Page 1 of Bear to be Wild
CHAPTER 1
MARIBELLE
“Dig deep, you’ve got this.” The bear shifter’s voice rumbled through the adjoining wall as I entered the spa.
“Breathe in serenity.” I narrowed my eyes at the wall. “Breathe out urge to hex new guy.” I inhaled through my nose and out of my mouth with deep breaths to calm the instant ire caused by the new physical trainer. Who was that cheerful and motivating this early in the morning?
“Stay steady. Only ten more seconds,” his encouraging voice persisted, booming over the sound of the bass of the upbeat song he had playing.
“Calming vibes, calming vibes,” I muttered to myself while I sprayed an infusion with lavender to add a soothing scent—not just for the clients. I’d need it to get through the day with the booming bigmouth next door. Shiver me sideways!
Oh yes, I’d seen him already, strutting across the deck like some brawny musclehead.
Focus, Maribelle. Do what you’re skilled at.
Right. I nodded to myself and headed toward the shelves to brew specialty teas for clients. We had a full schedule today at the Serenity Spa, and part of our offerings were a soothing cup of tea. Many passengers just wanted to relax on this cruise for supernaturals, which was currently sailing through the Caribbean islands, but others wanted to improve their appearance or well-being with massages, wraps, spells, or treatments. While on vacation, it was the perfect time for them to focus on self-care and pamper themselves at the spa, without all the stressors of their daily life.
I lifted a vial containing bergamot and sniffed it. It was one of my favorite scents with its subtle spicy fragrance and anxiety-reducing benefits. I brought it over to the table to create an Earl Grey blend.
Bass music thumped through the wall, followed by a “Let’s go, supes!”
His voice bellowed like a growling foghorn. I clenched my teeth and turned on the music. How could anyone relax when they had a meathead barking through the walls?
Dear goddesses. I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled slowly. Deeply. To keep myself from flying off a broomstick and hexing the new guy into a toad. Not that I possessed that kind of magical ability. If I did, I would have cursed half of the men I’d dated into rodents.
I turned on tranquil music to set the ambiance and drown out the new guy.
Whoever had hired this bear shifter as a physical trainer hadn’t considered being “spa adjacent friendly.”
Before him, we had a yoga and Pilates instructor next door who was far more compatible with the soothing ambiance of the spa. But she’d fallen in love with a passenger a few months ago and had left to go live with him somewhere in the mountains.
Ugh, there was too much romance happening on this ship, as if someone were spiking the cocktails with love potions. Even Van, the lead singer of the ship’s rock band, had fallen in love—with a two-hundred-year-old vampire, no less. Van had been my latest mistake. Beautiful voice, hot body, and zero conscience. He was a suave jaguar shifter who’d seduced me one night, and like a fool, I’d fallen for him, thinking it meant something.
Ha, that was a reality slap as hard as a cold cauldron. For Van, it was just fun. A fling. He’d ghosted me so hard I’d wondered if this floating ship was haunted. It hurt to be dismissed that way. So I did what any self-respecting witch with a little penchant for twisting the rules of magic would do. I got him back.
I played a prank on him. Just a little hex to teach him a lesson, one that made him sound ridiculous whenever he tried to flirt. He’d bleat like a sheep or spout dirty limericks. Sure, it was a wee bit unethical, but why be gifted with magic if you weren’t going to use it? Besides, it was justified in my eyes. He made me feel like a tool, so I got payback.
What fun I’d had messing with him that night. Even more so when it had turned out to be the same night he’d met his fated mate—the vampire Celeste. Incredible timing on my part since he’d made a fool out of himself in front of her. Good, he needed a bite of humble pie. And hey, it all worked out in the end. He’d learned his lesson, we’d all had a good laugh, and none of us had any hard feelings.
However, I’d also learned a lesson and walked away with new rules to protect me from getting played again:
- Don’t get involvedwith anyone on this ship
- Especially if he’s a coworker
- Doubly so if he’s a cocky shifter
Charlotte,a petite fae with light pink hair who worked in the spa with me, walked in and stopped when she saw me. “You okay, Maribelle?”
“Yeah, why?” I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the rising tension within.
“You look like you’re ready to combust a cauldron,” she pointed out with a wry grin.
I grunted and cocked my head toward the wall. “New guy. Frustrating as hell.” A loud thump punctuated my point.
“That’s it. Push through,” the bear’s voice rumbled through the walls.
I planted both hands on my hips. “How am I supposed to promote relaxation with all this grunting?”
