1

Cedric stared up at the bright building in the middle of town, grumbling under his breath about foolish brothers, and dealing with humans. It had better be fucking worth it.

The whole way into town, Gareth talked with his stomach, rambling on and on about a special dish with meat wrapped in bread with a sauce on it that left his chops smacking and his stomach growling for more. It was rare that his twin wanted to head into town, so the special item of the night had to be good. Heading into town meant dealing with people, humans, and going to the bar at night would mean a mass of people. It was late in the season, which meant many of the occupants would be returning to civilization in the coming weeks, and clearly, they were all intent on enjoying the night.

The noise of people, and the stench of them as well, assaulted his senses almost immediately, forcing him to duck his head down and breath slowly through his mouth. His own scent was strong to his own senses, the bear pheromones enough to keep him grounded, but even still, he couldn't ignore the leather and the sweat and the alcohol that permeated the air.

Gareth's senses had to be fucking dull to ignore all of the chaos just for a good meal, probably a result of being dropped on his head a few too many times. It was too much for Cedric, who enjoyed the quiet serenity of his cabin and the woods around his cabin and the mountain his cabin was on. That was his life, that was who he was, and that was where he was returning, immediately.

If Gareth wanted him to try this delicious fucking food, he was going to have to get it to go, and deliver it himself, without eating the meal along the way. Nothing could make Cedric remain in such a place, filled with utter chaos, until...

The scent of something different touched his senses and caught his attention. Cedric took a whiff, trying to lock in on what it was. It threw him for a moment, the scents not matching the season in the slightest, but another whiff confirmed his bear nose to what he had initially thought was too good to be true.

Honeysuckle on a warm spring day, right after rain had fallen and the earth beneath his paws was soft and fertile. Citrusy marigold as well. Perhaps a touch of pine. It was like spring on the mountainside, when the sun was warm on his paws, and he felt as free and light as a young cub. The leaves outside were starting to cover the ground and the night air was growing crisp, heralding the soon approaching colder months, and yet, all he could smell was spring.

Something in the bar smelled absolutely delicious, and Cedric was positive it wasn't the food.

The noise and the lights and the people no longer mattered as he made his way through the crowd, following both his nose and his instinct. The dance floor, if he could even call it that, was definitely not going to be where the scent was coming from. Not the kitchen either, which reeked of old grease and something else, probably that special sauce Gareth wouldn't shut up about. No, it was coming from the far wall, where bodies were packed around the bar, trying to catch the bartender's attention.

For half a second, the possibility of the scent being attached to some fruity drink crossed his mind, but no. The scent was too fresh, too... rich. Either someone was growing a patch of spring behind the bar, or it was someone behind the bar who smelled good enough to eat, and Cedric needed to know who. He wasn't normally one to let his senses lead him astray, particularly when his stomach was empty and he was there for a meal, but he had to know, had to see.

As he finally reached the bar, after stepping around other patrons and tables and chairs, the scent grew stronger, so strong he nearly knocked over a man in pursuit of it. The human grumbled something, but Cedric was bigger, far bigger than anyone else in the establishment, and so the human ventured away, allowing Cedric a clear view of what was happening around the bar.

On approach, he had assumed the men standing around the counter were all trying to order drinks, but one look at the woman standing behind it told him they were wanting to satiate something other than their thirst. Cedric could almost understand the sentiment, except his throat was now dry, and he would need more than one drink to clear his throat and give him a voice once more.

Beautiful. She was beautiful. Absolutely unbelievably beautiful.

With big blue eyes that reminded him of cornflowers and blonde hair that surely glimmered in sunlight, it was no surprise that every man around the bar was trying to gain her attention. She was only giving each a passing glance as she asked them what they wanted while flashing a bright smile, and then she was turning, her curls seemingly floating in the air for a moment as she continued grabbing beer bottles for some and pouring drafts for others. Each man received another smile as she handed them their drink, and then she was onto the next one, never giving anyone a third look.

A human would take it as a dismissal, to hold her attention for just a breath before she moved onto another man, but Cedric was a bear. He knew that a woman would need to grow used to a man before allowing them any time with her. It took patience and presence, something he excelled at.

And yet, never before had he ever used either skill in regard to a woman. A human woman, at that.

Another woman approached the blonde, causing the woman who held his full attention to throw back her head and laugh. It was near melody to his ears, not at all the piercing he normally expected from a woman's laughter, and he longed to move closer, to hear more of her words. Even with supernatural hearing, he couldn't quite make out the response, most of it dulled thanks to the thrumming of the music. She was now moving to the beat, swinging her full hips back and forth, revealing a few inches of pale skin underneath the edge of her shirt.

She was wild and vibrant, and he wanted to soak in her aura. He could be patient and present for her. Take a seat at the bar and wait until she graced him with her smile. He would even sip whatever beer she gave him, despite not having a taste for it, only so he could drag out his time near her.

Her light made an old bear feel young again, and he needed more.

"Keg is out!" she called out suddenly, and he watched as she moved around the edge of the bar, towards the door of the kitchen. "Be right back!"

No, where was she going? Just because the keg was out, that didn't mean—

Another man stepped in her path, and almost immediately, a fire of jealousy rushed through him. Who was this human that was so familiar with her? Why was he moving closer, and wrapping an arm around her back? All he could smell coming from her was the softness of spring, not the tinge of another man's claim, so he knew she was unattached, at least for the moment, but another was now making his intentions known, and—

Almost as suddenly as the jealousy had reared its head, she turned and swung a fist at the man, taking him in his jaw. The man took a few steps back, his hands covering his mouth, while his sunshine continued on her merry way, as though she had not just nearly knocked a man nearly a foot taller than her out.

Wild and vibrant and beautiful and strong. Everything a bear could desire in a woman.

He had to know more.

A few of the human's buddies were now consoling him while laughing, telling him to accept that as a no, and so Cedric slipped forward, taking one of the now open seats. She was still in the kitchen, leaving him a moment to consider what had just happened, and what was going on.

With a single punch, Cedric was now head over heels in lust for a human woman, and what was more, he was jealous at the thought of another touching her.

Jealousy? In a bear? That wasn't their way. Mating happened for a brief time, fulfilling their primal needs, with the understanding that it was only for a few days, maybe even a season. And then, they would go their own paths, likely to never cross again. Sure, Cedric had roots with his cabin and his barn and his fields, but any mate he took was one he found during his travels when the snow had cleared and he needed to stretch his limbs and shake out his fur from months of cold and ice.

To feel jealousy? He had barely even recognized the sensation.

The doors to the kitchen opened, and Cedric was dumbstruck as he watched the ray of sunshine walk through, carrying a beer keg. It had to be full, given that she had called out the other was empty, and he knew those were far from light. It had to be at least half his bodyweight, if not more. He could see her straining slightly, and yet she never once asked for help as she carried it behind the bar, and then disappeared down behind it.

Not just strong. Invincible. Self-sufficient. Amazing.

He was feeling pretty fucking stupid in that moment as he stared dumbly at where she had disappeared, unable to even process what was happening to him, but he wasn't stupid enough to pass up the chance to know her. To know more of her.

A few minutes later, she was standing behind the bar once more, talking to a man a few seats down from him and pouring his beer. Cedric could do nothing but watch and wait, until eventually, her gaze turned to him, and he was gifted the beauty of her smile, and her attention locked onto him.

"And what can I get for you, stranger?"

He tried to get his mouth to move, to say something, but he was too amazed by her. Even breathing through his mouth, he could taste the flowers coming off of her. It had to be in her hair and on her skin and...

He wanted to taste it. Wanted to taste her. Wanted to devour every inch of her.

She started laughing, and he feared he had said those words out loud, but she wasn't pulling away. "You think about it for a minute, and I'll come back to you. Make your decision quick. I'm in hot demand tonight."

Hot? The only thing hot was his own body temperature, quickly rising even beyond what was normal in his human form.

He wanted to shift and clear out the bar, keeping her trapped within and only to himself. He wanted to—

"The fuck are you doing? Food is over here," Gareth announced as Cedric felt his twin clapping him on the back. "Didn't know you were thirsty."

"I'm not," Cedric answered, his gaze not leaving the bartender as she talked to another patron a few seats down. "Eat without me."

"What? Eat without you? You feelin' alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered quickly, still not looking away. "I'm going to head on home soon."

"Your loss."

Cedric was left alone once more for only a few seconds, and then her gaze returned to him as she approached. The smile she gave him seemed genuine, in contrast to the fake smile she had been wearing in talking to the others around him, but that could easily have been his imagination. He was desperate for her regardless. He couldn't help himself.

"Alright, big guy. Tell me what you're thinking about."

You, the voice in the back of his mind growled.

"Beer," he answered instead, his voice sounding squeaky rather than deep like normal.

"I have a lot of that," she answered with another musical laugh. "Any particular one?"

"You pick." His voice was clearer that time, thankfully.

Her smile froze as she stared at him for a long moment. Nothing could have forced him to look away as his gaze locked with hers, not a fire nor a deer nor even his foolish brother.

She was the one to break their focus as she shook her head, and gave him another smile, a smaller one this time. It was definitely genuine. "You got it."

He watched as she walked away again but didn't glance at any other patrons as she dug into the ice bucket behind the bar he could now see, given his tall seat. She was looking for a certain one, he could tell, and when she finally pulled one out, she looked at the label before nodding and twisting the lid off with her bare hand.

So fucking impressive.

"A big man like you needs a beer with a lot of flavor," she said as she set it down in front of him. "Tell me what you think."

He would love it no matter how terrible it tasted. "What do I owe you?"

"First time in here, right?" she asked, leaning forward a little. It was the longest she had spent with any patron, as far as he was aware, and he was soaking in her attention. "I haven't seen you here before."

"I don't come into town much," he answered, wanting suddenly to tell her of his cabin and his barn and the farm animals. Did she like cows? Gareth had once told him women liked farm animals, particularly cows.

And yet, he was unable to find any air in his lungs to continue speaking, instead lifting the beer to his lips while his focus stayed locked on hers.

It wasn't as terrible as he had feared, tasting more hoppy than other beers he had tried, but he wasn't a huge fan. Still, he stomach a beer for far longer than he could liquor.

Anything to stay near her. Anything to be with her.

"Tell you what, it's on the house, so long as you tell me your name."

He could recall, vaguely, that she had greeted the other men by name. Was that what this was, then? She wanted his name? Was that the reason she was lingering with him?

"What's yours?" he asked instead, still longing to have a lovely name to match her beautiful face.

"I don't give that away for free," she teased as she braced her hands on the bar in between them. "Come on. Pay up."

He took another swig of his beer, trying to find his voice to answer, only for his voice to crack on the first syllable. "Ce-Rick."

"Rick?" she repeated in question. He wouldn't correct her. "Hmm. Not what I was expecting."

"What were you expectin'?" he asked, finally finding his tongue again.

She shook her head a little as her lips pursed together, and once again, he felt the heat rushing through him. Those lips were made for kissing, the soft pink turning dark red from his own lips, and his beard. "Not sure. But okay, Rick. Welcome into town."

She gave him another smile, and then moved to walk away, but he reached out, perhaps foolishly, nearly touching her hand. He didn't connect, thank fuck for that, because his hands were clammy and he had seen what she did to the last guy that touched her, but fuck, he wouldn't mind feeling her fist on his face if that meant touching her.

Still, she paused all the same, not pulling away even as he did so. "Yes, Rick?"

"Your name?" he asked, pleased to hear the deep base of his normal voice rather than the squeaking tenor he had been before.

The smile she gave him now was certainly real, her eyes sparkling as her smile lines cut into her cheeks.

"Bethany. It's nice to meet you."

He was done for.