Dan threw back his head and roared, the sound practically shook the trees. He let out all of his frustration with one single sound, only ending it when the last bit of disappointment left his heart.

Feel better?

Turning around, Dan saw Tom's bear approach, his eyes fixed on him. Obviously, he'd heard his roar.

I guess so.

Tom snorted, letting his breath come out in a few short puffs. What’s bothering you?

Dan paused, before walking alongside Tom further into the woods. It was a beautiful day but that still didn’t lift his spirits. It had been a week since he’d last spoken to Lucy about shifting, and the Northern Wind pack and still he was upset with how she’d reacted. He couldn’t understand why she was so against shifting. Okay, so she only had her brother to go on but he’d been trying to show her that this pack, the Alliance, was completely different from Dominic and Lucas, but so far she hadn’t responded.

Tom snorted again, making Dan realize that he was still waiting for an answer. It’s Lucy.

She still won’t shift?

Dan figured his silence would be all the answer Tom needed, dropping his head low as they carried on through the woods. Birds chirped and the air was filled with wonderful scents and smells, but Dan didn’t notice any of it. All he could think of was Lucy, and how she was choosing to miss out on all of this.

You need to be careful, Dan.

Turning his head, Dan looked at Tom who was now busy sniffing the air.

Why?

Tom stretched up onto his back legs, standing tall for a moment before falling forward onto his four paws. There’s always loyalty between family. She might choose him, not you.

Dan didn’t believe that for a moment. He’d seen how Lucy was when she’d been with Dominic, and there was no way she’d defend him. She’d tried to get away from him, hadn’t she?

If it came to it, she’d choose him, not you, Tom warned.

Dan immediately wanted to disagree but chose instead to stay silent, thinking about what Tom had said.

I’ve got to go, Tom continued, sniffing the air hard again. Savannah’s out here somewhere.

Inwardly groaning, Dan turned around and began to walk away from Tom, wandering back through the woods towards the mechanics. Tom and Savannah would often disappear into the woods and Dan didn’t want to be around when they found each other.

His bear disappeared slowly, as Dan pulled himself back into his human skin. It wasn't as painful this time as if the bear knew he had enough to deal with already. Stretching, Dan let out a groan as the final bone snapped back into place.

"At least Lucy's missing out on this bit," he muttered, crossly. Looking around for his clothes, Dan realized he'd left them a little bit away from where he'd shifted. Grumbling under his breath, he tried to make his way through the woods back to where he'd left them. Branches snapped under his bare feet, making him wince.

“Dan?”

Heat shot to his face as he attempted to cover himself with his hands. “Lucy?” he gurgled, looking around for her. “Just give me a minute.”

“Nick said you were out here,” came her voice again. “I was hoping we could talk.”

Dan felt frozen to the spot. He couldn't tell where she was. He still wasn't used to using his bear senses when he was in his human skin and, even if he could, he wasn't sure he'd be able to find her. His instincts were going haywire as it was. It sounded like Lucy was coming nearer and he was still completely naked.

“Lucy,” he shouted, growing more and more embarrassed by the minute. “Can you stay still for a minute?”

The sound of her footsteps came to a halt. “Why?” she asked, sounding as though she was quite upset with his request. “What’s the matter?”

“Uh…I was shifting,” he explained. “I’ve only just changed back.”

There was silence for a few seconds.

“So?”

Dan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. Apparently, Lucy had already forgotten what happened. "I need to find my clothes," he finished, growing hot all over.

He stood completely still, trying to listen for her reaction. He didn’t hear laughter or a gasp of shock. Instead, there was just silence.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, eventually. “Just - just wait here.”

“Okay,” he heard Lucy reply, sounding as though she was smothering a laugh. “Sorry, I totally forgot about that bit.”

Dan didn’t reply, stalking through the trees as best he could, in an attempt to keep as much dignity as possible.

Finally finding his clothes in a pile beside an old tree stump, Dan put them on as quickly as he could, throwing his t-shirt over his shoulder as he tied the laces on his shoes.

“That was close,” he muttered, turning around and walking back towards Lucy. Pulling on his t-shirt, he tried to keep his chin lifted, wishing that the heat would go from his face.

“Hi,” he said, as he found her again. “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

She shrugged. “It’s the weekend. I thought we could maybe do something together? Everyone else is, uh, busy.”

Dan gave her a wry grin. “Right, so they’re all hooking up and you’re feeling lonely. Welcome to my world!”

Thankfully, she laughed, breaking the tension. “Have things been like that for you for a while, then?”

He nodded, remembering all the weekends he'd spent either hanging about in the town bar or letting his bear run in the woods. Anything to be away from Tom and Savannah or Nick and Jo. Seeing them together always just made him realize how lonely he was. Now, apparently, Lucy was feeling exactly the same way. It was almost a relief to finally have someone who understood what he'd been dealing with, even though he was still grateful for being allowed to stay with the Alliance. "It's nice to have some company now," he replied, seeing the way she gave him a slightly shy smile. "Where would you like to go?"

She shrugged, although he spotted a laughing smile playing around the corners of her mouth. Narrowing his eyes, he fixed her with a look. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry,” she grinned, her eyes darting away from him. “It’s just that you’ve got your shirt on back to front.”

“Great,” Dan muttered, feeling completely foolish. “I was trying to dress quickly, you see.”

“I do see,” Lucy murmured, as Dan quickly whipped off his t-shirt, attempted to turn it the right way around, before putting it back on again.

He looked at her then, seeing the way that heat had turned her cheeks a dusky pink. It made her even more beautiful, to the point that his breath caught for a moment. Electricity sparked between them.

“Uh, it’s on back to front now.”

Groaning, Dan tore the shirt off his back and threw it Lucy, who caught it with a laugh.

"You sort it," he muttered, thinking that he couldn't come across as any more idiotic. She completely flustered him. It was as though he couldn't think straight when she was around.

Lucy pulled his shirt straight before handing it back to him. “Thanks,” he said, heavily. “Sorry. I must be coming across as such a moron.”

Her smile sent a wave of heat through him. “Not at all. It’s quite endearing, to be honest.”

Standing still, shirt in hand, he studied her for a second or two, trying to work out whether she was being truthful or not.

“I mean it,” she laughed, clearly aware of the disbelieving look on his face. “Seriously.”

Dan finally managed a smile, realizing that she was telling the truth. Thinking about what an idiot he'd made of himself since he'd met her, it was probably just as well she liked it. "Maybe I'll just keep making sure my shirt's on wrong if it's going to get you to look at me like that," he quipped, catching her blush. Pulling his shirt over his head, Dan took his chance. Stepping forward, he caught her in his arms before lowering his head and kissing her soundly.