Finley was worried he was laying it on too thick. He wasn’t even sure why he was doing it. His bear seemed pleased as punch that they were having coffee with the pretty lady.

His animal was obsessed by the smoothness of her skin. He kept trying to direct Fin to look at it. Sure, it was nice skin, smooth and glowing. But his animal was hankering for it in a big way.

“I don’t wear perfume, sorry. It must be something else,” she said. Finley watched her reach up and take off her sunglasses as she leaned over to slide them into her bag on the floor. As she sat up he got the first look at her light sea foam green eyes. A shade that rocked him to the core of his dual souls.

Her eyes were fathomless; they were the opening to the entire universe. He could see her soul and beyond, he could see his own. He could see his animal’s and their future children, all deep inside those beautiful green eyes.

Finley held his breath to contain the roar that was screaming in his head. His animal clawing inside his skull demanding release to get close to her. To get close to their mate.

His mate.

It was as if his bear was reacting exactly as he should and Finley had had a stroke. His mind was trying to catch up. Her smell, her skin, her stunning eyes. It was like they were the key to a lock he didn’t realize he had inside him. He was free. Instead of floating away in happiness, he felt the invisible threads of his souls reaching out to her. To touch the part of him he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.

She was real. She was in front of him, and he was freaking the fuck out.

What did he do? How did he keep talking to her? He wanted to growl, he wanted to sniff her neck. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to fuck her. These were all raging desires inside him and none of them were allowable or advisable.

Fuck him, he was sinking and swimming at the same time.

She was waiting for him to say something about her perfume. She was waiting for him to stop acting like an idiot and communicate.

“It’s something else,” he said clearing his throat. “Would you excuse me for a minute? I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Sure, you sound like you are coming down with something. Want me to get you some tea and honey?”

Shit, she was worried about him. She wanted to get him tea. It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever offered him.

And just thinking that was fucked up. He needed to regroup, and fast.

“Yeah, maybe. Just one minute,” he said, standing up.

He headed to the bathrooms which, lucky for him, were unisex and singles. Locking the door behind him, he pulled out his phone. He had seconds to figure out who to call. Rain? Angel? Cash? They would all have words of advice, but they rarely thought like he did. He knew what they would say already. They had their mates and they had gone full throttle and luckily it all worked out for them. Sometimes through incredibly bumpy roads to happiness. He needed calmness, focus. He needed his alpha.

Dialing Cage Rochon, he waited for it to ring through. He second guessed himself if he was the right person to call and his bear assured him he was. Cage was often the one he went to when he was younger and didn’t feel like he fit in. Cage was the current Alpha of their clan and his wisdom and advice had gotten Fin through those awkward teenage years. Cage had also been the one to call him and check in while he was at school, knowing Fin was struggling.

“Finley, nice to hear from you.”

“Hey, Alpha.”

“Alpha, this must be serious. Not just a friendly call?”

“No, not this time. I need someone to talk me down and you are the only one that doesn’t fly off the handle with shit.”

“I don’t know about that. I will say that being mated and being a father has made me more patient. What can I do for you?”

“So, long story short, I’m taking this class. I sit by a girl, she smells good, like really good. So I sit by her again this week. I take her to coffee. She had on fucking sunglasses outside. How was I supposed to know? I mean shouldn’t it have worked even through the glasses? What kind of fucked up loophole is that?”

There was a long moment of silence on the line then Cage muttered, “You found your mate.”

He muttered it because the speed at which his clan was expanding was unprecedented, and every new mating added more people that Cage had to take under his wing and be responsible for.

“Cage, man, I can’t handle this right now. I want her bad. I just met her. I need to focus. I have school. I’m finally getting my shit together. I can’t fall apart again.” Finley was talking fast and he had started rubbing his hand over his head, as though that was going to help smooth out his tangled thoughts.

“I’m going to give you some advice, and I really hope you believe me and take my recommendation. It is going against what your bear wants, but with you, Fin, you need to have the heart stuff sorted before you give in to your cock. And yes, I know just what you are feeling in that department. It’s like you’ll die without it. You won’t die, it’ll just suck ass for a while. Ask to meet her again, give her a few days. Make it casual and don’t give her reason to push you away. She’s not going anywhere. She goes to school with you and it’s the beginning of the semester. She has things to do too. If you can take it easy, this might go down in the Rochon history books as the least fucked up courtship we’ve ever had. Make me proud.”

“Thanks, I needed that. I don’t have to rush. Get to know her. Try going on a date. Thanks, Cage.”

“Please, call me later or text me; I want to know if you managed to not scare her off.”

“Will do. Gotta go, I’m in the bathroom, she’ll think I have the shits or something.”

“That isn’t going to help her like you either. Get back out there.”

Cage hung up and Fin turned and took a deep breath before walking back out to his mate. Hoping she was still there waiting for him.