{"id":111208,"date":"2024-08-26T14:25:10","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T18:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/?page_id=111208"},"modified":"2026-04-06T21:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T01:50:18","slug":"i-choose-the-bear","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/","title":{"rendered":"I Choose the Bear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Funded by Backerkit<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Purple<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ivy thought she’d found one of the good ones, a nice guy who respected her wishes, the guy all of her friends liked…and then they head to his family’s lake house for a night to watch for an expected meteor shower. But Neill had his own plans in mind and when Ivy said no, he didn’t like it.

Enter the bear.

Jonah, on a hiking trip with his best friend, Liam, after the unexpected death of the clan’s Alpha, and Jonah’s grandfather, is enjoying the last few hours of freedom he’ll know for some time. He’s known for a while he’ll be stepping into his grandfather’s shoes. With the countdown ticking away, he relishes the peace and quiet. But then it’s shattered by the shouts of an angry, frightened woman and both Liam and Jonah take off running to investigate.

Just as they reach the edge of the property, the woman shouts, “You’re the reason why women choose the bear, Neill.<\/em>“

Now…Jonah abides by the laws governing supernaturals. He doesn’t reveal himself to be a shapeshifter and he plays nice with humans. But walking out there in his bear skin isn’t really revealing<\/em> himself. And predators deserve to be frightened, don’t they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His first look at Ivy upends his entire world.

Now isn’t the time for him to fall in love. He has a clan to care for, challenges to hold off. It doesn\u2019t help that there\u2019s something\u2026different about Ivy. Very<\/em> different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And none of it matters. Love doesn’t believe in being convenient and Jonah and Ivy on are a collision course. Will she choose the bear…and will his bear choose her<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preorder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Bookshop<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0BN<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Smashwords<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

will be on Amazon on day of release<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order the Special Edition Hardback on Backerkit<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ivy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Would you rather be stuck in the forest with a man or a bear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until now, on this particular date, that I really<\/em> understood just how right I\u2019d been to answer, the bear.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, I understood the debate on a philosophical level. Don\u2019t most women?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But getting it on a philosophical level and having it really<\/em> driven home by the so-called \u2018nice guy\u2019<\/em> you\u2019ve been dating? Two vastly different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll give Neill Brady credit where credit is due. He managed to fool me, my friends, my co-workers\u2014hell, my brother and sisters had come up here for the 4th and they <\/em>had liked him. My siblings don\u2019t like anybody<\/em> I date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost everybody<\/em> I knew liked him. The only person I knew that didn\u2019t sing his praises was my roommate, Dallas. But Dallas was\u2026different and openly admitted he hated just about everybody. Well, except me and his partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill opened doors for me. He often paid for our dates but when we\u2019d first started going out, he\u2019d understood my desire to pay for my own meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He worked at the same company where I did\u2014he was the owner\u2019s son. I\u2019d had a knee-jerk response about dating him because of that and had turned him down the first couple of times he asked me out. He\u2019d taken the rejections well so the third time he asked, I\u2019d given in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to go Dutch; he didn\u2019t disagree. He never talked down to me and there was no mansplaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No red flags. Zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He must have been saving them for a special occasion because damn, all I saw now were red flags. Well, that and his suddenly punchable face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019d come out here to Mom\u2019s cabin on Moosehead Lake to watch the Perseids meteor shower. We dated for weeks<\/em> with no sign of him being a creep, otherwise, I wouldn\u2019t have come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few minutes ago, everything changed. We were laying on the blanket we\u2019d spread out on the grassy shore by the lake and he rolled toward me and grabbed my boob like he was seizing an orange from a stack of fruit in the produce section. After a frozen moment or two of shock, I\u2019d shoved him away and jumped to my feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy are you playing so hard to get, Ivy?\u201d His mouth twisted in what I thought might <\/em>be an attempt at a sexy smolder. He only looked constipated as he prowled closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I wasn\u2019t so scared\u2014and pissed\u2014I might have laughed. But I was too busy focusing on keeping distance and<\/em> his sports car between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeill,\u201d I said, somehow managing to keep my voice level. \u201cYou need to back the hell off. Just get in your car and go<\/em> for all I care. But leave me alone<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust go<\/em>?\u201d He was still smiling. Was this a game<\/em> to him? \u201cWe\u2019re an hour and a half away from the home, Ivy. You really want me to leave you out here in the woods\u2026alone<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid of the dark, Neill,\u201d I said coolly. \u201cBut I am not<\/em> getting in that car with you. Leave<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you so worked up about, babe?\u201d Licking his lips, he lowered his eyes to stare at my tits. \u201cIt\u2019s not like you didn\u2019t know this was coming. We\u2019ve been going out for almost two months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive weeks, Neill. Five weeks<\/em>. And I don\u2019t owe<\/em> you sex.\u201d I sidestepped to the right several paces. \u201cI did not<\/em> come out here with you planning on fucking you\u2014or getting groped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuit playing.\u201d He finally stopped circling the car and planted his hands on the hood, leaning closer. \u201cThe chasing thing is cute but I\u2019ve had enough of your cock-teasing. Come on, baby. Let\u2019s go inside\u2026I\u2019ve got a nice, big soft bed\u2026and a big, hard cock waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revulsion coursed through me. My foot scraped over a rock. Nervously, I circled it with my foot, trying to gauge its size. \u201cI\u2019m not<\/em> going inside with you. I\u2019m not<\/em> sleeping with you. And I\u2019m not<\/em> playing games\u2014I want you to get in your car and go<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lunged at me over the car. I stooped and grabbed the rock and dashed around the vehicle. We looked ridiculous\u2014we had to. He ended up in a sprawl and clambered to his feet, cursing and jerking at his shirt while I eyed the house and wondered if I could get inside and lock myself in\u2014preferably somewhere with a phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he was already trying to move on me again. Damn<\/em> it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pulled my arm back, preparing to hurl the rock right at his pretty face. \u201cTake one more step and I\u2019ll brain you with this,\u201d I warned him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That made him draw up short. \u201cYou\u2019re taking this game too far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because I\u2019m not playing<\/em>,\u201d I told him. \u201cI said no<\/em> and that means no<\/em>. Leave me alone<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something finally clicked. His jaw fell open. The blindingly bright motion-activated light by the garage highlighted his expression. Blood surged to his cheeks, turning them a dull, ruddy shade and his eyes narrowed. Fury tightened every line of his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the fuck is your problem?\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou<\/em>!\u201d Flinging an arm at him, I said, \u201cJust get in the damn car and leave me alone. I\u2019ll find my own way home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stalked toward me and I sidestepped yet again, keeping up that crazy little evasive dance so the car stayed between us. Now my back was to the thick stand of trees at my back. Maybe I should run into them. Neill wouldn\u2019t dare follow me. The closest he got to nature was stretching out on a blanket by the lake on the nice, neatly manicured lawn between the shore and the urbane, professionally decorated cabin. But I was wearing sandals\u2014I didn\u2019t mind dealing with the woods at night. I did mind dealing with a broken ankle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet in the fucking car, Ivy. If you\u2019re going to be that uptight, I\u2019ll fucking take you home. Damn bitch. But I\u2019m not leaving you alone at my <\/em>family cabin because you turned out to an ice-cold prude.\u201d He curled his lip at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A prude<\/em>. I might have laughed. I even opened my laugh to comment, but the very moment I did, a strange, eerie quiet swept over us. The birds went silent. The dog-day cicadas went silent. Even the loud, busy bullfrogs shut up. It was so quiet, I heard the water lapping on the shore. I heard Neill\u2019s short, aggressive breaths\u2026and nothing else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and awareness shivered down my spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I\u2019d dared, I would have looked over my shoulder into the forest, but I couldn\u2019t look away from Neill. Every instinct screamed that he<\/em> was the real threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet something watched me from the woods. I knew it in my gut. There was something there watching both me and Neill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill\u2026hot anger surged inside. My right boob actually hurt <\/em>from how hard he\u2019d grabbed me. I had the insane urge to lunge at him and tear my nails down his face, drive my knee into his balls so hard he choked on them. He had the nerve to call me a prude<\/em>? I wanted to hurt him, badly, but I didn\u2019t dare risk getting so close to him. I\u2019d gotten away once. I couldn\u2019t count on doing it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSee this?\u201d I held up my phone and checked the screen, doing it in a flash. I had bars. Only three, but there was a small town just a couple miles away and the terrain around here was mostly flat, just covered in a dense thicket of trees. A few miles north and it was a wholly different story. Flicking a look back at Neill, I edged sideways as he sidled my way. Hitting the icon for the safety app, I darted another look at him while nerves chittered loudly in the back of my head. Still, I kept up a nonchalant smile. \u201cI\u2019ve got bars. And I\u2019m calling my roommate right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you I\u2019d take you home. Stop with the bullshit,\u201d he snapped, face twisting. \u201cGet in the fucking car, Ivy!\u201d\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you nuts<\/em>? Guys like you<\/em> are why women choose the damn bear, Neill! I\u2019d rather walk home than get in that fucking car!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A low, menacing growl came from the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We both froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound of a branch breaking echoed like the sound of gunfire and I flinched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A ripple of alarm raced up my spine as Neill\u2019s gaze shot past my shoulder and his face paled, going moon-white in the harsh light coming from overheads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He opened his mouth, closed it. Slowly, I shifted position, not daring to turn because I didn\u2019t trust Neill enough to give him my back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The motion-activated light in the driveway didn\u2019t extend too far in the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a moonless night, perfect for the meteor shower I\u2019d thought<\/em> I\u2019d be enjoying with my almost-perfect boyfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the motion-activated light provided enough light for me to see a huge, shaggy shape as it shambled it out of the dark treeline, stopping just a few yards shy of true visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We lived in Maine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, we saw bears around here. But they usually didn\u2019t approach humans\u2026and that shape looked massive. <\/em>Black bears around here rarely got bigger than three or four hundred pounds and this one\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I watched, it rose onto its hind legs and craned its head before taking one step, then another forward, boldly walking into the circle of light where the car was parked\u2014and where we<\/em> waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wanted the fucking bear!\u201d Neill said in a hiss. \u201cYou got the fucking bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed and a dry clicking sound came from my throat. Slowly, I lifted my hands and backed up a step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEasy,\u201d I told the bear. \u201cEasy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its big head swung toward me, cocked curiously. The ears flickered and then it was looking back up at the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car door slammed and the bear growled again, dropping down on all fours. It took several lumbering steps forward. Every instinct screamed I had to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEasy,\u201d I said again, voice still somehow calm. My knees shook as I backed up. \u201cEasy, big guy. I\u2019ll stay out of your way. You stay out of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bear kept plodding forward, but as I backed away, moving as quick as I could without rushing it, its attention seemed locked on the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something pounded next to me, and I jumped, yelping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeys!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill was staring at me through the window with wide, panicked eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not comprehending, I just gaped at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bear roared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a sound I felt all the way done to my bones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaking, I backed up so fast, I fell on my ass and that was when the bear lunged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill screamed\u2014and kept his ass in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jonas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

She smells sweeter than honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was nothing better, in my opinion, than spending a cool summer night out under the night sky, waiting for a meteor shower after a long day of hiking. We\u2019d hunted for our dinner\u2014in our human skins instead of in bear form\u2014then cooked our food over a campfire and banked so it would die down well before the meteors were expected to start streaking across the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019d taken a week to go hiking and tomorrow, we had to head home. I wasn\u2019t looking forward to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a rule, I didn\u2019t like people. My friends and family were the exceptions and even them, I preferred to handle in limited doses. But once we got back home, I\u2019d be dealing with people on a regular basis. There was no help for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pops was gone and he\u2019d named me as his successor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My grandfather, my Alpha, was dead. And he wanted me to lead the Den now that he had passed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would have thought the old man was out of his mind, except I knew the old goat had been sharper than steel right up until the day he was taken from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew my den mates. None of them would have a chance of stepping into Pops\u2019s size thirteen shoes. I\u2019d feel like a fraud for trying but at least he\u2019d been training me to take his place. And I had the strength to hold the den together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your father doesn\u2019t think so. Now that the mourning period is over, he\u2019s going to make an issue of it. <\/em>That annoying voice had been getting louder all day but I ignored it. I still wasn\u2019t back home and my asshole father still hadn\u2019t challenged me. Until he did, there was nothing I could do about it so why worry about things I couldn\u2019t change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The turmoil would start within hours of me arriving home. We were bears. We liked our traditions. Mom would have smacked my father around and knocked him down a peg if he tried to step out of line while I was gone, but I didn\u2019t want to put any more stress on her than I had to. She missed Pops as much as I did, even if they weren\u2019t related by blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pops, the larger-than-life figure who\u2019d ruled the Mahoosuc Bear Den for nearly seven decades, had been more of a father to Mom than her own had been, and she, likewise, had been more of a child to him than my own miserable dad had even tried to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that prick wondered why in the hell he hadn\u2019t been named the Alpha\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrooding about your asshole of a father?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking up, I found Liam watching me with sympathetic eyes. We were cousins on my mom\u2019s side, two or three times removed, and he was as Irish as he looked, red-haired, green eyes and so pale, I was surprised he didn\u2019t glow in the dark. Sometimes, I teased him that he had three animal forms\u2014human, bear and human-lobster, because ten minutes in the sun turned him a glorious shade of red. He never actually burned\u2014<\/em>at least, not to the point that it pained him, because as bear-shifters, we just healed too fast. But he sure as hell turned as red as a cooked lobster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The color he\u2019d picked up over the day had already faded from his skin, leaving him all but glowing in the faint light as he watched me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Lob,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He flipped me off with a sour smile. \u201cFuck you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, you need Max for that. He\u2019s the brother that goes both ways, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liam sighed and flopped back on his back, braiding his fingers under his head for a pillow. \u201cYou\u2019re not half as funny as you think you are, old man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We resumed our study of the sky, although it was probably another two hours before prime viewing. We\u2019d found a place in the forest where a forest giant had fallen, leaving a cleared swath in the canopy. The lake was close by and I could smell the clean, fresh scent of water as well as the tantalizing aroma of fresh fish. Hmmm\u2026fish. Even though we\u2019d eaten recently, a bear always had room for fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou made your decision on being my beta?\u201d I asked quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you sure that\u2019s what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the only one I trust enough.\u201d He ought to know that by now. \u201cMax is too young\u2014and he\u2019s too hot-headed. Fuck, Magnus would try to provoke him into a challenge just to hurt me.\u201d Maximus Anderrson\u2014named such because he was a grandson of Erik Anderrson and deserved that honor, not because of his genetic connection to Magnus. Magnus, my father, had only sired the one kid\u2014me, and then his territorial instincts had come out in a bad way, turning him into an abusive prick who thought being alpha<\/em> meant deriding and tearing everybody around him down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The den, as a whole, had united against him even before Pops had stepped up and officially cast him out of the line of succession, claiming poor temperament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnus wasn\u2019t allowed in den territory, not even to hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He could hunt and shift in the land outside what belonged to the den but there were other predators in the area. A bear alone wasn\u2019t going to do well if he trespassed on the established territory of other shifters. Magnus had ended up boxing himself into a small speck of land that amounted to a few square miles, most of it land his mother had left him before she died. He wasn\u2019t happy with the situation. None of us gave a shit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019d made his bed and he was going to lie in it until he died for all I cared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the small town of Bear Creek, where Pops had lived, the heart of our den, Magnus was persona non-grata. He wasn\u2019t welcome in more than half the businesses\u2014they were all owned by den mates or those friendly to the den and nobody wanted to do business with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t even want to look at the man who\u2019d fathered me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took special skill to alienate a bear clan of over four hundred shapeshifters and the three-hundred some odd humans and other supernaturals who were bonded into the pack by marriage or kinship, but Magnus had done it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need somebody my old man can\u2019t shake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he pushes me too far, I just might shake him<\/em>,\u201d Liam said, voice roughening in irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My response was cut short by a faint noise\u2014one that had both of us sitting up and looking at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not even thirty seconds later, we were both running east toward that faint sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGotta be the cabin of that Brady prick,\u201d I told Liam, my bare feet flying easily over the hard-packed earth, the skin toughed from years spent outdoors with nothing between me and the land, in both human and bear form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liam didn\u2019t wear shoes, either. Shifters, as a rule, don\u2019t like them. We wore them in public, sure, because we\u2019d attract attention otherwise and we\u2019d been wearing them on the hike because sometimes, it was smart to do\u2014hiking the Appalachian barefoot is stupid, even if you\u2019re a shifter. But we\u2019d taken them off when we settled for the night and after that cry of distress, we hadn\u2019t lingered to put them on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was another, louder sound from the woman\u2014this one both scared and angry as it split the air. We ran faster, abandoning any attempt to seem normal, both more concerned about whatever the fuck was going on than appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A scent came to my nose as we drew nearer. The bear inside took notice, sitting up to take it in at first, then taking a deeper sniff. Hmmm \u2026 nice \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then, she screamed\u2014this time a sound of pain and fury. The bear roused to full-alertness inside and I threw iron chains of control around that part of myself to keep from shifting right there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reached the treeline just in time to see a woman lunge away from the male\u2014and yes, it was that prick, Neill Brady. He stank of lust, humiliation and anger\u2014a bad combination. Her scent, warm and sweet, had soured just slightly with the acrid scent of fear and a hot lick of fury. She had the vehicle between them and every time he moved, she moved with him, almost synchronous and despite her evident fear, she had a fluid, lithe grace about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He tried to make a leap for her but she shimmied away, still using the car as a barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The asshole\u2019s voice broke through the buzz of adrenaline and anger that had clouded my head and I set my jaw, clamping down on the fury as Liam and I closed more of the distance between us, moving silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026But I am not<\/em> getting in that car with you. Leave<\/em>.\u201d Her voice was pure magic and the bear inside almost forgot his protective rage, lulled by that silken drawl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you so worked up about, babe? It\u2019s not like you didn\u2019t know this was coming. We\u2019ve been going out for almost two months.\u201d He leered as he looked her up and down, the scent of his lust getting sharper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touch her,<\/em> I thought. And it will be the last thing you do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My bear growled in approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive weeks, Neill. Five weeks<\/em>. And I don\u2019t owe<\/em> you sex. I did not<\/em> come out here with you planning on fucking you\u2014or getting groped.\u201d Harsh flags of color rode her cheeks and her eyes burned with anger. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. She wasn\u2019t panicking. She wasn\u2019t reacting blindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuit playing. The chasing thing is cute but I\u2019ve had enough of your cock-teasing. Come on, baby. Let\u2019s go inside\u2026I\u2019ve got a nice, big soft bed\u2026and a big, hard cock waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed the growl before it could escape while the woman went rigid, her shoulders jerking as if she had to stifle an involuntary gag. She was still shifting restlessly on her feet\u2014didn\u2019t trust the prick, wanted to stay loose and ready to move. Smart woman, <\/em>I thought. Very smart. She moved her foot around on the ground in an odd little pattern and I squinted, then smiled. A rock. Not just smart. Resourceful. She\u2019d grab that rock and use it if she had to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You won\u2019t have to, <\/em>I promised silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not<\/em> going inside with you. I\u2019m not<\/em> sleeping with you. And I\u2019m not<\/em> playing games\u2014I want you to get in your car and go<\/em>.\u201d She sneered at him, the derision on her face so coolly refined, it was a surprise he didn\u2019t develop frostbite. But maybe he was too stupid to pick up on the ice she was directing his way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My claws punched out through my skin as he lunged at her over the car. She swooped down and grabbed the rock in a movement so fluid and swift, it was hard to believe she was human. But my nose didn\u2019t lie\u2014she was fast and graceful and smelled like honeyed vanilla and sin, but she was human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That made her off-limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I sure as hell wasn\u2019t letting this fucker near her. Brady ended up sliding off the vehicle and sprawling on his ass. She darted a look at the house\u2014don\u2019t, <\/em>I thought. I didn\u2019t trust him not to run for her. Her mouth tightened and I knew she\u2019d decided she didn\u2019t like her odds. He clambered to his feet while she circled the car yet again, drawing her arm back as he moved in her direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake one more step and I\u2019ll brain you with this,\u201d she said, voice flat and hard. The rock in her hand was round and smooth, nearly as wide as a tennis ball. She held it like she knew exactly how to throw it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His brows came together. \u201cYou\u2019re taking this game too far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because I\u2019m not playing. <\/em>I said no<\/em> and that means no<\/em>. Leave me alone<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His face turned an ugly shade of red as the dumbass finally realized she wasn\u2019t playing some weird game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStupid dickhead,\u201d Liam muttered, voice too low for either of them to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the fuck is your problem?\u201d Brady glared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou<\/em>!\u201d She pointed at the car. \u201cJust get in the damn car and leave me alone. I\u2019ll find my own way home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made another move in her direction and she evaded him again, this time moving so that her back was to the trees. I started to strip. Liam glanced at me, brows raised. I shook my head. I\u2019d handle the asshole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet in the fucking car, Ivy. If you\u2019re going to be that uptight, I\u2019ll fucking take you home. Damn bitch. But I\u2019m not leaving you alone at my <\/em>family cabin because you turned out to an ice-cold prude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No. He wasn\u2019t getting her in a car\u2014I didn\u2019t trust that temper of his. Cracking my neck, I let the shift was over me. The night went preternaturally quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Ivy sensed it. Her breath caught. Her heart sped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt her awareness of me as keenly as if she\u2019d been standing two feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A harsh breath exploded out of her just as I gave my altered body a shake. Craning my head, I watched as she held her phone up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bear was puzzled and irritated. He wanted to out there and put a stop to this\u2014he didn\u2019t like the smell of her fear. I made him wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSee this? I\u2019ve got bars. And I\u2019m calling my roommate right now.\u201d She flashed a sharp-edged smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you I\u2019d take you home. Stop with the bullshit. Get in the fucking car, Ivy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you nuts<\/em>? Guys like you<\/em> are why women choose the damn bear, Neill! I\u2019d rather walk home than get in that fucking car!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drew my head back, surprised. The bear inside me preened, ridiculously pleased with her comment. Next to me, Liam shook with suppressed laughter. I glared in his direction and he looked away, but he wasn\u2019t trying too hard to hide his amusement. Fucker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried again, willing him to pay attention. In a blink, he went rigid and came to one knee in front of me. He put a hand on my neck and I focused, pushing my thoughts out to him. This, as much as anything else, was why my father would never be Alpha. Not all Alphas could do this with their inner circle but the Alpha of the Mahoosuc Den had always been able to commune with his\u2014or her\u2014lieutenants like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go. <\/em>I pictured a cabin close by, owned by den mates. After pushing it into his mind, I pictured their truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liam nodded to let me know he understood and then he took off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brady had called her Ivy. Swinging my head around, I peered at her through the underbrush that separated us. Her phone screen was still lit up. Her heart was beating faster. She\u2019d done something\u2014maybe called somebody. But whatever she\u2019d done made her nervous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drew in a breath. In my bear form, everything was sharper, clearer. I stood two feet taller than my normal six two feet and I could run faster than natural bears and easily four or five times faster than humans. When I want to, I can move silently through the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I didn\u2019t want to be silent now. I could smell her\u2026she smelled sweet than honey. There was another layer to her scent, though, the slightly sour scent of fear  and it left a bite on my tongue. The bear\u2019s snout wrinkled in discontent. Yeah, we\u2019ll deal with him now.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a guttural growl, I turned my attention back to the asshole as he tried to make another lunge for Ivy. I dropped to all fours and shambled out of the trees, close enough to the light that even they\u2019d pick up on my shadow. As I drew close, I growled again\u2014louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both of them froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill\u2019s gaze shot toward me, more instinct than anything else. Ivy\u2019s spine stiffened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I padded closer, eyes locked on Neill. He couldn\u2019t tell, not really, but some part of his lizard brain probably felt it. All the blood drained out of his face and his mouth fell open. A second later, he snapped it closed. Ivy moved, shifting slowly and moving to the side so she didn\u2019t fully turn her back on Neill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smart\u2026<\/em>I thought again. And the bear growled in agreement, taking another deep sniff of the air so he could appreciate her scent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving closer to them, I pinned Neill with my eyes and rose onto my hind legs. Ivy\u2019s eyes went round as saucers and her mouth fell open. I noticed from the corner of my eye and I wanted to do something to reassure her, but it wasn\u2019t like I could talk in this particular shape. And if I waved at her\u2026well, that might freak her out. So, I acted like I didn\u2019t notice her and let another growl loose for Neill\u2019s benefit. After all, I had a point to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivy\u2019s heart fluttered in her chest, rapid, but steady and she stayed exactly where she was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill squeaked as I moved closer. The motion-activated light shone down on all of us, highlighting my size without mercy and Neill made a strangled groan in his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I bared my teeth at him. He dove for the car and shouted, \u201cYou wanted the fucking bear! You got the fucking bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He yanked the driver\u2019s side door open and hurled himself inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivy lifted her hands, voice shaky slightly as she faced me. \u201cEasy\u2026easy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t look at her. That chickenshit had hidden his ass in the car. Dropping onto all fours, I circled the vehicle. Ivy kept talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her voice was soft, surprisingly steady and I paused to look at her. Her pulse beat rapidly in her throat, but she didn\u2019t take off running, didn\u2019t do anything but keep her hands in front of her and talk in a reassuring voice, like she met random bears all the time. \u201cEasy, big guy. I\u2019ll stay out of your way. You stay of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The urge to smile at her was almost overwhelming\u2014the bear wanted to go closer and investigate her scent. I throttled both compulsions and swung my attention back to Neill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hit the window closest to her and bellowed at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t notice, too busy focusing on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeys!\u201d Neill shouted, hitting the window again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She jumped, yelping, the first trace of fear breaking through. When she stumbled backward, she tripped over her feet and fell, a sound of panic and pain escaping her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was it. I\u2019d had it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lunging forward, I rose up onto my hind legs, then rose, bringing my front paws down on the hood of the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neill squawked and stared at me, mouth dropping open. Even through the windows, I caught the familiar scent of urine\u2014he\u2019d pissed himself. Nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he fainted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Bear-Shifter Paranormal Romance<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support on Backerkit<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preorder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple Books<\/a> | Bookshop<\/a> | BN<\/a> | Kobo<\/a> | Smashwords<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

will be on Amazon on day of release<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order the Special Edition Hardback on Backerkit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Funded by Backerkit Ivy thought she’d found one of the good ones, a nice guy who respected her wishes, the guy all of her friends “I Choose the Bear”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10161045129738658_54762468447":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-111208","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nI Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shiloh Walker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorShilohWalker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T01:50:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@shilohwalker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"24 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/\",\"name\":\"I Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-26T18:25:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T01:50:18+00:00\",\"description\":\"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png?fit=1706%2C2560&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png?fit=1706%2C2560&ssl=1\",\"width\":1706,\"height\":2560},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/i-choose-the-bear\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"I Choose the Bear\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/\",\"name\":\"Shiloh Walker\",\"description\":\"Let Me Tell You A Story\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shiloh Walker\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/07\\\/cropped-shiloh_logo-e1310090037952.png?fit=49%2C50&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/07\\\/cropped-shiloh_logo-e1310090037952.png?fit=49%2C50&ssl=1\",\"width\":49,\"height\":50,\"caption\":\"Shiloh Walker\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shilohwalker.com\\\/website\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/AuthorShilohWalker\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/shilohwalker\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/shiloh_walker_author\\\/\",\"http:\\\/\\\/pinterest.com\\\/shilohwalker\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"I Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker","description":"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"I Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker","og_description":"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/","og_site_name":"Shiloh Walker","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorShilohWalker","article_modified_time":"2026-04-07T01:50:18+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@shilohwalker","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"24 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/","name":"I Choose the Bear - Shiloh Walker","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png","datePublished":"2024-08-26T18:25:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-07T01:50:18+00:00","description":"I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker .... who would YOU choose?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png?fit=1706%2C2560&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-Bear-Shifter-Romance-scaled.png?fit=1706%2C2560&ssl=1","width":1706,"height":2560},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/i-choose-the-bear\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"I Choose the Bear"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/","name":"Shiloh Walker","description":"Let Me Tell You A Story","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#organization","name":"Shiloh Walker","url":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/cropped-shiloh_logo-e1310090037952.png?fit=49%2C50&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/cropped-shiloh_logo-e1310090037952.png?fit=49%2C50&ssl=1","width":49,"height":50,"caption":"Shiloh Walker"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorShilohWalker","https:\/\/x.com\/shilohwalker","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shiloh_walker_author\/","http:\/\/pinterest.com\/shilohwalker\/"]}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111208"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114228,"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111208\/revisions\/114228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}