Page 12 of Bear Facts

She left the bathroom to the sound of Shane’s continued wailing. Freya would take him up on his offer of food and then go. Even if he’d brought her here to confine her—or other things—Freya would ditch him at the first opportunity.

She’d gotten away from tougher Shifters than Shane the bear, including the ones who’d tried to trap her before. She’d not let Shane stop her, no matter what she had to do.

Shane glanced out of the kitchen when he heard Freya on the stairs, and the warbling song died in his throat.

The phrase you clean up nice was the understatement of the century.

The grime had fallen away to reveal Freya’s sun-kissed skin and dark brown hair highlighted with silver—the mark of her gray wolf.

She wasn’t as tall as other female Shifters Shane knew, though she would be tall for a human woman. Shane had noticed her ample chest and curvy hips while they’d stood unclothed in the woods, and the sweatshirt and jeans, a little tight on her, outlined her body in a delectable way.

Was he going to do the honorable thing and simply help her, like a good tracker would? Or would Shane’s mating frenzy rise and make him want to keep her here?

Forever …

No female had touched the primal beast within him since … well, they never had. He’d once hoped Cassidy Warden would be his mate, but looking back, he realized that the mating frenzy hadn’t instantly sprung to the surface when he’d been around her, like it was doing now with Freya. Interesting.

Or, maybe Shane was just horny. It had been a while. Freya looked very nice as she paused at the bottom of the stairs. The way her body moved inside the clothes told Shane she didn’t have anything on underneath them.

Freya watched him hesitantly. He saw hunger in her eyes, but for food, not for Shane.

“I’ve whipped up a feast of sandwiches,” Shane said. “Not a lot of fresh food here, but there’s always sandwich stuff in the freezer. And frozen meals. And a microwave.”

Freya left the stairs and headed for the kitchen, as though propelled by her empty stomach. Shane made sure she didn’t have to pass close to him as she moved to the large table where Shane had laid out enough sandwiches to satisfy several starving Shifters after a group wrestling match.

“Iona’s mom keeps all this food for Shifters?” Freya asked in amazement as she viewed the spread. Shane had thawed bread and several kinds of lunch meat, dressed up with the condiments that were always in the refrigerator. “She must be a saint. I’d think a human woman would be furious that her daughter paired up with a Shifter and refuse to give them anything.”

“Just means you haven’t met Iona’s mom,” Shane said. “Anyway, Eric pays to keep the place stocked. Only fair, since Shifters use it a lot.”

“So Eric is the saint,” Freya said in all seriousness.

Shane snorted a laugh. “You haven’t met him either.”

Freya didn’t answer as she piled sandwiches on a plate. She shot Shane a wary glance when he approached, but she sat down at the far end of the table, planted her elbows on it, and started to eat.

Shane set a cup of fresh-brewed coffee next to her. Freya abandoned her sandwich to seize the mug and take a long swallow. Must have been a while since her last caffeine fix.

He slid into the chair on the opposite end of the long table, which was made to hold a Shifter family and lots of cubs taking a break on Mount Charleston. Plenty of space between him and Freya.

Shane snatched up a roast beef sandwich and then piled a heap of thawed blackberries next to it. Freya lowered her cup and stared at his plate in obvious bewilderment.

“Bears are omnivores,” Shane said. “I can’t imagine a meal without a lot of berries. Or honey. We like that too.” He sent her a grin, hoping to coax a smile onto her serious face.

“Wolves like meat.” Freya removed a sliver of iceberg lettuce Shane had added to the turkey sandwiches and dropped it to her plate. “Cheese isn’t bad either.”

She took another large, hungry bite, closing her eyes as she chewed.

“How long has it been since your last meal?” Shane asked.

“A couple of days.” Freya opened her gray-gold eyes and fixed him with a wolf stare. “I ran short of money.”

“Are you living on the road? Or, since you’re Shifter, in the woods?”

“None of your business.” Freya scowled as she swallowed another bite. “If you must know, I’ve been staying in motels when I can. I eat at whatever diner is attached to the motel—some are surprisingly good.”

“No kidding. I love diner food.”

“As long as they bring you lots of berries?” Freya asked, her eyes showing something approaching humor.

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