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Dimitri had adjusted to his new position seamlessly. Not only did he enjoy what he was doing, the den loved him. The alpha did too. He was even taking over large portions of the office busywork that the alpha didn’t enjoy—although I suspected it was less that he didn’t enjoy it and more that my mate was really good at it.

I waved to Martha, an older bear who was cutting some flowers in her front yard. “Going to see that alpha of yours?” she giggled.

“Yes, ma’am. Brought him dinner and everything.”

She giggled again and went back to her flowers.

The first time I met her, I thought maybe I was making her uncomfortable, and that’s why she would giggle like a cub. But no, that was just her way. She had a lot of joy, that overflowed.

I turned down the path leading to the center of den lands and passed a few kids who were playing a game—something similar to jacks, but with both stones and sticks. I still hadn’t learned the rules to that, but I planned to.

They asked me if I wanted to play, and I turned them down, letting them know I had to be at the alpha house but promising I’d come by soon. When I asked if they could teach me the game, they beamed as if I’d just told them Christmas was tomorrow.

A few more people crossed paths with me as I strolled toward my destination. The day was so beautiful, it would’ve been shocking if they hadn’t. I had an interaction with each ofthem, I thought back to when I lived with my own family. It had been so different, but not in a good way. I could walk for half an hour and pass just as many people, but have maybe one give me a nod. It wasn’t like this…where people openly cared about one another.

Both Dimitri and the alpha were sitting in the rockers on the front porch when I arrived, drinking what looked to be lemonade.

“I see you’ve been working hard today.” I’d never be able to be so relaxed talking to the alpha where I grew up. But here, respect wasn’t in the form of complete obedience. It was in the form of actual respect.

“Well, someone told me cookies were coming, so I figured I might as well be out here when they came.”

I reached in the bag and pulled out the small box I’d set aside for him. “Snickerdoodles.” I held them out for him.

“They’re my favorite.” He snatched the box from me and had it open before I realized they were gone. “You two, go have fun. I’ll take over the perimeter run tonight.” He took a huge bite of one.

“Are you sure, alpha?” Dimitri asked.

“I don’t mind.”

Dimitri came to my side.

“I got cookies. Go. I’ll need to run these off, anyway.” He would not. My mate might be the sexiest bear on these lands, but there was no denying our alpha was fit.

I was happy my mate didn’t need to rush through dinner. The two of us had done some of the perimeter runs in the beginning together, and I loved it. It was a way for me to get to know the den and the den lands and to have visibility among the people who resided here.

But now that I was further along in my pregnancy, shifting was uncomfortable. Soon it would be impossible. My guesswas the impossible would come up at the same time paternity clothes became necessary—and right now, I was fighting that time pretty hard, using the elastic-on-the-button trick to keep my jeans on. It wouldn’t be long until I caved.

We walked out to the riverbank and laid out the blanket.

“Should we eat first or run?” he asked.

I was already kicking my shoes off. I wanted to get every last run in I could before I was no longer able to.

“Run it is.” He smiled, holding in a chuckle, mostly.

I took my beast first, working hard to disguise the discomfort I felt as he tore through me, not wanting my mate to feel it. And then I shamelessly watched as he finished taking off his clothes and called forth his bear. He towered over me. If two people saw us together, humans, at least, they’d have assumed he was about to devour me. And he often did devour me, but not in the way they’d have feared, and not in this form.

Dimitri fell to all fours, and I jumped on his back. He lumbered through the woods as I took advantage of my role as passenger prince. We would actually run-run later, but this had become our favorite thing—exploring the woods together like this.

We ended our trip at the boulder where we often came to sit and talk and share some quiet moments. Now was when the fun would begin.

I jumped off, looked at him, waited for his nod, and bolted. He counted—five, maybe ten—before coming after me, chasing me all through the woods in a game of cat and mouse that was far more fun.

More often than not, he let me win, but I never knew when the competitive side of him would take over, which meant I had to be on my toes and fast—through bushes, around trees, up others, jumping into the next.

But today he reached me, pouncing on me, gentle as could be. The picnic was in sight. I’d been so close and, yet, victory was out of my reach. I didn’t mind. This meant I was physically close to my mate, and I never turned that down.

I shifted first, and he second, both of us there on the ground, naked, our bodies pressed together.