darkening.
Rory’s heart sank. “Can you tell who it is? Is it Bishop?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s a strange scent.”
Rory sniffed at the air. “I don’t smell it.”
“My sense of smell is keener than yours.”
“What’s it smell like?” Rory asked.
Dylan frowned. “I’d rather not say.”
“Come on, mate of mine. You can tell me anything.”
Dylan shook his head in confusion. “It smells like cheap perfume and sex.”
Rory gaped. “That was not the answer I was expecting.”
Dylan hopped out of bed and threw some jeans on.
“Stay here while I check it out,” he commanded.
Rory shuffled into her clothes. “Like hell. I’m coming with you.”
“What if it’s not safe?”
“Then that’s all the more reason to have me by your side,” she countered.
Dylan looked like he was about to argue.
“Look, Dylan. You’ve known me for years. You know I’m not gonna just sit back and hide when it’s time to fight. If we’re to be mates, you have to know that about me.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Then he grinned.
“I’ve always loved your spirit. A ferocious she-bear is exactly what I’m looking for. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But at least stay behind me until we know what’s going on.”
Rory nodded. “Fine, I’ll give you that.”
They rushed to the front windows. A lone bear was charging across the field of broken trees. He was big. Not quite as big as Dylan, but still fairly intimidating.
“You know that bear?” Dylan asked.
“No, I don’t recognize his scent.”
“Me neither. Let’s go say hello.”
Dylan stormed out the front door, his feet hammering on the wooden slats. Rory was right on his tail. They shifted at the same time, two bears rushing forward as one.
The strange bear stopped and watched the couple loping towards him. Then he stood up on his back legs. Rory thought the bear was about to scream out a challenge.
Instead, the new bear placed his paws on his hips and began thrusting into the air. Rory stopped short, confused. So did Dylan.
They watched on as the strange bear began to swivel in a circle, gyrating his hips and moving his paws in a rhythmic motion.
Rory shifted back to human form. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.
“Is he… Is that bear dancing?”
Dylan shifted in the human form, too. He was laughing.
“Yes, apparently he is. Idiot.”
***
Dylan took hold of Aurora’s hand and they walked towards the foolish dancing bear.
“You can stop dancing, Xander” Dylan called out. “There are no ladies out here to impress.”
The bear seemed to grin. He did one final ass wiggle before shifting. Standing before them was a tall man with messy black hair that bore a striking resemblance to Dylan, only thinner and lither. He wore a black leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans, but the most striking thing about him was his lopsided, cocky grin.
“Howdy kids,” Xander said. He looked at the disheveled state of Dylan and Aurora’s clothes. “Sorry, if I’m interrupting things.”
Dylan shook his head. “What the hell was all that about?”
Xander bowed at the hip. “You didn’t like my dance?”
Aurora spoke up, seeming to be relaxed now that Dylan himself wasn’t on edge. “I thought it was quite lovely.”
Xander grinned at her and nodded. “Then it was all worthwhile.”
Dylan rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but smile, too. Xander’s ridiculous joy was infectious. Even on Dylan’s darkest days, Xander could always make him smile.
“But to answer your question,” Xander said. “I saw you running out here, all super soldier style. I had to do something to keep you from murdering me once you were in beast mode. Which, by the way, how the hell is it you don’t recognize your own
Rory’s heart sank. “Can you tell who it is? Is it Bishop?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s a strange scent.”
Rory sniffed at the air. “I don’t smell it.”
“My sense of smell is keener than yours.”
“What’s it smell like?” Rory asked.
Dylan frowned. “I’d rather not say.”
“Come on, mate of mine. You can tell me anything.”
Dylan shook his head in confusion. “It smells like cheap perfume and sex.”
Rory gaped. “That was not the answer I was expecting.”
Dylan hopped out of bed and threw some jeans on.
“Stay here while I check it out,” he commanded.
Rory shuffled into her clothes. “Like hell. I’m coming with you.”
“What if it’s not safe?”
“Then that’s all the more reason to have me by your side,” she countered.
Dylan looked like he was about to argue.
“Look, Dylan. You’ve known me for years. You know I’m not gonna just sit back and hide when it’s time to fight. If we’re to be mates, you have to know that about me.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Then he grinned.
“I’ve always loved your spirit. A ferocious she-bear is exactly what I’m looking for. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But at least stay behind me until we know what’s going on.”
Rory nodded. “Fine, I’ll give you that.”
They rushed to the front windows. A lone bear was charging across the field of broken trees. He was big. Not quite as big as Dylan, but still fairly intimidating.
“You know that bear?” Dylan asked.
“No, I don’t recognize his scent.”
“Me neither. Let’s go say hello.”
Dylan stormed out the front door, his feet hammering on the wooden slats. Rory was right on his tail. They shifted at the same time, two bears rushing forward as one.
The strange bear stopped and watched the couple loping towards him. Then he stood up on his back legs. Rory thought the bear was about to scream out a challenge.
Instead, the new bear placed his paws on his hips and began thrusting into the air. Rory stopped short, confused. So did Dylan.
They watched on as the strange bear began to swivel in a circle, gyrating his hips and moving his paws in a rhythmic motion.
Rory shifted back to human form. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.
“Is he… Is that bear dancing?”
Dylan shifted in the human form, too. He was laughing.
“Yes, apparently he is. Idiot.”
***
Dylan took hold of Aurora’s hand and they walked towards the foolish dancing bear.
“You can stop dancing, Xander” Dylan called out. “There are no ladies out here to impress.”
The bear seemed to grin. He did one final ass wiggle before shifting. Standing before them was a tall man with messy black hair that bore a striking resemblance to Dylan, only thinner and lither. He wore a black leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans, but the most striking thing about him was his lopsided, cocky grin.
“Howdy kids,” Xander said. He looked at the disheveled state of Dylan and Aurora’s clothes. “Sorry, if I’m interrupting things.”
Dylan shook his head. “What the hell was all that about?”
Xander bowed at the hip. “You didn’t like my dance?”
Aurora spoke up, seeming to be relaxed now that Dylan himself wasn’t on edge. “I thought it was quite lovely.”
Xander grinned at her and nodded. “Then it was all worthwhile.”
Dylan rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but smile, too. Xander’s ridiculous joy was infectious. Even on Dylan’s darkest days, Xander could always make him smile.
“But to answer your question,” Xander said. “I saw you running out here, all super soldier style. I had to do something to keep you from murdering me once you were in beast mode. Which, by the way, how the hell is it you don’t recognize your own
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