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

Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

“ M y word for the day is job. I’ve got to find a job ,” I said to Cora the next morning.

She was the only shifter in the house today, and I hoped she’d help me get my life moving in the right direction. “Also, do you know how one goes about renting a house or apartment in Golden Claw? I assume there are investment properties for rentals, or does every pack just own their own house?”

Before answering, she handed me a plate of already sliced fruit, and I reminded myself not to get used to princess treatment. “Thank you,” I said, clutching the plate closer.

“You’re welcome. Now, there are two large apartment buildings that are literally rented to singles and new packs. We could stop by there on our way into town today and inquire as to what is available. You have that stipend from the council to get you established, which should cover the initial rent requirements. Provided you find a job in the next month, you’re pretty much good to go.”

I had just bitten into a ripe berry, and it almost fell out of my mouth at how perfectly that would work out. At least for the short term. “Amazing. I didn’t know the councils had enough money to be splashing it around like that.”

Cora chuckled and ran a hand through her long hair, which she’d left down in soft waves today. “We’re the richest pack city in America. Everyone here lives very well because even minimum wage jobs pay well above standard . You don’t have to worry about your future, Emme. This is the perfect city to establish yourself in.”

If my scent-matched pack hadn’t been part of this beautiful dream, I might have even considered staying here for a few years.

“They mentioned in the trial that there’s another omega here. Is she the only one?”

“Yep. Chelsea is part of the Thenguard pack led by Alpha Sorenson.”

The Scottish tiger shifter sprang to mind. “Oh right. We met at my trial. I’d love to chat with their omega too, if you think she’d be okay with it.”

“I don’t see why she wouldn’t be. She runs a little bakery called Chelsea’s Sweets on Bond Street, which is the main junction for cafes and eateries. We can stop in there today, and I’ll pick up a few pastries for dessert tonight.”

With our plans for the day settled, I dressed quickly in denim shorts, a cropped white shirt, and white sneakers. I took a minute to run a brush through my hair, leaving it out and wavy.

Cora waited for me near the door, and we walked side by side to where a white Mercedes AMG GT was parked out front. “ Nice ride,” I said, stepping back to take in all of the sleek car. “I see that Alpha Warrick isn’t the only one in your pack with great taste in cars.”

Cora rolled her eyes hard, and it was the oddest gesture from such a refined shifter. “War is a big fan of buying all the cars he enjoys and pretending they’re for other members of the pack. Mostly so we stop calling him a hoarder.”

I busted out laughing, and she joined me a beat later. “I admire and fear that alpha,” I finally choked out. Even with my unease over him possibly allowing the Reeves pack to stalk me, I genuinely liked Alpha Warrick and his pack. Hopefully that wouldn’t change after we talked about Hunter.

The car beeped as Cora unlocked it. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.” Her gaze ran over the sporty lines of her fancy car. “And look, don’t ever tell him I said this, but I love my car. He chose well.”

He really did, and that stood for more than just the cars in his life.

Cora drove just below the speed limit the entire way into the downtown, where multiple shiny high-rises made up the skyline. It took us a while to get there, mostly because Cora traveled the very scenic route, pointing out lots of sights including the Reeves pack family estate, which was hidden behind huge black gates.

She didn’t bother to be discreet as she showed them off to me, but I found that I didn’t mind. They were an annoyingly impressive pack.

If material stuff mattered to me, I’d be jumping at the opportunity to claim them. Unfortunately, my priorities were skewed more toward living a long life and not just a luxurious, short one.

Cora parked downtown in the shadow of the two largest, shiniest, most impressive buildings I’d seen in Golden Claw so far. They were twins of each other, standing a full block in size with a three-story parking structure between them. “This is Reeves Pack offices,” Cora said, pointing toward the silver and black tower. “And the one beside it belongs to Thenguard Pack. Hunter and Soren are best friends. Not that you’d always know with the way they talk to each other.”

That explained Sorenson’s lack of deferential treatment during my trial in the council chambers.

Examining the two structures, I noted that Thenguard’s building was just as impressive as the Reeves’, and I had to ask, “What does Thenguard Pack do to warrant such an extravagant office building?”

Cora’s lips quirked into a smile. “Shipping. They control the import and export of all goods through the shifter cities.”

I was immediately hit by my own stupidity; I absolutely should have known that. “Thenguard Shipping is even in the human world,” I said faintly.

She nodded. “Yep, and so is Reeves Industries. Those two packs have more money than they know what to do with, so it’s no real surprise that they’re always competing.”

Despite our scent match, I wondered if there was a part of Hunter Reeves that wanted an omega to even the score with his best friend. “How do Thenguard treat their omega? Has she been bonded into the pack for long?”

Cora’s face went all dreamy as she sighed. “Oh, you should see them, Emme. They’re so sweet . Soren and Chelsea are childhood best friends, and you just know that he’d die for her without thought. There’s never been a safer place for an omega in all the packs.”

Chelsea lucked out, then. To have bonded to an alpha without him abusing the gifts she could offer was rarer than dragon shifters. And I was fairly sure they were extinct.

Maybe the years of friendship kept him in line, because simply being a decent guy wouldn’t be enough once the power exchange started. From what I remembered, my mom’s pack treated her well at the start too. Until they’d all bonded.

Cora was once again staring up at the Reeves building, so I asked, “Is there a reason you’ve brought me here, to this particular building?”

Her smile turned sheepish as she met my gaze. “Uh, I might have forgotten to mention that the main place to inquire about rentals, and even jobs to some degree, is with one of these two packs. One rental building is owned by Reeves. The other by Thenguard. And…” Her cheeks pinkened. “In regard to a job, you mentioned the other night wanting restaurant, cafe, or bar work, and that industry is mostly controlled by them as well. It makes sense to start here. Do you have a preference which pack you want to check with first?”

Her forgetting to mention it was clearly deliberate, and I understood why. After my little breakdown yesterday, it made sense that she’d be cautious of bringing me this close to my pack.

“Let’s try Reeves,” I said, deciding I was strong enough to handle it. “If I can’t leave Golden Claw, there’s no point letting them scare me into hiding forever. That’s not feasible, which means I need to deal with them like an adult.”

Cora hurried to add, “You can stay with us as long as you need, but eventually it would bother your wolf to not have your own space and territory. Which I totally understand. I wouldn’t change my pack or home for anything, but there’s a reason we also have two separate wings to our house with guests in the center. All of us enjoy space with our romantically bonded mates.”

My smile was brief while the ache in my chest lingered much longer. “If I had what you do, I’d never want to leave either. I don’t have much experience with love or friendship, but you’re all teaching me that there’s great joy in the family we choose. I hope, even after I move out, I’ll be there for some family dinners.”

Cora’s hug was unexpected as she wrapped her arms around me, and my insides twisted at the odd sensation. “Always. You have a standing invitation. Now, come on, let’s get you settled into your new life. And can I just say, I really admire your courage in facing your pack to ask for independence.”

Standing there, after a perfect hug, and her affirmative words, I found myself just a touch destroyed . She’d given me the same sort of hug as the one Warrick received when he’d walked through the door. The sort of hug I’d stood on the outside and admired, wondering if it felt as good as it looked. Spoiler alert: it did.

I wiped my hand across my eyes to hide my sadness. It turned out hugs were as addictive as pack life, and I was in grave danger of falling victim to both.

Fighting this life was much easier when I had no idea what I was missing.

“Come on,” I said roughly, clearing my throat as I marched toward the row of stairs leading up to the automatic doors of the office block. There was a fancy sign across the top that read Reeves Industries . It listed two of the four pack members: Hunter Reeves, CEO; and Slade Riverson, CFO and Securities.

Slade . Kellan had mentioned him when we talked, and I pondered on possibly meeting him today. Not that I was interested in getting to know the last two members of this pack, when the two I’d met already occupied far too much of my mental space.

Inside, cool air surrounded us as we crossed the light marble floors. The reception and security desk were in the middle of the entrance, and as we approached one of the ladies behind the counter, I hoped to get this sorted without having to see Hunter or… anyone else.

“Good morning, welcome to Reeves Industries,” she said, lifting her head to grace us with a practiced smile. In her white blouse with one button open to showcase a hint of cleavage, she was the epitome of professional. Her dark hair was slicked back into a low bun, her makeup completely on point with just enough color to enhance her ivory skin and natural beauty, and her minty scent gave off delta bear vibes. From what I knew, bears and big cats were second to wolves in both numbers and power.

“Hi, Fee, how are you?”

She noticed Cora after the greeting, and the aloofness melted from her smile. “Cores, what are you doing here in the middle of the day? Aren’t you setting up the Norman pack’s new games room?”

Cora was an interior designer and in great demand from what I could tell. “I’m heading over tomorrow to get the preliminary setup done,” she said. “Today I’m here to help a new friend. This is Emme. She’s recently moved to Golden Claw. We need information on available jobs and rentals in the singles building with the higher level security.”

Fee relaxed as she looked me over. “You’ve come to the right place, Emme. If you’ll take a seat, I’ll call up and see if our divisions that deal in career opportunities and rentals are free to see you.”

“Thank you,” I said, hoping my nerves weren’t showing.

Cora and I relocated to their waiting area, and as I sank into a soft beige couch I tried to ignore the slight pounding behind my temples. Being here was harder than I’d expected, especially with the knowledge that my mate sat somewhere above my head.

King of the world.

I reassured myself that a CEO would never oversee rentals or career opportunities, so there was no reason to suspect he’d even know I was here.

“You shouldn’t see Hunter or Slade,” Cora said softly, as if having similar thoughts.

I didn’t reply, too busy watching Fee chat on the phone. When she dropped the handset, it rang not even ten seconds later, and whatever the other person said had her gaze landing right on me. She nodded a couple of times and got to her feet, placing the phone back down once more. She hurried over as fast as she could in her tight suit skirt and black heels. “I’m so sorry about the wait,” she said breathlessly. “If you’ll come with me, Emme, I’ll get you sent up to the correct floor.”

Cora got to her feet as well, but Fee waved her off. “If you could wait here, that would be amazing. I’ve got some paperwork that needs to be filled in while Emme is going over her options.”

My stomach dropped but I forced a smile across my face. “Absolutely no issue. I can handle this on my own.”

“I’ll be right here if you need me,” Cora said, eyeing Fee like she wasn’t quite sure she trusted her. “You have security on every floor, correct?”

“Every floor,” Fee confirmed. “Emme’s safe here, I promise.” She muttered a few words that sounded like, She’s safer here than anywhere else.

Cora’s gaze remained on me as I was led to the elevator, and when I stepped inside, floor twenty was already lit up. The highest level, and I knew exactly who was waiting for me at the top.

My wolf whined as we ascended the floors. It was partly that we’d never been comfortable in enclosed metal boxes shooting into the sky, but it was also the awareness that with each floor, we moved closer to our mate.

Hunter Reeves.

How did that arrogant, dominant asshole even find out I was here?

Glancing up, I noticed the camera and blinking red light, which left my skin itching.

He was watching me.

Narrowing my gaze into a glare, I hoped he knew what he was in for when the elevator doors opened. I swore I heard a dark chuckle, so for good measure I flipped him off and then crossed my arms, leaning back against the rails in the corner of the box.

We reached the top floor fast, and when the doors opened I didn’t move except to press floor one again. As expected, nothing happened.

I was trapped in the sky with a domineering, psychopath of an alpha.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Who’d have thought the lamb would voluntarily wander into the wolf’s den.”

His deep voice felt far too intimate and familiar, considering I’d only heard it on two previous occasions. It was hard to keep my reply from spilling free— Who the fuck is he to call me a lamb? But I forced myself to remain silent.

I had a feeling nothing would annoy him more than being ignored.

No one ignored a powerful alpha.

“I can understand why you’d be scared to face me,” he continued, appearing in the elevator doorway. The box shrank around his massive frame as he ducked his head and stepped inside. I swear it bounced in protest at the ten tons of muscle and power entering its domain.

I really hoped this elevator was triple reinforced to withstand an alpha.