Page 86 of Bear Facts

“Whose was the winning army?” Eric asked in his most quiet voice.

“It was run by a man named Mitchell Heaney,” Althea said crisply. “He used to work for my father, but I dismissed him when I took over. He was too unmanageable. I hadn’t heard he’d been recruiting Shifters, but Shifters definitely did this killing. I saw photos.” A muscle twitched in Althea’s jaw before she mastered it.

Ewan cleared his throat, and Althea gave him a brief nod. Permission to speak.

“It was Shifters, all right,” Ewan said. “A few were killed on Heaney’s side, though not many. They stayed in their animal forms after death. A couple of Felines and a Lupine.”

Freya’s heart constricted. A Lupine. Had it been Rolf?

No, Freya told herself. She’d have felt the emptiness if he’d died. A blow like that would have reached her.

Her inner wolf growled. He’s alive. Find him!

“Did that troop have a Guardian?” Rae asked from the table. “Were the Shifters sent to dust?”

Ewan shrugged, unhappy. “I don’t know.”

“Where was the battlefield?” Zander asked. “Exact coordinates.”

He meant to travel out there with Rae, Freya realized. To make sure the Shifter bodies were taken care of. Good. They didn’t deserve to be left exposed. Freya had the feeling Zander would take care of any dead humans as well.

“On an island north of Malaysia,” Althea said. “In the South China Sea. I can send you a map.”

“Is Heaney’s mercenary company based there?” Eric asked Althea.

Althea shook her head. “No. Mitch’s compound is in the U.S. Out west here somewhere, is all I know.” Freya caught a flash of irritation that she didn’t know where exactly. “A lot of ground to cover, I realize.”

Mitch, Freya noted she said. Not Heaney, or even Mitchell. This sounded personal.

“Keira said redwoods,” Freya interjected. She glanced at Keira for confirmation and the woman gave her a nod. “That means California or Oregon. There’s a place we used to go north of San Francisco with lots of redwoods. A little touristy, but beyond the tourist area, the woods get deep. My brother and I used to go wolf and run there.”

She’d gone there to check it out when after Rolf had disappeared but found no sign of him.

“Let me contact Dylan,” Eric said. “And we’ll go hunting. Redwoods only grow in a small region these days. We’ll find Mitchell Heaney and have a chat.” The chill in his voice made Freya’s skin prickle.

“Sounds fun,” Nell said with gusto. “Can I come?”

“I prefer you accompany Rae and Zander,” Eric said. “You’ll be good there, I think. Also, someone needs to keep Zander in line.”

“Sitting right here, dude,” Zander said with a feigned growl.

“Where Nell goes, I go,” Cormac said.

“I figured.” Eric gave him a nod. “You two talk with Ms. Webster after this meeting and get the coordinates. I want her with me and Dylan to look for Heaney’s compound. Graham will want to come, and I’ll need Neal there too.”

In case they found Shifters in such bad shape they had to be put out of their misery by a Guardian, he meant.

Neal glanced at Keira before he nodded at Eric. Neal had been a man of few words since Freya had met him, and he said nothing now, but his eyes spoke volumes. He was ready to find the man who’d turned Keira feral and explain to him why he shouldn’t have done that.

“I’m going.” Freya met Eric’s gaze, though she knew she shouldn’t. She was not of his clan, his species, or even of this Shiftertown. He ranked high above her, but this was about her brother. Her family, their pack of two. “Don’t try to talk me out of it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Eric said. “If we find your brother among Heaney’s Shifters, and he’s gone feral, he’ll be easier to deal with if you are there.”

Eric’s succinct words on the surface weren’t comforting, but Freya found them reassuring. He knew what might happen and was preparing her for it.

“Not staying behind if Freya’s out there,” Shane stated.

“Graham will be there to look out for her,” Eric said, leaning back into the sofa as though ready to take a nap.

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