Marking his mate - A Silver Shifter Series 2

Chapter 1 - Hunter

I could have spent the night in the city instead of driving home straight after the flight, but I was itching to get back. It had been four years of a long internship, which had been extremely beneficial, but I was exhausted, and I couldn't wait to be home. I stifled a yawn finding it hard to focus on the road. The switchbacks were getting worst which meant home wasn't too far away. A mixture of caffeine and the thoughts of tomorrow were keeping me awake. The equipment I order just before my internship ended were all waiting to be unloaded at the farm. I would have to spend the next few months training everyone including the cows on how to use the machines. The bull was arriving in a week, and I knew Rory was already building a paddock for him. I had to organise my own cabin; it had been emptied for too long. Expected when Logan's mate's family had stayed. I hope they didn't rearrange the cupboard and they left it neat and tidy.

As I stopped at the light outside the diner I twitched. Shaking my head, I focused. My bear. The sedative I took just before boarding the plane was wearing off. The nutcase was waking up. I reached over to my bag but only found an empty bottle. I forgot to fill out my script before I left. I hit the steering wheel knowing that it was going to be a difficult afternoon without them. I had been a couple of weeks since I had been clean from any drugs to settle him down. He didn't listen to me or any other bear or person. My parents had refused which caused problems for everyone. My bear wasn't just big, strong, and scary, but aggressive and unnecessarily violent. At school, he was the one that started the fights, he was the one that ended the fights. As an adult, it took a lot of concentration and drugs. There was only one way I could keep him hidden and that was with regular doses of Valium. One of mum's old university friends was working out that way. She had been prescribing me Valium for four years to keep him in. She was the only one who knew, she was a great help. Now as I was coming back home, I had no reason to continue the Valium. Everyone within hundred miles of Silver Thread Valley knew that my bear was a nutcase.

My bear knew what was going on. They are us in a way, living in the same body so he could see what I could, and I think partly understand what I did. So, he might not have realized at first but slowly, he knew what I was doing. He would try and stop me sometimes, erupting when the medication slowly worn off, but I always got there first. I started setting a timer, I felt more normal, more human. I hadn't shifted in nearly two years. I could feel him itching to get out. I suppose that is what I was feeling why I didn't want to stay the extra night in the city.

It had been a long time since we had smelt the forest that surround Silver Thread. It had been a long time since he had his run through the mountain, smelling everything from shifters to fish. I could feel his longing for it, his wanted freedom, his need for control. I pushed him back down as I drove through Perch Road, the road that connected the two precincts of Silver Thread. I took a deep calming breath smelling the town, it was different. A sweet smell hung in the air, and I smiled knowing that I was home.

I suddenly gripped the wheel, swerving to the left as my bear ran to the surface. I slammed the brakes, just lucky that no one was behind me. Closing my eyes, I yelled at him Get down, stay down, get down, stay down, I repeated the words repeatedly. This had only started to work within the last couple of years. As a kid, nothing would get him to back off. He could push and push until he was free. I had expected him to subdue as he had done before, relax and hide away. But he didn't, he pushed hard and growled I want her. I frowned opening my eye confused by the statement. Who did he want? Who was here? Looking up I saw a cherry blonde girl standing on the sidewalk. She was looking at me with worry. Concern ran through me, hoping that she wouldn't call the cops or shifter control. Thinking that this crazy animal was going to hurt her.

As I drove through Wortham or Medford I noticed the signs all over the place. Beware of shifters... Shifter can be dangerous.... Report any suspicious shifter activity. It is disheartening as a shifter to see people being warned about you when you've done nothing wrong. Even on the east coast I had spent so long there. Hearing people speak negativity and positivity about shifters. None of even knowing or meeting a shifter before but thinking they knew everything about them. I kept quiet during through times saying I had no opinion them. I didn't want to give myself away, I also didn't want to give my bear any chance of causing trouble.