Page 3 of Ignited By My Mate

“I was on that call,” he says, voice softer now. “We got there as fast as we could. Sorry no one let you know.”

I shrug, trying not to care too much. “Guess I’ll just… sleep in my car or something. Embrace the pioneer spirit.”

He steps a little closer, and suddenly, I can smell him—smoke and pine and something darker, richer. The scent curls around me, and for some reason, I want to lean into it.

“Don’t do that,” he says.

“What?”

“Sleep in your car. Look, I know we just met, but… let me help you.”

I narrow my eyes. “Why?”

His throat bobs as he swallows, gaze locking on mine like it costs him something. “Because I think you’re the reason I haven’t been able to sleep right in years.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He holds up a hand. “I know that sounds crazy, and I swear I’ll explain. But… there’s a diner across the street. Let me buy you lunch. We can talk. I can help you find a place to stay.”

I hesitate.

I don’t usually go to lunch with strange men I meet in gas station parking lots. Especially not ones who speak in cryptic, soulmate-sounding riddles. But something about the way he’s looking at me… doesn’t feel strange.

It feels inevitable.

“I’m Lark,” I say finally, sliding off the hood of my car.

A slow smile spreads across his face. “Harris.”

He steps back and gestures to the crosswalk. “Come on. You look like you could use a real meal and someone who knows this town.”

As we cross the street together, I feel it again—that quiet sense of fate curling under my ribs like a secret.

I don’t know what the hell is happening.

But I think I just met the man who’s going to change everything.

TWO

Harris

For the last three days, my bear has been… restless.

Not just “I need a run” restless. This is a deeper agitation. A constant pacing under my skin, a sense that something is missing—close, but just out of reach.

I’ve tried to ignore it. Chalked it up to the full moon creeping closer or the stress of the recent fires. But deep down, I know better.

My bear is searching.

Or he was.

I’ve spent years looking for my mate. Longer than most. I’ve traveled to different packs. Attended summits and volunteered with search teams. Whenever I caught a promising scent, I followed it like a man starving. And every time, I came back alone.

Until today.

The moment I step out of the truck at the gas station, I could feel it.

Not just the pull. Thesnap.

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