Cyrus and Daisy docked their rowboat on the other side of Lake Fate. It was a beautiful fall day and the leaves were twirling in the sunshine as they blew about on gusts of wind. Cyrus grasped a picnic basket in his hand as they continued up the beach to the landing. They headed to the gazebo that was windowed in against the elements. Inside, was a fireplace and a big table. Cyrus placed the basket on the table and Daisy began to unpack it as Cyrus lit a fire in the fireplace.

The table was beautifully polished and had such fine craftsmanship she was amazed to find it in a gazebo in the woods. Cyrus got the fire burning and joined her at the table. There was warm beef and potato stew, hot chocolate, and French bread. Everything was delicious and cooked in the kitchen at Fate Mountain Lodge by world-famous chef Shane Keenan.

Daisy knew about his cooking show from before the war. It was a long time ago, but her mother had had some of his cookbooks when Daisy was growing up. She loved the fact that she was eating a famous chef’s stew recipe, made in the kitchen that he ran. Shane himself might have even cooked it.

“I can’t believe that Shane Keenan works at the Fate Mountain Lodge.”

“Shane? Yeah, he’s from Fate Mountain. I knew him when I was a boy. He owns the diner with his mate Lily.”

“That’s so unbelievable. My mom loved his cookbooks when she was alive.”

“Shane is a pistol. He and his wife Lily just bought some land to build a big new house for their family. I’m happy for them that they finally got together.”

“Finally got together?”

“They had been best friends as kids. But Shane had some problems and he wanted to keep them away from Lily. He didn’t even know that they had a kid.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so terrible.”

“I think it was pretty bad for a long time. But everything worked out in the end.”

“I’m so glad that we found each other and that we both wanted to be together.”

“You bring a whole new dimension into my life, Daisy,” he said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. “I want you to be mine forever in every way.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box. He opened it and showed her the ring glistening inside. It was a huge princess cut diamond. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. It must have cost a fortune.

“Cyrus. I don’t need this.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course you do,” he said, slipping it on her finger.

She held it up in the light from the fireplace and it twinkled and gleamed. Her heart swelled that he would make such a gesture.

“Will you be my wife?” he asked.

“Of course I will,” she said with a giggle. “I already am.”

“Then take off all your clothes and come with me now,” he said.

She couldn’t resist. She unbuttoned her blouse and dropped it on the table next to the leftovers and dirty dishes. Cyrus did the same and soon they were both undressed. She looked down at her ring and bit her lip.

“Do I have to take this off too?” she asked.

“Yeah. We’re going to shift.”

“Shift?”

“I’m going to marry you today. And were going to do it in bear form.”

Daisy was intrigued so she slipped off her ring and set it on the table next to her clothing. She grasped Cyrus’s hand and giggled as they walked out of gazebo. The ground was cold on her feet, but they were soon running into the forest. Cyrus jumped into the air, shifting in mid-motion. As a brand-new shifter, Daisy wasn’t nearly as agile as Cyrus. She followed him into the shift as quickly as she could, her heart light and her head buzzing with excitement. They ran swiftly through the trees.

This forest was open, and manicured by lodge staff. Daisy had a sense of freedom and joy she could barely contain as the forest sprawled out before her in its intricate web of life and vitality.

She could feel Cyrus so close beside her; the whole matrix of what was him flowed into her like a wave of information. They came to a clearing where the maple trees ran a ring around a little meadow. The orange and yellow leaves were blowing in the wind as they fell from the branches. Cyrus stopped and looked at Daisy, nuzzling her cheek with a low growl.

She loved the sensation of having him so close in this form. There was something so raw and hidden in their primal bond that she couldn’t express in human language. It was as if they understood everything about life. Together. It was also simple and straightforward. There was no good or evil. Everything was in balance.

In her previous life, she had rarely thought about such things. But in her new bear form, standing opposite her groom, as the leaves blew from the trees all around, she felt her whole life and heart and mind expanding. A little bit of Cyrus had bled into her and a little bit of her had bled into Cyrus. Now they were more complete together than they ever had been alone.

She looked deep into his dark black eyes and thought of how much she loved him on every level of her being. Her attachment to him was unbounded and she longed to show him that, every moment of every day for the rest of her life. She knew that her feelings vibrated through the distance between them and landed squarely inside his heart. A wave of Cyrus’s emotions and thoughts burbled through the same vibrating cord, wafting through her mind and heart to settle in her gut. She knew so clearly that Cyrus would die for her. He would go to his grave trying to protect her from the darkness of the world. And she would go to her grave protecting his heart from that very same darkness, ensuring that he could be happy in this life, for all its pain and triumph alike.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the perfect moment. Beauty and light echoed outward like a soundwave from her chest and met the echo of Cyrus, creating a new harmony of tone. The music of their bond swirled around them like a protective shell. There were no questions and no ‘I do’s. There were no vows and no guests. Only the two of them singing their hearts’ songs to each other through the cords of their primal bond. A tear seeped from Daisy’s grizzly eye and dropped onto the ground. She wanted this moment to last forever.

“Isn’t this special,” a man’s voice growled at the edge of the clearing.

Daisy snapped her neck to see a man holding a semi-automatic rifle, trained on both bears. He smiled maniacally.

“I came back to finish the job. The girl is still legally single. She’s going to the Updikes.”

Cyrus growled and Daisy snarled. She could see Cyrus’s mental images inside her mind. He was telling her to back away and hide, so he could take out Pierce. He wanted her to leave, but she refused. She would stand and fight with her man. Cyrus felt her insistence and he acquiesced, accepting that she was just as committed to him and his safety as he was to hers. He growled at her in agreement and she began to back away while Cyrus started to prowl forward.

“It’s the girl I want, Cyrus Kincaid, not you.”

Cyrus growled as Pierce cocked the rifle at him.

“Tell her to come back now or I’ll shoot you full of lead a second time.”

Daisy disappeared through the forest and galloped around the perimeter, keeping a constant connection to Cyrus as she went.

“You just let your girl run off,” Pierce said, coming closer to Cyrus. Daisy could see them through the trunks of the trees on the other side of the clearing. Pierce’s finger twitched over the trigger on his rifle.

She growled and charged. He spun around pulling the trigger. Daisy smashed into his chest and bullets flew into the air. They fell harmlessly behind them as Cyrus spun around to the offender and pinned him under his paw. Daisy placed her own paw on the man’s head, ready to squish.

Cyrus and Daisy stood there together for a long time, their bond circulating between them as they tried to decide what to do. With just a little bit more force, they could end Pierce’s life. They could be judge, jury, and executioner all in one.

Daisy could feel Cyrus shake his head inside her mind. They couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t let her be a murderer. And he himself would not take another man’s life like this either. They had to take him back to the Bear Patrol, and have him arrested by the authorities.

With that, Cyrus shifted and Daisy shifted right beside him. They tied Pierce up with his shirt and led him back to the gazebo. After they dressed, they threw him into the boat, and then rowed him back to the lodge. When they arrived, they quickly called the Bear Patrol. They were there to get Pierce and take him away in a matter of minutes.

Daisy and Cyrus stood on the front walkway of the lodge, holding each other tight in the cool autumn air.