“She is here for you.” I ducked down, angling my head to meet his gaze. “You’re the most important thing to her right now.”
He didn’t respond, just averted his gaze to the ground at his feet.
“I won’t insult you. I like Katie, and I want to spend time with her and get to know her.” I hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. Shifters learned young about fated mates, but Eli had no idea. “All shifters have what we call a fated mate. It’s the one person fate has chosen for us. The person who just fits. Who we’ll love completely.” I crouched down. “Katie is mine.”
His eyes flashed with anger, and his fists clenched at his sides.
“But don’t for one second think that means we won’t make you a priority.” I blew out a breath. “I won’t pretend to know everything you’ve been through. I grew up mostly in human territory, but I always knew I was a shifter.”
I moved into a more comfortable position but stayed on his level. “My dad dumped me on a pack when I was around your age. None of them wanted me. This ranch was the first place I truly belonged. I hope it can be that for you, too.”
He was silent, and I let him process my words. His leg bounced, and he loosened his fists as the bouncing slowed. His gaze lifted to meet mine. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped, going silent again before asking, “Do I… do I have a fated mate?”
“You do.” I grinned at him. “You won’t recognize them until after you both turn eighteen, but they’re out there right now.”
He scuffed his foot along the dirt. “That could be cool. I’ve never had someone who…”
“Is all yours?” I finished the thought for him. “Yeah. It is. But Katie and I are here for you. As are all my brothers and their mates. And Jonah.”
A tremulous smile slid across his lips.
“Wherever you go, I hope you’ll always consider us family,” I said.
He sniffed, trying to fight the tears that filled his eyes again. I ruffled his hair, lightening the mood. “Now, how about we let our wolves out to play?”
Eli nodded quickly, and I watched him try to shift. I doubted he would be able to yet. His first shift was likely caused by heightened emotions. Sometimes feeling a need for your wolf made the shift easier; high stakes had our animal halves eager to protect us.
My heart warmed as I watched his earnest face. I’d meant it when I told him we were family. Everyone on the ranch knew that blood didn’t make a family. And Eli was fast becoming part of ours. I would miss him when he left.
Katie
I finished making notes on my conversation with Hunter, the Alpha of the Shifter Alley wolf pack. It had gone well. I knew it had, but I still had a hole in my gut.
Hunter had said Eli was welcome to join their pack. He even promised to ask around to find a few different families for him, and I could interview them myself.
I knew it was best for Eli. He would be surrounded by shifters and would learn everything he should already know. But I admitted I would miss him. We’d been through an intense few days, and it had created a bond.
I slipped the folder back into my bag and stretched my arms overhead. Luke and Eli had probably finished their run by now, so I made myself a cup of coffee and went to sit on the porch.
I ran my hand along the arm of the wooden rocking chair, wondering if Luke had made it as I sat, angled to face the path so I could see Eli when he returned. I imagined him brimming withexcitement again about his time as a wolf, and I wanted him to know someone in his life was eager to hear all about it.
My phone rang, and I reminded myself again to change the ringtone. One of the foster kids I worked with had switched it on me, and I kept forgetting to change it back. It made me smile, though, so maybe I should keep it.
I didn’t recognize the number, but in my job, I answered all calls. “Hello?”
A gruff voice that sounded vaguely familiar filled my ear. “Check your texts.”
A second later, a chime signaled a new message. I pulled it up, and my breath whooshed out of me. The text consisted of a single photo: Eli tied up and gagged in a truck bed.
My hands shook as I lifted my cell back to my ear. “Where is he? Who is this?”
He chuckled darkly. “I’ll tell you where he is. You’re going to meet us here—and tell no one, or else I’ll hurt the pup.”
Another chime sounded. He’d sent a GPS tag. I pulled it up on my phone’s map and tried to figure out how to get there. “I don’t have a car.”
“I saw someone leave a truck outside the barn. They slipped a key behind the visor. You have fifteen minutes.”
I moved without thinking, breaking into a run as soon as I cleared the porch steps. My head felt empty, but my heart raced. I needed to get to Eli.
