Eddie didn’t make it a mile down the road before he pulled over. Dropping his forehead to the steering wheel, he took in the drastic change his world had just taken. He went from being a nosy stalker to finding his mate in the matter of a few minutes. Now his brain was racing with plans; all plans that would be supremely easier if his mate were a shifter, too.

She would feel the immediate need to be in his arms just like he needed to be in hers. Gemma would know that nothing would be better than kissing your mate. Making love to your mate.

Granted, that was just a guess, since Eddie had never made love to his mate before, but he was surrounded by mated couples in his family. Not one of them ever gave the slightest inclination that they weren’t supremely happy and wholly content.

Shifters all knew that finding your mate was more important than anything else – career, accomplishments – anything. A mate was the fulfillment of your life’s goal; everything afterward was better, brighter, and to be cherished with every breath.

Now his mate was alone at a gas station, presumably working through the night since Dash was with the babysitter. His mate worked herself to the bone to care for her son and herself. How the hell was he supposed to fix this, and quickly?

Putting the car back into gear, he headed towards his Alpha’s house.

Down the road that led to Cage Rochon’s cabin, he passed by Cage’s parents’ house, turning towards his Alpha’s cabin. He should have called, but he didn’t want to delay.

Pulling up to the house, he saw that Cage’s lights were still on. It wasn’t that late, but Cage and his mate had a son named Micah. Eddie was clueless about kid bedtimes.

Jumping out of his Rover, he strode to the door and knocked.

The door opened a few moments later and Sophie, Cage’s mate, stood there.

“Eddie!” she said, her British accent making his name sound cute.

“Hey, Sophie. Cage home?”

“Sure, wanna come in?”

“Uh, no, can he come out here? I just need to talk to him for a minute,” Eddie explained. He didn’t want to get into pleasant chitchat with Sophie right now.

“Of course, he was just tucking Micah into bed. Have a seat, he’ll be right out,” she said, turning and leaving the door open.

Eddie looked at the carved wooden bench by the front door. He wasn’t in the mood to sit.

Pacing the porch, he turned when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. His Alpha, Cage, was a big man. Huge, in fact. That wasn’t what made him Alpha, though; it was the fact his bear was the most dominant creature that Eddie had ever met. Coming from a polar bear, that was saying something. But Cage’s style wasn’t bossy, it was pure leadership; always focused and clear-headed. He was the trusted voice that Eddie always listened to.

“Eddie, how are things?” Cage asked, his deep voice rumbling.

“They’ve been less complicated,” he admitted. He leaned back and parked his ass on the railing. He crossed his ankles and then his arms.

Cage took up a seat on the bench. He looked casual and clearly in a listening mood. He waited for Eddie to say what he needed to say.

“So…” Eddie started. Moaning, he rubbed his hands over his face. “I found her,” he finally got out.

“Your mate?”

“Yes,” Eddie agreed.

“Congrats, man. That’s great news!” Cage beamed.

“It’s complicated,” Eddie started.

Cage laughed. “It always is, man. You have no idea how crazy it can be. I’m guessing she’s human. She has no idea you’re a shifter, and you have no clue where to start.”

“That’s why you are the all-wise Alpha,” Eddie smiled back though it came out as more of a grimace.

“I’ll tell you this: it always seems an insurmountable obstacle until it happens. You think about it, plan it, and then something happens, and you end up blurting it out. Luckily, the mating pull, although not as strong in humans, is still there. They feel you and want to be with you. They are just more inclined to overthink it and deny what they are feeling.”

“Well, that’s helpful,” Eddie snorted.

“Who is she?”

“Gemma Ellis. She’s sort of new in town. Moved here with her son Dashiell.”

“Son? Wow! That’s a new one for me. How old?”

“He’s four. I met him in the hospital. Poor little guy needed stitches. He’s pretty cool; of course, I only saw him for a short time, but he did great getting sewn up. I feel very protective of him. I want Gemma in my arms, in my home. The feeling is just as strong with him. His dad – well, I have no idea about his dad, but since Gemma works two jobs, I’m guessing he’s not around.”

“Sounds like a class act,” Cage grunted. “I understand the feelings for the kid. The fates picked you for their lives for a reason. They both must need you just as much. That is quite the honor.”

“She’s tired. I can see it. I fucking made an ass of myself tonight,” Eddie told him.

“I’m sure you made a lasting impression she won’t forget,” Cage chuckled.

Normally Eddie was all for a joke, but this was serious. His Alpha needed to know how deep in the hole he was starting.

“I saw her, and it was…” Eddie shook his head. How to explain it?

“I know,” Cage said wryly.

His Alpha would know. He’d met his mate after she’d been knocked unconscious. He couldn’t imagine the joy and fear he must have felt, finding his mate and at the same time pissed as hell that she was hurt.

“Standing in the middle of a mini-mart, holding a soda. I fucking dropped it. You would think a plastic bottle would bounce, but no, I was in some special kind of hell where physics wanted to fuck me. The thing explodes everywhere – showers me with soda and I’m standing there while she laughs her ass off. I don’t blame her. I must have looked like a hot mess,” Eddie said, dropping his head.

Eddie was waiting for his Alpha to start laughing; he never did. Looking up, he saw his Alpha’s expression wasn’t amused, it was grim.

“Fuck, man,” he said.

“Yup, she kept apologizing for laughing. Which if the tables were turned, I guess I would have been rolling on the floor. Say, if it had been Tanner standing in a soda shower.”

“Well, there’s that. If she just thought you were a schmuck, she wouldn’t have apologized. I’m sure she sees jerks like you all the time,” Cage offered.

“Nice. So she’s a single mom working her ass off, which you can imagine neither my bear nor I like at all. Her son is being taken care of by a neighbor. Her house is shit, her car is shit, and she clearly lives for her son. How do I fix this?”

Cage stared at him for a moment. Then sighed and spoke. “First, stop thinking you can fix everything. She sounds like a tough cookie. Thinking you need to come in on a white horse will probably just piss her off. Can you imagine working yourself to the bone, just to have someone come in and say that was cute, now let me change everything in your life?

Eddie didn’t think of that. Shit, that would piss him way the hell off.

“You need to find a way that she will accept your help and not tell you to go take a flying fuck. Let her know you are interested. You’re probably going to have to convince her. Sounds like the fancy doctor in town paying her attention is going to come off suspicious.”

“Shit, man! Can you make this any harder?” Eddie moaned.

“Yes, yes I can. After you convince her you are interested, you have to help her out subtly. Once she actually likes you – which she will since you’re not bad looking for a sissy polar bear – you have to tell her that you are a shifter and that you’re mates. That one – well, it’s always awkward. Sophie caught me shifting, and I was sitting in the dirt naked. Not my finest moment,” Cage admitted.

“Hmm, my soda shower isn’t sounding so bad now.”

“Why don’t you try something new for our family? Be cool, sophisticated, and don’t fumble your way into your relationship like a bull in a china shop. Until now, we are batting a thousand in the jackass mating dance,” Cage told him, giving him a look that showed he was serious.

“So, go after her without making it obvious. Help her out without her knowing I’m helping her out. And don’t be a jackass. These are your wise words for me?”

Cage gave him another wise look. “Yup.”

Eddie knew his Alpha was right. What did he expect? The leader of their clan to tell him to drive back to the gas station, scoop his mate up, and run off with her? That would have been a great suggestion. Not practical, but great.

“Hey man, seriously – this is fantastic news. You found her! Right here, in town. You were sure you would have to travel to Alaska to find her. She was just down the street. And bonus, she’s already seen you look like an idiot, so anything you do now you will look pretty classy. Walking and talking should do it.”

Eddie thought about this. Surely things could only get better from here, right?