Page 7 of An Omega Fox for Walker (Beartastic Summer of Love #4)

Walker

My bear was going wild, demanding we claim our mate, but he still didn’t seem to recognize me.

It wasn’t his scent ability because he smelled the smoke, so what was it?

This was not how this was supposed to go!

Everyone I knew agreed that when you met your mate, you both knew it and rode promptly off into the happily ever after sunset.

There was no manual with alternative answers like what to do when your mate did not know you were their mate.

They could reject you if they chose, but they’d know what they were doing.

I didn’t want to entertain that he might be choosing not to accept me.

It just didn’t feel right. Because he genuinely seemed to like me, was friendly enough.

But as we sat by the campfire, I’d done everything I could—including being sure to sit upwind so my scent would carry to him—to hint that he should see me, really see me.

If he didn’t, did it mean I was crazy? My bear was wrong? Animals were never wrong, were they?

Finally, I took a step away and went to speak to my cousin.

“I don’t know what more I can do. Could I be wrong? It’s not because he’s cute and hot—although he is—it’s because he’s like a magnet. I want to be as close to him as I possibly can.”

“Be patient, Cousin. Maybe everyone isn’t instant recognition. Why don’t we try something different. Would your bear like to meet his fox?”

My bear roared his agreement loud enough that my cousin laughed. “I will take that as a yes. Why don’t we announce a run and give them a shot at that.”

“What a great idea.” The animals would straighten things out where we might not be able to.

Animals were known to be very clear about their ideas and never to beat around the bush.

Feeling hopeful, I returned to the group and announced that we would be having a run in twenty minutes. This would fix it for sure!

Everyone scattered to take care of anything they wanted to do before our run, and I went to change to sweats, my choice for shifting occasions. Easy to put on and take off, and cheap to replace if things got rushed. That hadn’t happened since I was much younger, but old habits died hard.

Returning, I noticed everyone from the fire and a few who hadn’t been there were all ready to have our run.

Rather, almost everyone. Fennec did not show up.

As most often happened, Eddie led the activity, shifting to his bear and, once we’d all done the same, heading out across the mountainside.

I followed, at first, then circled back and headed to his cabin to find out what held him up.

When I got there, I stared at the door for a while, then the fox came out and asked, “What are you doing here?”

I shifted back. “Sorry, my bear was, I was… Why didn’t you shift with us?”

His cheeks filled with color. “I had things to do. I’d better go do them now. Sorry.” And he went back inside.

I shifted back and ran off to find the others, doing my job as chief participant, but while I went, I was going over our encounter and trying to come up with another way to think about all of this. How could he not recognize me?