the kitchen. Able to see clearly in the
dark, he didn’t bother to turn on a lamp. Setting it down on the counter beside
the sink, he took a moment to stare out into the blackness of night. The glow
of the half moon was shining through it and his bear enjoyed being bathed in
the light.
Run .
He chuckled at the demands of his bear. Over the last
week they’d both become restless. The cause seemed clear to him. The Bear
Run. There was no way for him to get out of it this year. He had to
participate and he had to choose a life mate.
“Shit,” the word exploded from his mouth and echoed in
the kitchen.
His bear growled. It would be so much easier if his
animal side would have claimed Marcella, then he wouldn’t be in such torment.
No mate .
The vehemence behind those two words from his bear
caused Cord’s gut to tighten.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he shoved the Friday night
event far into the back of his mind. His bear would have to settle for the
choices before them at that time. What they both wanted wasn’t possible.
Heading to the back door off the side of his kitchen,
Cord stepped into his garage. The smell of soil and floral and plant life
greeted him from the bags of fertilizer and seeds stocked in the back of his
truck. The scents were always a welcome to him. He loved digging his hands deep
into Mother Earth in both bear and human form. He’d miss it.
Getting ready to check the boundaries of his property
for the night, he stripped out of his clothes. He moved past his truck and out
the open door of his garage. In an instant he took off across his back lawn and
with nothing but an image of his bear in his mind he shifted.
Paws pounding on the ground he set out on his nightly
excursion. Moving toward the first thick redwood he saw, he pressed his back
against it and gave himself a nice deep scratch from the crown of his head to
his stubby tail. The bark digging into his spine was like heaven on earth. The
only thing better was raw honey from a bee hive.
Dropping back to all fours he continued to trudge on
the path, sniffing for anything out of the ordinary. They didn’t get many
strangers in Den, but it wasn’t uncommon for some tree-hugging hiker to venture
too far from safer camp grounds. The time or two he’d come across an
adventurous camper, a deep loud roar was enough to send them packing. It was
normally an entertaining moment for him.
After more than an hour of searching and scenting his
property, he continued through the woods that bordered Theo’s land. His friend
was still away with his family and he kept an eye out on it. Forty-five minutes
later, he was still restless and decided to check in on his grandmother’s
friend. Unlike his grandmother, Genma lived alone with no family close by.
As the mayor, his father normally extended his
protection to the single females and elderly in the county.
Moving toward the river, he allowed it to lead him to
the widest section, two miles up. His bear was thrilled to be out in the night
air longer than usual, feeling the fall breeze in his fur, hearing the mating
calls of birds and insects, smelling rich soil and other woodsy scents all
around.
There were times Cord wished he could remain in this
form. Things were simpler when he was a bear.
As soon as he arrived at the Berend property he saw
her. A female bear, sitting in the center of the path that led from the house
to the water. As if waiting for something or someone.
He paused for a moment, wondering if something was
wrong.
Turning her head, she focused on him. In the moonlight,
he could see the graying at the crown of her head.
Had she been expecting me? Cord shoved the thought away. Of
course not. He hadn’t even planned to come out here.
Continuing his progression toward her, Genma’s bear
lifted her snout to the air and dropped it quickly, a greeting. His bear
returned the gesture.
Before he could reach her, she turned and trotted back
to her house and rounded the porch to her side
dark, he didn’t bother to turn on a lamp. Setting it down on the counter beside
the sink, he took a moment to stare out into the blackness of night. The glow
of the half moon was shining through it and his bear enjoyed being bathed in
the light.
Run .
He chuckled at the demands of his bear. Over the last
week they’d both become restless. The cause seemed clear to him. The Bear
Run. There was no way for him to get out of it this year. He had to
participate and he had to choose a life mate.
“Shit,” the word exploded from his mouth and echoed in
the kitchen.
His bear growled. It would be so much easier if his
animal side would have claimed Marcella, then he wouldn’t be in such torment.
No mate .
The vehemence behind those two words from his bear
caused Cord’s gut to tighten.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he shoved the Friday night
event far into the back of his mind. His bear would have to settle for the
choices before them at that time. What they both wanted wasn’t possible.
Heading to the back door off the side of his kitchen,
Cord stepped into his garage. The smell of soil and floral and plant life
greeted him from the bags of fertilizer and seeds stocked in the back of his
truck. The scents were always a welcome to him. He loved digging his hands deep
into Mother Earth in both bear and human form. He’d miss it.
Getting ready to check the boundaries of his property
for the night, he stripped out of his clothes. He moved past his truck and out
the open door of his garage. In an instant he took off across his back lawn and
with nothing but an image of his bear in his mind he shifted.
Paws pounding on the ground he set out on his nightly
excursion. Moving toward the first thick redwood he saw, he pressed his back
against it and gave himself a nice deep scratch from the crown of his head to
his stubby tail. The bark digging into his spine was like heaven on earth. The
only thing better was raw honey from a bee hive.
Dropping back to all fours he continued to trudge on
the path, sniffing for anything out of the ordinary. They didn’t get many
strangers in Den, but it wasn’t uncommon for some tree-hugging hiker to venture
too far from safer camp grounds. The time or two he’d come across an
adventurous camper, a deep loud roar was enough to send them packing. It was
normally an entertaining moment for him.
After more than an hour of searching and scenting his
property, he continued through the woods that bordered Theo’s land. His friend
was still away with his family and he kept an eye out on it. Forty-five minutes
later, he was still restless and decided to check in on his grandmother’s
friend. Unlike his grandmother, Genma lived alone with no family close by.
As the mayor, his father normally extended his
protection to the single females and elderly in the county.
Moving toward the river, he allowed it to lead him to
the widest section, two miles up. His bear was thrilled to be out in the night
air longer than usual, feeling the fall breeze in his fur, hearing the mating
calls of birds and insects, smelling rich soil and other woodsy scents all
around.
There were times Cord wished he could remain in this
form. Things were simpler when he was a bear.
As soon as he arrived at the Berend property he saw
her. A female bear, sitting in the center of the path that led from the house
to the water. As if waiting for something or someone.
He paused for a moment, wondering if something was
wrong.
Turning her head, she focused on him. In the moonlight,
he could see the graying at the crown of her head.
Had she been expecting me? Cord shoved the thought away. Of
course not. He hadn’t even planned to come out here.
Continuing his progression toward her, Genma’s bear
lifted her snout to the air and dropped it quickly, a greeting. His bear
returned the gesture.
Before he could reach her, she turned and trotted back
to her house and rounded the porch to her side
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