“What do you mean, you don’t have any carrot cake?” I ask. Even I can hear the whine in my voice. I’d been looking forward to this carrot cake all freaking day. I told myself if I got all the weeds in my garden pulled and the vegetables cleared out from the beds, then I could come have a carrot cake break.

“Sorry, Luna, we sold out a little while ago. A wolf came in and cleaned us out.”

“Mangy wolves,” I mumble.

“I heard that!” I hear shouted from the back of the bakery, making me hop back a step. I sniff the air. You’d think for a rabbit shifter I would have a good sense of smell, but nope. My nose is always twitching because I’m curious about smells, but I never have any luck. Although today in the bakery, it does smell extra yummy. It’s not all the mountains of treats either, there’s something else I can’t put my finger on.

I still figure it’s Gwen. She always teases me about all the carrot cake I get.

Ruby smiles politely at me and tries to offer something else. “How about some sugar cookies?”

“No, thanks,” I say sullenly.

“Sorry, Luna. I promise I’ll make more first thing in the morning. If the snow starts early, I’ll even make them especially for you tonight at home.”

“You’re the best, Ruby,” I say, feeling somewhat better.

I leave the bakery, but instead of getting in my car right away, I sit down at the little table outside and enjoy the cool evening air, taking the time to glance around. Not many people seem to be out today.

Fall is over and it’s time to get ready for winter, which I personally love because snow is magical. Being a bunny shifter has some perks, even if I am tiny.

I came to Gray Ridge a few months ago, and Ruby has been so nice to me. She and her mate Dominic have a small house on some land near their property they let me stay in. It’s really small, but I am, too, so it works out. There’s one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and no walls except for the bathroom. But I have space for a garden out back where I was able to plant some vegetables before it got too cold. But that time is up, and now I can make a fire in my cabin and cuddle up on warm nights.

My thoughts drift to what I’d be doing if I had a mate, and all of a sudden I’m super horny. Another downside to being a rabbit is always wanting sex. They old saying about “going at it like rabbits” is sadly true. I’ve been in a constant state of arousal one way or another since the day I turned eighteen and the mating heat kicked in. Normally by the age of twenty I would have found someone and made a few dozen babies, but as the years go on, that feels impossible.

Inside, my shifter bunny wiggles, and I sigh. “Sorry, girl. One day,” I say, and then get up from the bench.

I get into my Volkswagen Beetle and reverse out of the parking lot. It’s not a practical vehicle for this kind of weather, but I didn’t really think about it when I moved here. Now that winter approaches, I realize I should probably get something better for navigating the roads of Colorado and trade in my little car.

By the time I get a mile down the road, the snow has already begun to fall. I decide to take a risk and stop for gas. I’m almost on empty and I was always told to fill up before a storm because you just never know.

I grew up in the north east, with parents who were so sweet and loving. But being in a house with ten siblings was enough to drive anyone bonkers. We were all close and got along, but my shifter bunny pulled me in a new direction. I decided to go out on my own after I came of age in my town and I didn’t mate with anyone there. I’d heard about a shifter town in Gray Ridge and figured I didn’t have much to lose. So, I packed up my belongings and hit the road. I still talk with my family almost every day, but I’m happy for the change of scenery. Something about Gray Ridge calls to me, and my little bunny is happy here. This place feels like it might be home, and that’s okay for now. If I really say what my heart wants, it’s to be with my mate and to have babies of my own, but I try not to focus on it. Besides, it just gets me worked up with no way to release.

Bunny shifters are wired a little different than most. We get super horny all the time, even before we find our mate. But we can’t get off until we find them, so I’ve just been in a state of constant need for the past two years, and I’ve learned to ignore it for the most part. It’s a curse, but I’ve been told that once you find your mate, it’s a blessing. Because then all they want to do is mate, too. I worry, though, that if I don’t find another bunny shifter as a mate, they won’t be able to keep up. My kind are used to sex on top of sex until we pass out, but not all shifters are the same, and I haven’t heard of another rabbit living around here.

Pushing away thoughts of sex, I focus on waiting in line for my turn at the gas pump. There are tons of people here, both locals and tourists. I watch as the dark clouds descend quicker than I thought and the roads are blanketed fast. I catch sight of Dominic’s SUV with Ruby and the kids going by. I should have stayed at the bakery and gotten a ride with them, but I didn’t think about it, and I didn’t expect the storm to come so quickly.

Seeing all the trucks in line at the pumps, I worry that my car might not make it if I wait much longer. I don’t have time to wait before it gets worse, and if I leave now I have a better chance. Against better judgement, I pull out onto the road and head home, praying I make it.