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Though he hadn’t realized it at the time, as his childhood friends were meeting their mates, one by one, he was subconsciously bracing himself for that moment when his own mate would burst into his life and change his world forever.
Except it never happened.
Instead, the matings had dwindled to nothing earlier that spring, leaving Sam to wonder if what he’d anticipated happening wasn’t on the horizon at all.
In the beginning, he’d tried to convince himself he was grateful.
After all, he was too busy for a mate, given how far out he was booked for his custom furniture business. The good news was that his business was solid with orders showing no signs of slowing down. That was also the bad news, given the nature of his business—custom Sam Warner designs that only he could build.
Just thinking about it exhausted him.
He should be in the shop right now, working on a custom desk order, but it had become harder and harder to ignore the loneliness, especially when constantly surrounded by his happily mated friends.
This was why he was at Shenanigans, attempting to soothe his wolf with pack connections when what his wolf really needed was to find his mate.
In the beginning, that need had been subdued, easy to ignore because he’d expected his turn would eventually come.
Over the past six months, though, with not a single mating in sight, that need had grown into a gaping, hollowed-out desperation, one that warned he would soon be forced to leave his pack and his home, if he ever hoped to find the mate who would make him whole.
He’d spent six months trying to ignore that desperate need. After all, it was a well-known phenomenon that mates were often pulled together by the fates.
He’d seen it happen over and over again in Jamesville.
Glory moved there and found Max.
Phoenix moved there and found Travis
The witches came and found Karl, Cole and Dan.
Gigi came for Adam.
Even beings from other realms found themselves traveling to Jamesville and discovering their mates.
Sam had seen this as a sign. He simply needed to be patient. Eventually, his mate would come.
Only she never did.
Then, about a month ago, he remembered that Gigi was actually the exception.
Sure, she’d come to town to find Adam, but she only did so because she’d been pregnant with his cubs.
A pregnancy that had happened because they’d met while Adam was on vacation.
Away from Jamesville.
Gigi would never have known to come looking for Adam if he hadn’t left pack lands in the first place.
“I think I might have to leave Jamesville,” Sam said, testing the idea out loud.
“What are you talking about?” Karl asked.
Sam shrugged. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it, but he’d been thinking about it for a month and it was past time to make it happen.
“Why would you leave Jamesville?” Max demanded.
“It worked for Adam,” Sam said.
“What worked for me?” Adam grabbed a chair from a neighboring table and shoved his way in between Max and Dan.
