Ambling through the forest, my claws displaced dirt, and soft grunts escaped my maw. The early morning sun could barely break the canopy, but I could still feel its soft rays on my fur.

It felt good, but not as good as Sylvia’s fingers- or what I imagined it would feel like for her to touch me. I’d been walking for a while, zigzagging around my territory as my nose searched for anything out of the ordinary. My bear was antsy, his movements stiff with a deep twisting in his gut as he wandered.

The day was only just starting, but my mind was already busy thinking of what would come. After that moment in Sylvia’s attic, I felt a new confidence. My inner beast was always alert, waiting, watching, hoping that Sylvia would show up in the bar or somewhere around town.

And she never failed to disappoint. I saw her daily, and usually, it was within the safety of my bar before opening. She’d gotten into the habit of coming in for lunch, and even now that knowledge tightened my chest.

Turning back to the present, I pushed my way up into my consciousness as satisfaction radiated from my animal side. I could smell Sylvia in the air, and I sucked it down deep into the recesses of my being. It was soft and fragrant, elegant, just like her with her sophisticated clothes. A fantasy flashed in my mind’s eye, tainting her scent with thick hormones and sweat as her clothes fell away to reveal the beautiful body beneath.

My tongue unfurled from my mouth at the images, and saliva created a thick coating along my inner cheeks. It was driving me crazy to know what Sylvia looked like na              ked; her hip tattoo and the color of her nipples kept me awake at night.

“-om… why- why do you call me so early…” The woman that dominated my thoughts made my ears perk up, and for the first time, I realized I was at the tree line that edged her back yard. Sylvia’s tired, husky voice shot through my veins like pure, white heroine, and I pushed my way through the thinning trees. My fur stood up, the thick strands making my skin tingle.

“No, I was just up late last night… I am sleeping, but I had a lot to think about.” Hiding beyond the dark shadows of the trees that lined the property, every cell in my brain was focused on the scene across a small lake. Sylvia stood outside in dark blue flannel pajamas, and her hair glowed gold even now as it stuck up every direction. Her eyelids were puffed, and half closed, her one hand holding her phone to her ear and her other burdened by a mug.

She was so beautiful… Inching close to the edge of the trees, my nostrils twitched with the scent of coffee as the wind blew her into my lungs.

“It’s not a big deal, Mom- it’s just this guy I met. I don’t know what to do since I’m not staying…” My body jerked as Sylvia’s words hit me, and I shoved my bear into the back of my mind. I only gave him enough room to keep me in this form, but my muscles were tense, and my human mind was scrambling.

On her back porch, Sylvia took a deep gulp of her coffee before she started to pace lightly. There was a troubled frown on her face, and whatever her mother was saying didn’t ease that.

“I’m not going to lead him on, Mom! That’s not right! Aren’t you supposed to tell me not to have sex, anyway? … I- No h-… Mom, what happens when I have to go home?” My claws dug into the soil as my heart raced in my chest. Sylvia’s mother was encouraging a relationship with a man her daughter didn’t know in a place she wasn’t staying? “But I can’t stay- I have my job an-… I know I can do it online but-”

I couldn’t take this conversation anymore, and I shoved myself out from the trees. My paws hit the ground heavily, making enough noise to alert my potential mate of my arrival. Tossing my head, I felt like a swarm of bees were using it for a hive as my thoughts raced. Catching sight of Sylvia once again, I paused as my bear struggled to come up.

It was a battle I gladly lost, but I didn’t let him have full reign. The last thing we needed was for Sylvia to be afraid of us. After all, we were absolutely monstrous in this form- easily twice the size of a typical brown bear.

“Oh God- Mom… a bear! A bear! I’ll call you back!” Hanging up, Sylvia stumbled back on her porch before the sound of ceramics shattering crackled through the air. The sound hurt my ears, and a low ‘oohf’ burst from my throat at the shock. Skirting the pond, I swaggered towards the porch as worry shot through me; Sylvia wasn’t wearing shoes.

The out of control emotions that swirled in my head made the world tilt, and my claws scraped against the stained wood steps. It was a harsh sound when compared to Sylvia’s voice, and hard breaths flowed from my lungs to dry my mouth.

She’s videotaping me… From inside her house and behind thick shades that kept her from my gaze, I could see Sylvia’s phone camera glinting in the growing sunlight. Little of her cell phone was visible that I couldn’t even see her hand. That’s so adorable.

I leaned back on my haunches, tossing my head from side to side before I caught sight of the empty coffee mug. Pieces of it were everywhere as if it had exploded, and I reached out a clawed paw to bat around the shards. The smell of the bitter brew was so pungent my lips curled up, and a rough snort ripped itself from my throat.

My bear preened, shuffling his limbs and puffing himself out to seem bigger. He wanted to impress this female, and his attempt was laughably typical. For a few seconds, I sat there, letting my beast have his moment until it started to seem out of the ordinary.

The steps creaked slightly under my half ton weight, and I shook myself out. My human rationale knew this wasn’t ideal, but my bear didn’t care. There was no room for consequences in my bear’s instinct-driven mind to have this female by any means necessary.

Stepping carefully around the pond, I forced one paw in front of the other as I tried to come up with a way this couldn’t backfire.