Human Shifter (Book Three: A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance) by Aubrey Rose Page A

in the thickest parts of the forest, and Julia ended up on a small trail that led down to where the dense firs branched over a stream. Balancing precariously, she clambered up the side of a boulder and sat down. The boulder overlooked the water, and Julia closed her eyes, letting the rest of her senses feel the forest as Damien would feel it. The soft bubbling of water over stones. The birds calling from one tree to another; a woodpecker at work not far off in the distance. A rustling of leaves, the slow creak of branches moved by the invisible wind overhead.
    "Are you following me too?"
    Julia snapped her head around and saw Mara standing just a few feet downstream, her arms crossed.
    "What—where is ... " Julia looked around. Someone should be here.
    "Jordan is just over the hill by his shelter, don't worry," Mara said. "Everybody's got their eye on me."
    "That's not why I came here," Julia said. "Sorry, I didn't even know this was where you were."
    "Why, then?" Mara cocked her head curiously. Julia didn't know how to respond, but when she didn't say anything Mara leapt up nimbly onto the rock next to her.
    "I'd rather not talk about it," Julia said.
    "If you're going to blame me for all of this—"
    "I'm not," Julia said. "This isn't about you."
    "Oh. Okay," Mara said. She sat in silence for a moment. A leaf drifted by in the stream, bobbing around the stones. Julia watched it go until it disappeared downstream.
    "I'm sorry about what happened with Damien," Mara said.
    Julia looked over in surprise. Mara's arms were wrapped around her knees protectively. Her previously snarky disposition seemed disarmed by Julia's obvious distress, but she was still wary.
    "How did it happen?" Julia asked, being careful not to let any blame come into her voice.
    "I—I thought it was Kyle following me. I led him through some tricks, to see if his tracking was as good as he said it was. He's kind of a brag."
    "That's putting it mildly," Julia said. "What tricks?"
    "Basic stuff." Mara shook her hair behind her shoulders. "Crossing streams, backtracking, that kind of thing. I was about to say forget it and go home—I thought Kyle had given up trying to track me. But I guess Damien was out looking for me too."
    "He found you?" Julia asked, her heart beating faster.
    "Yeah, and I had a great place hidden right outside of the territory. He came looking for me and I—you know, I jumped at him. I wanted to see if he could fight, even though he was blind.
    "And?" Julia's mouth was dry, her muscles tense as though she was there, fighting alongside Damien.
    "And he rolled me off but then backed up, like we were fighting for real. And then his back legs slipped off of the edge ... "
    Mara stopped and looked up at Julia. Julia was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
    "It wasn't intentional. I promise. I would never—I thought it was just for fun."
    "I believe you," Julia said. She reached out and pressed her hand on top of Mara's. To her surprise, Mara took her hand and squeezed it—lightly, but Julia could still feel the strength behind her grasp. Then Mara pulled back into her shell.
    "Katherine doesn't believe me. None of them do."
    "They will."
    They sat on the rock and thought. In Julia's mind, the scene played out in her head: Damien, backing up, not knowing the cliff was right behind him ... She shuddered.
    "I'm sorry," Mara said again.
    "It's okay," Julia said. "Really. It was a mistake, that's all."
    "I don't fit in here," Mara said, looking back toward the stream. Her hands turned a dried twig over between her fingers, the dry leaves crackling as she pinched them off one by one.
    "What do you mean?"
    "This pack. It's not at all like it was back with Trax."
    "What was it like there?"
    "Don't get me wrong." Mara smiled, looking back up at Julia. "It's good to be out of there. But I knew my place, and it was easy to understand the pack rules. At least there, I knew to shut up and follow orders. Here, I feel like I'm just doing everything