“It’s not stalking,” Eddie said to himself. His bear gave a mental nudge that he agreed. Eddie knew his bear was not in its right mind.

Sitting outside the run down little house, which could be barely called a house, Eddie was on the opposite side of the road watching the shadows move through the windows. It was tiny – it couldn’t be more than five or six hundred square feet. The windows were sagging, and the paint peeled away from the siding. Eddie could see the roof was missing some shingles. That meant leaks when it rained – which it did almost constantly in the forest.

Eddie didn’t like what he was seeing. His bear didn’t either. This was not a good enough home for little Dash. There were some toys out in the front yard, but they were faded and old from the looks of them. That didn’t sit well with him either.

He noticed the lights going out one by one. It was only around seven, too early for bed he would guess. The sun still wasn’t down but in the mountains, the sun often hid behind the peaks, making it dark earlier. The twilight was just casting its first shadows over everything.

The door opened and even with Eddie’s shifter eyes, he could only make out the figure of a woman holding a child. It was Dash. He was wearing a pair of footie pajamas with a blanket wrapped around him. He had a stuffed animal in one hand and a sippy cup in the other.

Eddie couldn’t see the woman’s face, just that she was short and curvy. He could see the sweep of dark hair that hit the top of her jeans; it made his bear sit up and take notice. He’d never really thought about hair – he was more of an ass man – but both man and beast liked what they saw.

The woman locked the door, and then walked to the house next door. Eddie watched as she knocked and noticed the other house was in much better shape than hers. The door opened and the light shined on Dash and his mother. A man stood in the doorway and smiled down at the pair.

Eddie didn’t know who the guy was, but he didn’t like the way he smiled at the woman. Tucking that emotion away for later, he saw Dash turn to the man and wave. They all walked into the house, and it wasn’t more than two minutes before the door opened again. The woman came out, her face still shadowed by the lighting. She climbed into an old red Toyota four-door, with a bumper that looked like it was barely hanging on with tape. The taillights came on and he heard the car try to start.

It didn’t turn over, and he could hear the woman cranking the engine again – still nothing. Then he saw her drop her head to the steering wheel. A small fist came up to slam against it in frustration.

Eddie was about to get out of his car to offer assistance when he heard her crank the engine again; this time, her car started. He could see the woman doing a little happy dance inside the car, and it made him smile.

She pulled out and headed down the road. His curiosity was a tangible thing. He wanted to know where she was heading so late at night. Why was little Dash next door when he should be tucked safe and warm into his own bed?

Watching for a moment, he saw her turn at the end of the street, and he pulled out to follow her. It wasn’t like you would lose a car in traffic around here; she was heading towards town and really, how many busted-ass Toyotas could there be in town?

He drove down Main Street and reached the gas station at the end. Pulling in to turn around, he spotted the little red Toyota, parked at the edge of the lot. Maybe she stopped for a snack, he thought.

Pulling into the gas bay, he parked the Rover next to a pump and got out. Normally he’d just pay at the pump with his card, but he wanted to see if she was still inside.

The door chimed electronically as he entered the mini-mart. There was nothing special about this gas station slash mini-mart. He grabbed some jerky and was headed for the drink cooler when he heard a voice from the open door at the back yell out, “Be right there!”

His bear was chuffing in his head. He liked the sound of the woman’s voice. Turning back to the cooler, he opened the glass door and grabbed the first soda he saw. There was motion to the side and he caught the back of the woman walking from the storage room carrying a box.

He followed her to the front and watched as she set the box down on the floor behind the counter.

As she rose, Eddie watched her search him out and offer up a pleasant smile. “Can I help you?”

Eddie’s eyes started at the curve of her hip that was just above the counter, and traveled up her frame, over the t-shirt that was loose everywhere but her breasts; it was stretched taut across the fullness there. Long strands of dark curling hair were over one shoulder, skimming over the tops of those breasts. He took in her smooth pale skin, her friendly grin, pert little nose, then he got to a pair of open, welcoming green eyes.

Then his world stopped spinning. He could actually feel the universe taking a moment, just for him.

The woman with the long hair that had carried Dash just a few minutes ago. The woman who had banged her head on her steering wheel when her car wouldn’t start, was Gemma Ellis.

Gemma Ellis was his mate.

His bear was roaring in his head, clawing to get out. Eddie had stopped breathing the minute their eyes met. He could see everything in those eyes. His entire future, shining back at him in glistening emerald green. She was beautiful – stunning – and his.

His mate was more perfect than he could have imagined. There was no comparison to what he’d imagined his mate might look like and the reality of the beautiful woman in front of him. He realized his biggest dream hadn’t even been close – the reality was so much better.

Not only did he find his mate, he found a son. His bear was very clearly telling him that Gemma was his, and so was Dash. He didn’t just find his mate and partner, he‘d found his family.