Page 24 of Cold Foot Croc

Garret climbed higher. Higher.

The hum of the drone irritated the animal, and Garret had to blow out a trio of steadying breaths, hand clutching a low-hanging branch before he trudged on. When at last he couldn’t stand the burning of his skin any longer, he fell forward and hit his knees on a rock hidden under the snow.

The only time this had been manageable…the only time it had ever been bearable…was the night Raynah had come to his door with panic in her eyes, asking for his bear to help her and Sasha.

That Change had been fast, like the snap of his fingers—just a moment of pain, and then fury.

God, he wished it could be fast like that all the time, but instead, he had to suffer.

That’s what being a shifter was—suffering.

Garret rushed to shed his clothes and looked around in desperation, hoping he could remember where he left them, but everything looked blurry.

Ripping sounds filled his head. The snapping of his bones echoed through his mind. The pained noises that wrenched fromhis tormented body filled the woods. The Change lasted hours. At least, it felt like it lasted hours. He lost track of all time when it was like this.

And when at last the roar of his animal filled the evening air, Garret grew so small in his mind that he didn’t really care what happened anymore.

The bear owned the body now.

Chapter Six

Raynah’s phone dinged from beside her.

At first she thought she’d dreamed it, but when she lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, and heard the second ding of a text message notification, she knew she wasn’t. Raynah sat up in the small space she’d made for a nest, grabbed her phone off the charging cord, and read the text message. It was from an unfamiliar number.

It said,Is this Raynah?

Who is this? She typed out. Send.

I think this has to be Raynah. My dumbass brother saved you as Hot Croc in his phone.

She was so confused. She read the text a couple more times, then rubbed her bleary eyes, sat up straighter, and typed out,Say who this is right now, or I’m blocking you.

Dylan Hoffman. I’m Garret’s brother. Can we talk?

Holy shit. The baby was rolling in her stomach, and she rested her hand on him and said, “It’s okay, baby boy. Everything is okay.” Her eyes were adjusting quickly to the pitch-dark, and out the window beside her, she could see the snowfall. It looked blue in the half-moon light.

Is Garret okay?Send.

Can I call you?

Sure.Send.

Her heart was pounding. Was he about to tell her bad news? Was Garret hurt? Had he hurt someone else?

Dylan called her, and she picked it up on the first ring. “Is he hurt?”

“No. Well…I don’t know.” He cleared his throat. “This is weird, calling you. I know it. I don’t even know you…shit.”

“Can you just tell me he’s okay? Please? Or if not, can you drop me your location and I’ll come help?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“And?”

“You can’t be driving all over creation in the middle of the night, lady. No. Just…” He inhaled deeply. “What do you want from him?”

“What do you mean?”

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