Page 2 of Woodland Web

A few moments later, Meagan came in. The first thing I noticed was she had cut her hair. It was in a short, cute bob now, and it suited her. The second was that she looked vaguely like the cat that ate the canary. Or the bear…given Meagan was a bear shifter.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked as she slid into the chair opposite me.

She glanced at the counter. “Let me get some caffeine. I’m going to need it.”

I watched as she approached the barista and gave him her order, then returned to the table. “He’ll bring it over. Thanks for meeting me today.” She frowned. “I’m not sure that, if I were you, I would have agreed. So I appreciate it.”

Surprised to hear her say that, I shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Even as I said it, I realized that Ari’s decision still stung. I still hurt from her panic that I might put her children in danger. But I couldn’t refute that hanging around with me actually might be dangerous, and even that sliver of possibility made me feel guilty, though I’d never willingly put them in harm’s way.

“So…how are you? How’s Killian doing?”

Hearing Meagan struggle to make small talk was worse than ripping off the bandage. Meagan was no-nonsense, and she had always left the gossip to Ari and me.

“You know, why don’t you just say what you came to say? It’s not that I don’t appreciate the attempt, but obviously, you’re here for a reason. If Ari doesn’t know you’re here, then she’d probably be angry to find out you are. What’s going on, Meagan?” I was still enough of an emotional wreck from the fight that I couldn’t be any more tactful than that.

Meagan paused as the barista brought over her mocha and a sandwich. As soon as the server left the table, she turned to me, sighing again. “Okay, you want to know why I’m here, I’ll tell you. I can’t stand this fight between you and Ari a moment longer. She’s miserable, and she mopes all day. The kids know something’s wrong, and I’m about to go off on her. It was a stupid fight, so I want you both to make up.”

She sat back, mocha in hand, staring at me.

I blinked. “What? I thought you were coming down here to tell me that you wanted me to stay far away from your family.”

Meagan snorted. “Okay, here’s the thing. First, just living in this town puts everyone in danger, but it wouldn’t be different anywhere else. There are always going to be dangers around, especially for those of us in the Otherkin community. Second, Ari’s witchblood like you. That alone can attract the things she’s afraid of. She just freaked out when that demon possessed her—as anybody would. But it could have happened anywhere. You’re not directly responsible. There’s nothing special about you, January, that makes you more of a threat.”

I wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or flattered.

“And third,” she continued, “Ari needs her bestie. I love her, but she’s my wife. You’re her lifelong best friend, and nothing can replace that. I don’t want to sit and gossip. I don’t know how to talk about magic. I don’t care if High Priestess Floofernuts demands that Ari return to the coven—no offense to your grandmother, by the way. I just want to love her, eat dinner with her and the kids at night, and see that they’re all happy. And Ari’s terribly unhappy right now.”

I nodded, realizing that Meagan hadn’t been instrumental in Ari’s decision. “Did you tell her that?”

Meagan blinked. “No…she knows all that.”

“Maybe she doesn’t know as much as you think she does. You do realize that she thought this is what you wanted? That you’d be so terrified for the kids that you’d welcome her kicking me out of her life. She didn’t exactly say that, but I’ve known Ari for decades, now, and trust me, that’s what she was thinking.”

“You have to be kidding,” Meagan said.

“Most definitely not. And there’s something else you may not realize. Ari’s petrified by the sudden responsibility of caring for two children that she never expected to show up on her doorstep. She wants to do right by them.” I leaned forward, suddenly grateful that I’d given Meagan the chance to talk to me. “Ari’s afraid she’ll hurt them, somehow. And when that demon possessed her and she was headed back to the salon where the kids were…”

“Then maybe she needs to work on her magic, so it couldn’t jump her. Because whether or not you’re around, demons can—and do—show up. Especially if they think they can get a free ride.” Meagan paused to take a bite of her sandwich.

“You’re a wise woman, Meagan.”

“So, no more Mean Meg?” she asked with a grin.

When we were all in high school, Ari and I had called the blond cheerleader bear shifter Mean Meg…and truth was, she had been one of the mean girls. But she’d grown into a rather remarkable woman.

Before I could answer, she said, “I’m sorry I was such an asshole. I knew better. I just… I don’t have a good excuse but I already realized I might be gay, and I was scared. You saw what happened when I came out as a grown woman—I got kicked out of my Clan and I was disowned by my parents. I was so confused about what to do or say. My parents were pushing me to get engaged, and everybody said that Jim and I were meant to be together.”

I thought that over for a moment, suddenly feeling sorry for her. “So, why did you marry him? Because the Clan told you to?” The North Cascades Bear Clan was matriarchal, but sometimes you couldn’t tell. And even though Jim Franks was a puma shifter, he had position and money and everything the bear clans held as important.

Meagan nodded. “I did as I was told. Thank gods we never had children. I’d be stuck forever because the Clan would have kept me from seeing them if I left. As it was, they just… I can’t go back there for any reason. Even if a member of my family dies.”

That had to hurt.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “That’s so unfair.”

“Ari and the kids are the only family I have now. And…” she paused, then added, “I think of you and Killian as family, too. You and Ari might as well be sisters. And so that makes you my sister. I miss dinners with you and Killian. I’d like that back.”

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