Hawthorn never saw himself as the mating type. In fact, he’s spent a lifetime keeping females away from his clan for their own safety. But now they have an alpha, and others will come. His people need him now more than ever, and that means he must take a mate himself. Ready or not, he accidentally finds her when brawling lands him in a human hospital. Sassy, smart, and so pretty, he can’t ignore his bear’s claim. He knows they’re fated; she needs convincing. Her difficult past keeps her from trusting him, and on a scale of one to grumpy, she’s got him beat. He knows there’s more to the jaded nurse who makes his pants tight and his heart want things he never thought he could have. He sees the tenderness she tries to hide when she looks at him, the way she craves more. He’s ready to give her everything. He’ll need to lower his defenses to get past hers and show her that when it’s right, falling in love doesn’t mean falling alone.