Page 100 of Bear Facts

Freya stared down at Matt. What?

Guards, Misty had called them. Wolf Shifters who’d been created to protect the highest among the Fae, she’d said, including their emperor. Matt and Kyle were descended from these ultra-strong warriors. They were twins—had all Guards been?

Matt was trying to tell her that she and Rolf were also descended from these Guards.

Keira, in her feral state, had sensed something about Freya. You are … special, she’d claimed.

Holy Mother Goddess.

“Look inside you, Freya.” Rolf stepped closer, blocking her view of Shane. “You know it is the truth.”

Freya flashed through incidents in her life, such as when she’d been able to locate Rolf when he’d fallen into the mine shaft. How she’d known Rolf was here, instead of in the other areas Xav and Eric had identified as possible places to search. The strange glow that had surrounded her and Shane when they’d made love for the first time also took on significance. She’d immediately rejected Leo, knowing he wasn’t the mate for her, but had not tried very hard to push Shane away.

She also knew exactly what Shane was doing as he murmured something to the human guard. He was instantly away from the man, back within the circle of Shifters before they’d noticed he’d moved.

Rolf’s gaze was fixed on her, willing her to accept that somehow, she’d inherited the DNA of Shifter Guards from long ago.

Explains how you were able to overthrow the humans here, she said carefully.

“Yep. Took them by surprise, let me tell you.”

How do you know we’re Guards? Freya asked him. Or think we are?

“Is that what we’re called?” Rolf took on a thoughtful expression. “I hadn’t heard that name specifically. Another Shifter who was a captive here when I arrived told me. He knew a lot about Shifter history—deep history from before the Shifter-Fae wars. As you are aware, I’m interested in history too. He told me about the Lupines who’d been bred to be super strong, super powerful, and said he thought I was one of them. I didn’t believe him—like you don’t believe it—but I realized when I felt the power rising in me, that he was right. Trust me, I had time to think a lot about it while the humans were pulsing me with shocks.”

Where is this Shifter? Freya asked. Can we talk to him?

Rolf’s face darkened. “He died. Was killed in the battle on that island. He was a good guy, even when he became a feral. His death sent me over the edge, I think. Once we were back in the compound, I broke my chains and wrecked my cage, then freed as many Shifters as I could before we had to fight Heaney and his mercs. I went kinda nuts and took most of them down fast. The other Shifters said my wolf became gigantic and even glowed. Scared the shit out of them, and me too, honestly.” He sent a grin to the other Shifters, who nodded, some nervously.

The second guard returned, a folded garment in his arms. He brought it to Rolf, then backed away, stone-faced and seemingly nonchalant, but Freya scented his fear.

Rolf set the dark blue coveralls on the floor. “Turn around,” he snarled at the other Shifters. “Anyone looking at my sister gets his head ripped off. Including yours, bear.”

Shane chortled but complied.

Even Rolf courteously looked away as Freya shifted back to her human form and stepped into the coveralls. There were made for a human man but were only slightly too big for her.

What Freya had heard Shane ask the guard he’d spoken to was where their radios were located. The guard had told him. No one else had noted this request Freya had sensed through her ties to Shane, not even Rolf.

Freya zipped up and settled the coverall. She wished she had something for her feet, which were now cold, but that was a minor worry.

If Shane managed to call for help, would Rolf and his feral Shifters try to kill them? These were Shifters she’d come to like and respect—Brody, Neal, young Dougal. And what would they do to Diego and Xav?

“All right,” she said brightly. “Done.”

Freya thought Matt might shift to his small boy form, but he remained wolf. Instead of trying to hide behind her, he remained where he was, glaring at the Shifters as they turned around again.

“It’s good to see you, Freya.” Rolf came to Freya and opened his arms for a hug. “I’ve missed you.”

Freya allowed the embrace. She’d so longed to share this with her brother, exchanging comfort as they always had, but now she was wary.

When Rolf wrapped his strong arms around her, however, for a brief moment she could forget the insanity in his eyes, that his usual bonhomie had changed to a strange, disparaging humor. In this instant, he was her brother, the cub who’d survived to adulthood with her, who’d celebrated triumphs and held her during their tragedies.

He was in there somewhere, Freya knew. He’d suffered an ordeal, like Keira had, and needed to heal.

Rolf had turned his rage to vengeance, but feral Shifters didn’t last. They burned out, and when they were done, they died.

Freya ended the embrace first, but Rolf kept hold of her shoulders. “Join us, Freya. It won’t take much to release your strength, and then we can take on the world. You and me. Like old times. What do you say?”

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