Loch

She started this.” Holly shrugged.
Incorrect.
Holly barked out a laugh.
“What?” Jess asked with a confused smile.
“The Maiden is listening in, and she thinks we’re ridiculous and incorrect.”
I never said ridiculous, the Maiden said crisply.
But you were thinking it.
How can you know that? Humans do not possess mind-reading abilities. 
Or so you think.
This was fun. Holly needed this.
“Oh, does she?” Jess giggled. “Of all the things I thought would happen to me today, sort of being in a conversation with the mythical Maiden wasn’t one of them.”
“That’s how I feel every day.” Holly laughed.
“As much as I’d like to stick around, I have to get back to work.”
Holly slid out of the booth so Jess could exit.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Jess warned her brother, stretching up to give him a hug.
“I’ll try not to be. Come over to Pearl’s place if you want.”
“You mean Holly’s place,” Jess corrected.
“No, it’s still Pearl’s,” Holly interjected. “It’ll always be Pearl’s, regardless of who owns it.”
Jess’s gaze slid from Holly to her brother.
“I really like her,” she declared. “Make sure she sticks around.”
“That’s the plan.” Garret grinned.
After one more round of hugs, Jess glided out of the diner.
Once she was gone, Garret turned to Holly.
“Ready?”
Holly nodded and let him lead her outside.
“If your sister doesn’t need her clothes back, I suppose I don’t have to go shopping,” Holly said. It was for the best. She didn’t have any source of income at the moment. She had enough in her savings to cover her expenses for now, but that wouldn’t last forever.
Holly ran through potential job interview scenarios. She could work remotely, as she had done in the few weeks before her kidnapping. She had no idea what she would say when a potential employer asked in regards to her availability.
Oh, I can work weekdays except for when I’m called away to attend to my duties as the vessel for an ancient force so morally corrupt bears don’t take over human towns. I’ll try to give you advanced notice.
The overlap between Holly’s old life and her new one made her feel sick and dizzy. Would she ever adjust? It was hard to say, especially when she didn’t know everything. Despite all she’d seen and learned since coming to Silver Spruce, she still felt like she knew nothing. She felt like a pretender, masquerading as someone who knew how to settle the conflict between the bear clans.
“Is there anything else in town you want to do?” Garret asked. “If not, we may as well head back to the house.”
“No,” Holly blurted, stopping dead in her tracks.
She loved Pearl’s house but the idea of going back so soon made her chest feel tight. Her breath came in quick, ragged gasps.
“Holly?” Garret moved closer to her.
“I can’t,” was all she managed to get out.
Garret’s soft gaze searched her face. He was going to ask questions. She just knew it. She couldn’t formulate a coherent thought, let alone explain why the thought of being shut up in the house again felt so unbearable.
“Okay.” Garret nodded. “We can stay out for a few more hours. There’s a hotel at the end of the main road. It’s nothing fancy, but if you really don’t want to go back to the house tonight, we can stay there.”
Holly looked up at him, momentarily speechless.
“I—” she began, but she didn’t know what she wanted to say.
Luckily, Garret stopped her. “You don’t have to explain,” he said. “I’m at your command.”
“Because I’m the Maiden.” Holly nodded.
Garret shook his head. “Because I care about you.” He tucked her under his arm and slowly urged her forward. “How about we poke around in Betty’s boutique? Just because you don’t need anything doesn’t mean you can’t look.”
Holly allowed him to steer her in the direction of mindless window shopping. As they walked, she thought of what a good bear clan King would look like. Garret couldn’t be far off the mark.

CHAPTER ELEVEN—Holly
The room Garret rented at The Blackberry Inn was nicer than Holly expected it to be. Like every building in Silver Spruce, the interior was all wood. Wooden floors, wood paneling on the walls, and wooden ceilings. The wrought iron bed was painted white, which brightened up the room. White lace curtains framed the picturesque windows that looked out to the mountain range.
Holly smiled to herself as she counted the wooden bear figurines spread throughout the room. Seven so far but she hadn’t looked in the bathroom yet.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Are you up for company?” Garret asked.
“Yes,” Holly called back. “The door’s unlocked.”
Garret stepped into the room. He had to duck to pass through the doorframe. Once inside, he looked around.
“Your room is much nicer than mine.”
Ever the gentlemen, Garret booked two rooms. He didn’t want Holly to feel like she was under a microscope while she tried to relax.
“Is it? We can trade if you’d like.”
“No way.” He grinned. “I can make anything work. I lived in the woods for, like, three months once.”
“You did?” Holly’s eyes went wide. “Why?”
“Making up for lost time,” he explained. “Most kids with shifter abilities have family members to teach them how to harness their power. I didn’t get that until I was sixteen.”
“Did your mother and sister go with you?”
“We took camping trips as a family. Dad would mind the fort while my mother, sister, and I went full bear. The three-month trip was one I took alone, though.”
“Wow.” Holly shook her head. “I can’t imagine being out in the woods for that long. Ironically, my family members aren’t big campers. Maybe that would be different if any of us could shift.”
“Speaking of family, have you talked