My Bear to Heal (Cypress Valley Shifters #3)

10. Adelaide

I ’m more of a one woman kind of guy. His words play on repeat in my head as we walk toward Benny and Will’s cabin. Gertie’s tiny hooves crunch on the gravel as she trots behind us, stopping every few steps to munch on dandelions and grass.

Does this mean he’s still interested in me? Maybe I didn’t blow my chance when I rejected him two years ago?

I want my life to be here, in Minnesota—Cypress Valley, specifically. Being a veterinarian has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I’ve crossed all my fingers and toes in hopes of Dr. Thomas getting approved for my residency so I can stay here and be close to my dad… and Tyler.

“Do you think they’re even awake yet? Don’t teenagers sleep until noon? I know I did,” I say.

As we walk, his hand brushes mine and I suck in a gasp. The same electric tingles shoot up my arm every time we touch. My body doesn’t have that reaction to anyone else.

Clearing his throat, he flashes me a quick smile before tucking his hand in the pocket of his black jeans. Does he not want to touch me again? Maybe I did ruin my chances with him. My heart sinks slightly.

The box of chicks is clutched safely under his other arm. The bicep strains under the weight. “If they’re not, I say we use Gertie as an alarm clock.”

As if agreeing with him, her high-pitched shriek fills the air and her little butt shakes as her white tail wags, and she gallops off in front of us. In her excitement, she trips over her own feet, tumbling into a cloud of dust before righting herself.

I giggle at the little goat’s antics. She’s going to be trouble, for sure; a perfect match for Tyler.

The responsibility of taking care of the chicks will be good for the boys. Will and Benny could use a win after everything they’ve been through in their short lives. Abandoned by their father. Drug addict mother who wound up dead, leaving them to bounce from one bad group home to another until they ran away. Thankfully, they found their way to Cypress Valley, but they still have a lot of healing to do.

My knuckles connect with the wood door as Tyler waits at the bottom of the porch steps, Gertie hopping around his booted feet. Stopping, she grabs the end of his untied shoelace and gives it a mighty tug.

Not that she’s big enough to do much damage.

“You menace.” He laughs. Gently, he sets the box full of peeping chicks on the dirt and scoops the tiny goat into his massive arms. I didn’t realize how small she is until she’s nestled against his bulging tattooed biceps .

And there go my damn ovaries again. Exploding at the gentle nature of this beast of a man. How would a little redheaded baby look in those big arms?

No. Stop it, brain.

I swing back around as the cabin door cracks open, dark-brown eyes peering out. Suddenly, the door swings wide and I’m met by a smiling Will. His shaggy brown hair hangs into his eyes, in desperate need of a cut. “Addie!”

I’m crushed against his chest, surrounded by two lanky arms. “Hi, Will.” My voice is muffled against the fabric of his shirt. I wrap my arms around his back, holding him tight, only breaking the hug once his arms fall away from my body.

“I’m glad to see you in human form this morning,” I say with a reassuring smile.

Will’s had trouble adjusting to life lately, preferring to be in grizzly form most of the time. The boys started shifting after their mother died and they were placed in a crowded group home. Reese told me they ran away shortly after their first shifts, too afraid of what would happen if they remained in foster care.

“It’s getting easier,” he says. “My skin isn’t as itchy or tight when I’m like this anymore.” He waves a hand down his lanky body. Having turned seventeen recently, he’s already over six-feet tall. I can only imagine he’ll pass Tyler up in a few months.

“Good. I’m really proud of you, Will.”

Color rises on his cheeks at my words of praise. These poor boys have missed so much in their lives. “Are you ready to help with the chickens? Where’ s Benny?”

As soon as I say his name, a flash of dirty blonde hair streaks toward me. Benny wraps me in a bear hug, lifting my body and swinging me around. He’s surprisingly strong for a fourteen year old; must be the added strength from being a grizzly shifter.

“Can’t breathe,” I choke out.

He finally relents, setting me back on my feet, hands braced on my shoulders. “Hi, Addie.” His blue eyes nearly glow under the rays of morning sun. “Is it true you live here now?”

I can’t help but laugh at the excitement in his tone. “Yeah, buddy. I’m right down there.” I point to my cabin, two down from theirs—on the other side of Tyler’s. “You can come and bug me anytime. Just knock first, okay?”

The last thing I need is for these teenage boys to barge in when I’m having quality time with my pink vibrating companion.

A furious blush coats my skin at the thought alone, so I turn and march down the porch steps. “Come on, let’s get these chicks into their new home.”

As the boys reach my side, Gertie lets out a loud snore, still tucked safely in Tyler’s arms. “Uh, Ty? What’s that fuzz bucket in your arms?” Benny points a finger at the snoozing goat.

The deep, honeyed chuckle that warms the air hits me right in my core. I love his laugh. It’s a sound that can brighten even the foulest mood. Rolling Gertie onto her back against his arm, his thick fingers scratch her soft underbelly. “Meet Gertie, Cypress Valley’s new mascot.”

After the boys gush over the baby goat, Will tucks the box of chicks under his arm and we head toward the greenhouse and chicken coop.

I sprinkle some of the feed on the ground in front of me as I sit in the dirt. Several yellow and brown chicks cautiously trail over, pecking at the seeds and grain strewn on the ground.

Will plops down next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him. A few brave chicks hop onto his legs as he holds a handful of food out to them. “What do you think?” I ask, drawing his dark gaze. “Do you want to help me with them? Feed and water them? Make sure they get in the coop at night?”

His shoulder hitches up, jostling a little brown chick in the process. “You’d want my help?” His eyes swing around the coop and fenced-in area where a dozen chicks peck about, looking for food. A crease forms between his heavy brows like he can’t wrap his head around someone giving him an ounce of responsibility.

“Yes, Will. I’ll help out at first until you know what you’re doing. But once the chicks are grown and laying eggs, you and Benny would be in charge. You’re members of Cypress Valley, right?”

He nods.

“Then it’s time to start contributing. It will give you purpose and pride. Both of which you boys need if you’re going to heal and someday leave here.”

He scrunches his nose. “W-why would I want to leave here?”

“Don’t you want to go to college? Find your mate? I don’t know, but you should have options. Syd says you’re doing really well with homeschooling. You’re even ahead a grade level. That’s something you should be really proud of. You can do anything if you set your mind to it.” I lean over and bump my shoulder against his. It warms my heart when he doesn’t recoil from my touch, in fact, he scoots closer.

“Like take care of the chicks?” The chick in his hand looks so small as he strokes a single finger over its fluffy head.

I giggle. “Yeah, that’s a start, but don’t limit yourself. Dream as big as you can, Will. Chase the stars until you catch one… That’s what my mom used to say.” The familiar burn starts at the back of my eyes, same as any time I think about her.

“Do you ever miss her? Your mom?” Will asks. I told the boys a little about my mom, and how she died, when we first met, hoping my own grief would help them relate to me on a deeper level.

When I first moved back to Oak Ridge, Will spent most of his time in bear form, so I’m still not used to his shaggy light-brown hair or curious hazel eyes. And his voice still cracks on occasion from lack of use.

I smile softly, suddenly remembering he asked me a question. “Every day. But I know she still loves me, wherever she is. I can feel it when the sun warms my face or a soft breeze caresses my hair, ya know?” But he shakes his head and my stomach falls, realizing how traumatic his childhood must have been. “Do you remember much of your mom?”

His throat bobs as he swallows down whatever emotion he’s feeling, sadness flickering across his eyes before he drops them to focus on the chicks hopping around his lap. He’s tall, but still gangly and lean, not stacked with thickly corded muscle like his older pack mates. “She wasn’t a good mom, like yours. I don’t think she knew how to love us. Otherwise, why would she have spent all her time and money on drugs? Why would she have let addiction take her from us?”

Tears blur my vision as he recounts a glimpse of his childhood. I can’t help the guilt simmering in my gut that I took my mom’s unconditional love for granted, even if I only had her for a short time. My heart breaks for Will and Benny with every tidbit I learn about their past.

Resting my hand on his thigh, I give his leg a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t know, hon. Life’s complicated sometimes and things don’t always make sense. But I’m glad you’re here now. You and Benny. You’re wanted here and we all love you. Cypress Valley wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Thanks, Addie.” He gives me a small smile, the dimple in his cheek showing a bit. The more time I spend with him, the more glimpses I catch of the gentle, intelligent boy hidden behind the scared bear I first met.

His smile grows, until both dimples on his cheeks pop, as his eyes land across the coop. Turning my head to follow his gaze, laughter bubbles in my throat as Benny shuffles in a circle, flapping his arms like wings, a line of five or six chicks happily trailing behind. Their joyous chirps fill the air along with my giggles.

“Look, I’m their mama!” he cheers, his blue eyes shining brightly.

Tyler sits down next to me, crossing his long legs and placing a small container of feed on the ground.

“How’s your mom? Did you convince her to come for a visit yet?” I ask. She called right as we got the chicks released into their pen. He said something about her checking in after a trip .

He scrubs a hand down his face, scratching at the stubble along his strong jaw. “She’s good. She and Pete got home from their Caribbean cruise last night. You know she’d be here in a heartbeat if I asked.” He’s told me before his mom tried to give him everything she could when he was younger. Working two, sometimes three jobs, so they had enough money, since his dad abandoned them for a new life.

“You don’t want her to visit? She knows you’re a shifter, right?” A chick hops into my outstretched hand and I run my fingertip over its soft head.

He shrugs one muscled shoulder. “Yeah, but she hasn’t seen me since my first shift. I think she partly blames herself for my shifter genetics. She’s adopted, so she never even knew she was a carrier for the mutation until I shifted. But I don’t blame her.”

Gripping his free hand, I squeeze his fingers between mine. “I’m sorry, Ty. Have you talked to her about it?”

“Multiple times. She knows I love her, and maybe I’ll be ready for a visit soon. For now, the phone calls and video chats are enough. So don’t worry about me, darlin’,” he says with a smile. “I’ve got all the family I need right here in Cypress Valley. More people who care about me than I know what to do with.” Emerald eyes sparkle in the morning sun as he gazes lovingly at me. My heart thumps wildly in my chest, knowing Tyler considers me part of that family.

His eyes light further as they track Benny and Will, who are both sitting in the dirt with little fluffy chicks hopping all over them. Gertie lays in the shade, munching happily on some grass. The sunlight shimmers through the trees overhead as songbirds swoop and twitter through the clear blue sky. It’s all so surreal. It’s like we’re in a Disney movie… I’m just waiting for someone to break out in song.

Tipping my head toward them, I say, “This is good for them, ya know? Gives them a chance to be kids for a little while. You made that happen, Ty.”

I don’t miss the slight flush that explodes on his cheeks, eyes swinging back to me. “You’re good for all of us, sweet rose.”

A swarm of butterflies releases in my stomach at his words and gentle tone.

It clicks in my brain, like when you find the last piece of a particularly difficult jigsaw puzzle, this place—this pack—it’s all good for me, too. The constant worry over my dad has slowly faded and I can finally focus on myself.