Page 17 of Stout Bear

Her siblings snickered, one of them muttering, “You’ll never be a real fox.”

She remembered how small and powerless she felt, the sting of rejection still fresh. Tears welled in her eyes, the memory fueling her sense of not belonging anywhere. Her human mother’s family had found her peculiarities strange, while her father’s fox shifter relatives viewed her as incomplete.

In the present, Laney rubbed her eyes, stepping away from the foggy mirror. She dried off, picked out clothes from a half-empty dresser, and got dressed. The bedroom was cluttered with boxes; some were open, revealing random items from her past. Books, certificates, and research papers spilled from one; clothes and toiletries from another. Nothing felt permanently placed, as if she expected to leave at any moment.

She felt overwhelmed by her new job, new apartment, new mate, and this wave of old insecurities. The water contamination investigation had given her purpose, a scientific problem to solve. But Max’s invitation to the festival had exposed her personal vulnerabilities, forcing her to confront a lifetime of feeling inadequate.

Laney pulled open a box marked “misc,” rummaging through memories. She pulled out a high school yearbook, a dusty photo album, and a broken hairbrush. She read an inscription in her yearbook: “You’re a freak,” scrawled in childish handwriting.

Laney’s voice trembled, “They never even knew about me being a half-shifter. I was just... plain and nerdy.”

The insults echoed in her mind, feeding the belief that she didn’t deserve the changing bite or any acceptance. A lump grew in her throat as she recalled never being asked to prom, never feeling attractive or wanted. Her accomplishments in science had become her shield, a way to prove her worth when physical appearance and social skills failed her.

Her phone buzzed loudly, startling her out of her spiraling thoughts. She picked it up, seeing Max’s name. The notification sent a wave through her body, both exciting and terrifying.

“Hey, can you come by the brewery? Want you to check out the new filtration system.”

She was torn between the longing to see him and the dread of potential rejection. Her fox stirred anxiously, urging her to go to her mate, but her human fears screamed for her to hide. What if he saw the real her—awkward, insecure, damaged by years of rejection—and changed his mind about their connection?

Laney clutched her phone. Filled with insecurity, she wasn’t sure if she should respond. She tied her frizzy hair back into a messy bun and let out a resigned sigh.

“Sure, I’ll be right over.”

Chapter

Eighteen

Max satin his cluttered office, reviewing a spreadsheet on his laptop. The festival paperwork seemed endless. His phone buzzed, displaying a new message from Laney. “On my way.” A twist of anxiety gripped him, wondering how she would react once she saw the BioClean system.

Max’s phone rang, the caller ID showing his mother’s name. He hesitated, then answered, bracing himself for her questions. The phone’s tiny speaker crackled, Quinn’s voice coming through clear and direct. Drew’s deeper tone rumbled in the background, the two presumably seated together at home.

“We’ve been talking to Liv, and we know about the filtration system. What’s going on?” Quinn said.

“Your siblings told us it’s costing a fortune,” Drew added.

His chest tightened with guilt. But he knew he couldn’t dodge their questions forever. The brewery belonged to his parents, despite their recent retirement. Major expenses should have involved their input.

“I meant to call you,” Max said, exhaling slowly. He flipped through the contract on his desk, the BioClean logo prominent on the page. “I had to act. Water contamination had ruined too many batches of beer. This filtration system seemed like the best shot.”

Quinn replied, “You should have at least consulted us.”

Anxiety churned in his stomach at the possibility they’d consider him reckless. His parents had entrusted him with their life’s work, and his first major decision involved spending a significant portion of their operating budget.

“With the festival coming, we couldn’t wait. The system promises immediate results.”

“And you’re confident it works?” Drew asked. “Noah told us it was quite expensive.”

Max blurted out an explanation about an environmental scientist from the Bright Institute endorsing the system. He squeezed his eyes shut, recognizing he should have consulted Laney before signing the contract. A bead of sweat formed at his temple, the sudden tension stifling the office air.

“Well, if a scientist from the institute gave the go-ahead, that’s something,” Drew said.

He hated misleading his parents and hoped Laney’s eventual evaluation would back up his claim. “She’s extremely knowledgeable about water quality,” Max added. “She’s been investigating the contamination issues.”

“Is this the environmental scientist who’s also your mate?” Quinn asked.

He never intended to reveal their mate status over the phone. Liv must have already told them. Max’s cheeks burned. “I… yeah. We… it’s complicated.”

“Oh, Max!” Quinn exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell us immediately?”

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