Loving The Bear: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Gray Bears Book 2) Read Online Free

and said, “These are from my bakery. I didn't
manage to sell them today, so...”
    Gramma grinned and
immediately grabbed two plates and filled them with cookies. “I'll
go out and give these to the boys. This bigger plate is for us
girls.”
    Elle helped Ne-ma carry the
mugs of tea to the kitchen table and sat down with her. “Mmmm...”
Ne-ma took another cookie. “These are divine! Yum!”
    “Are you going to eat
them all, Neveah?” Gramma demanded as she waltzed back into the
kitchen. “Leave some for me!”
    “You can have the
crumbs, Glynda,” Ne-ma answered, snagging another cookie.
    “Oh no you don't.”
Gramma snapped her fingers and the cookie flew out of Ne-ma's hand.
Gramma snatched the spinning cookie out of the air and bit happily
into it. “Crumbs, eh?”
    Elle watched in awe and
wonder as Gramma and Ne-ma used their spells effortlessly to spar
with each other over the cookies. Colorful sparks landed on the
kitchen table as the cookies danced from the plate into Gramma and
Ne-ma's grasping hands.
    “Gimme!”
    “I'm having the last
chocolate chip cookie!”
    “Hey!”
    As Gramma and Ne-ma giggled
and tried to outdo each other with their playful spells, they turned
laughingly to Elle and encouraged her to join in the spell-fest.
“Come on, hit her with your best shot!” Ne-ma grinned.
    “I...I c-can't.”
    Gramma and Ne-ma stopped
fooling around and the cookies clattered lifelessly back onto the
plate. “But you're a witch, right? Like us,” Gramma
said, frowning. “I can sense you have magic in your blood.”
    Elle shook her head. “I'm
a half witch. My dad was human, but I never knew him. He was...just
one of my mom's many lovers.”
    “But your mother's a
witch. She should have schooled you in basic spell-casting and
manifesting,” Ne-ma said, blinking in surprise.
    “The only spells my mom
ever taught me were glamor spells.” Elle swallowed. “She
said that was all I needed to know. And since I'm not a full witch,
she said there's no need for me to know anything else. She wanted me
to be pretty, but...” Elle blew out a long sigh. “I'm
not the pretty daughter she wanted. I'm short and plump, with unruly
curly red hair. My mom was tall, blond and slim. She wanted me to
use my glamor to look more like her, but...I just couldn't do it.”
Elle looked down and mumbled, “I'm not good at spells. I'm
not good at anything—except baking.” She shook her head
and added softly, “My mom...wasn't a happy woman. She never
found what she was looking for. I think...she was looking for true
love, but she never found it. Not in this life. She's gone now, and
I hope...she's happy where she is...” Elle blinked away the
sudden tears in her eyes and reached for her cup with shaking hands.
    Gramma and Ne-ma came round
the table and sat on either side of her. They put their arms around
her and held her lovingly.
    “I...I'm okay,”
Elle said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
    “Of course you are,”
Gramma said. “You're wonderful.”
    “You are a witch,
Elle,” Ne-ma said firmly. “A half witch has magic in her
blood, just like a full witch. You just have to learn to use what
you have. And you have a lot of potential and talent. There are a
lot of spells you can cast, not just glamor spells. Those are pretty
useless, in my opinion. What's the use of being a pretty but
hollow-headed thing?”
    Elle smiled sadly. “It's
too late now. My mom's gone...”
    “It's never too late,”
Gramma snapped. “You can start learning now. We'll teach
you.”
    Elle's eyes rounded. “You
will? T-teach me?”
    “Of course! We'll
teach you to be a proper witch. You'll learn to focus your will and
cast all kinds of wonderful, good spells, not just airy glamor spells
and nasty love spells!” Ne-ma made a face.
    Elle let out a short laugh.
“I don't think I can even cast a simple love spell properly. I
made a wish, and see how that turned out!”
    “What wish?”
Gramma said slowly.
    Elle lifted