Page 16 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

He good.

Yes, he is,she agreed.

“Are you always up this early?”she asked.

He nodded.“Yes.I like the morning, before everyone rises.You get to see the world wake up and know that you have another chance.It helps that most of the time it’s not grouchy like you,” he teased before he continued in a more somber tone, “I like the tranquility.As the leader of my clan, I don’t have much time for myself.”

Tracy set the empty breakfast pouch and her coffee cup on the log.She imagined him walking around the encampment of his people before the demands of the day.He seemed far too young to hold such responsibility.

He stirred the fire, spreading the wood until only a bed of coals remained.Her gaze followed him when he rose.He tossed the stick he had been using into the fire.

“I’ll be leaving in the next thirty minutes.If you wish to come with me, you’ll need to be ready,” he said.

Her lips parted with surprise, and she rose from the log.“Where are we going?”

“You wanted to know more about humans, didn’t you?”

She frowned.“Yes.”

He studied her with an intense, thoughtful expression.“The best place to do that is where we live.”

Tracy watched him for a moment before she sprang into action.She broke down her tent, rolled it up, and attached it to her backpack.Mitchell had cleaned her cup and utensil before she packed them away.By the time she returned from refreshing herself, he had cleaned their campsite and concealed where the firepit had been.

“Are you ready?”he asked, shouldering her backpack.

“I… yes,” she responded with a bright smile.

Mitchell’s emotions were a pendulum, swinging between frustration and acceptance.He had realized the inevitable: it was only a matter of time before the shifters discovered the rest of the clan.After Ella’s discovery, there had been an undeniable sense of urgency and fear building amongst the others.The others had bombarded him with their fears after Ty Bearclaw appeared in their village.Introducing Tracy to the others might help ease their fears and she could answer their questions.

They hiked in silence for the first hour.Well,hedid.Tracy, he was discovering, had a very inquisitive nature.She stopped frequently, causing him to pause for fear of losing her.He was curious about what she was doing.He soon learned that she was photographing plants.

“Why are you doing that?”he asked.

She looked up from the glowing device in her hand.“I love the diversity.This isShepherdia argentea,also known as silver buffaloberry.It is?—”

“—tasteless unless you cook it.You don’t want to eat too many of them… unless you want to clean out your bowels,” he finished.

She made a face.“Ew!No, thanks.I bet you know what all the plants are.”

He swept his gaze over the surrounding area.

“I don’t know the names you may call them, but yes, I know most of them.It is important to learn what we can and can’t eat when we are young.We also need to know what plants are dangerous and which can be used for medicines.”

He stopped in front of another plant.

“What is that one?”she asked, coming to stand beside him.

“What does your magic box call it?”

She looked down at the slim rectangular box before grinning up at him.“This is a cell phone.I can call for help if I need to.It gives me information as well.Watch.”

She held the box up and pressed the red button on the flat surface.A duplicate of the berries they were standing in front of appeared.He reached out and touched the flat surface.A strange light wrapped around the berries.

“It looks the same,” he breathed, glancing back and forth between the box in her hand and the plant.

“It’s called a picture.If I press this icon, it will tell me what the plant is and if it is dangerous.This is… Pokeweed.”

“It is dangerous.If prepared correctly, it can help with stiffness in the joints, but only a skilled healer knows how to do this.It will kill you if it isn’t done properly.There is another berry that looks similar to it, but they are smaller and the stems are not as red.The leaves have jagged edges and veins running toward the jagged edges.The berries are dark purple and are tart.You can eat those berries.”

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