Bearing It Read Online Free Page A

very protective of the ladies in the Crossed Star, and you wouldn’t like it if he had to act to calm you down.”
    “He’s venomous?”
    “Very.” Lee chuckled and ate her salad with shredded chicken. “He rarely uses his fangs though.”
    Fred finished her burger and moved on to her own salad and soda. “This is hitting the spot. I have been so nervous that I am pretty sure I skipped lunch and dinner.”
    “It explains a lot. So, you are a bear?”
    Fred winced. “I shifted that much?”
    “Yup. Well, that and I have an excellent sense of smell. Bears are distinctive.”
    Fred laughed. “That we are. Well, I am sorry that I almost beared all.”
    “Are you feeling more in control? Feeding the beast is important.” Lee looked at her intently.
    “I am definitely more in control. What next?”
    “I thought I would show you the area where you can work out as your other self. It helps to shift and run around a little.” Lee got to her feet and waited while Fred finished her soda.
    There were several men watching them leave, but Lee gave them a look and they all returned their gaze to their plates.
    “I am guessing that you are well known around here, Lee.” Fred snickered as they entered the evening in progress.
    “Pretty much. Tony warns the men to beware of me the moment that they arrive at the Crossroads.”
    “Funny, I didn’t get that warning.”
    “It’s like health class in schools. The men get one lecture and the women get the other.”
    Fred laughed. “The women don’t need to know that you roam the night and the men need to see you around.”
    “Something like that. While most of the men here are good, solid options, there are a few that are not, and those are the ones that I will kill to keep the women here safe.”
    Fred blinked. “Okay. I am guessing that there is a story there, but I will leave you your mystery.”
    “If you are still here in three days, I will tell you the story, but based on the fact that your friend from the bar is following at a safe distance, I am thinking that it won’t be that long.”
    Fred turned her head casually, and the light of one of the businesses lit the bright gold head that was Hektor.
    Lee beckoned him close. “Come on, I won’t bite.”
    He moved to Fred’s side quickly. “Are you all right?”
    She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I am much better now.”
    Lee cleared her throat. “I will just be on my way. Hektor, you know where the shifter’s field is?”
    “I do.”
    “Good. Fred needs a run on four legs. Take her.” Lee patted Fred on the arm. “Talk to you later.”
    Fred waved farewell, and her new friend was gone.
    She stared up at Hektor, and he looked down at her as if trying to figure out what to say. “So, the field?”
    He blinked and nodded. “Of course. This way.”
    He offered her his arm, and she took it, letting him lead the way.
    “Were you unwell?”
    She sighed. “Sort of. When was the last time you couldn’t control your shift?”
    “Well, I was in high school. Why?”
    “It happens to me more often. It’s why I have chosen to live outside a city.” She sighed. “I don’t do well in competitive situations.”
    He chuckled. “What do you do for a living?”
    “I run a U-Pick in Alaska.”
    “Like berries and things?” His teeth gleamed in the moonlight.
    “Yes, like berries and things. I even have a small honey farm as a sideline.”
    He laughed. “Nice.”
    “What do you do?” Asking about the human-world job was usually a question for a more intimate time, but it seemed right.
    “I am a border patrol and customs officer.”
    She stopped in her tracks. “You? But you are so friendly and cheerful.”
    He snorted. “I am not on duty. I can only be surly so many hours of the day and usually when I am getting paid.”
    “Grumpy for hire. I should get in on that action.” She grinned.
    “It’s an open market.”
    “Well, I have to keep a cheerful attitude most days. Folks don’t like it when