Bears liked the cover. They liked escape routes. They did not like being stared at by hundreds of people. Elias filled the bucket with apple slices, honey biscuits, and a strip of fish. It was not a trick. It was not a guarantee. But Mara knew that bucket. She knew the sound of it. She knew the smell.
He stepped into the alley alone, keeping his body turned sideways so he would not appear threatening. The crowd was farther away now, but still audible, a low, restless murmur behind the barricades. “Mara,” he called softly. Her ears twitched. He shook the bucket once. For several seconds, nothing happened.