“Hey, Jamie.” My co-worker and best friend, Thomas, called out to me from the firehouse kitchen. “Are you heading home now?”
“Nah, I thought I would swing by the rescue for a bit and see if I can help them with anything today.” I sipped my cup of coffee, preparing myself for a long day of volunteering and chores once I finally got home. “I haven’t been able to get over there lately due to all the maintenance the house needed and working these longer shifts. But I figured since I feel up to it, I will head over there today.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Thomas joined me at the table. “I am probably going to head over to Rebecca’s house and make sure the twins are behaving. Her mate is out of town for business again, so I am playing supportive big brother while he’s gone. I swear, if Holden didn’t make enough at his job to let my sister stay home and comfortably raise their little clan, I would have forced him to find something local and stay home more. But Rebecca wants to be able to dedicate all her time to raising the twins and any other kids they decide to add to the family later. So, I will support them the best way I can and keep my sister company while he’s away.”
“Look at you being the best big bro.” I shook my head and thought about the load of trouble the twins usually got into while their father was away, and that Uncle Tom had to clean up behind Rebecca’s back. “But honestly, this time, if the twins set the trash can on fire again, tell your sister. Those hooligans need to get a good talking to from their mother and stop causing so much chaos.”
“I know.” Thomas sighed and placed his mug on the table. “I will. I just didn’t want to add to her stress. I see now that I only let the twins believe they can misbehave, and I’ll always be there to clean up and help cover their tracks. That fire last time was the last time I’ll do that, though. They’re only seven and creating such havoc. If we don’t nip it in the bud now, they may land in real trouble when they are grown, and I’m not around to put out the flames.”
“Yeah, they’re old enough to start learning how to control their dragons.”
I finished my coffee and chatted with Thomas for another half hour before we both decided to leave the fire station and begin our forty-eight hours off. Another shift would come too soon anyway; we needn’t spend our time off at the station as well. We would probably meet up before then for a beer, but we both needed to get things done before we had to report back to work. He had to help his sister wrangle two unruly children, and I had to go put in a few hours at Foxy’s Den, the local fox rescue.
My brothers didn’t understand why I spent my free time taking care of some random foxes when I could be helping the local pack with the overwhelming number of pups they’d birthed lately, but it wasn’t something I could easily explain to them. There was just this pull toward the foxes that I had since I could remember. I had to know all about them, be close to them, and help them. My mom always joked that I was probably going to mate with one someday. I wasn’t sure if that was true. I hadn’t met my fated mate yet, let alone know if they were a shifter. But what I did know was that I needed to help the foxes at the rescue out. And the last couple of days seemed to become even more important. I had neglected them to make sure my home repairs were completed, and that my parents were healing well from a recent bout of wolf-sickness. Now, I was ready to head back and spend some time with those playful pups.
I pulled up to the main house of the rescue and parked my cherry-red pickup truck in the spot that was now unofficially reserved for me. I had been a regular visitor to this spot since the year I turned sixteen and met Foxy. Although he was a human and, at the time, in his mid-thirties, he loved animals more than humans and was a friend of many shifters in the area. He had built this property to take in the animals he was most obsessed with. He was excited to meet a young teen as interested in foxes as he was. We were instant friends, regardless of the age difference. We understood one another in a way my family and friends at school didn’t. And the foxes loved us.
“Hey, stranger. It’s been a bit since you stopped by to see us. Everything okay at the station?” Foxy’s wife, Angela, greeted me as I entered the small building that worked as the welcome and education center for the rescue. “I think they’ve missed you. They kept coming up to the fence and looking at the cars parked outside.”
“That’s sweet. I’ll make sure to give them extra love.” Warmth filled my chest as I thought of the foxes checking to see if I’d arrived yet. I stored my keys, phone, and wallet behind the counter so that I didn’t lose them while I played with the foxes. “Everything has been chaotic at the station. They are trying longer shifts right now, so everyone is struggling to adjust to the changes. As for home, I finally finished the upgrades to my cabin, so I will need to have you and Foxy over soon for dinner and to show off the new patio in the back.”
“And your parents? Brothers?” Angela handed me a cookie from the tin she always had behind the counter. She brought a fresh batch or two in every morning for the staff.
“They are doing great. Busy but still have time to call a few times a week.” I shook my head, thinking of the last call from my mom, complaining about having no grandbabies to spoil.
Angela rose a brow. “Still hounding you about not having a mate yet?”
“Of course. Although I did have a small reprieve last week when they all got the wolf flu that was going around. They were too sick to worry about my love life. I swear there are four of us. Why are my parents only worried about me? My brothers are adults, too.”
“But you’re the oldest.” Angela giggled. “Your parents will start up with your brothers soon; they’re just now ending college and beginning careers.”
“I know.” I sighed. “It’s just a lot of pressure sometimes.”
“You’re nearing your thirties, and they’re anxious for those grandpups.” Angela’s lips quirked up, a gleam appearing in her eye. “My parents were the same with me.”
“Does it get better?” I hoped so. I wasn’t sure how long it would be until I found my mate, and I didn’t want to be interrogated by my mom everyday for several more years.
“They will ease up on you eventually, spread the focus on your brothers.” Angela chuckled. “Once my sisters reached twenty-five, my parents started to focus on them as well. I remember the relief when I realized I could redirect their questions to my sister Andrea instead of taking all the guilt myself for them not having any grandkids yet.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I didn’t either back then.” Angela nodded to a picture of her twenty-year-old daughter that sat on her desk. “But with Mallory growing up, I’m now getting the grandma itch and understand my parents so much more.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” I laughed and headed toward the door that led to the fox area. “I’ll talk to you more later. Right now, I need to go greet my buddies.”
“Have fun.” Angela waved me off. “Foxy deserted me for those furry cuties. I’m used to it.”
With a final wave to the woman who had been like a second mom to me, I entered the area where the foxes roamed free. Immediately, I was greeted by two of my furry best friends, Milo and Minnie.
“Hey, guys.” I let the foxes sniff me; their excited yips sounded like a beautiful song to my ears. “I know it’s been a couple of weeks, but I promise to play with you a little extra today to make up for it. Okay?”
As I spent time with the foxes, I felt the stress of my job and pressures from my family melt away. There was nothing like being here with these sweet pups. The only thing that may have been better was to share moments like this with my mate.
Soon.My wolf rumbled, and excitement tingled through my body. My wolf had an uncanny ability to foresee the near future. If he was saying soon, there was a good possibility that I was close to finally meeting my mate.
I hoped he liked foxes.
Chapter Three
