Olivia nodded.“They will be back soon.”She didn’t want these two bears to think Damon and the others were as far away as they probably were. She felt a sense of calm with them, but could she really trust them?
The bear nodded.“When we noticed they were away, we waited for them, but then you shifted, and you sensed us. No one can sense us. How are you doing it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know I could until just now.”
“Fascinating.”
Sensing the impending arrival of Damon, she looked behind her. Another inhale told her he was farther than she’d expected, but he was on his way. Arion and Brock were with him. The three of them were running hard. They were scared.
Olivia glanced at Jezebel who was holding her phone. She’d called them.
Olivia looked at Elias. He had no idea. He looked panicked. He ran a hand through his hair.
Why was she able to sense her mate from such a distance?
The bears tipped their heads back and inhaled deeply.“Shit,”the one said.“Your mate is on his way, but he is irrationally scared. We’ll have to go and come another time. Please tell them we mean no harm.”
Olivia stepped closer.“You don’t have to go. I’ll explain.”
“They are too scared, Little wolf. Next time.”The bears backed up.
Olivia rushed forward until she was right in front of them.“Don’t. I need to understand. Please don’t go. I’ll shift and explain.”
They hesitated.
“Olivia!” Elias shouted.
Damon, Brock, and Arion ran around the side of the house at the same time, and Olivia turned her attention toward them. The bears were right. Damon looked like he would kill the bears and ask questions later. He wouldn’t succeed, however. He was not large enough.
The bears knew this. That was why they wanted to back off.
Olivia had less than a second to make a decision. She howled into the air as she shifted into her human form. It was risky, but she needed her voice. Putting her back to the bears, she spun around to face the arriving wolves. “Stop!” she shouted. “They mean no harm.”
Fuck, but she could not see. Damn eyesight. She held out both hands and inhaled deeply, recognizing the moment Damon and the others landed hard in front of her. They were growling. Damon’s fear wafted through the air.
Olivia held up both hands. “Calm down. All of you. The bears mean no harm. They came to meet with you. They waited in the forest for you to return.”
Three growls filled the air.
The bears didn’t move. She was aware of their presence at her back.
“You can’t see them,”the bear to the left said into her head.
She turned toward the bears, hoping to face the one who was communicating with her and spoke out loud. “My human is nearly blind. My mate is rightfully frightened,” she told him.
“And yet your wolf has extraordinary powers,”the bear mused.
“I wasn’t aware of that until you arrived.”
Elias approached on foot. “I think she’s been communicating with them without words,” he said, breathlessly.
“Olivia, back up, now.” The firm voice was Damon’s. He had shifted.
She took a step back, needing to obey her mate. “Calm down, please,” she pleaded.
Suddenly his arms were around her waist, and he hauled her back, flattening her to his front. “What the hell are you doing, Little rebel?”
“Talking to the bears,” she told him.
