Page 36 of Spike

"Yeah, I guess," I muttered, not quite ready to admit that Nitro had been right about needing some fresh air.

It was easier to brush off his concern, to pretend that I didn't appreciate his efforts to look out for me.

But deep down, I knew he was right. The walk had helped clear my head, especially after the way I behaved with Gray and Venom.

"Venom should've given us a heads up, at least," I grumbled, my stubbornness lingering despite Nitro's attempts to ease the tension.

Then, struck by a sudden thought I didn't quite like, I turned to Nitro.

"Did you know he was going to talk to Gray?" I asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

Nitro furrowed his brows, and I relaxed slightly. Nitro had never been great at hiding his feelings, which meant his answer would likely be genuine.

"I had no idea. What happened?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice. "I only barged into Venom's office because Crash told me you were making your way there.”

As I started recounting the events of the evening to Nitro, my senses heightened at the sound of rustling bushes and faint voices nearby.

Instinctively, I raised a hand to signal Nitro to pause, and we exchanged a silent nod of acknowledgment.

Neither of us uttered a word as we strained to listen, our senses alert to the potential threat lurking in the darkness of the woods.

As the voices grew louder, I strained to catch their conversation. Two men were whispering nearby, their words carrying through the still night air.

"Do you have a confirmation on our target?" The first man asked apprehensively.

"No, our employer seemed unsure of the extraction point," the second responded.

"What the hell, Burt? You told me when I signed up for this job that it would be easy money," the first speaker hissed, frustration palpable in his tone. "You never mentioned we would be knee-deep in Grizzly Reapers territory. You know what these bears do to intruders?"

My grizzly instincts flared as I realized we likely had hired mercenaries on our hands.

They weren’t completely unskilled, if they managed to enter our woods undetected…until Nitro and I caught wind of them.

"Shut your trap or the entire forest will hear you. We're not here to fight, just to locate our employer's missing mate," the second man retorted sharply.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through me as the pieces clicked into place. Missing mate? Could they be referring to Gray?

My muscles tensed as the sudden realization dawned on me. Olaf believed I had stolen Jack’s mate.

The mere thought sent a jolt of rage coursing through my veins, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as fury consumed me.

Nitro gripped my arm tightly, a warning in his gaze. Irritated by his interference, I shook him off, my frustration mounting with each passing second.

The Grizzly Reapers MC had a reputation for dealing swiftly and decisively with unwelcome intruders, and tonight would be no exception.

Ignoring Nitro's whispered protests, I wasted no time shedding my clothes.

These mercenaries had no right tromping through our territory, thinking they could do whatever they wanted.

As I charged forward, the transformation swept over me like a raging storm. Bones cracked and reshaped, muscles bulged and contorted, and fur erupted from my skin.

But before I could unleash a growl of challenge to announce my presence, a sharp cry pierced the night air, halting me in my tracks.

It wasn't the call of another bear—it was the unmistakable cry of a raven.

A sense of relief washed over me as I realized that one of our raven shifter allies had finally spotted the intruders.

Then a single gunshot shattered the silence. My heart lurched with fear as I surged forward, propelled by instinct and adrenaline.

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