His so-called mate thinks it's fate. Toby has other ideas. When Toby Sanders shows up to interview for a teaching job at a mysterious estate, he's not expecting his world to flip upside down and backward. Shifters are real... and the hottest, most protective wolf of all is claiming him as a mate. Toby can't deny that Brooks is everything he ever wanted and never thought he could have--loving, strong, drop-dead gorgeous--or that the two little girls Brooks wants to adopt give Toby a glimpse of the family he's always dreamed of... But how the heck is he supposed to believe in this mating magic stuff when life has taught him that the only person he can count on is himself? As dangers from multiple sources threaten everything he's come to care about, Toby learns that being part of a pack isn't just about accepting his fate, it's about choice: choosing to trust Brooks, choosing to believe in himself, and choosing to fight for the life and love he deserves, even if he has to cross the entire fae realm to do it.