Concentrating, I tried to remember something, but all that came to me were vague snapshots, like photographs being flipped through too quickly. My head hurt. I groaned and grinded my head against Victor’s sternum.
“Don’t force it,” he growled. His hand touched my hair now in soothing rhythmic strokes. It alleviated my headache, but I still couldn’t remember anything. I shook my head.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “All I know is that I’m a bear shifter.”
Victor gazed at me with sympathetic eyes.
“The only other thing I know,” I began. “Is that I think I’m supposed to be… looking for something.”
Victor nodded and touched my shoulder as I brought a hand to my temple again. “That’s good enough for now.”
I sighed in frustration. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Stressful experiences can cause memory loss,” Victor said. “I’d say waking up in a burning building is pretty stressful, wouldn’t you?”
I smiled a little at his dry tone. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Liam.” Victor’s dark eyes bore into mine. His tone was serious again. “I don’t want you living in abandoned buildings. You can stay here as long as you want.”
I stared in shock.
“And I’m going to help you.” Victor put his hand firmly on my shoulder. His warmth seeped through my body. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re not alone any more.”
8
Victor
Ihad the day off, so I decided to deal with an urgent matter: buying Liam some new goddamn clothes.
Sitting next to me in the car, Liam looked like a clown. His t-shirt sleeves extended down to his forearms, and his jeans were held miserably to his waist with a belt that had been tightened to the rim. I’d given him the smallest shirt and tightest pair of pants I owned, but even in high school I was much more built than he was now.
I parked in front of the mall. “We're here.”
Liam sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “I hope I don’t trip and fall on my face in front of all these people. I already feel like people are gonna laugh at me because of these clothes.”
“I’ll kick their asses if they do.”
It was midweek and the mall wasn’t as crowded as it normally was, thank God, but Liam still seemed uncomfortable. I nudged him with my arm to let him know I was looking out for him. “Come on,” I said. “Where do you want to go first? Any specific store?”
Liam looked around, taking in all the sights. His eyes were wide, like a kid in a candy store.
“Liam, have you, um,” I began. “Been to a mall before?”
He grunted, sounding offended. “Of course I have.” He paused. “I think.”
I wasn't so sure. I knew that many bear shifter clans lived outside human societies, but there were also some, like mine, that were able to blend in and adopt human ways. Either way, neither Liam or I had no way of knowing for sure. I shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll come back to you. Why don’t we check out this place?” I nodded towards a clothing store right in front of us.
“Okay,” Liam said. He waited for me to take the lead.
I felt vaguely out of place. The store wasn’t my style at all. I was too burly to fit into any of the graphic tees and pre-ripped jeans, but I hoped Liam would find something he liked. At least the clothes were more his size.
He wandered around the store but didn't stray too far from my side. “They sure have a lot of stuff here,” he murmured as he gingerly picked up a blue shirt with a design on the front.
“Grab anything you like,” I said. “I’m paying.”
Liam’s eyes flashed with guilt, but I wasn’t about to let him feel sorry for himself.
“Don’t argue with me,” I growled. “I have a well paying job, and you don’t even have a cent to your name.”
