Page 10 of Omega's Bears

Chapter Six

After the fire makingincident, Ryan avoids me even more studiously than before. It gets to the point where he’s actually steering clear of the whole clan, going out for long runs and solo hunting trips in the afternoons and evenings, and eating on his own outside the cave. I have no idea what he’s thinking. If he wants to make me feel excluded from the group, he’s going about it in exactly the wrong way. Jack, Luka, and I are spending more time together and bonding. He’s only isolating himself.

At first, I feel a sense of satisfaction about it—this is what he deserves for being so cold and unfriendly to me—but that wears off quickly. I don’t want to come between him and the rest of the clan. It’s one more thing to worry about, one more concern I don’t need. If Jack and Luka decide they need to choose between me or him, I’m under no illusions about who they’ll ask to leave.

But I have to admit, I do appreciate the opportunity to get to know my new family. Luka is very easy to get along with. He always asks me about my day, even though my answers are always the same—I tend the fire until the men come home. I never leave the cave, even though no one has ordered me to stay inside—I’m too afraid of what might be lurking out there, and I know that if I ever allowed the fire to get out of control, Ryan would have all the excuse he needed to raise objections to my presence. I generally try not to eat until the others have come home from the hunt. I still don’t feel entitled to the food unless one of them is expressly giving it to me. Maybe things would be different if I knew how to hunt myself, if I was contributing to our stores, but until then, I feel like a guest at the table.

Jack and I are also getting along better these days. He’s quiet, standoffish, but I’m learning that it’s his personality and not anything to do with me. He’s the same way with Luka. In this way, he’s very different from Leo, who was engaging and outgoing. It’s fascinating to see these two different styles of alpha leadership, each effective in its own way. Jack’s mere presence puts us at ease. It’s as if he gives Luka and me permission to laugh and enjoy each other’s company simply by being in the den with us.

My mind is still stuck on Ryan as I fall asleep every night. Whatever happened between us was quick and intense and definitely a physical reaction. It was slightly painful. It was entirely powerful. But I’ve never felt anything quite like it before. I know that moment, that sharp shock when our fingers touched, must be the reason he’s avoiding me now. But why? Does he think I did whatever it was on purpose? Is he afraid it will happen again?

Does he know what it was?

If Ryan knows what it was, could the others know? Maybe my best bet is to ask them. A week has gone by since the incident, a week that has given me absolutely no answers or resolution. Conversation between Luka and Jack and I has grown easy and natural. I feel like I might be able to talk to them about this. But on the other hand, I don’t know what kind of answer I’m in for. What if that sharp jolt between us was something awful, or something of which my new pack won’t approve. It seems to have enraged Ryan. What if the other two react badly as well?

But there’s always the fact that Ryan chose not to tell them, and I have to believe that if he’d seen a chance to turn them against me, he would have taken it. That’s my safety net. If this is bad, it’s at least as bad for Ryan as it is for me.

I decide to tell them over dinner, when Ryan will be away, when bellies will be full, and everyone will be warm and happy and a little bit sleepy. It will be hard for anyone to get angry under those circumstances. I wait until the meal has been consumed and Luka and Jack are lounging on hides, both of them sinking into relaxation. Then I clear my throat. “I was wondering if I could talk to you two about something.”

“What is it?” Luka asks.

Before I can answer, we’re all distracted by the sound of heavy footfalls approaching. A moment later, Ryan appears in the mouth of the cave. He’s in human form, but he’s stark naked, and I know that means that moments earlier he was in his bear form. I try not to let my eyes linger. I’ve never seen any of the men nude, nor have I shifted with them. This is more intimacy than I’m accustomed to with my new clan.

“Ryan,” Jack says, brusque and alert, already on his feet. “What is it?”

“Wolves,” Ryan responds. “In the forest. A whole pack. They caught my scent, and they’re on their way. We’re going to have to fight.”

Wolves. A shudder runs down my spine. They found me already. I’ve only been here for two weeks. I thought I’d be safe longer than this. I thought the prospect of facing the Hell’s Bears would scare them off, at least for a while. It seems, I was wrong. They found me, and they’re attacking right now.

I know I should be afraid. If they get me, the things they’re going to do to me will be horrible. And there’s no way I’m going to get through this without Jack, Luka, and Ryan finding out I lied to them about what brought me here. This is the worst trouble I’ve ever been in, and I can’t see any way out. But for some reason, all I can think about is my clan. They’re about to face terrible violence, and I’m the one who brought it to their door. If they’re harmed in this fight, it will be because of me.

There’s only one thing I can do. I close my eyes and shift.

In bear form, my thoughts are uncomplicated and pure. I know my clan mates are staring at me, wondering, but that doesn’t matter now. My feelings are simple. My gut is telling me what to do, and that’s all that matters.

My gut is telling me to put as much distance between my new family and my old enemies as possible. And there’s only one thing that will do it.

I run.

I have to lead the wolves away. It’s my scent they’re tracking. Maybe they’ve picked up Ryan’s, but they’ll leave him alone as soon as they know I’m here. They’d rather pursue me, their true quarry, than engage in a fight with the Hell’s Bears.

I sniff the air as I go and detect the sour dog scent almost immediately. They’re close, and Ryan was right—they’re drawing closer. I run directly toward them, coming as near as I dare before taking a hard right. They’ll have smelled me by now. Their noses are more keen than mine is, and they’re faster too. They’ll be on me in moments.

I have to hide. But there’s nowhere here that would conceal a bear, so I shift back to human form. Immediately, doubt and regret rushes in. What was I thinking? I’m in the middle of the woods, all alone, pursued by the wolves who killed my family. I can already hear them, their paws crunching through the snow, their snarls of rage as they draw close. I know they won’t kill me, but in their hands, I might as well be dead. And once they’ve got me, there’s no guarantee they won’t go back and seek a fight with my family for daring to conceal me from them in the first place.

I have to hide. I have to find somewhere to conceal myself quickly. It’s my only chance.

I grab the low hanging branch of a nearby tree and pull myself up. Getting off the ground might be the best hope I have. The wolves won’t be able to climb. Of course, if they resume their own human forms, they’ll be up the tree right after me and there will be very little I can do, but I’d rather face a group of crazy humans than a group of crazy wolves.

When I’m about twenty feet off the ground, the first wolf steps into view. He’s small and sort of mangy looking, with sharp teeth that are bared in a snarl. Right away, he’s joined by two more. They have no trouble catching sight of me, and they circle the tree and pace, looking up, waiting for me to make the next move.

I remain still, watching.

One of the wolves lunges at the tree as if trying to climb it. His claws get no traction and he skids back down to the ground, but his attack throws me off my balance and I almost tumble down myself. Just in time, I latch my arms around the trunk and hang on for dear life.

Why aren’t they shifting? Are they doing this to torture me, knowing that they’ll eventually starve me out? I resolve not to come down for them, no matter what. I’ll die up here if it comes to that. It would be better than turning myself over to this band.

Then, with a roar that shakes the earth, a brown bear emerges from the trees.

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