Page 30 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

I almost laughed. Human soulmates were fiction too, even more so than the idea of fated mates among shifters.

“But Wyatt’shuman,” Cal was protesting, “and Cam’s a shifter. How would that even …”

“If a human and a shifter are fated, the human will …” Karla waved a hand. “You know.”

“No, I don’t know!” Cal said with a scowl.

Karla just shrugged.

“They change,” Caroline offered.

Cal lifted his brows and closed his eyes. Then he shook his head. “You trying to tell me that meeting your ‘fated mate’ changes your goddamn DNA? No disrespect, auntie, but that sounds like a load of crock if I ever did hear one.”

Caroline shrugged an elegant shoulder. “Suit yourself,” she said.

“But you gotta admit that itdoesexplain what’s going on with Cam and this Wyatt fellow.”

Cal scowled, tapping his foot on the floor. They were right, but he didn’t like it.

It did explain it. It explained it a little too well, even down to the part where my brain kept insisting Wyatt was mymate. I took a deep a breath. “I’d buy it,” I told my aunts, “except that fated mates ain’t a thing.”

The two women exchanged a glance. “Isn’t it now?” Caroline asked, her brows rising.

Cal lifted a hand. “Everyone knows it only happens in the movies,” he said. “It’s not a real thing.”

Caroline offered us another elegant shrug. “Suit yourself,” shesaid again.

“I will,” I said, getting to my feet. “Now, can I help you ladies get settled in? How long you staying for?”

Another knowing look. Karla turned a smirk back to me. “I think we’ll be here for a little bit, at least.”

Wyatt

Ihad no idea what was wrong with me. it was after midnight, and instead of driving back to vern’s place, i found myself parking my car outside rocky ridge. jed had given me a ride to rocky ridge midday, when it became apparent daisy wasn’t going to give birth to her calves any time soon. covertly, i’d picked up my car and driven back to jed’s, which meant vern and i could take shifts.

Of course, Vern had already left for the evening when the real fun started; Daisy had given birth, though it had nearly killed her and both calves. All three were doing fine now, although I was shaky.

Which was why I’d driven to Rocky Ridge. Something in me longed to see Cam. I wanted to be comforted, and I had no idea why, but my brain had decided Cam was the man for the job.

But it wasn’t rational, I realized, driving over there after midnight. Even though there were lights on in the house, I didn’t think the Carlyle brothers would be exactly pleased to see me.

I couldn’t help myself. I was exhausted after spending all day at Jed’s place, waiting for the calves, then finally dealing with their arrival. I probably shouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel; it was like I was on autopilot, which was how I’d ended up here and not back at Vern’s, where I could have collapsed into my bed and slept.

I was just about to get out of the car when the front door peeled open and someone stuck their head outside.

I blinked as I took in the face of a woman with hair about the color of Cam’s and amber eyes. She blinked owlishly back at me. Then she hollered, “Calvin! Somebody’s here—you expecting company?”

“At this hour?” Cal nearly bowled her over as he poked his head out the door. He shook his head, like he thought he was seeing things. “Wyatt?”

I hustled out of the car, closing the door. “Uh, hey,” I said, “sorry. I know it’s late, but I just wrapped up at Jed’s and I wanted to check in on—”

The woman’s eyes lit up. “You’re Wyatt?” she asked with something like glee in her voice. Her gaze raked up and down my form. Then she turned back to the house and shouted, “Cameron! Your boyfriend’s here!”

I almost toppled over, I was that surprised to hear the word out of her mouth. “Uh! We’re not—”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Aunt Caroline!” Cam protested over me. He slapped a hand to the doorjamb, nearly knocking the petite woman out of the way.

The woman—Caroline—put a hand to her mouth, barely disguising an evil chuckle. Then she slipped away, while Cam stared at me, and Cal stared awkwardly at his brother.