Page 2 of A Bunny for the Bear
“Then I'm glad they're here. I would love for Fate to send me my mate. I would not dare begrudge anyone else for finding theirs.”
She clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest. “I agree wholeheartedly, and I hope that you find your person here. I know you're new to town, otherwise I would have already met you.”
"You're so sure of that," I told her.
She laughed. "Yes, I am somewhat of a busybody around town. If there's someone new, I'm going to meet them. Even people who just swing by for vacation, or others like Clynt, who stopped in a couple of months ago after a broken heart, end up on my radar. Clynt wound up finding his fated mate and now they're about to have their first baby.”
“Their first? How do you know they're going to have more?” I asked the question curiously because I had been an only child.
It was rare in the shifter community, but that's what I was told happened by the head Alpha of the pack. I think it's part of the reason my parents gave me up so easily. Not having more than one must have ostracized them from their fluffle.
Arisha nodded. "Oh yes! Definitely their first of many. If you could see the way Maklihn looks at his mate, then you would see there's no stopping those two.”
A blush rose on my cheeks again. I knew people thought that rabbits were the type to procreate often. Maybe it was true somewhere.
I, on the other hand, believed in waiting for my mate. Sex was not something I was all that familiar with outside of gossip andreading. Even then, I would sometimes flip past the spicier bits because I wanted to get to the soft and sweet parts.
I knew that when I found my mate, I would feel differently. Until then, I would stick to what I felt most comfortable with.
"How about we do this?" Arisha said, pulling my attention away from the naughty thoughts. "I'm going to give you this basket of carrots because I think it's a good idea as a welcome present. And you’ll promise to meet me for dinner later this week—maybe Wednesday. We can chat a bit about your life, then I can tell you who's who in town. I'll even invite a few other people I think might be friendly towards you."
I paused for a minute to think about her offer. I did want to meet others in town. If she was the busybody she claimed to be, then she would be my best bet for that.
After another prolonged moment of silence, I nodded my agreement.
"Sure, that sounds great. I'm still trying to get my bearings. Is there a place I should meet you?"
"Why don't we do it picnic style in the park? I can bring a bunch of different things for you to try, and we'll stick to finger foods only. I imagine vegetables are high on your list of likes."
"They are," I agreed easily. "Should I bring anything with me?"
"Just yourself. I want you to not have to worry about a single thing. Dress casually and come have some fun. I'll make sure everyone knows to be on their best behavior."
She handed me the basket, and I held it close to my chest. It would be awkward to walk around with it for the rest of my visitto the market, but I wasn't going to turn her down. Not when this fresh harvest looked amazing.
"Thank you. You've been very kind. It's nice to feel welcome here."
She patted my hand where it laid on the edge of the basket. "Sweetheart, this place is all about welcoming others. You'll never be judged for the type of shifter you are or your designation. If anything, you'll likely be considered family from the start."
My heart warmed at her words.
Family. It was just the thing I was looking for.
Chapter Two
Hutton
There was naggingand then there was Aunt Souli’s level of pestering. She’d kept me on the phone for damn near three hours already. I suspected she had enough in the tank to go another three.
It didn’t matter that I had work to do. Didn’t matter that I’d told her I was trying to get all my work done before I took my annual two-month summer vacation.
While I didn’t exactly hibernate in the traditional way, I would shut down my work computer, buy enough snacks to last the duration, and settle myself into my home to avoid any and everything.
With a high stress job in financial analytics, it made sense to book out the time for myself. It was that or tear off anyone’s head when the frustrations of the office bled into the rest of my life.
“I understand what you’re saying,” I told her for the millionth time.
She hummed. “Yes, but you haven’t truly considered my words. What if your mate is here too, Hutton? You could find the peace that comes with being blessed by Fate’s hand.”
