Page 47 of Bear Facts

“Aw.” Lindsay skimmed the words Xav had typed. “A nice mercenary.”

“Well, to a point,” Xav said. “She’s had army camps completely taken out, recruiting the best of the survivors to work for her and ransoming those she doesn’t want.”

“Ah.” Lindsay sat up straight. “Again, I hope she doesn’t come after Shifters.”

“I don’t think she will.” Xav clicked open another tab and scrolled through more information. “She seems to like Shifters, and wishes she could recruit more. Probably why she let Freya contact her.”

“Poor Freya.” Lindsay’s compassion emerged. “Cassidy shared what Eric told her, plus I saw some of what was going on out my window. Freya looks like a sweetie who needs some fun. Cass and I should take her out with us, am I right? I think Shane will be good for her, though.”

“From what I understand, she wasn’t thrilled with his mate-claim.”

“She’ll come around.” Lindsay sounded confident. “Bears are great in the sack. So I’ve heard,” she added with a smirk.

Xav was surprised by the sting that washed through him, which he quickly suppressed.

He was under no illusion that Lindsay was a saint. Shifter women weren’t admonished to be chaste until their mating—after their Transition, they could take up with whatever male they wanted without censure. No Shifters were condemned for having cubs without a mating ceremony, and such cubs weren’t considered illegitimate. When Shifters found their mates, they took any cubs the other had as their own. A nice system, Xav had always thought.

Lindsay, though, didn’t like to talk about her previous conquests with Xav. Did she worry he’d be jealous? Or worry that he wouldn’t be?

He was jealous, of course. Xav had no claim on Lindsay, and they hadn’t agreed to be exclusive, but that didn’t mean Xav didn’t wish things were otherwise.

“Let’s hope Shane’s really good for her,” Xav said, keeping his voice light. “I’m thinking she’ll be safer with him than anywhere else.”

“It’s hard being a Shifter.” The words were soft, Lindsay’s usual verve fading. “We’re so strong but so vulnerable at the same time. Whenever the world changes, we’re in danger all over again.”

Xav knew Lindsay meant not only being Shifter but being a single female Shifter. He’d seen male Shifters glare at Lindsay as though not understanding why she hadn’t chosen one of them yet. As though her entire life should be based on choosing a mate.

Graham’s Lupines wanted mates, and like the group Diego had told him about growling around this morning, they were starting to make this a point of contention.

Xav looked up at Lindsay, her eyes the same green as those of the cat on his wrist. “You won’t be in danger as long as I’m around.”

Lindsay gazed back at him in stark hope, which she quickly masked. Or had Xav only imagined her expression?

“Oh, the big bad human is going to look after a Shifter, is he?” Lindsay raked her fingers through the air and let out a Rowrr. “I have claws, honey.”

“I have a taser,” Xav pointed out. “And a lot of cool toys that will keep those Shifters down.”

“Ooh, toys.” Lindsay pretended to look fascinated. “You can tell me all about them one day.”

Xav hit the combination of buttons to shut down his computer and heaved himself off his chair. “I’ll give Eric his report in the morning. How about you and me find someplace to dance?”

Lindsay hopped down from the desk. “Now you’re talking.”

She wound her arm through Xav’s and let him lead her through the dark office to the door she’d sneaked through. Outside, the night was cold, stars hard white in the sky.

Xav escorted Lindsay to his car, his body thrumming. He knew they’d do nothing but dance and drink tonight, but Xav would relish every moment of simply being in her electric presence.

Freya popped her eyes open to find sunlight flooding Shane’s room. What had awakened her was not the sun, she realized after a hazy moment, but a slight draft when someone had opened the bedroom door. That someone was Nell.

Nell stilled as she took in Shane curled up around Freya under the covers, the big man still fast asleep. Nell regarded them both with enigmatic brown eyes, then she slowly withdrew, closing the door with barely a sound.

Nell hadn’t appeared unhappy that Shane and Freya lay snuggled together. In fact, she’d looked pleased.

As soon as the door shut, Freya hurriedly sat up and reached for clothes. Her own were still stuffed in her backpack on the other side of the room, so she picked up Iona’s sweatshirt and jeans from where she’d left them on the chair next to the bed.

When she sat back, sweatshirt in hand, it was to find Shane gazing at her with intense brown eyes, his heart-warming smile in place.

“Hey.”

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