Bear With Me by Moxie North

machines near the road.
    Coming up to a large machine that looked a bulldozer but with a forked blade on the front, Mackenzie stopped. She turned to look at the machine, her cat growling in her head, urging her closer. She strode forward scenting the air as she went, something was familiar. Moving through the layers of sawdust, sap and fresh earth, she smelled something else. Something dirty, unwashed, something she had smelled before.
    “Dax!” Mackenzie called out, turning to see her brother running towards her. Dax took in the golden eyes and went straight towards the large machine.
    Coming up behind them, Wyatt said, “That’s a brush piling cat, scoops up the slash, the junk left on the ground after a cut.”
    “I smell him,” Mackenzie said, knowing Wyatt could see her cat in her eyes.
    “Me too, Tony has been here,” Dax warned.
    Wyatt got down close to the tracks and scanned over the area. “Get Jake for me, will ya?” Not taking his eyes off where he was looking. Not sure what he was looking for, he examined every part separately.
    Dax called out to Jake and waved him over. Jake ran up, “What’s up boss?”
    “Help me go over this, look for anything wrong or out of place. I have a bad feeling,” he offered as explanation.
    The two went over it, top to bottom, finally Wyatt called out, “Here, the hydraulic line is cut. We’d never have seen it this far under.”
    “Son of a bitch!” Jake called out.
    “At least this wouldn’t hurt anyone,” Wyatt offered some solace. He was mad someone touched their gear again too. But this kind of sabotage didn’t get anyone killed.
    Once Wyatt arranged with Jake to have the equipment fixed, he called into to Cage to let him know that Tony was still around.
    Pulling into the base camp, the three left the truck and headed towards the office. As they approached, the door slammed open and Conner stomped down the steps. Catching site of Mackenzie he came to a halt and sucked in a lung full of air. Taking a few steps closer, he scented again. His eyes were shining and without a word, he turned and headed for his Jeep. They watched as he peeled out and didn’t look back.
    Sighing, Mackenzie turned to her brother and said, “I think I’m going to head back to the cabin. Can you catch a ride with Cage?”
    Nodding, her brother offered her a sympathetic look and a lethal glare in the direction of Conner. Wyatt just tossed her the keys and smiled reassuringly at her.
    Mackenzie got back into the truck and aimed it towards the cabins. Parking in front of the main house, she knew Connie and possibly Sophie were inside. She wasn’t up to seeing them right now. Walking behind the house, she went far enough into the trees so the house was just visible in the distance. She stripped out of her clothes and left them piled neatly next to a fallen log.
    Taking a breath, she asked her cat if she wanted to run. The resounding roar had her laughing, she let her cougar push forward, unfolding out of her skin in a shimmering sparkle.
    Her cat was average size for a cougar, or mountain lion or puma depending on where you lived. Mackenzie’s animal even looked like her, curvy and athletic. A tan colored coat with flecks of gold shining through it. Giving a long exaggerated stretch, she wanted her cat to have fun, and pulled back, letting her have the lead.
    The cat took the opportunity and took off at a dead run, jumping over fallen logs and scattering the small animals ahead of her.
    They ran for hours, even tracked a bunny down for a snack. Mackenzie was not a big fan of raw meat, but it kept her animal happy and they were one. It was happy, she was happy. Or relatively speaking.
    Realizing it was getting late, her cougar knew it was time to head back too. They took it slower making their way back to the cabin. By the time she could see the faint glow of the cabin in the distance, she’d slowed to a walk.
    Her cat suddenly hunkered down in the brush. Mackenzie hadn’t been