Griffen hesitated. “It wasn’t easy, but somehow I knew it wasn’t the right time.”
Miles grinned. “You waited for me.”
“Yeah, don’t let it go to your head. It wasn’t as though I knew what I was waiting for.”
“I think she realized we were communicating about her too. We were supposed to be assessing your injury.”
“I can’t help it you got so defensive about her,” Griffen communicated. He stiffened, his growl turning deeper.
“You okay?” Rebecca lifted her head and leaned closer to her wolf mate. She released Miles’ hand to drape hers once again over Griffen and stroke his fur.
Miles wasn’t sure if he liked being the human behind her or would prefer to be the wolf getting his belly rubbed. Both were equally desirable.
“He’s fine, love.”
She lowered her head back onto Miles’ arm. “How do you know?”
Miles hesitated and then decided it was best to be upfront and honest with her. “I can communicate with him telepathically.”
“Seriously?” She twisted her head to face him. “I mean, I assumed you did so while you were in your other…um…form, but you can do it now?”
“Seems so.”
“Why did you have to switch earlier then?”
“Yeah, big guy. How you going to answer that one?” Griffen communicated.
“It’s complicated, love.” He kissed her forehead and nudged her to relax back on her side. “Sleep.”
She accepted that response, luckily. “I’m wired, as if I had too much caffeine. And the two of you are suffocating me. I’m definitely not going to get cold. I can’t shut my brain down with both of you touching me.”
“Get used to it, love.”
She sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t respond.
Miles made no move to ease away. Even a bear attack wouldn’t likely cause him to remove himself.
“I am sorry about your leg, man. What happened exactly?” He decided to change the subject and reengage Griffen to take his mind off Rebecca.
“I don’t know for sure. I took a piss in the woods, and when I turned around, an enormous shadow blocked my view.”
“A shadow?” Miles stiffened.
“Yeah. If I didn’t know better, I would say it was some sort of omen.” He chuckled in Miles head. “Like a demon or something. It even happened right after I told Rebecca about the legend of spirits hovering around the mountain peaks. I was just making conversation. Crazy. If you breathe a word of that to the others, I’ll kick your ass.”
It wasn’t funny, and Miles didn’t laugh.
“What? You’re thinking too hard.” Griffen lifted his head.
“I don’t think you imagined that.” Miles met his gaze over their mate.
“Well, I didn’t say I imagined it. I just figured it was a bear or something that blocked my view.”
Miles shook his head. “Don’t think so. In our culture, it’s not unheard of for such an apparition to appear as a sign, especially near the top of a mountain peak. You said yourself you were familiar with the spirits.”
“A sign of what? Warning? It’s a legend, man. There aren’t really black shadowy specters hanging around in the mountains to scare people.”
Miles shrugged. “What if there are? Could be a warning. Or perhaps in this case, the spirit brought the three of us together.”
“That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think? I was badly injured.”
“And that brought me to you.” Miles sighed, trying to decide if he should continue. “I believe there have been many such sightings by my tribal members lately.”
“The Yobuka? Or the entire reservation?”
“The Yobuka. As far as I know, just my tribe. Those of us who live in the northern quadrant of the reservation and are shifters. The other tribes on the reservation do not have the ability to shift.”
“And you think it’s the Yobuka who are seeing these dark shadowy things?” Griffen asked.
Miles smiled. “Look, I’m not saying for sure. I have no way of knowing. Just an idea. We need to head for the reservation first thing in the morning.”
“And why would we do that?”
“Trust me. We need to speak to my grandmother. She will know more.”
•●•
When Griffen opened his eyes, he was confused for several seconds. He was in wolf form. He rarely slept in wolf form. And a human was snuggled up to him, her face resting on his chest, her arm wrapped around his middle.
Rebecca.
He would gladly stay right where he was for eternity if it meant keeping her in that spot.
No such luck, however. Rebecca stirred. She lifted her face off his chest and then pulled herself to a sitting position. Her expression was difficult to read as she met his gaze. “So it wasn’t a dream,” she whispered.