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

Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

I nside the pack mansion—calling it a house was ridiculous—everything looked exactly as I’d expected. Open, airy, and filled with natural light. The furniture, oddly, reminded me of Annandale Pack house. Expensive but comfortable. It was cozy and oversized, as to be expected when four massive alphas occupied the space, but none of it felt showhouse-ish. This was a lived-in home, and I hadn’t expected to find it so… comfortable.

“We’ve given you a room on the second floor near me and Finley,” Kellan said, throwing back a quick smile as he hauled the suitcases up the stairs.

I only carried the toiletries bag, and even that he eyed as if trying to figure out how he’d fit a fifth handle in his grip. “Slade and Hunter are on the third floor. Slade has the largest space, and if you take any advice about living here, please take this piece: don’t ever go into his room uninvited. He doesn’t allow any of us to enter his dominion alone, and half the time not even when he’s there.”

“He sounds worse than Hunter,” I mumbled, wondering what I’d gotten myself into.

Kellan’s reply held the slightest hesitancy: “Just stay out of his way and you’ll be absolutely fine.”

I cleared my throat and tried not to roll my eyes. “Very reassuring, thank you.”

It was no surprise that these alphas were a threat to my life, but I expected it to come after bonding. It felt weird that I hadn’t even met two of them and I found myself with questions I never expected to have. Like… were they both wolves too? What did they look like? Why did Kellan speak about Slade in hushed, fearful tones? I had no idea if any of my questions would be answered considering this house was huge enough to possibly avoid them for my entire stay.

When we reached the second floor, Kellan pointed out his room right by the stairs. “You’re always welcome inside, even if I’m not there. I have nothing to hide.”

I had no idea what to say to that, but he didn’t appear to require a response as he continued along the lovely hallway, with its blue walls and white wainscoting. “This is your room.” He clicked open the next door we reached and waved me inside.

I followed him in and forced myself not to visibly react to the striking space. In my mind, though, I was squealing like a stupid girl over how perfect it all was.

Filmy white curtains framed a wall of windows, all which were open to allow in the fall breeze, showering us in scents of grass, citrus, and wood smoke. The floors were dark wood boards covered by fluffy white wool rugs. Shucking my shoes at the entrance, I enjoyed my bare feet sinking into the soft depths as I moved toward the bed.

It was straight out of a dream with the four posts holding up the same white curtains that lined the windows. The bedding was checkered in mauve and cream, and looked so comfortable I barely restrained myself from diving into those cushy depths.

“Is this room okay?” I was shocked by the waver in Kellan’s tone, as I turned to where he’d perched near the doorway, my four bags stacked neatly against the wall.

“Are you kidding me! It’s gorgeous. I’m about two seconds from a princess twirl, flying hair and all. This room is just perfect. Thank you.”

He cleared his throat, and I caught a glimpse of his soft smile. “We wanted you to feel at home here. Anything you need or want, just let me know and I’ll make it happen.”

Anything except my freedom, but that was a worry for another day.

He straightened and pushed off the doorframe. “Okay, the wardrobe is through that door, and the bathroom is there.” He pointed out the two attached rooms. “I’ll leave you to unpack and settle in. Come down to the kitchen when you’re ready and we can have breakfast.”

It was all so normal, and I was mentally scheduling in a panic attack for when he left the room. Sure enough, as soon as he was gone, closing the door behind him, my breaths turned rapid and shallow. My wolf whined in my chest, and for the first time in a long time I almost lost control of her.

The house smelled like my pack. More than just the cinnamon-caramel of Kellan and the mocha of Hunter, there were another two interwoven: vanilla and cherries and ashy roasted marshmallows.

I had no idea which belonged to Finley or Slade, who was already a terrifying visage in my head, but I craved this knowledge, and it near drove my beast out of her mind.

It took an embarrassing number of minutes to get myself under control, and it was only through sheer force of will that I managed to pull myself together. Needing to stay busy, I wheeled the suitcases into a massive walk-in wardrobe which was already outfitted with hangers and drawers. I unpacked to find my clothes took up a small fraction of the available space.

Next, I placed my toiletries in the bathroom, which was a white and mauve dream like the bedroom. I paused at the large clawfoot bathtub, in a style I thought only existed in movies and my daydreams.

Did they know about my love of baths ?

Goddess, they even had jars lining the shelf, filled with oils and salts. Baths were the secret love of my life and my place of respite, but I’d rarely been lucky enough to rent an apartment with one. This pack had stepped up and showed me a glimpse of perfection.

How hard would it be to return to purgatory after being this close to heaven?

With nothing else to keep me occupied, I checked my reflection one last time to find I mostly looked put together. My face was slightly flushed, but otherwise the rest of me appeared as per normal. If only my insides felt the same.

Kellan’s scent was easy enough to follow as I left my room and headed downstairs. “Wow,” I said as I entered the large and sunlit kitchen, with its white Shaker cabinetry and marbled counters. “I’m jealous of your house.”

Kellan’s head popped out from behind the doors of their white fridge, a glass jar filled with strawberries in his hand. “No need to be jealous, pretty girl. It’s your house too.”

Ugh . I’d walked right into that one.

Choosing not to argue, I focused on the spread of food he’d assembled across the white island counter. There were only two place settings but enough food to feed an army. “Uh, how many shifters are you feeding this morning?”

He shrugged as he added the strawberries to the other fruit already sliced in a bowl. “I had no idea what you liked to eat and wanted to cover all bases.”

His words created the tiniest crack in my chest, as if the protective shell I’d kept around my heart since I was a young girl had fractured. No one had ever cared what I wanted before. Not in food or life or love. This simple gesture from Kellan was almost too much for me to handle.

In my overwhelmed state I started to babble, “Oh my goddess, you really didn’t have to go to any trouble. I’m super unfussy. Everything looks amazing, though, and outside of hating avocado and tuna, there’s no other foods I won’t give a try. You didn’t have to bring out everything in the fridge and pantry…”

Holy shit. Shut up, Emme.

Kellan watched me with a fascinated expression that felt far too familiar for a pair of strangers, but he never interrupted, leaving me to continue making an absolute tool of myself.

When I finally ran out of words, collapsing into one of the stools under the counter, he pulled out the chair beside me. “I’m not a fan of tuna either,” he said casually, “but avo on toast is a gift from the gods. You just need to season it properly.”

Breathe. Just breathe . “I’ll take your word for it, but I can’t imagine changing my mind. If I was supposed to eat mushy grass, I’d be an herbivore.”

A burst of genuine amusement escaped him as he shook his head. “You sound just like Slade.”

I had no idea what to say to that, so I grabbed a plate to start loading it with food. If I was eating, then I wouldn’t be talking, which was better for everyone.

Kellan had set out fruit, cereal, pastries, perfect crispy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and piles of toast. Not wanting to offend him, I took a little of everything, along with a heap of bacon because I was a growing wolf who needed her protein.

Kellan didn’t touch anything until my plate was filled and I’d started eating. When he looked satisfied that I had enough, he added a heap of eggs and fruit to his plate, leaving the bacon mostly untouched.

“I need to up my clean proteins for training,” he said, digging into his eggs after seasoning them with pepper. “The season starts soon, and then we’ll spend our time getting pummeled on the ice. Can’t lose any of my bulk.”

While he chatted, he added extra bacon to my plate, and even poured me a glass of orange juice. I found myself losing interest in the food, more focused on this fascinating shifter beside me. He was so unlike the few alphas I’d known in the past, fitting none of their stereotypes.

Kellan was open and friendly, rarely spoke in grunts, and never threw his substantial dominance around like he was in an unending pissing contest. It was refreshing.

When I stopped eating for a few minutes to watch him, he nudged my plate closer as if to remind me that I needed sustenance. I took another bite of the perfect eggs. “I don’t think you need to worry about losing bulk. You and Hunter are two of the biggest males I’ve ever seen in real life.”

Kellan looked pleased by my observation. “I’m six feet four and the smallest of the pack. Wait until you see Slade.”

Great . With each new revelation about Slade, I grew more terrified of meeting him.

“What season are you talking about,” I asked, picking through the fruit to find the nicest piece of melon.

He let out a loud whoop. “Hockey season, baby! I can’t fucking wait to be back out there pummeling the shit out of the other teams.”

Ice hockey . I’d been vaguely aware of the NSHL, the National Shifter Hockey League , but had never seen a game. Not even in the human world. “You play ice hockey professionally?”

Kellan smirked, and I was drawn to the strong muscles in his throat as his head tilted back. “You really haven’t bothered to find out one thing about us, have you?”

He didn’t appear upset by my lack of knowledge, but I felt judged all the same. “If I want to learn about someone, I prefer to talk directly to them. I didn’t want to have preconceived ideas about your pack.” It was also safer for me to know less, because Kellan already felt far too real.

“Finley is also on the team,” he added, as if it was a casual afterthought. “I know you didn’t learn that from him, but I don’t want you to be blindsided if you ever watch us train. Or come to a game.”

Of course he was, why would I have expected anything less. “So, Hunter and Slade work in your billion-dollar company, while you and Finley are professional hockey superstars. Meanwhile, I’m a homeless, jobless runaway who has skills in waiting tables and mixing cocktails. Yeah, I totally see why the goddess scent-bonded us.” There was literally not an ordinary quality about my larger-than-life, hotter-than-the-sun, and highly successful pack members. Leaving me feeling pathetic and insignificant in return. Not that I wanted to fit in with them but come on… make it make sense.

Kellan stilled. Predatory still. The room felt smaller as tension grew, and I gasped when he reached out and jerked my chair around to face him. He slid me closer, slotting my body between his open legs, and I found myself holding my breath.

Whether out of panic or to keep his scent from clouding my mind, I was too far gone to know.

His chest rumbled, barely discernible but I felt the vibrations. His voice was a slow, deep rasp tingling over my skin. “I don’t want to ever hear you talk badly about yourself again, Emmeline Anders. You’re perfect for us. You’re strong and resilient, surviving in the human world for years without a pack or support. Despite all of that, you came back to us whole and in control of your beast. Very few could have done what you have, and I’m proud to have you as a mate.”

I was ripped underwater by his words, and overwhelming emotions crashed inside until I drowned in Kellan. “My friends call me Emme,” I finally choked out, feeling the previous crack Kellan had punctured through my protective shell growing wider.

“Emme,” he murmured, leaning in so close that our lips almost touched. My wolf clawed for our mate, and I wanted to do the same, but he didn’t breach that final distance between us.

“Good morning.”

I jumped about a foot in the air, my heart slamming against my chest as I almost fell from the chair. Hunter strode into the kitchen, having clearly seen how close Kellan and I were, but he didn’t say a word as he grabbed a mug and poured coffee.

“Late morning into the office,” Kellan commented as he resumed eating like nothing had happened between us. Meanwhile, I had to discreetly check to make sure I hadn’t peed myself.

“Yes,” Hunter replied shortly. He leaned back on the counter and gave me his focus. “We’ll both be out of the house for most of the day today.” He sipped his coffee, which he took like his soul. Dark. No sweetness. “Will you be okay here alone?”

I nodded. “Of course. I’ve been alone most of my life.” It was a relief to sound somewhat normal. “It’s actually my preference.” At this point, I wasn’t even sure what the truth was any longer; this entire situation had completely thrown me.

Hunter’s lip curled, but he didn’t call me out on my declaration. “Excellent. When I get back from the office tonight, we can discuss your work schedule. Until then, I ask that you don’t leave the family compound—”

“Excuse the fuck out of you!”

“—only for your own safety. If you need to leave for any reason, there’s a phone on your bed that’s yours. Our numbers are already programmed in, and I expect you to use it. Keep in touch with us.”

My breaths grew harder as he proceeded to address me like one of his employees. Kellan looked between us both but didn’t interrupt.

“Fine,” I gritted out, because I couldn’t argue safety when I was an omega. “Should I expect your other two pack mates to lose their shit when they find me here?”

Was I the only one who found it weird that I would be living here and hadn’t met them?

“Slade is already at the office,” Hunter said dismissively. “And Finley is already training at the rink. Neither will be home before us.” It didn’t escape my attention that he hadn’t confirmed or denied the losing their shit part. Not that I was surprised.

Them not being here was a fairly large indication that Slade and Finley had no interest in meeting me, and I should be grateful for their distance.

I am grateful.

It made it easier to separate myself from the pack, even as a part of me ached to know them. A part I needed to destroy before it was too late.