Maybe jail wouldn’t be so bad. At least they fed you and threw in a cot. Was that pathetic? He actually laughed at himself, a miserable, bitter huff. “You think the jail’s a Motel 6, dipshit? Turn yourself in, they’ll stick you in a cell and throw away the key.” Then discover he wasn’t aging. Not like a human would.
Why the hell had he trusted Drew in the first place? Drew and his crooked half-smile, eyes that sparkled with trouble. Alex should’ve known. Pretty boys like Drew didn’t end up with guys like him.
It was some kind of cosmic law.
But then, out of nowhere, a thought struck him. What if there was a café in town? All Alex had to do was find one, charge his dead phone, and ping his wallet’s location in two seconds flat.
Easy. Just like that, a trickle of hope wormed its way in.
He set off for the road, hugging himself against the cold, his boots barely making a sound in the darkness. The shuffle, the hope, the pathetic little need to get back what was his.
Coffee shop, coffee shop, coffee shop. He wandered, searching every block, peering into the fuzzy glow of windows. And when he finally spotted one, for a second, Alex almost yelled in relief.
Then reality popped his happy balloon. The café was closed for the night. Lights out. Sign flicked to CLOSED in block letters.
Crap.
Another night outside? Just the thought made his stomach sink. Last night he’d crashed in the woods, tangled up with the undergrowth, trying to convince himself a pile of leaves made a good enough blanket. Even in his bunny form, with a coat of white fur, Alex had been freezing.
Now what?
With no wallet, and no other option, Alex trudged back toward the woods. His stomach rumbled, a low, embarrassing sound, and the scent from the diner drifted over like it meant business. It stopped him in front of the glass door, staring at the linoleum and the clatter and, somewhere, the promise of food.
Food he could almost taste.
He had just about convinced himself to walk away—totally normal, nothing to see here, definitely not a guy with no money just lurking on the sidewalk—when the door shoved open. A guy strode out, letting a waterfall of warm air and grilled meat and French fries tumble over Alex. And coffee, a sharp, dark scent that wrapped around him, squeezing all the way to his hollow gut.
Without thinking, he spun back around, inhaling deeply, trying to capture some tiny molecule of satisfaction from the aromas alone.
But what he got was something else. Something wild. Earthy.
Wolf.
His bunny instincts screamed danger, but the magic collar kept his animal trapped, leaving only his human reactions, which apparently included standing frozen like an idiot as the stranger approached.
The guy moved closer, his stride confident but unhurried. Something in his expression shifted when their eyes met. An odd look, as if he’d been struck by something invisible.
“You lost?” The stranger’s voice was deep, rough-edged.
“Just hungry,” Alex replied like the truth was bleeding out of him.
There was a pause. A long one. Then finally, “Name’s Wade,” the man said, offering a hand.
Alex hesitated before accepting the handshake. Wade’s palm was warm, callused, and the contact sent an unexpected jolt up his arm.
Holy shit.
The realization crashed over him with the subtlety of a wrecking ball. This wasn’t just any wolf shifter. This was his mate. His actual, universe-designated, cosmic-joke-of-a-mate.
Because, of course, the universe would pair a bunny with a wolf. The cosmos had a sick sense of humor, like fate itself was trolling him.
Alex’s stomach chose that moment to emit a growl loud enough to be heard in the next county. Mortifying.
Wade’s mouth quirked up at one corner. “Hungry, huh? Want to grab dinner?” He gestured toward the diner with his thumb. “I already ate, but I wouldn’t mind keeping you company.”
Alex patted his empty pockets. “Thanks, but I’m broke. Unless they take pocket lint as payment.”
“My treat,” Wade said, holding the door open. Warmth spilled out from the diner, carrying aromas of fried onions and grilled meat that made Alex’s empty stomach contract painfully.
