Chapter Four

“Well?” the woman prompted with a smile, lightly waving the hand she’d being holding upward.

“Right,” Dan said, nodding too many times before grasping the proffered hand. He moved the stools out of her way as she stood, raising a hand to help dust the dirt off the floor of her clothes before thinking better of it.

“I’m so sorry,” he muttered, his hand falling limply to his side. “I should have been watching where I was going.”

She lifted one dark eyebrow. “Maybe so,” she agreed in a strong deep voice that offered no room for rebuttal. Then her gaze softened and her smile returned. “But I’m sure it wasn’t done on purpose.”

“Th-there was a guy…” Dan began to explain, but realized it didn’t matter. “I, uh… how about I buy you a drink to make up for all of this?” he asked grinning in an attempt to mask his embarrassment. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smirked back at him, and a heavenly scent of cinnamon and vanilla cut through the smell of beer and whiskey to meet his nose.

“Another time, sailor” she promised. “I’m otherwise engaged for the night.”

“Ah, all right,” Dan replied, hiding his immediate disappointment behind another quick smile. “Another time then,” he repeated with a nod.

She returned his smile, though something remained serious in her eyes. “Hopefully sometime soon, eh?” she quipped softly as she made her way to the exit. “Until then.” She shot him a playful wink and a wave before making her departure.

Dan watched her leave the entire time, muttering a hasty ‘goodbye’ a little too late for her to hear. As the door swung closed behind her, he mentally punched himself for not asking for her number.

“How the hell are you supposed to meet up with her, now?” he grumbled solemnly to himself. “You don’t even know her name, dumbass.” His bear growled lowly in his chest, as if agreeing with the sentiment.

He battled shortly with a mad urge to run after her and right his mistake, but a feeling told him that the moment to act had passed and stumbling through the bar doors to beg for her number would only make him seem desperate. She’d be around the bar sometime soon, right? He’d come here every night if it meant meeting her again. With a nod of surety, he sat himself at the bar to get a much-needed beer.

As if reading his mind, the bartender slid him a chilled tall glass of hops, the foam from the tap spilling leisurely over the rim. With a nod of gratitude, Dan sipped his beer in silence. He thought about maybe playing a game of pool or darts to keep his mind occupied, but after the spectacle he made of himself only a short while ago, he didn’t think he’d be able to take the heckling that drunken humans were known for without a bit of his bear slipping out in retaliation.

Alone, it is, he muttered inwardly with a sigh. Drinking alone, eating alone, sleeping alone. He was always alone. Lonely, he corrected himself. Allowing a stunning woman to slip through his fingers mere hours after lamenting that pickings were slim only reminded him of just how lonely he’d likely always be. “Don’t forget the part where you pushed her onto the floor and nearly crushed her under your fat, clumsy body,” he muttered angrily to himself before tossing back the glass to finish the beer in a single gulp.

As he pounded the glass back down on the bar, a fresh chilled mug of beer slid his way. “On the house,” the bartender declared. “You look like you need it.”

Dan looked from the beer to the bartender with mild confusion on his face. First Nick, now this guy. Was everyone in Woodhaven so damned nice? His mind flashed to the roid-raging muscle head that blocked his entrance into the bar. Maybe not everyone.

He nodded his appreciation. “Thanks.”

The bartender returned his nod, muttering, “Don’t mention it,” as another patron shouted a drink order from the other end of the bar.

Dan took his time with this beer as his mind began to wander once more. His thoughts ranged from Lucas to mates to life after Forest Haven, finding peace and back again, never seeming to discover solace in any one subject for too long. He was restless, without answers, and not even a chance to drown his sorrows in alcohol was remedying the niggling suspicion in the back of his mind that there was more to life than what he knew.

Was it because he was lonely, or worried about the impressionable members of the Northern Wind, or just that he had a small world view from having spent so many years only living in the deep forests surrounding Woodhaven? He wasn’t sure. Maybe after all this was over and done with, he’d talk to Nick about doing some travelling, broaden his horizons and maybe even find a girl to bring home.

His mind wafted back to recent memories of the dark haired woman that had departed the bar only a short while ago. He allowed himself a moment to believe that maybe he wouldn’t have to make his travels alone if he played his cards right in the coming days. He quickly waved the thought away, discounting it as ridiculous. As tantalizing as a happily ever after with the mysterious beautiful woman at the bar sounded, he was after a long and fulfilling relationship that he didn’t think he’d ever find in a human.

Sure, Nick had found something like that in Jo, but he had always seemed more in tune with his human side than most bears. The more Dan thought about Nick’s unconventional union with Jo, the more it made sense. Dan couldn’t be more different. His human form was more of a hindrance, and though he wouldn’t even wish life in the Northern Wind on his worst enemy, he longed for the days when most of his daily tasks could be done in bear form. Finding a mate that would force him to be in this human skin almost all the time - The very thought made him shudder. No lifetime with a human, God willing.

But a night? He definitely wasn’t opposed to that.

***

Dan stomached a few more drinks before calling it a night. He’d taken up enough of the bartender’s time sulking in the corner of the bar. Also, he was long since tired of smelling the occasional waft of pity whenever the bar patrons glanced his way. He must’ve looked as depressed as he felt.

“Thanks,” Dan muttered as he stood, paying for his drinks and leaving a little extra despite one being ‘on the house’. “I think it’s about time I head on out.”

The bartender gave a haphazard wave. “Come back anytime.”

Dan smiled as the man turned back to the lingering patrons. Even if he didn’t get around to travelling, at least he had the nice residents of Woodhaven to look forward to every day. That would always be a pleasant change to the chilly distance everyone in the Northern Wind had shared. And what was more, Nick respected the humans of the territory he inhabited. He didn’t try to force them out or steer them away. He coexisted with them in a way that Lucas wouldn’t dare attempt. There was something comforting in having a leader that knew when to show leniency and respect in all things.

As he made his way to the door, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He saw Jo’s name light up the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. “Everything all right?” he asked as a greeting.

He heard Jo sigh on the other end of the line. “In the grand scheme of everything we’ve got going on, I guess it’s not that big a deal but…” her voice trailed off into another long sigh that made Dan smile.

“What happened?”

“What happened is that it was a mistake to let Nick cook,” Jo grumbled. In the distance, Dan could hear Nick cursing along with the sound of a… fire extinguisher?

“That bad, huh?” Dan asked with a chuckle.

“Probably worse,” Jo lamented. “Are you still at the bar?”

“About to head out. What’s up? You looking for me to pick you guys up something on the way back?”

“Chinese takeout, pretty please?”

Dan barked a laugh as he exited the bar. “All you guys eat is that same old Chinese takeout! Don’t you guys get bored of the same thing over and over?”

“Well, we tried a decent home-cooked meal and look at how that turned out,” Jo grumbled.

“Fair enough,” Dan replied. “Any special requests when I get there?”

Mentally cataloging Jo’s order, Dan set off in the direction of the takeout place. “And make sure to get something for yourself, too,” Jo finished. “The romantic evening plans are thoroughly botched, so you’re more than welcome to join us at the cabin for dinner.”

“Join you there? I can’t imagine eating around that stink. I can practically smell the burnt food form here!” Dan joked, wrinkling his nose for good measure even though Jo couldn’t see it.

Jo groaned. “You heard the fire extinguisher, didn’t you?”

“And Nick’s bickering,” Dan added with a laugh. “I’m just kidding. I’d love to join you guys. I’ll grab the food and be right over.”

“Thank you, Dan,” Jo said gratefully. “See you soon; hopefully. I’m starving.”