Oftentimes, Alyssa would enjoy the sound of the crunch beneath her feet as she walked toward the house or the barn, the noise somehow grounding her, an affirmation that her new life here was indeed real.
Not today. Today, that fantasy was only a fleeting thought that blew away with the wind the moment she inhaled. This man, whose name escaped her, was not only from her childhood pack, but he was also the mystery man from the rodeo.
And her mate.
Well, one of them.
How had he found her? Why? Had he, like Michael, known two years ago, before she’d fled, that he was destined to claim her? Had he spent the last two years pining over her from a distance, waiting for her to grow up, just as Michael had?
What were the chances?
For a moment she pondered how unfair it was that these two men had both known she was theirs while she was left alone in ignorance.
“Alyssa.” The man approached her now. He was just a hair shorter than Michael, but the similarities stopped there. This guy was leaner, not as built. He wasn’t a man who worked outside. His clothes were preppy, polished. His strawberry-blond hair was cut stylishly short. And as he got closer, she saw the deep green of his eyes as they held hers locked in an embrace of their souls.
Alyssa had to shake her head to break the connection, and a glance at the porch proved Michael was just standing there, still as a statue, not stepping toward her.
Obviously the two men had already met. Had they been waiting for her? Was Michael graciously affording her the opportunity to face this more or less unknown man without interference?
Bless him.
In moments, the mystery guy was right in front of her, and he repeated her name. “Alyssa.” It flowed off his tongue poetically, and she’d thought the same when Michael had first addressed her.
“I … I’m sorry. I can’t remember your name.” Seemed ridiculous now, but…
“Tyler. Tyler Evans. I think our moms belong to the same bridge club or something.”
At the mention of her mother, she swallowed back the lump in her throat. She’d want him to tell her every detail imaginable about her parents, but not right now. Now, she needed answers.
Tyler. That’s right. Now I remember. “Aren’t you several years older than me?” It was a strange thing to ask him right off, but the question just popped into her head.
He smiled warmly, dimples indenting his cheeks about an inch from the corner of his mouth. He blushed. His skin was that of every other redhead she knew, light with a sprinkling of freckles under his eyes. She wanted to step closer. As different as he was from Michael, she was just as drawn to him. “A few. I’m twenty-four.”
“Did you know about this two years ago before I left?” Alyssa motioned between the two of them. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words on the tip of her tongue. This mating.
“No. I found out at the same time you did last week. I guess I never got close enough to you in the last few years to make the connection.”
“Why did you disappear? Where have you been?” Alyssa leaned against the car and fired off another question. She was overwhelmed to the point that her knees threatened to buckle. “Why were you even here in the first place?” Her questions piled up.
Tyler glanced over at Michael, still perched on the porch. He cringed. “I was here to spy on you, frankly. Wells sent me to make sure you were mated to Michael. You don’t come out of the house much.” He chuckled wryly. “I had to wait two days. When I followed you to the rodeo and realized you were my mate, it never occurred to me I would end up sharing a mate with Michael. I only knew you were mine.”
Alyssa flinched. His words didn’t make much sense.
“I’m sorry I fled. That was stupid. I saw how happy you were and didn’t want to upset your life. I thought I could ignore the signs that insisted we belonged together and leave you in peace. No way would I take you back to our pack in Oklahoma. I’ve … never seen you smile like that before. Even when we were little.” His last words were gentle, and he reached up to graze his fingers over her cheek.
Alyssa melted into his touch against her will. She leaned her head in the direction of his palm to increase the contact, even though her brain was screaming at her to stop.
“I left the Oklahoma pack a few days ago and came here as fast as I could. I swear I had no idea you were already mated. If I’d known that…” Tyler danced his fingers along her shoulder and threaded them through her hair. “I don’t have any idea why or how this happened, but I couldn’t leave here, even after talking to Michael, without seeing you. Making sure you were happy with him. Just say the word, and I’ll leave you in peace.”