Mate! Mate!
“It’s you,” she whispered.
She lifted her delicate fingertips to her full, pink bottom lip. Did she know? How could she? She was human.
“You are my mate,” Knox grunted, the animal inside him coming out more strongly than he had intended.
The woman’s eyes widened and she took half a step back.
“So it’s true,” she said nervously.
“I’m Knox.”
His heart pounded in his brain, and he couldn’t believe how stupid he sounded. Everything in him wanted to grab her, pull her into his arms, and rain kisses all over those pink lips and pretty high cheek bones. He wanted to feel her tiny body crushed against his massive chest. His bear growled in agreement.
“I’m Harper Brown.”
He reached out to shake her hand, a civilized gesture that felt forced and alien. His hand held suspended in the space between them and she reluctantly lifted her own to take his. On contact, a connection radiated between them. The electric energy coursed up his arm, into his heart, and up into his brain. As if startled, Harper let go and took another step backward.
“How do you know me, Harper?” he finally asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
“I signed up for Mate.com last night. We were matched.”
“My personal phone’s been dead all day. I didn’t know.”
He had been waiting for three years for a mate and the day he was finally matched with her, his phone was dead. It was the worst timing of all bad timing in the universe.
His grizzly didn’t seem to care. It paced back and forth inside his mind, clawing at the backs of his eyeballs. The bear groaned and grunted, sending Knox images of mating with the tiny little woman standing in front of him. He had to force the images aside, keeping his body from showing obvious signs of arousal.
His nostrils flared as he took another involuntary draw of her scent. This was getting out of hand. He was a police officer! He had to maintain decorum while he wore the uniform.
“Well, you know now,” she said reluctantly, brushing a long strand of black hair behind her ear.
Her hood fell back, and he was able to see the full profile of her face for the first time. She was dazzlingly lovely and his grizzly couldn’t agree more.
“This is awkward,” he said.
“Awkward doesn’t fully express what this is right now,” Harper said as if coming back to her senses herself. She giggled nervously and glanced at the front door of the credit union. “I came into town to apply for the job as a bank teller. I really should be going.”
She started for the door. “Wait,” Knox said, taking a step toward her. “We have to see each other again.”
“Why don’t you text me once you have your phone charged,” she said, disappearing into the bank.
Chapter 3
Harper walked into the bank, her heart pounding in her chest. Knox had to be the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. His six foot four height and massive broad shoulders spoke of his heritage as a shifter. His strong jawline and tapered waist had nearly made her weak in the knees.
She couldn’t believe a man like that was supposed to be her one hundred percent match. He looked so damn good in that blue uniform, with his gun slung at his waist and that gold badge on his chest.
Harper was so lost in thought about Knox, she almost forgot what she was doing. She could barely think straight as she looked across the bank to see the bank manager walking toward her.
“Harper Brown?” the bank manager said, reaching out to take her hand.
She shook his hand, it felt clammy and uncomfortable but she gave him a good firm handshake before letting it go.
“Yes. Good morning,” she said with a smile.
“I received your application and résumé last night. Let’s have a seat and chat.”
He directed her toward a desk and chair in an office off to the side of the main room. She sat down across the desk from him and folded her hands in her lap. With a straight back and an amiable smile on her face, she waited for Mr. Black to begin the interview.
“It says here in your résumé that you’ve been a bank teller for the last three years at Bank of Oregon in Portland.”
“That’s right,” Harper said.
“I called your Bank of Oregon branch this morning and your manager informed me that you left without notice,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her.
“That’s right. But I had some serious personal issues take place yesterday. My grandfather died, and I had to move out of my apartment for personal reasons. The only place for me to go was my grandfather’s cabin.
“He left it to me in his will so I have relocated to Fate Mountain. Unfortunately, I could not give my previous manager notice because I myself didn’t have notice of my impending move. If it were any other circumstance, I assure you that I would have given notice. I never missed a single day of work. I’ve been named employee of the month three times during my employment at the Bank of Oregon. I assure you I was an exemplary employee.”
“Your manager did note your previous status is employee of the month and did confirm that you never missed a day.”
“Honestly, I can’t understand why he refused the reference. But that’s his business. I suppose I can understand his position,” Harper said, wanting to change the subject.
“You have a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Oregon.”
“That’s right. I graduated magna cum laude,” Harper said.
She couldn’t believe that she was sitting in this small town bank, practically begging for a job, after all her hard work and years of experience. It was somewhat humiliating. But she sucked it up and continued to smile. She needed a job, and as they say, beggars can’t be choosers.
“Well, Harper, I think that you would be perfect for the position.”
He stood from behind the desk and Harper stood as well. They shook hands and she thanked him for the opportunity.
“Don’t disappoint me,” he said. “This may be a small town branch, but we have important work to do in serving our community.”
“Absolutely, I agree,” Harper said, totally relieved in spite of everything.
They said their goodbyes and she turned to leave the bank. Outside, the streets of Fate Mountain Village were decorated for the Christmas holiday just around the corner. Snow had piled up in drifts along the sidewalks. Christmas lights twinkled from the windows of the bakery down the street. It was all so lovely, it made her heart ache for the possibilities she had never imagined before.
Knox’s patrol car was gone so she turned on her phone and it took forever to power up. She stood there in the middle of the sidewalk like an idiot staring at the screen. It finally came on and she flicked her thumb across the screen to check for text messages. To her utter delight, there was a 1 over her text app. She eagerly tapped the text app and brought up a message from Mate.com.
“Harper, I got my phone charged. I’m texting you now. Please allow me to take you to lunch at Fate Mountain Diner. Text me back.”
Harper’s blood ran to her head and away from her fingers and toes. As she tried to type out a reply, her numb fingers could barely type.
“I would love to meet you at Fate Mountain Diner. I will head over there now.”
She hit send and her heart flapped so hard, she felt as if she might faint. She walked up the sidewalk to her car and got inside, taking a deep breath as she gripped the steering wheel. Her life had changed so much in the last twenty-four hours, and her head was spinning.
This couldn’t be real, could it?
She turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the sidewalk, taking a turn at the corner down the main street. She pulled into the parking lot of Fate Mountain Diner a moment later, and Knox’s patrol car was there already. She bit her lip as she turned off the car. How could she be going on a date with a completely new man so soon? It just didn’t seem right.
But it felt more right th
an anything she’d ever experienced. In that brief moment of meeting him on the sidewalk, she’d felt more desire and anticipation than she had in the entire time she’d been with Colin. There was definitely some primal connection between her and the burly officer she’d met that morning.
Stepping into the diner, she walked into her new life.
He sat at the bar of the diner in his blue uniform. So big and tall, he seemed to draw all of the energy toward himself. He turned to her and stood, crossing the distance between them in two strides.
He towered over her like a mountain, dwarfing her petite form. Something about him made her feel more feminine and sexier than she’d ever felt in her life. Her heart fluttered like a butterfly and her sex clenched between her legs. She had to get a hold of herself or she’d lose her head.
“Hi,” he said in a deep, sexy voice.
It was such a simple greeting. Such a simple word. But his tone held a world of meaning. It was as if there were layers of sensual subtext hidden inside the single syllable.
“Hi,” she said in reply.
The waitress came up beside them, grabbing two menus out of the menu holder beside the cash register. Harper noticed the waitress was blonde and curvy and had a name tag that said Lily on the chest of her pink checkered uniform.
“Table for two?” she said meaningfully.
“Yes, thank you, Lily,” Knox said.
“Who is your friend, Knox?” Lily said as she led them down the aisle toward a booth near the window.
She set the menus on either side of the table and turned to raise an eyebrow at Knox. She glanced at Harper and smiled. Harper knew that there must be something going on between them but she had no idea what.
“Lily, this is Harper. We were matched last night on Mate.com.”
“Oh,” Lily said, drawing out the word suggestively. “In that case, lunch is on the house.”
Lily winked at Knox before she turned away and went back behind the bar of the diner between the dining room and the kitchen. Harper glanced over at Lily as she sat in the booth. She noticed Lily giggling through the window into the kitchen to a tattooed chef.
“That’s Lily Keenan. She and her husband, Shane, own the diner. Shane cooks up at the Lodge, too. He’s a pretty famous chef,” Knox said.
Harper turned back to him, astonished. She remembered the name Shane Keenan from a cable TV cooking show.
“They’re both part of my bear clan,” Knox explained.
Harper looked into his big brown eyes and felt herself swoon. If she didn’t get her feelings under control she was going to lose it. Harper had always prided herself on being a rational woman, but one look at Knox and that was all out the window.
“Lily’s a bear?” Harper asked softly.
“Her mate turned her after they mated. They had a rough ride until they finally got together a few years ago. They’ve got a 10-year-old son now.”
“They got together a few years ago but have a 10-year-old son?” Harper asked.
“It’s a long story. Enough about them, I want to know more about Harper Brown. What brings you to Fate Mountain? You didn’t say much in your profile.”
“Well, yesterday, after finding out my grandfather had left me his cabin in his will, I came home to find my longtime boyfriend in bed with my best friend. I immediately packed up my things and left town. Luckily, I had a fishing cabin to move into. When I was bored and freezing in the cabin last night, I signed up for Mate.com on a whim. I came into town this morning, met you, got a job at Fate Mountain Credit Union and here we are.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Harper. Thank you for telling me. You came here from Portland?”
“I was born and raised there. But my parents now live in Florida. My grandfather was the last one left in Oregon and now he’s gone.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. Were you and he close?”
“Oh yes. He was a great man. He liked nothing more than fishing in the summertime. I used to come to Fate Mountain every summer when I was a kid to stay with him. I have to say, those were probably some of the best times my life.”
“You’re living there now and got a job at the credit union this morning?”
“Yes. I’ve been working in banking since I graduated from college. I like numbers. It suits me. I was in line to become the manager of my branch, but I think I screwed that up when I left town. I was so upset I didn’t know what else to do. I guess I’m really grieving my granddad.”
“Your idiot boyfriend cheated right when you needed him most. I think you are a courageous woman, Harper Brown, deciding to start over like that.”
“I’m either courageous or stupid. I haven’t really decided which one,” she said with a laugh. After losing her grandfather and seeing Colin and Sasha together, her life had changed right in front of her eyes. It felt natural to leave it all behind. Although, starting her career over from scratch did sting.
“From where I’m sitting, all I see is courage.”
She liked him already.
“Have you guys decided what you want yet?” Lily said, approaching their table with a pad of paper in her hand.
“I haven’t even looked at the menu yet,” Harper said with a giggle. “What’s good?” She looked from Lily to Knox and then down at the menu.
“Our special is the Fate Mountain burger,” Lily suggested.
“You have to taste the secret sauce,” Knox said. “I’ll have a Fate Mountain burger with fries and a huckleberry milkshake.”
“That sounds delicious. I’ll have the same thing,” Harper said.
“Coming right up,” Lily said, scrawling it down on her order pad.
The waitress walked away and Harper looked back at Knox. His face was beaming with happiness as he gazed at her. She could almost feel his desire rolling off him in waves. Each wave hit her own desire and accentuated it, escalating the connection between them step-by-step upward with each instant. It was as if there was a lifetime between them that didn’t even need to be experienced to be felt.
“Tell me about you, Knox. I read your profile. You grew up in Idaho?”
“That’s right. I grew up in Idaho, played football in high school and then went to work in the lumber mill before the war. Like a lot of shifters, I was in Special Forces. My crew, the Bear Patrol, all served together. Everyone but our cadet that is, but he’s definitely a member of our crew now. He even went to the Bright Institute for Shifters, and his sister-in-law, Maria, is going there now.”
“So it’s all one big happy family around here on Fate Mountain, isn’t it?”
“That’s the way we like it,” Knox said.
Harper let out a soft sigh and looked down at her glass of water. She hadn’t felt very much family togetherness or even a sense of community in a long time. After she had graduated from college and her parents retired to Florida, she’d been alone in Portland. Even being with Colin hadn’t really felt like being part of the family. And now she knew why. The only one who had really been there for her in that sense was her grandfather.
But all of a sudden, she was sitting with this man who was supposed to be her perfect match. He was telling her about all his friends and the family of his clan. How they all supported each other. She had even seen the familial connection when she’d met Lily, the waitress.
It was all so confusing. But at the same time, she wanted it more than anything.
That revelation came as a shock to her. She had always considered herself a career woman. She hadn’t even been disappointed when Colin hadn’t asked her to marry him after living together for so long. Maybe part of her knew there was something deeply wrong between them. Yesterday, she’d found out.
But with Knox, he seemed to be committed already. It was as if the commitment was an unspoken assumption they should both share. She was unprepared for it. And she didn’t quite know what to do in the face of so much devotion. She didn’t feel like she deserved it.
A few moments later, Lily arrive
d with two plates of burgers and fries and glasses of milkshakes. She set everything down on the table in front of them and left. Knox squirted ketchup all over his fries and then popped several in his mouth. Harper took a sip of the huckleberry milkshake. It was delicious and refreshing, even with the cold weather outside. The sweet flavor was welcome after the bitterness of the last twenty-four hours.
“So, what happens now?” Harper asked, picking up her hamburger and preparing it to take a bite.
She crunched into the burger and tasted the Fate Mountain secret sauce lap over her tongue. It was tangy and sweet and a little bit spicy. She’d never tasted anything quite like it and it was definitely delicious.
“Wow,” she said, her mouth half-full of burger. “The sauce is good.”
“See what I mean?” Knox said, reaching across the table to wipe a smudge of sauce from her cheek with a napkin.
The gesture was so nurturing and affectionate, it caught her off guard. She looked away shyly, not knowing how to respond.
“What do you mean, what happens now?” Knox asked, finally responding to her previous question.
“With us? We don’t even know each other, but supposedly we are fated mates.”
“We are indeed fated mates. My grizzly won’t stop reminding me of it.”
“What are we supposed to do about it?”
Knox’s face became noticeably uncomfortable. Something washed across his expression that was a mixture of absolute lust and something else she couldn’t quite place. Was it sadness?
“Since you’re a human, I think the best course of action would be for us to continue dating and getting to know each other. The way humans do.”
“What would we do if I were a shifter?” she asked curiously.
Knox almost choked on his bite of burger and took a long drink of milkshake through his straw to wash it down. When his windpipe was finally clear, he blinked several times and looked at her reluctantly.