Page 48 of Bear and Book

Leo’s voice was full of warmth, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

I hesitated. My fox shifted inside me, restless and cautious. Running with someone wasn’t something I did. It wasn’t something I shared.

I’d always kept that part of me separate, private. But when I looked at Leo, all I saw was open trust and a kind of quiet hope that made my chest ache.

I nodded. “Ready.”

Leo grinned and stripped naked. In the next moment, his skin rippled, bones shifting, fur erupting across his frame until a massive golden-brown bear stood where the man had been.

He shook himself once, sending a low rumble through the air, and turned those deep, familiar eyes on me. My fox pressed harder, insistent and I let go. I undressed.

The shift tore through me in a rush of fire and bone, quick and sharp, until paws hit the earth and the forest lit up in colors only my fox could see.

Scents flooded my nose. The cool bite of pine, the damp musk of soil, and underneath it all, Leo. Warmth, honey, earth, something steady that reached deep into me and tugged hard.

He lowered his massive head, huffing softly, and I stepped closer, brushing my nose against his shoulder. He rumbled, low and pleased, and just like that, something clicked inside me.

My fox leaned into him, no hesitation.

Then Leo bounded forward, crashing through the underbrush with a playful swipe of his paw, and instinct surged through me. I gave chase.

The forest became a blur of movement and scent. My paws skimmed the ground, body stretching into a rhythm I hadn’t felt in years. Freedom roared through me, wild and unshackled, but it wasn’t lonely.

It was tethered to the massive shape just ahead of me.

Leo slowed, then darted sideways, surprising me with how quick he could move despite his size. He circled me once, brushing against my side, and my fox shivered at the touch.

He was teasing. Playing. Inviting.

I darted away, weaving between trees, and he thundered after me, never letting the distance grow too wide. Every time I glanced back, those golden eyes were on me, locked in, steady as gravity.

We ran until the world blurred into nothing but the two of us, until my fox’s caution dissolved into something warmer, deeper.

I could feel him in my bones, in the way the earth trembled under his paws, in the way my fox leaned toward his presence without question.

Finally, breathless, I slowed, paws sinking into the loam as I stopped near a clearing. Leo caught up in seconds, lumbering to a halt beside me, his sides heaving.

He bumped me with his shoulder again, gentler this time, and the sound he made was almost a purr.

I pressed closer. My fox rubbed against him, fur against fur, unable to stop the soft chuff that escaped me. His scent wrapped around me, grounding and fierce.

I felt the bond between us hum like a wire pulled tight.

We shifted back almost in unison, bodies reshaping, breath still ragged as we stood side by side under the canopy of stars.

Leo looked at me, eyes shining even in the dim light.

“That was…” He trailed off, shaking his head like words wouldn’t do. “God, Elias. That felt right.”

I swallowed hard, my heart thudding in my chest.

“It did.” My voice came out rougher than I intended, thick with something I couldn’t quite name.

He stepped closer, and I didn’t move away. His hand brushed mine. It was a simple touch, but it sent sparks racing up my arm.

“My bear’s been restless since the moment we met,” Leo admitted softly. “But tonight he settled. Like he’s been waiting for this. For you.”

The words hit deeper than they should have. My fox stirred again, pushing toward him, certain. Certain that this was meant, that this was safe.