" Are you sure everything is alright?! We can talk about whatever is wrong!" Sophie practically screamed at me through the phone.

"Everything is fine Sophie, I just need to talk to Nate about something. So where does he live?" I tried to keep the frustration out of my tone. I wasn't frustrated with Sophie so it would be wrong to take my anger out on her.

"He lives on the other side the weight room, in an adorable little brown cottage thing on the edge of the woods" she said, sounding a little off-put at first but she gradually went back to her cheery disposition by the end of her sentence.

"Alright thank you. I'll see you later Soph" I said, quickly ending the phone call before she could engage in another conversation.

I walked off the porch of the Pack House, thankful that Alex... Alpha Alex... hadn't followed me out the door. I walked toward and around the weight room to find a small, log home nestled in trees. I walked up to the front door and knocked but no one answered. I heard faint noises coming from the inside so I tested the handle. It opened easily and I pushed the door inward to reveal a quaint little living room area with a leather couch and tv. There was a kitchen/dining room to my right through a large open doorway and on my left was two doors. One was open to reveal a black and red bedroom with miscellaneous football memorabilia and books scattered about the desk and bed. The other door was shut and had steam coming from under the door. I heard rustling and called out, "Nate?", but no one answered. I took one step toward the door when it suddenly ripped open and Nate stumbled out wearing only a small, tight towel around his hips.

I jumped out of fright and felt my face explode in a blush.

"Terri?" he asked quizzically, grasping at his towel.

"I'm so so so sorry" I sputtered, anger forgotten. "I just..." I began to explain until I realized he did not look good. He was wobbly on feet and clutching the door frame for support with his free hand.

"Are you alright?" I asked in concern.

"He is not alright at all" my panther told me.

"I don't feel so..." he mumbled with glazed eyes as he took two stumbling steps toward me. At that instant, his eyes rolled back into his head and he pitch forward, releasing his hold on his towel and falling onto me. I tried to catch him but his massive size instantly threw me to floor, pinning me beneath his unconscious...naked...body.

"I'm glad you are putting those cat-like reflexes to good use" the comment came snidely from within my head.

"Shut...up..." I grunted as I lifted Nate's dead weight body off of me and slid out from underneath him. I put my hand on his forehead and found him moist. He was in a cold sweat, but the rest of his body was burning up.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked in worry.

"The same thing that was wrong with you. He is shifting"

"What?! Already? Our birthdays are so close! What can I do to help?" I asked in a panicked tone.

"Nothing child. Calm yourself. He will transition just fine. I feel that you should move him outside at least. If his human size is any indication, he will be quite large when he shifts."

"Outside. Right" I mumbled and grabbed his opposite shoulder me. I heaved and flipped him over. "Oh crap! Pants! Pants pants pants, gross, gross, gross" I threw his towel over his private area and ran and grabbed basketball shorts out of his dresser drawers.

"Gross? I thought you found him attractive? Shouldn't the sight of his size able package be appealing to you?" My panther asked smugly.

"Ewwww! Stop! I don't want to think about what I saw. And yes, I did find him attractive but that's not the case anymore. You know damn well why... it is your fault, after all." I mumbled as I quickly slipped his shorts over his lower body.

"You can't fight the bond" she reminded me.

"Shut it" I huffed out as I hauled his massive body over my shoulders and dragged him outside. I tried to place him as gently as possible into the grass to the side of his home but his weight made him... thud... to the ground. I pulled out my phone and looked at the time.

11:45

I took a deep breathe and sighed. I sat down and propped my knees up, placing my head on my knees as I closed my eyes.

"He is very important to you, guard him with you're life"

"What-? I know he's important to me! I've been trying to convince you of that!" I said exasperatedly. What is with her?

"I mean he is important to you as a shifter. Not just as a friend. You will see"

"Do you know what he is?"

"Yes"

"What the-? Then tell me!" I was frustrated with everyone today it seemed. Or maybe everyone was trying to frustrate me today. Either way, I was unnecessarily frustrated.

"You will see"

"I hate it when you do that" I mumbled. Before she could respond to me, a loud snap brought my attention back to Nate. His right arm was propped up on the ground as if he was attempting to get up, but only his arm had moved. The rest of his body was still dead weight. It gave me an eerie feeling as I watched his lengthen and thicken with loud groans and pops. His other arm followed suit, and soon his whole body was snapping into different angles loudly. Not only was he breaking, but he was also growing, his bones becoming longer and thicker than normal. Brown fur began to sprout from his skin and his finger nails turned black and grew out to long, sharp points.

"Wow..." I breathed out in awe, my breath coming out as little white puffs of warm air in the chilly cold night. An unimaginably loud snap caused me to jump as his neck whipped to the side and his face was now pointed in my direction. Although it was hard to tell he was still Nate as his face was elongating and sprouting with hair. The process continued onward until a large, brown bear laid on the forest floor a few feet from me.

"He's...He's a bear! That's insane, I always thought he reminded me of a bear in size and a teddy bear in spirit" I said with an awestruck chuckle.

"I told you, you have good instincts"

His enormous body suddenly flopped over so that he was now on his back. I slowly stood up and walked toward him hesitantly. When I was next to him, I gently bent down reached my hand toward his face.

"Be careful..."

"Of what? It's Nate" I mumbled and placed my hand in his warm fur on his face. As soon as I made contact with his body, his honey colored eyes shot open. He looked confused at first, but then his pupil dilated and he opened his giant maul to let out a vicious roar.

"Move back!"

I ripped my arm back but I could not bring myself to move my feet. In an instant, the bear had knocked me to the floor and pinned me down. He let another roar loose in my face and I screamed out of habit. I placed my hands around his wide neck pushing upward as he nipped and snapped toward my face.

"This is not supposed to happen! He is your protector! Stand up and fight!"

Her words resonated within me then finally clicked. "No! It's Nate!"

"He will kill you!"

When I had shouted at my panther, Nate had stopped roaring and had ceased his efforts to maul my face.

"Nate?" I said, barely above a whisper, tears stinging my eyes. "Nate, it's me. Terri" I mumbled as the tears spilled over.

Instant recognition came over Nate's face and his vibrant golden eyes became more human and kind. Regret and sadness dominated his expression as he backed off of my body, shaking his giant bear head. He sat back on his bottom and placed his paws on his head, releasing sad whimpers occasionally. He was fighting for control, but slowly, he began to change back to a human.

Soon, a confused, down trodden Nate sat in front of me.

"Aghhh what happened?" He moaned.

"You passed out naked on me, shifted, tried to kill me, shifted back" I mumbled, still in awe.

"I did what? I..." then realization dawned on his face. "I am so sorry! I don't know what happened!! I just.. I passed out and then this man with a crazy Scottish accent was yelling at me and then I woke up and he said you were attacking me. He's so violent and I was so confused, I just... let the animal take over..." He mumbled sadly.

"It's alright, I understand" I whispered. He stood up and looked down at his lower body where a pair of tan pants encased his legs.

Thankfully.

He gently walked over to me and reached down toward me to help me up. I flinched without intending to, just because my molecules were still jumpy from the attack. The hurt expression that flitted across his face filled me with regret. He instantly withdrew his hand but I sprang to my feet with tears in my eyes and pulled him into a tight embrace. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around me, but did not put his full effort into it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to flinch" I cried out and I felt my body begin to convulse with tears. I felt like all of my sorrow and frustration just collapsed on me in that instant and I could not take it anymore if I kept it pent up. "I'm not afraid of you. I've never been afraid of you. I love you".

And when I said it, I meant it. Yet, this love wasn't a deep, fiery passion. It was a love for a sibling. A brother. And I know he felt the same way.

He tightened his arms around me and cradled my head.

"I know", he whispered, "I love you too".

"Oh dear...."

"What?" I began to ask mentally when suddenly Nate was ripped from my arms and thrown fifty feet away from me. I felt two strong arms violent snatch me into a rock hard chest. The vibrations from his chest were loud as the mystery man growled and snarled toward Nate.

"Don't...touch...her..." Alpha Alex's voice came in guttural, low pants.

Hope you like it! Vote and Comment please! Picture of Nate's Bear on the side and a song that I think is appropriate for this chapter! Thanks for reading beautiful/handsome people!