Good,Caleb said, ready to take the next step. Ready to explain what this all meant. To him. To her. To their future.
The air crackled again as Caleb shifted, his bear form disappearing before his human shape appeared once more. He stood before her now as a man, moonlight painting his skin silver where it had gilded his fur moments before.
“Hannah,” he murmured.
She was looking at him with new eyes, taking in every detail as if seeing him for the first time. “You’re a bear,” she stated, the words flat with disbelief despite what she’d just witnessed.
“Yes.” No point in denying what she’d seen with her own eyes. “I’m a shifter.”
“A... shifter?”
He nodded. “Yes. It’s a part of me. In my genes. Just like my dad. My brothers and plenty of other people in Bear Creek.”
Hannah’s laugh was soft, incredulous. “Bear Creek. Of course.” She ran a hand through her hair, the gesture betraying her agitation. “How... how is this possible?”
“Magic,” Caleb said simply. “Old magic, passed down through bloodlines. Some families are bears, like mine. Others are wolves or big cats...”
“Big cats,” she breathed.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “But don’t worry, they are like pussycats.”
“Oh my,” she sighed. “This is a lot to take in.”
“I know,” Caleb whispered.
“And you’ve always been able to do this?” she asked, her mind clearly trying to process the impossible.
“No. We have our first shift around puberty,” he replied. “But now, it’s as natural to me as breathing.”
Hannah nodded slowly, absorbing this. Then her expression shifted, a shadow crossing her face. “Why tell me now? Why not before we...” She gestured vaguely toward the house, toward the bed they’d shared.
Caleb took a careful breath, choosing his words with deliberate care. “I wanted to,” he admitted. “But I was afraid. Afraid you’d run. Afraid you wouldn’t believe me.” He met her eyes directly. “And then tonight happened, and I couldn’t keep it from you any longer. You deserved to know the truth before...” He trailed off, unsure how to finish.
“Before what?” Hannah pressed, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
Caleb swallowed hard. This was the moment. He was about to step off the precipice. The truth that could either bind them together or drive her away forever.
“Before you decide whether to stay or go,” he said, locking eyes with her. “Because there’s something more you need to know.”
“More?” she asked, waving her hand around. “More than this?”
Caleb chuckled. “Yeah, although this isn’t quite so dramatic.”
“Okay, then tell me,” Hannah said.
“A shifter doesn’t fall in love the way other people do,” Caleb began.
“No?” Her brow wrinkled as she looked at him as if bracing for rejection.
“No,” Caleb said. “It’s more.”
“More than love?” Hannah asked, as if there could be nothing more.
He cracked a smile. “Yeah. It’s deeper. A shifter and their mate share a bond.”
“Their mate...”
“I should have said this first… you are my mate,” he replied quickly.
