Page 3

“CONGRATULATIONS, brOTHER,”

Luke cried, grabbing Link and wrapping him in a tight hug. Moving his hands to his shoulders, he leaned away. Instantly, Luke’s wide grin slipped from his lips to be replaced with an expression of concern. “I heard you found your mate yesterday. Why so glum?”

Link’s shoulders drooped as he grimaced at his second middle brother. The man worked as a nurse in town and had a perpetually fun-loving attitude. The serious look Luke currently sported as he gave him a once-over, as if searching for injury, was completely out of place.

“I did, and thanks,”

Link mumbled, frustration surging through him anew. “We even had a lunch date earlier today.”

Thinking of his time with his mate caused mixed emotions within him. While he’d loved sitting across from him in the café booth and gazing at the handsome blond, he recognized that the silences between them had been awkward. Link just hadn’t known what to say to his human.

Conversation via text is so much easier.

“Then what’s the trouble?”

Luke squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. “Didn’t take you up on coming home with you and jumping in the sack?”

Shaking his head, Link admitted, “I didn’t ask.”

Even though he’d wanted to do just that—badly. Holding and kissing him in Amelia’s apartment had been so easy. “Rylie’s party and all.”

Link swept a hand forward, indicating their family around them. “Would have been even more awkward.”

“Awkward?”

Luke cocked his head, staring intently at him with brown eyes a bit lighter in shade than Link’s own. “What do you mean?”

Massaging the back of his neck, Link told his brother. “I got tongue-tied.”

He scowled at nothing as he recalled his verbal fumbling. “Didn’t know what to say. Asked stupid shit like, does he like his car.”

Link felt his cheeks heat just at the memory as he told Luke what happened.

“Ezra glanced toward the parking lot where he’d parked his older Range Rover. He shrugged when he turned back to me and told me, Sure. Get’s me from point A to B, and if I need to travel on a dirt road to get to where I want to hike, I’m not worried about the paint job.”

Grimacing, Link ducked his head as he mumbled, “Instead of responding like a guy with a brain and asking about where he liked to go hiking, I smiled like an idiot and said, cool, cool.”

He rolled his eyes and groaned. “As much as I loved staring at him and enjoying his scent, his smell screamed his discomfort. My bull was bellowing in my mind to fix it, but I didn’t know how.”

Link would forever deny the whininess in his voice as he muttered, “I had to get away and think.”

“So you went home alone to hide behind your computer?”

Luke guessed dryly, a wry smile curving his lips.

Link nodded glumly.

Wrapping his arm around Link’s shoulders, Luke bumped his head against his. “Don’t worry, bro. We’ll help you.”

With a wink and a grin, he added, “That’s what family’s for.”

Luke released him only to pat his back. “So, you’re awkward as hell around the man. What’d you find out about him online?”

With a knowing look, he stated, “I’m sure you’ve already done a background check on him.”

“And put a tracker on his Rover,”

Link admitted, only feeling moderately guilty. “At least, I’ll know where he’s at...just in case.”

Luke chuckled. “In case of what?”

“He needs me for something,”

Link replied. Although he couldn’t imagine that he would be his mate’s first call, and didn’t that thought suck giant hairy donkey balls?

Nodding, Luke stared at him steadily. “Of course.”

Tipping his head toward the drink coolers, he stated, “Come on. Quit standing over here holding up the wall of the house. I’m ready for a beer, a brat, and some potato salad.”

Waggling his brows, Luke told him, “Mammy just brought it out.”

Despite his frustration at his ineptitude, Link’s mouth began to water, and his stomach grumbled. “Sounds good.”

Hell, all he was doing was stewing. His belly needed filling, and he needed a distraction. Plus, nothing good was ever decided on an empty stomach, according to his mammy.

“Hello, honey,”

Mammy greeted when they stopped at the coolers. She stood a few feet away beside a table laden with a variety of offerings. “How’d your date with your mate go?”

She glanced around the area as if Ezra would suddenly appear. “Did you bring him to introduce us?”

Link shook his head, feeling his face pale just at the thought of his family watching his awkwardness. He needed to figure out how to converse with the man before introductions. Link didn’t need to give his human any more reasons that would send him running.

“Uh, no, Mammy,”

Link quickly replied. Taking the beer Luke handed him, he murmured his thanks. Then he refocused on the matriarch of their musk ox shifter herd. “I didn’t make a very good showing at lunch today.”

There was no point in sugar-coating his actions. “I’m going to call him tonight to set up another date.”

If Ezra will take my call.

“You didn’t set up another date?”

Mammy sounded just as surprised as Luke’s expression. “Whyever not?”

Why not indeed.

“When I walked him to the car, I put a tracker on it,”

Link explained softly, rubbing his free hand down his beard in agitation. “But when I leaned in for a goodbye kiss, Ezra dove into his car.”

Recalling his mate’s withdrawal hurt. “I got flustered and, uh, just said see ya.”

“Oh, my poor dear.”

Mammy came over and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

Link returned his mother’s hug, enjoying the warmth of her embrace. It didn’t matter how old he became, he knew he always had her love and support. His family was always there for each other, and he would always be grateful for them. Link knew they would help in any way he asked.

Easing away from Link, his mammy looked up at him and asked, “How can we help?”

Except, Link didn’t know what to ask for. “I’m not sure.”

“What are his interests?”

Luke asked, handing him a plate with a big brat in a bun already on it. “You checked his bank account, right? Where does he spend his money?”

Link’s family didn’t blink an eye at the fact that he’d already hacked bank systems to check him out. It was just what he did.

“And what’s his name, dear?”

Mammy asked, placing a big spoonful of potato salad on first Link’s plate, then Luke’s. “Do you have a picture?”

Placing his beer and plate on the table, Link pulled out his phone and woke the device. “He’s recently purchased a new two-person tent and a number of different food supplies,”

he told them. Pulling up a picture of Ezra, Link held it out to his brother and mammy. “This is him. Ezra Pendle. He works as an accountant, but it’s obvious he doesn’t live his life behind a desk.”

“Like you?”

Luke teased before admiring Ezra’s picture. “He’s a good-lookin’ guy, man.”

He punched Link on the upper arm. “I’m a little jealous, but happy for ya, too.”

Luke’s expression turned wistful. “We all want to find that special someone.”

“So much for us finding them in order,”

Naomi stated with a sigh. “I know you thought you were going to be next, Luke.”

Smiling wryly, she added, “Then me.”

Sticking her tongue out at Link, Naomi grumbled, “Instead, you just had to butt in.”

Link chuckled, appreciating the bit of levity. “Sorry, sis.”

He shrugged his wide shoulders and added, “You know Fate works in her own time.”

“That she does,”

Mammy agreed with a nod. “So, your handsome young man likes to camp. That’s good for you.”

With a grin, she pointed out, “Your animal will like spending time with him out in the wilds.”

Link thought about spending time with Ezra in musk ox form, and his animal rumbled deeply in his mind. His beast liked that idea. While in human form, Link wasn’t much of an outdoorsman, but that didn’t match his animal half. He would be more than happy to hang out for hours in the wilds with his man.

Wonder what he’ll think of shifters and my animal form.

While Link was worried about it, he looked on it with anticipation, too. He wanted to share both sides of his psyche with his human. That was just the nature of shifters.

“So, what did you talk about on your date that you think it went poorly?”

Naomi asked, pouring a stack of Pringles onto her plate. Cocking her head, she added, “I mean, I know you’re not the most chatty fellow, but surely it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Really don’t wanna talk about it,”

Link grumbled, dressing up his brat with mayo, ketchup, and relish. “Just couldn’t seem to get a good conversation going.”

“Talk about the outdoors next time,”

Luke counseled. “Trees, plants, hell, even weather formations to watch for while out hiking.”

With a scoff, his brother added, “We’ve been around a lot of years. Surely, you’ve read up on that sort of stuff at some point.”

“Will now,”

Link assured, liking that idea. “And find hiking trails around here.”

Thinking back on what he’d seen Ezra purchase, he commented, “He bought an inflatable kayak, too. Wonder where he intends to use that.”

A backwater lake that they had to hike to would be a great place to introduce Ezra to his musk ox.

“Good idea,”

Luke encouraged. Grabbing his plate of food, he started toward a side table, and Link joined him. His sister stayed back talking with their mammy. “If you need help acclimating Ezra to shifters, ask Bruin’s mate. I’m sure Juan would be able to help.”

Link nodded, liking that idea. His older brother, Bruin, had recently found his fated mate. While Juan was a human, he’d already known about shifters. His stepfather had been an armadillo shifter, so he’d been aware of what being a fated mate to one meant.

A shifter’s mate was the other half of their soul—the one person they could bond with and bind and entwine their lives with. Finding a mate was the greatest blessing a shifter could receive. They would devote their life to that person, and their instincts to please and care for that person were damn near undeniable.

Not that a shifter should ever want to deny that instinct.

At least, no sane smart shifter.

“Can’t believe you put mayo on your brats,”

Luke teased, eyeing his dog. “Mixed with relish?”

His brother grinned broadly at him. “So weird, man.”

Link rolled his eyes. His brother teased him every single time. A human friend had turned him onto the concoction nearly a decade before. Link enjoyed the mix of smooth and creamy mayo and ketchup with the spicy bite of relish. Combined with the flavor of the meat, he found it damn delicious, and he didn’t care what some of his family thought about it.

“Hey, uncles!”

Turning toward the sound of the perky voice, Link ignored the slight break in the tone. He knew his nephew was a little self-conscious of the fact that his voice was finally changing on him. As was common with musk ox shifters, while their human sides went through puberty and gained their shifted form somewhere between twelve and fourteen years of age, their shifter genes impacted them a little later in life as well, almost like a second puberty—in males, their voices deepened, they grew taller, broader, and their frames filled out.

A female would be impacted, too, although the changes were a bit more subtle. She would spring up a few inches and grow willowier and more voluptuous. Many ended up playing basketball, which helped them develop control over their increased strength.

Link’s sister, Naomi, had been a starting point guard. She’d had many a male clamoring for her attention. However, as a junior, she’d come out to them, admitting she had zero interest in the male body.

That had all been a long time ago, though.

Focusing on Rylie, Link watched the guest of honor jog toward their table. He grinned broadly, his dark hair flopping over his forehead with every step. His brown eyes shown with happiness.

“Hi, Rylie,”

Luke called, rising to his feet and holding out his arms. “How’s the birthday boy?”

Rylie laughed as he accepted a hug from Luke. “Great!”

Link rose to his feet and grabbed Rylie for his own hug. Growling softly, he lifted his nephew off his feet and swung him back and forth. Hearing Rylie’s laughter even as the teenager shoved at him, Link felt his spirits lift.

Right here. This is what I need. My family.

Placing Rylie back on his feet, Link ruffled his nephew’s hair. Rylie rolled his eyes as he swatted at Link’s hand. “Knock it off, Uncle Link,”

he whined, even as he continued to smile. When Link obeyed and settled back into his seat, Rylie plopped into a chair between him and Luke at the round table. “And thanks so much for the epic new game. I can’t wait to try it out.”

“You’re welcome, Rylie,”

Link told him, pleased that he shared the interest with him. His nephew enjoyed gaming, too. “I’ve already made up a character in it. We’ll set up a time and play together.”

“That’d be awesome,”

Rylie responded with a grin. Then he waggled his brows comically. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with you wooing your mate. Congrats, by the way.”

Rylie glanced around as if looking for him. “He couldn’t make it, huh? I guess that’s normal. Heard he’s human.”

His expression turned serious as if he were imparting some sage wisdom. “Humans take a little extra work, but I know it’ll be worth it to you. You spend too much time alone.”

Rylie wasn’t wrong. That was for sure. Link did spend a lot of time alone. As a hacker, it was sort of in his nature. Except, for Ezra, Link knew he would change.

Before Link could come up with a response, his phone pinged. He woke the device and opened the alert. Narrowing his eyes, Link frowned at what he saw on the screen.

“What’s up, bro,”

Luke asked, scooping up a dollop of potato salad with his fork. “Work?”

Link shook his head. “No. The tracker on Ezra’s car says he’s already sixty miles west, traveling on I-sixteen,”

he murmured, cocking his head. “Where the hell are you going, Ezra?”

He’d just met the man, and the thought of having him so far away caused a curdle of unease to flood his gut.

“Call him and find out,”

Luke encouraged.

“That’d be a little hard to explain. Calling him up and asking him why he’s headed west,”

Link countered, clenching his jaw for a few seconds before forcing himself to relax. “Don’t you think?”

“Don’t be a dick,”

Luke grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “You were going to call him tonight to set up another date, anyway, right?”

His brother waved toward his phone, saying, “No time like the present.”

Just catching himself from biting his bottom lip, Link inhaled deeply before exhaling through pursed lips.

Giving himself a mental pep-talk, Link jerked a nod before hitting the button to dial on his phone.

I can do this.