by Moxie North
“We are helpful, as long as everyone that is in the group has the same ideals. We can’t have someone coming in and being subversive to our mission.” Sara couldn’t have looked more smug.
“So, if I don’t think like you, act like you, and step in line, then I’m bad for the group? That’s funny, I thought this group was about supporting women and making sure we all had the choice to decide our own future.”
“We are, but you are clearly more concerned about having some man take over your life than supporting our causes. We know he’s cheating on you, and you showing up here and pretending everything is okay is insulting.”
Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. “Gawd, you are fucking ridiculous. Fine, I officially renounce my membership. Because I truly believe in women’s rights, all of them. So I’ll tell you that I love Rainier Rochon. We have mind blowing sex. I’m talking multiple orgasms every time. He loves to go down on me, oh and he bought me a car yesterday. So take your judgment, your intolerance, and your pretentious attitudes and go fuck yourselves.”
Turning on her heel she looked at Krissy and said, “You can call me, we’re cool.” Then she gave one last searing glance at the group and marched out, the flames of her burning bridge licking at her heels.
When Quinn got outside, she paused and stared up at the sky. Turning her face towards the patch of sunshine that was peeking through the clouds, she let the heat soak into her skin. She should feel bad about what had happened, she should even be angry. Instead, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It wasn’t lost on her that she had just announced that she loved Rain to a group of women.
The chances that it would get back to him weren’t high. The bigger question was whether or not it was true. It felt true, it felt right, and it made her chest feel warm when she thought about it. Is that what love felt like? Warm? Happy and a little scared? It was a colossal feeling and Quinn couldn’t believe that something so huge could also have the same feeling as the weight that had lifted as she walked away from those bitches.
Quinn felt more whole when she thought about being in love with Rain. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a full person before; instead, it was like the sphere that was Quinn got bigger when he was around her. A hard protective shell that encompassed her without compromising who she was before.
Telling Rain how she felt wasn’t as easy as screaming at a group of relative strangers. Quinn was afraid of visiting his family, but it couldn’t be any worse than the last day and a half. Knowing that Rain was going to be there with her was what was giving her the courage.
Pulling out her phone, she shot Rain a text. Ready when you are.
She got a quick text back from Rain. Coffee?
Yes, please. Mocha, extra chocolate, extra whip, vanilla syrup.
The phone rang a moment later. She accepted the call and didn’t even say hello.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why does something have to be wrong?”
“Because you are supposed to be at your group for at least an hour and you’re asking for chocolate and sugar. I grew up around enough women to know what that means.”
“I quit. Long story, or really not long, just pathetic. I’ll happily tell you about it on the way. But I will say, I think it was a good thing.”
There was a moment of silence and then he sighed. “We’ll talk about it. I’ll bring coffee and we can get on our way.”
“Sounds like a plan, I’ll be waiting at the door.”
“Babe, stay inside where you’ll be warm. I can park the car and come get you. I don’t want you dragging your bag down the stairs.”
“Right, cause I never carry heavy things,” she snorted.
“Not anymore. I’ll do the heavy lifting, thank you.”
“Okay, mountain man, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Good, see you soon. I love you, Quinn.”
Quinn wanted to say it back; it was on the tip of her tongue. “I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up before the awkward moment could drag on.
“Quinn, you are in so far over your head.” The universe wasn’t going to confirm or deny her statement today.
Chapter 37
The drive took much longer than Quinn had thought it would. They’d left and immediately run into traffic. The drive to Rain’s hometown meant driving south from Seattle for a while until they reached the bottom of the Puget Sound before they could turn west.
She filled him in on the happenings of her group and the interior of his car vibrated with his growl. “I could scare the shit out of them if you want.”
“That’s a sweet offer, but I think I made my point clear. I feel bad for the few people that were new and needed to see a cohesive group. I don’t think I can be that for them.”
“You could always start a new group. No reason you have to join one. Make one that you want, one that works on things that are important to you.”
“I guess I could. I’d like to expand on the daycare. Having a trustworthy caregiver that won’t break the bank is so important for single moms. It could make or break their ability to get and keep a job.”
“Perfect, when we get back, get crackin’.”
“Aye aye, captain,” she said with a mock salute.
“Sassy. So we have a few hours. Would you like to take a nap? I can wake you when we get through the traffic.”
“No, I’m not sleepy. Why don’t you tell me about your family.”
“Babe, we only have a few hours.”
“Well, hit the highlights.”
Rain started talking and the miles rolled by as Quinn looked out the window. They passed the city in a blink and were back to green. That was one of the great things about Washington, even in the middle of a multi-lane freeway, you were surrounded by trees. The towns became farther and farther apart as they headed west. Patches of nothing but trees and a two-lane road eased the tension out of Quinn’s body.
At some point she must have dozed off and before she knew it, Rain was whispering to her as she woke up. “Babe, we’re here.”
Quinn sat up from the reclined seat. She didn’t remember putting it back. She raised an eyebrow at him after looking back at the seat.
“I’m talented,” he replied.
“Apparently. I was so warm and cozy.”
“Heated seats. And of course, the sound of my soothing voice lulled you to sleep.” He paused briefly to gesture at the house in front of them. “We’re at my brother’s. I texted him when we were in Olympia and told him that we were coming incognito. Meaning... don’t tell our parents.”
“Oh, good. Not that I don’t want to meet them. I’d just like to meet them when I’ve showered and don’t have eyeliner smeared over my face.”
“You look beautiful, as always. Come on, I’ll get our bags in a bit.”
Rain got out of the car and walked around. Quinn flipped down the visor and made sure she didn’t look like a raccoon. Rain opened her door and she took his hand and stepped out of the car. Looking around, it seemed as though they were in the middle of the woods. She took in a deep breath and let the crisp, fresh air fill her lungs. The house ahead of them was a large one-story design that didn’t look like anything fancy. There wasn’t even a front door.
“This is actually the back of the house. Cash built it facing the river, it has a great view.”
“Come on we’re family, we go through the garage,” he said, tugging at her hand.
As they got closer, the garage door started opening. As the light shone out of the garage, a shape appeared... a massive shape.
“What the…” Quinn was pretty sure that the dark figure standing back lit was either The Rock or Jon Cena, he was so huge.
“’Bout time you got here, Rain. Almost time for the kids to go to bed.” The big man was smiling as they got closer.
Damn, he was handsome. Not as handsome as Rain, but she was an honest woman that could admit that this man was some kind of calendar model worthy lumberjack.
Quinn put her hand into Cash’s extended one, and couldn’t help but feel tiny. She expected a handshake and instead her arm got pulled and she was two feet off the ground in Cash’s arms.
“Hey there, little sis,” he said giving her a big smacking kiss on the cheek.
There was a loud growl from behind her. Rain must not be approving of this embrace..
Leaning closer to her ear, Cash said, “I just wanted to rile him up.”
He dropped her back to her feet and she was tugged backwards against Rain’s chest. She could feel him vibrating behind her.
“Oh, stop teasing your brother, you big galoot.” A tiny voice came from behind Cash that broke the tension, and Quinn had to strain to look behind him to see who was talking.
“I wasn’t teasing. She’s hot! I approve! Ouch!” He jumped to the side and revealed a tiny woman with teal hair. She was wearing a Metallica t-shirt and shorts that looked like they belonged in the children’s department. Her arms were tattooed and she had about a dozen bracelets on her wrists. Her lipstick was bright purple and made her look like an exotic fairy.
“And don’t think I don’t know you were trying to make me jealous either. You deserve more than a pinch for that,” she threatened.
“Quinn, this is Cassie, Cash’s mate,” Rain introduced the other woman with a fond tone in his voice.
“Pfft, he’s my mate but he’s also my pain in the ass. You know how people say that they’re your ‘better half?’ What if you’re the better half? Did anyone ever think of that? If you’re the good one, you’re getting screwed in the deal.”
“Cassie,” Rain sighed.
“Oh settle down, tiger. You must be Quinn. You and I have sooo much to talk about. You don’t even know. Whatever he’s told you was probably the Cliffs Notes version, and even then he probably lied about stuff.”
“Sprite, don’t sink him so soon,” Cash warned.
“Why not? You men and all your secrets. Blah blah mates, why don’t you just make a pamphlet? Ever think of that? You can just hand them out instead of trying to muddle your way through everything. Actually, I think that’s a great idea. I’m going to get working on that. Come on, you must need a drink after that ride. Rain probably talked your ear off.”
Cassie wound her arm around Quinn’s waist and pulled her towards the house. “Come inside and meet the monsters. I’ll get you a drink and tell you why motherhood is a sham. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little demons, but damn, people lie to you about babies.”
They walked into the house. Quinn threw a look behind her and saw Rain smiling in the dark. “I’ll be right there,” he promised.
Quinn wasn’t sure what this little woman was about, but she was certainly enthusiastic. Cassie led her through a doorway into a large bright kitchen. She walked her straight to the fridge. “I’ve got pop. Orange, regular, or root beer, none of the diet crap. Oh, are you from around here? I never know if people say pop, soda, or cola. It’s like sugary drink political correctness.”
“I’ll take an orange, it’s been ages since I’ve had one.”
“Ice?” Cassie was moving to a cabinet.
“Nah, from the can is cool. Your house is beautiful,” she remarked looking around.
“Thanks. Cash built it like forever ago. He wants a big family, so we are currently in negotiations. I’ve got two babies already, and it’s not like I want to think about more right now. Wanna meet them?”
“Yeah, I’d love to. I love kids.”
“Oh geezus, don’t let Rain hear that. All these men seem to think about are babies. If he lies and tells you otherwise that just means he’s really, really thinking about them. It’s not their fault, I get that. But still, their bears are just horny. I don’t know if bears in the wild are like that. I’m guessing regular bears just eat and sleep and maybe get around to finding some bear booty when it’s convenient.”
Quinn was shocked by how casually she was talking about the bear thing. “Uh, yeah? Rain’s mentioned babies.”
“Good, easier than him hiding it and trying to knock you up in secret. I’m not saying that he would, but then again, I don’t put anything past the Rochon boys. Sorry, if I’m freaking you out about him.”
“No, it’s just the bear thing is still a little…”
“I get it, it’s like crazy, lock me up type shit,” Cassie said making crazy eyes and waving her arms.
“Kind of,” Quinn admitted.
“The easiest thing to do is just tell yourself that it’s something you’ve always known about and accept it. It sounds crazy, but just tell yourself that you’ve known about shifters all your life and that it’s totally normal. It will help you fake it until you get really used to it.”
Quinn followed Cassie down a long hallway and stopped at a closed door. Cassie pressed her ear up to the wood and then made a comically cute growling noise. There was a responding noise from the other side of the door.
Pushing the door open, Quinn saw a little girl’s room, at least it looked like one. There were black and pink decorations everywhere. It was like a gothic nursery that an evil queen would set up. One wall had what looked like a climbing wall with hand holds and a pile of bean bags underneath. Halfway up the wall was a small blonde bear wearing a diaper and a tank top. It was scratching to get to the next hand hold and turned its head around to see the visitors.
“Shit! It’s a bear,” Quinn whispered then blushed red and looked at Cassie. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to swear.”
“Oh please, these kids hear it all the time. At least from me. Cash tells them I have a potty mouth. Jett, come down and meet your new auntie.”
Quinn gave Cassie a shocked look and she just winked back. Aunt? She wasn’t anyone’s aunt. Then again, if Rain had his way, that is exactly what she’d end up being. What on earth did aunts do? Sugar and R-rated movies?
The little bear let go and fell backwards into the bean bags. Quinn gasped and dashed forward while Cassie laughed. “Don’t worry, they do it all the time. It still freaks me out, but I figured out that they liked making me scream.”
Quinn stopped when the little bear bounced in the pile of bean bags and rolled onto a thick rubber mat on the floor. The little bear waddled to her and she held still knowing that running away would forever brand her as a chicken shit.
The little bear wrapped its front and back legs around her leg and looked up into her face.
“Jett, where is your brother?”
There was a giggle and then a little boy popped his head out of the pile of cushions. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a rocket ship on the front. He had brown hair and a drooly grin. He crawled over and wrapped himself around her other leg.
“They love doing that to Cash. He stomps around the house with them like that. Come here and meet your auntie properly.” Cassie leaned down and disengaged the little bear first. She gave the cub a nuzzle and then the little bear started to shimmer. The light around it sparked in soft colors as the cub shifted in front of her eyes, and then an adorable little girl was in Cassie’s arms, clapping enthusiastically.
“Grab him will you?” Cassie nodded to the little boy.
Leaning down and picking him up, Quinn was face to face with a little man that was a tiny version of his very big daddy. He kind of looked like Rain too, and that freaked her out a little.
“These little brats are Jett and Axel. When they aren’t being naughty little toddlers, they are naughty little cubs. Aren’t you?” she smiled and tickled Jett under the chin.
Axel was reaching for Quinn’s hair and tugging at it.
“Sorry, he loves my hair and I’m guessing we look a little twinsy right now. I love your tips by the way. I just did this and was trying to scrub the dye out of the tub. I don’t know why Cash gets all uptight. I suggested he install me my own tub. I’m not going to stop dying my hair so he migh
t as well make it easier on himself.”
“I like your hair. I was thinking about doing something else. Maybe purple with the pink tips?”
“Ohh, yes! I can totally help you out. Are you here for the weekend?”
“I guess. I needed to get away from school. Rain said we could just hang with you and not do the whole family thing. I’m still a little freaked out and most the time I feel like I’m having a stroke.”
“Yep, the Rochon Whirl. They all do it to their mates, the human ones at least. They can’t get it in their heads that their world isn’t so easily accepted by those of us that didn’t grow up in it. It’s frustrating when they don’t understand women freaking on them when they announce that they are bears. Like, what if we just up and said, cool, we’re aliens. Let me probe you. Do you think they’d be cool with it? Nuh-uh, they’d be running to the hills covering their assholes.”
Quinn burst out laughing which made Axel start to laugh and clap.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be raising these little shifters to be better communicators,” Cassie promised.
“I still can’t believe it,” Quinn said in wonder.
“Like I said, just start pretending that you’ve always known and it gets so much easier. Have you met Rain’s bear?”
“Uh, no. Downtown Seattle isn’t the easiest place to do that... stuff.”
“Bullshit, he’s just scared. They can shift anywhere. Granted, my man is fuh-reaking huge so he tends to knock shit over, but it’s not like their animals are stupid. They know not to sit on the furniture. He probably didn’t want to scare you. They’re animal though, it’s pretty surreal. Like a big bear that you know you should be afraid of, but somehow is looking at you like he’s in love with you.
Which he is, he’s been looking for your soul as much as the man has. They aren’t complete without you. And when he told you there wouldn’t be anyone else? That’s no lie. These boys don’t stray; in fact, they start to find other women kind of repulsive the longer you’re together. Not that they’d ever be mean, but all you have to do is ask and watch them shudder. I do it sometimes just to tease Cash.”
