Boarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears #1)(21)

“Thank you?” Audrey said, trying not to scrunch up her face in disgust.

“And lastly, a fruity beer, because when we were online dating, I remember you told me that was your favorite.” Willa handed her a purple pomegranate brewsky and grinned brightly. “And now for my apology. Prepare thyself.” She inhaled deeply, then murmured, “You’re welcome for my matchmaking services.”

“That was literally the worst apology in the universe,” Harrison said.

“That’s ridiculous. Have you heard every apology in the universe?”

Audrey took the beer from Willa’s hand and said, “I guess since it turned out okay, I forgive you.”

“Great.” Willa waved gallantly to the people slipping into the hot springs. “These are the Gray Backs. Or most of them. Damon and Clara are at home because she just pooped out a baby, and they’re on babysitting duty for Creed’s rug rat. Mason isn’t here because he’s packing to move to one of the lovely shit-shacks in Harrison’s trailer park tomorrow. That’s Creed,” she said pointing to the dark-haired giant closest to them. “Gia, Georgia, Jason, Aviana,” she said, pointing to the pregnant woman who had saved Audrey from standing in the long line at Sammy’s. “And that scary beary back there,” Willa said, pointing to the wild man with the glowing eyes who limped along the edge of the hot spring, “is Beaston. Don’t get too close to him. He bites.” Willa waggled her eyebrows.

“You shouldn’t tell her that. I don’t bite.”

“You Changed me, didn’t you?”

“One time, and you broke my leg.”

“Beaston,” Jason said, hugging Georgia at the edge of the water, “it doesn’t make sense when you say you Changed her one time. It only takes one bite.”

“Anyway, I believe you met Bash and Clinton. I can tell because Clinton was reciting love poems about you the entire drive here.”

“I was bitching about her,” Clinton said grumpily from the chair he’d plopped into beside the spring.

Bash jumped in, cannon-ball-style, splashing them all, and when he came up for air, he had a big goofy grin on his face. He shook his head like a dog and said, “I like Audrey.”

Harrison growled when Bash swam too close, and Audrey stifled the giggles that were ready to bubble up her throat.

Beaston sat on the edge beside Aviana, dipping his feet in, his hand on the swell of his mate’s stomach. “Audrey is going to bleed you, Clinton,” he said blandly.

Willa snickered and eased herself over the edge and into Matt’s arms. “When you do, invite me. I’ll bring turkey jerky and green M&Ms. That bunion   made the entire drive here miserable.”

“Well, Audrey’s presence here makes me miserable, but no one seems to care—”

“Shut up, Clinton,” the Gray Backs, Bash, and Harrison all said at once.

Audrey took a deep drink of her fruity beer to keep her laughter inside as everyone went back to talking.

The night wore on, and the air was filled with constant chatter and laughter. One by one, the Gray Backs talked to her and shook her hand. She was three beers deep before she felt overheated and sat on the edge of the pool with Aviana and Beaston. Harrison settled between her legs, shootin’ the shit with Creed and Georgia, and every once in a while he would turn his face and kiss the inside of her knee and go back to talking without missing a beat, as if he didn’t realize he was giving her the affection.

Eventually, Georgia climbed up on Jason’s back and chicken-fought Willa and Matt, which was hilarious, because those bear shifters under the women weren’t going down for anything. It was twenty minutes before they called it a draw and swore to never play again.

“Look,” Aviana whispered, pointing to her belly. She wore a black bikini, and her round belly was rolling strangely.

“The baby is moving?” Audrey whispered in awe.

“Yeah, you want to feel him?”

Audrey locked eyes on Aviana’s to make sure she wasn’t teasing, but she looked serious enough, and Beaston moved his hand to the other side of her belly to make room for Audrey’s palm. With a nod, she touched right over where the baby rolled languidly. How incredible to feel life so new.

“He’ll be a raven,” Aviana murmured, dragging Audrey’s hand to chase the movement.

“How do you know?”

“My mate dreamed it, and he’s never wrong.” Aviana cocked her head in a very bird-like fashion and pitched her voice low. “You will bleed Clinton.”

Audrey jerked her gaze to where Clinton sat on a lounge chair, his eyes glowing eerily in the single porch light of the bathhouse. He was staring at her, as if he’d heard Aviana’s prediction.

“That’s not what I want,” Audrey said.

“Don’t want to, but need to,” Beaston murmured low. “Change needs to happen. For you, but also for him.” Beason twitched his chin at Harrison, who was laughing at something Matt said.

Fixing anything with bloodletting was the most barbaric thing she’d ever heard, and goose bumps lifted over her body as she pulled her hand off Aviana’s belly. The next time she looked up, Clinton wasn’t sitting in the lounge chair anymore. He was making his way through the parking lot toward Harrison’s truck with long, deliberate strides, as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.