Page 5 of Luke: The Bears

Colt shook his head. “You sound unhinged right now. And honestly, Luke, if your bear is acting up, then maybe Riggs is right and you’re about to meet your mate. But if not, then after dinner, we’ll all go out for a shift and wander.”

Luke was hopeful that whatever was up with his bear would resolve one way or the other.

And considering how lonely his bed had felt lately, he sure as hell hoped his truemate would show up.

Watching the wolves find their forever girls so close together had really given him and his friends hope. But fate could be fickle, and it wasn’t like Sigh had named the burger after any of them. It was after Alpha Dare’s mate Audrey.

But the closer they got to The Howl, the more interested his bear became. Less restless, more focused.

They walked to the back of the restaurant to avoid the line and came in through the back, stopping at the kitchen to greet Sigh and Juliette and put in their orders for as soon as they were able to send burgers to the deck.

When they reached the bar, where Dare and Audrey were working, the couple thanked them for their hard work on the deck, and said the reserved table was ready for them and everything was on the house for the night.

They put in drink orders, waved at Trick the bouncer at the door and his mate Cassidy nearby at the bar rolling silverware, and walked toward the doors to the deck.

Luke could hear the band tuning up.

But suddenly his bear wasn’t interested in that at all.

He froze in the middle of the main room, his ears buzzing and his bear growling softly.

“You okay?” Colt asked.

“I, uh, yeah. I’ll be right there,” he said.

Instead of going to the deck, he walked past Trick and opened the door.

He stopped just outside, sorting through the scents in the air. What had brought his bear out? He picked up car exhaust, perfume, the damp earth from the nearby river.

And under all of that, her.

Sweet like honey and warm like the afternoon sun.

His bear surged so hard in his chest that he gripped the door frame and the wood creaked.

Mine.

Scanning the line of people waiting for a table on the deck that was minutes from opening, he saw her.

She stood midway down the line beside a blonde female. Her hair was copper and fell in thick waves past her shoulders.

She looked at him suddenly, her dark eyes wide, her cheeks flushed.

The whole world narrowed down to her.

“Well, hell,” Trick said softly, chuckling.

“What?” Luke asked without looking away from her.

“I know what just happened. You look like we did when we found our forever girls. I’m convinced the burgers really are magic.”

“What do I do?” Luke whispered.

“Walk over there and talk to her before you rip the door off,” Trick said with a chuckle.

“I wasn’t going to rip the door off.”

“It creaked, man.”