Page 11 of Polar Fates
It felt strange, like it was trying to suck youin.
I can almost see her shudder. If it worries Alis, then it should warn us all to becareful.
Everything seems to be spiralling out of control. When did the world become so complicated? I’ve only just got used to bear shifters existing - and being one of them - and suddenly there’s Fates and Gods and portals. And girls with glowing eyes. This time it’s me who shudders. I’m glad creepy-girl is gone. Although she ran off and didn’t take a boat back to the trading ship, so is she still on the island? Or did she disappear through theportal?
“We should follow her tracks,” I suggest. “If she went through the portal, that will save us having to search forit.”
“That would almost be too easy,” Torben mumbles but he doesn’t challenge me. I know it’s not the best idea ever, but better than just randomly searching theisland.
“Ràn, you’re our best tracker, go with Isla and see what you can find. The rest of us will be back at thehouse.”
They leave while Ràn starts taking off his clothes. Oh. Of course, tracking is going to be easiest as a bear. Silly me. Instead of undressing myself, I watch. Ràn is broad and muscular, his chest a chiselled landscape that begs to be touched. His arms are big and I notice that even without having shifted, I can see a bit of the bear in him. I resist the urge to touch him and focus on the ground instead. It’s neutral. It doesn’t upset my ovaries. It doesn’t make me want to jump one of mymen.
I take a quick peek just as he steps out of his jeans. Oh. My. Bears. He’s aroused and looking at me, now only wearing my bra and trousers. This is not going to end well... or at least, notproductively.
I clear my throat. “The tracks might get old if we don’t leavenow...”
I don’t want it to be true. I want to do... things with him here, fun things. Taking advantage of the fact that we’re already mostlyundressed.
“Yes, we should get a move on,” he says hoarsely, obviously just as sad about that as me. Curse this quest. I’d much rather hibernate in our little cottage with just my fourmen.
With a sigh, I take off my jeans and underwear and lower my mental barriers, giving Alis access. She shifts us quickly and I take a backseat as she and Ràn begin to run back towards the village, following the scent the strange girlleft.
I can hear her whispering to Ràn’s, but I try not to intrude on their conversation. She rarely gets the chance to chat with the others’ bears, so I don’t want to take that away fromher.
Instead, I watch as we run through the snow, tiny flakes whirling up all around us. It’s almost dark, but the snow is reflecting the moonlight enough that we can still see where we’re going. The track is leading us away from the beach and inland, but not towards the village. We seem to be heading to one of the hills in the centre of the island, but it could be any of them. Although I know we’ve explored them thoroughly on our hunts so I can’t imagine there being a portal on a hill somewhere. And we didn’t find any caves either that might hideit.
Guess there’s nothing to be done but wait andsee.
Ràn comes to a halt when we reach the beginning of a wide glen. Orson, Ràn’s bear, sniffs the ground. “The tracks disappear here. Like she dissolved into thin air. No footsteps, noscent.”
He walks around the valley entrance, searching for a trace of the girl, but from his hanging shoulders it’s easy to see that she’s evaded us. It would have been far tooeasy.
He looks so disappointed that I feel like I have to do something. Only when I’m standing naked in front of him do I notice that maybe it’s just Orson who’s sad, not Ràn. But it’s too late, I’ve shifted and now I’ve made my intentions clear. There’s only one reason why I’d shift to human in this moment. And that reason isRàn.
I stretch out a hand and approach the bear. His beautiful dark brown fur blends into the night, but his eyes are glistening with moonlight. He’s beautiful in his own, furry, big way. He watches me cautiously. I’m having to keep reminding myself that this isn’t just Ràn, the man I’ve slept with. It’s also his bear, who doesn’t like to be touched. Or is it Ràn who doesn’t like it? I really need him to tell me at some point. If I know why he can’t stand human touch while he’s in his bear shape, I can maybe do something about it. Helphim.
It breaks my heart to see how he watches me as if I’m about to do something bad. I could never hurt him and I’m sure he knows it. That he flinches away from me now is instinct. Ihope.
I pull back and cross my arms in front of my chest. Even with my new bear abilities, standing naked in the snow is a little cold. This was a bad idea. I’m making a fool of myself. Silly, sillyIsla.
I turn around in order to shift back, to let Alis take over and sink intohumiliation.
A hand touches my shoulder and this time I’m the one to flinch. I didn’t even hear him approach. For someone so big, he moves veryquietly.
“What’s wrong?” he asks in his deep, grumbly voice, and nudges me to turn around. My ovaries faint when I do. Of course he’s naked, I should know that, but seeing it... him... in the flesh. Oh Isla, stop being soswoony.
There’s nothing wrong about appreciating his masculinity,Alis reassures me drily and I am tempted to throw her out of myhead.
Go away, Alis! This isprivate!
Oh darling, nothing is private, you should know that bynow.
Despite her words, she disappears, leaving me and Rànalone.
“What’s wrong?” he asks again, lifting my chin so I look straight into his darkeyes.
“Nothing,” I mumble. “I just felt a little silly, shifting likethat.”
