Something like cedar, but with an edge to it I didn’t recognize. Furrowing my brow, I looked around. There were no other shifters in the diner that I could sense. Just Linc and Cole.

  What was that? I breathed in the scent, trying to place it. It drew me in, making me feel strangely captivated. I was curious to know who the source was of this distinctive scent. Suddenly, I remembered something about a fated mate’s scent being unique and totally alluring. I shook my head, dazed. Was my mate seriously here right now?

  As I carefully checked out the diner once more, I didn’t see anything or anyone different, certainly no one who might be my mate. I pushed the thought away. I was probably just imagining it. Maybe the pressure I was feeling from my father wanting me to take over as pack leader had me jumping to conclusions, thinking that if I had my mate that was one less obstacle to overcome.

  I was being ridiculous. I thanked Kay when she handed me my card and receipt, and then I turned toward the door. Cole was standing in the waiting area, talking with another boy his age. I guessed it was someone he knew from school. I strolled over to them while we waited for Linc to reappear. It didn’t look like this kid’s parents were anywhere to be seen.

  “Hey,” I said, slinging an arm around Cole’s shoulders. “Who’s your friend?”

  The sandy blond-haired boy looked up at me, his eyes going wide. “Oh my gosh,” he said, looking from me to Cole then back again. “You’re Jaxon Parsons!”

  I laughed and stuck out my hand. “That I am.”

  “You were Rookie of the Year, the best pitcher the entire major league had seen in years.”

  I chuckled again. It wasn’t that often I ran into fans now I was back in Timberwood Cove, but it was always fun when they were kids.

  “Sounds like you’re a big baseball fan,” I said.

  “Big isn’t the right word,” he exclaimed, then he proceeded to rattle out stats from my entire career—something that had spanned more years than he’d been alive. He sounded so awestruck I was almost embarrassed. This kid didn’t just sound like a baseball fan, but like the most well-informed sportscaster in history—one that specialized in me particularly.

  I felt a little taken aback by how thorough his knowledge was. Sure, I had fans who knew all about my career, but this kid was something else.

  He shook his head. “Mr. Parsons, you’re my hero.”

  He said it so earnestly I couldn’t help but feel humbled, but before I could say anything, Cole laughed and elbowed me in the side.

  “Him? Nah, he’s just Jaxon, my dad’s best friend. This is my friend Liam I was telling you about.”

  Cole had neglected to mention the kid was a super fan.

  “Your dad’s best friend?” Liam looked at me in awe again.

  I grinned as he finally shook my outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, Liam.”

  He practically glowed. “This is incredible! Wait until I tell my uncle!”

  Just then I caught that scent again—cedar mingled with something unfamiliar. Stronger this time. I turned my attention from the boys back toward the counter, where a man was making his way between some tables toward the waiting area.

  Holy. Fuck.

  The scent hit me harder, coming in waves from the man who was grimacing as he leaned on a cane. However, that wasn’t what really caught my attention. My gaze became transfixed on the man’s face. The angular line of his jaw, his roman nose, his full lips, the dark blond hair falling over narrow eyes.

  He was sexy as hell.

  I felt my wolf spring to life in the back of my mind. Apparently he recognized the scent as well. Instinct kicked in, and I started toward the stranger before I even knew what was happening. I was drawn to him—pulled, as if there was something binding us together. Was he my mate?

  Just as the enormity of that possibility set in, the bottom of the man’s cane got caught on a chip in the tile floor, and his leg suddenly gave out. He began to stumble and fall. I darted forward as fast as I could, but I was too late, and he landed hard on his side.

  The sounds in the diner came to a screeching halt, everyone turning to see what had just happened.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as I reached his side, the scent of him nearly overpowering now. When I touched his arm, he jerked his head up to me, and for a minute I was captured in the intensity of his piercing hazel eyes.

  He tightened his jaw, and his cheeks turned red as he glanced around the diner, realizing everyone was staring at him. I looked up at the other diners, narrowing my gaze, feeling an urge to protect this man from their prying eyes; and everyone looked away. The din picked up again, a bit softer now, but I tuned it all out, dropping my gaze and focusing on this beautiful man.

  He was already pushing himself up, not looking at me now. “I’m fine.” But his voice sounded strained as he got to his knees and reached for his cane.

  “Here, let me help you,” I said quickly, reaching to grasp him around his waist. I accidentally brushed my fingers against his arm and felt a spark of nerves, a rush of awareness where my skin touched his. He didn’t seem to notice.

  “Are you okay?” I asked again, once he was on his feet.

  His mouth stretched into a line, and I wasn’t sure if it was a smile or a grimace.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice a little rough. “I said I was fine.”

  I glanced over at Kay. “He needs a table.”

  Without waiting for a response I helped the man over to the nearest booth. It was obvious he needed my assistance but was trying his hardest not to lean on me. He put his weight into the cane and limped a few steps until we were at the booth.

  “Uncle Bryce! Are you okay?” The little boy who Cole had been talking with came rushing over to us, looking worried as he searched the man’s face.

  I felt an immediate shift in the man. He stood straighter, squaring his shoulders, and smiled at Liam.

  My stomach did a little flip. Even though I could tell the smile was forced, the way his eyes lit up as he looked at the boy only made me want to see more of that smile.

  Cole ran up to join us as the man lowered himself into the booth. I reluctantly drew my hand away. I couldn’t exactly stand there with my hands all over a man I’d never met, even though my wolf clawing at my mind seemed to want me to do just that.

  “Liam, is this your uncle?” Cole asked, looking between the two of them.

  “Yeah, this is my Uncle Bryce.”

  Bryce.

  I wanted to slide right into the booth next to him. Instead I just extended my hand to him like I had to Liam.

  “Hey, Bryce. I’m Jaxon.”

  When he shook my hand, I felt that same spark radiating up my arm, and that’s when I knew. Liam’s uncle was my fated mate.

  I blew out a breath in both shock and joy. My mate! I’d found him!

  He looked up at me, those hazel eyes locking with mine again, and he gave me a small smile. Not as bright as the one he gave his nephew, but at least this smile was directed at me.

  “Nice to meet you. And, uh…thanks for the help.” He looked away then, like he was embarrassed about the fall. I didn’t give a fuck about that, though. I just wanted to make sure he was okay.

  “Is there anything you need?” He frowned and shook his head, but before he could say anything, I put up my hand. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

  Linc had just caught my attention at the front of the restaurant. I gave him a wave then walked back to the counter where Kay was closing out another patron’s check. I heard Liam and Cole talking over the din of the other diners, no doubt because I was tuning every heightened sense I had toward their table.

  I smiled as I heard Liam telling his uncle that I was Jaxon Parsons, his favorite baseball player ever. Then I stepped up to Kay and leaned over the counter.

  “Kay, I want to prepay for their meal. Whatever they want, it’s on me,” I said, handing her my credit card again.

  As she ran my card for the second time, I started thinking about what Cole had said earlier. This must be the friend he was talking about who wanted to play ball with him but didn’t have the money.

  “Anything they want,” I reiterated to Kay as she handed me a blank receipt and I signed my name. I felt the overwhelming urge to make sure Bryce and Liam were taken care of tonight. It was just something small, but if they were struggling, I wanted to help.

  I headed right back over to the table, ignoring the look Linc gave me from where he was waiting at the front door. When I came to stand at the table again, it took everything I had in me to keep myself in control. I wanted to reach over and brush the blond hair off Bryce’s forehead. Run my fingers along his jaw, over his lips…

  My wolf was going crazy, but I forced myself to put on the appearance of being a perfect gentleman. To not reveal the very dirty thoughts that were swiftly going through my mind. Despite that, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. He looked up at me as if he felt the intensity of my gaze, a line forming between his eyebrows. Did he feel this too? Was it just me? Was I the only one having this reaction because he was my mate? I studied him, looking for some sign that he was conscious of the undeniable awareness channeling between us.

  But he didn’t appear fazed at all. Of course not. Why would he? He was human.

  That was something I hadn’t thought about at first, my mind so filled with the knowledge that I’d found my mate—and more than a little distracted by the pure sexiness he radiated. As a human he wouldn’t be aware of the concept of fated mates—hell, chances were he wasn’t even aware of the existence of shifters.

  Still looking at Bryce, I said, “Liam, I have a great idea.”

  With what felt like superhuman effort, I dragged my gaze from Bryce and focused on the boy. “Why don’t you come join the team at our next practice? We could use someone who knows baseball as well as you.”

  Liam practically came out of his seat. “Are you serious?” he asked, lighting up as only little kids could.

  “No—um—I—” Bryce’s voice brought me right back to staring at him. He cleared his throat. “What I mean is, I’m not sure…”

  I saw a muscle in his jaw tick with tension. His shoulders seemed to drop slightly as he looked over at Liam, who was now looking guiltily at his uncle. I could tell that the next thing Bryce said was incredibly painful, even though he tried to cover it with a smile for Liam.

  “Thank you, but I’m afraid that’s an expense we just can’t afford right now. We have some things…going on.”

  Liam’s shoulders deflated, but he didn’t say anything. Just reached out and wordlessly squeezed his uncle’s hand.

  It nearly broke my heart.

  “No, no,” I said quickly, already having made my decision even before meeting both uncle and nephew. “Don’t worry about anything like that. I’ve got it all covered. We have plenty of equipment, and if Liam needs a ride to practice, we can handle that too.”

  Bryce opened his mouth to protest, and I could see he didn’t like the idea of someone giving them what probably equated to a handout in his mind. Even though I didn’t know him, I could read the pride and determination clearly on his face.

  I cut him off before he could object, though. “Seriously. I insist. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I meant it when I said we could use a kid like Liam on the team. His enthusiasm enough will be exactly what the other kids need.”

  I leaned over the table, grabbed a napkin and a pen a server must have left behind, and then scribbled my number down.

  “Liam, here’s my number,” I said, passing the boy the napkin. My eyes never left Bryce, and I hoped the insistence in my gaze made it clear I really wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Next practice is Tuesday evening. Let me know if you need a ride.”

  Bryce looked at me, something like relief and resignation on his face. He looked like he was struggling with what to say, and I wondered how I must appear to him. Probably like an alpha getting turned on by a totally sexy omega. Surely it wasn’t the first time he’d been stared at that way, but as I continued to gaze at him I saw a flush creep up his neck. My body immediately reacted to it, my cock twitching to life. Fuck. I really didn’t need to sport a boner right here in front of the entire diner, but it was impossible to deny how he was affecting me. How the air between us seemed to thicken.

  “Thank you,” he finally said, giving me a genuine smile.

  That smile nearly undid me, and I found myself grinning back, leaning in a little closer.

  “Yes, thank you so much!” Liam declared, reminding me that we were indeed surrounded by other people.

  I turned to him, making myself look away from Bryce. “Make sure you get dessert, okay? I’ll see you two at the ball field next week then.” Then I turned back to Bryce. “Remember all you have to do is call if you need anything. Like a ride, I mean.”

  Though I really meant if he needed anything at all. The need to look out for Bryce and Liam suddenly felt as natural as breathing. Bryce simply nodded, his brow furrowing again, and I knew I had to go now before I did something crazy without thinking. He already looked unsettled.

  “Let’s go, Cole. Your dad is waiting.”

  I headed toward the front of the restaurant, leaving Cole to say his goodbyes. Every step I took I became more and more aware of a string of energy connecting me right back to where Bryce sat. Yes, he was definitely my mate.

  I grinned at the thought.

  “What the fuck are you smiling at?” Linc asked me as we made our way out the door. He waved back to Cole. “Come on, buddy.”

  Cole loped after us as we climbed into my car so I could take them back to the ball field where they could get theirs to go home.

  Linc looked at me expectantly. “What was that all about?”

  I settled behind the wheel then turned to him. “That man is my fated mate.”

  Astonishment crossed Linc’s face for only a moment before he grinned like a big idiot, just as I certainly was.

  “Dude! That’s amazing!” He turned in his seat to look back at the diner, like he could see Bryce inside. “That guy with Liam?”

  Cole jumped in the back and leaned forward between the front seats, apparently having heard what I said.

  “Liam’s uncle is your mate?” he asked at practically the top of his voice, his eyes as wide as Liam’s had been when he’d seen me in the diner.

  Linc and I laughed at his enthusiasm.

  “You can’t go around saying that,” Linc said with a wink.

  “That means Liam will end up being part of our pack.” Cole pumped his fist in the air. “This is awesome!”

  I smiled, even though Cole was getting way ahead of himself, but his excitement was contagious because he was right. Bryce was my mate, so both him and Liam would be welcomed into the pack with open arms.

  The fact that he was a human made things a little more complicated, and I realized I’d have to really be careful to handle this the right way. Not only would he be learning that I was a shifter, but we were fated to be together. I didn’t have the faintest clue how that would play out, which was why I wasn’t still in the diner, divulging everything to Bryce and asking if I could go home with him.

  I needed to court him. Get him to like me, fall in love with me, and only then could I tell him who I was. I smiled again, thrilled about finally finding my fated mate. And he was literally the sexiest man I’d ever seen.

  4

  Bryce

  “Jaxon Parsons!” Liam exclaimed for what had to be the hundredth time since we left Kay’s Diner. He bounced up and down on his bed, eyes shining. “Can you believe it? He’s the nicest ever!”

  I chuckled. Jaxon Parsons indeed. He did seem to be quite the man, in more ways than I was sure I wanted to contemplate. Just the fact that he’d insisted Liam play on the team regardless of our ability to pay spoke volumes about the type of person he was.

  Listening to Liam talk about how he got to play baseball on none other than his hero’s little league team made me feel a rush of gratitude. I wondered if that had been evident in my thanks to Jaxon at the restaurant. I was pretty sure it wasn’t. My thanks may even have come off begrudgingly, but it was only because I’d been caught up in a mix of anxiety and embarrassment at having to admit I couldn’t afford for Liam to play. Yet Jaxon had brushed over that fact smoothly, as if it didn’t even matter. It seemed like the only thing that mattered was Liam being able to play ball. Jaxon had been so insistent. So in control of the entire situation.

  I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to say no to him even if Liam’s happiness weren’t part of the equation.

  “Tuesday is forever away, Uncle Bryce,” he said now, his face going from joyful to despondent in a matter of seconds.

  I laughed again. “It will be here soon enough. Even sooner if you get to sleep. It’s past your bedtime, big man.”

  Liam flopped back on his pillow, and I reached to pull the blankets up over him. “I still can’t believe it.”

  “Well, believe it,” I said with a smile. “It’s happening. You’re going to be a baseball player.”

  It was really more than I could even hope to ask for. Liam got to do what he’d been longing to, and it wouldn’t affect the budget. On the one hand, it kind of felt like a handout, and that was something that rubbed me the wrong way, but at the same time, Jaxon hadn’t made it seem like that at all. He’d seemed completely sincere in his claims that the team needed Liam.

  “Thank you so much for letting me do this,” Liam said.

  I felt my chest tighten. “We really need to be thanking Mr. Parsons.”

  Liam nodded. “Maybe we could write a thank you note.”

  As usual, this kid shocked me with his kindness and thoughtfulness. “That sounds like a great idea,” I said, leaning over to brush Liam’s shaggy blond hair off his forehead and press a soft kiss there. “Let’s do it tomorrow.”

  I stood from his bed and switched off the lamp on his bedside table. “Sweet dreams.”

  “You too, Uncle Bryce.” His little voice followed me as I headed out of his room, a smile still on my face.

 

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