Page 1 of Bearly Mine
ONE
Dean
Something was missing. I paced the floor of my cabin, searching for why it felt off. The open floor plan of the main level looked like it always did. There was the small kitchen separated from the rest by a huge butcher block island, the round dining table and chairs gleaming beneath a low hanging light, and the oversized sectional sofa that faced the fireplace, with a barely used TV hanging on the wall above.
Nothing was out of place, but it seemed emptier than usual. Less like a home than it should, considering I’d been here for five years and had built it myself, with help from my fellow bear shifters. It lacked warmth. It lacked a woman’s touch.
It might be time to start seriously looking for my mate. All shifters had one. The person who called to both our shifter and human halves. I hadn’t found mine in Shifter Alley, the large swath of forest populated with a variety of shifter species, but I could travel to other shifter havens. The thought wasn’t appealing. Most shifters avoided passing through human territory, electing to stay closer to home.
Humans knew of our existence, but they were often uneasy in our presence, subconsciously aware of the wild nature of ourshifter halves. It made forays into human areas uncomfortable. Not to mention shifting near humans wasn’t the wisest course of action. Humans were banned from hunting in shifter havens, but outside, our animal halves were easily mistaken for prey.
My bear was restless as I contemplated going on a mate hunt. The energy built up beneath my skin, almost forcing a shift, but the last time I shifted in the house, he broke the back door off its hinges in his eagerness to escape the confines of my cabin. The guys ribbed me about it for weeks afterwards. I headed for the door. I’d shift and try to run off the excess energy before sitting down to figure out a plan.
The crackle of the radio stopped me. My bear grumbled as I crossed to the table and picked up the microphone. Cell phones worked inside each of the shifter communities thanks to cell boosters, but Jasper, the lion who acted as our liaison with the outside world, still preferred to use the old radios.
“You there, Dean?”
“Here. What’s up?”
“Highway 90 is closed for roadwork today. I expect most people will wait until it opens, but the official detour is through Shifter Alley. Wanted to let everyone know there may be human traffic on the road.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll let the rest of my sleuth know.”
As the leader of our sleuth, I handled all our communications with other groups in Shifter Alley and kept my guys updated on any news. I shot off a text in our group chat before dropping my phone on the counter and stepping onto my back deck. Stripping, I left my clothes draped over the porch rail. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of pine and freshly turned earth from the garden plot that was ready to be planted now that spring was here.
Bear shifters didn’t hibernate over the winter, but we slowed down, preferring to gather in front of our fireplaces than gotrekking about the woods. With the snow off the ground, my bear wanted out as often as possible. I had no other plans and figured I would spend the day indulging him.
My bones and muscles stretched and popped as I reformed into my large brown bear. Laughter floated on the breeze, coming from the center of the bear community, but I headed away from the noise. Our bears were more solitary, but our human sides craved connection. To meet the needs of both parts, our cabins formed in a circle, with a gathering area in the middle. If we wanted to be alone, we could slip out the back, but if we wanted company, we just had to step out our front doors.
Our sleuth was small, only eight members, having broken off from a larger group five years back. There was no bad will, only space issues. My sleuthmates and I all approached the phase in our lives of wanting mates and families of our own, and needed a community ready for when that happened. I suppose it made sense that I was considering a mate hunt, as we were finally comfortably established.
My bear veered closer to the highway, and I retook control long enough to keep him away from the road. I wanted to avoid startling any human drivers detouring through Shifter Alley. Although, as Jasper said, most would probably wait out the construction rather than come our way.
Lily
I bit back a curse word as I eased my car to a stop. My swear jar was almost full, but I was getting better at holding it back. I was hopeful I’d have it under control before I got my first teaching job. But if there wasn’t a way around the roadblock in front of me, that might never happen.
A construction worker approached the window of my rust covered sedan. The window didn’t work, so I opened the door and stepped out to meet him, nerves jumping as I sent out a prayer for an easy detour.
“Road’s closed for at least a few hours.” He jerked his head back the way I’d come from. “There’s a diner a few miles back. You can grab a bite to eat while you wait.”
“Is there a detour? I have a job interview in Dryston.” Desperation dripped from my voice. I should have left yesterday and stayed in a hotel overnight, but I couldn’t afford it. If it wasn’t for my friend Maddie’s generosity and couch, I’d have been sleeping in my car for the last few weeks. Today was my last chance after a less than stellar interview a few days earlier.
He paused a moment before answering, “If I were you, I’d reschedule the interview and go to the diner.”
I pounced on his hesitation. “But there is a detour?”
“Technically.”
“Where?” I pulled out my phone and opened the map feature, scrolling around, not finding another road that led to Dryston. The highway I was on skirted around a large forested area. “Will it get me there by this afternoon?”
“Lady, I’m telling you, go to the diner. We should have the road cleared by this evening.” He pulled off his cap and hit it against his leg when I shook my head. “Look, the only other way is through Shifter Alley.”
I cursed, automatically reaching for my purse to contribute to my swear jar. I had never met a shifter before, but I heard the stories. People who turned into wild animals whenever they wanted. They tended to live in isolated areas away from humans. My eyes found the forested area on my map, and I realized why no roads were drawn there. Humans avoided shifter territory.
I bit my lip, considering the map. The detour would probably be even quicker than the closed highway would have been. Andit’s not like I’d need to stop anywhere. I had a full tank of gas and sandwiches in the car. Missing my interview wasn’t an option. I needed a job, and fast. My mind made up, I squared my shoulders and asked, “Where’s the road?”
The man shook his head, but directed me to the turnoff. I almost missed it, the dirt road hidden behind a bank of trees. I had second thoughts as I drove along the rough track, but it soon smoothed out and connected with a paved road. Occasional side streets branched off the main road, but there were no signs to indicate where they led.
