The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

  He leaned his head against the door frame, feeling a little saddened by his mother's words. It wasn't as if he wouldn't enjoy that time together, but his older brothers were busy with their own lives right now. "Thanks, Mom. Maybe I'll reach out to Noah and see if he wants to get together sometime. Liam and Mason have been busy doing their own thing. I wouldn't want to--"

  Mom placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him. "No. I know my boys, and they always have time for you. You should give them a chance to prove that. Call them up and ask about getting together. If you don't, I'll call them up for you." Her eyebrow rose higher as if she dared him to argue with her. "I don't like to intrude in my boys' lives, but I will if it means you all keep in communication and are happy. I love you all too much to not step in when necessary."

  Will stood, and decided not to push the issue. He knew better than to argue with her, especially when she was going all mama bear on him. He nodded. "Yes, Mom. I know you would. Fine, I'll give them both a call after dinner." He tilted his head up to scent the delicious aroma of spaghetti and meatballs with salad and garlic bread. A smile curved his lips as he glanced back down at her. "Aww. You made my favorite." He pulled her in for a hug, surprisingly feeling better after their conversation. Maybe the tension of not having found a mate yet was playing with his head. Once he did, he hoped all of his crazy anxieties would become a thing of the past.

  "Of course I did, Will. I know you've been feeling down recently," she said, patting him on the back. "You've been trying to find your place in the world and your mate at the same time. Sometimes, it's just not easy. I remember a few weeks ago when you came home after signing up for the dating agency. With a big smile on your face and exuberance, knowing you'd be following in Mason and Liam's footsteps. Don't give up on that dream just because you haven't met someone yet. It might take time, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the perfect girl is out there waiting for you." She hugged him a little closer before releasing him.

  "Thanks, Mom. I'll try. It's been hard to keep that dream alive. Both of them had almost instant success." He took a deep breath, smelling dinner again. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he'd skipped lunch. "I guess we better have dinner before dad decides to eat it all." He smiled, feeling a little more relaxed and less angsty than he had in his bedroom.

  When they walked into the dining room, his dad exchanged a quick look with his mom, and he wondered if they'd discussed him before planning what they'd have for dinner. "It's good of you two to finally join me," Bradley said. "I was about to start eating. You know this old bear isn't as patient as he used to be." He smiled jovially.

  Will knew that was actually the opposite of the truth. His father had calmed down plenty since retirement. He used to be a harsher disciplinarian than he was now. Then again, he had a lot more stressors back then. He had four unruly cubs to raise, and was their bear pack’s Alpha.

  "Well, we're here now, Dad." He grinned back at his father, glad that his mom had dragged him out of his room. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should try to reach out to his brothers. They were busy, and probably simply needed a nudge to get together with him now.

  "I'm glad." He stood from his chair and came over to Will, patting him on the back. "You know, son, if you ever need someone to talk to, your mother and I are here for you. It might not mean a lot since we're your parents, but it's the truth." He pulled out Will's chair for him, which was a sign of respect. "I've wondered if you got the wrong impression from how I treated your older brother, Mason. I pushed him hard to find a woman, but he has got a few years on you. He's going to be the next Alpha of this bear pack. If he hadn't started searching for someone, your mother and I were afraid that it would never happen. He's got a hefty dose of the Sinclair stubbornness, honestly." Once Will sat down, his father returned to his seat at the head of the table. "You do not have to be in a rush, son. Sure, I want to see both you and your younger brother find your mates. I think a woman would soften Noah's hard edges, but I just wanted you to know that I'm not viewing you as harshly as I did Mason. There's no need to feel overwhelmed if your mate doesn't come quickly. You'll always be an honored member of this pack."

  His parents exchanged a loving glance, and his mother placed a kiss on his father's cheek before she headed off to the kitchen to bring in their prepared dinner plates.

  "Thanks, Dad,” Will replied. “That helps. I guess I just look at Mason and Liam and I want what they have. I want what you and Mom have, too. Someone to love and cherish for the rest of my life." He fidgeted a little with the napkin in his lap. His throat went dry from expressing such raw emotion, so he took a sip of water.

  "You'll find someone. Remember, you inherited the Sinclair handsomeness, too." His dad winked at him before blessing the meal once his mother joined them at the table.

  Will ate mostly in silence, adding to his parents' conversation here and there. It was a comfortable evening and made him feel like he was apart of his family again. Sure, he might be hanging out with his parents, but he didn’t mind that. They loved him, and he loved them. Maybe he was more tightly connected to the pack than he’d imagined when he was younger.

  His mind drifted a little, and he thought about his current situation as he watched his parents interact. He decided that, on Monday morning, he would swing by the Prince Dating Agency's office. It wouldn’t hurt to check with them. For all he knew, they might have news that they hadn't been able to share with him via phone or email yet. The office wasn’t too far away from his route to work, so he didn’t have an excuse to not go.

  He considered calling or sending a text to his brothers, but he decided to do it another day. Why ruin the evening he'd had with his parents' tonight, especially if things didn’t go as he hoped?

  Chapter Three

  Sophie stifled a yawn. After two cups of coffee and several layers of makeup to cover the dark circles under her eyes, she’d finally emerged from her apartment this morning.

  Ever since the Olivia’s call on Tuesday, Sophie had busted her booty to make sure she didn’t need to worry about work today. It took long hours and tremendous effort, but she was all caught up on her current projects. Hopefully no secret wedding party plans would pop up tomorrow, because she would definitely need to get back to work then. But for the moment, she could put all work-related thoughts aside and just be Olivia’s best friend and maid of honor.

  This was the first time in a few weeks that all of her friends were in one place. Hanging out with them was something she really needed. They were like a team, all getting together to help prepare for Olivia’s wedding. As Olivia talked with one of the bridal consultants and Sophie browsed through the wedding dresses, Isabella and Courtney talked on the couch reserved for the bridal party after the group voted on which dress they liked the best for Olivia.

  Looking at these gowns tugged at Sophie’s heart strings. Her thoughts drifted, and she started imagining what it would be like to plan her own wedding. She thought about what type of venue she would like, and the fact she'd always loved white roses at weddings. Olivia would be her maid of honor, of course. Maybe one of her new husband's ruggedly good-looking friends would be his best man.

  A smile curled her lips as she slid her hand over the lacy sleeves of the off the shoulder gown. She chewed on her lower lip as she imagined what she'd look like in something like this, and her thoughts were shattered when Isabella approached her.

  "Wow, this one is really pretty. Are you looking for backup dresses for Olivia?" Isabella tilted her head to the side and smiled at her. "Or are you maybe planning for yourself?"

  Sophie released the wedding dress, letting it slip back into the rack for some other bride-to-be to discover. "Maybe a little of both,” Sophie admitted. “But it's not like there's big dating news on my horizon. I mean, I'm working as fast as I can just to stay on track with my business goals. Do I really have time for a man in my life?"

  "That depends. Do you want a man in your life, Sophie?" Isabella
's smile faded a little around the edges. "Your business is going well. You don't need burn yourself out just to prove that."

  "I do want someone to share my life with. I just don't know how in the world I'll ever find someone by myself, especially now... I don't have time to go out and socialize. Even if I did, who knows what kind of guy I'd end up with? It could it be another jerk like..." she glanced over at Olivia, and Isabella understood that she was talking about Jared. She continued, "I just never imagined there were people like that out there in the world. Now I’m worried they are all like that."

  "I understand what you mean, but you will drive yourself crazy and end up alone if you fixate and worry about that. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself either, there is no specific time constraint for love. Just allow yourself to be open to the possibilities, and to be social without worrying about work or evil men. Being social is the first step to having a successful relationship, you know? Just like with your friends." Isabella winked at her and nudged her arm.

  Okay, maybe she had a point. It wasn't as if Sophie had been great about keeping in touch with her friends, either. "So, where did all this magical dating advice come from? Do you know something the rest of the world doesn't?"she joked. Isabella did not have a partner or a boyfriend. How would she know something that the rest of them didn’t when it came to love and sex?

  "Actually, I do. I recently started working at a dating agency, and my boss is amazing at what she does. She's helped so many people meet their perfect match. It's actually pretty incredible. From what I've seen, it very well could be magic!"

  "You started working for a dating agency recently? Why didn't you say something? I didn’t know about this!" Sophie wondered if Olivia knew. Olivia had met her fiancé through the Prince Dating Agency. Was that were Isabella was working?

  Isabella shook her head. "I didn't want to say anything at first. It's a different field for me, and the job started out pretty intense. I messed up a few times, and I didn't think I'd be around there for long. What's the use of telling you guys about a new job if lose it immediately?" She dug into her purse and pulled out a business card from her wallet. "Here. Please, don't blow it off. I'll be happy to schedule time to go over the process with you. Just give me a call tomorrow morning, and we'll set something up, okay?"

  Sophie accepted the business card and glanced down at it. Prince Dating Agency. She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. "Isn't this the place Olivia went through to find her guy?"

  Isabella's looked over quickly at Olivia, who was still deep in her conversation with the consultant, before making eye contact with Sophie again. "It is. I knew she was working with us, and I didn't say anything about it. It felt weird to mention it to her, like an invasion of privacy or something." She sighed and placed a hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Don't tell her, okay? Please?"

  "Okay, I won't." She wasn't sure why Isabella felt so strongly about this, but then again, the process is probably very personal. Sophie decided not to dwell on it. "And I'll get in touch with you tomorrow about finding someone. I promise."

  Isabella's bright smile returned, and she pulled Sophie in for a hug. "Good. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe after we get you fixed up with someone I'll feel more confident about telling the others about it." She pulled the wedding dress Sophie had been eyeing out of the rack again, and locked eyes with Sophie. "I’ll leave you alone so you can keep looking around. I know that friends getting married can stir up a lot of complicated emotions. But just know that you deserve to be happy too, Sophie.”

  Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as Isabella encouraged her and gave her a hug. This exchange really meant a lot to her. Isabella was sticking her neck out for Sophie, regardless of her anxieties. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for her wonderful friends. "Thank you. I love you, hon. If we don't stop hugging, I might start crying," she told Isabella. "I've been working so hard recently that my streaky makeup will give my dark circles away."

  Olivia walked over as the two of them talked, sneaking up just in time to hear Sophie's comment about her dark circles. "Awww. Don't cry!" Olivia wrapped her arms around the two of them and continued the hug for a moment. "Are you okay, Sophie?"

  Sophie exchanged a glance with Isabella before pulling away and nodded. "I'm okay. We were just talking about some of the dresses. They're incredible."

  Isabella tilted her head to the side and smiled. "I came over to see what Sophie was looking at. She found a few stunning choices. Maybe you can aim the bouquet toss in this direction." She pointed at Sophie over her head as if her hands were neon signs.

  Heat trailed up her neck as she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "Make it a little more obvious, will you? Olivia is here for a wedding gown, not me!"

  Olivia grinned at Isabella and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I'll keep that in mind. Maybe we should practice with the fake bouquet, so you'll be ready when the time is right, Sophie. And if you need a place that will hook you up with an amazing guy, let me know!" Her grin was contagious.

  "Okay, okay… I'm not practicing with a fake bouquet! I'm not that desperate. Plus, I think I'm a pretty okay catch as it is." She glanced over at Isabella before pretending to think of a response. "Amazing guys, huh? I'll think about it. I might need one of those."

  Olivia hugged her again before pulling back. "Are you guys ready for lunch? We're are absolutely going to need some mojitos to celebrate. They're going to size the dress for me, and I should be able to pick it up in a few days. I'm so excited!"

  Courtney finally joined the group, inciting the need for yet another group hug. "I'm so ready for lunch! Woohoo! It's a gorgeous gown. You're going to look so beautiful on your wedding day!"

  "Thank you for being here today, ladies! You're seriously the best."

  The excitement of the occasion, the time with her friends, and Isabella’s words were giving Sophie a lot to think about. She was so glad work had not prevented her from being there. Maybe it really was time to make a change. Life couldn't always be about working and paychecks. Besides, what was the point of it all if she couldn't have fun and be with friends and someone who cared for her?

  Her gaze slipped over to Isabella again, thinking about the business card and the revelation that she worked for the Prince Dating Agency. If Olivia had found her dream guy there, and if Isabella thought they were magical and worthwhile, then who was she to potentially pass up an experience that could change her life for the better?

  The four of them headed to Oscar’s. Sophie was a little surprised that Olivia decided to go there, since the last time they went to Oscar’s, they had run into Jared. But maybe it was good to purge that memory with a positive one to reclaim their favorite hangout spot. Lunch at Oscar’s was fantastic, as usual. She didn’t let her eyes wander too far from her friends, just in case their waiter from that night was around. Ever since that night, Sophie always remembered to check for rings when flirting or being flirted with.

  The rest of afternoon drifted by as they laughed, drank, and caught up on what they’d missed in each others lives over the past couple of weeks. They also looked over a wedding planner with Olivia and talked over some ideas. After Oscar’s, they hit a coffee shop before finally parting ways.

  Isabella pulled Sophie in for one last hug of the day as the two of them watched Courtney and Olivia pull away before walking back to their cars.. “Don’t forget the call me tomorrow, okay?”

  She rolled her eyes but smiled over at her. “I won’t forget, I promise. You’re going to hear from me. But please don’t expect a call too early in the morning. I need at least two cups of coffee to function properly, or I’m as irritable as a grizzly bear.”

  Her friend clicked the remote to unlock her car. “You don’t need to remind me. I’ve seen your grizzly bear attitude in action. Maybe go for three cups tomorrow. Let’s make sure you’re in tiptop shape.” She turned and smiled before waving.

  Sophie waved back and sipped her coffee, then she slid into the driver’s se
at of her own car. Three cups, huh? Challenge accepted, Sophie thought to herself.

  Chapter Four

  Friday morning rolled around way too early for Sophie as she sipped on her third cup of coffee. After deciding to get caught up on some more work last night—and staying up way too late—she wished she was back in bed. The coffee barely seemed to help, and she breathed in the scent as if that could possibly rejuvenate her. The Folgers coffee commercials had always made it seem so easy to wake up if a person simply brewed their coffee, let alone drink it. Lies. All lies.

  Sophie rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the sleepiness, but it was useless. She set Isabella’s business card in front of her and pulled out her cell phone. After clearing her throat a couple times to try not to sound as tired as she felt, she dialed the number. Isabella answered on the third ring. “Hello, Prince Dating Agency. This is Isabella. How may I help you?”

  “First, you can remind me why I agreed to calling you so early. I’m on my third cup, and I think I’m officially immune to caffeine.” Sophie took a few deep breaths, trying to settle her nerves about doing this. Three cups of coffee probably didn’t help her jitters.

  Isabella let out a muffled laugh and cleared her throat. “Because I’m a great friend, and I’ll be helping you find your dream guy.” She typed a few things into her computer. “Okay, so I’ll be able to tell you a little bit over the phone. It’s better to discuss everything in person then you’ll be able to meet Ms. Prince, our matchmaker. When do you think you can come in to the office?”

  Visit the office? She hadn't planned on doing anything like that. Wasn't that putting the cart before the horse? They were going to talk, and she'd see if this was something she was interested in, right? But it might make sense to meet the woman who could lead her on this supposedly magical path that had worked so well for Olivia.