I wasn’t the kind of person who chased things like romance. I didn’t date much. Heck, I barely dated at all. I was always too busy, too focused, too driven.
Ever since my parents died in that car crash, just a few months after I graduated high school, my whole life had been about survival. Paying rent. Eating. Finishing school.
I had clawed my way into a top culinary institute with nothing but student loans and a stubborn streak, determined to make something of myself.
Love? Relationships? I didn’t have the luxury.
So I threw myself into baking. It was passion and precision. Art and science. It made sense when nothing else did. Making money doing what I loved. That had always been the goal.
But for the first time in my life, here in Sugarpaw Springs, that tunnel vision had started to crack. This town… it was quiet. Soft around the edges. It gave me space to breathe.
For the first time in years, I wasn’t scrambling to keep my life from falling apart. I wasn’t fighting just to survive.
I could take a breath. Look around. Maybe even dream about things I hadn’t let myself want before. Things like him.
Ever since I stepped into Bear and Bun, my wolf had known there was something different about Beau.
Not just because of his scent, rich and warm, like clove and cedar, or the quiet strength in his eyes, or the way he always remembered to bring a second coffee without asking.
It wasn’t even how his voice went soft when he spoke to me, like he didn’t want to startle me. No, it was something deeper. Instinctual.
My wolf felt safe with him. Drawn.
And yeah, maybe it scared me senseless. But it would be a genuine waste not to see if there was something real between us. Something worth exploring.
Chapter 5
Sean
The weekend salehad crept up on us fast. We’d been baking non-stop the night before.
We’d been prepping trays upon trays of bear claws and honey cardamom buns until the kitchen smelled like toasted heaven and my muscles ached in that good, satisfying way.
I’d printed flyers, sketched cute little bear doodles in the corners, and then gone around with Leo the day before, hitting every bulletin board, light pole, and shop window we could.
Leo was great, charming and chatty, and he made sure everyone we met heard about Bear and Bun’s 2-for-1 sale this weekend.
While we were out, we’d stopped by Wolf and Whisk, because, yeah, curiosity won.
That’s where I met James. Wolf. Tall. Charming. With a quick wit and flour on his cheek. He caught me staring and just grinned like it was a shared secret.
“Don’t worry,” he’d said, “friendly competition makes the pastries taste sweeter.”
I liked him immediately. He reminded me of Leo a little, with his disarming and boyish charm. But today? Today was game day.
We’d opened early, the glass display full and shining.
Beau stood behind the counter looking calm, but I knew the signs now. His shoulders were tight, his hands a little too still, and his jaw worked like he was grinding down nerves.
“Breathe,” I told him, brushing flour from my apron. “It’s early. People will come.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. The rest of the crew milled around, trying to look casual but clearly hoping someone, anyone, would walk through the door.
The morning dragged. A few folks wandered in, bought a bun or two. But it wasn’t the rush we hoped for.
Cassian scowled dramatically at the espresso machine, Rafael tapped the counter with bored fingers, and Leo kept darting to the window like a golden retriever waiting for the mailman.
“We need to hand out samples,” I said quietly.
