savannah’s scent once more. She was good, better than he’d originally given her credit for. So far he’d lost her up a tree, behind a rabbit den, and even dangerously close to the most populated area of the town. He wasn’t giving up though. There weren’t too many more places that a whole bear could hide.

Catching a fresh whiff of her scent, Tom had a sudden thought that nearly made him kick himself. How hadn’t he thought to look there of all places first? He took off in a lope towards the final hiding place big enough to keep Savannah away from him, gradually picking up speed as he neared her. Soon he was in a full on sprint, rocketing forward until, with a roar of victory, he launched himself over the bank of the lake and crashed deep into its cool waters.

Savannah barely dodged his dive as she swam expertly out of the splash zone, brown head bobbing upward with a gasp for fresh air. She watched him with bright golden eyes as he buoyed upward, righting himself in the water and fixing her with a triumphant glare.

“Nice try.”

She snorted. “Took you long enough. I almost passed out from holding my breath for so long.”

He rumbled a playful growl, a shiver of pleasure rippling over him before he quelled the urge. Having a bit of fun was one thing; the more permanent possibilities that lay beyond were still strictly off limits.

With a raise of her large paw, Savannah splashed a wave of water at Tom before he could recover from his infatuation. She dodged his retaliating splash easily diving into the deep water. With an amused grunt, Tom dipped in after her.

They played in the lake for longer than he’d expected to, finally emerging from the water exhausted and content. Unfortunately the more he’d frolicked with Savannah, the more his desires to take the next step grew, eventually becoming too big an urge to toy with. As much as he wanted to stay just a bit longer, if he was to keep his vow to not let things get too serious between them, he had to leave. Even still, he was satisfied with how the late afternoon’s events had unfolded.

Turning toward the lake, he saw that Savannah had chosen to swim a bit longer.

She looked up at him as he shook the water from his coat. “Heading back?”

With an affirmative grunt, Tom turned to leave. “See you at work tomorrow.”

Savannah responded by splashing backwards into the lake, and Tom took that as his cue to make his departure. He made it deep into the cover of the trees before he heard the telltale signs of bones snapping and muscles morphing.

Savannah was shifting back to human.