Kelly sat on the bus, gazing out the window as the scenery passed her by. It had been very difficult for her adoptive parents to accept that she was leaving. They had already had her entire life planned out for her, and the life of their business as well. But they were eventually able to see her perspective, and had wished her the best. Her mother had given her a card with a check for a few thousand dollars, just in case things didn’t work out. She had been instructed to deposit it into a secret account, one that nobody would know about but herself and her mother.
She couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty about leaving this way, but she knew it was for the best. Besides, this was just a visit. She wouldn’t be there permanently if she didn’t like it.
But she hoped she would. Kelly would never be able to thrive in that small town. It was an environment that was slowly killing her, and even her parents were able to acknowledge that much. She didn’t belong here. She had something wild in her blood, something that urged her toward adventure, not the stagnation of a little town.
Now, she was on her way to Oak Mountain, unable to contain her excitement. When she had read Darren’s letter, it had stirred something deep within her. She knew everything was going to be okay. At least, she certainly hoped it would. It was hard to tell, for sure, without ever having met him, but she had gotten a good feeling about all of this. That was something she couldn’t overlook. It was important.
When the bus finally arrived at the terminal at the bottom of Oak Mountain, she recognized Darren immediately. He was standing outside the bus station, holding a small bouquet of wildflowers. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, but there was a quiet self-assurance about him that she found extremely attractive.
“Kelly,” a rich, deep, rumbling voice said as soon as she exited the bus. “I’ve been waiting to meet you. Welcome to Oak Mountain.”
Kelly took in the sight of Darren. She recognized him immediately from the pictures. They had sent each other a letter or two in between the time they decided she would come and visit him to test whether or not they were compatible enough for her to stay. There was something about him that seemed very familiar, warm and comforting, but also a little bit dangerous. She was unsure of how to proceed, and shifted with her back in front of the bus doors before finally stepping forward.
Darren moved forward quickly to remove the bag from her hand and smiled at her, his eyes dark and impossible to read. “I think you are really going to like it here. Come on. I brought my car. I will take you home now.”
A small surge electrified her chest. He had already spoken about home to her. He was going to take her home. This place could be her new home. Everything she was seeing, she was seeing for the first time, and, hopefully, not her last. The letters they had exchanged had really given her a lot of hope and excitement about this new venture, and she was optimistic as Darren led her forward.
When they made it into his car, Kelly gazed forward nervously as he started the engine and drove her up the mountain. There was an awkward silence that fell between them now as he focused on the road and she did her best to acclimate herself to her new environment. There were trees everywhere, and the whole place smelled fresh and clean, like the world had been purified by the rain not long before.
She closed her eyes for a few moments, as she attempted to take in the sight. It was strange in a way. Her town didn’t have a whole lot of natural scenery. It had been out in the desert, in a suburb. She was not used to having very much greenery to look at. Everything about this place was exceptionally different. Nothing was what she was used to, and she had no idea what to expect.
They pulled into Darren’s driveway, she gaped at the house before her. It was huge, and made completely out of wood. Darren apparently saw her staring, and turned to her.
“I built this place myself. A couple of friends stopped by to help once in a while, but mostly, it was just me. Come on, I will take your things inside. You can get yourself comfortable.”
Kelly followed him into the house, her heart beating wildly as she did so. It was such a beautiful place. How could a single man have ever built it? But Darren wasn’t a single man. He was a bear shifter. He had a lot of strength and power that she would never be able to comprehend fully.
There was a strange charge in the mountains, she noticed, something that stirred within her deeply. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it was there. The shifter power here was powerful. She could sense it to some degree. Probably, all humans could. Maybe that was why the people in her small town were so put off by anybody who was different. It was this feeling of power. It made a human feel pretty vulnerable sometimes.
But she wasn’t feeling vulnerable. She was feeling charged and ecstatic. Everything was changing, and that was for the best. Even if she was nervous, there was no reason for her to be miserable or apprehensive about it. This was a good change. She was getting out of her house, and she was going to start a new life. There was nothing better than that.
“Are you hungry? Tired? I know you have been on the bus for a while. You could’ve taken an airplane. I would’ve picked you up.”
“That’s okay. I wanted to see the world. We talked about this. You don’t have to worry. I’m just fine with the way things have been working out so far. You do not have to worry about me so much.”
Kelly was touched by the consideration, though, and stepped cautiously inside the house.
Her eyes scanned the first big room. It was a large open-concept living room that led into the kitchen on the far end and had a staircase to the far left. Upstairs, she assumed, is where the sleeping arrangements would be made. She paused suddenly, a flush creeping across her cheeks. Where was she going to sleep? This was just preliminary. A chance to get to know each other. Was he going to make her sleep in the bedroom with him? Hopefully, they would be able to take things slow. Even though she was excited, she was still nervous. She didn’t know anything about this man. At least, not in person.
“In that case, just make yourself at home. I want to make sure you are comfortable here. And if you aren’t, and anything bothers you, just let me know. I will do my best to change it.”
Kelly watched him move out of the room with her suitcases, and climb up the staircase. She watched him until he disappeared and then she sank down into one of the big fluffy armchairs sitting in front of a large fireplace. She took in a deep, shuddering breath. She was nervous. Everything about this was strange. And not only that, but there was something about him that seemed almost too gentle. Like he was trying to hide something. It made her nervous. She didn’t like it at all.
It wasn’t that she would prefer him to be an asshole. She just didn’t feel like he was being genuine. She had always placed a great deal of importance on sincerity. If Darren was already hiding from her, how good was this going to be? She would never know.
When he finally reemerged, he smiled at her. “Are you hungry? I know you have come a long way. It would probably be nice to have a real meal, wouldn’t it?”
Kelly nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, but I don’t know anything about shifter cuisine.”
Darren smiled broadly. “I have been preparing for you, human. I will make sure you have everything you could ever want here. Please, follow me into the kitchen.”
A small tug of affection pulled in her chest, and she followed Darren through the house into the open-concept kitchen, where he encouraged her to sit down at the table as he moved toward the huge stainless-steel refrigerator and began to rummage inside.
“I have been shopping. There are many options. I could prepare you something with a traditional bear shifter flavor, but I knew you might be reluctant, at first, to try our meals. We can ease into things like that. There is a lot going on already, you do not need to suffer from a culture shock as well.”
Kelly laughed quietly. It was strange to hear anybody speak in this way. Most people in her town probably wouldn’t even have known what a culture shock was. None of them ever tried to even understand other cultures. She almost wondered whether or not they even knew they existed. Let alone, respected them.
“I would love to try shifter cuisine,” Kelly said quietly. “It would be an honor.”
Darren seemed very pleased by this, and a broad smile creased his face. He set to work preparing a meal as she watched him, fidgeting idly at the table. Finally, she felt too uncomfortable and restless. “Please, let me help you. Is there any way I could possibly help? I hate sitting like this. I’m bored.”
Darren cast a glance at her over his shoulder, his face seeming to darken when he laid his eyes on her. “No, you do not have to do anything. Just sit. I will do the rest. I am almost done, anyway. Please, just be patient. I am not a fan of people who rush things. Especially, when they are rushing me.”
Rushing him? Kelly opened her mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again as he set back to work. Why did he think she was rushing him? The thought seemed silly to her. Especially because she knew the truth. All she wanted to do was help. She hated waiting around.
Finally, though, he was done with the preparations and brought a large plate of food over to her. She smiled and laughed quietly. He arched his brow as he sat down.
“What?” Darren asked.
“I don’t think humans eat quite as much as a bear shifter does,” she said, trying to be careful with her words.
Darren considered this, and then gave a small nod. “That is probably true. Just eat what you want to. You can always have the rest later. Or I could finish it for you.”
She let out another soft laugh at the thought of this man, who barely knew her, eating after her already. He seemed oblivious to what was so funny, and gave her another confused and impatient quirk of the eyebrow.
“Yes,” she said. “You could finish it for me if you need to, I suppose. But you’re not worried about germs?”
Another strange look of disbelief creased Darren’s face, and he glared at Kelly and confusion. “You do understand that bear shifters have incredibly good immune systems, do you not? Why would I be worried about contracting anything from you? Everything is fine. What is not fine is wasting a perfectly good meal.”
He had her there. Wasting food was a sin. That was something her parents had taught her from an early age. Kelly nodded and took a bite.
A strange and overpowering combination of sensations consumed her. All the flavors that Darren had cooked with seemed to resonate within her in a very strange and powerful way. It was overwhelming, and she couldn’t help but to show the premise on her face as she tried to process what she was tasting. It wasn’t bad, not necessarily, but it was overwhelming. It was as if it was awakening something strange from deep within her primordial self. What was that about?
“You don’t like it?” Darren asked, his voice deep and dark.
Kelly swallowed the food hard and looked at him squarely. “It’s not that. It’s just…” She trailed off, completely unable to articulate the sensation she had experienced.
Darren didn’t seem to accept this, and continued to push the matter. “There is nothing wrong with this food, human. It is perfectly edible. And the flavors are traditional, just as you requested. Take another bite and see. Maybe they will grow on you.”
He was glaring at her now a little bit, testing her reaction and clearly, vexed by the way she wasn’t enjoying the meal as much as he had apparently hoped she would. She took another bite, and again, the strange and overpowering sensation of flavor overpowered her once more.
“You don’t have to eat it,” Darren said, his voice glowering. He stood up from the table, and headed into the living room area with his plate. He sank into one of the comfortable armchairs with his back to her and continued his meal alone.