Ivy went inside, all her pals hurrying after her as if she were the queen of her sleuth.
Then she disappeared into her bedroom with her girlfriends.
Kendra and Grayson entered the house. “She was hurting.”
“Yeah, I saw that. She overdid it. The girls are staying overnight, but Dad and Marcus will handle it. They’re going to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on the campfire,” Grayson said.
“What about telling her about the girls who were rescued?”
“I figure once Ivy’s friends are on the back deck, we’ll have a private discussion with Ivy while my dad and Marcus watch the girls.”
“Are you going to tell your brother and your dad too?”
“Yeah, they’ll need to know.”
Then they left the bedroom, and Grayson saw Marcus gathering hot dogs and buns together. Grayson grabbed the condiments while their dad took out packages of chips.
The girls carried out drinks and marshmallows. Then Grayson said to Ivy, “We’re heading back to my house.”
She smiled, like she knew just why they wanted to leave.
“But first, we need to tell you something, privately.”
Marcus overheard him. “Can I listen in?”
“Sure. Then, when you are alone with Dad, you can tell him. Let’s go to the den.”
A large flat-screen TV hung on the wall. Gray velour couches and chairs filled the room. A table for games, boxes of games, and books on shelves was the perfect place for the girls to enjoy the rest of their night, after they had eaten their dinner. Sleeping bags were rolled up in the corner of the den, and he realized Ivy and her girlfriends would probably sleep in there.
“I’ll tell Dad that you wanted to talk to Ivy for a moment, so her girlfriends don’t come looking for her.” Marcus left the den and headed outside on the deck.
“It must be something bad,” Ivy said, taking a seat on one of the recliners.
“It’s good and bad,” Grayson said.
Kendra left the den and returned with water and some over-the-counter pain medication for Ivy’s arm.
Marcus joined them and took a seat on one of the couches while Kendra and Grayson sat together. “So what is this all about?” Marcus asked.
Grayson told them about the girls who had been taken hostage and where they ended up, just like Ivy and Anne would have.
Ivy wiped away tears. “I can’t believe I was stupid for falling for their tricks.”
“The other girls did too. Anne was just caught off-guard on the hiking trail,” Kendra said. “That’s why you always have to be aware of your surroundings and make sure someone doesn’t try to take advantage of you.”
“Are the girls all right?” Ivy asked.
“I’m sure they were traumatized by it, just as you were. But because you had freed yourself, you might feel somewhat more empowered,” Kendra said.
“I do.” Ivy was quiet for a moment, thinking about what had happened. “I would have shifted and torn apart the cage I was in if I hadn’t been able to free myself earlier.”
“But the other girls would have seen you shift,” Grayson said.
“In the dark? At night? They probably would have been terrified that a growling grizzly had gotten into the room, but once I freed them, I would have shifted back and dressed. Then I would have joined them, telling them that the bear was one I had raised from a cub, that she freed us, and we had to get out of there.”
Grayson smiled. “Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that, but you would have too.”
“Sure, I would. I take it all the other girls, and Anne are human.”
