Free Waking the Bear (Shifter Wars) by Kerry Adrienne Page B

getting back at Griff. Better to feign allegiance.
    “Once we go in, that is.” Max let a low growl rumble across the room. “Which isn’t going to be now. I haven’t heard one reason we should attack now and until we know how many bears there are, we won’t be attacking.”
    “I agree.” Marco crossed his arms.
    “It won’t take long to find out and finish preparations,” Mason said. “I, for one, want to see this war over with as soon as possible. I’ve been drawing up a plan of attack, but I’ll need some more time to polish it before I present it to you.”
    “Very well.” Max scratched at his chin. “Prudence it is. In the meantime, let’s talk about what we can do to gain every possible advantage. Sounds like we’re going to need them.”
    Evers fisted his hands and tried to still himself. He closed his eyes. Calm down. He couldn’t let Max see his rage or the old lion wouldn’t let him near the bears. He probably smelled the anger anyway. Fine.
    Max wasn’t ready to fight? Evers would handle Griff on his own. He preferred one on one anyway.
    The war could wait until another day but a certain bear wasn’t going to live to see it.

Chapter Six
    Amy sat in an empty vinyl-clad booth in Oakwood’s only café—the Lazy Moon. Faint strains of country music lilted through the air. She took a deep breath, and exhaled it slowly like she’d learned in yoga class.
    Years of tension had begun to ease, and her shoulders no longer ached with knotted muscles.
    Being at the cabin had produced a response she didn’t expect. She was a bit lonely. She hadn’t seen or talked to anyone in person since her last trip into town, right after she’d arrived a week ago.
    No, it was when Griff had come over to help with the water. The night he dashed out after she’d asked him if he had a girlfriend. That had been embarrassing.
    She closed her eyes and replayed the image of him bending over the tub to reach the faucet, then his weird reaction to her question. She shook her head. It didn’t make sense—first he was almost flirting, then he ran off like she’d asked him his heart’s desire. Maybe she had. Something was going on with him, for sure, and it had to do with relationships.
    It was just as well that he wasn’t coming by to chat. The last thing she needed was to have a crush on someone who was unavailable or carried too much baggage. She had enough of her own issues to sort through. As sexy as Griff was, he was a bit bossy about her not going into the woods and staying close to the cabin. Same as Darren started out. She didn’t need that kind of man in her life again.
    The smell of hot food wafted through the air and her stomach growled. She opened her eyes and looked for the waitress. No one in sight.
    Yeah, it was best that Griff remain at a distance. She checked her phone for messages. Nothing but the text from her mom earlier, asking how she was doing and updating her on her dad’s fishing injury.
    A little loneliness never hurt anyone. Solitude was needed for soul-searching.
    The music shifted to a more upbeat country song and she tapped her foot to the rhythm. Country had never been her style, but trying new things was good for her.
    She yawned. So tired. She’d picked up most of her supplies and groceries in trips to town in the last week, and was eager to get back to the cabin. Hunger had pushed her to grab a lunch and the café looked so quaint, she had to try it. The exterior appeared a bit hippie with its crescent moon logo and colorful façade, but inside, she felt like she’d stepped back even further in time.
    Maybe to the 1950s.
    She flipped over the laminated one-page menu then set it on the table. Mostly American staples like burgers and sandwiches and fried dill pickles. With the retro décor—photos of old Hollywood icons lining the walls and a jukebox in the corner—what had she expected? She smiled.
    “Perfect,” she mumbled. The aroma of fried food drifted on the air and her