Page 24 of Her Painter Bear Mate

Dee squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to banish the image from her mind and nodded. Maybe a walk to clear her head was exactly what they needed. Even if it was a crescent moon tonight.

FOURTEEN

Clarissa

Clarissa watched the springer spaniel's wagging tail as she ran ahead of them through the fields with even more enthusiasm and energy than Bork. It was slightly odd to be going out for a walk without her own dog and it almost felt like a betrayal. When she got home later, would Bork be able to smell that she'd gone for a stretch without him? She was surely going to have to pay a hefty price for such insolence.

Clarissa took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air filling her nose and lungs after being inside the studio for a while. Even with lots of open windows, it was still a bit of an olfactory overload, especially with her more sensitive sense of smell.

She was ever so slightly unsteady on her feet from the wine, but it was a beautiful night. Quiet, crisp, without a hint of clouds. The crescent moon was steadily climbing the sky and judging from the time, the fated mate ritual was about to begin soon. Not that Clarissa minded missing it, she hadn't gone to any of the ceremonies in a while. She didn't have time for romance, her life was hectic enough.

Although it didn't escape her notice that she'd made time for Dee. Much to her father's glee, he'd practically shoved her out of the door with grand exclamations of her staying out all night and having fun.

Not that kind of fun.

She glanced at the woman in question, trying to figure out what was going on in her head. She hadn't intended to spend so much time at Dee's studio. In fact, she'd prepared herself for a five minute tour before being kicked out which was why she brought wine. She couldn't have foreseen that they would hang out for hours or that she would get to paint. She still wasn't sure where her audacity had come from to paint over Dee. Her, a small-town painter that never made it big, painting over someone as prolific and well-known as Dee?

If there was ever a good reason to murder, this was it.

But she knew that at some point, Dee would look at the painting, at all the imperfections and the missing details and rushed decisions. And it would trigger her because that always seemed to be the case with their art. And even if Dee painted simply out of spite or to prove she could do better, it would get her painting.

Clarissa felt herself smile.

"What?" Dee asked.

"Nothing, just enjoying myself," Clarissa said. And it was true. She enjoyed their time together but then again, she always had. Even when they were younger and their fragile friendship was laced with youthful arrogance, petty competitiveness, and sometimes even jealousy. She'd always known Dee would go far, much further than her.

Dee whistled to get Millie's attention and the spaniel refrained from straying too far. "Look at her run, she's so bouncy. And now her feet are full of mud."

"At least she fits in the tub. When I get my bear feet dirty, I have to use the hose outside," Clarissa remarked, sort of wishing she was in bear form now.

"Why don't you just shift back and shower?" Dee asked with a frown.

"I also do that but it just doesn't feel the same. It's kind of nice to wash when I'm in bear form. Like... You know how nice it feels when you've soaped up your hair and the water just slides through it? It's like that but for my whole body."

It was a strangely intimate thing to share but Clarissa didn't feel weird about it. It just felt like this kind of night.

Dee's soft chuckle was only tinted with amusement. "You're so weird sometimes."

"So very so?" Clarissa asked with a teasing grin.

"Yes, you're the most so of everyone. But it's nice." The last bit came out so quietly, it was likely not meant for her ears. Dee didn't say anything for a bit as they walked but the silence was loaded. "Can I ask something personal?"

Clarissa just let out an affirmative hum.

"You said you've had painter's block before. What was that about? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious," Dee said, not once looking at her.

Amusement sparked inside Clarissa. She'd been expecting this question, she just didn't think the other woman would be so delicate about it. It was much appreciated though because while she was no longer the same person who had gone through the painter's block, her self from back then needed kindness.

After a while, she managed to formulate some thoughts. "It was around the time that Dad's illness got really serious. I had made plans to leave Crescent Valley and spread my wings. Kind of like what you did, you know? I wanted to show in big galleries, too. Become a real artist. But with Dad's health declining and the store, I decided to stay and put my own plans on hold."

"I didn't know that," Dee said softly.

"We weren't talking at that point and honestly, I didn't want you, of all people, to know," Clarissa admitted wryly, the taste of jealousy even bitter now.

"Why me of all people?" Dee asked, sounding a mix of insulted and amused.

Clarissa shot her a look. "You really have to ask me that when you're a renowned painter showing all over the country? I was embarrassed and jealous. I envied you and it would've hurt my ego if you'd known how my career tanked."

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