Justin pushed Herc to reach Eli. 

His bear pounded through the water, making huge splashes with each heavy step. 

Justin’s sixth sense, the one that kept military operators alive in the field, had warned him not to expose their bears for long. He knew Eli had understood the importance of his instructions.

Clearly, the grolar bear lacked discipline and Eli was unable to manage her animal.

Justin should have spent more time talking to Eli about her bear and what she needed to do to work as one. 

No time for that right now.

Her bear was barreling toward them with worried eyes, but she’d waited too long.

The helicopter flew over low just as Eli’s bear reached the stream, but short of the shaded area that would shield her coat. 

When the helo circled around, Justin knew the pilot was clearly taking a second look.

Justin kicked himself mentally over encouraging her to shift.  He hadn’t liked the shame he’d heard in her voice when she’d said she was strange.  He’d thought if they stayed in the dark shade cast over this side of the stream, it would be hard to make out a grolar bear.

That plan would have worked if Eli had been able to control her bear.

Herc ran up to Eli’s bear, putting his big body in front to shield her coat, but the damage had been done.

According to the emblem on the chopper, it belonged to the park service. If that had been someone with the park service flying around for another reason and just happened to see Eli’s unusual coat, then no problem.

But Justin had a bad feeling that wasn’t the case.

Could the wolves hunting Eli have someone in the park service on their payroll? He hoped not.

Even if it was a casual flyover, by the time word of a possible ursid hybrid sighting got out, Justin had to have Eli far from here.

But that chopper had just wrecked his original plan to escape on foot taking the new direction he’d had in mind. 

If wolves were clued in to his and Eli’s current location, they would run them down before he could get somewhere to contact the Guardian.

Now, Justin might as well try crossing the mountain back to the side where he could reach his truck quickly. There was one decent route option from this point that would be open enough for him to scent and see someone coming, but he didn’t like it.  He couldn’t stay on this side any longer, plus he had an additional phone and more than one extra weapon in his truck.

He didn’t believe they’d shoot Eli, but they’d proven they had the means to kill him and that would leave her vulnerable. 

When Herc and her bear reached the cluster of trees where Justin had left clothes and boots, he initiated his change. He pushed Herc to make the shift back to human quickly so that he wouldn’t leave Eli unprotected.

By the time he stood upright and had his jeans zipped, Eli had almost finished her shift. 

He gave her a hand up and started putting clothes on her.

She snatched them away. “I can dress.”

“Hurry up, then.”

Looking up at the sky then back to him, she said, “We are found?”

“Maybe. If the wolf shifters were behind that helicopter showing up, then they know our position. If it was someone in an official capacity with the park and unrelated to the wolves, we still have a problem if he saw your coat.”

She buttoned up her shirt, which was looking rough, and grumbled, “I say my bear bad idea.”

Stepping closer, he pulled her chin up so she faced him.  “It is never bad to show your bear. We will just be careful while someone is hunting you.  Another thing. You had no control of your bear when it decided to lie down in the sun, did you?” When she shook her head, looking chastised, he tried to take it easy on her.  “I’m only fussing because it scared me that we couldn’t reach each other in time.  That’s what I was talking about this morning. You should name your bear and work on having a better understanding.”

She pulled away.  “It is what is.”

That just pissed him off more.  “Not if you fix it.”

Snatching up her boots, she sat on a rock and put them on, ignoring him.  “Not so simple.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

She sounded embarrassed and that had not been his intention.

This was not how he’d meant to talk to her about her bear, and it was not the right time. He was still suffering the after effects of panic over her being too far away from him.  Even Herc had snarled at her bear, and Herc liked the stubborn grolar, which was saying something.

Kneeling in front of Eli, Justin waited until she had both feet on the ground and raised her disgruntled gaze to him. She plopped her hands in her lap and initiated a staredown.

He reached over and took her hands in his, pulling her palms to his lips where he pressed a kiss on each one, then placed her hands back on her knees.

Just that touch smoothed out the frown lines in her face.

This woman was so responsive to him. 

When he spoke this time, he tried to do a better job of explaining.  “I have a friend who is a wolf shifter.  His wolf was called up when he was in college and had found the love of his life, so he was not happy to find out he was one of the hated shifters back when nonhumans first went public.  He and his wolf didn’t get along well. They managed to function for seven years, but their lack of connection almost killed both of them.”

“What happen?”

“He fixed it, but only with the help of his mate. When we get out of here, I’ll tell you the whole story, but right now I just want you to know I’m not criticizing you. The bond between human and animal for shifters is very personal and different for everyone. Those of us who create a partnership with our animal live much happier—and safer—lives. I want you to enjoy the kind of trust I have with Herc.”

“She is reason I live as outcast whole life.”

His gut twisted at the misery in her voice. “It’s not your bear’s fault and it’s not your fault, but allowing a wall to grow between you because some people are cruel is bad. You can fix this problem.  You could start by naming her.  Think about that while we walk out and we’ll talk more in the truck. Okay?”

Heaving a sigh that sounded as if she carried the mountain on her shoulders, she said, “Yes. Will try.”

“That’s fair. Ready to go? We’re going to move fast and use hand signals to keep sounds to a minimum.” Justin went over a few more with her that he might need to use.

She jumped up.  “Yes, okay. Go.”

“Demanding little thing.”

She’d been staring at the stream and turned to him.  “What is little thing?”

“You.”

“Eyes bad. I weigh like truck.”

“Exaggerate much, Eli, babe?” He chuckled and herded her back the way they’d come so he could stay off the main trails, but parallel them in some places.

His head still pulsed with a dull throb, but the vertigo had backed off to where he didn’t fear dragging her over a cliff if he lost his balance. This last shift to his bear form and getting to eat a solid meal had pushed his healing up a notch.

The bullet hadn’t gone inside his body. He hoped he’d washed out enough toxins to not suffer any further issues, but Rory was the medic, not him.

They climbed uphill for almost an hour, then Justin blazed a trail for them through a thinner section of evergreens. Every time he recognized places he hadn’t seen in more than three years, he felt encouraged, but he was forced to keep working his way toward the truck.  The undergrowth had filled in some since the last time he came through here, but even a human could traverse it.

When he crossed over a known trail and dropped into a thick forest, he slowed a bit, but still followed a path he knew.

That’s when Justin heard a sound that didn’t belong out here. 

Had that been a child’s cry?

He turned to ask Eli if she’d heard it, but she was already turned in the direction of the sound.

She cried, “No,” and went racing downhill through a gully of lush undergrowth of ferns and knee-high tree sprouts.

Tearing after her, he jumped down the cut she’d made, but she was still out of reach, oblivious to any danger. 

Were the wolves close enough to hear the noise she made crashing through the woods?  Justin had to get to her and calm her down. He looked beyond her bobbing head to find her target.

A small boy stood crying.

Then as Justin watched, the image changed to a woman. Eli.

Not slowing down, Justin drew in a deep breath.

Herc said, No scent. Trap!

His bear nailed it.  Justin shouted, “Stop, Eli!”

Too late.  She hit an invisible structure that pinned her in place like a giant spider web made of clear threads.