The next morning, Heidi slowly woke to a wonderful warmth snuggled up against her.

“Robert, when did you get back?” she whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You were sleeping so peacefully, I hated to wake you. I will admit, I wanted to.” He moved her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. “I missed you.”

“Mmm, I missed you, too.” She slowly rolled towards him so she could welcome him with a passionate kiss. She couldn’t wait to climb all over him.

“How was the trip? Were you able to take care of everything?”

“Everything went fine. I don’t want to talk about that right now.” He continued to kiss her neck and move to her breast. He instantly stopped when he heard a knock at the door. He let out a groan and Heidi giggled.

“Who is it?” Robert growled.

“Sorry to bother you,” he was surprised to hear Elyse, “but there is a wolf outside howling and it won’t stop. It’s scaring me, uncle Robert.”

“It’s been going on every morning for the last couple of days,” Heidi whispered. “Charles was going to ask James about it at work this morning.”

Robert listened carefully and finally heard the wolf’s melancholy howl. “That sounds like something is wrong. I’d better go check it out.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Elyse, come and get in bed with Heidi and keep warm. I’ll go see what the problem is.” Robert ran to the bathroom and threw on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, then left as the girls cuddled up together.

Robert quietly went outside and headed towards the sad howling in the woods. A gray wolf sat on the rise of a small hill behind the house.

“David?” Robert looked at James’ brother. “David, what are you doing. Your howling is scaring the kids.”

David shifted and sat his naked ass in the snow.

“My mate was here and I didn’t get a chance to meet her. Now she’s gone.

“Your mate? Who?” Robert asked.

“That’s just it, I don’t know. I caught her scent on the other side of the lake and I followed it here.” He looked up at Robert. “When did you have kids?”

“I’ll explain later, where have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“I’m sorry, Robert. I was visiting some friends up north for a while and I just got back. I thought I might meet my mate, only to find out she was here.

“Here? No one has been here… wait, we had company here for Thanksgiving, but I got called away. I didn’t get a chance to spend much time with them. Do you have your clothes with you?” David shook his head.

“Come back to the house and I’ll get you something to wear.”

Robert headed back to the house. David shifted back to his wolf and walked beside him. When they reached the house, Robert ran upstairs to tell Heidi what was going on, grabbed some clothes for David and went back to the kitchen. Robert made coffee while David got dressed.

“So, tell me, who was here?” David sat down and accepted a cup of coffee.

“Well, there was Bradley Fletcher, but he’s definitely not your mate, unless there’s something you want to tell me.” That made them both laugh. “Jackie’s cousin Franny, and two friends, Becky and Heidi.”

Heidi walked into the kitchen just as Robert mentioned her name.

“David, I’d like you to meet Heidi, my mate.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek. David was speechless. “Close your mouth, David. Heidi, this is David. James is his brother.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, David.” She went to him and shook his hand. “If you will excuse me, I have to see to the children.” She kissed Robert’s cheek and went upstairs.

“Children?” David gave Robert a questioning look. “She’s beautiful, by the way.”

“Oh, it’s not what you think. We took in three orphaned cubs. Their parents were killed just before Thanksgiving. My brother, Mack, is going to adopt them.” He had a big smile. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Is she a shifter?”

“You aren’t going to believe this, David, she’s a panda. She’s the cutest bear you’ll ever see.”

David shook his head. “So, what about the other two that came to visit?”

“Well, there was Franny, she’s a bobcat and Jackie’s cousin. The other one was Becky, she’s a….”  Robert paused.

“She’s a what, Robert?”

“She’s a gray wolf. Your brother, James, met her. He wanted to take her to the Peak to meet the rest of your family. I think he wanted her to meet you and your brothers. He had to have suspected she was a possible match to one of you.  She is also Holly’s best friend.”

“It has to be her. Did she go around the lake?”

“Every day. Becky and Fletch would go for a run together every morning.”

David started to growl and he bared his teeth.

“Whoa, down boy. They’re only friends. They were all part of that group that were rescued by Charles and Jackie in Oregon. Heidi was among them, also.”

“Sorry.”

Just then Heidi came into the kitchen with the twins. “Simon and Colin, say hello to Mr. David. He is a friend of Uncle Robert.”

Simon stepped up first and shook his hand. “Hello sir, my name is Simon and that is my little brother, Colin.” He pointed to his brother.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Simon.”

Colin walked up to David. “Was that you we heard howling? You sounded very sad. It scared me.”

“I am very sorry if I frightened you.”

“Are you happy now?” Colin asked.

“Colin, what have I told you about asking questions?” Heidi scolded. “Now apologize.”

“Sorry Mr. David.” Colin hung his head.

“Apology accepted, Colin.” David gave Heidi a wink.

“Will you join us for breakfast, David?” Heidi asked.

“Thank you, I’d love to.”

“Sweetheart, David picked up a scent on the other side of the lake and he thinks it might have been his mate. I’m thinking it might be Becky.”

“I wish the scent had been stronger, that way I could be sure.” David remarked.

Heidi thought for a few minutes, then whispered something to Robert.

“I’ll be right back.” Robert ran to their room to retrieved the coat Heidi had worn when she snuck out after Robert. It belonged to Becky. When he returned, he handed the coat to David.

“What’s this?”

“It’s her coat. Heidi has worn the coat, but her scent might still be on it.”

David picked up the coat and held it to his nose. He closed his eyes. His body tingled from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. “It is her. Who is she and where can I find her?” He buried his nose into the collar of her coat. He imagined snuggling her neck.

“Her name is Becky Brooks, she’s a gray wolf and she’s in Bend, Oregon.” Heidi told him.

“Is she coming back to get her coat?” That made Heidi laugh.

“I don’t think so, not for a while, anyway. I’m sure she’ll come for the wedding,” Heidi told him.

“When’s the wedding?” He mumbled into the collar of the coat.

“We haven’t set a date yet, but it won’t be until after the baby comes.” David gave Robert a questioning look.

“Heidi and Jackie are planning a double wedding and we have to wait until Jackie has her baby.”

“I can’t wait that long.” David wanted to leave for Oregon right away. It was almost Christmas and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to go anywhere until after the New Year. “Fuuu…” David stopped and looked down at Colin, who had a huge grin on his face.

“You were going to say a bad word,” Colin chimed with a giggle. “Aunt Heidi gets mad if you say that word.”

“Colin, go sit at the table and behave.”

“Yes, Aunt Heidi.” Colin shuffled over to the kitchen table and took a seat.

“Sorry.” David apologized.

“Would you like her phone number?” Heidi asked.

David’s jaw dropped. He stuttered a bit. “Do you think it would be okay to call her? She doesn’t know me.”

“Would you like me to talk to her? I could tell her about you and give her your number.”

“Maybe that would be better.” David had always been teased about being shy. He stuttered when he got nervous.

Elyse came into the kitchen. Introductions were made and Elyse helped Heidi with breakfast. After cooking up stacks of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast, everyone settled down and enjoyed breakfast. It wasn’t long before Charles and Jackie joined them.

“Robert, when did you get back?” Charles asked.

“Very early this morning.”

“Where did you find David?” Charles asked as he said good morning to David. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you around lately.”

“I was up north visiting friends,” David answered.

“You wouldn’t know anything about a wolf howling around here lately? I was going to ask James later, but you’re here now.”

“Yeah, that was me, I’m afraid,” David told him.

“Oh. What’s up?” Charles asked.

“David has discovered his mate,” Robert grinned, “Becky Brooks.”

“Becky! You just missed her. She was here a week ago.”

“So, I’ve been told,” David replied to Charles.

“Are you going to go after her?”

“No. James has grounded me to the Peak. I’m not even supposed to be here.”

“Woohoo! What did you do?”

“I’d rather not talk about it. I’d better get going. Thank you for breakfast.” He picked up Becky’s coat to take it with him. “It was nice meeting you, Heidi. Simon, Colin, Elyse, it was nice to meet you too. I expect we’ll see you again in the summer.” The kids waved goodbye. David went to Jackie and kissed her cheek. “You look radiant, by the way.”

“Thank you, David. Come back soon.”

“I will. Robert, do you have a small backpack I could borrow. I’m taking Becky’s coat home with me. If I can’t go to her, at least I’ll have something of hers.” Robert went to the pantry and got him a pack.

David went out the back door, shed the clothes he was wearing and gave them back to Robert. “Thanks, Robert.” He put on the backpack and shifted. His wolf ran off into the woods and disappeared.

Robert returned to the kitchen. “Well, that’s a bummer. Poor David.”