Georgia picked out a solid green cotton T and pulled it over her jeans. She liked Willa. There was no pressure to be anything more than what she already was around Matt’s mate. She and Gia had also gone out of their way to make her feel included. She didn’t know much about where they came from, but Georgia would bet her compass they’d been on the outside looking in before. From her experience, that kind of sensitivity was often learned, not inherent.
“If I tell you something, you swear not to laugh?”
Willa rolled over and grinned. “No.”
Georgia snorted and sat on the end of the bed. “I bit Jason.”
Willa’s chestnut brown eyes went round as saucers. “You did? Explain.”
“I know I’m human and can’t give a claiming mark, but I hated that Tessa’s mark was on him, so I bit him there. Hard.”
“When you were boinking?”
Heat blasted through Georgia’s cheeks like magma, and she closed her eyes to keep her bravery. “Yes.” The admission came out a tiny squeak.
“Ahahaha,” Willa crowed, rolling over and clutching her belly as she kicked her legs up in the air. “That’s awesome. Dude! You’re a Gray Back! Bitey, blood-thirsty little C-teamer. I should’ve known you were going to be one of us when you pulled a gun on Jason that first night.”
“Shhh,” Georgia said, trying not to laugh. “I’m embarrassed about it. It was in the moment, but afterward he called me his mate, and it’s kind of a big deal because bears terrify me, and now I’m mated to one. Kind of. I can’t really be a Gray Back, though. He said he won’t ever Turn me.”
“So? Gia’s as much a Gray Back as me, and she’s entirely human. Hell, Peanut Butter Spike is a Gray Back, and he’s a dog. You’re GB now, Georgia. Claim that shit. We’re awesome.”
“Are y’all ready?” Jason asked, sticking his head in her bedroom.
Did nobody knock in this trailer park before barging in?
“Nerd!” Matt called from outside. “Come on, woman, we’re burnin’ daylight.”
“Geez, Griz, take your pants off! I’m coming,” Willa called, flopping off the side of the bed.
“That’s not how the saying goes, Wil,” Jason said, shaking his head. “It’s keep your pants on, not take them off.”
Willa gripped Jason’s shoulders with a beaming grin and shook him. Then she made chomping sounds around his neck and called, “Congratulations!” over her shoulder as she left.
“So, we’re telling people now?” Jason asked Georgia.
“Is that okay?”
Jason strode to her and lifted her in his arms. Spinning slowly, he murmured, “It’s more than okay. Guess what?”
“What?”
“I hear your Jeep.”
“Easton’s back?”
A short nod was all he got out before she scrambled out of his arms. Oh, she knew what Easton had tried to do for Jason, and that made him a friend in her book. Anyone who cared for the man she loved like that was A-Okay by her. And Jason had told her Tessa was weaker now, half disappeared after Easton had burned her bones.
She grabbed the paper bag from the suitcase she’d brought here from the ranger tower and headed for the door.
Dang, her Jeep was a sight for sore eyes. Easton must’ve washed it somewhere along the way because the mud splatters were gone, leaving only the matted-with-age green paint job. She’d bought it for the memories of riding around in the Wrangler her very first boss had let her drive. She didn’t have many material possessions and didn’t want them, but her ride was special.
Easton wasn’t smiling or meeting anyone’s gaze as she made her way through the other Gray Backs who were gathering on the white gravel road by the communal fire pit.
And when he turned off the engine and got out, he immediately said, “I’m sorry for taking your car. I filled it up with gas and was really careful.”
She waved her hand, batting away his apology right before she hugged him up tight.
Behind her, Willa gasped, but she didn’t care if she was being a crazy person right now. Easton was good, and she was glad he was back. Maybe they could figure out this Tessa problem together now and give Jason back his life, once and for all.
Easton froze under her, hunched over and barely breathing. When she pulled away, she wiped her watering eyes and handed him the brown paper bag with the present she’d found at a metal shop in town.
Easton searched her face with his wild green eyes, then dipped his gaze to the crackling present in her hands.
“What is this?”
“A thank you.”
Easton looked over her shoulder at the others and shrugged slowly. “For what?”