Bear Vet by Zoe Chant

Chapter Twelve

The timeafter Judy’s herd arrived, and he and Judy first made love, was eventful and wonderful, but Waylon’s secret hung over his head like a horse trailer suspended by a single rope.

Black Flame settled down under the leadership of Katrina, the bossing of Curstaidh, the knowledgeable hand of Judy, and the love of Raelynn. He settled into a stall at night and the corral in the day, and got trained to walk on a lead. Though sparks often danced around his mane and tail, and sometimes fire rippled along his coat, he no longer burst into full flame, and Waylon stopped worrying that he’d burn down the ranch.

The biggest trouble he caused was the inexplicable collapse of his feed bin. Day after day, Judy would arrive and find nothing but a pile of boards. They didn’t figure it out until she showed up early and found the wooden feed bin again dismantled, a few boards fallen from his stall, and Black Flame setting his teeth into a nail, pulling it from a board like a farmer might pull a carrot from damp earth, chewing it, and swallowing.

Judy put him in the horse trailer and rushed him to Vets For All Pets. Several X-Rays and a few phone calls later, they learned that the nails were not only not doing him any harm, but were an essential part of his diet. The X-Rays revealed that his bones were partly made of metal, strong and unbreakable. Though he was still growing, it was perfectly safe for Raelynn to ride him. Safe for him, at least.

A gleeful Raelynn promptly began training him to accept a saddle and bridle. With Judy supervising at his side, Waylon was able to let Raelynn go ahead, and even admire her sure hand with the training. His little girl was growing up, and though it was scary, it was beautiful, too.

Unfortunately, the two areas where she wasn’t growing up both involved her bear. He talked her into shifting, in the woods when Judy was off tending the horses, to see if she’d gained control. He had high hopes, as for all of Raelynn’s conviction that she’d never learn, the fact was that shifter children who couldn’t control their beasts often gained that control after puberty. She was at the right age for a breakthrough.

Raelynn shifted, and her bear promptly rampaged through the woods, all the way back to his truck, and was about to rip the door off before Waylon caught up with her and dragged her away by the scruff of the neck. She bit and clawed at him, wild to get at the tasty smoked meat she scented inside the truck. Only his thick coat of fur protected him from harm.

Afterward, she tearfully vowed that she would never shift again, and refused to release him from his promise not to tell anyone she was a shifter unless she gave him permission. Waylon, who felt extremely guilty after both putting her in that position and discovering that the cause of the rampage was a Slim Jim that he’d accidentally dropped between the seats, agreed.

They were both so subdued at dinner that Judy insisted that they had to be coming down with something, and left early.

It was a Friday night, and he drove Rae to the city for a weekend sleepover early the next morning. She was staying with her friend Caro, whose father was a cave bear shifter and knew her whole story, so she could at least be properly consoled.

When he came back, he’d barely gotten inside when Judy dropped by to see if he and Rae were all right. He assured her they were fine, which made her look distinctly suspicious. His bear was growling at him to tell her everything, he hadn’t had a chance to have breakfast, and when he opened his mouth to say something, anything, what he blurted out was what he’d been wanting to say for months.

One of the things he’d been wanting to say, anyway.

The next day,Waylon cornered Angel and Bryan in the Vets For All Pets break room to ask their advice. At least, that was the idea. But it all went south before he even got to the stickiest part.

“You still haven’t told Judy you’re a shifter?” Angel asked incredulously. “What are you waiting for?”

“For Rae to agree to telling her she’s a shifter,” Waylon replied. “Like I said.”

“Yeah, I get that,” said Angel. “You’re being a good dad. But something’s got to give. How is your relationship supposed to move forward when your mate has no idea that you turn into a bear?”

“I’ll tell her,” Waylon said. “Just not yet. So don’t mention shifters.”

Bryan looked up from the X-Rays he was reading. “You haven’t told her that shifters exist?”

“No!” Waylon was feeling distinctly cornered.

“Why don’t you start there?” suggested Angel. “Tell her about Bryan and me. Get her used to the idea.”

“If I tell her I have one colleague who turns into a unicorn and one who turns into a wolf, she’s going to ask me if I turn into something too or how I got the job when I don’t turn into anything or what it’s like being the only vet who can’t turn into anything or something like that,” said Waylon. “Anyway, getting Judy used to the idea isn’t the problem.”

“Well, you have to tell her eventually,” Angel pointed out. “It’s not like you can ask her to move in with you when she still doesn’t know you’re a shifter.”

“Ummm,” said Waylon.

Bryan put down the X-Rays. “Did you ask her to move in with you?”

“Yeah.”

“And she said yes?”

“Yeah.”

“And she still has no idea?” Angel asked.

“Yeah.”

Angel shook his head in disbelief and said nothing, clearly communicating that no words could convey the colossal bad idea that was Waylon’s entire life.

“I’d better get home. Bye!” As Waylon fled Vets For All Pets, he was followed by the sounds of laughter and Angel calling after him, “Try not to turn into a bear in the middle of the night!”