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

They had only been walking a few hours, and already she was being weak. She was ashamed.
    "Are you alright?" Mara asked, coming over.
    "Fine," Julia said, standing up. She was still dizzy, but the nausea had passed. "Can I have something to drink?"
    Mara passed her the water bottle as Dee trotted back, looking up at Julia with questioning eyes.
    "I'm fine," Julia told Dee. "Really. Just need something to drink."
    "Drink up," Mara said. "We'll be hitting the stream soon and following it up."
    "Is the water safe to drink here?" Julia asked.
    "Depends where you're getting it from. Near the spring, sure. Down here? Probably not the best. Highway runoff gets in it in places. But we packed enough to last us."
    They continued walking as Julia drank, and as Dee moved to scout farther ahead, Mara became more chatty. Julia was happy to talk: it took her mind off of the reason they were traveling and off of her sickness. A light mist fell and Julia raised her head up, letting the light rain cool her face. After so much hiking, it was good to be cold. She lifted the bottle to her lips.
    "That mark," Mara said, squinting at Julia's hand. "You'll want to cover it up."
    Julia looked down at her hand. The four small red marks looked like claw wounds. Mara reached down and picked up a pinch of moist dirt, then rubbed it onto the back of Julia's hand. The birthmark was obscured. Unless somebody was looking closely, they wouldn't notice.
    "Is that if we meet shifters from your old pack?" she asked.
    "Yeah," Mara said. She looked up and laughed. "Your hair is bright red, though. I don't know why I didn't think of that." She laughed. "Pretty useless to hide your hand and leave your hair."
    "I'm not rubbing mud into my hair," Julia said, laughing.
    "Oh well," Mara said. "Gloves would have been better anyway to cover your hands."
    "In the summer?"
    "Dainty gloves," Mara said.
    "Old woman gloves? The fancy kind that go to the elbow?" Julia chuckled.
    "This is a very fancy mission," Mara said.
    "And a fancy hat with feathers," Julia said. "To cover my hair. If anyone asks, we could tell them we're going to a tea party."
    Mara leaned over and spoke in a gruff tone.
    "'Pardon me, ma'am. I—ah, I couldn't help but notice you're edging into another pack's territory.'" Julia stifled a groan as Mara clutched her hand to her heart in mock distress. "'Ahhh, how right you are, kindest sir. My utmost apologies.'"
    They burst into giggles and Dee appeared in front of them out of the woods, her stare accusing, her eyes crackling red and yellow. She didn't have to speak. Her message was clear, and the two girls closed their mouths. They were outside of their territory now, and would have to stay low to avoid detection.
    The rest of the day was spent hiking through hilly territory.
    At night, just as the sun's rays had faded completely from the bits of sky overhead, they stopped near a cluster of boulders. Mara tossed her pack down next to one of the boulders and Julia sat down on the ground gratefully. Dee ran off into the woods.
    "Where is she going?" Julia asked.
    "To scout," Mara said. "She'll circle out a mile or so and make sure there's nobody near."
    A mile. Julia was in awe at how fast Dee could run as a wolf. She wondered what it would be like, to run and run and not be tired. The day's hike was catching up to her, and her legs ached. She rubbed them, trying to stave off a strain. Mara walked around the boulder to shift and came back in wolf form, curling up against a boulder. Dee had come back and nuzzled Julia's hand, sitting down. Julia lay next to her grandmother, her head on her pack. Dee's eyes were alert, and Julia realized that she would stand watch. The thought comforted her.
    Julia thought she would have a hard time going to sleep, but after just a few minutes she had drifted off.
    She dreamt, or maybe it was not a dream, she did not know. All she knew was that the moon was shining somewhere in the trees, and that she must find it. Mara and Dee