money I made or how much of a reputation I’d developed, I would never get used to being referred to as the anything.
“The same,” I said finally.
“Holy shit!” Megan barked, backing away from me. “I thought you seemed familiar but holy damn! Do you know who you are? I mean, of course, you know who you are. But still!”
I turned toward Megan, doing my best to stifle the laughter that was threatening to bubble up. “Calm down, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“It is a big deal! You were almost dead. Why were you almost dead? Shouldn’t you have bodyguards?” She was spitting out words a mile a minute, her thoughts obviously racing and trying to connect dots she didn’t even know were there yet.
“Wait!” she stammered finally, dawning on the realization that I’d been waiting for. “You’re a bear .”
My shifter status was well known, having been outed by some tabloid photographer a couple years back. I’d managed to keep my bear’s appearances to a minimum, opting to only reveal that nature at night in the fight club, but it was still common knowledge.
“So that’s why you’re healing so fast!” Megan shouted.
“Basically,” I acknowledged, smiling at her.
Megan’s mouth formed into the shape of an “O”, speechless at my confirmation.
“Wow,” she managed finally. “Just wow. What happened to you, Mr. Dare?”
“Kal,” I reminded her. “And it’s kind of a long story. Or, more complicated than long, I guess.”
“Right,” she said flatly, coming across somewhat dejected. Somehow, I’d just hurt her feelings. And that made me a little sick to my stomach.
“Ever seen Fight Club?” I offered.
Megan nodded.
“Something like that, only with more shifters.”
“Whoa.”
“Whoa indeed.” I echoed. “And also ouch. I got taken to task by a kitty with a chip on his shoulder.”
“Wait,” Megan said, holding out a hand in my direction. “You, the big bad billionaire bear, got whooped up on by a cat ?!”
“Well, you don’t have to make it sound ridiculous…” I shot back, feigning embarrassment. Or rather, not feigning it. The thought of losing back in that ring sent pangs of shame throughout my mind, threatening any lightheartedness I attempted to share with Megan. There was something so incredibly upbeat about her, and the last thing I wanted to do was take that away. Still, the more I thought about it, the more bitter and dejected I became.
I caught Megan staring at a clock over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her. “Got a hot date?”
She snorted - adorably - then shook her head. “As if. Exams in the morning. And it’s getting pretty late.”
I nodded, taking her meaning. “Understood. I really appreciate you taking care of me back there, but I should be fine to make it home.”
Megan crossed her arms defiantly at that. “As if. You’re my patient. And besides, I went through the trouble of making up a bed for you.” She gestured toward the couch. “You’re sleeping here tonight.”
I smiled at that, doing my best to overcome the darker emotions that were beginning to sink their claws into my psyche. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll throw your shorts in the wash. You get some sleep, Kal.”
“Thanks again,” I told her, then watched as she walked back down the hallway, her hips swaying from side to side in a way that had me drooling.
You’re in trouble, Kal. I told myself. Big trouble.
Megan
Kalvin was still snoring on the couch when I awoke the next morning. He lay there, curled up and naked beneath a pair of sheets and an old blanket, looking nothing like the billionaire bear shifter that I now knew he was. If anything, he seemed small and innocent, something that didn’t quite mesh well with the massive amount of space his body took up. Still, it was an adorable sight, and one that I didn’t want to disturb.
Rather than wake him, I started a pot of coffee, scribbled down a note that
“The same,” I said finally.
“Holy shit!” Megan barked, backing away from me. “I thought you seemed familiar but holy damn! Do you know who you are? I mean, of course, you know who you are. But still!”
I turned toward Megan, doing my best to stifle the laughter that was threatening to bubble up. “Calm down, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“It is a big deal! You were almost dead. Why were you almost dead? Shouldn’t you have bodyguards?” She was spitting out words a mile a minute, her thoughts obviously racing and trying to connect dots she didn’t even know were there yet.
“Wait!” she stammered finally, dawning on the realization that I’d been waiting for. “You’re a bear .”
My shifter status was well known, having been outed by some tabloid photographer a couple years back. I’d managed to keep my bear’s appearances to a minimum, opting to only reveal that nature at night in the fight club, but it was still common knowledge.
“So that’s why you’re healing so fast!” Megan shouted.
“Basically,” I acknowledged, smiling at her.
Megan’s mouth formed into the shape of an “O”, speechless at my confirmation.
“Wow,” she managed finally. “Just wow. What happened to you, Mr. Dare?”
“Kal,” I reminded her. “And it’s kind of a long story. Or, more complicated than long, I guess.”
“Right,” she said flatly, coming across somewhat dejected. Somehow, I’d just hurt her feelings. And that made me a little sick to my stomach.
“Ever seen Fight Club?” I offered.
Megan nodded.
“Something like that, only with more shifters.”
“Whoa.”
“Whoa indeed.” I echoed. “And also ouch. I got taken to task by a kitty with a chip on his shoulder.”
“Wait,” Megan said, holding out a hand in my direction. “You, the big bad billionaire bear, got whooped up on by a cat ?!”
“Well, you don’t have to make it sound ridiculous…” I shot back, feigning embarrassment. Or rather, not feigning it. The thought of losing back in that ring sent pangs of shame throughout my mind, threatening any lightheartedness I attempted to share with Megan. There was something so incredibly upbeat about her, and the last thing I wanted to do was take that away. Still, the more I thought about it, the more bitter and dejected I became.
I caught Megan staring at a clock over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her. “Got a hot date?”
She snorted - adorably - then shook her head. “As if. Exams in the morning. And it’s getting pretty late.”
I nodded, taking her meaning. “Understood. I really appreciate you taking care of me back there, but I should be fine to make it home.”
Megan crossed her arms defiantly at that. “As if. You’re my patient. And besides, I went through the trouble of making up a bed for you.” She gestured toward the couch. “You’re sleeping here tonight.”
I smiled at that, doing my best to overcome the darker emotions that were beginning to sink their claws into my psyche. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll throw your shorts in the wash. You get some sleep, Kal.”
“Thanks again,” I told her, then watched as she walked back down the hallway, her hips swaying from side to side in a way that had me drooling.
You’re in trouble, Kal. I told myself. Big trouble.
Megan
Kalvin was still snoring on the couch when I awoke the next morning. He lay there, curled up and naked beneath a pair of sheets and an old blanket, looking nothing like the billionaire bear shifter that I now knew he was. If anything, he seemed small and innocent, something that didn’t quite mesh well with the massive amount of space his body took up. Still, it was an adorable sight, and one that I didn’t want to disturb.
Rather than wake him, I started a pot of coffee, scribbled down a note that
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