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2. Gage

My beast slowly nibbled at hawthorn berries while yanking the branches down as he stood beneath the tree. He enjoyed climbing trees and eating fruit and nuts, but the hawthorn trees weren't big enough or strong enough. The mild aroma from the berries tickled my bear's nostrils as the sun peeked over the hills.

This area wasn't teeming with wild bears—it was outside of their natural habitat—but both my beast and I preferred it to where I had grown up. Not only did the surrounding forests abound with wild animals, but there were many shifters who lived in the nearby town of Riverford and in the hills around it.

Riverford was a nice enough place, but I stayed away from town as much as I could. There were too many humans who had no idea shifters existed. One glance at my bear and they'd either get their shotgun or report me to the local conservation service who'd try to trap me and take me to an environment more suitable for bears.

Besides, my history with humans was traumatic, as I'd lost my shifter parents to hunters when I was at college. I carried the emotional scars and would until my last breath.

Had enough? I asked my beast.

Yes. I'm ready for a nap.

He kept his fur until we reached our cabin nestled at the bottom of a hill and surrounded by trees. A stream splashed and bubbled its way to a lake nearby.

My home was pretty basic, as I couldn't afford much in the way of furnishings. A bed, an old sofa I'd found near a dumpster, and a rickety table and chairs, along with a wood-burning stove. I'd been offered more modern furniture but refused. I had all I needed, along with cold running water… sort of… as I'd hooked up a hose from the stream. But when I wanted to bathe, I usually jumped in the water.

I didn't own the land I lived on; it belonged to an elderly dragon shifter, Mr. Lucas. He didn't charge me rent but in return asked me to do odd jobs when needed, though he always paid me for the work I did. He'd visit once a month or so, and he'd bring cake and coffee. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks, so I was probably due a visit any day.

I took my skin and noted the smeared berry juice over my hands and arms. Heading for the stream, I grabbed some dried yucca plant I kept beside the river bank and jumped in. No man-made soap for me. Instead I scrubbed myself with the natural soapy residue before dunking my head under the cool water.

While I avoided town unless I was working, I did need to stock up on a few basics at the grocery store soonish. I was wary of being around humans, my memories still fresh of my parents' deaths.

Going into Riverford was stressful enough, but I couldn't carry everything on my bicycle, so I'd have to drive my old rusted pickup. Heads always turned when I chugged into town, probably wondering if the car was held together with duct tape.

And I'd have to put on my town clothes. A shirt with no holes and a pair of jeans that Mr. Lucas's human mate had given me. Mrs. Ambrose was the only human I was friendly with, and when her mate visited me, he usually brought home-cooked goodies she'd made.

Today. I couldn't put it off any longer. I'd be in Riverford for an hour and check the community noticeboard for jobs. While most of the town's residents used email and online message boards, I was old-school. I didn't have a phone, though I used to as a teen and at college. I had owned a laptop, but it'd been years since I'd touched a keyboard.

Best to go now. If I didn't, I'd worry about it all day and put it off until tomorrow.

I shaved, looking into a cracked mirror, brushed my hair, and put on my clothes. I didn't bother with underwear. The shirt was long enough that it covered my crotch.

Not only did I suffer grief at my folks' deaths, but I'd withdrawn from the world because the life I'd embraced had been taken away, and going to the movies, attending class, eating out… it was all pointless and just emphasized my loneliness. I made my world smaller after they died because then there was no one to care about and worry if they would leave me.

Driving into town, I hummed a tune over and over. It calmed me, and I pretended all the residents stayed home today and I'd be able to grab what I needed without seeing anyone. The idea buoyed me, and I wound down the window and sang until I got to the outskirts of town.

Damn. Riverford wasn't a big place—I wouldn't have lived nearby if it had been—but there were cars trundling along the road and pedestrians zigzagging across the streets.

I parked near the community center, as the noticeboard was just inside the main doors. Did I check that first or get my groceries?

Noticeboard. My beast understood once I picked up the food, I'd jump in the car and race home, hardly daring to breathe until I got to my cabin.

Making sure my hair wasn't sticking out at all angles and smoothing down my shirt, I put on my sunglasses. They were a layer of protection so people couldn't see my eyes. They were less likely to talk to me if they couldn't see my eyes, though they often stared.

As it was still early, there weren't many people milling about the lobby of the center, and I scanned the noticeboard, pulling off two tabs that were promising. One for mowing grass and the other for cutting branches off trees in someone's yard. They both had addresses. People in small towns did that, not worrying about strangers turning up at their doors.

Maybe I would check them out, or not.

"Gage! What a coincidence. I was coming to see you today, but you've saved me a trip."

It was unusual for me to bump into someone I knew, as Mr. Lucas, Harry, his nephew, and Mrs. Ambrose were some of the few people I was friendly with. But the man's scent announced him as Mr. Lucas.

"Hi."

"I have a job for you." He was leaning on his cane, the one I was certain he didn't need. "The hedge around our house needs cutting."

"The house in town?"

Mr. Lucas owned a huge home on a hill outside of Riverford, and he and Mrs. Ambrose went back and forth between the two. He often said he was tired of town life and was going to his other house, but he got bored quickly and returned to town. Putting up with the elderly man and his quirks couldn't have been easy, but Mrs. Ambrose never seemed flustered by her mate's whims.

Her smile was always serene, and she welcomed me with a big hug whenever I saw her.

"Yes. Can you do it today?"

I had the equipment in my pickup, though I hadn't planned on spending hours in town. I hesitated, and Mr. Lucas being the shifter he was must have sensed my reluctance.

"You know I pay well, and we have lots of goodies to send home with you."

Damn that shifter. He was aware I had a sweet tooth, as did my beast. And the money he gave me was over and above the going rate around here. I'd protested the first time he paid me, but he said, "Know your worth," and that stuck with me.

"Okay. I'll come now. Do you need a lift?"

He accepted, saying Harry had dropped him off as he headed to his office on the outskirts of town. His nephew worked at a new nature reserve. The guy who created it, Reed, was a sloth shifter—as out of place in Riverford as my bear—and we often spent time in our fur sitting together in the woods.

I parked in Mr. Lucas's driveway, and he wandered into the house while I got to work. While I was trimming the hedge, I wondered why he had been at the community center. He didn't seem the type to attend a course—I could see him disagreeing with the presenter and taking over—and he had no shopping with him. I wouldn't ask because he'd launch into a long explanation.

When I was halfway done, Mrs. Ambrose came out with lemonade, sandwiches, and freshly baked cookies on a tray. She waved me into the house, saying we could eat on the back deck overlooking the river.

But when I stepped into the entryway, a scent so strong, so delectable, so damned delicious smacked me around the head. I swayed and grabbed a lamp, but both that and I crashed onto the floor.

Mr. Lucas rushed out, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong? Are you ill?"

I wasn't sure, and the scent had tamped out my ability to speak. I lay staring up at the two faces peering down at me, wondering if I'd contracted a human disease.

That's not it, my beast insisted.

Crawling to my feet, Mrs. Ambrose steered me to the couch and brought me water. I guzzled the whole glass, worried my dirty clothes were staining the sofa. Mr. Lucas seemed like the kinda guy who worried about things like that.

"How did that happen? I did nothing. It just worked out by itself." Mr. Lucas tapped his cane on the floor.

"Huh?" I rubbed my head.

He's talking about the scent.My beast wasn't confused. You scented our mate.

"You scented your mate." Mr. Lucas put both hands on his hips. "Amazing."

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