Page 25 of Bear Facts

Though the road ahead of Shane was empty of other vehicles, that didn’t mean there were no Shifters around. The Warden family was milling about their yard, the cubs playing. Xavier, Cassidy’s human brother-in-law, kicked back on their porch. He must be taking a rare day off.

Brody sauntered out from behind the bears’ house as though ready to greet Shane. Peigi was taking her group of foster cubs for a walk—which meant running, romping, and screaming chaos. Reid was with her. Better and better.

Shane cranked down his window. “Shut the gates!” he yelled to anyone within hearing range. “Trouble at my six o’clock!”

Pleasant recreation time vanished in a heartbeat. Xavier was on his feet and off the porch, his taser coming out of its holster. Peigi’s cubs and the Warden’s boy instantly headed for shelter, while Brody and Eric, who’d rapidly emerged from his house, sprinted for the gates.

Reid vanished in that unnerving way he did, materializing again right next to the gatepost. He slammed the chain-link gate seconds before the lead SUV reached it.

The vehicles fishtailed to a halt. Eric had ceased running and now strolled toward them with Brody as though Eric meant to ask the drivers if they needed directions.

Nell came out of the house at a swift pace, moving to join Eric in protecting her Shiftertown. Cormac, who’d followed, pivoted toward Shane’s pickup.

“What’s going on?” Cormac asked. He spied Freya in the front seat, and Shane saw him putting the clues together. “I guess you two should come on inside.”

Freya had frozen in place, as though entering Shiftertown had turned her into a statue. Cormac opened her door for her, but she wasn’t moving.

Shane reached the passenger side of the pickup and held out his big hands for Freya.

“We’ll go into our house,” Shane said. “No one will mess with you there.”

Cormac, no fool, had already realized Freya was Lupine, wearing Iona’s clothes, and terrified. “Don’t worry,” he said in his soothing tones. “We have your back.”

Cormac knew how to calm people. Freya’s rigid posture eased somewhat, and she shakily took Shane’s hands. Shane smoothed the backs of her fingers, trying to flow comfort into her.

Shane helped her out of the truck, and she stood up, very close to Shane. Shane wanted to put his arms around her and hold her until her fear went away, but he suspected she’d only twist away from him if he tried.

Shane led her, one step at a time, up the short sidewalk to the house.

The bears’ home was long and low, built in the 1950s, when breezy porches were more important in a hot climate than ornamentation. Pillars lined the ground-level veranda that stretched the length of the house, chairs and loungers large enough for bears scattered up and down it. Wind chimes that Nell loved silvered the air.

Freya glanced at none of this. She kept her wolf eyes straight ahead, as though he directed her through a dark tunnel.

Cormac sprang ahead of them and opened the front door. Freya followed Shane across the porch and over the threshold, drawing a long breath when her feet touched the tiled floor inside.

“Have a seat,” Cormac said. “I’ll get coffee. Unless you prefer tea?”

Freya said nothing, her gaze now flicking around the room.

“Coffee,” Shane said, recalling how she’d drunk it deeply at the cabin. He guided her to the large, overstuffed chair farthest from the windows and eased her down to it. He dragged a smaller chair next to her and planted himself on it.

Cormac arrived with the coffee. “Here. Get that into you.”

Freya took the mug, relaxing a little bit more. “Thanks. I’m all right.”

She was still very scared, but no longer paralyzed. Freya sipped the coffee, as grateful for it now as she’d been at the cabin. The wolf must like her java.

“You’re safe here,” Shane said to her. “I know you don’t believe me, but you are.”

Freya swallowed another mouthful of coffee. “Graham …” She broke off as though she could barely stomach saying his name.

“Has no authority in our house,” Shane stated.

Cormac’s brows rose, but he asked no questions. He looked from Freya to Shane and back before nodding. “I’ll go see what’s up with the guys who were chasing you.”

He hadn’t asked about that either. Cormac’s philosophy was that when a person wanted to explain something, they would, in their own time. He had no need to pry.

Nell would definitely pry, but right now, she was explaining to the men in the SUVs why they should leave. Shane could hear her strong voice all the way in here.

---