“’Lo,” I managed as I put my cell to my ear. My head was pounding and I was trying to pull myself fully out of sleep. It felt like I’d just left Brick to come home and get some rest.

“Hey, Natasha, I’m here at Howlers.”

It took a moment for me to register that it was my friend, Heidi, on the line, but I had no idea what she was talking about.

I pulled the phone away, noticed that it was barely seven am and asked, “Why?”

“Everyone’s bringing by their dishes… for the Threehorn Pack. Remember, we’re supposed to take them over this morning, to welcome them to the area,” Heidi replied patiently, her happy tone never wavering.

Heidi was the happiest, most organized person I knew, and the one thing she wanted more than anything, was to find her mate. She was always the first to volunteer whenever the pack needed anything, and I felt like a jerk for totally forgetting that I’d agreed to help her deliver this morning.

“Let me jump in the shower will quick, then I’ll be there. Fifteen minutes, tops,” I promised, then hung up when she said she’d wait.

I made it there in fourteen minutes, apologizing to Heidi as I jumped out and ran to unlock the door.

“Don’t worry about it, I had the ladies load their dishes right into the back of my Corolla,” Heidi said, waving off my apology.

“I have some stuff inside, too.”

“Great,” Heidi said, following behind me as I opened the door and crossed to the refrigerator where I’d kept the dishes that had been dropped off previously.

“Maybe we could put some foil on top?” Heidi suggested, and rather than argue that the dishes would be fine as they were, I nodded and went to the storeroom to grab some foil.

We were covering the last of the dishes when I turned at the sound of the door opening to see Gilly come walking in.

“Hey,” my sister said in greeting. “What are you guys up to so early?”

“Hey,” I replied, shooting her a smile.

“Good Morning, Gilly,” Heidi greeted her happily. “We had everyone bring their dishes here so we could consolidate and take them all to the Threehorn Pack together this morning. You’re free to join us, if you’d like.”

Gilly raised an eyebrow at me, causing me to bite back a grin at Heidi’s exuberance.

“Have you heard from Brick?” Gilly asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, he came by last night and helped me close, then we had a beer before I left him snoring happily in your apartment. I’m sure that’s where he still is, and plans to stay until at least noon.”

“Cool,” Gilly replied, then looked at us and said, “You guys go ahead, I’m gonna stay here and make sure everything’s ready for lunch.”

The three of us loaded the rest of the items into Heidi’s car, then we got in and left Gilly to open Howlers and headed toward Threehorn land.

“So, um, Tash, now that Gilly is with Max and she and Mateo are no longer an item, do you think he’ll be looking… for his actual mate?” Heidi asked, her tone hesitant.

I shrugged, my gaze out the window as we drove.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” I admitted. “Everything’s been happening so fast…”

“Yeah,” she murmured, then took a deep breath and asked, “Do you think… that is, have you, um, wondered if maybe you are his mate? I mean, you are a Matthews after all.”

I swung my head toward her and practically shouted, “No, jeez… gross, Mateo is like a brother to me, and, he’s been with my sister for practically ever. We do not belong together.”

The little voice in my head screamed, that’s because you’ve already met your mate… just last night, but I ignored her. I couldn’t worry about my reaction to Logan right now, didn’t know how to deal with it, so I’d decided to take things one step at a time, and that meant, all I was concerned with, was delivering these meals.

“Oh, okay, I just wondered,” Heidi said softly, and although I didn’t want to hurt her, I also didn’t want her to get her hopes up.

“But, Heidi, if you and Mateo were mates, you’d already know… You’d have felt it. I’m not sure if he’s met his mate already or not, and if so, why he and Gilly would have kept up their act for so long, but, I’m sorry, honey, you’d already know,” I repeated gently, and watched Heidi nod, even as her shoulders fell.

“I know, I mean, technically, I know all that, but I’m just ready, you know?” she asked, and although I wasn’t sure I was ready, I did know what she meant.

Heidi was ready to settle down and start a family. She wanted to find her mate, that person who would know her better than anyone, and defend her to the death if need be. She was tired of being alone.

“Don’t worry, it’ll happen,” I assured her.

“You think so?” she asked, hopeful.

“I know so,” I replied with a grin.

We pulled up in front of the large, ranch-style house with a wraparound porch that made me jealous, and walked around to the trunk to grab a few dishes before heading up to knock on the front door.

As we were walking up the steps with our arms full of covered dishes, the screen door opened and an older man with silver hair at his temples and a wolfish grin opened the door.

“Well, what do we have here?” he asked, and something about his tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Hello, sir,” Heidi began with a friend smile. “Mateo asked us to bring some food by to welcome your pack to the area. We have these, and more in the car, so hopefully you all will find something you enjoy.”

“From Mateo, you say?” he asked, then turned his head and nodded at someone inside the house. “Well, that’s just wonderful, thank you so much. I’m so sorry, I’m Josiah, that Alpha of the Threehorn pack. Why don’t you bring those on it to the kitchen, and my men will get the rest out of the car.”

I was about to say we’d wait on the porch, but Heidi was already walking through the door, so I followed behind her. I hurriedly put my dish on the counter, then turned to tell Heidi we should go, when I noticed the gun in Josiah’s hand.

It was aimed right at me.