Page 24 of Bear and Book

The closer we got, the louder the music got. Someone had set up speakers on either side of the square, and an upbeat guitar track mixed with the smell of frying dough and fresh coffee.

The place was already crowded with locals I recognized, and annoying tourists with cameras slung over their shoulders, kids darting between the booths.

Too many people. Too much color and movement. My fox didn’t like it. My human side didn’t either.

“Breathe,” Leo said quietly beside me, as if he’d noticed the way I’d started scanning for exits. “It’s not a war zone. Just Sugarpaw Springs being Sugarpaw Springs.”

I gave him a sidelong look. “Easy for you to say. You like this sort of thing,” I mumbled.

“Because I like people,” Leo said, deadpan. “Shocking, I know.”

We set up at the edge of the square, next to a honey vendor whose beeswax candle display smelled distractingly good.

Leo unfolded the table like he’d been doing this his whole life.

He arranged my books in neat rows, propped a little chalkboard sign up front. It read “Storm Sale. Support Local! Rare Finds and Paperbacks”.

“There,” Leo said. “All you have to do is stand here and look approachable.”

“That’s not in my skill set,” I said.

“Lucky for you, I make up for it,” he said, grinning.

Before I could come up with a retort, two men crossed the square toward us. Both were tall, scarred and muscular in that way that made me immediately peg them as shifters.

Bears, if I had to guess. The bigger one with the distinctive scars had a smile so warm it could melt frost.

Although he was keeping his aura toned down, my fox could immediately sense what he was. Alpha. The other one was dark-haired and green eyed, and gave me a curious but cautious look.

“Elias,” Leo said, like this was the most natural thing in the world, “meet Beau and Cassian. They work with me at the bakery. Beau and Cassian, this is Elias. He runs the bookstore.”

Beau stuck out a hand immediately, his grip firm but not crushing.

“Nice to finally meet you,” he said. “Leo’s been talking about you a lot.”

I shot Leo a look, but he just smiled innocently.

Cassian didn’t offer a handshake. Instead, he gave me a polite nod. “Good to meet you,” he said, his voice deep and even.

I wasn’t sure what to do with people who were this pleasant.

I’d expected polite disinterest at best. Most of the town treated me as part of the scenery, like the post office or the traffic light on Maple Street.

But Beau leaned against the table like we were already friends, asking how the shop was holding up after the storm.

Cassian scanned the books with genuine interest, even picking up a battered copy of a particularly spicy gay romance and turning it over in his hands.

“You’ve got good taste,” Cassian said quietly, almost to himself.

It threw me more than it should have. The easy warmth, the casual acceptance.

I wasn’t used to fitting into anyone’s group, least of all a shifter circle that clearly had its own bonds and history.

And then I realized Leo was watching me, his smile small but real, like my awkwardness was something he found endearing instead of off-putting.

Leo wanted me here. The thought landed in my chest like a stone dropped into deep water.

“You should come by the bakery sometime,” Beau was saying. “We’ll feed you on the house. Perks of being a friend of Leo’s.”