Her breath sped up as panic constricted her throat at the thought of becoming other. But if she wanted to join the rest of the Breck Crew today to celebrate Bruiser’s visit, along with their small victory in the news, she had to let this happen.
“Do you trust me?” Dade whispered.
Quinn nodded. “Always.”
He set her down and shucked his jeans. And with a cocky, crooked smile that she adored, he arched back and yelled. His voice turned into a deep roar as a dark-furred grizzly burst from him. The earth shook as he landed on all fours in front of her. Powerful legs and a big barrel chest. Long, curved canines and paws the size of her head. His neck was thickly muscled, and his eyes were still that green-gold that all of the Kellers possessed. He was magnificent.
With a proud smile, she watched him saunter a few steps toward the tree line, then look back at her over his shoulder, waiting.
The tingling in her arms spread through her chest, and she cried out in surprise as a smattering of cracks shook her body. One more breath, and she closed her eyes against a blast of power that shook her entire body to its core.
Blood humming, she rocked forward and stared in awe at her six-inch black claws that dug divots in the earth. Her fur was dark as a redwood, and when she tried to speak, a soft, feral grunt filled her throat.
Dade rubbed his face down hers, then down her side. The last of the tingling sensation faded as he inhaled her fur and snuffled against her neck. She’d been so scared of this, and for what? Dade was here. She was safe. And—she looked down at her paws, covered in weapons—being a bear was awesome.
Her whole life, she’d felt an affinity with animals, and now she was one.
She inhaled the earthy scent of the surrounding woods, committing them to memory as home. As a reward for his patience, she play bit Dade’s thick neck and rubbed her head under his chin. He let off a huffing sound like a laugh.
Come on, he seemed to say as he tilted his head toward a trail that cut through the trees. Quinn walked close beside him through their woods.
And as the feral call of the Breck Crew filled the air, she hurried her steps, eager to see them.
Brushing her head against Dade’s thick fur once more, she charged forward, her feet pounding the earth as her heart raced with happiness.
These woods were home, and the roaring bears calling her to them were family.
No matter what the fates had in store for her crew, no one could take this away from her.
She had everything.