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Ria vibrated with tension and retreated, but Rory stayed her with his hand. “These are more friends. Shift, sweetheart. Tell me what you want to do. I get this is scary for you, but they’ve seen you now.”
12
PanicroaredthroughRia.Her tail flicked from side to side, and her claws extended deep into the mud beneath her paws. She backed up two steps, and Marcus moved with her.
“Ria, please. They’re my friends. I trust them with my life and promise you’ll be protected.”
Her brother had told her he was taking her to safety. She’d believed him, but then she’d still been a child and unwise to the world’s ways. The scientists had stripped her trust and taught her that even the most innocent of occurrences could come back to bite with razor-sharp teeth.
“How about this?” Marcus squatted in front of her and pressed his forehead to hers. “If you feel unsafe, I’ll help you leave again. I can give you money and anything else you require.”
She glanced past him and noticed the child for the first time. Her gaze narrowed, focusing on the much smaller wolf. He had only three legs. She studied him for long seconds, observing how each adult took care not to jostle him. They nuzzled him with affection, and even more astounding, he greeted the two newcomers, and they treated him with the same kindness.
Marcus was right when he told her that these shifters faced the same danger as her. The trust had to go both ways. She’d reserve judgment—for now.
Ria halted her retreat and licked Marcus’s hand to show compliance.
“Thank you,” he said in a low voice. “We’ll jump the stream at the narrowest point over there.”
Ria trotted toward the area Marcus had indicated and increased her speed. She heard Marcus curse and flicked her tail. A heartbeat later, Ria sprang and hurtled over the racing water. She landed lightly and kept moving, so she didn’t provide an obstacle for Marcus.
Marcus followed and raced up to her, snapping his teeth and demonstrating his displeasure. Ria smirked, every instinct telling her he was all show. Immediately on the tail of this thought came the knowledge she’d already trusted him. In the time they’d been together, he’d treated her with care and had taken great pains not to frighten her. He’d saved her. Yes, these shifters were as vulnerable as she was with people like the scientists.
Marcus greeted his friends, including the pup. She sensed their curiosity, but they trotted away from the stream, and Marcus nudged her to follow. She loped after the group, curious about the dynamics between the wolves and the leopards. The adults kept the pup safe in the middle of their group, and they traveled at his pace.
Watching this warmed Ria’s heart. If they cared this much for a different and weaker pup, they might embrace her differences or at least ignore them.
Her thoughts whirled like eddies in the raging stream, and they seesawed between cautious trust and paralyzing fear that sent chills writhing through her veins. What if one of Marcus’s friends—? No.No.That made little sense. They bore similar secrets to her, and she’d never noticed or heard anything troubling when she lived in Middlemarch. And she listened closely when she made her brief trips to town to purchase supplies and sell the knitted items she made to support herself. At first, eavesdropping had been why she’d visited the café, but soon she went as a treat since the owner’s cheese scones were tasty. While the shifters had acknowledged her, they’d given her space and hadn’t poked into her privacy. Yet Saber—the leader—had also made it clear if she required help to ask.
The wolf at the front of their group traveled through the sodden landscape, past large schist formations, and through tussock grass. At specific points, he surveyed the landscape, and she approved of his caution. The wind whistled over the brow of the hill, and the somber clouds sinking low on the horizon hinted at yet more rain to come. They paused once more when a vehicle drove slowly down a rutted gravel road, each sinking to their bellies and freezing in position in the tussock. Ria followed suit, her heart pounding. She seldom shifted because it reminded her of the scientists. Dreadful memories, yet setting out with Marcus today hadn’t bothered her as much as usual.
Once Ria could no longer hear the vehicle, the wolf in the lead rose and headed deeper into the valley. They rounded a knoll, and she caught sight of a house nestled at the base of a neighboring hill. The storm damage didn’t seem as bad in this valley, although mud splattered with every step and covered her fur.
The leading wolf veered in the house’s direction, and Ria followed with the rest of their group. Once they were at the rear of the house, everyone shifted, apart from Ria. She was staring at the child, who was missing part of his arm. She glimpsed him before he scooted indoors. The woman followed him, and she heard the rush of water inside. A shower?
Ria hesitated, not wanting to shift because the idea of everyone staring at her brought a wash of nerves. She was abnormal. Different. None of these shifters kept their tails when they morphed into their human forms. The scientists were right. She was an oddity. A freak.
Marcus spoke with the men before one disappeared inside. The other two grabbed clothes from a parked vehicle and hurriedly dressed before leaving.
Ria stared after the truck, and Marcus must’ve understood her concern.
“They’re off to help with the town cleanup. Saber said the café flooded.”
Storm in a Teacup? That was bad because she eagerly anticipated her cheese scones.
“Come inside out of the cold. Rory and Anita are getting clothes for us.”
Rory appeared with an armful of garments. He’d already taken a quick shower, judging by his damp hair.
“Anita is with Toby in our en suite. I brought you a robe,” Rory said. “You can go to the bedroom, and Anita will have clothes for you. Marcus, you use the shower in the main bathroom. I’ll put on the kettle and set the table for lunch.”
“Shift, sweetheart. I’ve known Rory since we were the same age as Toby.”
What ifs still plagued her, yet this was precisely how she felt each time she ventured into town, and she’d been doing that for ages. Her appearance didn’t bother Marcus, but what about the others? This was so hard.
“Remember, if it gets too much for you, I’ll take you home to my place. At the very least, we’ll have a hot lunch before we go out in the storm.”
Ria started. She hadn’t even noticed the pelt of the rain against the windows. She huffed in a breath and smelled food and what seemed suspiciously like cheese scones. This hesitation was stupid. She had to keep telling herself that the other shifters had known she was like them each time she’d gone into town. Yes, they’d thought her old, but they’d treated her decently. And she was lonely.
