Page 90 of Bear Facts

Shane chuckled. “Neither do I.”

Freya rolled her eyes at both of them, but even Shane’s warm laughter sounded muffled in this thick forest.

The undergrowth became dense, but Shane cautioned them against shifting right away for easier going. A compound of feral Shifters would scent them coming a long way off, and who knew where their confused loyalties would lie.

“We’d scent them too,” Freya whispered to Shane.

“True. And I don’t.”

Matt took a long sniff. “Neither do I. But we will,” he finished with confidence.

Reid suddenly reappeared next to Xav ahead of them. Xav jumped. “Geez, dude. Warn me next time.”

Reid paid no attention to his outburst. “There’re signs that people have been out here. Can’t tell if human or Shifter.”

“Burned out campfires?” Xav asked. “Holes for tent stakes? That kind of thing?”

“Depressions in the ground, broken underbrush. Not much, just enough to show me someone went through, and possibly slept on leaves and pine needles.” Reid scanned the trees around them. “I learned a lot of woodcraft growing up in Faerie. We always had to keep an eye on the bastards.”

By bastards, he meant the High Fae, who’d been even more ruthless to Reid’s people, Nell had told her, than they had been to Shifters. The Fae had at least wanted most Shifters to stay alive.

“We’ll keep our eyes peeled,” Shane said.

Matt stared at him in horror. “You’re not peeling my eyes.”

Amid stifled laughter, Freya explained the saying, and they pressed on.

About half a mile later, Freya’s skin began to itch. It began as a tingle but grew to hot irritation fast.

“Is there poison ivy out here?” She rubbed her stomach under her shirt. “Poison oak?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” Reid said.

“No warnings on any of my charts,” Xav added.

“What is wrong with me then?” Freya closed her eyes, squirming in annoyance, and then she felt a flash of fire.

Don’t fight it, sis.

Freya gasped and popped open her eyes. “Rolf?”

“What?” Shane was next to her in an instant. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I thought I heard—ow.”

Freya jerked her arm from her stomach, where fur had sprung out. Her hands were now claws, raking her own flesh.

The wolf inside her was clamoring to come out.

Just do it. Help me!

“Freya.” Shane’s voice cut through her agitation. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“I heard Rolf calling.” Freya threw off her coat and scrabbled at her sweatshirt but couldn’t grip it. “I’m shifting.”

“I see that. Wait a second.”

“I can’t. It’s, it’s …” Her voice trailed off in a series of growls and squeaks—how embarrassing.

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