She wasn't about to hang around, though. She took off for the cover of the trees at a blistering pace and made her way across the river, where she could lay down and watch for anything suspicious.
Over the last few weeks, since the very first stakeout that Kira and Nash went on, there had been a handful of more real attempts. Sometimes Sasha joined her, but mostly Nash was her partner. Every time someone went out watching, the dead fish didn't show up the next day, or like after the first time, they were discovered in a big, stinky pile somewhere else, as if the culprit dumped them when they couldn't fulfill their task. Obviously, Kira's theory was that knowing he-or she-was being watched, the fish bandit got spooked when they saw people and fled. By shifting into her bear, she was hoping she'd blend in with the surroundings a little better. She'd kept her plan quiet in case the culprit was among them, not even telling Nash. Not that she thought Nash was involved, but she didn't want to arouse suspicion in anyone, and it was better if she just kept quiet completely. She definitely had a few ideas who might be behind the problem, but she couldn't say anything unless she had hard proof.
Which was why she was about to settle in for the night, camouflaged as a slumbering bear.
It was almost funny to Kira how quickly she'd embraced her bear again. There was no doubt in her mind that being with Nash had a lot to do with it.
Being with Nash.
It was still so crazy to think about it that way, but that's how it was. She was with Nash. A wolf.
She found a tree that would act as good cover and settled down into the earth, her mind still preoccupied with the wolf who had occupied pretty much every waking thought, and sleeping ones too, since they'd met.
The whole thing was so wrong. After all, a bear and a wolf, together? It was unthinkable. It went against everything she'd ever been taught. But the longer Kira spent on her own, away from the thoughts and ideals of her family and clan, the more she realized that maybe her grandfather didn't know everything about how things were supposed to be. As each day went by and she and Nash spent more and more time getting to know each other, Kira's heart only felt more full. And wasn't that the way things were supposed to be?
Besides, it wasn't as if she was involved with her family anymore anyway.
The thought no longer filled her with sadness the way it had only a few short months ago. She didn't even have to wonder why that was. Kira no longer felt alone because every fiber in her body thrilled when Nash was around-hell, even if he wasn't around. She only had to think of him for her body to explode. It was so different from the way things had felt with Ryan. That had just been a mistake.
A colossal mistake.
The night darkened around her; the sounds of the forest changed as the night grew longer. Kira settled her head onto her paws. But she didn't sleep. Shifting and maintaining her bear form had become much easier, just as it had become much easier not to think about her brother or to reach out using her twin bond when she was in bear form. The first few times, she'd had to concentrate on not thinking about Kade, until it became almost second nature to ignore the urge to try to connect. Almost.
Maybe it was that she was by herself. Or maybe it was that Kira was no longer desperate to connect with Kade. Whatever it was, as she laid under the tree and scanned the riverbank on the other side for signs of any strange activity, a thought began to take shape.
It probably wouldn't hurt. Even if there's no change, it won't matter.
Before she could change her mind or talk herself out of it, Kira closed her eyes and pictured her brother. She didn't expect anything to happen. Not really. And at first, nothing did. She couldn't sense him. She could barely remember what he looked like, what he sounded like, what his hug felt like.
And then it happened.
His face. His laugh. His back as he walked away.
The visions smashed through her so hard and so unexpectedly, they took her breath away. She felt as if she were rolling and tumbling down a hill from the force of the sensation. But when she opened her eyes again, she found she hadn't moved from her spot under the tree.
But it was so real.
Kira's breath came in pants. She tucked her big head under her arms and forced her breathing to slow. And then it happened.
Kira.
She snapped her head up and scanned her surroundings.
Nothing.
Kira?
It had to be Kade. Or was it Nash reaching out? He might be concerned about her. What if he'd gone to check on her and she wasn't in her room? That had to be it. The fact that she could connect with Nash in her bear form had surprised her, certainly, but over the last few weeks, she'd grown used to it. She'd looked forward to it. Connecting with Nash made her feel safe, secure … loved. She couldn't quite pinpoint her feelings for him, but it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. That much she knew for certain. And she never wanted it to end.