Chapter 39

"But you don't have a granddaughter, Graeham. Just grandsons." The woman said flatly.

"Well, that is not so. I'm sorry, Diane. But I hid her from the world, to protect her. Everyone thinks she died in the car accident that killed her parents." He explained. "Now, I'll not say another word until you both sign that non-disclosure agreement. I've said too much already."

Handing them both an ink pen, he was letting them know that in no uncertain terms that it was sign or get out.

When they had each signed their own NDA, they handed both the pens and paperwork. Going to tuck in his briefcase, he turned back and nodded to Jaxson.

Jaxson, knowing that a lot was riding on this, made sure that he had both of the journalists' attention. When both were focused on him, he stuck his left arm out in front of them and let his bear come forward and his hand formed into a paw.

The gasps from the two were heard.

Diane jumped up and almost ran across the suite. "What the hell!"

"That is precisely why you signed a non-disclosure, Diane. There are things in this world that you have never been aware of and would have continued in that ignorance. Now come and sit down. We have some things to discuss. Grave things." Graeham said.

Jaxson seeing the very real fear in the woman's eyes, Jaxson took two steps back away from her proximity. Seeing this very large man make an effort to make her comfortable, she tried to set aside the sudden and overwhelming fear that she had just experienced.

"What the hell was that?" She asked, directed at all four men.

"That is what biologists call Ursus arctos horribilis. Otherwise known as the North American Grizzly Bear." Anders said.

"But how,...he.. his hand." The woman sputtered in shock and fear.

"Yes, my son's hand became a grizzly bear paw." Anders paused, allowing her to realize that what she saw was real and not a hallucination.

"But...how?"

"We were all born that way." Diane gasped again and looked at all four men.

"Not me, Diane. I'm human." Graeham said.

"Human..." she said, not sure how to respond.

"Yes, he said human. We three, my sons and I, are not." Anders said.

The poor woman looked like she was going to hyperventilate.

Jaxson kneeled down in front of her and looked her in the eye and said in a soft but commanding voice, "Breathe, Diane. Hyperventilating will not help this situation." She nodded and made a conscious effort to get her breathing under control.

When she had calmed down some, he moved back away from her.

"So, you are all three grizzly bears? You can all change into grizzlies?" Jasper asked, genuinely fascinated.

Anders nodded and then stretched out his hand and then turned to Rio and indicated he do the same. Once both of the men had outstretched their hands. Before their eyes, skin became fur, fingernails became razor sharp black claws, the palms of both hands became pads.

Eyes enlarged and gasps sounded again. But, this time, Diane handled it better. In fact, she leaned forward to get a better look.

The men, realizing what she wanted, stepped closer to them two, allowing them to inspect their bear's paws.

Diane, reaching out, realized that she should probably ask first. Looking up at the older man, she asked, "Can we touch them?"

Both men nodded and leaned in closer, allowing Diane and Jasper to reach out and touch.

"Be careful, those claws are razor sharp and you can get cut very easily." Anders cautioned.

The feel of fur, the pads, and the claws. It was all real. The two watched in astonishment as the two males' paws became human hands again.

"This is what you were called here to see. There is danger stalking Rio and my granddaughter Charlotte."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you have a daughter. Does any one of you have pictures of this girl? I want to know what she looks like." Diane said, sitting back to lean against the back of the sofa.

Jaxson quickly pulled out his phone and brought up his gallery to show the other woman pictures of his mate that he had taken in some of her most unguarded moments. His favorite was the one where she was in the barn and Big John. the big, gentle horse was lipping her hair and she was laughing. Turning the phone around, Jaxson allowed the woman to hold his phone while she looked.

"Go ahead and scroll through them. Charlotte and I have nothing to hide." He told the two as they were looking at his pictures in his phone.

Rio stepped forward with his phone, as well. "I also have pictures of Charlotte. This was when we worked together back in Tampa."

Dian and Jasper looked through the two phones at the pictures of the young woman with dark hair and sapphire blue eyes. The resemblance to Graeham was astounding.

Raising shocked eyes to her boss, she said, "She really is your granddaughter. The resemblance is uncanny. The hair, the eyes."

Rio smiled. "Charley is definitely one of a kind. After all, it would take an extraordinary woman to catch my brother's attention."

Diane, being an astute woman, looked at Jaxson and said, "She's your woman."

Jaxson nodded. "She is actually more than that."

"She is more?" Jasper asked.

"That is part of what you are here to learn." Graeham told here.

"Then let's talk, Graeham. I enjoy learning." Diane said, smiling.

"Once upon a time, there was a man. A man tired of war. A man who fought in the trenches in WWI. This man was special, in ways that most people had never seen, couldn't conceive. A man that had the ability to shift into a bear. A real bear. A shape-shifter. They call themselves shifters. They come in many forms. Bears, foxes, wolves, big cats."

Drawing a breath, he continued. "The man was tired of fighting. So, he gathered up others of his kind. Other shifters. They left the battlefield after the war. These men came to live in a small town in the mountains of Tennessee not far from Gatlinburg. Three generations later, I am his great grandson. The two men next to me are my sons."

"Wolves...Cats...foxes...cats." Diane said in wonderment.

"Yes. Our little town is still drawing shifters from all over the world. Many families are still there. We all live together. A mixture of humans and shifters. A peaceful place."

"So, it seems like there is more. Like I'm not getting the complete picture." Diane said.

Jaxson smiled and said, "That is where the story begins."

Charlotte, Amber, Agnes and Miney were standing just inside one of the three boutiques that Miney had chosen to visit. Like a Grand Dame, she stood there, regal and haughty.

Seeing them enter, the salespersons flocked around them.

"How can I help you ladies?" the manager asked.

"We are looking for three dresses each. Two will need to be formal, the third and final dress will need to be a semi-formal day dress. They will need to able to be altered quickly if necessary and delivered to our hotel."

The boutique manager clapped her hands and the three saleswomen took the other three women, while the manager chose to assist Miney.

"Three dresses. Two formal, one semiformal. Any idea of colors or choice of styles?" She asked Miney.

"Yes. I want something draped like a wrap dress in turquoise for the day dress, for the two formals, something similar in style but in color, I would like one in a shade of lavender and the other in a soft shade of coral. I would like both of them to be floor length."

The manager smiled and said, "Yes ma'am. I believe that I can accommodate those requests. As for the other ladies in your group, I believe that we have everything that you ladies would require for your events, and it is our pleasure to provide it to you."

Miney smiled and patted the manager on the shoulder and said, "Thank you, my dear. I'm sure Anders and I appreciate it greatly."

"Is it time Miney? Is Jaxson and Rio back?" She asked.

"They are, and two of the women here are their mates."

"It is time for us to be whole again. A true Alpha and Beta couple will go a long way bringing us back home.