Free Mating Season by Allie Ritch

best strategy is to lure them in and face them at a time and place of our choosing. Otherwise, they have the advantage of surprise."
    "That's why I need to track them."
    He regarded her solemnly. “I don't want you near them."
    His protectiveness made her want to snarl and nuzzle him at the same time.
    "You can't keep me confined here doing nothing.” That was something she would never tolerate. “I don't plan on getting too close to them. I'll just use my nose to figure out where they are. Besides, the brothers won't hurt me.” She curled her lip. “They want me whole and healthy to breed their cubs."
    No, the one in danger here was Koll. He was outnumbered and outmatched if the men transformed into frost bears, which was exactly what Tartok and Cikuq would do. They weren't concerned with honor or fairness. Their only goal was to defeat rival males quickly and with as little risk of injury to themselves as possible.
    "That's to our advantage,” Koll said. “But I still don't want you dealing with them."
    Shila remained silent since further arguing would only rile him up. She understood how powerful instincts were, especially those tied to mating.
    Obviously taking her response as agreement, he continued. “Tell me their weaknesses."
    "They don't have many. As men, they are stronger than me or you, but not by an insurmountable degree. They've probably only fought in bear form—that's usually our way—so they won't have your skill. That will only prove an advantage if they don't shift, which they certainly will do if they sense a threat."
    "So any attack we make will have to take them by surprise,” Koll said.
    "Yes. There's also a moment of weakness when we shift. Although the transition is swift, it's not instantaneous. If you confront them and they change, strike the second you see their bodies enveloped in light. For that one moment in time, they're defenseless."
    She could tell by the gleam in his eye he was pleased with this bit of knowledge. He couldn't afford to get cocky, though.
    "You need to be equally aware of their strengths,” she warned him. “Even in man form, they have a far better sense of smell than your people. Their vision is very keen."
    "Hearing?"
    She thought about that. “Equal to yours. I haven't noticed much difference between forms."
    He was silent for several minutes. “Why did they come to the village as men? Other beasts have wandered through here. From what you say, they could have tracked you more easily as frost bears."
    "And what do you do when beasts wander through?” Shila posed the question neutrally, though she already knew the answer.
    Koll shrugged. “Catch them if they're edible; scare them away if they're not.” She saw the moment he caught her meaning. “We band together to fend off the dangerous predators."
    "Tartok and Cikuq would rather avoid facing a crowd of angry villagers. There's a higher chance of injury, especially if your people have advanced weaponry.” She studied him, allowing the obvious question to remain unspoken.
    His frown was disheartening. “We have none. Some of the villages held on to the weapons of the ancestors for many generations, but those became useless once spent. There aren't the right minerals on this planet to make more."
    And they wouldn't have made more, anyway. That was part of what the settlers of Jensen had fled from when they'd come here.
    "Where does that leave us?” she asked.
    "I have some ideas.” Koll still looked confident. “I want to lure them close to the village so they'll be more likely to stay men. Sturdy nets will slow them no matter what form they take. Gilby can help."
    "But he's so small. He could be hurt."
    Koll's lips twitched. “Don't judge him by his size. He's a fierce fighter."
    She'd take his word for it, though she still thought of the man as a runt.
    "I will rely on you to set up the trap,” she agreed, “but you still need me to track them. And you need bait."
    "No."
    "I'm what they want.”