I couldn't help but laugh at the look on my pal's face as Bas stared at the curvy redhead who had just collided with us both. It was the someone-just-smacked-me-with-a-wet-mop look.

Strangely, the female stared back at my dark-blond friend with a similar expression of shock or comprehension or both. I couldn't tell exactly.

"Should I zap you back to life, lovebirds?" I teased.

My words got the two statues moving. Or rather, the woman moved, pulling away from Bas' hold on her elbows. Bas just stood there, at the diner's entrance, arms outstretched and eyes glowing with the amber of his tiger half.

I snickered. My pal who claimed he needed no woman in his life, was now staring at one as if she were his sun and air. He who couldn't wait for his body to heal to dive into a steak, was now looking at a female as if he would eat her up. Hilarious–

I grunted as said female bumped into me. Again.

Too busy staring back at Bas as she hurried to leave, she collided with me but with less momentum than before. Just in case, I caught her by the upper arm for support.

"Careful there, sweetie," I said through a smile. Her clumsiness was cute, and I didn't mind us bumping–

Hot damn, her scent! It was intoxicating, like a combination of all my favorite aromas: lemon grass, raspberries, pine... And the feel of her skin under my fingertips sent electricity racing up my arm. I felt lightheaded as all my blood rushed south.

When her warm brown eyes locked with mine, I had the feeling she could see into my very soul.

I had either lost my mind... or had just found my fated mate.

"Let me go!" the woman exclaimed. The panic in her voice and the fear in her eyes brought me back to my senses.

In my haze, I'd tightened my initially light hold on her arm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to–"

The second I let go of her, she broke into a run. Sprinted down the parking lot as though she had the devil at her paws.

"What the heck? Do I look that bad, Bas?" I couldn't believe my crappy luck. "Of all the evenings, why do I meet my fated mate exactly when I look like a punching bag?"

"Fuck." Bas growled as his still-amber eyes followed the female's sprint. "She's mine as well."

I shot my best friend a side glance before returning my attention to the running redhead. Our shared mate.

Polygamous matings were not something unheard of. It wasn't a type of relationship I had imagined being part of but... it could work. If I had to share my fated mate with someone, I couldn't ask for a better male than Bas.

Of course, right now it seemed our fated mate didn't want anything to do with either of us.

"We can't let her get away!" Bas snapped. Then broke into a sprint.

"I'm right behind you, pal." I began limping my way to our curvaceous mate.

I couldn't believe I had found her. The woman of my dreams. I hadn't gotten a good look at her but what I'd noticed had been enough to make me fully hard. The playful curls, the pink lips, the shapely hips... And she had a fire-y personality, judging by the way she had snapped at me to release her. Just the kind of female I'd imagined sharing a den with.

I couldn't wait to get to know her better and–

A car sped past Bas ahead of me then bypassed me on its way to the parking lot's exit. Our fated mate was speeding to get away from us.

"Guess we should be happy she didn't run us over, right, Bas?"

He snarled in reply, staring after the quickly disappearing car with a scowl deeper than his usual one.

Yeah, even I didn't feel like smiling at the joke.

Finding one's fated mate was a joyous event. Like, the happiest day in a shifter's life. The look both me and Bas had exchanged with our fated mate indicated she had recognized us as her perfect match... Yet, she had fled as if the Horsemen of the Apocalypse were on her tail.

I felt like crap. My jaguar wanted to curl into a ball and hide from the shame of rejection under both paws and tail.

"Did you memorize the license plate number?" Bas asked as I reached him. He was breathing heavily and clutching at his side, those healing ribs of his undoubtedly protesting after the sprint.

This time I managed a smirk. "What do you think, pal?" I knocked at my temple. "My super math brain is still intact, regardless of my smashed face and crushed heart."

A dangerous glint lit up Bas' eyes. "We're getting her back, Dean. Call Rory and give him the plate number. I'll order your favorite at the bar while you're at it. By the time we're done with our dinner, we'll have our mate's address."

"Hmm... Won't us showing up at her place freak her out even more?"

"We're her fated mates. She belongs with us."

"Then why did she run off like that?"

"Cold feet. Or something equally stupid. How the fuck should I know?" Bas grumbled.

I shook my head. Showing at our woman's place uninvited and with a scowl like that didn't sound like a good idea to me. But I took my phone out of my jean's back pocket anyway, because what other option did we have?

"Operation Get Our Sweetie Back is on," I announced while dialing the number of our pride mate in the local police force.

Bas just grunted and headed for the diner, grumpy resting face back on.

I shook my head again, this time with a smile on. I might get rejected by my fated mate later tonight, but I could always count on my pal Grumpy Bear.