Page 502 of Love Bites

"Be sure to save room for dessert. My grandmother Catori makes them, and you won't be sorry."

I smile at her with a closed mouth full of food. I'm so getting dessert now.

I lean back with a sigh. I'm comfortable and should stop. But I can never resist homemade baked goods. Scanning the menu, I smile when I see lemon meringue because that's Sierra's favorite.

"I need to use the restroom. Order me chocolate cream pie, please." As I walk toward the bathroom, swinging white doors part when the waitress exits the kitchen and reveal a tiny old woman. Our eyes lock for a moment before the doors shut, and a chill runs down my spine.Weird.

The scent of cut pine overpowers me when I enter the ladies’ room, and dizziness makes me stop in my tracks. I'm sure it's just the cleaning solution I smell, but I envision the forest in my dreams. I imagine the gray rock I saw and recall patches of pale green lichen adorning it, making it look like damask fabric. It’s surrounded by pine, birch, and other trees I can't name. When I wash my hands, the cool water of the ancient tap makes me think of the gentle trickle of a brook. If I didn't know better, I would expect to see my bear when I leave the bathroom.

I don't. But what I do see is just as unsettling. The old woman is standing by our table with her hand on the top of Sierra's breast, over her tattoo. I hurry toward them and dwarf the woman with my six feet of height.

A strong bony hand grips my wrist when she turns to me, and I'm trapped by her nearly black eyes. She flips my hand over and traces my tattoo. I'm tempted to pull away, but courage makes me speak instead. "You must be the woman that makes the desserts."

She scoffs at me. "You are strong. Bravery lives in your heart, but you're afraid to use it. Don't be. It will be tested, and you're a worthy opponent."

Okay, a simple yes would have worked. "You can see our tattoos, can't you?"

"I feel them, but I cannot see. Only the chosen can see." The woman's face is a roadmap of wrinkles, and I guess she's close to one hundred years old.

I look at Sierra, and she shrugs. The old woman is still holding my hand, and I pull gently to remove it from her papery grasp.

I ask, "Do you know what we were chosen for?"

Catori’s voice changes to something that shouldn’t come out of her tiny body. "The bear is a courageous spirit. This clan has called you. Go east, and you'll find a great and powerful love. In return you'll provide the future."

Tiny hairs prick at the back of my neck. What the hell does that mean?She pats my arm and in her grandmotherly voice says, "Eat, you will like my dessert."

I watch as she wanders off. Sliding into the booth again, I feel a chill run through me, and I clasp my hands together to still them. I whisper to Sierra, "What was all that?"

Sierra shakes her head as she puts a forkful of pie in her mouth. Speaking over her food, she says, "I don't know, but oh my God, is this good."

I glance toward the kitchen and see that Catori’s back is to me as she pushes her way in. Her long silver braid sways, and she shuffles like the old lady she is. I shake off the idea she was anything more and dig into the chocolate cream to let the sweet flavor invade my mouth.

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