The Shifter's Gift Page 9

  However, as she watched the commercial, something about it seemed to almost call out to her. She couldn’t really describe it. “Find your perfect match with Prince Dating Agency,” the TV said. “True love is just a call or click away.”

  Olivia reached for her cell phone and typed a note to herself about the name of this place. She would give them a call in the morning. Maybe... maybe it was worth a shot. What was the worst thing that could happen? They had a guarantee in place. If she didn’t meet the right person, she would get her money back. It also was not like she was strapped for cash. She had a good job and had what would have been a great life, if her relationship was not a complete and utter lie.

  She text messaged her best friend, Sophia. It was time to start brushing herself off and talking about what happened so she could move on. If she was being honest, this might be a blessing in disguise. Her love life had been flat lining for a while now. Jared couldn’t—or wouldn’t—be bothered to spend time with her lately.

  Olivia typed out: Hey Sophie, checking in. Probably should’ve done this earlier, but I needed some time to process. It’s over with Jared. Guess I was ‘the other woman.’ It wasn’t pretty. At all.

  Sophie called back almost as soon as she hit the send button. “Oh my god, Olivia! You should’ve called me! What happened?”

  “Ugh,” she let out a sigh and gathered her composure. There was no backing out of this now. “Well, Jared had been...busy lately. He said he was off on business trips. I thought it was amazing that he traveled for his work, and he used to show me pictures, too. What reason did I have to not believe him?” Even to her own ears, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself that her naivete was warranted. “But…I guess I shouldn’t have. We were at this fancy restaurant, and it was going so well. He ordered a bottle of wine, and then pulled this little jewelry box from his pocket. I thought he was going to propose.” Pain clenched at her chest when she thought about how that night might have ended in an alternate universe..

  Sophie waited in silence for a few moments before prompting her to continue. “And then what happened?”

  “Then a woman came over, confronted him, splashed red wine in my face, and told me she’s his wife. Oh, and that I’m just one girl in a long line of others that have fallen for him. He left with her, and I haven’t heard from him since,” she explained, and paused to take a breath. “I guess I should’ve listened to you girls. He was so nice to me. I didn’t expect—” she cut herself off to hold back sobs.

  “You hang in there, Olivia. Don’t give up. Just because Jared didn’t treat you right doesn’t mean no one will. You’ll find someone,” Sophie reassured her. “Maybe you should take this time to focus on yourself. To heck with men…for now at least. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Olivia pursed her lips, not knowing what to say to that, since she planned to do the exact opposite.. But Sophie didn’t need to know that. It was embarrassing enough that she was going to use a dating agency. She did not need everyone to know that she couldn’t find love on her own.

  Chapter Two

  Mason and Ava sat across from Liam at their family’s large breakfast table. The happy, playful look on his big brother’s face was so new. His brother used to be a no-nonsense businessman. He seemed like a completely different man these days. Ava brought something out in him that Liam was almost jealous of.

  Things had been going well with Liam’s girlfriend. Really, really well. In fact, he started to think that he might propose. But apparently, it wasn’t meant to be. A few nights ago, he went over to her place to spend some time watching Netflix and she hit him with the heartbreaking news. Cindy did not break up with him at first. That came later, after a few hours of arguing.

  The company she worked for was expanding their New York office, and they wanted people to transfer over. That was great news. News he would have celebrated with her, if she had not secretly accepted the job without telling him. How could she do that? After the years they spent together? He thought she was the one. Now, he did not know what to think.

  She expected him to be happy for her, and even worse, she could not understand why he was upset. When she called it quits, she admitted that part of her rationale was to work under some hotshot lawyer who once dated some B-list celebrity, and helped her reach her career goals, whatever that meant. If he weren’t a werebear, he might have been concerned by her ferocity. He never opened up to her about that side of him. It never felt urgent, and he was frankly worried about how she might react. He was comfortable with what they shared, even if he held back who—or what—he really was.

  Liam plastered a smile on his face as his dad walked into the room carrying a platter of food. This was their Saturday morning ritual. A big, hearty breakfast to get the family together and kick off the weekend. No one knew that he and Cindy broke up. He did not want to face the questions, judgements, or negativity. His dad pushed his brother hard about finding a mate not long ago. He didn’t want that to be his fate.

  He was wary of going through the pain and heartache of another relationship. Not while he still felt the sting of betrayal. So, instead of alerting anyone to his pain, he pretended that all was well in his world. Normally, that would be quite a challenge, but Mason and his smiling mate were drawing a lot of attention lately. Normally, he would be jealous of all the attention his brother was getting, but for now, Liam was pleased the heat was off of him.

  “And here we are. Some of your mother’s finest cooking. I think she’s quite excited for the coming winter. She’s been making all sorts of Florida-inspired recipes, as if shes reminding me of my promises. Like I could forget,” Bradley said with humor in his voice.

  “It looks wonderful, Mr. Sinclair,” Ava smiled. She glanced over at Mason with her brows knit together—who likely had nudged her—then she quickly added, “I meant, Bradley. My compliments to the chef.”

  It was easy to see that their dad was just as excited about retiring from his position as pack alpha as Liam’s mother was. His mother loved her life, but the two of them started out in an arranged marriage with intense pressure to follow tradition, do their duty, and have cubs. His parents encouraged Liam and his brothers to find love and live their lives their own way, and now there were finally taking their own advice. No one could blame them for that.

  “Yes, it really does, Dad,” Mason agreed.

  Their mother walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. She looked at her son and his mate. In between the apron she wore over her dress and cheery glow, she looked like she had been plucked from a television show from the ‘50s or ‘60s.. Her gaze drifted to Liam, and her demeanor faltered for a moment.

  He should’ve known that his mom would figure out that something was wrong, but all he could do was avoid her gaze and hope she would not get a chance to approach him about it. His other brothers, Will and Noah, sat next to him. They were a little more quiet than usual, too, but seemed happy. He waited until his turn to pile food on his plate before digging in. He looked over at Will again, who was staring at him, sizing him up. Will raised his eyebrow slightly before looking back down at his plate. The two of them were attached at the hip growing up, so he knew that Will could sense that something was not right with Liam. They were the middle children, whereas Noah was the baby and Mason was the oldest. Will and Liam sometimes got lost in the shuffle, so they supported each other a lot during their formative years.

  “So, I’d like to share some news with all of you,” Mason said, placing his fork down on his plate before taking Ava’s hand in his. “We’re expecting a child. A cub.” Mason looked at his mate with such love and pride.

  A strange feeling swelled inside Liam’s chest. He wished desperately to find someone to share that strong of a bond with. Mason never thought that relationships were for him, and wanted to focus more on his career and their family company than a woman. Maybe that was Liam’s future, especially now that the two of them were expecting.

  “Congratulations, my son!�
� Bradley said, hopping out of his chair and heading over to kiss his wife. “We’re going to be grandparents.”

  Their mother smiled so brightly, and tears welled in her eyes. “I could sense that she was,” She cried while hugging Bradley tightly. “The female were bear’s nose is pretty intuned with that sort of thing, but hearing the words is more special than you can imagine.” She released her husband and headed over to the couple. “Congratulations. I’m so pleased.” She placed her hand on each of their shoulders. “Now if only the rest of my boys can find their mates, then I’d be one happy mama bear.” Her gaze slid over Liam and his brothers.

  Liam looked at his mother, unsure what to say. Did she know? It certainly seemed like she did. He averted his gaze back to the food as Noah scoffed at their mother’s words.

  “Mom, I’m not interested in finding a woman right now.” Noah was more like Mason than his older brother realized. “Look at Mason. He had time to find the right person. He earned his place in the company. I need to be able to do that before settling down, too.”

  Liam doubted that conversation was going to go over well, especially with their dad giving Noah that stern frown. He shook his head, not wanting to get involved, and rose from the table once he’d finished eating. “Thank you for the delicious breakfast, Mom,” Liam said. “I have to head out. There are a few errands I want to get done while it’s early. Congrats, you too.” He kissed his mother on the cheek before picking up his plate.

  “Oh no, you’re leaving already? I’d hoped everyone would stay for a little while longer, especially now that we have such excellent news. I baked a few pies.” Mason politely insisted that he had to leave, and she shrugged. “Oh well, we’ll see you later. Don’t forget to have some pie when you come home.”

  “Sure thing, Mom,” he nodded. He headed into the kitchen to rinse off his plate, but he heard someone follow him in. He knew it was his brother Will..

  “What’s up, Liam?” Will asked, his voice soft enough that the others wouldn’t overhear them. “I know something is bothering you. I’m sure Mom and the others know too. No one wants to say anything to ruin the celebratory mood, aside from Noah, apparently.” He rolled his eyes. “Then again, he’s not known for being subtle.”

  “It’s complicated,” Liam replied carefully, not wanting to talk about it. “Besides, I don’t want to bring down the happy mood in there.”

  “Come on, man. They’re in the other room. It’s fine. You’re not great at hiding your feelings, which makes you an incredible friend and brother. Great at work, too. People know you’re being straight when them. Just let me in.” He cocked his head to the side. “This is about Cindy, isn’t it?”

  Liam shook his head. Will was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something. Trying to make him leave this alone was not going to work. “Okay, fine. We’re no longer together. She didn’t think to tell me about accepting a job in New York City. Then she topped it all off by telling me about some lawyer who dated a celebrity that she’ll be working for. What does that have to do with anything professionally?” He leaned back against the counter. “I didn’t react well, we argued, and broke up. That’s it. It sucks, and I’m still reeling from it.”

  Will looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe you’re overthinking things. You can’t let one bad relationship stop you. You’ve see how well things are going with Mason. Maybe you should sign up for the dating agency too? It worked out well for him,” he advised.

  Dating? Now? Liam wasn’t ready for more heartache. The last thing he needed was to get involved with another woman. But he would love to find someone special like his brother had.

  “I’ll think about it.” He chuckled at his brothers stern glare, which was the spitting image of their father’s. “Fine,” he relented. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

  Will placed his hand on Liam’s shoulder as he shook his head. “You certainly have Sinclair stubbornness down, but I’m sure you will see this is a good decision. Hang in there, and if you need to talk, give me a call.”

  Chapter Three

  Olivia stared at her cell phone, trying to work up the nerve to solidify her decision to really do this dating agency thing. Sleeping on it had not helped much. Her dreams played back the date with Jared last night over and over again. But when it all came down to it, none of that was her fault. She was better off moving on with her life. He still hadn’t called her, not that she’d expected him to. Maybe it was another sign from the universe to stop thinking about him. He obviously was off trying to patch things up with his wife, and that was just as well.

  That morning, another one of her friends reached out, having heard the news from Sophie.. She was so grateful for their kindness. . They did not judge her, regardless of how they felt about Jared.They cared that she was hurting and offered support and words of encouragement.. They arranged a girl’s night out on the town for next week.

  She went to lunch with Isabella earlier that day. A few times, she thought about bringing up the dating agency. It didn’t feel right though, especially when Sophie had suggested she lay off men for a while. Maybe that was the right thing to do. If they knew she was diving into dating, would they think she was finding someone else to rebound from Jared? Was she rebounding?

  But here she was, staring down at her cell phone as she typed in the number for Prince Dating Agency.

  She kept worrying that she would be matched up with another married man, or someone in a relationship looking for a side piece. Then she tried to stop worrying. Surely a dating agency would be the safe choice for a woman in her position. It was likely better than meeting someone in a bar, like she had with Jared. .

  She let out a breath and held the phone up to her ear as it rang. A young woman with a sweet voice answered, “Hello, this is Leslie. Prince Dating Agency where you’ll find the match of your dreams. How may I help you?”

  Olivia opened her mouth and closed it again. She was glad that she called rather than going directly to their office. At least in the privacy of her own home she didn’t need to worry about her composure or how she looked answering questions. None of this felt normal for her since at work she was a calm, confident woman. “Hi, my name is Olivia. I’m interested in signing up, I suppose. Is there someone I can talk with that will walk me through the process or something like that?”

  “Certainly, Miss...?” Leslie began.

  “Tyson,” she answered. “My name is Olivia Tyson.”

  “Miss Tyson, if you’d like I can set up a time for you to come in and speak with someone face-to-face, and if you’re content with our rules and guidelines, we can sign you up to find your perfect match. Ms. Prince, who founded the company, is our matchmaker. She’s incredibly successful. It’s almost magical how good she is at finding matches for our clients.”

  “Great. Do you have any morning appointments available?” Magical? That was an interesting way of putting it, but maybe it was unintentional. Or maybe Ms. Prince really had a way with matchmaking. Olivia had never met a professional matchmaker. Her only experience with matchmaking was in high school when one of her friends tried to talk her into a blind date with one of the boys friend the baseball team. He was handsome, but his terrible attitude turned her off.

  Olivia heard her typing and clicking from Leslie’s side of the phone.“Yes, of course,” she said. “Let’s see. There’s an opening with Kimberly on Monday morning, if that works well for you?”

  Olivia glanced over at her wardrobe. Monday, huh? At least she had tomorrow to get her outfit in order, her nails done, and ready herself mentally before she met with the person at the dating agency. “Yes, that works great. Thank you.”

  “You’re certainly welcome. Thank you for thinking of Prince Dating Agency. Have a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoy your meeting with Kim.” The line clicked after a few seconds, leaving Olivia alone, sitting cross-legged on her bed.

  “Deep breaths,” she told herself out loud. “I’ve done crazier things than this before.
If it doesn’t work out, no harm, no foul.” She took a few more deep breaths and leaned back on the bed, feeling excitement build up inside of her. This felt almost like an adventure. She went over to her closet, pouring over all of her dresses to find the right one. It took a little digging, but she finally found a blue dress that complimented her eyes. It was lovely, and it wouldn’t look too risqué at the office, especially with a cute lightweight sweater.

  With a quick look at her nails and toes, she knew her next stop now that she’d found her dress. Besides, a manicure and pedicure would be a relaxing treat after the terrible dinner and subsequent break-up last night.

  * * *

  Monday morning came way too quickly. Olivia yawned as she sipped her creamy, hot coffee. Her schedule was fairly flexible as long as she was in the office during peak hours for her meetings and calls. With her early morning meeting at the Prince Dating Agency, she doubted she’d have a problem making it into the office. In fact, she might even be early since she would normally still be asleep right now.

  She thought of surprising her co-workers with pastries from the delicious bakery down the street from their office building. She was in that good of a mood. Something about this felt right. After finishing up her coffee and rising her cup out in the sink, she double checked how she looked in the mirror, applied her lipstick, and exited her loft-style apartment. The drive to the Prince Dating Agency was quick, and she sat in the parking lot, feeling content..

  “Not bad,” Olivia said, then she checked her face in the mirror before heading to the door. She wanted to make her best impression.