Page 10 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“You don’t have to apologize.If it helps, I-I’ve always wanted to meet a shifter,” he replied with a crooked smile.

She stared after him when he turned and walked back to their makeshift camp.Following at a slower pace, she mulled over his comment.A slow grin curved her lips.

“Maybe I’m getting through to him,” she murmured, trying not to grin like a sloth.

She dropped the wood she had collected on the pile Mitchell had stacked.He was now stacking rocks he had collected earlier.She shot Jace a disgusted look.He was just watching them.

“Not much wood,” Jace commented.

“I hope you didn’t get a splinter or strain a muscle while you were sitting on your ass,” she retorted.

Jace snickered.“Who would have known shifters were so… touchy.”

The insinuation in his last word made her skin crawl.She had dealt with enough slimy male shifters in her career to know not to let him get under her fur.Of course, any male stupid enough to enrage a grizzly-shifter deserved what they got.

“Not touchy.I just have no respect for lazy, worthless pieces of shit,” she replied with a shrug.

Jace rolled to his feet, a knife in his hand.Mitchell, who had been working on the firepit as if nothing was happening, surged to his feet and faced Jace with a dark, menacing expression.Jace glanced from Mitchell’s face to hers, lifted his hands in surrender, and sheathed his knife.

“I’ll see if I can find us some food.”

Tracy waited until he had disappeared into the woods, the sound of his footsteps fading away, before she finally allowed herself to relax.Mitchell’s sudden turn made her take a step back in surprise.His disapproving expression instantly transported her back to her college days on Professor Tobias’s field research team, where she often felt judged.

“What?He was being a jerk first,” she defended, raising her hands and giving him a crooked grin.“Come on, you know he was.Admit it.”

Mitchell released a frustrated grunt and shook his head.“Yes, he was, but… Tracy, don’t underestimate Jace.He can be dangerous.”

Her smile faded, and she nodded.“I won’t.I promise.”

Mitchell studied her face.Based on the intensity in his eyes, it was clear to her that he wanted to ensure she was taking him seriously.She was.Her bear had been pushing at the surface when Jace rolled to his feet.Like a predator on the hunt, the move had been calculated and precise.And if there was one thing she knew—it was the unmistakable presence of a predator lurking nearby.

He danger.

I know.

Her bear wasn’t just warning her about the danger Jace presented to her.It was the danger he presented to Mitchell.Tracy had seen the hint of jealousy and suppressed anger in the other human’s eyes.She had seen it in a few shifters during her travels.There were many things about a person that could be dangerous to their friends.Greed, a thirst for power, and jealousy were just a few.

What we do?her bear asked.

Tracy pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, her attention fixed broodingly in the direction Jace had disappeared.There was only one thing she could do.She would have to be a tick on a human.It might drive Mitchell crazy, but he’d get over it—eventually.

Make dinner.I’m sure as hell not eating any of the shit that asshole brings back,she silently responded.

Chapter2

Mitchell broke the branches with a satisfying snap, adding smaller pieces to the crackling fire.He had left the village before sunrise four days earlier after a brief word with Connell.He had intended to venture out on his own, meticulously inspect the surroundings for any signs of his clan's presence, and indulge in a bit of hunting before making his way back to their newly settled location.Jace's arrival was the last thing he had expected, and he couldn't help feeling a surge of frustration that Jace had decided to check up on him.The irony was not lost on him that, in this case, the human was less welcome than the shifter.

He tossed a last piece onto the fire and turned to watch Tracy.She had set up a shelter a short distance from the fire and had pulled several items out of her large satchel.Curious, he walked over to examine the items.

“What is this?”he asked, picking up a pouch with a mountain and a grizzly on the front.

She grinned at him.“Dinner.That is,” she peered at the package, “… all vegetable lasagna.I have some dried olive bread to go with it.I’ve also got blueberrycrème brûléefor dessert.

“This is food?It sounds like dried leaves,” he commented, squeezing the package.

Tracy laughed.“You’ll see.”

“How do you cook it?”

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