The Dire Bear’s Witch

by Jessica Ripley

  Gerri pointed across the room. “Look back at that group over there and see what they have. A supportive group of friends who celebrate each other’s good news. And the diamond ring one, she has someone she loves enough she’s willing to commit the rest of her life to that person.”

  Dixie tried to shrug it off. “Let me know how that group looks ten years from now. Or fifty.”

  “Hmmm,” Gerri replied, compassion appearing in her eyes. “So your bitterness is more about people moving on, or you moving on without them.”

  “Sure, I guess. It’s also about the fact that even if I wanted to find a new group of friends or a lover, it’s not exactly easy. At this point, everyone has their stuff figured out. They don’t have room for a stranger in their life or a need for a new person for that matter.”

  Gerri shook her head and looked at Dixie sternly. “That is simply not true, Dixie. I’m telling you that now. You just haven’t looked in the right places for your people. Maybe you haven’t had anyone around to open the right doors, but I promise you that your people are out there.”

  Her words poked at something raw inside of Dixie, something she couldn’t let herself explore. My people are gone, and they can’t be replaced. Her grandmother, mother, sister… she was the only one left. She tried to brush off Gerri’s idea. “Good thing I have plenty of time to search for new people.”

  Gerri slapped her hand on the table, startling Dixie. “You don’t need to search. I’m here, and I know all the best doors. In fact, I’m here in town for a party, and you’re going to join me!”

  As much as Dixie had liked Gerri so far, she hesitated at her enthusiasm. She didn’t know how likely it was that she would fit in with a group of strangers, even if they were as nice as Gerri had seemed so far. She’d never been one to like large groups of people or to do well in making casual conversation. “I don’t know. I’m not exactly good in social situations.” It was an understatement. You didn’t spend as much time alone in the woods as Dixie did and end up with a ton of social charisma.

  “You’ll be fine!” Gerri grabbed Dixie’s hand, a touch that sent reassurance. “Really, you can stick by my side if you want, but I promise you won’t have a hard time. Just stand around and listen to people, smile, and nod. As long as you don’t plan on getting drunk and dancing on the tables, you’ll be fine. No, scratch that, if you drunk danced on a table, then I’m sure my friend Taren would love you.”

  “I would never!” Dixie gasped, horrified at the suggestion.

  “You don’t know how fun it is until you try it.” Gerri shrugged, a devious smile lighting up her face and making her eyes twinkle.

  “You really think there are people there I’ll get on with?”

  “Well, there will be immortals there,” she said, and at Dixie’s look of surprise, she added, “You didn’t think you were all that rare, did you?”

  “I hadn’t given it much thought, really.” Maybe that’s what Dixie was missing. Maybe meeting another immortal was exactly what she needed. Hearing what they’d done with their lifespan and how they’d found meaning might inspire her to find her new path.

  “Then you’re in for a great surprise. And, yes, I’m positive that you’ll find at least one person there you’ll like.”

  Looking back at Gerri’s outfit, Dixie hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m dressed for the same event as you, but I could change before we go.” Dixie’s suitcase was beside her, as she’d checked out of her hotel that morning and was planning on moving on to the next town that night.

  “Hardly, you look stunning! Stay just as you are!” Gerri reached for Dixie’s hand again, this time turning it to admire the collection of bracelets she wore. “I find these especially interesting.”

  “Thanks,” Dixie said self-consciously, running her other hand over them. They weren’t just adornments. They were stones and jewels that she needed for certain spells, and something that never left her body.

  “I promise you’ll have fun.”

  Dixie took a deep breath, working up her nerve to agree to go with Gerri. “Can I ask you just one thing, though?” Gerri nodded, and Dixie continued, “How old do I look?” She needed to know what others would think when they saw her.

  Gerri peered at Dixie carefully before answering. “I’d say maybe forty-five, but with a good skincare routine?”

  “Then why that age if my skin is so good?”

  “The age and depth in your eyes gives it away.”

  “You better not be talking about my crow’s feet!” Dixie warned, laughing because she knew what Gerri really meant.

  “Want to take a guess at my age?” Gerri asked.

  “Nope,” Dixie replied. “I know better than to speculate on a woman’s age!”

  2

  “Well, hello, Slade, darling.” Gerri’s voice sent shivers of fear down his spine.

  Gerri Wilder was known to bring a certain fate to individuals, and so far, Slade had been able to avoid it, but it was only a matter of time before the famed matchmaker ended life as he knew it, the life he’d spent centuries cultivating into one of perfection.

  Let her be here for someone else. Please.

  Slade didn’t hate love, per se. It was more that he didn’t like change.

  Or other people.

  Or being bothered in general.

  It doubly didn’t help that his brother, Tad, had found love, only to then find heartbreak and now spending the rest of his life alone, away from his family in an unknown location.

  Because the thing about having a mate was that you only got one.

  And the thing about being immortal… was that you had a really long time to live without the love of your life.

  After Slade’s mother died, his father had fared better, compared to Tad’s heartbreak, but that probably had more to do with the fact that he’d had kids to distract him, to care for and love. While Tad… he just kind of went off into the wilderness with nothing but his broken heart.

  “Gerri…” Slade plastered a smile on his face before turning to give her a hug. Despite what he feared she might bring with her, she was still an important family friend, and Slade’s father wouldn’t abide anyone showing her disrespect.

  “Oh, is that all I get?” Sometimes Slade wondered if the devil himself sent Gerri to mess with them. It would be a perfect form of revenge on the family who had annoyed Lucifer into giving them immortality.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Slade added, although he knew that she knew him better than that and could sense his reluctance to engage with her.

  “Do you remember the last time we saw each other?” Her innocent little bitty act didn’t fool Slade. The mischief in her eyes gave too much away.

  “It’s been so long.” Not long enough.

  “Hmmm… don’t tell me your memory is going in your old age.” Blasphemy. Slade was still plenty young and spry.

  But the mention of age had him taking a long look at her. Had she always looked the same? How long had they known her? Slade didn’t want to admit that he did remember what she’d told him last time they spoke, but on the other hand, he really and truly couldn’t remember what year Gerri had shown up on the scene. Yet she still looked fantastic.

  “I make a practice of forgetting news I’m not fond of,” Slade grumbled, hoping she’d tire of playing with him and move on to her next victim.

  “I tried to warn you that your time was coming. Did you do all you wanted to do before it was too late?” Anyone overhearing might think Gerri was threatening Slade with death.

  Being mated was just as final.

  “I don’t buy into what you sell to all the others,” Slade said, turning to the bar for a much-needed drink refill. “But, I do recall telling you to keep the trouble you bring off my doorstep.”

  “Famous last words,” she called after him. Slade glanced back to see her lifting her drink to him before she started in the other direction. “Now, where did that father of yours get off to?”

  She
better not be in cahoots with him. Slade’s father, the man who could annoy the devil out of Lucifer—and nearly did!—would make it worth Gerri’s while to mess with his sons.

  You’d think he would have learned from the problems that came to Tad… but Taren Galath swore that his middle son’s story wasn’t over yet, and that not all of his sons would meet the same fate. Slade didn’t share his optimism. He was sure that Lucifer’s immortality gift came with a cursed love life, no matter what his father said to the contrary.

  Someone stepped behind Slade, a presence that felt overpowering. He knew instantly that Gerri had delivered on her promise.

  All at once, a shadow fell over his soul, like something grabbed his heart and squeezed until he had no breath left. He needed to reach out and brace himself against the bar, but he resisted and stood firm, not willing to show a reaction, knowing that wherever Gerri was, she was watching. His father too.

  They did this.

  Should he turn and look at the person causing him so much stress? Or simply turn and run out the door? He could track down Tad and live a bachelor's life, far away from Gerri and their father and the plagues they brought with them.

  “Excuse me.” The voice, a combination of soft and sultry, rang in his ears. He closed his eyes, trying to will the resonance of it away.

  “I don’t want any,” Slade barked, which didn’t make any sense. She wasn’t selling Girl Scout cookies.

  “Fine, but can I get past you for a drink?” The voice had a little edge to it, a little sass that increased his urge to take a peek at the owner.

  Instead, Slade grunted and scooted down, keeping his eyes averted and his body facing the wall even though he’d just trapped himself in a corner. He waited through the sound of ice clinking into a glass and liquid pouring after it, counting the seconds, just wanting her gone.

  And then she did the worst thing he could think of… She touched his arm.

  Slade jumped as though hit by lightning, his body reacting intensely to the stranger’s touch.

  “Are you okay?” she gasped but didn’t let go of his arm.

  In his fit, he’d turned toward her, and he couldn’t unsee the beautiful blonde woman who stood there. She was of a mature age, and her blue eyes were wide as she searched his face to try to figure out what was wrong with the deranged bear she’d touched.

  She didn’t smell like shifter, which meant she wasn’t feeling the same thing he was. What she did smell like was magic, letting Slade know he was dealing with a witch. It was enough information. He didn’t want any more.

  He stepped away, extracting himself from her grasp while working to gain his composure. He glanced around the room to try to spot Taren or Gerri. He spotted neither of them, but it didn’t matter. He knew they’d be watching.

  So he would make sure there was nothing to talk about.

  It didn’t matter that Gerri was said to have a 100 percent success rate. Slade would play it off like nothing out of the ordinary was happening, to convince them both that Gerri was wrong. Then, this woman could be on her way before Slade ended up like Tad.

  “So sorry, my head was somewhere else,” Slade said, straightening out his shirt and tie while trying to shake it all off. He rolled his shoulders and neck, trying to get his blood flowing, to put himself into game mode. I can get through this. He worked high-powered corporate executives regularly. What was one beautiful woman, one matchmaker, and one ornery old immortal dire bear? They won’t get the better of me tonight.

  “I can see that.” After a pause, she held her hand out. “I’m Dixie Reade.”

  “Slade Galath.” He only nodded at her hand, wanting to avoid physical contact with her again. “But I’m sure you know that.”

  “Full of yourself much?” she asked, her eyebrows raised. In this short interaction, he’d not done a good job of impressing her. Which was good. He didn’t want her to like him. She needed to dislike him and leave.

  Slade shrugged. “Are you going to deny that Gerri told you to track me down?”

  “Oh,” she replied, looking confused. “She did, but she didn’t tell me that you…” She trailed off.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know you and Gerri had some bad history,” she said, giving him a strange look before turning to leave. “Anyway, have a nice night.”

  Perfect. Slade had succeeded in chasing her off. He forced his pride to accept that she’d think he was a weirdo. Focus on the win… she’s backing off, yes!

  And then Taren and Gerri appeared. No!

  “You two found each other!” Gerri beamed, looking from Dixie to Slade.

  Slade relaxed his face into the most passive expression he could muster, trying to mask all of the anxiety inside. “Yes, Gerri. I met your friend, Dixie, although I’m not sure why you told her to seek me out.”

  Gerri gave him a look that said she knew he was full of it. “Dixie has been trying to find common ground with regular humans. Poor thing, I had to bring her here so she could meet some immortals. You know, folks like herself.”

  Gerri locked eyes with Slade as she said it, and he felt his temperature drop. Dixie was immortal.

  It was one thing to find a mate; it was another for the mate to have a matching lifespan. It meant they were already past the first obstacle that might have stopped them from spending eternity together.

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place!” Taren shook Dixie’s hand, ignoring the weird staredown that Gerri and Slade were locked in. “I’m Taren Galath, immortal dire bear, father to Slade, master of this home, at your service! I don’t know why Gerri told you to find Slade. You’re much better off talking to me—”

  “Back off, old man,” Slade snapped before he could stop himself. Damn it. Taren had purposely baited Slade, and he fell for it. Acting possessive was a prime way of showing everyone exactly how Slade truly felt about Dixie.

  “Oh, ho!” Taren threw up his hands in mock surrender. “I had no idea that you had your eye on her. You seemed like you were acting quite prickly.”

  “Pshhh.” Gerri made a sound and waved her hand. “Slade, prickly? Who would have guessed it?” The sarcasm dripped off her tone.

  “I call him my grumpy little bear,” Taren told Dixie to Slade’s horror. Slade was not little in size, nor was he little in age. He was well into his fifties before they became immortal, and now he had centuries on that.

  Slade held back his growl, refusing to make more of a scene, which would just add to Taren’s and Gerri’s amusement.

  Gerri paid him no attention. “Dixie’s been immortal now for about six months. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “Really, now? A brand-new immortal? That is something!” Taren turned his focus back on Dixie while Gerri’s words sank in for Slade.

  All those times when Gerri had teased him in the past about his mate… Had she been keeping tabs on Dixie, waiting to introduce them until Dixie became immortal?

  It seemed like exactly the kind of thing Gerri would do. Tease him for years while all along she knew exactly who his mate was and where she was, but she’d not tormented him by introducing them while Dixie was still mortal.

  It was a lot to process, but Slade wouldn’t be finding any alone time to sort out his thoughts and feelings anytime soon. The group of them had managed to box him in, despite his side-stepping. He was away from the bar but against a wall. He would have to push through them to get away, but that wasn’t something he could do if he wanted them to think him unaffected by Dixie. Not that either Gerri or Taren were buying his act, but it would at least please him to pretend.

  Slade had tuned out of the conversation, but he made himself focus back on what was being said. They’d moved on from talking about Dixie’s immortality to talking about the Dire Estate. “Your house and grounds are spectacular!” Dixie’s words went straight to Taren’s ego.

  “Thank you.” He preened, very proud of the place he’d established over his long immortal life, with all the endless amounts o
f money he’d built over that time too. “You should have Slade take you on a tour, visit the stables and the lake and, of course, the golf course. It’s my favorite.”

  “I’d love to see all that, but I’m not sure I’ll be here long enough for that.”

  “Aw, that’s too bad,” Slade said, sarcasm dripping strongly from the words. Strong enough that Taren’s head snapped toward him and the corner of Gerri’s mouth quirked. They knew he was ruffled. Even on his worst days, he wasn’t rude to guests. “Sorry, I just mean, are your travels ending after your visit here? Will you be heading home?”

  If Dixie had sensed any rudeness, she didn’t show it. “No, I’m a wanderer now. I haven’t been back to the place I once called home since my change.”

  Slade wondered why that was. Did Dixie have something dark in her past she was running from? That wasn’t really an appropriate question to ask in casual conversation, though, so he left it alone. Their conversation was soon interrupted when a couple approached the group. Taren and Gerri turned to greet them, giving Slade the perfect opportunity to conjure an excuse about someone waiting for him so he could squeeze his way out.

  But he didn’t do that. He reasoned that it was better to stay put and show Gerri and Dad that he wasn’t bothered, but the truth was that he didn’t want to walk away from Dixie yet.

  Which is exactly what I should avoid!

  The stronger his feelings toward her grew, the harder it would be to back away and forget he’d ever met her.

  Slade sighed, sick of fighting with himself and deciding to take a leap. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour tonight then.” He held out his arm, but she hesitated, looking around the room.

  “I don’t know, there are so many people here I’ve yet to meet.”

  She was turning him down? That was good, right? It was what he’d wanted before Gerri and Taren had besieged them.

  But it disturbed him to be turned down, especially by someone he felt something for. Part of him wanted to try persuading her to accept his offer—an offer far more than anyone else had ever received from him—but his obstinance won out. “Fine. Enjoy the party. I’ll see you around, Miss Reade.”