“Girl! By the time we get you back you won’t be single anymore,” she giggles on the other end of the line. I miss her so much.
“Yeah, that won’t be the problem,” I lower my voice.
“What will be the problem?”
“Choosing just one,” I whisper and we both burst into roaring laughter.
At that moment, I hear a knock on the door and I see Zarael there. I knew it. I just knew it.
“Listen, I gotta go,” I tell Vanessa.
“Do what you need to do, beat up someone, fuck all three, just get better and come back home, you hear?” she tells me and I blush so bad, as if someone’s holding me like a little marshmallow, over open fire. I squeeze the phone in my hand, happy that Zarael is too far away to possibly hear Vanessa’s voice.
“Your crazy girl,” I chuckle. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
I hang up the phone and smile at him.
“My sister,” I say, a little apologetically, even though I know that there is no need to explain myself to him.
“I thought I might find you here,” he tells me, with a smile. He looks like he’s got something on his mind. “Are you hungry?”
My stomach rumbles at the mention of food and I realize that it’s already past noon. To say I’m hungry is an understatement. But, it’s not ladylike to say it like that, anyway.
“A little,” I nod.
“How about a little picnic in the woods?”
I remember the lake. Dex said he was going for a swim. Are we all having a picnic together? Zarael looks at me, as if he can read my mind.
“We’re not going to the lake,” he shakes his head.
“Oh?” I raise my eyebrow.
“There are other pretty places around here, you know.”
About fifteen minutes later, he takes me through the woods. I’ve never been here. The shrubbery is thicker than anywhere else. The trees seem darker somehow. Even the earth beneath my feet is wetter. It sticks to the soles of my flip flops as I walk. We finally reach the entrance to a small cave. It resembles a natural terrace and Zarael places a little blanket right at the entrance. I see two plates, some bread, cheese and dried meats. Two tall glasses rest by a bottle of wine. A few flowers are scattered over the blanket. Is this a date?
“Did you check for bears?” I ask, hesitating to go closer before he answers that question.
Out of the blue, he gives me this look, the strangest look of disbelief I’ve ever seen. I swallow heavily, enduring his gaze. Maybe I said something wrong, something that offended him?
“You don’t need to fear bears around here. I mean, you know that, right?” he asks me, his eyes watching my every move, resting on my lips, trying to read between the lines of the words I’m about to say.
“Well, I’m no match for a bear,” I continue, a little awkwardly. “You could be. I don’t know. I’ve never seen you fight an animal.”
“You really have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” he asks me again and I’m not really sure if he’s just pulling my leg or not.
“We’re talking about bear attacks?” I try and we both chuckle. It’s good. I was beginning to think that he was upset with me or something.
“Well, I guess no one told you and you didn’t ask, so…” he shrugs his shoulders as he speaks and my curiosity peaks. What is he talking about? “Maybe I should just come out and say it.”
“Say what?” I feel like this thing is itching me like crazy and only he can scratch it properly.
“Well…” he rakes his fingers through his hair, probably in an effort to buy himself a second or two. Luckily, it usually works for hot guys like him. “Dex, Theron, me and the rest of the guys, we’re many things. Bikers is usually the first thing people associate with us when they see us.”
I nod. I mean, he’s right. Even without the bikes around, their leather is screaming dirt road. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I quite like it. There’s a bit of that bad boy vibe in all of them, plus a sprinkle of something extra special to each of them and that’s probably the reason why it’s so difficult to choose just one of the three.
“What many don’t know are two things. We’re blood brothers. And, we’re bear shifters.”