Saving Grace Read Free Page A

you feel?”
He tried to put her at ease, but she looked decidedly uncomfortable
standing there in his shirt that came down to her knees.
    She was totally hot too. Her long,
dark hair had dried to a wavy chestnut, and her unforgettable eyes
were the color of cool, pure water. A bright aqua blue so pale they
almost looked like crystal.
    But the uncertainty on her face made him want
to comfort rather than pounce. Maybe he’d get to pounce later. Or
maybe not. Either way, he wanted her to feel welcome in his
home—unless and until she proved to be something other than the
innocent she looked.
    “A little shaky,” she admitted with a tiny
smile. “Is that soup?”
    “Chicken noodle, with some added veggies.
Nothing fancy, but they say chicken soup is good when you’re
healing. Want some?” He turned back to the stove, already grabbing
the ladle and pot. He’d put out a bowl earlier, intending to make
up a tray for her.
    “Sure,” she agreed and sat at the kitchen
table while he spooned soup into the bowl.
    He set up another bowl for himself and joined
her at the table a few minutes later. She was already sipping at
the hot liquid, her face radiant, her eyes closed as she savored
each bite. Jack felt a warm glow of satisfaction fill him. He’d
guessed right on what to make for her.
    “This is great. It’s been a long time since I
had land food. Everything we eat below is cold. And raw,” she
added. “But I guess you probably understand. You eat in your
shifted form, right?”
    “Yeah, my inner bear likes to hunt,” he
agreed. It was new to have this sort of conversation with a woman.
All of his lovers in the past had been human and, therefore,
uninformed about his true nature. It was oddly refreshing to be
able to be open with Grace about his other form.
    “My mer form may not look like as full of a
shift as yours, but it probably is. I have scales everywhere, and
even though I can still speak with my mouth above water, I don’t
often do so. We tend to live rather solitary lives, hunting in our
own territories, gathering only rarely with family.”
    “Sounds a lot like us. Most bears are
solitary. This town is a big experiment.”
    “Why?” She took a sip of her soup, then
clarified. “Why gather so many shifters in one place? Why are you
doing it?”
    Jack thought about how to answer. “There are
a few different reasons. For one thing, we were all ready to
retire. We spent a lot of years fighting human wars, and the core
group of us formed strong bonds. We didn’t want to disband
completely, which is what probably would have happened if our Alpha
hadn’t come up with this idea.”
    “You mentioned you were a warrior?” Grace
asked, looking genuinely interested.
    “Soldier. Special Forces,” he clarified. “We
all were. A bunch of bear shifters gathered together under one
leader, which is very unusual for our kind, but John doesn’t take
himself too seriously, which is good, and he’s also a master of
strategy. Like I said, he came up with this plan to build the town.
He bought up most of the land very quietly during his years in the
military and had it all ready to go when we’d all had enough. He
cleared everything with the Native humans who live just to the
south, and came up with our cover story too.”
    “Which is?” she asked, arching one eyebrow as
she smiled over her spoon.
    Jack had to smile back. “Believe it or not,
we’re an artists’ colony. Each of us is expected to produce some
kind of art or craft and put it up for sale in the galleries in
town. That’s our cover, and so far, the few humans who trek through
here have bought it—and the crap we put in the galleries too.” He
shook his head, still not quite believing it.
    “So what’s your art form?”
    He shifted in his seat a little
uncomfortably, but he’d started this conversation, so he had to
fess up.
    “I make furniture out of saplings and tree
limbs,” he admitted, feeling a bit sheepish.
    “Oh!” Her eyes went