Kane & Evette

03) KANE

I backed away, still in my bear form. Did she see my shift? Who was I kidding? Of course, she saw.

This is everything and more the Council warned us about. One wrong move and the world would know we existed and only bad things could come from that. We would be decimated or worse. Exterminated.

Should I shift back? Would that make her freak out less? I shook my head, crouching low. Of course, she'd be more comfortable talking to a human than a fucking bear!

I quickly shifted back and took a hesitant step up the valley side. She pushed herself backward, her ass dragging through the snow. I couldn't stop myself from cracking a smile.

"Stay back!" she shouted, holding up her palm.

I held up both my hands but kept walking. My steps swallowing more space between us than her scooting backward created. Soon, we were close enough to have a casual conversation. As casual as a conversation two people could have after witnessing one of them transform into a bear.

"I won't hurt you," I promised, even though I knew it was falling on deaf ears.

The girl tore her scarf away from her mouth and I finally got a good look at her. She looked about my age. Eighteen. She had a round face with chubby cheeks and straight, brown hair framed her face. Her eyes were a light hazel that scrutinized my every move and rightly so.

I tried to understand where she was coming from. I just shifted into a bear in front of her very human eyes. How would anyone understand something like that?

A roar echoed through the forest and I felt some of the weight alleviate off my chest. Devika. She was close and safe.

I wanted to run right to her, but I couldn't. This human girl was still sitting in the snow staring at me. How could I possibly explain everything to her?

"Please don't tell anyone what you saw," I said, folding my hands together in front of my chest.

She made an incoherent noise and I was drawn to her pink lips. I wondered if they were naturally so pink or a byproduct of the cold.

"How about you tell me what I saw first?"

I bit back a smile. She had quite a mouth on her. Her response was similar to one Devika would give me, just a few swear words short. This human girl and my sister would get along well.

"I'm a son of Ukko," I said, crouching in front of her.

"Huh?" She scrunched her nose.

I chuckled and looked towards the sky. I couldn't see the constellation of the Great Bear tonight. I wish he was here to give me strength.

"I can transform into a bear. Ukko is my kind's god. He created us because he loved bears so much. When a bear dies their spirit or kallohonka, is given a new form. The best bear spirits cohabit a human in their next life. I am both a bear and a man."

"Am I being pranked?" The girl asked, climbing to her feet. She cupped her hands around her lips and shouted, "Hennessy! Hennessy, this isn't funny!"

I didn't know who Hennessy was, but she kept yelling their name. The longer she yelled, the more unhinged she became. "Hennessy, please! Henn-" She hiccupped. "Hennessy, I'm scared."

She refused to look at me, backing away. Her eyes remained on her boots. "Let's just pretend we never saw each other. You never saw me and I definitely never saw you and your...your-"

"My bear?"

She tripped and fell on her ass again. I started approaching her. I had completely good intentions of helping her up, but she panicked.

"Stay away from me! Stay away from me you...you...werebear!"

"Let me help you find your friends. It's the least I can do. You didn't come up here alone, right?"

I couldn't believe I was actually offering to help her find other humans. If Devika could see me now. I was breaking far bigger rules than she was. The proper protocol would be to call the Council and let them deal with her. Instead, I was going to let her return to her friends and risk them knowing the truth about me, too.

"I can find them myself!" She stood up abruptly, the fear suddenly wiped clean from her face. She stomped off in the opposite direction she came. I had a feeling that it was the wrong direction, too.

I had been arguing with her for too long and I feared I was also taking too long to meet up with Devika. I did something I knew I was going to regret, but I already made countless mistakes this week.

I let my parents leave the safety of the cabin and disappear. I didn't stop my sister from going looking for them like some vigilante. I revealed myself in front of a human girl.

What was one more damn mistake?

I rushed forward, my abilities already kick-started from being in my bear form. I caged my arms around her waist and flung her over my shoulder. I secured my hands around her hips so she wouldn't struggle and I started walking in the direction Devika answered my roar from.

Kidnapping seemed minor compared to my other offenses.