Chapter Eleven
Posy
They hadn’t even picked up a camera.
As we walked along the nearly level trail, it occurred to me that no filming had taken place.
Not that they had ever said they’d be doing it, but they released videos very frequently.
Sometimes, one every few days, and that meant that if they didn’t do any for the entire week, I might be causing them to have a big loss of income.
From what I understood, not posting content as frequently could be the kiss of death for a channel.
But then, I only got my information from watching other channels, obviously never having made a video of any kind myself.
I just didn’t want to hurt these bears who were being so polite and kind to me.
We probably hadn’t walked a half mile before they were asking if I was tired or hungry or thirsty. Did I need a break?
The scenery was beautiful, with mountains looming above and shimmering lakes in the valleys below.
My first national park was a true experience—not that this trail was allowing me much of one.
It was smooth and even, and most of those we passed were senior citizens.
But, even so, we were surrounded by tall trees, breathing clean, sweet air, and the company was good.
I’d always loved the woods, despite not being able to turn into a wolf or a bear to run around in it.
I’d always played in the forest, roughhousing with the other kids, and nobody worried about how I held up then.
Lots of bruises and scrapes never killed me.
If they treated me with any more care, even I would start to think I might be made of glass.
Or a hundred and five years old.
And it was taking a lot of the joy out of the whole experience.
So, when they suggested for the tenth time I might be in need of a nap, I stopped arguing and let them walk me back to the trailer.
I really liked them, but if they couldn’t relax around me and be themselves, I was going to have to admit defeat and figure out another place to go.
The pack was not an option, but neither was staying with three bears who were super polite to me when I was so attracted to them, I wanted to tear my clothes off and beg them to…
to… Well, I wasn’t exactly sure how it would work with three of them and one of me, but they had expressed a desire to share a mate, so it would have to work somehow.
Hopefully they had an idea about it.
But when we got back to the trailer, they escorted me to the door with instructions to take a nap. Okay, maybe instead of a hundred and five, they thought I was five. But it got worse.
“The trailer has lots of food if you want to eat something before we get back. As you may have noticed, the connectivity up here is almost nil, so if you can’t reach us, don’t worry, all right?
” Judah’s announcement preceded the three of them taking off on another—presumably more fun—hike.
They promised to return well before dinnertime, and off they went, camera bobbing along in Saber’s pack and GoPros attached to each of them.
They’d have some kind of video to upload.
One without me. Because I was either not pretty enough, or they didn’t think I’d be around long enough to want to have me recorded for online posterity.
I got it. No problem. They should go and do what they needed to.
It was their business, after all. But since I was neither five nor a hundred and five, I would not be wasting my afternoon taking a nap.
Peeking through the lace window curtains of my vintage trailer, I watched the bears until they disappeared in the distance. They had such an active walk, almost a bounce in every step, and I wanted more than anything to run after them and beg them to take me along.
But they hadn’t invited me, and with all the nice things they were doing, I would respect their decision.
That said, I couldn’t think of a reason why I couldn’t go off and have an adventure of my own.
I’d lived under the thumb of pack leadership my entire life, and my purpose for coming here to meet these males wasn’t to be an obedient mate.
If we worked out and were the right people for one another, it would have to be under equal terms. Did it occur to them that after they deposited me at my door with instructions to nap—that I’d never agreed to do so?
Bustling around the trailer, I emptied my backpack on the bed and replaced the contents with bottled water and snacks and other useful items they’d stocked in the trailer for me.
They’d told me to help myself to anything I wanted, so I only felt a little guilty as I zipped the pack and started off to a different trailhead from the one the bears had taken.
No way I’d have caught up with them anyway, but I might have accidentally met them on the way back, and I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about my venturing out on my own.
Wearing shorts and a tank top, I stuffed a light hoodie into the pack as well in case the afternoon grew cool.
I’d just take a short hike and be back long before sundown. A couple of hours, max.
I had a long way to go to feel fully independent, with or without mates.
The trail was well marked, at first, wide and even, but once I crossed a bridge over a small pond, it narrowed, became less traveled.
Narrower. And unlike the morning’s trail, it climbed.
Then descended into a valley then climbed again.
After about an hour, I questioned my life’s choices because I lost track of the path completely.
And, as Judah had said, my phone had no connectivity.
I should have left a note at least. They wouldn’t even know where to look for me.
I’d made a real mess of everything.