Chapter Two

 

 

Scarlet stepped out of the light and into the open-roofed building that was the Meditation Centre.

The Asian touches of zen-styled garden and a small pool were cute and oddly soothing.

A woman with white hair came toward her with her brow furrowed. “Scarlet Wilson?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You are... I thought you would be... you are a panda, right?”

Scarlet smiled. “Red panda. Like a red raccoon, only with a better reputation.”

“Oh. Right. Well, you have opted to stay at the bed and breakfast, so we will just finish your registration, and then, I will take you over.”

“Sounds good.” Scarlet shifted her pack.

She followed the woman toward a desk when the woman stopped short and whirled, stretching out her hand. “I am so sorry. I am Teal. I am one of the guardians of the Crossroads.”

Scarlet took her hand in an even grip. “Scarlet. Child of a red panda and a sasquatch.”

Teal’s eyes widened. “Not Biyu and Arthur.”

Now, it was Scarlet’s turn to be surprised. “Yeah. Is there a record book or something with their names in it?”

Teal grinned. “There is, but I met your mother and your father when they demanded that they be allowed a formal union. Your mom is scary when she is angry.”

Scarlet stared at Teal. “You can’t be old enough.”

“Oh, I can. The position of Crossroads guardian carries a lot of perks, including spending more time with my mate than most sane women would like.” Teal chuckled and gestured for Scarlet to join her at the desk.

“Now, we have fey running around here, but if you—”

“No. Not interested. The sasquatch have enough wild magic working its way in. Taking on an enchanted mate is more than I am interested in doing.”

“Right. Fair enough. Don’t want to tinker with sleeping genetics.” Teal grabbed a bracelet with a small charm on it, and she double checked it for something before she tied it on Scarlet’s wrist.

“Here we go. Plain old shifter band. You can use that to buy anything here from dinner to shoes. Your bed and breakfast is run by a fey, but she’s married to a shifter. Teebie is an excellent hostess, but she is completely blue.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“No problem. Do you want a tour?”

Scarlet smiled. “Can Teebie give me tips?”

“Of course. Okay, you have your bag, so come this way. I will give you what information I can think of on the way.”

 

Teebie was wonderful, friendly, and exceedingly blue. By the time Scarlet made it to her room, she had consumed three cookies and two glasses of lemonade, along with the history of the Crossroads.

With a heavy sigh and a glance toward the reddening light outside, she set down her pack and pulled out her clothing. She selected a black cocktail dress with a flirty skirt for her first foray into the dating scene at the Crossroads.

Her heels were modest by her mother’s standards and nearly scandalous by her father’s. It was a happy medium.

Before she got dressed, she brushed her hair out, and pulled the dark auburn mass into a thick braid over her left shoulder. How she had ended up with auburn hair when her mother’s hair was black and her father was a blond was a family mystery. Apparently, it was a common colour in sasquatch families. She hadn’t gotten the beast form, but she had gotten the colouration in human form. At least it proved she was family.

With her hair wrangled into submission, she slithered into the dress and stepped into her heels. Out of habit, she grabbed the small embroidered pouch that she carried her cards in, and with them to keep her head in the game, she left her room and walked down the stairs to the main lobby.

She smiled and waved at Teebie before continuing out the door. The only way that this was going to work was if she left her room, and she was determined to get her beast off her back.

The Crossed Star had its double doorway open, and soft music was drifting into the street outside. Scarlet walked in and headed to the bar first thing.

She waited until the woman who was serving had turned to her. “Can I get some pineapple juice and soda?”

The young woman grinned. “Of course.”

The pineapple juice was in a pitcher in the fridge, and when it was poured, the scent triggered happy memories for Scarlet. It was fresh.

Squealing in delight at the taste of the drink wouldn’t have been dignified, but she nodded her thanks as she paid for the beverage, and then, she settled in a small corner booth to watch how things were done at the Crossroads.

There were only a handful of early clients in the bar at first glance, but when Scarlet focused on the dance floor, she saw women moving in time with large blurs. A quick scan of the room showed a number of the blurs gathered near the bar, but she literally couldn’t focus on them.

The figures must be the fey that she was counting out of her courtship options. The other men of varying descriptions started arriving, and they were giving the blurs a run for their money.

Scarlet sat in the shadows, and when her palms tingled, she pulled out her cards.

The first draw showed her at her destination, anticipation, and inbound strangers. The second draw showed her the lovers in an eminent position.

Blushing, she gathered her cards and stuffed them back in her pouch.

“Are you new?”

The low tone was husky, and when she looked up, a handsome man with blond hair was smiling down at her.

“I just arrived, if that is what you were asking.”

“Would you care to dance? It is usually a good way to find out if your beast is satisfied with your partner.” He held his hand out to her.

“Um, okay. I am Scarlet.” She placed her fingers in his and slid out of her booth.

“Geoffrey. Are you enjoying your stay?”

“So far I am still adjusting. I will let you know tomorrow.”

She was really happy to have come from a social community when he settled his hand on her hip, and the other kept her hand in a light grip. She didn’t panic when he moved to the beat, and she followed.

“So, what drove you to the Crossroads?” He smiled as he engaged in polite conversation.

“I have been having premonitions of finding a mate, so I am guessing my beast is engaging in wishful thinking.” She had learned early on in life not to say that her cards had told her to do something. That was way too creepy for most folks.

He laughed. “Premonitions or dreams?”

She smiled slightly and inclined her head. “Premonitions. They run in the family.”

“What kind of shifter are you?”

“I am a blend.”

“Of what species?”

She looked at him and cocked her head. “I am part sasquatch.”

His laughter caused them to bump into another couple. A man with long black hair scowled at them. “Please, be more careful.”

Scarlet’s heart thudded in her chest as she looked at him. She had rarely seen anything as beautiful. He had to be a fey, there was no way he was human.

Geoffrey bristled. “Keep an eye on yourself.”

Scarlet pulled out of his arms with a jerk. “Excuse me. That is enough.”

She turned and stalked out of the bar before he could do more than make a slow grab for her.

The air outside was brisk but still held the scent of summer. Idly, she supposed that it always had the scent of summer in the Crossroads.

“Where are you going?”

Scarlet turned to see Geoffrey coming toward her. “I am going back to my room, and I will try to come up with a better plan of attack than the one I just engaged in.”

“We didn’t finish our dance.” He stepped forward.

She blinked when she realized that he was attempting to dominate her. She smiled. “It was over when you collided with the other couple.”

When he reached for her arm, she took into account his height, weight, and the fact that he didn’t think sasquatch were real. She gripped his elbow, twisted and held him as he knelt under the pain of the contact. “I said I was leaving for the night. Good night and be happy that I have been having a relatively fun time.”

He gasped and so did some of the others who had followed him out of the bar to defend her honour or, at least, watch to make sure he would behave. In the crowd was the lovely man she had seen on the dance floor. It was weird that she could see him, but she supposed that the enchantment wasn’t designed to hold up to a direct collision.

Scarlet looked at her stunned ex-dance partner, turned her back and headed for the bed and breakfast. She supposed that she might need to regroup, and in a building in a strange place wasn’t the place to do it. She needed to get a little wild.