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

Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

W hen I left his office, Hunter remained a silent shadow all the way down to the first floor. He didn’t follow me over to Cora, who waited by the couches, but I felt his gaze burning into the back of my head until after I’d left his building. “I’m guessing you didn’t end up on the floor for rentals and job opportunities,” Cora whispered as we hurried down the steps.

“Not unless that’s part of the CEO’s duties,” I replied dryly.

Cora’s shoulders hunched as she sighed. “I’m so sorry. It’s hard to avoid your pack in Golden Claw, and I figured it’d be easier to deal with them straight up. But I never expected you’d get dragged right up to Alpha Hunter.”

She was starting to fidget so I took pity on her. “It’s not your fault. Hunter and I reached an agreement that I’m happy with.” Bleh . “You don’t need to feel any guilt. Your pack’s kindness has meant everything to me.”

The strain in her features eased but it didn’t completely disappear until we were in the car and driving. I filled her in on what happened between Hunter and me as she navigated through the city, bringing us to a stop in front of a bakery. It was only when I saw the Chelsea’s Sweets sign that I remembered the other omega in Golden Claw.

Our designation was so rare that I’d never known another outside of Mom, so meeting Chelsea felt almost as nerve-racking as being stuck in that fancy office, twenty stories above the ground, with Hunter Reeves.

The scent of pastry and sugar hit me long before we stepped inside the adorable shop. It was painted in light teal with pink accents, and the glass cabinets that ran the full length of the counter were stacked with more delicious pastries than I’d ever seen in one place. “Welcome to Chelsea’s Sweets, how can I help you?” The young woman behind the counter had delta energy, so she couldn’t be Chelsea.

Cora confirmed that: “Hi, Macey, we’re here for pastries and to have a quick chat with Chels, if she’s available.”

Macey’s smile lessened as she turned her curious gaze on me and then back to Cora. “She’s at the Thenguard building having brunch with her pack. I expect her back in an hour or so.”

Disappointment hit me, but I shook it off. I’d be in Golden Claw for at least a few weeks, giving me plenty of time to meet the omega and learn of her experiences.

“No worries, just let her know Cora from Annandale Pack stopped by. We’ll grab some of your delicious treats, then.”

I followed Cora as she moved along the display, pointing at everything she wanted, and when we walked out with the massive white box, I huffed in the delicious aroma.

Surely Cora would encourage a sneaky treat before dinner.

“You’re drooling.” She chuckled as she balanced the box with one hand. “Since you’ll have to hold the box while I drive, if one or two of those sweets disappear during that job, I’ll be none the wiser.”

“And this is why we’re going to be best friends,” I said, before wondering if that was completely creepy and weird. I was so far out of my league with this friend thing that I felt like an alien species trying to navigate a new planet. But despite my initial lack of trust, there was something about Cora that put me at ease.

Relief slammed into me when she laughed again and patted my cheek. “Girl, you know it. You had bestie vibes written all over you from the first moment we met.”

A trill of warmth shot through me, and I knew my cheeks were pink. I’d never been a bestie before, and I found I quite enjoyed the concept.

When I was seated in the passenger side, she handed me the box, and by the time she’d made her way to her seat, I’d already picked out one of the apple strudels. I inhaled the cinnamon and sugar, mixed with the slightly tart green apples.

The first bite was better than sex. Swear to the goddess.

My sex life might be nothing to brag about, but this pastry was worth all the bragging.

“When I start work, I’m going to spend all of my money in Chelsea’s Sweets,” I mumbled around a bite. “And it’ll totally be worth it.”

Cora held up her right hand like she was giving an oath. “Can confirm, absolutely worth it.”

The rest of the ride was filled with conversation about dinner and plans of how to handle living with the Reeves pack. “I’m going to work as much as possible, be home as little as possible, and ignore the four of them at every possible opportunity.”

She side-eyed me. “You’re a stronger shifter than me to ignore four scent-matched alphas.” I sensed that she wanted to ask for the real reason why I was ignoring them, but she left it be. So far no one had pushed me for more information than I’d already given regarding my worries over losing myself to such a strong pack.

Warrick’s SUV was out the front when we returned, and Cora called out for him as we entered the house. I was right behind her balancing the pastry box.

“Welcome home, love,” he shouted back, already striding out to meet her.

They hugged and kissed like it had been days since they were together, and I had to turn away. Apparently, you could be both happy for and envious of a shifter all at the same time.

Warrick dropped another gentle kiss on Cora’s forehead before he tucked her under his arm and met my gaze with a smile. “So, I received a call from one Alpha Hunter this afternoon.” He quirked an eyebrow. “He was talking a lot of nonsense about you agreeing to move into Reeves Pack house tomorrow.”

There was no judgment in his expression, and I tried not to let defensiveness seep out in my tone. “I know, I know. Somehow, I agreed before I knew what I was saying. Hunter is a freakin’ bulldozer, I swear. He promised that there’ll be no forcing of any pack bond, and… he’s giving me a job at least.”

Warrick stepped away from Cora, his hands ghosting over my shoulders. “Don’t ever think you have no other choices, Emme. You’re always welcome here, and if that pack steps one foot out of line, I’ll bring the full force of the council down on them. You’re not alone in this.”

“But it is a great opportunity to get to know them,” Cora added quickly, shooting him a frown. She’d been on team Reeves all day, starting with her scenic route into town. “You should enjoy your time with them, living under the banner of their protection.”

Warrick backed her with a swift nod. “Right. Laws or not, you’re still an omega, and living with a powerful pack will go a long way to deterring others from stepping over the line. No one wants to piss off those four.”

“Not even Kellan?” I asked, thinking of the sunshiny, golden retriever alpha.

“Not even Kellan,” Warrick confirmed. “It might take a lot to rile his gentler nature, but when you do… Don’t underestimate him.”

I filed that away with all the other information and advice I’d received so far about the pack, and hoped I had enough knowledge to stay safe during my time in their house.

My last night with Annandale Pack was a celebration with tacos and pastries filling their outdoor table. The wine and beer flowed, and while it normally took copious amounts of alcohol to override our rapid metabolisms and get us drunk, they added shots of shifter serum, a natural additive which cranked the booze factor a hundred times.

The room spun when I crawled into bed, and I hoped this wasn’t my last night filled with laughter and friendship. Their consistent support and kind natures had melted most of my suspicions over their intentions. They’d remained as genuine as they’d appeared the first time I met them, even as they made me promise to come around for family dinners at least twice a month.

Frankly, I couldn’t wait for my next hangout at their place.

Early the next morning, light stabbed me in the face like a vicious beast, and if I had the ability to reach out and pluck the sun from the sky, I’d have done so without regret.

I groaned as my tender stomach reminded me that I’d overindulged last night.

In reply, I received a low chuckle. “Rise and shine, sweetheart.”

That deep rumble had me blinking rapidly to bring the room into focus, and I found Kellan Jackson perched on the edge of my bed, his perfect sun-kissed face staring down at me. Caramel and cinnamon filled the room—he smelled even better than Chelsea’s Sweets, and that was saying something.

“What are you doing here?” I rasped in confusion, looking around as I pulled myself up to sit. Thankfully there was no sign of Hurricane Hunter; I was far too out of it this morning to deal with him.

Kellan’s face swam in my blurry gaze, and I shook my head to clear it, swiping a hand over my mouth in case I’d drooled or dribbled snot in my sleep. His sudden appearance had me out of sorts, like he’d stumbled in on me naked, even though I’d fallen into bed in my shorts and shirt last night.

“It’s moving day!” His enthusiasm should offend me in my current ragged state, but his good looks upped the charming factor. “I’m here to pack you up and bring you home.”

Home . Such a simple four-letter word. Simple and gut-wrenchingly painful.

“Temporary home,” I corrected dully.

Kellan’s smile didn’t slip as he stood and offered me a hand. “Why don’t you go and shower, and I’ll get started on packing your room up.”

I hesitated briefly, before placing my hand in his, the spark between us jolting my system into full-awake mode. The last of the fatigue and alcohol was swept from my system, only to be replaced with a new aching need inside. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I said in a rush, grabbing the first clean clothes I got my hands on and escaping into the bathroom.

Cranking the shower to cover my panic attack, I spent two long minutes gripping the side of the vanity and forcing myself not to return to the bedroom. The knowledge that Kellan was out there packing up my meager belongings had me fifty percent panicked, fifty percent nauseous, and one hundred percent losing my mind.

Agreeing to live with them was possibly the stupidest decision I had ever made, and I was fairly certain I wouldn’t come out the other side unscathed. If I was already struggling to remain impartial after five minutes in his presence, how in the fuck would I handle weeks in their house, drowning in their scents? Fighting the tugging in my gut to seal that mate bond?

I was afraid that I’d vastly underestimated my control and strength here.

Mom.

I needed to remember Mom and the last time I’d seen her face and broken body.

The last time I’d felt her lifeless aura after her pack destroyed her.

That was the memory I’d bring forth whenever it got too hard to fight fate, and I prayed it would be enough. I was scared that after a few months of living with this pack I’d forget that bonding with them meant my inevitable death. Or worse, I’d no longer care.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I made a promise long ago that I’d choose a different path to my mom.

A promise I could not break.