Spirit Bear

by D'Arc, Bianca

  She leaned back to look up at him. “You think so?”

  “Definitely. If you want it, this wall can be all yours, to display your art.” He gestured toward the beautifully painted wall, taking in the wonder of her work once more. “And I think I finally have a name for this gallery. What would you say if we called it the White Wolf Gallery, in your honor?”

  “Seriously?” Her breath caught before she went on. “I really would be honored. But what about…you know…keeping the shifter secret? Isn’t it a little too obvious?”

  Gus shrugged as she moved out of his embrace. “I’m already calling this building Spirit Bear House. The majority of the world will just think it’s a Native American name. Only other shifters will understand the real significance. Any tourists we get coming through will probably just think it’s quaint. And the mural explains the name of this particular gallery. Maybe you can design a logo for the shop with just the wolf? I’ll pay you a fair price for your art,” he promised.

  She looked taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected to be paid for her art. He found that both troubling and adorable. She would have to learn the ways of this modern world if she was going to survive here. He would do all he could to gently coach her in what she needed to know.

  “Well, I’m flattered, but I told you I’d paint your place. It’s part of the deal,” Laura insisted.

  “When we talked about painting the gallery, I never expected you were an artist. I thought you would just pick a color and do the whole place that one color. This… This is above and beyond what I thought I would find when I came in here today. And it’s so much better. Now, this place has the beginnings of a real art gallery. A place someone cares about enough to pour their heart and soul into the walls.” He looked around, evaluating the space once more. “Where would you put the tribe’s items?” he asked, seeking her opinion before he influenced it with his own.

  Laura moved forward into the center of the room, confidently. “I thought, maybe, if you liked what I’d already done, I could do a mural on the upper portion of that wall…” She pointed to the long wall at a ninety degree angle to where the cash register would be. “I’d like to do it in pale greens and browns. Forest tones, but grayed out a bit on the taupe side, so everything blends on all the walls. I want that wall to look like the forest around here. Like the tribal lands where the artisans live.”

  “I love that idea,” Gus told her. “And what about the rest?”

  “Well…” She spun around to face the wall on the other side of the cash register, on the other side of the door that led to the back. “If you’re okay with it, I thought maybe I’d depict a grove of giant sequoia here, again using that taupe color palette mixed with forest colors. And walking through the trees, I thought I’d put a spirit bear.”

  “You want to do a portrait of me?” Gus was floored.

  “You know, I’ve never seen your beast, but the elders seemed to like having you around,” she teased him lightly, warming his heart. She turned to the far wall. The one with the door leading to the hallway and the rest of the building. “And over there, I thought I’d do something related to the cove and the water. You said the two galleries in the back will be run by mer and have sea-themed items. I thought that would be a good segue.”

  “It’s brilliant,” Gus enthused. “I want you to do all of that, and I will definitely add a bonus to your pay for it. If I had to hire an artist to do murals like this, it would cost a pretty penny, I can tell you. I don’t mind paying for the value you’re adding to the place. It’s only fair.”

  She shook her head. “You’ve already been so generous with me. I really don’t—”

  “Yes, you do,” Gus interrupted her. “Don’t argue,” he chastised her gently. “I’ll be by tomorrow with some paints for you to choose from and some brushes, if you want to try it the more traditional way, though if you want to finger paint so it all matches, that’s your call.”

  True to his word, Gus brought an array of paint and supplies by the shop the next morning. Laura had started at sunrise, prepping the wall she hoped to work on that day by painting it completely one color, using the big roller. She made it neat and did the trim in a glossy white that she found among the other paints. She was halfway through treating the door-side wall to the same when Gus walked in around nine a.m., carrying a large box that was full of paint and brushes and other things.

  He showed her what he’d brought, and they talked for a little while, but she was too eager to get started and shooed him out after a half hour, with her thanks for bringing the materials. He promised to return that afternoon with groceries for her apartment. There had been a box of cereal in her cupboard and a jug of milk in the fridge when she moved in—Gus had to have put them there sometime between showing her the place and bringing her there to move in—so she’d been able to have breakfast.

  Marilee had already promised to spend her lunch break with Laura. She would bring sandwiches from the bakery, and they were going to have a picnic on the wide porch of Spirit Bear House. There were already a couple of chairs out there and a bench or two with a small table. Gus had really thought of everything to make the place inviting.

  Laura had agreed to accept the groceries Gus promised because she really did need them, and she figured he could take the expense out of her pay. She’d insisted on that, and he’d reluctantly agreed. Now, she just had to make sure he did it. He was such a giving soul, she knew she’d have to keep after him or he’d just give her everything for free. That was hardly fair to him.

  She’d accept help, while she needed it. She wasn’t stupid or stupidly proud. But, as soon as she could pay her own way, she had decided she was going to pay all those who had helped her back, with interest, if it took her ten years to do it.

  Laura had made a good start on the second mural when Marilee arrived with lunch. Laura ducked into the back room, which had an attached lavatory, and washed up quickly, then joined Marilee on the porch, where she’d already started taking food out of the bag she’d brought with her.

  “Those murals are amazing, Mom,” Marilee said.

  Laura had to catch her breath. Marilee was starting to get used to calling her Mom, but to Laura, it was a new and emotional experience. It had been so long she’d been without her child. Marilee had grown into a beautiful young woman over the twenty years in which Laura had been held captive. It was a miracle they’d been reunited, and Laura was still adjusting. Every time Marilee called her Mom or Mama, it made her heart clench in the best possible way.

  “Thank you,” Laura replied, accepting both the compliment and a paper-wrapped sandwich.

  “I didn’t know you were an artist,” Marilee went on as she opened her own sandwich and popped the top on a soda can.

  “I’m not really an artist. I’ve never done a big mural like this before, to be honest,” Laura admitted. “I wasn’t sure that first one was going to come out the way it did, but it was fun, and it worked.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but secretly, she was very pleased with herself. She’d been raised to be modest, though, so she didn’t wallow in her pride.

  “When the others see what you’ve done, they’re going to want you to paint their places, too,” Marilee told her. “I can almost guarantee it.”

  Laura didn’t answer because she’d just taken a huge bite of her sandwich. That bowl of cereal hadn’t gone too far that morning, and she was hungrier than she realized.

  “You know, everyone is preparing for a tourist season that’s going to start in a few weeks. You should do some small paintings to sell. I bet they’d go like hotcakes,” Marilee went on.

  “Gus said something similar. I’ve been carving again.” Laura dug into her pants pocket for the mostly-finished antler piece she’d been working on during odd moments. “This one is for Justin—the man who gave me the antlers to work with—but there’s a lot more, and if Gus thinks it’s good enough, I’ll put some of that up for sale, maybe.” She shrugged again. “I don’t k
now who might buy this sort of thing, but you never know.”

  “Are you kidding?” Marilee took the carved piece in her hands and examined it closely. “Mom, this is gorgeous! How did you learn to do this?”

  “There’s not a lot to do in the winter up north, honey,” she said, shaking her head and smiling. “After doing what you have to do to survive…when all those chores are done…carving is a good, quiet, peaceful activity to fill the hours. A lot of people carved things out of bone, and the really good carvers were given the prized walrus tusks. I got a few of those back in the day,” she admitted, trying not to sound too boastful.

  “I bet,” Marilee said, still looking at the carving Laura had almost finished. “I don’t think I’d have the patience to do something like this, but you should teach somebody. This is a skill that should be passed on.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that, but I suppose, if anyone wants to learn, I’d be willing to teach. Carving is fun, though you have to be careful.” Laura raised her left hand on which the little finger sported a bandage she’d found in the apartment’s medicine chest. She’d gouged her finger but good, last night, and it still needed a bit more healing, even with her shifter constitution.

  “Ouch. Is it okay?” Marilee asked, frowning.

  “Yeah, it’s fine now, but it bled like the dickens last night. I zigged when I should have zagged. I guess it’s been too long since I last carved, and I got a bit over-confident,” Laura admitted.

  “Well, you know the doctor. If you need him to look at it, you should go over to the clinic,” Marilee advised.

  “I will if it doesn’t heal up today,” Laura promised.

  They talked about the gallery and Laura’s plans for the other walls. She told Marilee about the name Gus had chosen and was delighted by her daughter’s response. She not only didn’t mind, but she loved the idea that the place would be called the White Wolf Gallery. Since Marilee was a white wolf too, if she hadn’t liked it, Laura would have asked Gus to reconsider.

  Laura broached the subject of the newlyweds possibly taking one of the empty apartments, and Marilee was very excited about the idea. She wasn’t sure when, but if Marilee had anything to say about it, they’d be moving in across the hall sooner, rather than later.

  When Marilee had to go back to work, Laura went back inside and lost herself in her painting once more. A little smile stayed on her face throughout the afternoon. Not only had she spent a pleasant hour with her beloved daughter, but as they’d sat on the porch, everyone who’d passed by had waved or called out a hello. Grizzly Cove was a marvel. The people were friendly and welcoming, even to two white wolves in a veritable sea of bears.

  Throughout the afternoon, Laura heard the occasional noise from the people moving into the back galleries, but she hadn’t yet met them. Every time she’d peeked out the door of what she was coming to think of as her shop, there was nobody in sight, and when she heard faint noises, she was usually so wrapped up in her painting that it barely registered.

  Sometime in the late afternoon, a gentle knock sounded on the glass door to the gallery. Laura turned to find a stunning woman outside, smiling at her. Laura wiped her hands on a rag and went to answer the door, smiling tentatively at the woman she did not know.

  “Hello, I’m Nansee. Just thought I’d introduce myself. Gus said something about you being mother hen for the building from now on, am I right?” She extended her hand, and Laura took it for a quick shake. She felt power from the other woman and noted her sea-foam blue aura. This was a woman of considerable strength, but she seemed friendly enough.

  “I’m Laura. Gus described my job to me as den mother, but I guess it amounts to the same thing,” Laura said, shrugging.

  Nansee tilted her head. “His phrase is more appropriate, though. Forgive me. And welcome to the cove. I’ll be in and out helping my friends set up their shops, but I wanted to stop by and introduce myself.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Laura replied politely. “Would you like to come in? I’m just painting, and it’s a bit of a mess, but if there’s anything I can help you with for your friends…” She let the sentence trail off as she opened the door wider and stepped back.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Nansee didn’t say anything immediately, but did walk into the gallery, looking all around. She seemed to be taking in the finished mural of the white wolf on the wall next to the back door, then she turned her full attention to the mural Laura had been working on most of the day. It wasn’t finished yet, but it was definitely starting to look like something.

  “I thought so,” Nansee said, inexplicably, then turned her gaze to Laura. “I could see a little through the glass at the front, but the murals you’re painting are just stunning, Laura. You’re very talented.”

  Laura fought off the blush she felt forming but tilted her head in a respectful acknowledgment of the compliment. “I’ve never done anything this large before, but it’s fun.”

  “It’s gorgeous, is what it is,” Nansee enthused. “When you’re done here, do you think you could take a look at what my friends are doing and maybe give them a few pointers?”

  “Um.” Laura was surprised by the request but pleased. “I’d be happy to,” she finally said.

  “I hope you’re going to exhibit some of your own work here for sale, besides just decorating the place,” Nansee went on.

  “Gus mentioned the possibility,” Laura replied, “but I don’t have anything ready. This is the first painting I’ve done in decades, and I’ve only just started carving again.”

  “Carving?” Nansee looked truly interested, so Laura reached into her pocket for the piece she was doing for Justin and handed it to Nansee.

  “Oh, my. This is lovely,” Nansee said almost at once. “My people have a long tradition of carving, but mostly in shell or the teeth and tusks of large sea creatures.”

  “Where I come from, the hunters occasionally bring down aged walrus, when there is great need, and the tusks are prized. I was given several to carve when I was young,” Laura admitted.

  “I can see why. You’re very good. If you want any materials from the sea, I could arrange to get you some. There are some particularly pretty shells, but you have to carve them wet. Apparently, the dust can be bad for you to breathe.” Nansee handed the carving back to Laura.

  “Oh, that sounds interesting. I always used to enjoy trying new materials. I played a little with wood when my mate and I moved south to Quebec, but that was many years ago, and I wasn’t there for very long,” she admitted.

  “I’ll bring you some things to try next time I come by,” Nansee said with a decisive finality. “I’m glad to finally meet you and hope I will see you again soon.”

  “Likewise,” Laura replied as she escorted the mer woman back to the door.

  Nansee left, and Laura returned to her mural, working on it until Gus arrived sometime around six with bags of groceries in his arms. He tapped on the door, and she realized she’d been so lost in the work, she hadn’t noticed the passage of time. It was getting dark out. Time to quit for the day. The mural would be finished tomorrow, she thought. All in all, it had been a good effort that day. She went to the door and met Gus, closing up the gallery and shutting off the lights.

  “You work too hard,” Gus said by way of greeting.

  She waved him down. “Painting isn’t work. That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” she insisted.

  “Be that as it may, we should probably establish some ground rules—including how many hours you work in a day. I’m not a slave driver. You do get to have a life outside of work, you know.” He was smiling, but she sensed he was concerned, so she gave in gracefully.

  “We should probably figure out the gallery hours. I could paint a little sign for the window, to show when we’re open,” she volunteered.

  “That would be very nice,” Gus commented as he followed her up the stairs toward the apartments. “In fact, I’ve got some things in the back of my truck
for you. Flat items of various materials—wood, slate, the more traditional canvas, and the like—that I’ll bring up next. Just in case you wanted to try to make a few things to sell. You could pick out something of the right size from there for the sign, if you like.”

  She opened the door to her new apartment, and they went in, dumping the bags on the kitchen counter. Gus turned right back around and left with the promise to be back in a minute, with a second load.

  Laura started unpacking the bags and found that he’d brought a variety of fresh fish and meat, as well as some vegetables and fruits. She set right to work cooking. She could at least feed him from the bounty he’d provided. Soon, if she was able to sell some of the creations she had yet to make, she would be able to buy her own supplies. She’d also pay Gus back for being so incredibly generous toward her. She had a definite soft spot for the guy. He’d been so nice.

  Not only that, but he was handsome as sin, and didn’t seem to be aware of it. She liked that about him. He was unconsciously sexy.

  She was surprised by her own thoughts. It had been so long since her mate had died. She’d thought that was a true mating because she’d had a child of the union. Shifter lore said it was nearly impossible to get pregnant with someone who wasn’t your true mate, but ever since awakening in Grizzly Cove and feeling this undeniable attraction to Gus, she was questioning her prior beliefs. Had Roger really been Laura’s true mate? Or had she fallen for the first handsome mage who came her way and wanted to believe it so much, she’d taken her pregnancy as proof?

  It had been so long ago. She couldn’t be sure now. But she was certain of the way Gus drew her. If she’d lost her true mate, it shouldn’t be like that. At least, she didn’t think it should. All the legends said there was only one true mate for every shifter, and if that mate was lost, it was impossible to feel such feelings for anyone else.

  But what if Roger hadn’t been Laura’s true mate? What if getting pregnant with Marilee had been one of those rare exceptions to the rule? Or, worse yet, what if Roger had somehow used his magical skills to cause the pregnancy?