Rose Red: Furry Tale Shifters Read online

  “Uh, yeah. I didn’t know Rose was here. Hey, Rose. It’s so good to see you.” Paul glances over into my direction and tries to motion to Scarlett. She doesn’t get it, looking at Paul confused.

  “Okay.” Rose says a quick “hey” and then the window closes.

  “Damn. That was close. Rose is your mate?” Paul lends me a hand and helps me up.

  “Yeah,” I reply dreamily.

  He slaps me on the back. Dust kicks up from my fur coat and a few thorns dislodge. I haven’t been taking very good care of myself. My fur is ragged, dirty and matted. I need to spruce myself up for my mate so when she sees me, I’ll be at my best. It’s not like I can reveal myself to her in my bear form though. And then the next thought is . . .

  “She’s leaving.”

  3

  Rose

  “Do we have enough snacks?” I ask Firn as she sits in the passenger seat. It was important to take this road trip with her. Firn’s opinion means more to me than anyone’s. This is a big decision; I need her support. I grab the beef jerky from the grocery bag in her lap. “Here, open this for me.” Firn yanks the jerky from my grasp and proceeds to remove the wrapping for me.

  “This stinks.” Firn hates the smell of this spicy treat. We are in an enclosed space, making the aroma stronger than it would be normally. I grin wide at her frowny face. Sometimes I eat this on purpose just to annoy her. That’s what sisters do, I guess. When our parents died, we both were somber for a while, each grieving in our own way. To lighten the mood sometimes, I’d pick a fight or tease her, just to get a different reaction from our grief. It worked. The teasing brought us out of a rut and in an unexpected way, we became closer. Plus, she’s fun to tease and the urge to make her flip her lid is too much for me to deny. I chew noisily and check the next exit coming up on the freeway. Nope, still another few miles until we hit Shepfield. The grocery bag rattles loudly in the car and my gaze moves over to see Firn unwrapping a candy bar. This girl loves her chocolate almost as much as her books. I’m going to miss seeing her every day. “Quit looking at me like that or I’m going to start to cry, Rose.”

  Focusing back on the road, I change the subject quickly. No tears in the car. I can’t really handle it when Firn cries. Turning the knob on the radio volume up, Taylor Swift blasts through the speakers. “Oh, I love this song!” I proclaim. Bobbing my head to the beat, Firn follows along with her fingers, tapping on the window.

  “This is the Taylor I love. When she was just starting out, experiencing love.” Needless to say, Firn is a hopeless romantic. We both sing along to a song about Romeo and Juliet. Our voices harmonize in the car and it’s like old times when we were young and life with our parents was simple. I miss those times. I had to grow up quickly and take over responsibilities I wasn’t ready for. I think I did alright though. Firn never wanted for anything and we both have a comfortable lifestyle. I’m quite proud of us. “You’re looking at me like that again.”

  Twisting my head back to the road ahead, I ask, “Looking at you like what?” She gazes too long at the chocolate bar in her lap before she answers.

  “Like you love me and you’re proud of me.” Now, Firn looks as if she’s going to cry.

  “I do love you. You know that.” I try and make light of the situation. If I don’t, in a moment there’s going to be two women crying their hearts out in this car. “I’m very proud of you, Firn.” When I reach over to grasp her hand, she reaches for mine as well. This is exponentially more difficult than I thought. “You know, you could always come with me. We could both head up the new store here.” I smile at my bright idea. We could do this.

  “Scarlett can run the store by herself in Bremen,” Firn dismisses.

  “Sure, she can. We could just hire on another clerk to help her out.” I may not be thinking reasonably. My sister means everything to me. It would make this transition in Shepfield much easier if she came with me. I know I’m reaching here. Firn shakes her head in her resolve.

  “No, we couldn’t do that to Scarlett. Plus, my home is in Bremen. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.” I huff at her brush-off. I really thought she might accompany me here to Shepfield. It’s a new thriving city where I could see us having a lot of adventures and maybe even Firn would find a man here, if she wanted one. I giggle to myself. Firn wanting any other man than the ones in her books is very unlikely. There’s no way any man would measure up to them. The way she talks about them like they’re real. Firn pats my hand and continues munching on her chocolate. Pushing some of the jerky in my mouth, I chew loudly to annoy Firn. She shoves my shoulder when she realizes what I’m doing. I know it’s childish but I love our relationship.

  Hitting my turn signal, I exit the freeway into Shepfield. This will be my new home temporarily. Traffic bustles around us. Honks echo through the streets. Inpatient people make it known they’re in a hurry and then there’s Firn and I, trying to ask our phones what street we are supposed to turn on and almost causing an accident. I almost have to laugh at the situation. It’s blatantly obvious we don’t belong here but I’m still going to make a run at it. This is something I have to do. I need to get out of that little town and expand, spread my wings, find myself, find a man.

  “There, there. Turn right there.” Firn points to a street named, Horseshoe. That’s where the commercial property is located. I inspect the numbers climbing on the buildings until I get to one-thousand and eleven Horseshoe Street. Eleven is my lucky number. I smile as I pull up to the rundown storefront. The old maroon canopy is wonky, barely hanging on to the building. It could go any minute and collapse on an unsuspecting shopper. I shudder at the thought.

  This is just the first of many properties the realtor is supposed to be showing us today. Checking my phone for the time, I see there have been no missed calls from the realtor. “He’s supposed to be here.” Firn and I glance around the street. It’s not like she knows what to look for, she never spoke with Mr. Hound. It’s a rather unusual name but I guess Rose and Firn are no better. Firn doesn’t even know if we are meeting a man or a woman.

  Cars whiz by us on the busy street. This would be a good location for business. I’m not putting my money down on the first property I see though. I might appear to be flighty and impulsive in my personal life but when it comes to my business I’m very thorough.

  “So, when is this broad supposed to get here? I’m hungry.” Twisting my glance to Firn, I scowl.

  “You ate all of my M&Ms earlier. Not to mention, the rest of the beef jerky and Cornnuts. We’re going to have to restock on our way back to Bremen. And we’re not meeting a broad. We’re meeting a guy, Mr. Hound. He’s late.”

  “Sorry, I’m late. I was tied up with another client.” Suddenly, a deep man’s voice pounces from behind us unexpectedly. My hands clench at my chest. Damn it. I hate it when guys sneak up on you like that.

  As I turn to inspect the man I’ve been in contact with, I’m astonished to find a very large tall man encroaching in my personal space. His lean swimmer like massive body is snug in a well-fitting expensive suit. Mr. Hound is a tall drink of water. Wow. His scruffy five o’clock shadow only enhances his manly aura omitting from him. When my gaze passes his sharp handsome nose, I’m met with golden brown eyes that take my breath away. Well, well, well. Looks like I’ve come to the right city.

  “Mr. Hound.” My voice wavers on his name. Firn seems a little dumbstruck herself when I look briefly to see if she’s still there. Yeah, and she’s clutching on her new romance novel like her hero has come to life in front of her. Damn. We must look so desperate. I clear my throat to get over my dirty thoughts.

  “Ladies, my apologies.” Firn squeaks.

  “Damn it, Firn. Get control of yourself. You’re embarrassing me,” I say under my breath.

  “May we see the property please, Mr. Hound? We have already surveyed the outside for some time now.” He may have made me speechless a little at first but I’m here to do a job. I’d like to get back to busine
ss.

  Now, it’s his turn to be a little embarrassed by his tardiness. Jingling the keys in his hand, he makes his way to the lock and unlocks the door, having to give it a few shoves to get the door open. A layer of dust greets us. The space is big and open but looks like it hasn’t had any inhabitants in years. It reminds me of a time capsule. Going further into the room, my hand grazes over the one piece of furniture in the room, a work table where I presume a cash register once stood.

  “I’m sure you ladies could make this place sparkle. It has good bones.” Mr. Hound keeps his distance to allow us to roam around the space. I nod at his suggestion. There definitely are possibilities here.

  “Mr. Hound?” His lithe body sways toward me. I’m entranced by his swagger. I can tell this man doesn’t need to answer to anyone, nor does he fear anyone. He’s so confident.

  “Please, call me Lucas.” Off in the corner Firn sighs. She’s watching this exchange like it’s some meet cute. Giving her evil eyes, I return my attention back to Lucas.

  “Lucas.” The name rolls off my tongue. That’s a nice name. I center my thoughts and keep them at the task at hand. “I’d like to see a few more of the properties you have lined up for us. I’m not ready to commit yet.”

  “I’m sure I’ll find what you’re willing to commit to.” He winks. Flirt. “I’m sorry I didn’t formally introduce myself earlier. I’m Lucas Hound.” Jutting his hand out, I timidly shake it. He has strong large hands.

  “I’m Rose Root. And this is my sister Firn.” Waving my hand in Firn’s direction she peeks up from her book making it apparent she’s annoyed to be taken away from her reading even for a moment.

  “Root?” Knowing where this conversation is going, I stop him before he continues.

  “Yes, Root. It’s German. It was originally spelt with one “o” but over time it was doubled for easier pronunciation. R-O-T is the German word for Red.” I hate giving this history lesson. It’s better to be acquainted with red than roots though especially in my line of work.

  “Rose Red,” Lucas mumbles.

  “Yeah, we don’t tell people our last name much but since you’re going to have to fill out the deed it’s unavoidable. Just keep it on the downlow.” I wink at him wanting to move on. We check out a few other properties in the downtown area. Firn watches from afar mumbling her comments about one property or another. We both agree on the charming shop we saw first. The one on Horseshoe Street. It feels lucky. Still, we decide to sleep on it and head back to Bremen before it gets too dark. There’s supposed to be a blizzard coming.

  4

  Ben

  It’s an agonizing day that leads into a more brutal evening. All creatures of the forest have burrowed down for the night, except me. I’m still waiting at my vigil, for my mate. I can smell the snow coming in the air. The temperature is dropping by the minute and my mate is still not home safe yet. I’m restless. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up, which tells me it’s going to be a really bad snowstorm tonight. I should be out of the elements and hunkered down in my cave but I just can’t bring myself to leave the vicinity of her home. My mind is telling me to abandon for my safety but my heart can’t bear not knowing whether my mate is safe.

  A large flock of blackbirds flying in a V-shape cacawing above me. They shift quickly and turn with the wind as if they’re trying to escape something, the storm. Feeling uneasy about this situation, I stick it out and wait for my Rose. Paul said she would be back today and I intend on making sure she’s okay before settling in for the night.

  It feels like hours I wait for my Rose to appear. Night is here and the darkness is usually a comfort. I’m able to move more freely in the dark but the storm is upon me and Rose has not arrived. Big fat flakes begin to fall on my shaggy brown fur. Shaking them off, my chest rattles with the cold that’s crept up on me. My claws hit the dirt below me. If I can nestle into the ground a bit, I might get a little warmth. The chill is almost to my bones now. By the time I’m settled down in the dirt, a cover of snow coats my back and the top of my head. My nose is warm enough for now that it melts the snow. I’m worried about Rose more so than myself. She doesn’t drive a four-wheel vehicle, just a car and I’m worried about her getting back safely.

  My senses are getting a little jumbled. I’m losing track of time and my eyes can hardly stay open. The crunch of tires brings me out of my stupor. Why wasn’t I able to smell the car coming? Maybe I’m delirious and imagining the car coming. Trying to move my tail isn’t working; I can no longer feel it. What’s going on?

  The car comes to a stop in front of Rose’s home. Rose. She’s here. My mate. I want to be with her. The car door opens and Rose and another woman get out.

  “Gosh, I didn’t think we were going to make it. The streets were already starting to get bad. I’m glad we’re home. The radio said it was going to be a bad one but I thought they were making something out of nothing. It’s good we left when we did,” Rose says to the other woman as they gather their things from the back of the car and head to the door.

  “Yeah, and it’s only going to get worse.” Their breath is visible in the night air. My mate is wearing a white coat that makes her dark hair stand out against it. I just want to go to her, so I do. The snow weighs me down as I cross the road to the door. Her scent is intoxicating. I’ve never been this close to her before. My heart skips a beat as the distances closes. Rose is unlocking the door when I approach them. With a click, the door swings open and so does my mouth.

  “Hello, Rose.” Since she’s my mate, I can speak with her. Revealing myself to her in front of this other woman is a problem I didn’t think about before I spoke. Clearly, I’m not thinking straight. The cold must’ve gotten to me. Hypothermia is making me woozy and impulsive.

  Both women turn to my voice and drop their belongings on the ground. Then, the screaming begins. Shit. This isn’t the first impression I wanted to make with Rose. My paws go up in a calming gesture except I think it has the reverse effect. Their feet move them backward into the house as they maneuver around the luggage they just dropped. I follow them inside the warm home. The feeling in my paws returns almost immediately upon crossing over the threshold. I guess I didn’t realize how cold I was. Glancing around momentarily, I see a quaint little cottage. Nothing as grand as Paul’s mate’s house but I like it. It’s cozy and welcoming. The two women just stare at me in fear. I need to fix this fast.

  “Please, don’t be afraid,” I beg. Both women look at each other like they can’t believe their eyes or ears. The huddle together near an overstuffed sofa.

  “The bear can talk, Rose,” the other woman whimpers. Now, they are mimicking my stance with their hands up. Rose is speechless it seems. I long to hear her voice. My breath huffs out of me as the strength to keep me upright weighs on me. The winter storm has taken all my energy and before I can say anything, I crash to the floor. Everything goes black as I hear screams in the distance.

  My head pounds in my skull. I feel hungover. My mouth is drier than the Sahara. Fur clings to my skin as if I’m wet. My body feels warm again. I moan and grunt as I try and move but nothing happens. I hear gasps above me and then whispering. Female. My mate is here.

  “I don’t know what to do, Firn. He seems sick.” The soothing voice is like music to my ears. Rose’s melodious voice makes me want to purr.

  “It’s a fucking bear, Rose. We need to call somebody. Paul, he’s the wildlife commissioner. This thing could eat us.” I feel something poke me on the side of my head and I’m useless to react except to wobble back and forth. Ugh, I feel nauseous. What happened to me?

  “He’s so helpless, Firn. And he talks. The bear seemed like he was trying to communicate. I think we should help him. It seems he was just trying to get out of the storm.” I hear a huff from the other woman and then the blackness returns.

  I’m awoken by scratching on my back, very harsh. It’s painful. “Ow!”

  “See, Rose. You’re just making him mad.” My eyes
finally open on command and I take in my surroundings. Oh, shit. I’m in Rose’s house. Her and her friend are staring at me as she holds a broom. She seems uneasy and only slightly scared. I can smell her friend’s fear; it gives off a pungent foul odor.

  “Easy there, big guy. It’s okay. I’m just brushing off some of the snow off your back. You’re very cold. We’re just trying to warm you up. Easy does it. Please don’t hurt us.” Rose’s stance is cautious. Glancing at the other woman, I see she holds a chair out to me as if to defend herself from an attack. I make my movements small as to not frighten them.

  “Thank you for trying to get the snow off. I was very cold. I appreciate you letting me in.” Sitting up in what Paul calls my teddy bear pose, legs straight out in a sitting position, I try to show them I mean them no harm.

  “Wow, he can talk.” Both women straighten up but are still on guard. I stay still and let them look their fill.

  “I’m Rose and this is my sister, Firn.” Moving my head to her sister in acknowledgement, she waves slightly at me.

  “Pleased to meet you both.”

  “Huh,” Firn says in disbelief.

  Rose motions to the fire they must’ve started while I was knocked out. “You can warm yourself by the fire. We couldn’t move you.” This woman. She actually tried to move a bear closer to the fire to warm him? This is why this sweet soul is my mate. She sees the good in people and animals and tries to help them. I just hope I’m as good a mate, good a man as she deserves. I’ll spend my entire life trying. The idea warms my belly.

  Slowly, I crawl over to the fire and feel the sweet heat hit my damp fur. This is what I need, warmth by a fire in my mate’s presence. They both look at me quizzically.

  “Oh, my name is Ben.” I hold out my paw. Rose looks at my claws and back at my eyes. I see her hesitation but she seems to decide on something as her hand reaches out to me. Her delicate hand touches my paw. The heat engulfs my body from her simple touch. My mate has warmed me from the inside out from this small physical contact.