Page 5 of Saved By the Grizzly Bear

“Pretty slow,” he says through a yawn, and I nod.

“Yeah, the slopes are pretty quiet.”

“You have anything?” He asks, and I pause and then blurt it out.

“I found my fated mate.”

His eyes widen and then he grins.

“Fuck, Alec! That’s great. What’s her name? Where is she?”

“Her name’s Morgan. She’s staying at the resort.”

“Did you get her number?”

“Yeah, and we’re going out for dinner tomorrow.”

“Cool! Congrats, man,” he says with a happy grin as he leans over and claps me on the shoulder.

“She’s a human,” I tell him, and he nods.

“That makes it a little more difficult,” he says.

I know that he’s right. With another shifter, we both would have been able to smell that we were each other’s fated mates and would have bitten and claimed each other already. With a human mate, though, I’ll need to explain shifters, fated mates, the mating heat, and all of that.

“You got this, Alec. It will be great, and you know you can ask any of us if you need help. We’ve all been in the same boat.”

“Thanks.”

He’s right. All of my friends have human fated mates and it worked out for them so it should for me too. I just need to not mess anything up.

“Better get back to work, but I’ll see you later.”

“See you,” I say, fist-bumping him before we both head off in opposite directions.

I continue my shift, scanning the slopes for anyone who might need help, but aside from someone wiping out on their snowboard, it’s pretty slow.

I’m about to go back to headquarters to check in before I head home for the night when I get a text. I pull out my phone and my heart starts to race when I see that it was Morgan who text me.

Morgan: Want to grab drinks tonight? I need to relax a bit before I try to go to bed.

Alec: Sure. I’ll meet you in the resort bar in ten?

Morgan: Perfect.

I grin as I tuck my phone away and turn my snowmobile towards the ski resort. I park behind the building and then head inside, pulling off my winter gear as I go. I tuck my hat and gloves in my jacket pockets and unzip my coat. It’s nice and warm in here, and as I walk into the bar, I shrug out of my coat.

Morgan isn’t here yet, so I sit down at a quiet table in the back of the bar area.

“Hey, you off shift?” The waiter asks as he sets down a napkin in front of me.

“Yeah, I’m meeting someone.”

He nods, adding another napkin.

“Know what you want to order?”

“Um, no. I’ll wait until she gets here.”

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