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“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR picking up Rylie’s cake, bro,”

Warren rumbled through the phone line. “You’re totally bailin’ me out.”

His brother’s voice was filled with a groan as he muttered, “Can’t believe I forgot to pick up my son’s birthday cake.”

Link Rawlins smirked as he listened to his eldest brother’s lamenting tone. “It’s fine,”

he assured, shaking his head as he pushed his cart out of the grocery store. His brother’s mate, Patricia, had ordered the massive, two-flavored sheet cake nearly two weeks before for Link’s nephew’s birthday. Rylie was turning eighteen. “I was in the area.”

“Why were you in the area?”

Warren asked, sounding confused as hell. “You hate going into town.”

What his brother said was true. Link did indeed hate going into town. He much preferred ordering his groceries online and having them delivered. Link absolutely loved the invention of the Internet...well, everything computer-related, really.

Link worked for the Shifter Council in their cyber division, mainly as a hacker, and he preferred staying behind the scenes and out of sight while still helping his friends, family, and paranormals in general.

Having realized the importance of the invention of computers from the get-go, Link had been quick to invest in stock in those companies. He’d been right, and he’d made himself and his family independently wealthy. For the most part, Link didn’t bother leaving his home except for family gatherings, to go to work at the computer lab at Shifter Headquarters, or to go somewhere to shift into his musk ox form.

“Link?”

Hearing Warren’s prodding tone through the earbud in his ear, Link admitted, “I can’t get my favorite ice cream from my usual delivery service, and I’m out. I didn’t want to wait the three to five business days the other company takes.”

Warren’s deep chuckles sounded in Link’s ear.

“I wanted some,”

Link mumbled, rubbing his hand over his thick beard in agitation. “Mint moose tracks is the best.”

Link still couldn’t believe he’d eaten the last of it two days before, and he hadn’t even realized it.

“Well, your mistake saved me,”

Warren told him, sounding an odd mixture of amused and relieved. “Let me know when you get home, and I’ll set up a time to come grab it.”

“I can just drop it off on my way home,”

Link offered. “It’s not a problem.”

“I don’t want Rylie to know,”

Warren countered. “It’s supposed to be a surprise, and he’s home right now.”

His tone filled with pride as he told him, “He thinks we’re waiting until next weekend so we can celebrate his birthday and graduation together.”

Issuing a deep chuckle, Warren claimed, “This bash tomorrow’s going to surprise the hell out of him.”

“That it will,”

Link agreed, smiling as he thought of the surprise party scheduled for the next afternoon. “Well, I’ll be home in a bit. I’ll text you.”

“Thanks, bro. Talk soon.”

Warren disconnected before Link could reply, but he wasn’t put off by it. That was just his brother’s way.

Link carefully placed the sheet cake in the cargo area of his Hummer, then closed the door. He climbed into the cab and grunted appreciatively, enjoying the smells filling the space. His mouth watered, and he looked forward to getting home so he could eat his dinner and relax.

After several days of setting up discreet tags on all the other cyber guys’ IDs for Councilman Colearian, Link was looking forward to some downtime. Someone in their employ was willing to leak information to outsiders. His or her antics had come to light when it had put a couple of mates in danger. The council needed to know who it was.

Link felt damn proud that his friends had vouched for his integrity. As a result of their trust, he’d been tasked with figuring out who the leaker was. That meant needing to track every other employee’s action, online and off, as well as getting access to their banking files...without them knowing.

Considering Link was looking into other hackers, it wasn’t an easy task, and he’d put in a shit-ton of long hours. He’d finally succeeded in writing code to track the last of the guys just that morning. With how satisfied Link felt, he wanted a treat...hence, the ice cream.

After a hot shower, Link had realized he was out of his favorite. He’d immediately climbed into his Hummer and driven to town. Since Link was already out and about, he’d placed an order into his favorite Greek restaurant, too, and the scent of the lamb gyros in the bag on the passenger seat was making his mouth water. He’d picked them up right before his brother had called. They would be perfect with a glass of wine, and his ice cream would be dessert.

Then maybe I’ll log online and kill some zombies.

Link enjoyed a number of online games where he could team up with others and kill zombies or vampires or other monsters. Usually, he could find one of his cyber buddies around, and they were always happy to have him join whatever team they were on. Due to how busy Link usually was, he couldn’t get online often, but the guys knew how good he was when he was around and always welcomed him.

Looking forward to unwinding, Link started his vehicle toward home. He heard his earbud beep, alerting him to an incoming call. His friend’s name flashed on his vehicle’s display.

Reaching up, Link hit a button on the earbud, accepting the call. “Hi, Rigel,”

he greeted. Smiling, he couldn’t help but tease, “Why aren’t you busy sexing up your new mate, man?”

Rigel Patterson was an enforcer for the Shifter Council and was newly mated. He’d recently met and bonded with a human named Tucker Rolden. The pair had hit a few speedbumps along the way, but they were working it out.

“I wish I was,”

Rigel replied, and Link was surprised to hear the anger in his normally friendly and fun-loving buddy’s tone. “Tucker just got a call from his sister. Their father’s there at her apartment, causing trouble.”

“Shit,”

Link growled, frowning at the road. “What can I do?”

Link knew that Tucker’s sister was Amelia Rolden. When Tucker had come out and started a relationship with Rigel, he’d been disowned by his father. Amelia was standing by her brother, choosing to walk away from their bigoted parents, instead.

Amelia was also pregnant with a rogue shifter’s baby—not that she’d known about shifters at the time of her one-night stand—so not only did she have Tucker and Rigel’s support, but she had the backing of the Shifter Council, as well.

“Can you tell me if anyone we know is in the area of Amelia’s apartment? I’m texting you her address.”

Upon hearing Rigel’s request, Link winced. “Eh, sorry, Rige.”

He shook his head, even though he knew his buddy couldn’t see him, and told him, “I’m not in the office. I’m driving in my Hummer. I can’t look up—”

Link paused as Rigel’s text came through. Since he had his phone hooked up to his Hummer’s maps system, his dash immediately told him how far he was from the address. It also began giving him directions.

He was only about seven minutes away.

“Damn, I understand, man,”

Rigel began to reply. “I’ll contact Theo. Maybe he’ll—”

“Wait,”

Link countered. “I’m right around the corner from there.”

Even as he voiced the suggestion, he fought back a grimace for a whole new reason. “I’ll head over.”

Link detested being front and center in any altercation, but he would do it for a friend in need...or the sister of one. Flipping on his left blinker, he began following the directions on his dash. “Any idea what I’m walking into?”

Rigel hesitated before asking, “You sure, man?”

His friend knew of Link’s aversion to conflict. Just because he was a big man who shared his psyche with a huge musk ox didn’t mean he was a bruiser. In truth, there wasn’t a dominant bone in Link’s body.

“Yeah,”

Link grunted out through gritted teeth. He tightened his hands on the wheel, doing his best to ignore the way he already felt nervous sweat beginning to pop out on the back of his neck. After taking a deep breath, Link urged, “Tell me what you know.”

“Okay.”

Although Rigel still sounded uncertain, he explained, “Amelia left her two-week notice on her father’s desk when she left work this evening.”

Link winced, recalling how both Tucker and Amelia had been working for their father, Gary, at their family dealership. Tucker had been in sales but had lost his job when he came out as bi and took up with Rigel. Amelia had remained while she and her brother tried to figure out their next steps.

Evidently, Tucker and Rigel had finally convinced her to move in with them. In Link’s opinion, that was a good thing. Amelia would need the support as she grew further along in her pregnancy, not to mention after having the babe.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Link believed in that old adage, and he was always happy to spend time with his niece and nephew.

“I bet that went over like a lead balloon,”

Link muttered as he made another turn. “He there raising a stink, then?”

“Oh, yeah,”

Rigel confirmed. A growl entered his voice as he snarled, “He’s threatening to sue for custody of her baby.”

“What the hell?”

Link snapped, anger surging through him. “How the hell does he even know she’s pregnant?”

“Don’t know,”

Rigel admitted.

“I’ll have to look into that,”

Link muttered, scowling as he spotted the apartment complex ahead. “Check for bugs or malware on her phone,”

he commented absently, his mind spinning with ideas. “Okay. I’m here.”

“Tell her we’ll be there in thirty,”

Rigel told him. “Can you wait with her until we get there?”

“Sure.”

Link glanced in his rearview mirror, thinking of his nephew’s cake in the back...and his ice cream. It’ll be fine. “See you shortly.”

After parking in the visitors’ area, Link shoved out of his vehicle. He slammed the door and began jogging toward Amelia’s apartment, using his fob to lock his doors in the process. Link reached the stairs—her apartment was on the third level—and he heard the shouting, his enhanced shifter hearing easily allowing him to make out the words.

“How dare you choose that faggot over your family,”

a male roared, and Link assumed it was Gary. “You will cease this despicable behavior. You will move back in with your mother and me so you can relearn proper values,”

he continued to demand. “You’ll return to work until you start showing, then stay at home until the baby comes.”

The man’s voice hardened further. “Come on. We’ll put in your notice to the building super. I’ll pay the fee to get you out of your lease, then take it out of your paychecks.”

“Let go of me,”

a female replied—Amelia, obviously.

Link switched from taking the stairs two at a time to three at a time, knowing he needed to intervene.

To Link’s surprise, he heard a second male voice—a smooth, silky tenor that caused the hairs on his arms to stand up. “Hey, man. Father or not, you can’t drag her anywhere she doesn’t want to go. She’s an adult. Let Amelia go.”

“As if you could stop me,”

Gary replied with a sneer in his tone. “Get out of my way.”

Reaching the top, Link turned the corner and continued jogging forward. He spotted a toned Caucasian standing in the doorway to Amelia’s apartment. His feet were braced in his running shoes, and his lean arms flexed where he gripped either side of the door frame.

And that ass in those work-out shorts. Gods, I want to grab those cheeks so bad.

Link almost stumbled a step as the inappropriate thought slammed through his brain. Catching himself in time, he slowed his pace. After all, Link didn’t want to freak out the handsome human who was obviously trying to help Amelia out.

“I may not be able to stop you, sir,”

the human replied, his voice once more causing butterflies to dance in Link’s belly. “But I can sure slow you down until the cops get here.”

“You didn’t call the cops,”

Gary countered coldly. His tone turned to ice as he continued, “Get your friend out of our way, Amelia, before I have to hurt him.”

Gary threatened again, “Don’t think I won’t take your bastard child away from you. No judge will let you keep it once I prove you’re cavorting with abominations.”

Yeah, he’s a bigoted asshole, all right.

Rigel and Tucker’s descriptions of the man hadn’t done the asshole justice.

Reaching the doorway, Link stopped a pace behind the human. He opened his mouth to say...something. Except, then the human’s smell hit him, causing his mouth to water. Link barely resisted a moan as he inhaled the earthy, masculine goodness of the guy...who must have just been returning from the gym, considering his tank top, shorts, and running shoes. The hint of musky sweat clung to the human’s skin, and his flesh still shone with lingering sweat.

“Oh, gods.”

The whispered words were out of Link’s mouth before he could stop himself.

This human would-be hero is my mate.

At his words, everyone’s attention focused on Link, and he fought back a blush. He hated being the center of attention, especially when he didn’t have a computer to use as a buffer. Still, Link was there to help, and help he would...and maybe score a date with his mate.

When said mate half-turned to peer over his shoulder at him, Link found himself entranced by the man’s gorgeous green eyes. The guy’s sandy-blond hair flopped over his forehead, also a little damp, betraying that he’d been working out. Only the fact that the man’s eyes widened and he took a step to the side to add space between them stayed Link’s desire to reach out and brush those strands to the side.

The smell of unease that filled the guy’s scent was a good deterrent, too.

Link knew what the guy would see. He looked at himself in the mirror every day, after all. His big, broad-shouldered body stood six-foot-four. While he had a little bit of a belly, Link had plenty of muscles, too.

On top of that, Link’s thick black beard and bald head often made others guess that he was in a motorcycle gang or something. Mothers often pulled their kids to the side when he passed them on the street. Even many men wouldn’t look him in the eye.

For the most part, Link rarely cared. He was what he was—a big musk ox shifter. Unfortunately, this was his mate reacting that way.

Gotta change that.

After offering his human a small smile, Link moved his attention over the guy’s shoulder and focused on Amelia. Her father had her arm in a tight grip, and he glared at him from a red-flushed face. Gary’s anger perfumed the air. Considering Amelia’s father stood over six feet and appeared to have a good thirty pounds on Link’s mate, he understood the man’s threat of moving him bodily.

That thought had Link seeing red.

Focusing on Gary, Link rumbled, “He may not be able to stop you”—he tipped his bearded chin to indicate his handsome blond mate—“but I sure as hell can.”

Cracking his knuckles threateningly, Link ordered, “Let Amelia go, Gary, before I make you.”

Link had never started a fight in his life, but to help Amelia and his mate, hell yeah, he would.