Chapter 18

I knewshe'd be skittish. Didn"t matter that we'd been shifted together before. One time wasn't enough to make her confident. Her ears were back, her tail almost tucked between her legs, and her stance was low and wary. She was cautious about approaching me, jumping back when I turned to look at her. I stood perfectly still so she could get to know me, watching her curiously as she came to a stop in front of me, face to face. She lowered herself to the ground, her whole body tense, and I tipped my head at her.

It took me a second to realize she was letting my bear approach her like she did me. She looked terrified, her cat trembling as I stepped closer. I ran my head against hers and down her side, accidentally knocking her over. She was stiff, almost frozen, but eventually she relaxed. When she did, I licked her face as a reward and gave her back her space. She lifted her head slowly, watching me, but Runa had already disappeared with Leo, so with a grunt I beckoned Talia and walked away.

Talia followed near my side, jumping and skittering away at every sound. I could tell she was struggling. It wasn't the same as last time. She wasn't moving on adrenaline and heartache this time. Just fear. I slowed my pace, pressing myself against her side when she stopped beside me, silently reminding her that I was there to protect her.

We finally found Runa near the creek, picking some flowers in a bush and putting them into her pouch. She murmured low to Leo's little lion, pointing at the plant. Teaching him about it. Good. He was smart. He should learn everything about everything. I'd use my claws if anyone called him dumb. He was way smarter than me.

"I was hoping for more. I don't want to run out when the snow comes," she muttered, frowning at the plant. She gave Talia a pointed look, almost like she was telling her something, but I couldn't tell what. I wasn't sure Talia would understand either, but she was a lot smarter than me, too.

Taking a few timid steps away from me, Talia sniffed at the plant and looked around. As a shifter, our senses in human form were more advanced than humans. In our shifted forms, it was even better. She followed the scent of the flowers, only jumping a few times with me right next to her before she found another one of the plants farther down the creek bed. Runa looked proud of her, smiling softly as she and Leo came up behind us.

"I would be jealous of your animal, but you have your own challenges, I'm sure. Thank you, Talia."

Something like confusion and pain flashed in Talia's eyes. I didn't like that look and I couldn't ask her about it in this form. I butted my head against hers, trying to comfort her with nuzzles and soft grunts. She leaned into me, soaking in the comfort. If I could smile in this form, I would.

We didn't stay out for long, Talia was too anxious for that, but when we came back, I felt like Talia had accomplished something huge. She didn"t cower and hide the whole time. She helped Runa find her herbs and walked alongside me without jumping and belly crawling the entire time. For the first time since I started helping her, it was easy to see she was making progress. Real progress.

After shifting back and getting dressed, she shot Runa and me a grateful look. "Thank you. I… I liked that."

"You're doing the work, Talia. We were just along for the ride. I'll see you later," Runa said, wiggling her fingers as she disappeared into the forest again in the direction of her home. We'd passed it along the way, and she warned us to steer clear unless invited because she had protections up.

I watched her go with a frown. I was uncertain about her, never heard of witches or dragons before I came out here. Didn't know what to think about it. Aiden was alright the few times I met him, but I didn"t see Runa much. I shook it off, turning to beam at Talia.

"You did good. I could feel how nervous you were. You got past it. You should be proud of yourself. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you… I… I liked you being there. Your bear is very calm."

I hummed, falling into step beside her as we headed back to the house. "I had to learn for Ma. She used to be skittish, like you." I paused, gently taking her hand and covering it with mine. "It gets better, Talia. I promise."

The rest of the day was easier. With Talia giving her lioness the time she needed, she was less jumpy and stressed. We spent some time at the compound, and Talia baked some sweets after lunch. I had to be careful not to eat them all, because they were so good.

In the evening, we went to join the crew for dinner. Talia was scared, but at that point, she'd met most of them and she knew they weren't going to hurt her. She just needed more practice being around that many people, especially men. I held her hand, leading her to the communal area in the middle where everyone was gathered. Since the women knew Talia was coming, they had a little spot with no men off to one side and I made sure she was comfortable before leaving her be. I stuck close in case she needed me, but not too close. I didn"t want her to need me to feel safe. Want me, sure. A lot. But she didn't need me.

I could tell Leo wanted to stick close to his mom, but I didn't want him hovering, so I tipped my head toward where the rest of the cubs were playing with Derek. I wanted him to make friends, and Javi promised he'd help.

"I gotta talk to Derek about somethin'. Wanna come with? You can say hello to Javi."

Leo still wasn't comfortable around the other two, but he was warming up to Javi. Slowly. I think the bear in him helped. He wasn't a lion, so he didn't count. It made things easier on Leo. He hadn't told me yet why he and Kai didn't get along, but I didn"t push. He'd tell me when he was ready.

Since I made it about me, Leo looked a little less wary. I didn't offer him my hand, he was too tough for that, but I did keep him close, giving Talia a reassuring look as we walked away. When I got closer to Derek, Leo hovered almost behind me, looking warily at the other cubs.

"Hey. Can I talk to you about somethin'?"

The little cubs on his shoulders whined, but Derek just smiled as he set them on the ground. "I'll play again soon. Gotta check on Liv anyway. Stay near the trailers. No forest without an adult."

Kai and Leo glared at each other as the lion cubs passed, but Javi hurried over to Leo's side with a big smile. "Wanna come play at my house? Papa and I finished our model. I could show you."

Leo looked up at me, almost like he was asking my permission. He didn't normally do that, but it made me feel good that he trusted me like that. I nodded once and nudged his shoulder a little to get him moving, and eventually he followed after Javi into Malcolm's trailer.

"You wanted to ask me somethin'?" Derek prompted.

I turned back to him, lifting my shoulders. "It wasn't that important. Leo was just a little anxious, and I needed an excuse to get him to come play. But I did want to ask if your Pa had any brothers."

He frowned, scratching his head. "Uh… Not sure. He died when I was a cub. Didn't really get a chance to know him. Why?"

"Cause people pointed out we look alike, and it was weird. I asked my mama. She said my Pa had a brother, but they were estranged. She never met him. Just curious, I guess."

His eyes lit up. "Wait. We could be related? That'd be cool. I…" His expression fell. "None of my family talk to me. They're scared of me ‘cause I'm bigger than them. It'd be nice to have a family member who didn't smell like fear when I was around."

"Might help if you dialed back the dominance a little. Am I botherin' you?" Even though we were just chatting, there was a heaviness in the air around him.

Derek grimaced, running his fingers through his hair. "I… I'm tryin'. I've always had issues with it. I was doin' better about it, but then Liv got pregnant and my bear has been a lot to deal with lately."

Glancing at his mate, my face screwed up a little. "Don't look like she's the type who needs protection." She was teasing one of the wolf shifters, her posture relaxed as she lazed on one of the chairs.

He sighed. "She's not. She's a strong mate and a fierce panther when she can shift. But since she can't, I'm struggling a little with control. If my bear had his way, we wouldn't let her leave our side."

Looking back at Talia, I could see his point. If I gave my bear his way, we'd keep Talia right next to us forever. But I knew better than to do that. Talia was brave and strong. She just didn"t know it yet. I wasn't going to let anything stand in her way of figuring that out. Not even me.