I wish I could see things the way he does. From where I stand, everything feels hopeless. “How can I help him understand? None of his relationships lasted because those men weren’t who he was meant to be with!” I toss my spoon into the container with a sigh. “I can’t tell him we’re fated mates. He’d never believe me. If I could learn more about him, mayhap I could understand him better. But how?”
Jamie and Anders are quiet, seemingly as stumped as I am.
“Oh my god.” Jamie suddenly springs to his feet. “I just had the craziest idea!”
Anders smiles. “Crazy may be just what we need right now, pet.”
Jamie paces up and down, murmuring to himself. “Wait. Wait, this is actually brilliant. Go me!”
“What?” I ask, struggling to stay patient.
“He rejected Lyall the man. But what if he met Lyall the wolf?”
My brain tries and fails to make the connection. “How would that help? I wouldn’t be able to talk to him in that form.”
“Let me cook!” Jamie snaps.
“Now is not the time for cooking!”
Anders chuckles. “It’s a saying. He’s thinking.”
Sighing, I slump against the counter. “Fine. Go and cook. Or however you say it.”
“So, he’s afraid of relationships but we’ve established that he likes you. He’s not going to let you close. But! What if you found another way to get to know him?”
Understanding dawns bright like the sunrise. “As a wolf! I could learn more about him. His fears. What he wants.”
“Exactly! So if you see him again in human form, you’ll know how to reassure him.”
“Your mate is brilliant,” I tell Anders.
Smirking, Anders puffs out his chest. “Obviously.”
Jamie’s plan is a good one, but my spirits quickly sour when I realize it has a flaw. “How do we get him to meet with me in my shifted form?”
Jamie waves away my concerns. “Leave that to me.”
I hope I don’t regret this…
Chapter 6
Soren
“How do you feelabout dogs?”
I’m not sure I understand the question or why Jamie is asking. I hand a customer their Guinness and say, “I mean, they’re pretty cool. I’ve never had one, but I never pass up the opportunity to say hi to a friendly pup. I saw the cutest golden retriever on my way to work. He had this big goofy smile and…”
And it had reminded me so much of Lyall, I’d had to walk away. I hadn’t been able to outrun the sucker punch of guilt and the awful feeling I’d made a huge mistake. Usually after I break up with someone or they dump me, there’s the initial hurt, but it’s mixed with relief. As sad as it was to end things, I knew it was the right thing to do. They hadn’t been my person.
Could Lyall have been my person? Did I fuck things up for good?
“You good, Soren?”
I rearrange my face into a smile I hope is more sincere than I feel. “Yeah. Fine. Why’d you ask about dogs?”
“My friend is going out of town and he needs someone to pet sit his dog.”
“What kind of dog?”
