5. Sofia

5

Sofia

T here were shifters everywhere. There had been three, right next to her. One had left, and the one named Levi had asked the last one to go away, which she appreciated. And in the large house, there were at least four more adult males.

She was fairly certain there were children too. They weren’t pups, or cubs. She had no idea what they were called.

They were dragons. She’d never been around dragon shifters before. But they had to be worse than wolves, right? But the one called Levi was calm and patient. But the wolves had been calm too, at first. Koryak, the wolf shifter who’d lured her to the compound, had been very friendly.

So, first impressions didn’t always mean much, not to her. If these dragons wanted to lock her up, she’d have very little chance of escape. She’d heard Levi mention the dart gun. He’d also said he was a veterinarian. She thought that was a doctor for animals. The longer she’d been shifted, the slower her mind worked. She had to try and recall words and phrases that had once been second nature.

Would it all come back once she shifted? She wasn’t sure. If she stayed a bear forever, then it wouldn’t matter. She just had to get away from this farm and get to Canada. Then she could relax.

After a few minutes, the shifter sat down on the ground. He kept talking. The sun got lower in the sky and eventually the other four males came stomping back out.

She tensed.

The one named Kellan handed Levi a plate. “We brought you some food.”

Quinn sat a box on the ground next to Levi. “And we brought some food for the bear too.”

A loud shriek pierced their air, and she jerked to attention. It sounded like the screams she’d heard during her time in the Siberian compound.

She tried to control herself, but she couldn’t. She pressed her body lower to the ground, much like a dog or a wolf would do, and she ran, leaving the semi-shelter of the barn behind.

Minutes later, she realized that the screech had been from one of the dragon’s children—he was playing. She pressed her face to the tree, struggling to get control. She knew they were worried she’d attack one of the children, but she wasn’t that far gone.

Then something landed in her fur. She flinched and tried to move, but there was a small body blocking her getaway.

It was one of the children. And it wasn’t a human child, but a dragon. The little girl reached out again. “Are you like us?” she asked.

Of course, Sofia couldn’t answer. She dipped her head. She didn’t want to scare the girl. And she didn’t want the dragons to think she’d hurt her.

Then Sofia heard Levi’s voice. The one who’d been sitting with her all afternoon.

“Hey. You’re McKenna, right?” he said.

“Yes.”

“Can you come stand over here by me? Away from the bear?”

“She’s nice. She won’t hurt me.”

“I’m glad. But we don’t want to scare her either.”

“Oh.” McKenna pulled her hand away.

“McKenna!” The dragon named Kellan came bursting through the edge of the trees. He stopped abruptly when he saw how close she was to Sofia.

“This bear is really sweet, Daddy.”

“I know, McKenna, but she doesn’t know us yet. So why don’t we give her some space?” Kellan asked.

Sofia closed her eyes and rested her head on her paws. She might be disoriented, but she wasn’t going to scare a little girl, even if that little girl was a fire-breathing dragon.

Sofia blinked one eye open to see Kellan taking the girl by the hand. “Say goodbye, McKenna.”

“Bye, bear. I’ll see you soon.”

“She’s Kellan’s youngest,” Levi said, when they were gone. “She’s seven years old, and she was a surprise baby, from what I gather. Her mother is human, but she’s a shifter, like we are.”

Sofia tried to nod, but she wasn’t sure if it worked. She was relieved that the shifter named Kellan had left with his daughter, and she was beyond relieved that he hadn’t blamed her for luring the girl away.