Page 109 of Bear Facts

Freya had stripped down to her underwear, which she filled out in a nice way. Shane was suddenly less enthusiastic about leaving the bed.

“Remember when Matt and Kyle said they’d fixed Keira?” Freya asked, reaching past him for a clean sweatshirt from her backpack. “And then she was fine, before Zander even touched her?”

“Yep,” Shane said, enjoying himself as she shimmied into the sweatshirt.

“Do all Guards have that power? Or just Matt and Kyle?”

“Are you thinking to try it on Rolf?” Shane asked warily. “He might fight you and make you feral with him.”

“I want my brother back,” Freya said stubbornly. “What would you do if it were Brody?”

“Everything I possibly could to help him,” Shane answered at once. “And then kick his ass for scaring me that bad.”

“Exactly.” Freya folded her arms over her sweatshirt and studied Shane with her gold-gray eyes.

Shane released a breath. “All right. Let’s go see what’s happening.”

Freya waited for Shane to pull on a shirt and his boots, then they left the bedroom together. In the kitchen, Cormac was cooking up a mess of steaks, with potatoes roasting in the oven. The smell was warm and inviting, and Shane’s stomach rumbled. He couldn’t remember when he’d had his last meal.

“They took your brother to Graham’s,” Cormac said before they could ask the question. “Nell’s there, with Eric. They didn’t want you to see him, Freya.” Cormac held up a hand to forestall Freya’s protest. “He will be all right. Dylan’s going to make sure all the Shifters who went feral are healed, even if it takes time to do it. Zander said he’d help. He got back this afternoon, and he’s at Graham’s now, though really crabby with jetlag.”

“Rolf was very lucid for a feral,” Shane remarked. “He held the others together pretty well too. I doubt it will be as easy as Dylan thinks.”

“Do you think it’s because we’re these Guard Lupines?” Freya asked. “Stronger than a usual Shifter? And, if Rolf and I are Guards, why didn’t we know about this before? We’ve sparred with each other most of our lives and neither of us started glowing blue.”

Cormac shrugged. “Could be him going feral triggered it. The fight-or-flight instinct out of control. Maybe it was also triggered in you when you had to fight him.”

“Then maybe I can help him.” Freya headed for the back door. Cormac, meat fork in hand, didn’t stop her.

Shane snitched a morsel of steak from the pan, ignoring the sting of heat on his fingers. He enjoyed the tidbit as he strode behind Freya, who hurried through the gathering dusk to Graham’s house.

Shane had no intention of talking her out of going. This was family, and she was right.

Misty let Freya in, giving her a sympathetic squeeze, and greeted Shane with a knowing smile. Everyone must have heard about Freya accepting the mate-claim by now.

Shane made sure he led the way upstairs. If Rolf was still dangerous, Shane needed to enter the room first.

Matt and Kyle were doing handstands in the hall, demonstrating different techniques to each other. At least, they were saying Look what I can do, and then shoving feet into the air.

Both came down when they spied Freya and slammed into her, hugging her like they hadn’t seen her in years.

“He’s okay, Freya,” Matt said. “Kyle and I made him not feral anymore.”

“Oh.” Freya dropped to the floor, relief in her eyes, and gathered Matt and Kyle close. “Are you sure?”

Matt nodded. “We’re sure.”

Kyle was more somber. “Graham says Rolf’s in a bad place, though. Where Shifters go when they’re really, really unhappy. I don’t know why he says that—Rolf’s sitting right there on the bed. But Graham was crying.”

Freya unfolded to her feet. “Which room?”

Kyle took her hand and led her there.

Shane knew that “a bad place” meant deep depression. Shifters sometimes sank into it when they grieved—at the breaking of a mate bond, for instance. It could also happen when a Shifter lost himself too fully into his animal. Looking into the dark side of your soul could scare the shit out of you.

Graham’s growl sounded as soon as Kyle opened the door. “Freya, do not come in here. Shane, what the hell?”

“He’s her pack,” Shane said. Explanation enough.

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