Page 28 of A Bear's Journey

Then she came to a sudden stop, digging the claws of all four feet into the ground, tearing up the grass.

In a blink, the wolves had all transformed except for one, the oldest man and the one who seemed to be in charge.

Olivia roared at them. She had a crazed, terrified look in her eyes, and Jasper could see the whites around the edges.

She turned and ran back past them, charging between the cars, over a fence and into the forest.

Jasper didn’t think.

He just shifted and went after her, following her retreating form into the forest. He could hear Craig right behind him as they both ran.

Whatever had gone wrong, he was afraid for Olivia. Something had happened back there. Something he didn’t know about or understand, but he knew one thing: he didn’t want her to deal with it alone.

Olivia ran and ran and ran, splashing through streams and clambering over rocks. Jasper knew that they were sort of headed back toward Granite Valley, but in a circuitous, winding path.

Every so often she’d look over her shoulder at the two bears following her, almost like she was waiting for them to give up on following her, but Jasper would have rather died.

I finally found her, he thought. The hell I’m giving her up without a fight.

Gradually, Olivia slowed down, her pace slowing to a canter and then a jog, then a walk.

Finally, next to a massive downed evergreen tree, she sat and looked at them with enormous sad brown eyes.

Jasper walked up to her and nuzzled her, rubbing his face against hers. He could sense her heartbeat thundering through her veins, her rapid breathing.

Craig came up beside them and did the same, sitting down next to Olivia and putting his snout under hers, nuzzling against her neck.

Jasper thought the message was clear: you’re not alone.

We’re here.

Olivia closed her eyes and the three of them stayed that way for a long time in a big pile of warm, comforting fur.

Then, at last, she opened her eyes and stood.

Jasper tilted his head in the direction of Granite Valley, still a long walk away.

Want to go home?

Olivia shook herself off, and then started walking in the right direction; Jasper and Craig followed her.

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