Chapter 24
“I should have known you’d be so dark, on account of your hair. If it wasn’t for your pale snout, I would lose you in the night.”
I huffed again, then clicked my tongue to let him know I was friendly. I didn’t know if Trey understood bear, so I gave a happy grunt, higher than a growl, so he’d hopefully know. Trey seemed to get it, because he petted my head, then rubbed his fingers along my neck to scratch my scruff.
“You’re beautiful, cub. You really are. Why don’t you go play?”
I wanted to, but more than that, I wanted him with me. I clicked my tongue again, took a dancing step closer, then licked across his mouth. I needed him with me. After all this time, I was in my other shape and it felt amazing. But without Trey, it wouldn’t be the same.
Trey laughed and pulled back. “You can lick my mouth when you’re human again. And other places, too.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I happy-grunted again, trying to entice him, and when he still didn’t seem to get it, I lifted a big paw and carefully pawed at his jeans.
“Oh! You want me to join you. Well, all right, then.” And without any shame, Trey undressed at top speed, tossed his clothes in a heap on the porch, and shifted. He let out a quick bark, then turned tail and ran around the side of the house. I gave chase.
Trey led me into the woods, and with him running at full speed I was only a few yards behind. He was light and quick on his feet, and I didn’t quite have the same agility, but he kept to fairly open paths so he wouldn’t lose me.
We played for hours. We darted and chased, played tag. We wrestled, and I was able to use my size to my advantage to pin him to the ground. The moment I did it, though, it felt wrong, so I let him up. He pounced, landed on my back, and grabbed my neck in his jaws, biting down just hard enough so that I could feel the prick of his teeth through my fur. I playfully shook him off, then decided to show him how well I could climb.
I found a good tree, and made my way up, using branches and my massive claws to help. When I was at least twenty feet up, I looked down and gave my happy grunt again. Trey howled a joyous sound, then cocked his head to the side. A second later, he took off.
It took me a bit to get down without falling, but I couldn’t believe he’d just leave me like that. There had to be a reason he ran. I scented the air to determine which way he’d gone, but before I could head in that direction, he was back, a dead rabbit hanging from his jaws. He laid it at my feet and stepped back.
He was providing for me in the way wolves did. And though I could and had eaten rabbit in my bear form before, it wasn’t common. Black bears weren’t the best hunters, and we foraged for food more than anything else. I took a few bites because it would please Trey, then nudged the rest of the carcass toward him. He devoured it in five bites.
After he was done, he led me farther into the woods. I heard the water before I saw it, and barreled down a small incline to splash in the stream. The water was crisp and cold, and the pads of my feet felt like ice cubes, but the rest of me wasn’t bothered. I cleaned my muzzle, then batted at the water, splashing it around and enjoying myself.
Eventually, Trey gave a sharp bark and turned back toward home. I reluctantly followed. If felt so good to be my bear, I didn’t want it to end. But it was dark now, and after I shifted, I’d be starving. So I followed him through the woods, onto his property and back to the house. Trey opened the back door with ease, then went inside. I wasn’t entirely sure I could fit through the doorway in this shape, so I shifted on the deck.
The cold air hit me all at once, turning me into one big goosebump. I ran into the house, and Trey was waiting for me, his arms open. I didn’t hesitate to throw myself into them. He cradled me close, rubbing my back.
“How do you feel, cub?”
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I breathed. And then laughed. The sound just bubbled out of me. I felt amazing, and what was even better, I could still feel my bear in that usual place inside me when I was in my human form. Tears leaked out of my eyes, but since they were the happy kind, I didn’t even try to stop them.