“Will you show me?”
He frowned.
“Not the person thing. The animal thing.”
His expression cleared. He really was uncomfortable with it. After living with a man who had deceived her for years by sleeping with other women, finding a man with Nick’s integrity felt like winning the lotto.
Rolling out of bed, he faced her and backed away a couple of steps. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Okay.” She schooled her features into a mask she hoped conveyed interest and wouldn’t reveal any unease she might be feel—
Nick’s big form shrank and sprouted fur.
Her thoughts fractured as her eyes widened.
His clothes fell away, pooling around him as he shifted into the form of a puppy.
The entire transformation took place in just a few seconds.
Kayla lurched up onto her knees and gaped. “That is so freaking cool!” The words burst forth in a shout, and whatever mask she’d managed to don fell away. He looked exactly like a little beagle!
The adorable puppy clambered out of the pile of Nick’s clothing, then barked and wagged its tail.
Wow. He even sounded like a puppy. “Do you only shift into small animals, or can you go bigger?”
The puppy began to grow… and grow… and grow, its head and coloring changing until a massive black bear faced her.
“Oh shit.” Kayla scrambled backward and damn near fell out of bed.
The bear made a rumbling sound.
She slid off the mattress, keeping the bed between her and the fierce creature.
The beautiful bear rose up onto its hind legs, its head damned near brushing the ceiling, and let out a terrifying roar.
Kayla’s heart slammed against her ribs as she gaped up at it.
Then it began to shrink, the fur fading away, its face and build once more changing in seconds until Nick stood facing her. Completely naked.
Her gaze dropped to his groin, then flew back up to his face.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.” Leaning down, he grabbed his pants and pulled them on. “Immortals who can shape-shift and teleport have it a lot easier because they can just teleport their clothing back on.”
Rendered speechless, Kayla watched him tug his T-shirt over his head and couldn’t help but appreciate yet again how ripped with muscle his body was.
Once dressed, he stood quietly.
More minutes ticked past.
“Kayla?”
“I just have one question,” she murmured.
His eyebrows flew up. “Just one? Okay.”
She threw her hands up and nearly shouted, “What the hell, Nick?”
He winced. “I probably shouldn’t have turned into a bear, but I didn’t want you to think I could only become cute and cuddly things. And I’m sorry I was naked.”
“Your naked body is the least disconcerting thing you’ve shown me.” She frowned as she studied him. “Do you… I mean, when you become an animal, do you become one in every sense of the word? Do you think like an animal, too?” Did she have to worry about him attacking her when he became a bear or something equally ferocious? Because that sometimes happened in the books she read.
“No. I’m still me. I just look different. That’s why one of the hardest parts of shape-shifting is actually learning how to emulate an animal’s natural actions and sounds. If you had heard my first attempts at barking like a dog or roaring like a lion, you would’ve laughed your ass off.”
She grinned, imagining it. “Have you always been able to shape-shift?”
“I couldn’t as an infant. But I began to manifest the ability in early childhood.”
She frowned. “Did your parents know?”
“Yes. My father and one of my brothers could shape-shift. Another brother could communicate with animals.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Like Dr. Dolittle?”
“A little bit, yes. My other two brothers could affect the health of plants with a touch.”
“I’m guessing that came in handy if you had to grow your own crops.”
“Very much so.”
Kayla shook her head. “Why did they react so badly to your becoming immortal? They were so different themselves.” Shouldn’t they have been more understanding? A lot more understanding?
“Back then people feared and hated those who were different.”
She frowned. “They still do today.”
“Sadly, yes. In the past, gifted ones were often attacked—even killed—when their differences became known, their peculiar abilities labeled evil. The Bible warned of false prophets and miracle workers. The church took that to heart. So we hid our abilities.”
“I still don’t understand why their own differences wouldn’t have made your family more accepting of your becoming immortal.”
He sighed. “They believed that as long as they only used their gifts to do good, they weren’t evil. Instead of harming others, they used their gifts to keep the land beautiful and fertile. They fed other families, breathed new life into crops that were failing so none would go hungry. They kept wild animals at bay. Living conditions back then were rough. And my family’s gifts helped many live longer, better lives. But the tome Malleus Maleficarum described vampires as the worst manifestations of the devil. You know how people of that time period felt about witches.”
“Yes.”
“Well, vampires were considered worse.”
“But you weren’t a vampire.”
“I didn’t know that at the time. We immortals didn’t actually discover how we differed from vampires and why we didn’t go insane the way they did until this past century when scientists identified differences in our DNA. Before that, I couldn’t deny being a vampire any more than I could keep my fangs from descending when I needed blood or prevent my eyes from glowing when strong emotion gripped me.”
And his family’s repudiation would’ve sparked a strong emotional response. How could it not?
Her heart went out to him. “I’m guessing they associated glowing eyes with evil, too.”
“You guessed correctly.”
Rounding the bed, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “They rejected you.”
He closed his arms around her and pressed her closer. “They didn’t just reject me. They tried to kill me. Multiple times.”
“They tried to kill you? Your family sucked!”
A pained laugh escaped him. “Yes.”
“What did you do?”
“I sought refuge with the indigenous peoples.”
“Did they know what you were?”
“Yes. The Iroquois did anyway. One of their own was an immortal and became a mentor of sorts to me. I loved him like a brother.”
“Loved past tense? Is he not still around?”
“No. He was slain by some of the colonists.” Sighing, he rested his chin atop her head. “I became what my family accused me of when I found out. I killed all those responsible.”
“Good.”
“That doesn’t upset you?”
“No. I believe in an eye for an eye.”
He squeezed the breath out of her. “I love you so much, Kayla.”
She hugged him back. “I love you, too.”