Chapter 3 Expand Your Foundation greetly

“Can I ask you guys a question?”

Mark did his usual shrug. He was quieter than Brennan. She didn’t mind. She liked the strong silent type. Although Brennan’s easy humor was fun.

“Sure, little bear.”

She whirled on Brennan. “Don’t call me that. I hate it.”

He put up his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. I get it. Keep your claws in your paws, girl.”

She calmed down. He obviously hadn’t meant it as an insult the way Ronnie had. “Can werewolves shift all the time? Or only during the full moon?”

“You’re fucking kidding, right?”

She glared at Mark, hating how he was making her feel stupid. “No. I’m not. I know most werebears know this stuff, but I don’t. My dad hates talking about werewolves and the kids I know don’t tell me stuff in Mark he finds out. So? When do you shift?”

“Any time we feel like it.” Mark snorted. “And not just during a full moon. You werebears can shift any time you want, right? Why would you think we’d be any different?”

“It was just a question. Don’t go shitting a brick.”

Brennan laughed, then grabbed her and spun her around. “We won’t if you won’t. Haven’t you heard? It’s bears who shit in the woods. Not werewolves.”

She couldn’t be mad at Brennan. He was a jokester, and she loved a guy who could make her laugh. Her laughter, however, died away as soon as he pulled her against him.

Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. Not just because her breasts were pressing against his solid chest. Not just because he’d put his mouth close to hers. Neither of those things could be the reason. If so, it’d mean she was turned on by a werewolf.

And yet, hadn’t that already happened?

Where she’d found it difficult to breathe a moment earlier, she now had to drag in even deeper, harder-won breaths as Mark came up behind her to trap her body between them.

“Easy, Jenny. We’re not going to hurt you.”

Then what were they going to do? She sidestepped, scooching away from them. “Do you think Feather will come back before the party’s over?”

“I don’t think so. Dave kind of has a reputation.” There it is again. One of those looks they share. “You don’t think he’ll hurt her, do you?”

“Naw.” Brennan picked up a stone and hurled it into a bush, sending a small rabbit scurrying away. “He’s not a bad guy.”

“Just a horny one.”

“A horny one, Mark?” Unlike her, Feather wasn’t a virgin, but that didn’t mean she wanted to have sex with every guy she met. “Oh, damn. I’d better find her before anything happens.”

“Slow down. If she doesn’t want to do anything, then Dave won’t bother her. All she has to do is say no. Like I said. He’s not a bad guy. He’ll make sure she gets home safe and sound.”

“You mean he’s nothing like that Ronnie guy?”

Mark turned to watch the partiers as they danced around the bonfire. “Ronnie’s okay, too. He just can’t stand werebears.”

“And what about you guys? Can you stand werebears?”

Both brothers tilted their heads at her, confusion washing over their faces. They were so intense,

amber bits glowing in their eyes, making her almost afraid of them. “If we hated werebears, we wouldn’t have helped you.”

She was relieved to hear Mark say so. “Good. You had me worried for a second.”

“Then I guess you’re okay with werewolves, right?” Brennan grinned. “Otherwise, why would you come to our party?”

“I think hating anyone for what they are is stupid. I don’t hate werewolves or humans or even vampires. Why hate an entire group of people? We’re all the same in one way or another.”

Mark’s mouth curved up at the sides just enough for her to know he agreed. Brennan was nodding enthusiastically.

“Yeah, right? I don’t get how shifters ever started hating each other.” He picked up the pace as they returned to their original positions. “It’s dumb.”

“Really dumb.”

Happy that they agreed, she started getting excited. Feather didn’t like to talk about shifter relations because it reminded her that she wasn’t one of them. To have someone agree with her was like finding a new friend. The one time she’d tried discussing it with her parents, her father had shut down the conversation and told her never to talk about it again. “I don’t even know why we’re supposed to hate each other. Do you?”

“Nope.” Mark stopped, then pulled a leaf off a bush and tore it up. “Something happened a long time ago. I think it’s been so long now no one even remembers. But they still keep hating each other.”

“Which makes it even dumber.”