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shifter’s eyes, too. They’re generally accepting of shifters, although they’re superstitious. They think shifting is a deep, supernatural thing, although we know it’s just a genetic mutation.”
    James nodded his head forcefully. “That sounds like Alexis, exactly. She keeps trying to convince me that I have some kind of spiritual ability because I can shift. We’ve basically just agreed to disagree on that point.”
    Neal smiled. “Agree to disagree,” he repeated. “Sounds like you’re already an old pro at this relationship thing.”
    “Hardly,” James said with a laugh. “That’s actually why I came over here to talk to you. I was hoping you might have some insights on how to know whether a woman is worth pursuing. I really like Alexis, but I’ve already had so much heartache in my life. I don’t want to invest a bunch of emotional energy in a relationship if it’s not going to pan out.”
    “I don’t know that I have any grand insights to offer,” Neal said as he leaned back in his chair and took a swig of beer. “People have been trying for centuries to figure love out, and I don’t think anyone has succeeded yet. All I can tell you is what I’ve learned myself, which is that you have to be willing to take chances, and you have to understand that things often won’t work out the way you think they will. Christine and I got off to a really rough start. At one point she even called me a monster.”
    James eyes widened. “She did? But you guys seem so happy together, and so perfect for each other.”
    “Well, we’re very happy together now. But my point is, sometimes it takes a while to get to that point. I think the best thing to do if you’re interested in someone is to just take a chance and go for it. Spend a ton of time with Alexis. Get to know her better, and don’t worry if there are some big bumps in the road initially. If it’s meant to be, your heart will tell you so. And the feeling will only grow stronger the more you spend time with her.”
    James nodded slowly, mulling over Neal’s words. He already felt connected to Alexis on a deeper level. Maybe it was time to take more action instead of spending so much time thinking about things. James took a long, last sip from his beer and determined right then to stop fretting about how to know whether this was meant to be. He had already kissed Alexis, and she had been receptive to that. Obviously, she was interested in him, too. He would go to work tomorrow and just straight up tell her that he thought they had a future together and he’d like to explore the possibility further.
    He hadn’t planned on finding love at his new job, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, he was going to take his alpha’s advice and take a chance.
    James stood and clapped Neal on the shoulder as he made his way to the porch steps. “Thanks, Neal. It helps to hear encouraging words from someone who’s been there.”
    “Anytime, buddy,” Neal said. “Good luck. Let me know how things are going, and feel free to bring Alexis by to meet the clan, if you think she’s trustworthy. I trust your judgment.”
    James nodded his thanks, and then took off in the direction of his own cabin. He resisted the urge to skip like a little girl at the excitement that filled him when he thought of seeing Alexis the next day.
     
    * * *
     
    But James didn’t see Alexis the next day. Or the day after that. Alexis had called in sick, and, try as he might, James couldn’t get much information from their supervisor on whether she had said anything about how she was doing or what the illness was. He kicked himself for not bothering to get her phone number. He hadn’t asked because he hadn’t wanted to seem too eager. In Glacier Point, most people only had a home phone. Since there were no cell towers, the only mobile phones available were satellite phones, which were prohibitively expensive for most people. Since phones weren’t a major form of