Surviving James

Chapter One

Brian

In Hollowsprings, CA, rain was the only constant in one's life. The population was under one hundred thousand, quite small for a California town. It was a quiet town. I'd lived there all my life. I was a writer, and the scenery was adept for my visual imagination. I wrote love stories. Stories in which the protagonist was a regular-shmegular human, before women died out and the secondary species was created. I wrote stories about men and women, their lives, their drama, their love. Writing is the only thing i'm good at.

My dog, Tracie barked at me, as if she was trying to remind me of something. I snapped my fingers. Right! I needed to go into town for supplies. We were running low on food and laundry detergent. "Alright, alright. Stop barking." I told the aggressive dog. "No need to be so mean," I patted her head.

Grabbing my coat off the rack by my front door, I left the house, got in my car, and drove into town towards the supermarket. By the time I got to the supermarket, not even ten minutes later, it was already starting to drizzle. I'd have to hurry. I quickly ran inside and got a shopping cart. I grabbed some necessary items like laundry detergent and toilet paper, paper towels and what not. I headed for the meat section. It was when I was selecting which beef to buy that I smelled him. He smelled like pine and sunshine. Like the forest by the lake. He smelled like heaven. I rounded the corner, trying to see who I was smelling.

The man was tall, and well over six feet. He was blonde, it was a shaggy blonde. The kind of color you'd expect for a dogs coat. His eyes looked brown. Like dark wood from the tallest tree. He was beautiful. Why was I so drawn to this man? Its not like anything would even happen. I was average at best, sure I had a good build and chocolate skin. But I wasn't anything special. The only thing remarkable about me is that my eyes are yellow. The specimen who's way out of my league and probably a god sniffed the air in front of him for a few seconds before his eyes zoomed in on me. His dark eyes widened ever so slightly. I could see the front of his pants tinting. He sniffed the air again and me being me, I squeaked and ran. Zooming back to my cart, (with my own shaft rising for the occasion.. Embarrassing!!) finished shopping and sped to the line forming around the cash register. Hiding under my blanket sounds amazing right now.

After checking out I practically ran to my car, throwing the groceries into the trunk. I ran to the drivers side. As I was about to unlock the door a hand practically flew in and slammed into the window. Caging me in, the blonde from earlier who smell like sunshine and heaven caged me in, surrounding me with his bulk and smell. I looked into his eyes, the brown making my legs jelly. He was even more breathtaking up close. He smelled like bear and that made my fox yip and wag its fluffy tail. I would be doing the same if I was partially shifted. He breathed me in. Inhaling me as if I was water and he, a plant. "Mate." Was all he said as he continued to sniff me. I was trembling, but not from fear. No. No no no. He knew it too. And by that wicked grin, I feared he would act on it. He kissed me. It was simple, and short. But it was as if the world had righted and my heart and soul had been captured. This is where I was meant to be, I realized. In his arms. With his lips on mine he had done what no man had ever and will do again. He had stolen me. Truly and completely. I was his. And I hated him for it.

The events after the kiss were blurry at best. I don't even remember driving home. I think tracie saved me.. The bear shifter... he was something else entirely.

***

There was a knock at my door. A booming sound, really. Like a hammer, on wood. I groggily sat up from my bed and looked at the clock; seven fifty-three. Who the hell was knocking at my door this freaking early? I slowly slid out of my bed, the floor creaking under me. I grabbed my silk robe on my way to the door. Draping it over my skin, I shuffled to the door, sliding along the slick wood. I cracked open my door, the sunlight blinding me. "..what..?" I asked the sunlight, my voice cracking slightly. "Good morning!" an insanely chipper voice said next to my ear. "My brother and I just moved in down the way! I'm delilah."