Bear-(mxm rever series 2) (Free w/paid bonus chapter)

Bear 17

"Marsh?" 

Walker stepped out into the crisp, evening air and quickly looked around. 

Where is he? 

He hurried to the barn, then the chicken coops, expecting to see him wandering around... but he was at neither location. 

Hey Rane, do you happen to know where Marsh went? I can't find him in his usual spots and he's not in the house. 

It seemed to take his brother a few extra moments to respond, which wasn't normal. Especially when there was a chance to mess with him. 

I saw him heading toward the woods. Wanna bet he's digging into Heian's honeycombs? 

Walker felt his face pale immediately. He hadn't even thought about what would happen if Marsh found honey! The guy had downed the only bottle they kept on hand, mostly to sweeten teas when Ranger wasn't feeling well, in minutes. 

I really hope he's wrong, but I have a gut feeling that he's right. 

Running his hand through his hair nervously, Walker sighed and hurried out of the barn. 

Don't worry, Heian doesn't mind. Just go get him. 

Walker nodded as he walked, getting a good distance away from the barn before stopping abruptly. 

Wait a minute. How do you know that he doesn't mind? Are you with him right now? 

He heard static from his brother, making him stare back at the barn. They definitely weren't in the house, he would have sensed at least his brother. If they're together and nearby, then the pasture or barn would be where he'd see them... but neither were in sight. 

Just go get your bear before he causes more problems. 

Awkwardly turning back toward the woods, Walker decided not to question his brother and just made his way toward the two honeycombs Heian kept a little ways onto his property. 

I wonder how he found out about them, though?

Shaking off the question, he made his way through the forested area, then stepped out onto a small empty field, long-since ignored with stalks of grass and hay reaching for the sky. 

He knew better than to wade through somewhere he couldn't see, so he skirted around the outer portion, then went through another small forest before hopping over a frozen brook and ducking around a few last trees. 

Oh, shit. 

He had definitely found Marsh, but that was definitely not the form he'd expected him to be in. 

Now I know how he'd found them, too. 

A plump, chubby bear was greedily munching down on one of the large hives, having easily broken off a chunk of honeycomb from one of the shielding boxes. 

"H-hey, Marsh?" he called out hesitantly, unsure of how his bear would react. His ear was too fluffy to really check, but he didn't doubt that the earring holding the beast in had likely been removed somehow. 

It flicked its left ear and looked over its shoulder with a snuffled-grunt. 

Walker held his breath as he waited for some kind of reaction, ready to run at a moment's notice. It was odd, though. The bear didn't seem nearly as interested in gutting him as it did the first, or second times they'd met. It didn't even bother standing up as it turned back to noshing on the item it held between its massive paws. 

I'm kind of shocked. 

"Um, you really can't be eating all that, Marsh. It belongs to Heian," he said after a few more tense moments.