Page 68 of Kidnapping Their Third

With a growl, Lucy stepped into her personal space and loomed over her threateningly. Cora didn’t back down. She was ready to duck and dodge a blow from the woman and answer back with one of her own. You don’t grow up with six brothers without learning a thing or two about fighting.

What Lucy didn’t know was that Cora’s specialty was fighting dirty.

Strangely, Cora noticed the necklace Kimble gave her felt unnaturally warm against her skin. Most times, she wasn’t even aware of the jewelry, but now it felt as if it was being heated from the inside.

She ignored it, unwilling to be distracted from her opponent. She shouldn’t have been worried because Kimble was suddenly in front of her, shoving Lucy away.

“Son of a bitch!” Lucy cried out as she stumbled back, saved from falling on her ass by Pike's solid body.

“Easy,” Pike said, pushing Lucy behind him while keeping his eyes on Kimble. “Lucy would never hurt Cora.”

Cora doubted that. Lucy had fully intended to do some damage and it didn’t matter that Cora was smaller and human. Pike’s sister was the kind of person you didn’t turn your back on.

Kimble let out a hiss and then picked Cora up and stalked into the kitchen.

“I could’ve handled it,” Cora whispered to Kimble as he sat at the kitchen table and settled her on his lap. “But thanks for white knighting for me.”

Kimble made a grumbly sound and pressed her head under his chin. “Trouble.”

“Yeah, she is,” Cora agreed, relaxing into his hold as the sounds of Pike, Lucy, Tina, and Mark talking in angry, hushed tones filtered in though the semi shut door.

“Both of you,” Kimble said.

Cora ignored that and straightened up with alarm as the voices got louder, especially Lucy.

“I’m your fucking daughter! That human should leave, not me!”

There was the sound of something crashing and then Pike’s soothing voice. “No one needs to leave, Lucy. If you’d calm down, we could all still have a nice dinner.”

“I'm behind on my rent, my credit card is maxed out, your human tried to hurt me, and you want me to calm down!” Lucy screeched. “Fuck this, I’m out!”

The sound of a door slamming shut echoed through the small house and then silence.

“I guess that’s one way to get her to pick up her things,” Tina said in a tone so dry it could be born in the Sahara. “Now that the drama is over, let’s see about dinner.”

***

Cora eyed the honey jars Tina was setting on the table. They’d finished dinner, and Mark was putting together a tray of fruit for dessert. Tina going back for more jars of honey reminded Cora that she’d offered honey earlier in the evening when they’d first arrived.

Reaching over, she grasped Pike’s shirt and drew him down so she could whisper in his ear. “What’s with the honey?”

“We’re bears,” his mother answered, her back turned while she pulled out another dozen jars. “Any good dessert should have honey on it.”

“I forgot you guys have really good hearing,” Cora mumbled, letting go of Pike’s shirt and focusing on one of the jars. She'd never seen so many types of honey and never knew they could come in a varietyof colors.

“Most of these are local, but a few are from out of state,” Tina said as she set down more jars, then took a seat herself. Mark followed with a massive tray of fruit all cut into bite-sized pieces. Unsure what to do, Cora watched as the family took up forks, speared pieces of fruit and dipped them in honey before eating.

“Huh,” she said before trying it herself. “Woah!”

“Good?” Tina asked around a mouthful of honey slathered apple.

“Yeah,” she agreed. She didn’t plunge the entire piece of fruit into the honey like the rest of the bears did, but she tried several different jars by dipping only the tip of apple slices. It was a refreshing dessert she wouldn’t mind having again.

“Do you guys do this with strawberries?” she asked.

Tina nodded her head. “When they’re in season.”

Throughout the meal, Kimble had sipped at the glass of blood Pike’s parents had given him. They had a few bags of it tucked in the back of their fridge. They asked him several times if the blood was good or if they needed to heat it or add anything. The way Kimble responded with a smile and kind word told Cora this was a common routine for all of them.

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