"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said, stunned. Her own childhood had been rough, but nothing like that. "Scott and Olaf have similar stories?"

"Scott came to us because the Shiftertown he was in couldn't handle him. There weren't any other Bears there, only Lupines and Felines. It's hard enough for species to get along, and he went a little crazy being the only Ursine there. So I offered to take him. Scott's not bad, just a pain in the ass. He'll be fine once he finishes his Transition."

"No parents?"

"Father died right before he was born, and his mother died of bringing him in. He's been alone since."

"And Olaf?" Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Saw his mom and dad shot and killed in front of him, but thank the Goddess, he doesn't clearly remember it. Hunters, somewhere up in the Arctic, near Russia. They said they didn't realize the bears were Shifter. Sure. Olaf is cute, so they didn't kill him, but they did try to make a pet of him, like Cherie. Except Olaf nearly killed one of them, so the Russian Shifter Division got him and locked him up for a long time. Again, I got word and said I'd take him. That was a year ago."

Ronan related the tragic tales without changing expression, as though these things were commonplace, which made them all the worse.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said again. "That's so wrong."

"At least I have a good Shiftertown leader who lets me help. Some leaders can be real shitheads. I just hope I can help the kids out."

"You already have," Elizabeth said. "I grew up in foster homes, Ronan. I see your house, and it's like paradise. Cherie, Scott, and Olaf are happy there. They can be normal. That doesn't always happen."

Ronan nodded without conceit. "It's funny, when I lived in the wild, I was by myself most of the time. I preferred it. I had miles to roam, didn't have to see anyone if I didn't want to. I never thought I'd be holed up in a house with a prickly she-bear and three cubs, trying to be a substitute dad. But what the hell?"

"From what I can see, you're doing an amazing job."

Ronan pushed himself up from where he'd been leaning on the counter. "Stop flattering me, woman. You're making me blush."

"Fine. But if you're going to hang out here, I have a crate of new stuff that needs to be shelved." She sent him a sweet look. "Since Mabel's not here, you're recruited."

*** *** ***

Pablo Marquez looked across his desk at his little brother Julio, who lounged on the old sofa by the soda machine. Julio's face was bruised and cut from his wrestling match with the bear, and the back of his head still sported bandages.

Pablo had heard that the Bear Shifter had been let go, somehow convincing the judge he'd only been trying to take the gun away from Julio. The problem was, Pablo believed him. If the Shifter had wanted Julio dead, Julio wouldn't be sitting here with only a few shallow cuts as souvenirs.

Julio had been quiet and angry since Pablo had paid his bail and brought him home. He'd had to call in a favor to get Julio out of the hospital and to a bail hearing so quickly.

Now he had a problem. Pablo ran a body shop, a great way to do legitimate business and keep the other businesses under the radar. He was new here in Austin and wanted to keep under the radar from many people for a while. Tough to do that when his little brother decided to go out and do something dumb-ass like try to rob a little novelty shop.

"I want her in the ground," Julio was saying. "That bitch and her trained Shifter."

"You're going to leave her alone," Pablo said sharply. "What the hell did you go in there for? You were going to get, what, maybe two grand, tops?"

Julio shrugged. "I'd get what I'd get."

"What you got was a trial for armed robbery." Pablo balled his hands until the skin pulled against his knuckles. He'd promised their mother he'd look after Julio, even though the kid was a big screw-up. Pablo was fifteen years older than Julio, and he swore that Julio was part of the reason their mother had died of the heart attack.

Pablo had learned on that cruel day that all his money and all his success couldn't keep him from losing the one person in the world he loved. Now he was stuck taking care of Julio and trying to make the best of it.

He continued. "First of all, you didn't scout the place. There was a Shifter in there, a big one. The guy had to be seven feet tall, and you never noticed him? Dios mio, what do you use for brains?"

"I scouted plenty. I watched that bitch every night for two weeks. I know where she lives and what kind of truck she drives, and what she does after work--which is nothing--she has a boring life. Shooting her would be doing her a favor. I did everything I was supposed to, Pablo."

"Yeah, well, that Shifter didn't just grow in there. You are telling me you never saw him walk in?"

"No. I bet he was there in her back room before I got there. I bet she was f**king him. I bet she gets off f**king Shifters in her office."

Pablo held on to his patience with effort. Julio liked the F-word and enjoyed opportunities to use it.

"So what if she does?" Pablo asked. "The point is, he was there, and you didn't know it. It would have been justified if he'd killed you."

Julio looked offended. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you screwed up. You decided to pull a smalltime job and then you messed it up by being careless. You're an idiot."