Page 64 of Bear Facts

“Don’t downplay what you do,” Freya said. “It’s tough to keep the peace among Shifters living so close together. I’m surprised it’s as quiet as it is here.”

“Graham, Nell, and Eric command a lot of respect.”

Freya ran her hand over his strong arm. “And they have competent trackers.”

“Now, you’re buttering me up.” Shane sent her a grin. “Does that mean you like me?”

Freya snatched her touch away, annoyed with her lack of control. “Don’t get too full of yourself. I?—”

She broke off when she saw two little wolves emerge at the top of the stairs. One morphed into the form of a boy. Matt or Kyle—Freya wasn’t sure.

“Are you mates yet?” he demanded.

“Yes,” Shane said, at the same time Freya said quickly, “No.”

“You’ll be mates,” Kyle, or Matt, said with confidence. “You have to be. You need each other, for what is to come.”

Freya stared at him. His last sentence had been uttered in a deeper voice, still his but with a resonance that didn’t go with his tiny stature.

The boy regarded her with an innocent expression, as though unaware he’d intoned such a dire proclamation.

“Zander will be okay,” he went on in his normal voice. “Rae’s his mate. She heals him.”

The other twin, who’d remained a wolf, let out a little howl of agreement.

Freya sank to her heels to rub the wolf cub’s fur and ruffle the hair of the one who’d spoken. He shifted instantly to a wolf again, snuggling to her for his share of pets.

“You two are adorable,” Freya crooned.

“They’re little shits,” Shane said. “But yeah. We love them.”

Freya feigned amazement. “This from a bear. These cubs must be special.”

Matt and Kyle yipped and howled, leaping around under Freya’s hands, tails going wild.

From inside the bedroom came Leo’s voice, very weak. “Will someone make those two brats shut up?”

Althea Webster entered her office at the top of a downtown Dallas high-rise at midnight and found someone there.

Two someones. She’d come in for a few hours of peaceful alone time to go through her plans, leaving her guards at the end of the hall. Her floor was always tightly secure.

Evidently not secure enough.

A man sat at her desk, the light from her computer screens illuminating a hard face and vivid blue eyes. His hair was very dark, with only a few strands of gray at the temples.

Though he was a big man, he was nowhere near as huge as the one who stood solidly behind him. He was clearly a Shifter, bulking larger than any human Althea had ever seen. The dim light showed that his hair was striped black and orange.

“Obviously, I need to have a word with my security team.” Althea halted in the doorway, her path to escape clear behind her. “I know you, don’t I? Or know of you.”

“Dylan Morrissey,” the man said without looking up. “This is Tiger. That is my son, Sean.”

Dylan jerked his thumb at Tiger behind him. Althea jumped when another Shifter, lounging in a chair behind the door, sent her a lazy salute. She hadn’t noted him at all, which was bad of her. Dylan must have positioned the very unnerving Tiger where he was in order to draw her attention.

Sean was a younger version of Dylan. A naked broadsword leaned against the wall beside him, and Althea swore it emitted a faint hum.

Althea spent a second or two regaining her composure, though outwardly it would appear she’d never lost it. She’d learned since childhood to conceal her surprise and anger, and most importantly, her fear. Many people thought Althea cold, but in truth she had plenty of emotions. She simply took great care that they couldn’t be used against her.

“I’ve heard of you, of course, Mr. Morrissey.” Anyone who knew anything about Shifters had. “I would be happy to speak to you if you make an appointment. As it is, I must ask you to leave. My guards can escort you out if you wish.”

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