When she opened her eyes to see how close she was to the exit, Willa was standing in front of the bathroom door, arms crossed as she stared at her. “Yep, I can still see you.” She narrowed her eyes and canted her head. “You a shifter groupie or something?”
“No. Yes! I like bears. They seem very…nice.”
“Liar. You sound and smell terrified.”
“Right. I’m just going to find the bathroom.”
Willa pointed to the door directly behind her. “There she be.”
“Okay.” Aviana’s words were coming out all breathy as her throat closed around them. “Thank you.”
Willa followed her inside, and now she was trapped between her and the other two who were washing their hands. A werebear sandwich, and how fitting that she was the meat. A whimper clawed its way up her throat.
“Dudette, are you going to pass out?” Willa asked, a sliver of worry infiltrating her tone.
“Maybe?” Aviana said as she pressed her shoulder blades against the tile wall. So unsanitary, but right now, the grimy wall was the only thing propping her upright. “I should go.”
“I think you should put your head between your knees,” Gia said, casting her a worried look.
“Yes,” Aviana whispered, sinking to a squatting position on the tile. She put her hands behind her head and waited for the lightheadedness to fade. Only now, she was completely vulnerable to the bears. Georgia, though she was even prettier in person than in the pictures on Jason’s posts with her wild hair and freckles, felt dominant. Willa, too, and now they were probably going to eat her.
A gentle hand rubbed her back, and when she looked up, the curvy park ranger smiled kindly down at her. “I used to be afraid of bears, too. We’re not that bad, though.”
Willa snorted, but Gia elbowed her sharply.
If Aviana didn’t ask now, she would never build up the courage again. Not after this disastrous night. “Can I ask you a personal question?” she asked Willa.
“Oooh,” Willa drawled out, tossing her head back. “Sorry about the boob grab, but I’m totally into dudes.”
“What?” Aviana asked, utterly confused.
“I like the pene.” Willa waited, eyebrows raised high. “The bratwurst? The talley whacker, the trouser snake, the one-eyed serpent, the dong, the long schlong, the tadpole shooter—”
“Willa,” Gia said, fighting a smile. “I think she gets it. And I also don’t think she was hitting on you.”
“You’re very pretty,” Aviana whispered in a fraidy-cat voice, “but I was going to ask you about Easton Novak.”
“Beaston?” Willa looked utterly shocked.
In fact, they all looked shocked.
“What do you want to know about him?” Georgia asked carefully.
“Is he…is he seeing anyone?”
“Honey, you’d be better off hitting on me. You aren’t exactly Easton’s type,” Willa said, leaning on the counter.
“W-what is his type?” she stumbled out.
“Serial killer.” Willa got elbowed by Gia again.
“I can see the appeal because he’s very handsome,” Gia said low, “but you are barking up the wrong tree with that one.”
“More like barking up the wrong forest,” Georgia said, rubbing her back. “That man isn’t meant for a mate, and especially not a woman as…soft…as you. You seem very nice, but a shy girl like you would sure have her work cut out for her with a man like Easton. Best you get him out of your head.”
Georgia flashed her a sympathetic smile and stood.
And as Aviana watched them file out of the bathroom, her heart sank to the dingy tile beneath her heels.
Get him out of her head?
If she could’ve, she would’ve forgotten about her affection for Easton a long time ago.
Deflated, Aviana washed her hands, then made her way back into the bar. It wasn’t so intimidating to stay now that she’d made an ass of herself in front of half of the Gray Back Crew. The night couldn’t get much worse, as highlighted by Easton’s indifferent glance over at her as she left the hallway. He didn’t recognize her at all. Which, yeah, she got it. She hadn’t ever shown him her human side, and raven shifters didn’t have a smell unless they were in their animal forms. Not like furry mammal shifters did. To him, she was just another plain human hanging out in the bar he frequented.
She wanted to buy another drink to soften her sorrows, but the Gray Backs were talking and laughing it up at the bar, and she couldn’t force herself to get that close to them again. Peeing her pantaloons in fright after that utterly embarrassing scene in the bathroom would just be the cherry on top of the night.