---

"No. I offer her a boon," the hulk rumbled.

It extended an enormous hand over the fire to gently touch Bev's forehead. "I shall undo the damage I caused," it continued, as a green glow spread from its finger. "You are restored with my apologies, dau--ah, shifter."

Bev jerked awake. "Gah! Why does my mouth taste like lawn?"

Veronica pointed an angry finger. "You could have done that at any time and didn't?" she snarled. "That's worse! You get how that's worse, right?"

Bev looked down at herself curiously, wrapped in a blanket. "Why are we naked?"

Veronica thawed. "You insisted on camping naked," she lied, reassuringly. "We all tried to talk you out of it but you said it was tits out or else. Frankly you scared Maeve a little."

"Really?" Bev asked, surprised. "Awesome."

Veronica scooped the werewolf up into her arms. "Maeve, talk some sense into this thing, willya? I'm taking Bev to the truck."

Maeve let the women depart. "This war that's coming? We're well familiar," she said to Saskatchewan flatly. "Veronica intends to win it. I intend to stop it."

"You cannot."

"Yes, it's possible neither of us will succeed," Maeve shrugged. "But it's better than simply accepting the inevitable."

The elemental paused, stung. "I intended the werewolf to be my soldier under the banner of Nature," it insisted. "Alberta fell to the mages decades ago, and I will not have that happen here."

"But you didn't think to ask her," Maeve said, rising to her feet. "I know a thing or two about team-building. I am building one now. I'm asking you to be on it."