Chapter 4
“Miss Dunne? We’re ready for you,” a young woman said from the doorway.
“Thank you,” Lorna said, standing to follow her.
She had been nervous getting ready to come here and now that she had arrived, she was even more nervous. This was it. Do or die. There was a man, she assumed the one she was her to meet with, standing in the room as they entered. She was surprised that he appeared a good deal older than her. Not that he was unattractive, he just wasn’t what she had expected.
“Lorna Dunne, this is our client, Raymond Wilson.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dunne,” he replied, extended his hand to shake hers.
“Happy to meet you too, Mr. Wilson.”
“Please, call me Buck. My given name is Raymond, but no one has called me that for years other than the tax man,” he told her.
“Okay, Buck. Please call me Lorna.”
“I will. I guess we should sit down and talk then.”
“Absolutely.”
Lorna was mesmerized by his bright blue eyes and dimples. He had soft blondish hair, mixed with quite a bit of snow white. His face was weathered, but ruggedly handsome. It was obvious that he was the outdoors type from his natural looking tan. Despite the age difference, he was incredibly handsome. No doubt he had been quite impressive in his younger days, not that he wasn’t now. He gave off the impression of a laid back surfer, mellowed to perfection.
They went through the finer points of the contract. The payments, the requirements. She was surprised to find that there would be no delay in attempting conception. After only a few days of fertility treatments, based on her current cycle, she should be at a peak time to conceive. If it took on the first try, she was in business. If not, they would attempt it again based on continued fertility tests.
“So, how is all of this sounding to you?” Ms. Clarke asked when they were done.
“It sounds good. What do we do next?”
“There are still a few things to discuss, but I will need for you to sign a non-disclosure prior to continuing. While all of the things we have discussed so far are already in confidence per the initial agreement, these items, in particular, require a higher level of privacy confirmation. Please take your time and read over the document before signing. If you prefer to take it to a lawyer, we are more than willing to allow that. We can reschedule the rest of the meeting at a later date that suits both your schedules,” she added.
“No. I don’t think that is necessary. I’ve signed quite a few of these. I can read it,” Lorna replied, pulling the document toward her as the woman slid it across the desk. It was nothing more than a standard agreement that said she would repeat nothing said during this meeting or face legal action and punitive damages. They issued them on sets all the time to prevent actors from talking about the film.
She signed it and pushed it back toward the woman. Her nerves were kicking in again. She was doing this. She was actually doing this. It wasn’t too late to turn back just yet, but she couldn’t believe she had already gotten this committed to it. It would be a good thing. She just had to keep telling herself that or risk backing out. This could make such a difference in her life and she had to just hang on to that idea.
“Okay. Very good. Mr. Wilson? Are you content to move forward? You’re satisfied with the candidate?”
“Yes. Yes. Let’s do this.”
Lorna was surprised when he stood up and walked across the room to an empty spot. She had not noticed it before, but now she realized that it was there for a reason. Whatever that reason was, she supposed she was about to find out. Ms. Clarke stood and waved a hand toward Buck, asking her to join them. She followed the woman over, the two of them standing to face him. Much to her surprise, he began to get undressed.
“Wait. I’m sorry. What is this?” Lorna said, ready to bolt if this was getting weirder than becoming a surrogate already was.
“Don’t worry, Lorna. It’s okay,” Ms. Clarke told her in a calm voice.
She continued to speak as Buck undressed in front of them. Lorna blushed as he finished stripping down to nothing, his powerful physique bronzed and beautiful in front of them. He might be older, but there was not one single imperfection on him, not on any part.
“Now, Lorna. I don’t want you to be frightened by what you are about to see. I know it is probably not something you’ve ever seen before, but Mr. Wilson has a special gift we need you to be aware of before allowing you to consent to this surrogacy.”
“What sort of gift,” Lorna replied, trying not to gawk at his perfect abs and generous portion of cock.
“Mr. Wilson is a shifter.”
“A what?”
“A shifter. I can shift into an animal,” he interjected.
Lorna turned back toward him, trying to focus her attention on his face rather than his other attributes. She furrowed her brows together, not comprehending. Was this a joke? No way was such a thing possible.
“Is this a prank of some sort? You get me here and trick me into thinking one thing and then it turns into some sort of episode of Jokes on You?”
“It’s no joke, Lorna. I know it is different, but this is why we needed to do the tests up front, before talking to you any further about any of our processes. This is why the non-disclosure was necessary.”
“There is no such thing as a shifter.”
“If you’ll allow me, I can dispel that theory,” Buck replied.
Lorna turned back toward him and shrugged. This ought to be amusing, at any rate. Was he going to start hopping around like a bunny or howling like a wolf? The fact that he might be seriously deluded was one thing, but how could a seemingly reputable surrogate agency play along with such ridiculous shenanigans?
Lorna watched as he stretched his arms outward and rolled his neck back and forth for a moment. Then there was something strange happening. She had trouble focusing as the changes in his body began to take place. His face was changing, somehow elongating. His back was arching. The room was filled with hideous popping and breaking noises as if his bones and tendons were breaking apart and realigning. It was unbelievable to watch. It had to be a trick, but how?
When it ended, she found herself looking into the large green eyes of a cougar. It was a majestic creature, the largest one she had ever seen. Granted, she had only seen a couple at zoos or on television, but this one appeared to be significantly larger than those. She was guessing it stood well over three feet tall and was about eight feet in length. She stood with her mouth slack, just looking at it in shock.
“You can touch him, if you like. It is still Buck. He’s just in his animal form.”
“Listen, I can appreciate a joke as much as the next girl, but this is off the charts. I don’t know how you did that or where Buck is hiding, but he can come out now.”
“This is no joke, Lorna. Buck is an animal shifter. He has the ability to shift into a cougar at will. You’re looking at him. Look, put your hand on his neck and don’t move it. If you want proof of what he is, then this should show you. I promise you that he is just as cognizant in this form as in his human form, even if he can’t speak to you, but it is still him. Go ahead, put your hand on his neck.”
Lorna walked slowly forward, almost in a trance, and placed her hand on the neck of the cougar. She held it there as it began to shift; yet again, the horrid noises filling her ears. She could feel the fur retracting into its skin, feel the snapping and popping beneath as it changed again and when it was done, she was standing with her hand on the side of Buck’s neck. She gasped.
“I don’t know what to say. This is crazy.”
“It’s not crazy, Lorna. It’s just different than what you are used to knowing. We keep our existence very quiet so as not to disturb the natural order of things around us and protect ourselves from those who would trap us and study us if given a chance.”
“Why tell me about this? Surely, you didn’t have to reveal it?”
“No, but we feel it is unfair to allow you to sign up for something unknowingly. Your pregnancy would be no different than any other pregnancy other than perhaps being a bit more taxing due to a shifter baby’s high metabolism. We want you to be fully informed as to what you are getting into.”
Buck finished getting dressed and walked toward her, putting his hands softly on both shoulders and looking at her with his steel blue eyes in a way that made her wonder if he also had some sort of calming powers, in addition to being a large cat in his spare time.
“Listen. I know it is a lot to absorb. I understand if you want to think through it. You should know that I also have a four-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. There were no complications with her birth and she is a perfectly healthy little girl, as would be a second child. I just want to give her a sibling like herself to grow up with. There aren’t a lot of my kind around and it’s a terrible secret for a little girl to bear. I think it would help her tremendously to have a sibling she can confide in and share experiences with.”
Lorna nodded. He had mentioned his daughter earlier during their discussions, but not why it was so important to him for her to have a sibling nor why he couldn’t just adopt one. Now it all made more sense.
“As for me, I love children, and would welcome another child. However, it is up to you whether you want to sign on for this. There will be absolutely no hard feelings. Do know, however, that if you choose to help me, you will be taken care of very well from the moment you sign the contract and you will be paid quickly when it is done. After that, we both go our separate ways without any strings, per the contract.”
“I’ll do it,” Lorna replied.
She was surprised by the words coming out of her mouth. A moment ago, she had been near shock and disbelief, but how could she give up a chance to explore the life of someone so unique while giving them an offspring like themselves. She had to look at it merely as she was providing a service while learning something incredibly interesting that she might not have ever encountered otherwise. Plus, she really needed this money for a fresh start. So, why the hell not?”
“Not to beat a dead horse but are you sure? I want no doubts,” he said, taking his hands away.
“I have no doubts. Let’s have a baby, shall we?”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
They finished signing the paperwork and Lorna walked out with her first advance, ten thousand in cash stuffed in a brown envelope. The car that had brought her to the clinic was waiting to take her home. She was all smiles as she climbed in, solvent and ready for an adventure, despite an underlying feeling of anxiety about what was to come.