I ask, "So what happens now? I assume I have to learn to control shifting, right?"
"Yes. And Annie is probably the best one to teach you. Women have different triggers."
I nod. Sierra and Keith come over to talk to us. Sierra says, "We're going to go now that you're okay. You should probably sleep. But I'll be back to see you in the morning."
She leans down and kisses me on the cheek. I say, "Thanks."
When they've left I swing my legs around to get off the bed. Annie asks, "Want any help?"
"No, I think I've got it." I stand, and while sore, I feel strong enough to walk. The thick carpet in Brady's room wraps around my toes as I make my way to the bathroom.
When I get to the tile, it seems unusually cold under my feet, and I wonder if maybe I have a higher internal temperature now. Sitting down to pee, I'm struck by how high the toilet is, and it makes me think I'm going to like living in a giant-sized house. The enormousness of that hits me. I live here.
Water splashes in the sink as I wash my hands. Dried blood is under my nails, but my hands look perfectly normal, and nobody would ever know by looking at them that claws can slip out at a moment's notice.
I look down at my bare legs and see red welts and bits of caked blood. I could use a bath. I wander back into the bedroom to Annie chastising Brady. I overhear something about making sure the others know before more women show up.
She stops talking when they see me. I should mind, but I'm too tired to care. "I’d like to take a bath. Should I do it here?"
Brady answers, "Yes. Let me run it for you." He gets up and walks by me, touching my arm as he does.
Annie says, "I've got lovely bath salts you can use. I'll go get them. Can I get you some tea, too?"
I shake my head, "No, I'll come down to the kitchen for something later."
Before she turns to leave I ask, "Annie?"
"Yes?"
"Is being a werebear hard?"
"Oh, Carly, no. For us it's just something that happens, and we're prepared." She bites her lip in thought. "Do you remember going through puberty and your emotions were all over the place? And when you got your period you were sure women were cursed and it wasn't fair?"
I smile, "Yeah. I was pretty pissed off that I had to get cramps and bleed."
"This is kind of the same thing. You'll get better at it and then forget what it was like to not be one." She smiles as if she's remembered something. "Tomorrow we'll go into the woods together. I think you're going to like being a bear."
I frown at the thought, and she says, "I'll be right back with those bath salts."
I wander to the bathroom and ponder her words. Right now being a werebear doesn't seem like anything I'll ever like. Tears come again, and I don't bother to stop them.
24
Chapter 11
Carly
Tiny balls whoosh into the water as Annie pours bath salts into the tub. Like everything in this house, it's enormous, and I bet ten people could bathe in it comfortably. A tile ledge is around the perimeter, and it extends all the way to a big window that takes up almost the entire wall. While it's dark now, I imagine the view of the forest is spectacular. The scent of lavender fills the room.
Brady begins to take off his clothes, and I look over at Annie in shock that he's undressing in front of her.
She smiles. "Get used to men stripping in front of everyone. They have no shame."
Brady snorts, "Oh, please, women do it too. You have to if you want to keep your favorite clothes."
"True, brother dear, but we're more civilized about it."
She winks at me. "Roar if you need me."
I smile at her little joke even though I'm on the verge of a major crying jag. Brady climbs into the tub and moans in pleasure.
He says, "C'mon, I'll wash you."
The buttons of the shirt I'm wearing are slippery in my fingers, and I fumble a moment before I begin to feel the ache in my hands. Crap on a cracker, I'm shifting. Before panic can set in, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I listen to the air fill my lungs and then blow it out steadily. My body seems to get the message, and the ache subsides.
Brady's voice makes me open my eyes. "Well done. You're quick to catch on."
Pride surges in me, and I wonder why the hell I care what he thinks. Yeah, I'm a little bitter about the changing thing. I manage to get the shirt off by pulling it over my head, and I step into the water. It's almost too hot, but I sink in and let it flow over my shoulders.
Brady moves behind me and pulls me against his body. His cock throbs and thickens behind me. "Sorry, natural reaction to you. But I don't think sex is a good idea right now."
I nod and lean back into his embrace. Desire overpowers my lingering anger. "How does sex affect shifting?"