Grayslake: More than Mated: Secrets to Bear (Kindle Worlds Novella) (7 page)

Lira stomped through the woods, grumbling to herself. "I mean, really, what is the point of this exercise? To get in touch with nature?"

She stopped to flick a mosquito off her arm. Nature could suck it. "That is so much more nature than I want to encounter. Stupid bugs, why do they like me so much?"

She looked at the map and the compass. She still seemed to be on the right track. The meadow should be just ahead. She pushed her way through the overgrown path. The bag was starting to weigh her down. At least after she ate the massive lunch Grace had packed, she's be carrying more of the weight in her belly, not on her back.

Magda swore up and down that Lira would understand once she got to the stupid meadow. That she would feel better about her background and being part shifter. Which was silly.

Still, she had been cooped up at the B&B for a while, and since she and Jake were pretty actively not talking after their fight, the walk couldn't hurt.

Lira looked up at the sky and felt sorry for herself. Why was she fighting against Jake so hard? Her heart sped up when she saw him. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and if she was honest with herself, feel him between her legs again.

The truth she was having trouble admitting to herself, and why she fought against him, was that Ethan never had the power to hurt her. She had been upset catching him with Angela, but it was more the betrayal of trust from her former best friend. She'd been more relieved to be free of Ethan. That's why she never really lost her temper about it.

She'd been happy to have a reason.

And she was scared to death of trusting Jake with her heart because he could hurt her so easily.

As she made the epiphany, she stepped into a glorious meadow. It was a sea of wild flowers with a wide, flat rock in the center. She picked her way through the winding path. It led to a smooth area that was perfect for a picnic. She set her pack down and stared up at the perfect sky.

She felt peace settle over her roiled emotions. She might not be entirely cool with her newly discovered background, but as she rummaged in the bag Magda had packed, she understood the little smile on her face.

Magda had squeezed her hand and said it was a favorite spot of her mother's, and that she often retreated there when she had a lot of things to think over. Lira pulled things out of the pack. At the top was a blanket she spread over the rock. Her lunch was a series of separately wrapped little treats. She pulled out the water bottle and took a swig while she opened them up.

She could imagine her mother sitting with her, showing her all the things about Grayslake that she'd loved. "Stupid cancer. I wish I had gotten to know you better. At all. I was 8. That just isn't enough time. It's not fair." Even as she said the words into the air, Lira knew she was lucky. "Thank you for making sure Magda was there for me."

Lira had another epiphany. Magda and her mother, Deirdre might not have been married or romantic partners, but Magda had been just as much a parent as her biological mother. Magda had been the one to catch Lira when she was born.

There had been no question that Magda would keep Lira and had always treated her as her own. Joy burbled inside her heart. She might not know what to do about Jake or entirely understand the shifter world yet, but coming to her mother's spot gave her a chance to recognize exactly what Magda was to her.

She picked up the small tangerine and cracked open the peel of the fruit. Its sharp tang fizzled in her nose and she laid back to watch the clouds while she savored each bite of the fruit.

She'd lay it all out for Magda when she got back and ask her what the hell the best course was.

Lira woke up with a start and sat up. She must have drifted off. She pulled a wet nap out of bag and wiped the sticky residue from the orange off her hands and face. She yelped when she looked at the time. She'd napped for hours!

Thank goodness it was summer or she'd be worried about making it back to the house before the sun set. Still, she double checked that the flashlight worked. She gathered everything up, making sure to pack her trash out.

If shifters were real, maybe ghosts were too, and she'd hate to see her mother again only to be fussed at about littering. Not to mention, she'd be ashamed to return knowing she'd left garbage strewn about.

She hoisted the much lighter pack to her back. Maybe next time she'd bring Jake just so he could be the pack mule. And because she could easily imagine making love all afternoon on the sun-warmed rock.

It put a spring in her step as she headed back to the B&B. Still, by the time she saw the house in the distance she was exhausted. It was a bear of a walk. If she stayed in Grayslake she'd end up in a hell of a lot better shape.

She giggled at the thought of carrying bear spray with her, in case anyone got rowdy. She didn't notice the silhouette in the front room window watching her approach the house, and she opened the kitchen door, dropping the pack at the door.

"Hello? Anyone around?" She called out as she turned on the sink faucet. She wanted to rinse some of the sweat off her face so didn't hear the man approaching until he'd grabbed her by the waist and swung her around.

Her blood ran cold and she opened her mouth to scream, but Ethan covered it. She flailed against him, summoning what little energy she had left to try and get away.

He slapped her, hard, knocking her off her feet and to the ground, stunning her into silence.

"Keep quiet, or those old bitches will get it."

She panted on the floor, staring at his shoes. She nodded. Memaw and Gran might be shifters, but they were also elderly and she was scared of what he could do to them. So she nodded and let him reach down and pull her to her feet.

Ethan sneered at her. "Look at you. You're a fucking mess. How could you let yourself get so disgusting? I've let this go on long enough, I thought if I gave you enough time to get your pre-wedding jitters out on your own, you'd come to your senses." He dragged her out of the kitchen and into the front room. "We'll just wait for that bitch Magda to get back. I know you think you should feel grateful that she took care of you when you were younger. But you have me now and you have to let her know where we stand."

Lira wanted to wretch. Ethan had completely lost his grip on reality. She hated his hands on her.

But she took a deep breath and said, "Why don't we just head back home? I can call her later?" She desperately wanted to get him out of the B&B and away from everyone, so she managed to keep her tone light.

He pulled a handgun from his waist band. "Because I have to make sure the wild oats that you sowed are taken care of. He is here, isn't he? That's why you came here? To find your nasty one-night stand?"

"Ethan, honey, you don't understand, I came here because this is where my mother was born."

"I'm not stupid, you know. Your mother was a rich man's side piece. That's why there was all the money for you. But it's okay. I forgive you." He looked so sincere Lira wanted to scream. How could he say all those things? And the money thing was so crazy and out of left field. "But once I take out the trash, we'll get married and then it will be
our
money. And everything will be just fine."

"Ethan, honey, I don't think there is any money, not from my mother."

"Magda's been in charge of it. That is why you have to tell her. Everyone knows."

She knew she couldn't reason with him, but he was making so little sense. "But even if I do have money, you wouldn't need it. You are such a good Realtor, everyone uses you."

"Sure, I do okay. Enough to take care of us, after my debts are cleared up."

Ethan was into something deep and it was agitating him. Lira decided to redirect the conversation. "Are you sure I can't just leave Magda a note? There really isn't a need for anything else. You know I've been staying with a very sweet little old lady."

May Memaw forgive her lie. She might be old, but she was neither little nor especially sweet. It was at that moment that she saw Gran at the top of the stairs. Gran put her finger to her lips and Lira reached out a hand to Ethan to keep him distracted.

Ethan frowned and looked out the front window. "I did think they would be back already. I could just come back to kill him later."

Lira thought Jake and the Bears of Grayslake would make very short work of Ethan, but she was terrified of what he might do to Magda. He clearly saw her as a threat to something he needed. She had to keep him distracted and off balance.

"Babe, you know I'm not much for the outdoors. They made me take a really long walk and I am just so exhausted. You know I don't have much energy left and we have a long drive ahead of us. Don't be stubborn." It was dangerous playing to him like that.

He reached forward and stroked her cheek. "You really are a mess. You could go run through the shower while I wait for Magda." He ran his hand down her neck and circled her breast, cupping it. His voice thickened. "And I've missed you so much. Angela was a tolerable lay, but nothing compared to you.  Maybe we'll just get to a hotel where I can properly enjoy you."

Lira couldn't help her body clenching away from his touch. His eyes narrowed and he squeezed her nipple hard. She squeaked. "I'm just so dirty. Please, let me run through the shower and change. I hate you seeing me like this. I'm just so embarrassed." She looked away as tears filled her eyes. Let him think they were shame.

He released her suddenly and she staggered back. He shrugged and said, "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. You know how fastidious I am."

She walked past him and into the hall.

Ethan called out to her as she stood on the first step, "You know, if the money isn't yours and is Magda's, that's an easy solution. I'll take care of her too, and then it really will all be ours."

Lira froze in horror as she realized what he was saying. "Ethan, I'm sure you can't be saying what I think you're saying. She's my parent. As much a parent as my mother."

"She isn't your blood."

"Neither are you."

"Don't speak to me that way. You still have to earn my forgiveness. I'm just willing to let you." His eyes opened wide and she could see the whites all around them. She heard footsteps on the porch.

Time slowed down as she saw the door knob turn. She forgot the weakness of her legs as she vaulted forward. Ethan raised the gun as Lira leapt in front of Magda. The blast ripped through the house and threw her on Magda as the force ripped through her body.

Pain shot through her and she heard screaming all around. Ethan and Magda and Memaw and Gran and Nancy. Red swirled around her and white hot rage filled her. Pain gave her strength and she thrust herself off the ground.

Ethan still had the gun raised. He tried to aim around Lira, to get Magda. And that's when Lira lost her temper, truly for the very first time in her life. She threw her head back and roared.

It filled the house and she could feel her face expanding into massive muzzle. She stepped towards Ethan and her body filled out, every step she grew taller until she towered over him.

She was a massive Kodiak bear with one thing on her mind. Stopping the man who was trying to kill her family. He emptied the gun into her but she could barely feel the tiny bullets part her fur. She was all powerful, and as he struggled to reload she swiped him with her massive paw, knocked the gun across the room and left bloody stripes down his body.

The blood rage had taken her as she prepared to crack his head open. She would punish him for everything he'd ever done.

But a wolf knocked him back from her. She growled at the wolf who sat down and stared at her. She wanted to push past, to feel his life blood flow down her face. But the wolf exuded calm. If it had moved, she probably would have been lost.

But as the seconds turned into stretching moments, Lira came back to herself. And just as suddenly as she'd become a bear, she was human.

She collapsed as the pain wracked her body. Magda pressed hard on Lira's shoulder and darkness edged around Lira's vision.

"Shhhh, baby. I'm just stopping the bleeding. Focus on me. Look at me, honey. I'm right here."

Lira felt cold. Was this dying? She had to tell Magda. "Couldn't let him take you. You're momma too."

Magda sucked in her breath, hard. She never wanted to replace Deirdre, but she'd been there for every step, every fall. "We can talk about this once we get you stabilized."

"I'm real cold. Is this what the end is like?"

Magda's hands convulsed and she looked up at her mother, Memaw, who had shifted back and was standing over them.

Memaw covered Lira with a blanket and said, "Don't be ridiculous. You are cold because you are naked. Your shoulder looks a mess, but that isn't going to kill you."

They all heard the engine of the car pull up. Memaw moved to the door and looked out. "It's Jake." She turned back to Magda. "I called the cops and Gran called Jake."

They finally heard sirens in the distance as Jake exploded into the house.

He dropped to his knees in front of Magda and said, "Is she...did he?"

Memaw put a hand on his shoulder and Magda smiled up at him. "We'll just get her checked out. She should heal up fast."