Kassie couldn’t help but be unsettled after her encounter with Cole. She kept telling herself that there wasn’t anything more that she could do for the man, but still, seeing him in the state he was in made her wish that she could somehow help him. It wasn’t just because he was the father of her child or because of the connection they’d had in the past either. It was simply because she could tell that he had a good heart, and that he was hurting, and she hated seeing a person like that in so much pain.

But she had her own life and her child to worry about. As she worked in the diner, these thoughts still worked their way through her mind, and she considered going by the cabin where she had left him after work with some food, just in case he hadn’t managed to feed himself well enough with hunting.

However, she didn’t even know if she would be welcome if she did drop by or whether it would be smart to continue to involve herself with the man. She wished there was somebody she could talk to about this, but there was nobody in her life right now who would really understand where she was coming from.

“Kassie, what’s up with you today?”

“Sorry,” she said, shaking her head as she picked up the tray from the window and spun around, getting back to what she was doing. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Save it for when we’re not backed up,” said Hillary, though she sighed, not looking too angry with her. They all had their own problems at The Jukebox, and nobody took it too personally when anybody else on staff was having an off day.

Throughout the next couple of hours, she continued to mull the problem over, not coming to any conclusion one way or the other. When she seemed to decide that it was a good idea to go ahead and leave the matter alone, her conscience seemed to get the better of her. She couldn’t fathom the idea of just leaving him there without any food, especially since he didn’t seem to know anybody else in town, and especially knowing how fragile his mental state had seemed to be when she last saw him. But then she would start to think about Taylor again, and she didn’t want to get his hopes up. After all, she still had no intention of letting him into her daughter’s life.

However, not too long after that, the matter was resolved for her. She was waiting on a table of four when she saw a figure at the door that made her stomach clench up and her heart start beating faster.

Cole stood there, looking hesitant for a moment before he stepped in and made his way to the table closest to the front door, taking a seat. Hillary noticed him and walked over, greeting him, but after a long moment she peered at Kassie and nodded.

“Hey,” said Hillary a couple of minutes later, when the two of them met up again behind the counter. “That guy there said he wants to talk to you when you have a minute to take a break. He’s pretty cute. You have a thing going with him?”

“No,” said Kassie firmly, shaking her head.

“Shame,” said Hillary. “I was hoping you were finally getting out there again. Just because you have a kid doesn’t mean you have to live your life like a saint.”

“That’s not…” Kassie stopped, realizing she was only digging herself into a deep hole if she tried to protest where Hillary was concerned. Already, the other woman was looking at her with a wry look of amusement on her face. “Never mind. Just give me fifteen. This shouldn’t take long,” she said, stepping out from behind the counter and making her way over to where Cole was sitting.

He looked nervous, and when he saw her making her way toward him, his expression shifted, brows furrowing into something resembling concern.

“Hi,” he said. “Sorry… I remembered you worked at this diner, and…”

“You shouldn’t have come here,” said Kassie, smoothly sliding down into the seat opposite him. Now her mind was made up. She needed to distance herself from this man, and fast. It was true that she pitied him, that she wanted to help him, but it was more important to protect her daughter, and if that meant being harsh then so be it.

“I know. But there are some…” He stopped, appearing troubled. “That is, some things have happened, and I’m not quite sure how to explain…”

“If you need help, I can give you some phone numbers—get you in touch with some people who can give you the proper assistance,” said Kassie. “But there’s really not much else I can do for you. I honestly wish things could be different. You seem like a nice person, but…”

“It’s not that,” he said, and he reached across the table, splaying his hand out almost pleadingly. Now his eyes met hers, and she saw something in their deep blue depths. What was that? And why did it spark something inside her? Kassie forced herself to ignore the feeling that welled up in her heart at the look that he gave her, remembering just why she had to keep this man out of her life—for the sake of her daughter and her future happiness—and continued to shake her head.

“No, I…”

But Cole wasn’t finished. “Kassie,” he said. “There are some people who have found out about your… our daughter.” He stumbled over those words, as if not quite sure how to phrase them, and looked embarrassed by that fact. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I think that she could be in danger. Not just her. You too. They don’t like that the two of us were together in the past. They don’t like…”

“Hold on,” said Kassie, putting up her hand. “I don’t understand. How could anybody have found out about Taylor unless you told them?” She stared at Cole, her worst fears about the man suddenly swelling up inside her chest. Was he staking his claim on her already? What kind of game was he playing? With a hollow laugh, she slapped her hand down on the table. “God. I knew it was a mistake trying to talk to you—trying to help you.”

“No. Listen, Kassie…”

“Cole. I told you already, I don’t want you involved in Taylor’s life. I’m sorry that it has to be this way, but we’re fine, just the two of us.”

“I understand that,” he said. “And I’m not trying to push my way in.”

“Then what is this? Why did you come here?”

“I’m trying to tell you…”

“No. I want the real reason,” she said. “Not some sort of story you’ve concocted.”

Across from her, Cole squeezed his eyes shut. He was looking a little stronger than he had when she saw him before—perhaps he really had managed to hunt out in the woods, Kassie thought—but he still looked haunted by something, some ghosts from his past. Several long moments passed between them as they sat in silence before he finally answered her.

“There are some things that you need to know, especially for Taylor’s sake. Will you meet me after work? I need to tell you something important about who I am. About what I am. And it will affect our daughter someday, too.”

Affect Taylor? What could he possibly mean by that? Kassie stared at him suspiciously, wondering if he was still playing some sort of game with her, but he seemed to be speaking with the utmost sincerity right now. After several long seconds, she sighed. “Okay, I’ll meet you… at the place where I dropped you off last time.”

“No. Not there,” he said quickly. “That place isn’t safe,” he said. “Not for you or Taylor. I’ll meet you here and take you to another place.”

“Fine,” said Kassie. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work. ”

“Ah… one second.” Cole stopped her, digging in his pocket for a moment. After a few moments, he pulled out a bedraggled-looking twenty-dollar bill. “Can I get something to eat?”

“Save it. I’ll have something sent over.”

“No. I’ll pay,” said Cole. “Just a burger and fries is fine. And a glass of sweet tea.”

Wondering where he’d managed to get a little bit of money since she saw him last, Kassie went to the kitchen and put in his order, ignoring Hillary as she asked about her friend—who he was and what he wanted. Her mind was racing with thoughts as she went over the crazy story that he’d come to her with. What could he possibly have meant when he said that there were people who knew about Taylor and who could possibly want to do her harm? Surely, he had made that up. So, why did it leave a pained feeling in her chest?

Cole sat there for the rest of the day, a shadow in his booth that kept drawing her attention away from whatever she was supposed to be doing. She couldn’t help but wonder about him and exactly what his intentions were. More than anything, she couldn’t help but worry about his presence and what it meant. It felt ominous, like a portent of something that was about to change in her life.

But she didn’t want Cole to change her. That was the last thing that she wanted. She had already decided that. As the end of her shift came closer and he was still there, waiting for her, she went over and over the different things that she could say to tell him this—to tell him again that he needed to keep his distance from her and her child.

However, when she did end her shift and make her way toward him, she didn’t get the chance to say anything. He stood up without a word and gestured for her to follow him out the door, and for some reason she simply walked out after him straight to her car.

“There’s another forested area where it should be safe for us to talk,” he said.

“Why do we need to talk in the forest?” she asked, immediately going on alert.

“It’s not that we need to talk there. It’s that I need to show you something,” he said.

“Cole—”

“Please, trust me. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, putting up his hands as if to show her that they were empty, that he wasn’t armed and there was no way for him to hurt her right then. Kassie didn’t know what to make of that, but something about the urgency with which he spoke made her decide that, for the moment at least, she should humor him. Maybe being a veteran, he just needed to be away from people. Something to do with his PTSD. She could buy that.

Starting the car, she pulled away from the diner and out into the street, listening to his directions as he told her where the wooded area was where he wanted to go. It was on the complete opposite side of Spartanburg from the first place where she had dropped him off and a bit of a drive, but as they drove, they did so in silence, neither of them quite willing to speak to one another about what there was between them.

More to the point, the problem was that there really wasn’t anything between them right now. They’d had one night together—a night that had resulted in a daughter—and now Kassie felt sorry for the man, that was a given. But that didn’t mean they were ever going to be anything more than strangers who had passed one another at that one moment in time.

“Here,” said Cole suddenly, breaking Kassie out of her thoughts as they came to a point where the woods broke off to a large clearing. She pulled off and turned her car off but didn’t get out just yet.

“So?” she asked, looking over at Cole, who was staring down at his hands in the passenger side of the car, an intense look on his face.

He exhaled slowly. “I need you to promise me that you won’t hurt her. That you won’t abandon her,” he said.

“What?” Kassie craned her head to the side for a better look at the man, trying to get a read on him as he spoke.

“Promise me,” he said. “That no matter how you feel about me after this, you won’t abandon Taylor. What lies in me lies in her as well, and it may scare the hell out of you, but that doesn’t mean you should be scared of her. She shouldn’t grow up alone like I did. She deserves better than that. So, stay by her side.”

“I would never abandon my daughter,” said Kassie. Fury boiled up inside her. The very thought offended her, and that was evident in her voice, but already Cole was nodding.

“Good,” he said, and then he reached over, opening the car door.

Kassie climbed out after him, stepping into the tall grass of the wooded clearing. It was a bright, beautiful day, and the sunlight was streaming down over them. Fragrant smells surrounded them—flowers and grass and other natural things. Cole, on the other side of the car, was still breathing deeply, seeming to take it all in.

It struck her in some strange way that he seemed to be in his element, though she didn’t know why that was. She still didn’t know him that well, nor was there anything about him to indicate that he was the type of person who would enjoy nature. But seeing him in the woods surrounded by the grass and the sunlight sparked a strange feeling of recognition, as if he was a part of it all.

Shaking her head, she came around the hood. “Okay. So, what is all this?” she said. “Will you finally tell me what’s going on?”

“I can’t just tell you. I need to show you,” he said. He was furrowing his brow now, and he looked markedly anxious as he held his hand up toward her. “God, I wish it didn’t have to be this way, Kassie, but you wouldn’t believe me otherwise.”

“What the hell do you mean?” she asked, but he was shaking his head. She was really starting to get freaked out by all his cryptic words now. Should she have trusted this man? She didn’t think he was crazy or violent, but that didn’t mean that she could trust him either.

“Let’s move a little closer to the trees,” he said.

Kassie wasn’t going to have any of that. She was done playing by his rules.

“Let’s stay right here and you get on with whatever this is,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cole looked over at her, and apparently, he saw that he wasn’t going to convince her otherwise. After a long moment, he nodded. Then, turning toward her, he took a long moment to compose himself.

“Like I said before, Kassie, there are things about me you need to know because they’ll affect Taylor. I asked you not to turn from your daughter once you know these things about her. The blood that runs through my veins runs through hers as well, and someday she’ll start exhibiting certain… traits. Certain urges.”

Kassie frowned. What the hell was he trying to say? Was he trying to imply that he was crazy? That Taylor was going to be crazy too? But no… He was still speaking.

“There’s an animal part of me,” he continued. “A beast that lies within me. Let me show you.”

And then, before Kassie’s eyes, Cole began to transform. It was as if the air around him began to shimmer at first, and then the man himself began to bend and twist in an unnatural way. However, it wasn’t grotesque. It was oddly beautiful the way his body moved as it elongated and dark fur emerged, until suddenly where there had once been a man, there stood a tall brown bear.

Kassie’s mind was numb with shock. Words tried to form on her lips, but they failed her with every attempt she made to speak. She took a step back and then another, but the bear simply stood there, staring at her with its dark eyes. Though it was an animal, she could tell that there was something human about it. She could sense the part of the animal that was Cole in the beast that fell on four legs before her.

“Dear God,” she whispered finally, because there was nothing else that she could say.

Then, just as quickly, the air shifted and the bear’s form twisted and shifted, and Cole was once again standing in the grass before her, a pained expression on his face.

“For years, I thought I was the only one—”

“No,” said Kassie. “This is impossible.”

“I know it’s strange—I know I’m strange—but it’s what I am, what I’ve always been. I’m not asking you to accept me, but I need you to understand that Taylor…”

“You are not going to tell me that my daughter is—” Kassie trailed off, feeling her heart start to pound in her chest as she thought of the possibility of her daughter having some strange supernatural powers like the man standing there before her. It was beyond impossible or improbable. It was beyond anything that she could comprehend or even wanted to think about. “I’m leaving,” she said, and she turned to the car.

“Wait, Kassie,” said Cole, but she was already sliding into the driver’s seat. And from the look in his eyes, it was obvious he could tell she feared him and that he wouldn’t come any closer.

She started the engine and pulled away, leaving him alone there, unable to even think about what she had just seen.

This was something out of a storybook or a fairytale. This wasn’t something that could happen in real life. If she believed what had happened, her entire view of the world would have to change, and she wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t ready to think that one day, her daughter would be a thing like him…

Don’t abandon her, she heard his voice saying in the back of her head, and she shook the voice out. She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t have to, because Taylor would never, could never, be like that.

Driving away, she fought to ignore what she had just seen, even though she knew that was impossible.