snarled,
his bare muscular behind completely exposed to Madison. While under normal
circumstances she would be in total awe of what a fine specimen of man he was,
the whole naked shifter covered in blood aspect was proving to be more than she
could bear.
She turned on her heel and ran back into the house, closing
the door behind her and pressing her back against the adjacent wall. She took
in a few steady breaths, trying to make sense of the scene outside.
The door opened and she felt a hand fall lightly on her
shoulder. She flinched instinctively, but calmed down when she saw Will in his
human body, his lower half clothed but a nasty scratch across his abdomen. She
brought her fingers to it, running them over the gash lightly.
“Are you okay?” she asked, suddenly frightened for him.
“Am I okay?” Will laughed and shook his head. “You’re
incredible. You probably just experienced the scariest thing in your life and
you’re asking me if I’m okay?” Will
pecked her lips quickly and stared down at her with a reassuring smile. “I’m
fine. We heal fast, all of us.”
“So...” Madison hesitated. She had been very horrified by
the state of Paul, and she was afraid to even ask if he was okay. He looked
like he needed to get to a hospital, and fast.
“Paul and Jake will be fine. Caleb too, promise. What you
saw there wasn’t usual for us.”
“But...what are you?” Madison asked. She was white as a
sheet. Will took her by the hand and led her to the couch, urging her to sit
down next to him.
“We’re shifters. All of us. Caleb and I were born werebears . His grandfather was one and both of my parents
are as well. Of course they wanted me raised up here with my aunt because where
they live just outside of Seattle, and there were a lot of shifter wars back
then. I know it may be hard for you to believe, but it’s relatively calm here.”
Madison’s eyes grew big as she stared at him in disbelief.
“You mean it gets crazier than what I just saw?”
“Don’t get me wrong, that very easily could have gotten out of control. But
Paul and Jake are new shifters, changed by the damned werepanther that killed Caleb’s father. They’re in a kind of rebellious stage where they
want to fight and claim a mate. Unfortunately, they set their eyes on you.”
Madison blinked, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
“What do you mean a mate ? You mean
both of them?”
Will pulled the afghan from off the couch and over Madison,
wrapping a warm arm around her shoulder. “You’re shivering,” he murmured,
kissing the side of her head lightly. “The thing with shifters is that they
have strong primal instincts. Destroying things and killing other animals is
one.”
Madison sucked in her teeth, her heart skipping a beat.
“Don’t worry. Caleb and I have been shifters long enough
that we both know how to control it. Another is that we’re territorial and
protective, as you just saw.”
“But...what about the whole mate thing?”
“That’s another one of the instincts I was talking about.
The one that Jake and Paul clearly can’t control to save there lives,” he
chuckled, but the look in his eyes was dark. Clearly he wasn’t going to let
anyone lay a hand, or a paw, on Madison. She shivered at the thought.
“They want have you as their mate, that’s why they broke
into your house. When you bond with a mate, she or he becomes a part of your
pack. You know when she’s in danger and she knows when you are. You feel their
presence, feel the bond more intensely than any other. It’s really like marriage
in a lot of ways because once you commit to it, it can only be broken by
death.”
Madison gulped. The thought of being bond to Paul or Jake
forever was completely horrifying. “So...were they going to fight each other
for me? That sounds insane.”
“No, they were fighting us for you. You see Maddie , Caleb and I already chose
you all of those years ago. We both felt a strong desire to imprint
his bare muscular behind completely exposed to Madison. While under normal
circumstances she would be in total awe of what a fine specimen of man he was,
the whole naked shifter covered in blood aspect was proving to be more than she
could bear.
She turned on her heel and ran back into the house, closing
the door behind her and pressing her back against the adjacent wall. She took
in a few steady breaths, trying to make sense of the scene outside.
The door opened and she felt a hand fall lightly on her
shoulder. She flinched instinctively, but calmed down when she saw Will in his
human body, his lower half clothed but a nasty scratch across his abdomen. She
brought her fingers to it, running them over the gash lightly.
“Are you okay?” she asked, suddenly frightened for him.
“Am I okay?” Will laughed and shook his head. “You’re
incredible. You probably just experienced the scariest thing in your life and
you’re asking me if I’m okay?” Will
pecked her lips quickly and stared down at her with a reassuring smile. “I’m
fine. We heal fast, all of us.”
“So...” Madison hesitated. She had been very horrified by
the state of Paul, and she was afraid to even ask if he was okay. He looked
like he needed to get to a hospital, and fast.
“Paul and Jake will be fine. Caleb too, promise. What you
saw there wasn’t usual for us.”
“But...what are you?” Madison asked. She was white as a
sheet. Will took her by the hand and led her to the couch, urging her to sit
down next to him.
“We’re shifters. All of us. Caleb and I were born werebears . His grandfather was one and both of my parents
are as well. Of course they wanted me raised up here with my aunt because where
they live just outside of Seattle, and there were a lot of shifter wars back
then. I know it may be hard for you to believe, but it’s relatively calm here.”
Madison’s eyes grew big as she stared at him in disbelief.
“You mean it gets crazier than what I just saw?”
“Don’t get me wrong, that very easily could have gotten out of control. But
Paul and Jake are new shifters, changed by the damned werepanther that killed Caleb’s father. They’re in a kind of rebellious stage where they
want to fight and claim a mate. Unfortunately, they set their eyes on you.”
Madison blinked, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
“What do you mean a mate ? You mean
both of them?”
Will pulled the afghan from off the couch and over Madison,
wrapping a warm arm around her shoulder. “You’re shivering,” he murmured,
kissing the side of her head lightly. “The thing with shifters is that they
have strong primal instincts. Destroying things and killing other animals is
one.”
Madison sucked in her teeth, her heart skipping a beat.
“Don’t worry. Caleb and I have been shifters long enough
that we both know how to control it. Another is that we’re territorial and
protective, as you just saw.”
“But...what about the whole mate thing?”
“That’s another one of the instincts I was talking about.
The one that Jake and Paul clearly can’t control to save there lives,” he
chuckled, but the look in his eyes was dark. Clearly he wasn’t going to let
anyone lay a hand, or a paw, on Madison. She shivered at the thought.
“They want have you as their mate, that’s why they broke
into your house. When you bond with a mate, she or he becomes a part of your
pack. You know when she’s in danger and she knows when you are. You feel their
presence, feel the bond more intensely than any other. It’s really like marriage
in a lot of ways because once you commit to it, it can only be broken by
death.”
Madison gulped. The thought of being bond to Paul or Jake
forever was completely horrifying. “So...were they going to fight each other
for me? That sounds insane.”
“No, they were fighting us for you. You see Maddie , Caleb and I already chose
you all of those years ago. We both felt a strong desire to imprint
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