Freedom. (bxb, shifter)

Chapter 4

After I was positive all the food was gone, having checked several times, I was once again suspicious of the man creature. Why would he feed a prisoner? What exactly was he planning on doing with me know, I was very confused and a confused bear was an irrational one. The sunlight was still shinning in from what I believed the man called a window. I enjoyed the fresh smells and missed my mountain already it smelt so fresh, I could smell the freshly fallen snow, the small creek in this part of the territory and the last of the winter daisy's attempting to blossom in the threat of snow.

"Are you going to let me have a look at you bud?" the man asked slowly inching closer to my large form. He hadn't done anything to show I can't trust him, he fed me and is keeping me safe, but I still didn't trust the man creature, so I growled lowly backing up from the lovely smelling window and the outside.

"Okay so that's not going to work, how about if I was in my animal form?" He asked himself, backing up away from me once again and removed the fur covering his skin. They fell to the floor and I was once again confused how humans existed, they had removable fur and then were very vulnerable, small and fleshy. I was once again grateful I was a bear.

The man than crouched down and before my eyes, fur spurted from his skin, the once vulnerable flesh changed to the coarse darkness that accompanied all animals I knew. His human frame fell away and in front of me was an animal that smelt of a fresh kill and something darker and wild. His long muzzle was now sniffing the air. I was still unsure of what this creature was but I definitely preferred this side of the creature, It felt familiar and suspiciously like home. I chuffed and attempted to make my way to the creature that was nearly my size when I was on all fours.

He made a noise and went slowly walked closer to me until we were so close all I could smell was his scent no longer that of the window. We sniffed each other and became familiar with each other's unique scents. I felt safe with this creature, even with his jaw open and his impressive canines on display. For some reason I was sure he wasn't going to hurt me, the other life forces I could feel resided also within this cave I was unsure about but the man creature, had fed me and given me no signs of aggression. I wouldn't go as far as to say I trusted him, but I knew I was okay for the time being.

We stayed in that form until the sun began to drip its warming glow from the sky and the moon was beginning her beautiful ascent to be with the stars at the centre of the sky once again. It was then he decided to change back to his dark flesh. The covering came back on and I was a bit more comfortable now with this form also, it held the same scent and that comforted me, it was not a human with a wild skin it was a wild skin with a human covering at times.

"How about I tell you a bit about what's going on? I know you can understand me. Do you not wonder why that is, most animals cannot understand when a human speaks. It is because you are also part human in a sense or at least were born that way."

Me? A human, this creature is sick in the head, I was not a human. I am a bear. But if what he says is true, I am confused even more, I assumed all animals and humans could understand one another, I had always been able to understand the human, it was the other animals that refrained from conversing with me, I had tried in my many years upon my mountain.

"My pack and I came to this mountain because the rumours had spread about a bear that lived here for more years than any bear should and the humans were attempting to capture and kill them, we thought it sounded like a shifter, which is what we call ourselves due to our ability to shift skins. So, we came to check out the so-called bear and here you are. When I found you dying in the snow, I was afraid we were too late and had lost you, but we were lucky enough to save you. My pack and I lugged your big furry butt all the way to our packhouse. The reason we know you're a shifter is the wildness smell that clings to you and the intelligence we can all sense within you. A shifter can always sense another and that is why you're now in my pack house."

I had so much to think about, surely this creature was lying, there was no way I had a human skin, for one I hated humans, maybe they made a mistake. Perhaps they came to the wrong mountain, I know I'm the only bear on this mountain. My head was spinning with the story he had just spun his words spearing my brain and laying seeds of doubt of my whole existence.

I didn't know but I was making small sounds of distress and my breathing was becoming laboured, the food that once made me happily full was now trying to make its way back up into my mouth. I was stressed. I didn't know if I believed this man but everything, he was saying seemed to be true and backed by evidence, I could not bring myself to think of myself as one of these shifters. I did not want a human skin, I wanted to just remain as my bear and go back to my mountain, even if when the last time I was there it was nearly my demise. I knew I couldn't return as the mountain could no longer sustain me and my large size, I would have to find a way out of this packhouse and find myself a new home. Yet another stress I would have to deal with. I was scared and stressed and starting to feel like the walls of this house were closing in on me I needed to be outside and be able to calm myself down.

"Hey, hey hey." The strange man began trying to get me to look at him. "What's going on in that furry head of yours, its okay nothing is going to happen to you, your safe here."

I moved my aching body to the window and tried to stick my whole head out but it was too big just my nose could fit through, I was taking deep inhales of the mountain air, it was slightly calming me down but I needed to be out there and feel the snow on my body and sinking into my fur.

"Do you want to go outside?" the man asked standing next to me so close that he was almost brushing against my fur, when I was on all fours, he was quite a bit taller than me but I knew if I was to be on my hind legs I would have the advantage.

I madea sound deep within my throat at the mention of the outside, it would confirmthat I wasn't a prisoner here. I was scared and lost and needed the comfort ofeverything I've always known. The manseyes glazed over once more and then the smells that I had smelt out the doorthis whole time left, I was only able to smell the remanent now. the man walked over to one of the walls andtouched a small round thing and the wall swung open once more he gestured meover with his head and we were on the move to the outside. I wonder if I couldleave and find a new home or if he expected me to stay within this place