to
the picnic basket filled with wine and nibbles.
“ Absolutely.” Greta downed
the last swallow of her second glass of honeyed wine and held it up
high awaiting her refill.
They had been out there about thirty
minutes just lying around in the dark listening to the calming flow
of the lake. They were downstream from Genma’s house, but away from
any other houses.
Tranquil peace. Greta was glad she’d
agreed to this moment with her friends.
Ebony filled her glass from the jug of
Shardik-made brew, slightly unsteady she splashed a drop on to
Greta’s cheek.
“ If you’re going to pour
it on me…at least aim for my mouth.” Greta smiled up at the pretty
black woman with the birth-marked, gray streak in her
hair.
Ebony’s giggle slid out easily, proof
she was a little tipsy. Usually her co-worker and friend was too
serious for her own good. “True. No need to waste such good
wine.”
“ So, tell us, Ebony. Since
you don’t want to talk about breeding…when are you going to allow
that sexy Dainton to mate with you...” Riley leaned up on her
elbows and glanced back at Ebony.
“ Yeah. Make you his
officially. You have that Were twisted.” Rena added. “Bring me a
bunch of grapes when you come back over here with your
answer.”
“ And cheese.” Riley
added.
Greta kept quiet as she sat up to
drink down a gulp of wine. She didn’t enjoy the direction of the
conversation. She wasn’t pregnant or close to being anyone’s mate.
Not that she usually gave either issue much thought. However,
having Hansel show up in town had her body completely on edge with
need and made her mind display an occasional image of her life with
a male to love her.
But she wouldn’t fool herself into
believing that Hansel was here for love. The male was a
pseudo-brother. They were siblings of tragedy. For that reason
alone she had to be glad he had heeded her words and left
town.
“ I don’t know.” Ebony
plopped down hard in the grass beside Rena, drawing Greta’s
attention back to them.
Thankfully away from her own wayward
thoughts.
“ We know you care for him.
It’s evident on your face every time he walks into the same space
you’re in.”
That was so true. At work, Greta had
walked in on the couple at least twice with their faces locked
together and hands caressing and cupping. They were combustible,
ready to singe anyone that got near them.
“ Yeah, I do. Probably even
love the big lug of a bear.” Ebony put her glass to her lips and
downed half of her drink in one gulp.
“ Then what’s the problem?”
Rena maneuvered her round body into a sitting position.
“ What are you waiting
for?” Riley remained stretched out, rubbing her swollen
belly.
“ It’s…it’s—” Ebony’s words
broke off as she stared out at the lake. Her mouth opened as if she
was going to start again, but she closed it and shook her head and
sighed.
Greta understood Ebony’s emotional
frustration. Even though their situation was extremely different,
she comprehended the internal war of bear and mind.
“ It’s okay, Ebony.” Rena
placed a comforting hand on Ebony’s shoulder.
“ No, it’s not.” Ebony
burst out crying.
That caused them all to freeze. Such
open, raw emotions from the reserved, professional female had the
three of them momentarily dumbfounded.
“ I can’t shift. I can’t
shift.” The tears rolled unchecked down Ebony’s face.
Rena scurried across the ground to her
and pulled her into a hug. Greta watched as Riley joined in, her
heart breaking for her cousin’s mate. She, unlike the other three
ladies, had been raised as a Were-bear, knew what was expected of
her. Trained in her shifting skills and methods from birth, she
could shift with barely a thought or breath.
However, she didn’t belittle her three
friends. Riley was a home girl bitten at a young age by Theo, but
raised unaware of the Were gene in her blood until she’d met him
again. Rena was a half-blood, with a mother who had
the picnic basket filled with wine and nibbles.
“ Absolutely.” Greta downed
the last swallow of her second glass of honeyed wine and held it up
high awaiting her refill.
They had been out there about thirty
minutes just lying around in the dark listening to the calming flow
of the lake. They were downstream from Genma’s house, but away from
any other houses.
Tranquil peace. Greta was glad she’d
agreed to this moment with her friends.
Ebony filled her glass from the jug of
Shardik-made brew, slightly unsteady she splashed a drop on to
Greta’s cheek.
“ If you’re going to pour
it on me…at least aim for my mouth.” Greta smiled up at the pretty
black woman with the birth-marked, gray streak in her
hair.
Ebony’s giggle slid out easily, proof
she was a little tipsy. Usually her co-worker and friend was too
serious for her own good. “True. No need to waste such good
wine.”
“ So, tell us, Ebony. Since
you don’t want to talk about breeding…when are you going to allow
that sexy Dainton to mate with you...” Riley leaned up on her
elbows and glanced back at Ebony.
“ Yeah. Make you his
officially. You have that Were twisted.” Rena added. “Bring me a
bunch of grapes when you come back over here with your
answer.”
“ And cheese.” Riley
added.
Greta kept quiet as she sat up to
drink down a gulp of wine. She didn’t enjoy the direction of the
conversation. She wasn’t pregnant or close to being anyone’s mate.
Not that she usually gave either issue much thought. However,
having Hansel show up in town had her body completely on edge with
need and made her mind display an occasional image of her life with
a male to love her.
But she wouldn’t fool herself into
believing that Hansel was here for love. The male was a
pseudo-brother. They were siblings of tragedy. For that reason
alone she had to be glad he had heeded her words and left
town.
“ I don’t know.” Ebony
plopped down hard in the grass beside Rena, drawing Greta’s
attention back to them.
Thankfully away from her own wayward
thoughts.
“ We know you care for him.
It’s evident on your face every time he walks into the same space
you’re in.”
That was so true. At work, Greta had
walked in on the couple at least twice with their faces locked
together and hands caressing and cupping. They were combustible,
ready to singe anyone that got near them.
“ Yeah, I do. Probably even
love the big lug of a bear.” Ebony put her glass to her lips and
downed half of her drink in one gulp.
“ Then what’s the problem?”
Rena maneuvered her round body into a sitting position.
“ What are you waiting
for?” Riley remained stretched out, rubbing her swollen
belly.
“ It’s…it’s—” Ebony’s words
broke off as she stared out at the lake. Her mouth opened as if she
was going to start again, but she closed it and shook her head and
sighed.
Greta understood Ebony’s emotional
frustration. Even though their situation was extremely different,
she comprehended the internal war of bear and mind.
“ It’s okay, Ebony.” Rena
placed a comforting hand on Ebony’s shoulder.
“ No, it’s not.” Ebony
burst out crying.
That caused them all to freeze. Such
open, raw emotions from the reserved, professional female had the
three of them momentarily dumbfounded.
“ I can’t shift. I can’t
shift.” The tears rolled unchecked down Ebony’s face.
Rena scurried across the ground to her
and pulled her into a hug. Greta watched as Riley joined in, her
heart breaking for her cousin’s mate. She, unlike the other three
ladies, had been raised as a Were-bear, knew what was expected of
her. Trained in her shifting skills and methods from birth, she
could shift with barely a thought or breath.
However, she didn’t belittle her three
friends. Riley was a home girl bitten at a young age by Theo, but
raised unaware of the Were gene in her blood until she’d met him
again. Rena was a half-blood, with a mother who had
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