Chapter 18

18

Stacey squirmed as she waited. The man who'd answered the door had to be related to Dylan, and he'd seemed to know who she was, but she hadn't met him before. The last thing she'd wanted to do was insert herself where she didn't belong. Actually, as she'd caught a glimpse of the crowd in Dylan's house, she realized the very last thing she wanted to do was interrupt whatever it was he had going on that night.

She swept her eyes up to the stars. Her mother had spoken about fate, but that wasn't anything Stacey had ever put much stock in. She knew about schedules and routines, meetings and appointments, black and white, yes or no. She'd been the kind who sat down and wrote out lists of pros and cons when she had a tough time, not the type to leave it all up to her heart. Until now. Or at least, that was what she was going to try now.

The door opened so swiftly that it made her jump. "Hey, Stacey. Sorry to keep you. I, uh…" He gestured over his shoulder, where several people were still moving about. One or two craned their heads to look at her.

She rocked back on her heels and clutched her left elbow in her right hand, unable to remember a time when she'd felt this nervous and excited. Even as a bride on the day she'd married Todd, she hadn't felt so jangly inside. "No, don't be sorry. I think I came at a bad time. I was just going to see if you might want to take a walk. I had some things I wanted to talk to you about. It can wait until later, though."

"No, it can't." Dylan stepped outside and shut the door behind him, closing off the noise and curious looks. "I think this is a perfect time, actually."

Stacey glanced over her shoulder as they stepped off the patio. He definitely had company. "I don't want to keep you."

"Really?" he smiled. "I was kind of hoping you would."

Caught off-guard for a moment, she felt her cheeks heat up. Stacey swallowed and shook it off. Dylan had revealed something deeply personal about himself when he'd disclosed his identity as a shifter. How could she be embarrassed about anything in front of him? And after all, she'd come to him because she knew they had to get down to the core of what was between them. "I've had some time to think since we last spoke."

Dylan led the way out onto the beach. The stars were brilliant overhead, and the sliver of the moon gave them just enough light to see by without needing anything artificial. He walked just outside the tide's reach as it swept in and then lazily glided away. "I imagine what I told you would take a lot of thinking. Probably more than a day's worth."

"Probably," she agreed. Even after rolling it around in her head for a full day, she still had a hard time understanding how an entire population of shifters had been living right there on Earth among the humans without everyone knowing. The more she thought, the less she understood. How did their bodies accommodate two different forms? Did it hurt? How did they control whether they were man or beast?

None of those questions mattered right now, but she wasn't sure she was ready to get to the ones that really did. "I guess I just want to know more. It was so much to take in at the time. I probably missed some of it. I want to know more about you."

He was watching her carefully, and even in the dim light, she could see the softness in his eyes. "It means a lot to me that you do."

How could I not? Stacey already knew he was an incredible man, and that was well before she'd even understood that people like him existed. Though the reality of it all had made her insides turn into water balloons, she couldn't help but feel even closer to him than she had before. "I guess I can't help it, but I'm not sure what to say."

"We could start with the little get-together at my place." He gestured with his head toward his home, where lights still shone in the windows. "It's my house, but it's also the clan's. We have regular meetings to discuss what's happening for our members, whether it's that someone in our little community needs some assistance or is celebrating a big moment. It's also a good chance for everyone to socialize, which helps keep us close."

"That sounds nice." It truly did. In fact, that was the sort of thing Stacey had always wished she had. Though her relationship with her mom had always been close, it wasn't the same as having a big family. It seemed that the Brighams were born into a large support system. She wondered if they knew how lucky they were. "You really shouldn't have let me take you away from that."

"We were done," he assured her. "Actually, I brought them together to tell them about you."

"Me?"

"I told you our secret, and it's only right that they know that. By telling you about me, I revealed something about them to a complete stranger. It was my choice to make, and there's nothing wrong with it, but it'd be wrong not to let them know." His voice was as calm and constant as the rush of the water.

Dylan was so much a part of this place that almost everything about him made her think of the nature they were surrounded by. Would she ever have that kind of belonging, or would she just be pretending for the rest of her life? "I can't imagine how that went over."

He smiled as though he knew something she didn't, but he didn't offer to tell her what it was. "Better than you might think."

Stacey thought about a house full to the brim with shifters. Wild creatures, but also not. "I'll take your word for it."

"What else do you want to know? "

"I don't know." She studied the long line of houses that marched down the beach, each one of them home to someone like Dylan. "I'm a little lost on that. The old version of me would've written out a bunch of questions and taken notes to try to understand it all. I'm trying to think with my heart more than my head, but I still need some practice."

"Maybe I can help." He stopped, turning to face her. "So far, you've only seen a shifter in animal form from a distance."

"Right." She'd seen it with her own eyes, but was this man standing in front of her really the same creature who'd been on that boat? "I don't think I've completely convinced myself that it's not all just some fever dream."

He'd already been smiling, and now it grew into a grin. "Good. Then what I have in mind is exactly what you need. We can make it more of a reality, something more concrete for that logical part of your brain to play with. Are you ready?"

Her mouth opened and closed without any words slipping through. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? "I'm not sure."

"Just know that everything is all right," he said, sliding his warm hand down her arm. "You're perfectly safe with me. I promise. "

Dylan took two steps back. He inhaled deeply, and as he exhaled, he was no longer Dylan—or at least not the version she knew. His already wide shoulders grew bigger, and shiny black fur sprouted thickly all over his body. His face rearranged into a long muzzle, and his ears were two fuzzy little arcs near the top of his head. His heavy paws sank into the damp sand, the claws leaving neat little puncture holes behind when he shifted his weight.

It all happened so quickly that she barely had any time to process it. Stacey gasped, shocked not only by the change but also by the speed. It was unimaginable, yet it was right there in front of her. She fought for air as her lungs refused to work. Her vision darkened at the edges as her brain tried to process what it'd just seen.

But as she looked, she saw she had nothing to fear. "That's really you," she breathed, studying his eyes. They were different, of course, as they watched her from that furry face, but somehow, she still knew they were his.

She ought to be terrified. Even at a zoo, she'd never been this close to a bear of any kind. But the rush of adrenaline that moved through her body was one of intrigue instead of terror. He'd said he would make it more real, and he'd been right. Stacey couldn't question herself now. She couldn't wonder if he was pulling her leg or if she was hallucinating when he was right there. Stacey lifted her hand uncertainly. "Can I—Can I touch you?"

Dylan took two lumbering steps forward. He scooped his long nose under her palm, forcing her hand down onto his fur. Her body buzzed at the sensation as she smoothed her hand up over his forehead and between his ears, the fur so thick and luscious. He was warm and soft, and as she moved slightly to the side, she touched his shoulder, the muscles beneath his fur strong and hard.

How could she be so comfortable standing on the beach petting a bear? It stretched her mind to its limits but filled her heart with a deep sense of tranquility.

No, that wasn't true. There was one other time she'd felt that serenity. It'd been strong enough that she hadn't wanted it to end, and Stacey hadn't thought she'd ever find a feeling quite that deep again. The idea took her breath away.

The bear gave her a long look, and then it was gone. Dylan stood in its place, and her hand was now on his arm. Neither of them made any move to change positions. "What do you think?"

Stacey marveled at him. She couldn't even begin to imagine where all that fur had gone or how the insides of his body would've had to change back and forth. Her gaze traveled along his body and eventually dropped down into the sand. He stood with his foot directly inside the much wider footprint that'd been left behind by what he'd been a moment ago. Bear and man, all in one. It was what she felt that truly riveted her. He kept revealing the deeper mysteries within him, but now she knew it was her turn, no matter how odd it sounded. "Dylan, do you remember me telling you about having a near-death experience?"

His brows quirked together as they slowly resumed their walk, closing in on the base of the lighthouse. He obviously didn't expect that response from her. "Sure. That was why you moved out here."

"Yes." She focused on the way her feet sank into the sand and the breeze felt on her skin. It kept her grounded while she relived that unbelievable moment in her mind. "I saw my father, and he told me there were still people here who needed me. He also showed me a little bear statue. It was beautiful on its own, but the truly amazing part is that it's the very same bear statue that's on the mantel in your living room."

"Wait, the one Lila made?" Dylan asked .

Stacey nodded. If they hadn't already discussed so many odd things between them, she would've worried all over again that she sounded crazy. She was starting to realize that almost nothing could be crazy at this point. "The very same. I didn't know what to think about it at first. That can't just be a coincidence."

He rubbed his lips together and squinted into the night ahead of them. "No, I wouldn't think so."

"When my mom explained to me about fated mates?—"

"Wait." He stopped, grabbing her hand in his. "You know about that?"

She smiled and shrugged. "Only a bit. My mom dated a shifter in her day, apparently. Dylan, I don't know much about what's going on here. I don't understand how things work for you, but I'm starting to wonder if some bigger force has been pushing us together."

"Stacey." Now, he took both of her hands in each of his. They stood not far from the lighthouse, in a little cove where the beach was little more than a strip of sand, and the trees reached out over the water. "I wondered about that, too. I wasn't sure if that could happen between a shifter and a human, but I know for sure now. The way I feel about you isn't like anything I've ever experienced before. I love you so much that I can hardly stand being away from you. When you're nearby, I can sense your presence even before I lay my eyes on you. You're my mate, and as such, I will always protect you and your family as my own. If you'll have me."

"Of course I will," she breathed, feeling her heart reaching out for him even though he was only inches from her. The whole ocean seemed to pulse in her veins. "I don't understand everything about who you are or how things will work between us, but isn't that how it is between any two people?"

"You're probably right." He pulled her closer, one hand letting go of hers so he could wrap it around her waist. "I'm sure you understand why I had to before, but I want you to know that there won't be any more secrets between us."

"Then I suppose I have one I need to tell you." Her whole body was alive as he held her in his arms. It'd taken so long to find him, but she knew he was worth it. "I love you, too."

She rose on her toes to kiss him, her body immediately remembering how good it felt to be with him before. That was before they'd known so much about each other, before she'd had any clue that shifters existed or that two people could be fated to each other. She knew it now, though, and believed it because she could feel it in her bones.

Dylan kissed her in return, his tongue gliding confidently between her parted lips. It was hot and greedy against her own, igniting sparks all over her skin. She slipped against his tongue and his lips, feeling his love and need for her. His heart pounded in his chest, and she curled her fingers there as though she could capture it and keep it forever.

But now she knew she could.

Stacey braced herself against him, tipping forward slightly in the soft sand as she spread her palms against his chest and up to his shoulders. There was a strength in him that took her breath away, something she'd always thought she could only find in herself. Her palms pivoted and ran down his biceps, feeling the determination with which he held her. She made her way around to his back, making long strokes along either side of his spine.

Dylan pulled back just enough to break their kiss, but she could still feel his breath on her skin. He tipped his head slightly toward the darkest spot under the trees. "I think there's a blanket in the lighthouse."

At her nod, Dylan took her hand and led her to the door at the base of the building, not wanting to leave her for even that short moment. He let go as he swiftly unlocked the door and ducked inside, but he reemerged a moment later emptyhanded.

"Couldn't find it?"

He grinned, a mischievous spark in his eyes even in the dim light. "I changed my mind." Dylan grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. The door slammed shut behind them as he turned and ran up the stairs.

"Dylan!" she shrieked, laughing. The dark, shadowy world of the lighthouse interior spun around her, but it made her no less giddy than being with Dylan already did.

They emerged on the landing, and Dylan swung her forward, sliding her body firmly down his as he put her on her feet. They were dizzy and breathless, and she didn't want that feeling to end. Maybe it never would as long as they were together, and she was determined to find out. Her body buzzed with a fresh flush of desire as she kicked off her shoes and pulled at his shirt. She shrugged aside the material of her blouse as he peeled it from her shoulders and dropped heady kisses there. As she reached for his fly, Stacey could tell he was already hard for her. She impatiently pushed aside whatever bits of clothing came between them, desperate to have her mate all to herself.

Up there, at the top of the lighthouse, they were exposed to the world, yet no one could see them. They were on display only for each other, and she marveled at the remarkable hand that fate had dealt her. She admired those wide shoulders and his arms, strong from so many years of hard work. His torso displayed his chiseled muscles, and a thin line of dark hair led down to his solid erection just above his powerful thighs, sending a whole new wave of heat through Stacey's core.

Dylan took her in his arms and guided her to the floor with him. She straddled him, bending forward to kiss him. She rocked her hips, taking pleasure in the smoothness of his shaft as it pulsed in her hand, his obvious need for her already pushing her excitement higher. She held him between their bodies, gliding her hand slowly up and down his length, feeling greedy but not interested in stopping until she could no longer stand not having him inside her.

She lifted her hips and guided his cock inside her, slowly sliding downward, and it felt like coming home. She rocked again, not wanting to let go of him for even a moment.

Dylan pulled her shoulders down and took her breast into his mouth, his body pushing all the right buttons. He licked and sucked, his tongue making heated miracles against her sensitive skin. Her nipples became hard buds at his touch, sending even more waves of excitement through her body.

As his hands skimmed her bare skin, capturing her, holding her, making her feel like a goddess, Stacey felt the heat that'd been building inside her coalesce in her core. Her heart thundered, drowning out all sound except their desperate breaths. The bottoms of her feet pinched, curling her toes. Spasms started in her calves and worked their way up until her thighs quivered. She pressed her hands hard against the floor on either side of his head as her body ratcheted up the final few notches, and she cried out as she lost control, her body shaking and shivering around him.

Dylan wrapped his arms tightly around her as he rolled over, taking her with him. He lifted her hips off the floor as he wrapped her legs around his waist. Stacey watched with pleasure as his torso undulated, his hardness thrusting into her. His thumb made small, slow circles against her most sensitive spot, spinning her up all over again. Her thighs gripped him, and she panted as she felt his girth expanding. He drove it home, his hands hard on her hips, his face a picture of pure rapture.

As they caught their breath, Dylan pulled her into his arms. They watched the slow rotation of the light far above their heads, a beacon as bright as their love.