Chapter 7

TRAVIS WASN’T SURE why he hadn’t pushed for more with Phoenix.

He was pretty certain a little more coaxing would have gotten him into her apartment and then he’d finally be able to taste her sweet honey, something his bear demanded pretty much every time they were in her presence. 

But he knew she wasn’t ready. Her animal was still hiding from him and until she revealed herself, he couldn’t be certain what their true path was. Until then, he’d be patient. Even if it killed him. 

Phoenix wasn’t scheduled to work at the bar again until Wednesday, which gave him a full three days to court her animal in privacy without those interfering cougars and wolves around. Surely he could coax her out by then.

Famous last words.

Three days later, he still had no idea what Phoenix’s animal was and even more frustrating, she was hiding from him again. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of her in the three days they’d spent together, not even on Sunday, when the bar was closed and they’d had the entire day to spend together. 

Travis had taken her on a hike in the woods to one of his favorite spots and she’d practically melted when she’d seen the waterfall. They’d kissed and made out and played in the water in human form and she’d been completely relaxed with him and so happy. He’d been sure she’d share her animal then, but nothing. What kind of animal was faced with the beauty of that waterfall and didn’t want to shift to play in it? He’d think she was a cat, but the cougars swore she had no feline in her.

The next two days she’d worked at the diner and he’d worked at the bar, so their time together had been significantly shortened. Still they’d had fun, cooking dinner together one night and completing inventory together the next afternoon. Then, later that same night, she’d actually hung out in the bar for a while, just keeping him company. Of course, the damn cougars and wolves had started their guessing games again, but this time she hadn’t seemed as bothered by it. She’d just laughed and let them guess and never answered one way or the other. 

It was driving him and his bear crazy. Why was it such a big secret? 

The guesses grew wilder as the night wore on because after all, the fact that it was a secret made everyone think it had to be something no one had ever seen before. 

“T-Rex?” Karl guessed. 

“Don’t you think she’d be a little bigger if she was a T-Rex?” Pete scoffed.

“You never know.”

Phoenix just rolled her eyes and ignored them all. 

At the end of the night, they had their usual incredibly sexy make-out session in the entryway of her apartment. 

Travis backed her into the wall, hitched her legs around his waist and devoured her mouth. She tasted so unbelievably sweet and spicy all at the same time. He ground himself against her, rubbing her in just the right spot, fingers of his right hand rolling and pinching a nipple while his other hand cupped and squeezed her bottom, holding her tight against him.

When he finally pulled away, he was rewarded by the sight of her animal peeking at him from her gorgeous brown eyes. Her pupils had elongated, forming vertical slits with a tiny ring of gold surrounding them, and her eye color had darkened to a deep and unrelenting black.

“Ah, my love, there you are,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and staring into her eyes. “Come out and play with me, yeah?” 

Of course, right then, Travis’ bear stretched and peeked out through his own eyes and just like that, she was gone. 

He huffed in exasperation. Stupid bear. Always so impatient.

“Um, Travis, I don’t think–” Phoenix sighed, a look of unhappiness on her face.

Travis kissed her and said, “Don’t worry so much, my sweet. Your animal will come out when she feels safe and that’s just fine.”

“Yeah, but…” Phoenix hesitated, then blurted out, “what if she never comes out?”

Travis pulled back. “Of course, she’ll come out, sweetheart. We just have to be patient.”

Phoenix looked away, making him reconsider his words.

“What makes you think she won’t?”

Phoenix shrugged, but Travis was beginning to realize that her shrugs had a wealth of meaning to them.

“She has come out for you before, right?”

Phoenix didn’t answer.

Shit. Was she latent?

Travis carried her further into the apartment and settled into an armchair with her facing him, legs straddling his. “Come on, sweetheart. I won’t judge you.” He smoothed her hair away from her face and stared into her eyes. “Have you ever shifted into your animal?”

Phoenix’s eyes slid away from his.

“No, sweetheart, stay looking at me.” 

Her eyes slid back.

“Please tell me the truth. Have you ever shifted?”