"Okay…"
Reid took a deep breath. "I'm not entirely human, Cody."
Silence.
"What?" Cody managed.
"Look, I don’t want you to be scared, okay? One thing you need to know before I say anything more is that I wouldneverhurt you. Not ever.”
Cody’s heart was racing, whether from fear or anticipation he couldn’t be sure, but he did believe that Reid wouldn’t hurt him.
“Go on,” he prompted.
“I'm a shifter, Cody. A grizzly bear. It's genetic—some humans carry the ability to shift into an animal form. There are entire communities of us. We've been hiding in plain sight for, well, we don’t know for how long exactly, but a very long time, for sure."
Cody stared at him. His brain felt like it was buffering. "You're… a bear," he said with a frown, the words sounding as crazy as they had when Reid had said them.
"Yes."
"Like, a literal bear."
"Yes. I mean, I can shift into one."
Cody looked around the empty pasture, half-expecting cameras. "Is this a prank? Did Diane put you up to this?"
"It's not a prank." Reid's voice was steady. Serious. "I can prove it. If you want."
Cody's heart was hammering. This was insane. Impossible. Except—
Except Reid's eyes had gone amber sometimes—a shade that was unlike any eye color that Cody had ever seen on a human. Except nothing about the way Reid affected him felt entirely human. It felt…other.
"Prove it," Cody heard himself say.
Reid's chest rose and fell with a deep breath. He stared at Cody for a long moment, and Cody watched the internal battle play across his features—fear and desire warring in those hazel eyes that were already beginning to turn that unusual shade of amber again.
"Hey." Cody stood, moving closer. "Look at me."
Reid's eyes were fully amber now, rimmed with gold.
And absolutely beautiful.
But definitely not human.
"You dropped everything to protect a stranger," Cody said. "You sat outside my door all night to make sure I was safe. You've been patient with me every single moment since I arrived here.” Cody took Reid's hand. It was trembling. "I trust you.”
"It's not just—" Reid shook his head. "It's different. When I'm like that, I'm not thinking like a human. The bear—he doesn't reason. He just feels. He wants. And if he wants to claim you—"
“Claim me?” Cody questioned.
Reid sighed. “That’s something I need to tell you about, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Reid!” Cody protested.
Reid's eyes dropped closed for a moment. When he opened them again, the determination had returned. He nodded once.
He started unbuttoning his shirt.
Cody’s mouth went dry. This wasn’t about seeing Reid’s body. This was something else entirely. Every button Reid undid felt like a deliberate peeling away of layers, an exposure of his soul.
