"I don't know how teachers do it," Brand said to Carter. They sat at the front of the bus on the way home. Jax had abandoned them for his new group of friends, Allie mother-henning him into sitting next to her. The kids were still bouncing from excitement. Brand thought they might have been tired after playing all day, but they were just as rambunctious, if not more so, than they had been on the trip out. "Do they ever calm down?"

Carter laughed. "Eventually. If the rest of them are anything like Jax, they'll crash as soon as they're home."

"Then I'm even more impressed by the teachers. They're a lot calmer before they're born."

"No kidding. Though to hear Aaron complain about Jax, he was pretty rambunctious pre-eviction."

The bus pulled up to the school and the adults disembarked before the kids.

"Okay, everyone head back to the classroom. We'll be dismissing for busses soon, but we have a little while. Parents, if you want to check your child out, just make sure you stop by the office."

Brand waited with Carter, surprised at how comfortable he'd grown with the man. Jax was nearly the last one off the bus, but Allie followed closely behind him.

"Ready to go, buddy?"

"Almost. I left my library books in the classroom."

"Well, why don't you go ahead. I'll check you out at the front office and then come pick you up."

As Jax disappeared behind the school's doors, Carter turned to Brand. "I really can't thank you enough. You're probably going to get sick of me saying that."

Brand smiled. "Anything for Jax. And I had fun."

The moment paused awkwardly. Brand knew he should head out, but he was surprised he was reluctant to end the day. He was relieved when Carter finally spoke.

"I don't want to be awkward, but I feel I already am… would you like to hang out again? Just as friends." Carter laughed. "I sound like a damn teenager."

Brand wanted to say something reassuring, but he wasn't sure what was appropriate. He didn't want to give the wrong impression, and he did want to hang out with Carter more. And Jax. Jax was the reason this started, right?

Brand knew that wasn't completely true. This had started because Carter had approached him, thinking Brand was his mate. And apparently he still did. Brand wanted to ask him what that meant. How could he think Brand was his mate when Brand didn't sense anything? But he'd held onto the silence too long, and Carter's face was starting to fall.

"I'd like that," Brand said. Not wanting to lose the opportunity in vague promises and words, he added, "Lunch next week? Any day, you pick."

Carter's face lit up. "Let's do Tuesday. I'll text you. Well, I guess I should go pick up Jax." They shook hands and Brand turned to the parking lot.

He definitely didn't think Carter was lying to him about the whole mate thing, which just made this all so much more confusing.

There were only two people who could fathom talking to about this, and his sister would be working for at least another two and a half hours. Ty was going to give him shit about this, no doubt. But Brand probably deserved it after how he'd ditched Jax just to run away from Carter's words.

He pulled out his phone to text Ty before turning on his car. Ty responded immediately, and they made plans to meet for coffee. If Brand hurried, he could stay ahead of the school buses before they blocked up the traffic in town.

He tossed his phone on the seat next to him. Something deep within him was burning with the need to understand what the hell was going on with him and Carter. If Brand didn't believe in true mates, there wouldn't have been any reason for him to hesitate. Carter was a great dad, seemed like he had a good job, and he was hot as hell. But he did believe in true mates, and it seemed Carter did as well, but somewhere, there were some wires crossed, and Brand needed to know why.

* * *

Ty was already sitting with his drink when Brand arrived. Brand slid into the booth across from him, his fingers already drumming quickly against his leg as he greeted Ty, trying to think of what exactly it was he wanted to ask.

"You're not going to get a drink?" Ty asked.

Brand shook his head. "I'm good."

Ty raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything more. Brand could feel the weight of his gaze. Ty had always been outspoken in his defense of Brand, but with Brand, he was a silent support. They'd been friends long enough Ty knew that if he verbally pushed Brand, Brand would dig in his heels, clam up, whatever was the opposite of what people wanted of him. But Ty's silent scrutiny made Brand squirm. It always had. Ty would absolutely harass the hell out of Brand, but not when it mattered most.

Brand could feel Ty's curiosity digging under both their skin, wondering why Brand had called him out. But they both knew Ty wouldn't say anything until Brand started talking.

"So, there's this guy…" Brand began. Ty had probably already figured out it was Carter after their talk a while ago, so Brand wasn't sure why he was reluctant to name him, but it didn't feel right yet.

Ty didn't say anything, giving Brand the space to sort his thoughts.

"He's under the impression we're mates. Like, really, truly believes it. But I haven't sensed anything. And you know me, I know true mates exist. So there's no sense in me pursuing anything with someone who isn't my true mate. But he's so certain. Is it possible that one of us is wrong? I mean, one of us has to be. Have you ever heard of a false connection? Or something like that?"

Ty took a moment to think. "What does your wolf feel about this guy claiming you're his mate?" he asked finally.

Brand had never really understood why people referred to their animal side as a separate entity. "What do you mean?"

"Surely your wolf felt something when this guy said you were mates. Confusion. Disgust. Mild interest."

"Well, I wasn't disgusted, but I was definitely confused," Brand said.

Ty tapped his fingers against his cup, thinking. "When was the last time you shifted?" he asked suddenly.

Brand sat back. That seemed like a sharp shift in topic. "I don't know… a while. But what does that have to do with mates?"

Ty pinned him with a look. "Brand, every other shifter I know knows exactly when they shifted last. Yesterday, last week, last month on the 19th in the afternoon, if they've been crazy busy. How long?"

Brand didn't respond. He knew Ty wouldn't like his answer.

"Weeks? Months?" When Brand didn't respond, Ty said, "Surely not years." Brand flinched and Ty's eyes grew wide with concern. "Brand, it's not healthy to go without shifting that long. Seriously, when was the last time you shifted?"

Brand sighed. "I really don't know exactly, but I think sometime in college?"

Ty did the mental calculations and his jaw dropped. "That's… I've never heard of anyone going that long without shifting and surviving. Brand, you need to shift. Your wolf needs to run, to scent, to play."

"Why does everyone talk about their wolves as if they're separate from the human?" Brand burst out in a furious whisper. He wanted to yell, but there were humans about. "I'm clearly doing fine."

Ty shook his head. "Brand, your wolf is the instinctive side of you. He's the one who senses things like danger and spiritual connections, like your mate. If he's not healthy, that doesn't work."

Brand sunk into a cold realization. "You mean it's possible that this guy is my mate, but I'm the one who's broken because I can't sense it?"

"You're not broken," Ty snapped. It took Brand back to their childhood. Ty had said those same words over and over in that same tone until Brand had half believed him. Believed him enough to push through two years of physical therapy.

"Fine, I'm not broken," Brand acquiesced, if only for Ty's benefit. "But something is not quite right with me, isn't it?"

Ty nodded reluctantly. "It seems possible."

They sat silently. Ty fiddled with his cup without drinking it.

"You're telling me I'm going to have to shift, aren't you?"

"I'm not telling you anything," Ty said. "But I'm fairly certain you already know the answer."

Damn Ty. If he'd commanded, tried to boss Brand around, ordered him to do something, Brand would have felt righteous in pushing back, in fighting. But Ty knew that. And so the only thing Brand had to fight against was himself.

There was a reason Brand hadn't shifted in over a decade. It hurt. When shifting, his right leg felt like it was being broken in a hundred places, and even after the shift was completed it ached, leaving with a worse limp than normal. But if he wanted to know the truth about him and Carter, he'd have to attempt it. Brand wasn't sure he even remembered how to initiate the change. He knew he was a shifter to the core, but did the ability to change between forms dry up if you didn't use it?

Surely not. As the saying went, it had to be like riding a bicycle, right?

Brand had tried riding a bicycle two years ago after not riding one since high school It had hurt. He couldn't imagine how much shifting was going to pain him after such a long time.

Brand sighed. "I'm going to need your help."