Grayslake: More than Mated: UnBearable Secrets (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Terra Wolf
Authors: Terra Wolf
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Chapter One
Olivia
Olivia Bradwick’s bags dropped onto the ground as dust wafted up around her. God damned heat was more than she could bear. She watched as the taxi sped away in front of her. In its place was an old bed-and-breakfast. She had seen it online, but it looked so much bigger in person.
Now or never, I guess. She picked up her bags and took a deep breath as she ascended the steps onto the covered porch. Her hand rested on the metal doorknob for no more than a moment before she pushed it open and was welcomed by fresh blueberry muffins sitting on the reception desk.
Could she take one? She looked around the room, a parlor of sorts, but no one was around. It was still sweltering. An old air conditioner struggled to combat the heat off to her left. Her bear’s senses were on high alert. She had grown up around other shifters, and Grayslake was very well known among her people. It was the only place she could think of to come to. The only place to escape.
A vast white reception desk sat in front of her, a small bell on top of it next to the enticing muffins. Just one wouldn't kill anyone. Though it would totally ruin her diet. But so did the pizza last night, and the hamburger she had for lunch yesterday. Screw it.
She grabbed a muffin off of the tray and hit the bell with her other hand. The buttery goodness of the muffin was practically gone by the time a woman walked through what Olivia assumed was the dining room to come to the reception desk.
“You must be our new guest!” she said with a broad smile on her face. She was an older woman, maybe in her late fifties, with light chestnut hair piled high on top of her head. She looked like she wasn't sweating at all in the damn heat. Freaking Southerners. Whereas Olivia's dark, curly, massive hair was sticking out in every single direction and she had sweat coming out of places she didn't even know could sweat.
“Yes, that's me!”
“Perfect, we’re very happy to have you here! Things have been a little bit quiet here lately. Now this is the parlor, and we have books in the library off to your left. Breakfast is served back in the dining room each morning until 11 AM. I'm afraid you've missed it this morning but I'm glad to see that you've taken a muffin, these were leftovers. We just haven't had a lot of foot traffic through here lately,” she said with a sigh.
“Well I don't really know how long I'm saying.”
The woman tapped an open reservation book in front of her. “I see that. Well, you don't need to worry about your room—we’ll make sure not to sell it out from under you!” she said with a small laugh. She was too sweet, sweeter than the muffin that had been in Olivia’s hand and was now taking up residence in her stomach.
Olivia tried to smile back at her, but the innkeeper beamed a little too eagerly again and so Olivia stopped.
This woman was on some serious drugs. Or maybe she was just happy to see someone. Either way, it was overwhelming. “Great. And which way would my room be?”
The woman dangled a key in front of her hanging off of a four leaf clover keychain. Yep, nuts. “You're just upstairs and off to the left, and of course, we gave you the room with the bathroom included. And your deposit is already down so you'll just pay the rest whenever you leave.”
Olivia licked her fingers before wrapping them around the keychain. Ladylike behavior was not her strong point—three brothers did that to her. “Sounds good. I'll just grab my bags and head on up. I need to take a shower!”
The woman's mouth dropped open a little bit. “There's actually no shower in that room, just a tub. And it can be a little bit temperamental, but I think the handyman was already up there today. So it should be fine for you.”
Handyman? Why was it that her new tub needed a handyman? “But it's going to work, right? I need water on my body as soon as possible.”
“Oh yes, dear. I'm sure it will work.”
Olivia wasn’t convinced.
Olivia
Olivia Bradwick’s bags dropped onto the ground as dust wafted up around her. God damned heat was more than she could bear. She watched as the taxi sped away in front of her. In its place was an old bed-and-breakfast. She had seen it online, but it looked so much bigger in person.
Now or never, I guess. She picked up her bags and took a deep breath as she ascended the steps onto the covered porch. Her hand rested on the metal doorknob for no more than a moment before she pushed it open and was welcomed by fresh blueberry muffins sitting on the reception desk.
Could she take one? She looked around the room, a parlor of sorts, but no one was around. It was still sweltering. An old air conditioner struggled to combat the heat off to her left. Her bear’s senses were on high alert. She had grown up around other shifters, and Grayslake was very well known among her people. It was the only place she could think of to come to. The only place to escape.
A vast white reception desk sat in front of her, a small bell on top of it next to the enticing muffins. Just one wouldn't kill anyone. Though it would totally ruin her diet. But so did the pizza last night, and the hamburger she had for lunch yesterday. Screw it.
She grabbed a muffin off of the tray and hit the bell with her other hand. The buttery goodness of the muffin was practically gone by the time a woman walked through what Olivia assumed was the dining room to come to the reception desk.
“You must be our new guest!” she said with a broad smile on her face. She was an older woman, maybe in her late fifties, with light chestnut hair piled high on top of her head. She looked like she wasn't sweating at all in the damn heat. Freaking Southerners. Whereas Olivia's dark, curly, massive hair was sticking out in every single direction and she had sweat coming out of places she didn't even know could sweat.
“Yes, that's me!”
“Perfect, we’re very happy to have you here! Things have been a little bit quiet here lately. Now this is the parlor, and we have books in the library off to your left. Breakfast is served back in the dining room each morning until 11 AM. I'm afraid you've missed it this morning but I'm glad to see that you've taken a muffin, these were leftovers. We just haven't had a lot of foot traffic through here lately,” she said with a sigh.
“Well I don't really know how long I'm saying.”
The woman tapped an open reservation book in front of her. “I see that. Well, you don't need to worry about your room—we’ll make sure not to sell it out from under you!” she said with a small laugh. She was too sweet, sweeter than the muffin that had been in Olivia’s hand and was now taking up residence in her stomach.
Olivia tried to smile back at her, but the innkeeper beamed a little too eagerly again and so Olivia stopped.
This woman was on some serious drugs. Or maybe she was just happy to see someone. Either way, it was overwhelming. “Great. And which way would my room be?”
The woman dangled a key in front of her hanging off of a four leaf clover keychain. Yep, nuts. “You're just upstairs and off to the left, and of course, we gave you the room with the bathroom included. And your deposit is already down so you'll just pay the rest whenever you leave.”
Olivia licked her fingers before wrapping them around the keychain. Ladylike behavior was not her strong point—three brothers did that to her. “Sounds good. I'll just grab my bags and head on up. I need to take a shower!”
The woman's mouth dropped open a little bit. “There's actually no shower in that room, just a tub. And it can be a little bit temperamental, but I think the handyman was already up there today. So it should be fine for you.”
Handyman? Why was it that her new tub needed a handyman? “But it's going to work, right? I need water on my body as soon as possible.”
“Oh yes, dear. I'm sure it will work.”
Olivia wasn’t convinced.
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