A Curse of Fate (Shifter City Fated Mates #1)

Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

B y the time we made it back to the Range Rover, Kellan was dressed in jeans and a fitted white shirt. He leaned against the side of the Bugatti, and Warrick’s reaction earlier when he saw the car, now made perfect sense. The other car fanatics in Golden Claw were of course my scent-matched pack.

Why wouldn’t they be? Who else would have the money for that sort of hobby?

Stepping around the Range Rover, I shifted back and yanked on the shirt and shorts, running a hand over my braids to ensure they’d survived the shift. Outside of a few loose strands, they were intact.

There was no way to avoid this meeting, so I straightened my spine and pushed my wolf’s influence down as I headed toward the Bugatti. Kellan hadn’t moved, continuing to give me space as he waited against the side of his million-dollar supercar. Nodding toward the beauty, I asked, “Do you ever get to open her up?”

He uncurled in a movement of predatory grace. I hadn’t really had a chance to assess his height back near the creek, but he had a good five-plus inches on me. He wasn’t as bulky as Hunter, but his athletic frame was far from small.

I’d never been around so many males who made me feel positively petite.

“We have a track right out the back of Golden Claw,” he said in his smooth rumble. “Even Alpha Warrick has been known to take his ride around there a time or two.”

Warrick laughed roughly from behind us. “If you mean get my ass kicked by you and your brothers a time or two . Then, sure, I take it around.”

Kellan didn’t remove his piercing gaze from my face, not even to acknowledge the other alpha. “Do you race, pretty girl?”

Goddess… Hunter’s bossy dominance filled me with rage, but I was helpless to fight against Kellan’s sweet intensity. “Moto,” I rasped around a sudden dry throat. “I had to leave my bike behind, but I prefer two to four wheels, if we’re being honest.”

His lips twitched. “You sound like Slade. You might have to test yourself against him.”

I had no idea who Slade was, but odds were he was another in my pack. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea.” It felt wrong to deny this perfect golden man anything, but I had to be honest. “I’m not sure what Hunter told you, but I’m not interested in having a pack. For many personal reasons. I—” The words lodged in my throat, and I really wished Kellan would look away. I was drowning in his blue eyes, and there was no mistaking the hurt this time when I rejected him.

Why was this so painful?

I’d never intended to meet my pack and know them as living, breathing shifters with real emotions. The intensity of my feelings after meeting Kellan for less than two minutes was hard to explain. Was it this all-consuming draw to her mates that got Mom killed? This incessant need to crawl into your pack and lose yourself.

Kellan’s expression softened as he took a step closer, and I swore our scents started to mingle like long-lost friends. “Hunter can be hardheaded and controlling, I’ll give you that, but I promise the rest of us—” he hesitated “—okay, not Slade, but Fin and I won’t let them do whatever it is you’re afraid of. None of us would ever hurt you, Emmeline. We couldn’t even if we wanted to… you’re our scent match.”

Truth in theory, but I was an omega. A designation they apparently knew very little about.

“Just come home with me and meet the rest of the pack,” he continued in a low, soothing tone, as if he knew I was on the edge of a breakdown. “Get to know us before you make a decision that will change the course of all our lives.”

He held out a hand and there was no sense of pressure about it. My fingers twitched and I physically fought myself not to touch him. If I did, I’d lose a piece of myself that I was desperate to keep safe. Every relationship started good, otherwise people wouldn’t fall into them, but it was the next part that defined it all.

I couldn’t get to the next part.

“No,” I choked out. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Kellan. I’m so fucking sorry.”

Spinning, I raced toward Warrick and Cora, who had been giving us a moment alone. My vision blurred as I yanked open the door and dove into the back seat.

“Emme, are you okay?” Warrick said, glancing back at me.

“Just drive, please,” I bit out, tucking my trembling hands under my legs. “Please.”

Cora’s expression was full of sympathy, but she remained silent as her mate pulled out of the parking lot. Kellan hadn’t moved, and his face was harder as he watched us leave.

“They won’t just let you go,” Warrick warned as we headed toward the city. “You need to figure out your plan moving forward, because that pack is relentless in their pursuit of what they want.”

I’d only met two of them, which was more than enough for me to know exactly what they were capable of. The worst part was my desperate need to take what they offered: pack, security, and four sexy alphas who’d no doubt destroy any concept I’d ever had of decent sex.

Even worse than all of that was the possibility of love I saw shining in Kellan’s eyes.

As a poor little orphan girl, I’d kill for a fraction of the devotion that burned in the depths of his blue-violet gaze. As an omega though, it would quickly turn into a toxic, deadly obsession that would strip me of everything and leave me wishing for death. Or worse.

The ride back to Annandale Pack house was quiet, and while the tension was my fault, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. There was a very real possibility that if I opened my mouth, I’d just start screaming and never stop.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in my room pacing and planning, working out how long I could safely stay in Golden Claw before I got in too deep with these shifters. I wondered if they allowed city transfers. If I could at least get out of Golden Claw, I’d have some breathing room.

When I brought it up at dinner that night, Warrick shot me down fast. “We’re not enemies per se,” he started, “but it’s a big deal to transfer cities. You’re now a member of Golden Claw. You were added yesterday after the trial. Your paperwork and identification should arrive in the next few days.”

My dejection must have shown, as Sierra leaned forward and patted my hand. “You’re not a prisoner. You can absolutely leave our borders and travel to other cities, but you need to inform the council of the three W’s. Why, where, and when you’ll be back. They keep an eye on their shifters, but it’s for our safety.”

Right… I’d been alone since I was a young teen and had never had a reason to need the packs, but now I required their control to keep me safe.

Conversation shifted to other topics, and I stayed quiet, eating slices of my meat loaded pizza, handmade by Richard. He was a top-notch chef, and I’d miss this cooking when I was gone.

After dinner, the pack invited me to watch movies with them, but I wasn’t sure I’d be decent company, so I pled exhaustion and hurried off to bed. In my room I showered and changed into soft mauve PJ’s, but, unable to settle, I wandered to the huge double windows. I pushed open the blinds and shutters to let in fresh air, and there was a hint of bonfire on the breeze, washing around me as I admired Annandale Pack’s nicely manicured yard.

It wasn’t huge but they had enough space for the illusion of privacy from their neighbors. The pool, which sat off the back porch, sparkled in the lights from nearby lanterns, giving it a very resort-like feel. I’d never learned to swim; it wasn’t a priority for my mom, even before she found her pack, but I had always found water calming. I hoped there’d be a chance to try swimming before the weather got too cold.

After an hour of night watching, listening to the packs calling their kids inside, I was just about to close the shutters when movement in the back corner of the yard caught my attention. Stilling, I squinted until the shadows parted to reveal a massive black wolf. Well, at least its snout and two piercing eyes.

My fingers tightened on the windowsill to the point of pain as I examined him. He was the size of a bear, looking near my height even in his four-legged form. I was about to scream for Warrick when a tugging in my center stopped me.

Mate.

My wolf piped up to confirm what I’d suspected from the second the shadows moved—suspected but refused to admit to myself. The black beast was one of my pack, though I had no idea which one, except it wasn’t Kellan. Judging on his size and pelt color, it was fairly safe to assume Hunter, but until I met the others, I wouldn’t know for sure.

Nailing him with a glare, I waved my hands in an outward fuck off motion.

This light stalking they were currently into wasn’t working for me.

I swear he shot me a wolfish grin, lethal canines coming into focus as his lip lifted. He didn’t fuck off as requested though, and with a huff I closed the shutters and blinds, hoping that I wouldn’t wake tomorrow with an alpha in my room.

There had to be a way to keep them out of this house… Surely a shifter of Warrick’s power level would scent another alpha sneaking into his territory. Which meant he was allowing this to happen.

That threat delivered by Hunter in the council chambers could have been more than just a warning not to get close to me. Maybe they’d struck a deal where Hunter could enter this property to keep an eye on his property.

The thought of Warrick and the others agreeing to that sent a trill of unease down my spine. I’d been wary of trusting them from the start for this very reason; I didn’t know their true intentions.

It was too late now to ask, so I just doublechecked the locks on doors and windows and crawled into the bed that only smelled like me. No other shifter had been in this room since I left, which was a small reassurance.

Wake me if anyone sneaks into the room. It was a sleepy murmur to my wolf and she just grumbled in agreement, though I wasn’t sure I could trust her either.

Not if the one who snuck in was our pack.

Traitor.