Chapter 10 - Bruin
Bruin was surprised that Chase handled the news so well. The Council would meet in days and Bruin was sure they’d let Chase go. Who knew what would happen to him, but Chase would be fine. He just had to survive until then—which meant they had to control their urges.
Bruin went on explaining to Chase the problems he was facing with his bear. “You can’t touch me,” he said. “Not without warning. The reason it was so difficult before was because you came right in and put your hands on me. Are you always like that? It’s kind of forward, you know.”
“That’s forward?” said Chase with disbelief. “Turning to a bear and nearly eating me—that’s forward.”
Bruin laughed. “Okay, touché,” he said, “but I still need some notice. That is unless you also want to deal with my unabashed grizzly forwardness.”
Bruin saw the expression in Chase’s face fall. “What’s wrong?” asked Bruin.
“I don’t know. It’s a lot of pressure. I mean… I can’t accidentally touch you? What if we’re both shirtless and accidentally brush each other or something?”
Bruin could smell the same temptation he saw in Chase’s eyes; he wondered what something Chase was concerned about brushing.
He convinced himself that he could keep his bear in control, despite Chase’s temptation. He’d been training all this time and in a way what happened with Chase was a good thing—it let him know he had to get stronger.
That said, Bruin found that Chase made it easier to shift; he made him laugh, which seemed the secret to controlling the shift. “In case of emergency,” said Bruin, “just say something funny.”
Chase didn’t look convinced.
“Worst case, just roar,” said Bruin with a smirk.
Chase wasn’t amused. They promised they wouldn’t talk about Chase’s embarrassing roar.
Bruin sensed the air getting heavier with Chase’s scent. “Your smell…” he searched for the right word to describe the scent exuding from Chase. “I don’t know,” he continued, “you smell like something I’ve never smelled before. It drives the bear and me insane.” He smiled, allowing the scent to linger in his nostrils.
“Does that mean that I need to shower more? Or are you into that?” Chase had a dirty look in his eyes.
Bruin felt his resolve being tested. “You better be ready with that joke,” he warned.
Chase stepped closer. Bruin was sure that he could feel Chase’s body heat, but that wasn’t what was making him sweat. He hurried to put distance between them. “You’re like puberty all over again,” said Bruin. “I feel like I need a folder to hide your effect on me.”
“Or a muzzle,” said Chase.
Bruin smiled at Chase and regained his composure. “You’re good at this. A natural charmer.”
“Maybe it’s in the blood,” said Chase. “I hope it works on alligators.”
Something inside of Bruin fell at the reminder that Chase would be on his way. But he didn’t want to think about that now though it did seem a convenient segue. “So you’re seriously becoming an alligator farmer? That sounded kind of made up.”
“I didn’t believe it either. Or that I’d be doing it. But I also didn’t believe my dad would go psycho and kick me out.”
Chase was quiet and Bruin wondered if he should press for more details. He wanted to know, but Chase seemed secretive about the subject until now.
Chase shook his head. “Can I tell you what happened without you judging me?”
Bruin was offended by the idea, but understood. He never shared his shifter status with anyone outside of the den, because of secrecy, but also because of the fear all shifters had of being feared, hunted, judged, or condemned. “I’d never do that,” said Bruin.
“He caught me with an employee. A guy who I knew from when I was still in school. My dad knew but was in denial until he caught us. It took a year for us to do anything. I was just horny before then. I was almost a 21-year-old virgin. I was about to explode, and it showed in my uniform.”
“Your coveralls didn’t cover all,” said Bruin, smiling at his own joke. His laugh turned to lust as he thought back to that first night when he’d removed all of Chase’s torn and sullied clothes. He thought to a few nights later when he saw Chase standing in front of the living room window naked. He wasn’t surprised that Chase’s coveralls weren’t effective.
“Anyway,” said Chase, “he caught me on my hands and knees and just stared at me. Then he spat at me and flew off the handle.” Chase shook his head. “Fuck him. At least I won’t die a virgin.”
Bruin admired Chase’s humorous spin on the story but saw it was a mask. He saw that Chase was hurting, and that hurt him.
He wanted to give him a hug, a bear hug, but not the kind that would leave him killed. He wanted to hold him, because he looked like he needed it and because he’d wanted to every night that he saw him sleeping. He knew he could do it, but if he wanted to be sure that Chase would be safe he’d have to reveal what he had hidden.
Should he reveal what was in his chest? Was the temptation worth it?
Of course it was.
“Come with me,” said Bruin. “I want to show you something.”