Twenty-Six

Asher

There was nothing sexual about the way I was curled up to Mari’s back as she rested in the cradle of Rias’s arms, the tiny bed we’d been forced to make do with ensuring we remained almost on top of one another.

I wasn’t complaining about the closeness to my other half, but I was missing the luxurious bed back home in the East as we fell asleep, nonetheless.

At any rate, what seemed like only minutes later, Reese’s deep baritone was invading my head, forewarning about the arrival of the bear shifters.

A few minutes later, I’d barely been able to rouse the others before someone was beating on the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

Reese’s familiar voice sounded again, but this time, it came from the other side of the bedroom door as it rang out in a tense tone, saying, “Asher.”

Groaning, I rolled out of bed, careful not to dump Mari on the ground from where she’d cuddled up to me while we slept. I was even