Page 6 of Grumpy Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #4)

Chapter

Five

Ivy woke before her alarm, stretching among the soft cotton sheets, her curly hair splayed across the pillow in a tangled halo. Something had pulled her from sleep, a feeling of anticipation she couldn’t quite place.

Her apartment was a carefully curated reflection of her personality.

Potted plants occupied every available surface, from delicate ferns trailing from macramé hangers to sturdy succulents arranged in artistic groupings.

Scientific journals shared shelf space with well-loved novels, and framed botanical illustrations adorned walls painted in soothing sage green.

Unlike the sterile organization of her laboratory, her living space exuded warmth with her boho chic aesthetic.

Ivy padded barefoot across hardwood floors to the compact kitchen, where she measured coffee beans before grinding them.

The familiar ritual anchored her morning while her mind already raced ahead to the day’s tasks.

Nature center construction updates, soil analysis results, meeting preparations—all arranged in neat mental categories as she waited for the coffee to brew.

She reached for her phone, expecting the usual barrage of emails and notifications. Instead, a distinctive mate.com alert caught her attention.

“Congratulations! We’ve found your fated mate.”

Ivy nearly dropped her phone. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tapped the notification. The screen opened to reveal her 100% match.

Her heart raced as she clicked to view the profile.

Username “Hermit Bear.” The profile photo showed a tall, broad-shouldered man in a forest service uniform standing beside a towering pine.

Dark hair fell slightly too long around his face, giving him a rugged magnetism that made it impossible to look away.

His expression was serious, almost stern, as if uncomfortable being photographed.

The profile description was sparse. “34. Forest Ranger. Live alone in a cabin miles from town. Prefer solitude and wildlife to people and parties.”

Something primal stirred inside Ivy as she stared at the image. Her inner bear, normally a quiet presence in her human form, suddenly roared to life with an insistence she had never experienced before. The sensation was visceral and overwhelming.

A tingling warmth spread from her core outward, prickling along her skin as if every cell in her body was reorienting itself toward this unknown man.

The scientific part of her brain attempted to process this reaction.

She had studied mate-bond neurochemistry extensively during her graduate work.

The sudden flood of recognition hormones, the sympathetic nervous system response, the instantaneous rewiring of neural pathways—all documented physiological responses to finding one’s true mate.

But experiencing it firsthand was entirely different.

She nervously tapped the message button, then hesitated, fingers hovering over the keyboard. What did one say to a newly discovered fated mate? After drafting and deleting three different messages, she finally settled on something simple but warm.

“Hi Hermit Bear, I’m Ivy Bright from the Bright Institute for Shifters on Fate Mountain. I was surprised and excited to see our 100% match this morning! I’d love to get to know you.”

She added a smiling emoji, then immediately deleted it, then added it again. Too casual? Too formal? After agonizing for another minute, she finally pressed send, immediately regretting at least three word choices.

Ivy placed her phone on the counter and tried to focus on her morning routine.

She sipped her coffee, prepared a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh berries, and selected an outfit appropriate for her construction site visit.

Yet every few minutes, she found herself checking for a response, watching for the notification light to blink.

Nothing.

“He’s probably already in the forest,” she reasoned aloud, running a comb through her hair. “Rangers start early. He might not check his phone until evening.”

Still, disappointment nagged at her as she gathered her bags and keys. The bear inside her was restless and frustrated. Having identified its mate, it wanted immediate connection, not patient waiting.

By mid-morning, Ivy had arrived at the construction site. Ronald Vance greeted her with blueprint updates, pointing out the progress on the eastern wing framing. Workers called greetings as she passed, each one receiving a personalized response about their families or weekend plans.

“We’re actually a day ahead of schedule,” Ronald said proudly, guiding her toward the wildlife corridor boundary. “Though I wanted to show you something concerning.”

They approached the area where the survey stakes had been previously tampered with. Ronald was explaining his additional security measures when a sleek black sedan pulled into the makeshift parking area. The man who emerged wore an expensive suit entirely impractical for a construction site.

“James Porter,” Ronald muttered, his expression darkening. “Competitor. Lost the bid to us.”

Porter strode toward them with confident steps, his polished shoes collecting dust with each stride. “Dr. Bright,” he called, extending his hand as he approached. “James Porter, Mountaintop Construction. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by to see how the project is progressing.”

His grip was firm but somehow unpleasant, as if he were appraising rather than greeting her. Ivy withdrew her hand as quickly as politeness allowed.

“Mr. Porter. I wasn’t aware we had scheduled a site visit from Mountaintop Construction.”

“Just professional courtesy,” Porter replied smoothly, his gaze sweeping across the construction area. “I hear you’ve had some... boundary issues.”

Ivy exchanged a quick glance with Ronald. How did Porter know about that?

“Minor vandalism,” Ronald said firmly. “Already addressed.”

Porter made a sound that wasn’t quite a scoff.

“Vandalism is often the first sign of bigger problems. I’ve seen similar patterns at other sites.

” His eyes lingered on the wildlife corridor boundary.

“Those environmental restrictions can be quite burdensome. Sometimes a more... flexible approach to wildlife corridors is necessary for project success.”

“We’re committed to maintaining the integrity of the wildlife corridor,” Ivy said, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. “The nature center’s purpose is education about conservation, after all.”

“Noble,” Porter commented with a thin smile. “Though sometimes idealism must bow to practicality. If you encounter any... difficulties meeting your timeline, Mountaintop Construction would be happy to offer assistance. We have extensive experience working around such constraints.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Ronald interjected. “We’re ahead of schedule.”

Porter nodded. “Of course. Still, construction can be unpredictable. Especially in locations like this.” He gestured toward the forest boundary. “So many variables.” He handed Ivy his business card. “Just in case you need a backup plan.”

Ivy accepted the card reflexively, disliking Porter’s presumption. There was something unsettling about his interest in the project.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Ronald said firmly.

“Of course,” Porter replied, stepping back. “I’ll see myself around. Always good to familiarize oneself with... potential opportunities.”

As Porter walked away, examining structural elements with too much interest, Ivy and Ronald exchanged concerned glances.

“He lost the bid by a significant margin,” Ronald said quietly. “Their proposal included cutting directly through the wildlife corridor. Saved money but destroyed the ecosystem.”

“He seems very interested in our project,” Ivy noted, watching Porter’s retreating figure.

“Too interested,” Ronald agreed. “I don’t like it.”

Ivy tucked Porter’s card into her pocket. Something about him triggered her skepticism.

As she walked the perimeter with Ronald, her thoughts kept drifting back to Henry. The connection she’d felt upon seeing his profile had been so powerful, so visceral. Her inner bear had recognized him instantly. Yet hours had passed without any response.

Back at her office at the institute, she checked her phone again. The screen remained stubbornly empty of notifications. Disappointment warred with concern. Was he ignoring her?

“Stop catastrophizing,” she told herself firmly. “He’s probably just busy. Or out of coverage range. Or taking time to formulate the perfect response.”

This last thought cheered her slightly. Perhaps Hermit Bear was as nervous about their match as she was. A forest ranger who preferred solitude likely didn’t have extensive dating experience. Maybe he was carefully crafting his message, weighing each word as she had done.

Ivy returned to her project planning with renewed determination, though her attention kept sliding toward her silent phone. By lunchtime, she had completed a comprehensive revision of the construction timeline and sent it to Vance for review.

The mate.com notification chimed on her phone. Ivy nearly knocked over her water bottle in her haste to grab it. The notification was for a reply from Hermit Bear. Her heart hammered as she opened the message.

“Hi. I’m Henry. I’m also in Fate Mountain. I’ll be in town briefly today. Could meet at Sweet Summit Café at 1 pm if you’re available. Heading back to the woods after.”

She read the brief message three times. He wanted to meet. Today.

Ivy glanced at the time. 12:32 PM. Less than thirty minutes to get to the café in town.

“Yes, 1 pm works perfectly! Looking forward to meeting you,” she typed quickly, adding a smiling face emoji before sending.

She waited anxiously for confirmation, straightening her hair in the reflection of her computer screen. Her phone chimed again.

“See you there.”

Three words. Despite the terse reply, Ivy broke into a smile that lit her entire face. Her bear hummed with satisfaction and anticipation.