Page 27 of Shattered Fears

“Are you worried about her?” Zain asked.

“Every day,” Brayden replied, and the expression on his face grew grave. “She’s a target and knows it. She’s only been alive for about eighteen months, and she’s still trying to learn what the world is about. It’s not been long enough.”

“She’s brave though. Braver than most.”

Brayden nodded. “She is. I’ll give her that. You’re going to have to teach Isobel a few tricks to look after herself. Maybe get her a weapon. If Nuka finds out about her, he’ll use whatever he can to get at one of the pack.”

“Already on it. Jessica’s working on a spell that will allow her to talk to me when I’m shifted. The gun part I don’t need to worry about. She’s been able to handle one of those since she was young. Her father has always wanted her to be able to protect herself. There was a time she could kick my ass in a fight.”

Brayden let out a loud laugh. Selene looked at him confused.

“Zain’s just telling me he’s a wimp,” Brayden called out. A few people in the shop turned to look at them—two tough, muscular men—he with his tattoos and Brayden with his menacing brow. Yeah, nobody was going to believe him a wimp. They both looked at the ones who were staring at them and winked.

“Sorry,” Brayden apologized.

From the corner of the shop where Selene was last standing, a commotion arose.

“I saw it,” someone shouted. “She’s one of them. I saw fur.”

Fuck!

He and Brayden were bypassing the people in an instant and heading for Selene.

“Go away,” Selene’s voice ordered. “You’re insane.”

“My god, she carries one of them in her stomach, more of them. We’re doomed.”

A small girl was standing in front of Selene and Jessica. She couldn’t have been older than eighteen. He smelt the bear on her instantly. What the fuck was she doing?

“Help! She’ll eat me,” the girl screamed.

Brayden jumped in front of Selene just as the girl went to push her.

“Back away, crazy woman.” The snow leopard snarled, and Zain fell into place beside him.

“Are you the same?” the girl asked. She was a damn good actress. As well as bear, Zain could smell Nuka on her, in her, the girl had been recently fucked by the evil polar bear.

“Go away,” he growled. “You’re harassing a pregnant woman. If you don’t leave, we’ll call the police. They can deal with you.”

“I know what I saw,” she snarled back.

“You saw nothing!” Brayden retorted.

The girl stepped up to him and tried to push past to get at Selene. A large crowd was assembling. A couple of people had pulled out their phones and were filming the confrontation. He looked at Jessica, and she flicked her hand to try and create some static interference to disrupt the recording. He hoped it worked because, suddenly, one of the women in the crowd screamed.

“She was right.”

“What?” another asked.

“Look at the woman,” the first stated. Zain turned his head and looked at Selene. Her left arm was changing.

“No. No,” she whimpered in a panicked state. “Bad baby. Bad, bad baby. Mummy’s ok. Don’t do this.”

“Shit.” Brayden grabbed Selene and pulled her toward the emergency exit.

“Get them!” one of the crowd shouted.

Jessica followed.

---