Page 16 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Bear

Man or bear?

The question reverberated in the depths of Melissa’s mind. It was a question her colleagues had asked her a couple of years ago ,as they all sat in a café during lunch—who would she prefer to be trapped in the woods with: a man or a bear?

Melissa had been too busy bemoaning a dog she’d had to put down that morning to give an answer or listen to what her colleagues were saying. In retrospect, she probably should’ve paid more attention, because right now, she was trudging through Paradise Woods with a companion who was both man and bear.

“Just a bit longer,” Cal said. “I’m sure we’ll find something.”

He walked just ahead of her, his large back filling her line of sight. Melissa looked around. She’d seen Paradise Woods from a distance multiple times, but being here felt so much different. The forest was beautiful, several dozen acres of trees and undergrowth stretching up the mountain that towered over the town. The air felt so much fresher up here, and she thought she could hear the gentle trickle of a nearby stream.

Other than that, the woods were deathly quiet. Melissa had seen only a few animals in the half hour since she and Cal had been scouring the woods, in case another creature had been injured.

“Not a single deer in sight so far,” she remarked. She tried for some humor. “How long has there been trouble in Paradise?”

Cal didn’t laugh, which was probably her sign to steer clear of stand-up comedy. He shrugged his broad shoulders. “A couple of weeks, give or take.”

“And you haven’t figured out what’s leaving carcasses all over these woods?” A thought occurred to her. “You think it’s an animal?”

“Regular animals don’t go on rampages like this. Whoever’s behind this knows exactly what they’re doing.”

“But you said you found bite marks on some of the carcasses you found.”

“So?”

“I don’t know...an animal that knows what it’s doing? What do you call that?”

Cal stopped in his tracks so suddenly she almost bumped into him. He turned to face her, annoyance creeping onto his face. “Are you saying a shifter did this?”

The temperature around them seemed to drop for a second, and Melissa felt a slight chill travel down her spine. She wasn’t scared of Cal, per se. At least, she didn’t think she was. Should she be afraid? Maybe. But honestly, it was what he was that terrified her. Shifters shouldn’t exist. They shouldn’t be possible.

“I’m saying it makes perfect sense,” she said, standing her ground. “It’s not exactly a far-fetched possibility, and—”

“You’re wrong.” His expression hardened slightly. “Shifters don’t kill animals mindlessly. If anything, that’s a human flaw.”

He resumed walking without another word. Melissa stared after him for a few seconds, stunned by his response, then followed him uphill. Was he seriously upset that she’d concluded what any reasonable person would? A human couldn’t have bitten animals to death. That left only one possibility, and he didn’t seem ready to accept it.

They walked a little longer before either of them said another word. To her surprise, it was Cal.

“How long have you been a vet?” he wanted to know.

Melissa shrugged. “A few years.”

“Never imagined you’d be working with animals. Or treating them, for that matter.”

“Yeah, well, I decided to go back to college, get another degree. I’ve been patching up animals ever since. Whenever an animal needs me, I’m there.”

His shoulders stiffened, and she couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. I wasn’t there for the bear when he needed me most. No wonder he hates me.

Then again, Cal wasn’t just a bear.

“What about you?” she asked. “Last I checked, you were a mechanic. Never really pegged you for an animal rescuer.”

“I’m a shifter,” came his response. He pushed aside a low-hanging branch, holding it out of the way until she walked past him. “My kind understands animals better than any human ever will. We’re better equipped to rescue and look after injured or endangered creatures.”

“Does that mean the other workers at the sanctuary are shifters like you?”

Cal gave no answer. Melissa moved ahead, aware of his large body just behind her. She thought she could feel his gaze washing over her, and her nipples sprang to attention in response. She cursed silently. Ten years should’ve been enough to get over this man. Yet here she was, getting turned on by him, like they hadn’t been separated for so long.

Ten years. So much must’ve happened in his life since then. A man like Cal would’ve had dozens of women throwing themselves at him. Jealousy instantly flashed through her, searing hot. Did he have a girlfriend?