well
about now either.” Ebony frowned into her still half-full
glass.
“ No more wine for the two
of you.” Rena took Ebony’s glass then Greta’s and went to the
basket. She tossed the remainder of Ebony’s drink into a bush
before putting them away.
“ Well, I guess we all need
to head home.” Ebony stretched her arms over her head.
“ Not yet.” Riley spoke
beside her.
“ What’s up?” Greta lowered
her arms and glanced from Riley to Ebony who now stood beside
her.
“ We put this little
lakeside party together for you.” Ebony reminded her.
“ Tell us about the hot,
sexy rogue bear in town.” Riley folded her arms under her breasts
and waited.
“ Not much to tell.” She
glanced back at Rena hoping to get some support from her
ex-neighbor and friend, who now lived with her mate Cord instead of
her grandmother Genma. However, she could see there was no
reinforcement there, since Red, a nickname of Rena’s, was strolling
toward her with curiosity lighting her gaze.
“ Where’d he come
from?”
“ How do you know
him?”
“ What does he want from
you? Why is he here?”
The three females fired off questions
so fast Greta wasn’t sure who asked what. It didn’t matter because
if she had it her way, she wouldn’t be answering any of
them.
Rubbing her face, trying to buy time
and sober her mind, she sighed in frustration. Why did everyone
want to talk about him? Couldn’t they just leave it all alone, he
was gone now. Situation over.
“ It’s complicated.” She
lowered her hand and walked to the water’s edge.
“ Is he dangerous?” That
soft, light voice was Riley’s.
The answer to that easily tumbled out.
“No.”
“ Okay. Did you know he was
coming to Den?” Ebony came up alongside of her.
“ Hell, no. If I did I
wouldn’t have been here.” She faced the trio.
“ Your history with him is
that bad, huh?” Ebony touched her upper arm.
Sympathy was evident on all their
faces. She recalled that since all of them were transplants from
other places way outside of Den they weren’t aware of the situation
that had happened when she was younger. Most of the time she was
grateful for that, because she never enjoyed the watchful gazes and
sympathy of the townspeople when they looked at her. However,
tonight with all the inquiry she could easily lump her three
friends into the same pile with everyone else.
Curiosity.
I just want to leave it
all alone. Forget about Hansel and everything else. It’s best that
way.
“ It’s complicated.” It
seemed like she couldn’t get past that one statement, nothing else
clever would come to mind, especially with it sauced on honeyed
wine. Human alcohol didn’t have a lot of effect on Were’s, so she
had been told since even the idea of her taking her ‘wandering
years’ after her earlier absence was not even a remote possibility.
Be that as it may, fermented with a hint of apple juice was a
completely different situation that could muddle a Were-bear’s
brain easily. Greta moved away, a little unsteady on her
feet.
She started making sure all of the
remnants of their snacks and wine were put back into the basket
Rena had brought. Rising with it in hand, she stared at her
friends. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now. My mind
is all over the place. Hansel is from a time in my past when I
didn’t know if I’d ever see Den County again. “My parents, my
friends….everything I knew had been lost to me. Hansel was the only
person—” She had to correct herself, recalling they had only
shifted to human form once back then. “Bear that I could cling to.
He was my saving grace in too many ways for me to list without
allowing that part of my memories full reign in my mind. I refuse
to do that.” Taking a deep breath she walked back to the place by
the lake where they still stood.
“ I know it’s not much, but
I thank you all for tonight. I needed it. Now, I’m going to find my
bed, I hope,” she giggled. “And
about now either.” Ebony frowned into her still half-full
glass.
“ No more wine for the two
of you.” Rena took Ebony’s glass then Greta’s and went to the
basket. She tossed the remainder of Ebony’s drink into a bush
before putting them away.
“ Well, I guess we all need
to head home.” Ebony stretched her arms over her head.
“ Not yet.” Riley spoke
beside her.
“ What’s up?” Greta lowered
her arms and glanced from Riley to Ebony who now stood beside
her.
“ We put this little
lakeside party together for you.” Ebony reminded her.
“ Tell us about the hot,
sexy rogue bear in town.” Riley folded her arms under her breasts
and waited.
“ Not much to tell.” She
glanced back at Rena hoping to get some support from her
ex-neighbor and friend, who now lived with her mate Cord instead of
her grandmother Genma. However, she could see there was no
reinforcement there, since Red, a nickname of Rena’s, was strolling
toward her with curiosity lighting her gaze.
“ Where’d he come
from?”
“ How do you know
him?”
“ What does he want from
you? Why is he here?”
The three females fired off questions
so fast Greta wasn’t sure who asked what. It didn’t matter because
if she had it her way, she wouldn’t be answering any of
them.
Rubbing her face, trying to buy time
and sober her mind, she sighed in frustration. Why did everyone
want to talk about him? Couldn’t they just leave it all alone, he
was gone now. Situation over.
“ It’s complicated.” She
lowered her hand and walked to the water’s edge.
“ Is he dangerous?” That
soft, light voice was Riley’s.
The answer to that easily tumbled out.
“No.”
“ Okay. Did you know he was
coming to Den?” Ebony came up alongside of her.
“ Hell, no. If I did I
wouldn’t have been here.” She faced the trio.
“ Your history with him is
that bad, huh?” Ebony touched her upper arm.
Sympathy was evident on all their
faces. She recalled that since all of them were transplants from
other places way outside of Den they weren’t aware of the situation
that had happened when she was younger. Most of the time she was
grateful for that, because she never enjoyed the watchful gazes and
sympathy of the townspeople when they looked at her. However,
tonight with all the inquiry she could easily lump her three
friends into the same pile with everyone else.
Curiosity.
I just want to leave it
all alone. Forget about Hansel and everything else. It’s best that
way.
“ It’s complicated.” It
seemed like she couldn’t get past that one statement, nothing else
clever would come to mind, especially with it sauced on honeyed
wine. Human alcohol didn’t have a lot of effect on Were’s, so she
had been told since even the idea of her taking her ‘wandering
years’ after her earlier absence was not even a remote possibility.
Be that as it may, fermented with a hint of apple juice was a
completely different situation that could muddle a Were-bear’s
brain easily. Greta moved away, a little unsteady on her
feet.
She started making sure all of the
remnants of their snacks and wine were put back into the basket
Rena had brought. Rising with it in hand, she stared at her
friends. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now. My mind
is all over the place. Hansel is from a time in my past when I
didn’t know if I’d ever see Den County again. “My parents, my
friends….everything I knew had been lost to me. Hansel was the only
person—” She had to correct herself, recalling they had only
shifted to human form once back then. “Bear that I could cling to.
He was my saving grace in too many ways for me to list without
allowing that part of my memories full reign in my mind. I refuse
to do that.” Taking a deep breath she walked back to the place by
the lake where they still stood.
“ I know it’s not much, but
I thank you all for tonight. I needed it. Now, I’m going to find my
bed, I hope,” she giggled. “And
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