Huntsman - Morgan Brice Page 0,29

be in his early or mid-thirties, old enough that it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that he had past relationships, serious ones. But…Russ had buried his husband. That was something Liam hadn’t expected.

Maybe I’m not the only one with a difficult past or reasons why we should take this…whatever it is…slowly.

Husband isn’t the same as mate, his fox reminded him.

No, but it’s serious and real. It’s one more reason to move carefully. If we’re true mates, time is on our side.

Liam couldn’t shake off his glum mood after the cemetery, despite how well the run had started. He slunk back to where he had left his clothes and dressed, minding the wind and cold more than when he had set out.

The grocery store was on his way, so Liam picked up a frozen pepperoni pizza for dinner, as well as some peanut butter, jelly, and bread for comfort. He promised himself a more thorough shopping trip when he had wrangled his feelings to a better place.

He let himself into the bungalow, stripped off his coat and boots, and pre-heated the oven. All the while, his mind spun. Picturing Russ with another partner made his fox want to scream and bark with jealousy. Getting his fox to settle down wasn’t going to be easy. Arguing with his shifter side over primal topics required patience, and often took an appeal to emotion over mere words.

Liam couldn’t think with his fox carrying on. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, then sent images from memories to soothe his other half. He recalled how amazingly good it felt to be alone in the tow truck cab with Russ. How safe and protected he felt when Russ walked him home. The electricity that passed between them when their fingers brushed. And Liam’s own sudden change of heart to cautiously admit there might be something to the whole “fated mates” idea.

Gradually, his fox calmed, no longer pacing or throwing himself in a fury against Liam’s mental walls, although his tail lashed back and forth, signaling danger.

Russ invited me for coffee. So he at least wants to be friends…and I think he’s interested in more. We both need to move slowly. Even if we truly are fated mates, our human sides need to be onboard as much as our shifter selves. So we’ll start easy. Get to know each other. Go from there.

His fox glared balefully but didn’t respond, something Liam took as a win. Now, let me eat before I have a splitting headache.

Liam spent a few hours after dinner researching fated mates. Unfortunately, most of what he found on the internet came from TV shows, movies, and books, so he doubted the accuracy. Liam did find some old resources in special collections his librarian credentials accessed; ones that appeared to be genuine. The scant information made it clear that fated mates were real, although relatively rare.

Liam’s curiosity got the better of him, and he searched on Russ’s name. He found the website for the auto shop, the deed for a cabin, and a social media page that hadn’t been updated lately. The page didn’t offer a lot of personal information, although several pictures of Russ and Drew horsing around made Liam smile. He did note the birthdate. Libra, huh?

While Liam had never placed a lot of stock in astrology or things like the tarot, he remembered from his classes with Jeffries that his mentor believed those forms of divination could be accurate when done by a skilled practitioner. On a whim, Liam looked up compatible signs.

I’m a Leo. He’s a Libra. That’s supposed to be the ideal combination. Maybe I should learn more about this. He bought an ebook on zodiac signs, figuring it couldn’t hurt.

Liam made an early night of it after reading long enough to relax.

In the middle of the night, sirens woke him from a dead sleep, and he sat bolt upright, adrenaline pumping, heart thudding.

Shit. That’s right. I now live next door to the fire department.

Another thought hit moments later, as sleep cleared from his mind.

Fuck. Russ is a firefighter. Please, let him be safe.

Liam went to his front window but saw no trace of smoke or fire. He settled back under the covers once the sirens ended, but he couldn’t get back to sleep, not with so much on his mind.

His cell phone rang at eight in the morning, and Liam eyed it like it was a snake. Only two people in Fox Hollow had his phone number, and