Page 3 of A Bunny for the Bear (Beartastic Summer of Love)

Chapter Three

Ross

I think the carrots Arisha gave me were laced with some magic. Ever since I took them and started chomping on those beauties, life felt like a dream. It’s almost as if I was drifting through this perfect place where nothing bad ever happened.

Reality doesn’t ever go that way for me.

I’d started my new part-time job in the pharmacy at the convenience store shortly before that day in the market. The pharmacy area was a new addition to town since there was a need for when the occasional human made their way through.

Most shifters had the ability to heal themselves easily. If they couldn’t, then there were holistic methods that could be implemented. Humans were a bit trickier. If they mated a shifter, then they’d take on some of the healing abilities.

For those that didn’t have a mate, it was possible they could wind up sick or facing an injury that needed traditional medicine. That’s where the idea for the pharmacy came in.

At least, that’s what I was told when I applied for the position on my first day in town. With my background in holistic care back home, they were eager to bring me on.

“Your total is six dollars and twelve cents,” I told the young man on the other side of the counter.

He smiled as he handed me a ten-dollar bill. I cashed him out, then handed over the cream I’d made to help his wife’s aching feet. She was pregnant with their next litter, and her body wasn’t taking this time all that well.

“I appreciate your help, Mr. Ross,” he told me.

“Just Ross is fine. No need for the fancy stuff.”

His grin told me he appreciated the gesture.

While I knew I was somewhat valuable here because of the level of knowledge I’d displayed already, I still felt weird anytime a person treated me that way.

I was used to being the lowest of the low in the community.

Now that I was not only in a better position, but also respected instead of constantly being harassed, I struggled to keep up mentally and emotionally.

Some days, I wanted to cry at how unfair life had been for me growing up. Other times, I felt like dancing in the street for the freedom I’d gained by coming to this town.

“Well, thanks again, Ross. You’re a blessing from Fate.”

I didn’t know what to say to him, which I think he picked up on when I blushed and ducked my head. Thankfully, he left with just a wave instead of giving me more praise.

Once he was gone, I glanced at the clock to see how much time I had left on shift. There was another half hour before I could go home, shower, and change into something for tonight’s dinner with Arisha and whomever she invited.

I could admit I’d wondered about who she’d invite a lot over the last few days.

Since I’d started my job on Monday, I’d only met a few people.

It wasn’t super busy yet, though my boss Mr. Rakk told me he expected to pick up soon.

With the baby boom, there were going to be more holistic care needs than ever.

Still, there were plenty of people in town whom I hadn’t come across. Maybe some of the people I met tonight would become my friend. And then we could have set dates like the one today where we got together and hung out.

What if this whole thing was the start to my active social life?

I nearly snorted at the thought. As much as I loved the idea of having a network of friends, I wasn’t much for leaving the house if I didn’t have to.

A homebody at heart, it never bothered me to take a seat on the couch and lose myself in a movie or show.

Sometimes I’d even grab a book to pass the time if I had the urge.

Thinking of reading, I remembered there was a bookshop close by that I needed to check out. I loved the idea of supporting someone local, and I could also tell I was getting the itch to dive into a story soon.

Or maybe it was some other kind of itch. I couldn’t decipher exactly what my bunny wanted from me.

The job was still new, which could explain the restlessness under my skin. At the same time, there was the town, their kindness, and my own curiosity over it all. That was all a recipe for feeling unsteady.

I shook away the negative energy, then went about working on a couple more orders before the end of my shift. A few things needed to be prepped in advance to ensure I could complete them the next time I came in.

By the time I finished, it was ten minutes past the end of my shift. I clocked out, then rushed out of the front door with a wave to the young clerk who worked the front counter. They weren’t all that interested in starting up a friendship, so I didn’t get caught in a conversation.

I’d somehow reached the age where young adults saw me as ancient and boring already. It was a strange place to be considering it felt like only yesterday I was one of them.

Jogging down the sidewalk, I tried to focus on what I needed to get done. Home. Shower. Change. Home. Shower. Change.

I chanted the three words over and over as I made the short journey to my rental. The two-story duplex came at a great price, as well as an ideal location. Less than five minutes’ walk from work to home was really too good to be true.

There was a note taped to the front door when I arrived. Panic moved through me before I could stop it. Was this an eviction notice? Would I have to start over again so soon? Had I done something wrong?

I opened the front door and went inside. As soon as I locked it behind me, I collapsed against the wood and ripped open the paper. It was nothing like I expected.

Dear Ross,

Sorry to bother you like this, but I’m in a bit of a rush and didn’t have time to swing by the store.

I rented the other side out on a temporary contract.

The new guest will be here this week. They booked a two-month stay.

I didn’t want you to be startled when you heard banging around on the other side of the wall.

They’re another shifter too, so you’ll be free to live as normal. No curious humans here.

-Mr. Lingrin

I fought to get my breathing back under control after finishing the note.

The good news was that I still had a place to live.

The bad news was that I had a new neighbor.

Then again, the neighbor might be a good thing.

Maybe they’d even want to be friends while they were here.

It was strange for them to only rent it for two months.

I suspected there was a story behind the change. I was curious to know it.

Setting the note on the end table by the doorway, I went about doing as I intended when I first arrived.

Home, shower, change. The entire process took about twenty minutes.

As soon as I slipped my shoes on, I grabbed my keys and a jacket.

It could get cool at night, and I didn’t want to be shivering if everyone else was prepared for the chill.

Once I locked things up, I took off for the park. It was somewhat in the center of town, which made it easy to get to. It also meant there would be plenty of witnesses should anything bad go down.

My fingers were crossed that it would all be fine. It had to be. I didn’t want to have any issues in a place that already felt so much like home.

As I made my way to the park, I pondered yet again over who all might be there. I was hopeful it would be a welcoming group of people. So far, I hadn’t met anyone who wasn’t happy to see me in town. They were all nice enough.

History had a way of slapping me in the face sometimes. Memories of my old pack and how they treated me came to mind. I didn’t ever want to go through something like that again.

When I reached the park, I spotted Arisha right away. She was standing in front of a small group of people, her arms waving through the air as she told some story. I laugh at how animated she was.

Her head whipped my way at the sound. That shifter hearing of hers must be better than most if she recognized me from my laugh. Then again, she did say she was a busybody. I imagine she had to have a good memory to earn such a title.

I waved as I approached. “Hi, Arisha.”

“Hey there, Ross. I’m so glad you decided to come. I was just telling all these lovely folks to be on their best behaviors as we welcomed you to town.”

Nodding at her words, I turned to face the group. They were varied in a way that gave me hope someone as unique as me might fit too.

A tall, broad man stepped forward first. He extended his hand as he said, “I’m Sheriff Nolan and this is my mate Barrett.”

“Nice to meet you both.” I smiled at them, then turned to the next pair.

The woman moved closer, her hands protectively over her stomach. “Hello, Ross. Welcome to Collier Cover. I’m Judy and this is my Alpha, Kris. Over there is my cousin Clynt and his Alpha Maklihn. Mack owns the bookshop in town, so be sure to stop by.”

“You just had to introduce us all, huh, cousin? Mack and I can speak too.” The Omega who shared a few key features with Judy stood with his hands on his hips. He, too, had a rounded belly, letting me know there was more than one pregnant person around.

The baby boom had hit them too.

“Let Judy be, mate. She’s just excited to have more people around. You know how she gets.”

Judy sniffed, though she nodded at the one she’d called Mack. “Anyway, we should probably move on. I don’t want to be the center of attention anymore. The baby doesn’t like it.”

Arisha waved the final pair over. The two women don’t hesitate to pull me into hugs. “Easy, gals. Don’t scare him.”

“Oh, hush, Rish. He’s fine,” one of them said before turning back to me. “I’m Souli. It’s nice to meet you. This is my sister from another mister, Greenly.”

“She means that literally. We share a mother but have different fathers.” Greenly laughed as my eyes went wide.

“Thank you for clarifying. I didn’t know that was a thing that could happen.”

Souli nodded. “It can in some places. While most people only have one mate, some do get blessed with two.”

“Or more,” Arisha added.

“More than one mate!? That’s… terrifying.” I admitted the words when I really should have kept them to myself. Everyone around me stared with confusion. Well, all except Arisha.

“Is this about your shifter status? I told you, there won’t be any judgement from anyone in this town. All are welcome.”

I shook my head quickly. As much as I wanted to believe her, I needed to get to know these people better before labeling myself as prey. There was no doubt in my mind some of them were large animal shifters. If I told them I was a bunny, they might laugh—or worse, want to play a game of chase.

Internally, I flinched at the memories that assaulted me with that single word. The old pack I lived with would often start a game of chase when they were bored. That or when I was getting too comfortable. They claimed it kept me on my toes.

Really, all it did was make me constantly look over my shoulder.

“I’m here! I’m here! Sorry I’m late.” A man carrying a stack of boxes jogged across the grass towards us. He set the boxes on the blanket beside Arisha, then wrapped an arm around her waist.

“This is my mate, Champ. I told you about him in the market. Honey, this is Ross. The sweet… new shifter in town.”

I could tell she wanted to remind him I was the bunny she’d met. The look he threw her way confirmed it. Silently, they communicated in some way, then Champ stuck his hand out to me like Nolan had.

“Good to have another newbie in town. We love to meet folks from all around.”

At his kindness, I blushed beet red. The group didn’t laugh at me, thank goodness. Instead, Arisha took pity on me and set everyone to work.

Apparently, the boxes Champ had brought were full of the food we were going to have. One had warm meats and veggie plates. Another had fruits. And yet another was a load of various breads and cheeses.

“Wow. Did you leave anyone else in town any food?” I asked Arisha teasingly.

She chuckled. “There’s still loads left. But we’ve got three pregnant Omegas with us today. They need proper nourishment. Plus, I wasn’t sure about your appetite. When I met you, there was a glint in your eye that told me you might be able to put down a good quantity of food.”

“You’d be right. When I’m in the mood, I can outeat some people twice my size.”

Barrett reached out his hand to offer me a high five. “Love that! I could never outeat a shifter, but with this baby inside of me, I’m definitely putting back more than ever. I always forget it too. At least until the next baby comes.”

There was so much to unpack in his words. Barrett wasn’t a shifter, yet his mate and baby were. He also apparently had other children that weren’t here. While I worked with humans in the pharmacy, it was still hard to wrap my mind around one mating with a shifter.

At the confusion on my face, Nolan explained it all to me. He told me about how Barrett’s GPS went haywire and led him to town. Then the two quickly mated and started having babies.

Their story led to the other couples sharing as well. I got the tale of Judy and Kris’s instant connection when Fate brought them together. And then later when Judy’s cousin Clynt was heartbroken over an ex, he arrived in town only to find the bookshop owner was his mate.

“They closed the store down for nearly a week,” Kris shouted. “A whole week without books.”

Mack threw a piece of bread at him. “You don’t even read! Besides, everyone understood. They all came to visit and meet Clynt after we reopened so it was fine.”

The more they opened up to me, the more connected I felt. I didn’t share much about myself. They didn’t ask either. I’m pretty sure Arisha warned them not to.

I would have to thank her for the kindness of this meeting. While the town felt like home, knowing a few more people outside of the work setting would do me good.

Maybe Collier Cover was really where I was meant to be.