Holy shit, it’s him. It’s really him. I wasn’t sure how to process all the information he just blurted out, but once the immediate threat of the alpha with him had been addressed as a non issue, the next burning question on my mind needed to be voiced. “So, is Thad Heart actually your name?”

He exhaled loudly as if he’d been holding his breath and his eyes were as big as saucers. Beautiful emerald saucers. “Um, no. Well, sorta. I mean, no, but it’s not what you think.”

I held his gaze, not letting this go until I was satisfied with his answer. If he wasn’t into me on the night we met and consciously gave me a fake name, I wanted to know that before I got my hopes up. Even though my hopes were already pretty damn high just because of the mapley scent wafting off his warm breath mixed with his minty balsam scent. And when you added that to the adorable reddish-orange curl that kept falling across his forehead and into his eyes...I was helpless.

“It was my real profile name on OmMatch, which I guess I assumed you’d know to look for me at but was stupid since there are a million apps you could have tried.”

I nodded in agreement. “More like five million, but go on.”

“I know, sorry.” He gave me a guilty grin. “But it didn’t matter anyway because that asshole I was with reported me for assault, so my account was closed before I even got home. So if you did try to find me there, which I doubt you did, my account was gone, and I had no way to find you…”

My eyes narrowed on his, trying to decide if he was being honest or just withholding the rest of his story. “But you found me eventually?”

“You mean today?” His grin grew as his cheeks pinked up, making the sprinkling of freckles across his nose look more pronounced. “I guess I’ve made a few not-completely-necessary trips to Oak Grove on the off chance I’d run into you… But I wasn’t stalking you or anything. I swear.”

“But what about the note? Why didn’t you leave your number then?”

The shy smile I was loving morphed into a confused frown. “What—”

“Shit.” The alpha with Thad appeared at his side wearing a panicked expression and holding a laptop box. “I’ve gotta go. Brent just broke a finger...or his hand...or maybe his foot. I can’t tell from his message, but he’s on his way to the hospital now.”

“Oh my god.” Thad looked between me and his friend, then reluctantly, back at me. “I’ve got to go but...can I get your number?”

“Sure, but can I get your name?” I pulled out my phone, ready to take down his contact information so I could send him mine.

“Thad Eardt.” He grabbed my phone and added his number as we started walking down the street. “My mom used to call me the Eardt of her heart…because it was just us. I know, super cheesy, and it doesn’t even make sense because Thaddeus means heart, so basically she called me the heart of her heart...” He waved his hand away as if trying to stop me from awwing over how sweet he must have been as a mama’s boy.

It didn’t stop me, but he ignored my cooing and kept babbling as I walked him to his car.

“When I had to pick a profile name, it was the only thing I could come up with that seemed...cute or whatever. So, as far as OmMatch was concerned, I was Thad Heart.”

His friend barked out a laugh. “Tell him what your real first name is...ATE.”

Thad shoved his friend hard enough that he stumbled into the street. “Shut it, or you’ll be walking to the hospital.”

His friend laughed even harder but jogged ahead of us to wait at the passenger door of Thad’s car.

“What does ate mean?” I couldn’t hold back a smile, knowing that whatever was coming had to be good based on how red Thad’s ears were glowing.

“Nothing.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and stepped up to the same white sedan he was in the night we met. “It’s stupid.”

I was tired of the distance between us. It had been close to a year since I’d seen him, and I just wanted to fucking hold him in my arms and never let go. I settled for sliding my palm behind his neck and giving him a gentle squeeze. “How about you tell me about it over dinner tonight?”

Thad’s breath hitched and he nodded.

“Tonight?” I asked, resting my forehead on his, breathing in his warm breaths.

“I work tonight but…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt but my husband kinda needs me right now. Can you guys do this over the phone?”

Thad pulled back and looked at his friend. “Yeah, sorry.”

I closed my eyes in frustration but held up my phone. “You gave me your number?”

He smiled. “I swear. I wish I had done it that night...but you have it now.”

I leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over his earlobe then whispered, “I’ll call you in two hours.”

“Okay.” He didn’t move a muscle as I wrapped my arms around his back, holding him to my chest for a moment. “I’m looking forward to it.”

I gave him a soft kiss on his cheek before stepping back so he could climb into his car. I didn’t want to watch him leave, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off him as he pulled away and disappeared onto the highway.

All my memories didn’t do justice to the beautiful man I’d just held in my arms. I wasn’t convinced I’d ever see him again, but now that I had, I knew what my future looked like.

It was him. Thad Eardt would be my omega. He’d be my mate and my husband. And if we were truly lucky, he’d be the father of my children. I don’t know how I knew it so truly and completely, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one.

Now I just had to prove to him I was his. I was his alpha. The one he was meant to be with for the rest of his life.

I just hoped he agreed.