Page 30 of Seneca

Trina grinned and handed Sunny a small box.“Welcome to the sleuth, Sunny.”

“It’s a new tradition,” Rory said.

Sunny opened the box and found a silver bracelet with a bear charm.“Oh, it’s pretty!”

Trina fixed the bracelet on her wrist and said, “We’ve each got one too.”

They showed their bracelets and Sunny smiled.“This is so sweet, thank you!”

“We’re so glad you and Seneca found each other,” Lucy said.“Fate is such a funny thing.”

“What do you mean?”Sunny asked.

“Well, you came here seeking sanctuary because your alpha was an asshole, and it happened to be where your soulmate was,” she said.“And for me, my sister and I were being chased through the woods by human hunters and I ran out into the road and Tarquin hit me with the van he was driving!”

“Holy crap!”Sunny said with a gasp.

“It wasn’t so dramatic for me,” Rory said.“I came to the park to bring supplies to my friend Jess, and Tayme hauled me over his shoulder like a caveman.I wouldn’t have met him if Jess hadn’t been flying over the park on the way to migrate with the other owls from her nest and landed in the paddock while Auden was working security.”

“How did a red fox end up with owls?”Sunny asked.

“I was orphaned as a kid,” she said.“The king and queen of the nest took me in after a battle over territory between the red foxes and the owls.”

“That’s incredible,” Sunny said.She looked at Trina, who smiled broadly.

“Nothing wild here, I just came for a job interview with my best friend Lexy, who was working at the candy shop here in the park after she mated Win, the gorilla.Justus was working security and couldn’t keep his paws off me.And it’s entirely mutual.”

“Your stories are so awesome,” Sunny said.“Fate sure is a crazy thing.One different choice, one road not taken, and we might not be here with our mates.”

“Hopefully, more of the males will find their soulmates and the sleuth will grow,” Rory said.“With new mates and babies, and lots of love and support.”

“That sounds so amazing,” Sunny said.“I hope that happens for all of them too.

The sleuth wasn’t that big, twenty-some males and no females except for the soulmates, so they were all hopeful to find their other halves sooner rather than later.

And now that Sunny had Seneca in her life, she knew there was nothing better than that.

Seneca was the best thing that ever happened to her, a silver lining in the dark cloud of a terrible day.

She wouldn’t trade him for anything.

* * *

After the amazing meal and hanging out with the bears, Marcus welcomed her officially to the sleuth and they clapped and cheered for her.

“Now,” he said, raising his hand, “our people don’t have any real mating customs, but since Lucy and Tarquin found each other and suggested her people’s mating run, we thought it would be a fitting way to welcome new members and soulmates.Welcome to the group, Sunny.We’re so glad to have you here.Let’s shift!”

A whooping cheer rose up from the sleuth and Sunny smiled broadly.

Marcus gave her a hug and said, “Welcome to the family officially too.I’m so glad to call you my daughter.And someday, when you two take over the sleuth, I know it’ll be in good hands.”

“Thank you.For everything.”

He smiled and nodded and walked away from them.

“Ready, sweetheart?”Seneca asked when they were alone.

“Hell yes,” she said.“I can’t wait to see you shift.”