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

Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

A fter Kellan left for hockey training, I spent an hour exploring their mansion, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that these alphas had everything. Including more bedrooms than they could ever need, unless they planned on having a dozen children.

My favorite part of the house was their gorgeous library, with a stone fireplace and row after row of wooden shelves filled with at least ten thousand books that I’d never read. It felt strangely calming just sitting amongst them though.

Next, I found their massive cinema, outfitted with a popcorn machine and candy bar. It was connected to a games room with a pool table and a bar, and farther on was a gym, jacuzzi, and sauna. Outside, there was a huge pool with a waterfall feature, and lots of couches to laze around and enjoy the luxury.

Reeves Pack house had more amenities than a resort, and I found myself wondering how they felt living amongst this opulence. Did they have a clue how lucky they were, or was it all taken for granted?

“Excuse me, Ms. Anders.”

Turning from the pool, I found a blond delta shifter standing a few feet away. She was older than me, wearing jeans and a black shirt, holding a cloth against her hip. “Sorry to disturb you, but the alphas asked me to ensure that you have everything you need. I’m Florence, their head housekeeper. I don’t live on-site, but I’m here most mornings and can assist with shopping, cooking, and cleaning needs.”

I wanted to joke and ask her about my need not to be in Golden Claw, but I got the feeling she wouldn’t find it funny. “I’m just exploring,” I said with a shrug toward the pool. “That’s okay, right? I made sure not to go up to the third floor, or inside any of the occupied bedrooms or offices.”

Florence nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes. Alpha Hunter told me that you are to treat this as your home. There’s nothing off limits except Alpha Slade’s domain. We don’t even clean in there.”

Kellan had already mentioned he was on the third floor, hence why I hadn’t set foot up there.

“Can I use the pool and sauna? I’d like to paddle while it’s still warm out.”

Florence’s face lit up. “Of course! The pool is heated all year, but it’s the perfect day to swim. There are towels in that large cupboard over there.” She pointed out a set of cane doors behind an outdoor lounge. “I’ll bring out snacks and drinks for when you finish.”

“No, you don’t need—”

She was gone before I could finish, moving fast for a shifter so tiny. I’d never been waited on in my life, and my immediate urge was to follow her and help make the food. Fighting against that instinct, I faced the pool again, searching for calm in the clear, blue depths.

I had no swimsuit, but I was wearing black cotton underwear which covered as much as a bikini, so I stripped off where I stood and dropped my jeans and shirt on a lounger.

When I dipped my toe in, I was unsurprised to find the water cool but not freezing. Heated all year was most definitely a rich person perk. Along with having a pool in the first place.

Without further thought, I dove in from the side and enjoyed the sensation of water sliding across my skin. I moved from the shallows to the deeper end, without a worry that I’d no longer be able to touch with only minimal swimming experience behind me. I just needed this mindless release.

When my lungs screamed for air, I surfaced near the middle, and awkwardly doggy-paddled my way over to the rocky outcrop of the waterfall. It was like having the largest bath and shower combo in the world, and only the faint hint of salt and chemicals on my skin reminded me I was in a pool.

Tilting my head back and closing my eyes, I let the water run over me. Their backyard was massive, going far beyond the pool area. From my bedroom window this morning I’d seen pockets of forest, fruit trees, and flowering gardens.

Add in the chirping song of birds this afternoon and it was the complete picture of tranquility.

It took a while for unease to filter through my serenity. A strong dominance caressed my wolf, and as my eyes flew open, I met the gaze of an unfamiliar alpha on the side of the pool.

Swallowing roughly, I pressed myself harder against the rocks and took him in, starting with a pair of massive, black biker boots and up long, jeans clad legs, to… sweet mercy above. He was the biggest shifter I’d ever seen.

His broad chest and heavy muscles were visible through a long-sleeved Henley, and his body just went on and on. He had to be near a foot taller than me.

A hint of a tattoo showed above the neckline on his left arm, and even though I shouldn’t care, there was a cursory thought of how much of his skin under those clothes was covered in ink.

He moved forward until his boots hit the edge of the pool, and I was completely locked in his energy. The alpha didn’t look much older than me, but his features were built of hard lines that reminded me of the ancients. There was a sense of godlike beauty about him as I took in his bronze skin, midnight black hair, and eyes a deep, forest green.

But if he was a god, it was a god of nightmares.

He remained expressionless as he watched me closely, but I sensed a hint of fire in those jewel-like eyes.

I can’t look away.

Even as an omega, his dominance held me in place, and I was very aware that if he wanted to rip my throat out, there was nothing I could do but die at his feet.

This is no wolf. He was absolutely not a wolf, but I didn’t have a single clue what his creature could be, as he held no signs of the usual suspects.

I was so caught in his thrall that I failed to notice Florence approaching until she stood at the side of the pool with a tray in her hands. She eyed the massive god-man warily, keeping a large distance between them.

“Alpha Slade,” she said in a polite whisper, bowing her head. “Can I get you anything sir?”

Slade. Of course it was fucking Slade.

Who else could be this terrifying without uttering a single word?

Slade ignored Florence. His penetrating gaze remained firmly on me. When his stance shifted minutely again, he sent a waft of fire-roasted marshmallows my way, giving me my last two scent connections. Finley had to be the vanilla cherries.

Goddess save me.

As if the deity heard my plea, Slade blinked and released me from his stare, striding back into the house.

Sparks of unease and confusion crashed into me with force, sending my system into overdrive. My wolf had remained strangely quiet in the presence of the alpha, but not because she lacked interest. Oh no . She very much wanted to roll around in Slade’s scent. But there was also a healthy dose of fear. She’d be cautious until he showed his true intentions, and I was doubly sure we had to be very careful with that alpha.

“Here’s your food, Ms. Anders.” Florence placed the tray on the table between two of the white loungers. “Is there anything else?”

I laboriously swam over to the steps at the shallow end, and by the time I’d pulled myself from the water, she held two fluffy yellow towels. “Thank you,” I said, wrapping one around my body and the other around my hair. “Does Alpha Slade do that often?”

Fear briefly tightened her features and her mildly floral scent turned acrid. “He uses the pool, but not when anyone is here.”

I nodded, unsure what I should make of his presence. Hunter had said the other alphas wouldn’t be home before him, which meant Slade’s appearance in the middle of the day wasn’t a regular occurrence. “I’ll leave you to your lunch, miss.” Florence gave me a similar bow to the one she’d bestowed on Slade.

“Thank you,” I called after her rapidly retreating form.

It took a while for my heart rate to slow, and when it did the growl of my stomach kicked back in. I picked through the tray of sandwiches and cold cuts, eating until I was full. Florence had also brought water, juice, and a carafe of wine that had me deciding to indulge on my day of luxury.

By the afternoon I was half sloshed, and Florence kept me company as she refilled my wine. “You grew up in Greenville,” I said with fascination. “You don’t have a Southern accent though. And how did you end up in Golden Claw?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been here for many years, but I never forget my Southern roots, even if I don’t always sound the part. I moved here because I got a job with the Reeves pack. They pay amazing and treat me really well… it’s a dream job.”

Kellan chose that moment to return home from training, bursting through the back door with his usual exuberance. Florence jumped to her feet like she’d been shot in the ass, and I covered by exclaiming loudly, “Thanks for bringing those drinks out, Flo. You’ve been such an amazing help today.”

She bowed quickly, while still looking faintly panicked. “Of course, Ms. Anders. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

When Kellan passed her, she bowed to him also, and then she was gone. His lips twitched as he approached me, taking in my towel-wrapped body, along with the almost empty glass of wine in my hand. “Having fun, pretty girl?”

“Are you giving up on the nickname caper?” I snickered, the alcohol sending me silly. Or maybe it was how delicious Kellan looked in his jeans and black shirt, hair slightly damp after training. There was a faint bruise along his cheekbone that must have been bad if it wasn’t fully healed, and I almost reached out and brushed my fingers across the mark. “Tough practice?”

He groaned and fell into the lounger next to me. “Coach is trying to kill us in preparation for the new season. Apparently, you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise as superstars. And you should know that I never give up. I’ll find the perfect nickname, sunshine, even if you’ll also always be a pretty girl. From the moment I saw your white wolf, that was a given.”

This alpha was a smooth operator, and his charm was absolutely working on me . As my cheeks pinkened, I quickly said, “You’re the sunshine one, golden boy. That’s not going to work on me.”

He wrinkled his nose and then shrugged. “You’re probably right. I’ll cross it off the list.” He lifted his hand and made an imaginary strikethrough on an imaginary piece of paper.

It was far too easy hanging out with Kellan, and I found myself asking questions, despite my desire to remain detached. “What position do you play in hockey? I mean, I know absolutely nothing about the sport except that you use a stick to hit a black disc looking thing, but I assume you have positions.”

He chuckled, snatching up some of the fruit I hadn’t eaten yet. “I play center. I like to hit the black disc and score as many goals as possible. I’m actually the leading scorer of the league.” He popped a piece of apple in his mouth, and never lost his confident grin even as he chewed.

“If you’re waiting for my shock to show, it’ll be a while,” I told him dryly. Kellan had head jock written all over him. “Outside of your scoring prowess, is your team any good?”

His handsome features brightened, and I was really regretting all the wine. I needed my wits about me to fight the overwhelming attraction I felt toward Kellan. Even worse, how much I genuinely enjoyed his company. “The Celtic Wolves are the best. We’ve won the Shifter Cup for the last three years straight.”

Shit, they were good. “Hopefully I’ll get to see you play.”

No, Emme! What in the fricking frack is wrong with you? The more I tangled us together, the harder it would be to leave with all parts of me intact.

Kellan looked so happy, though, that my regret over that slip of tongue faded. “I can’t wait to see you in the stands, wearing my jersey. Finley will lose his shit, and I tell you, riling that bear is one of my favorite pastimes.”

Finley was a bear . The final alpha I hadn’t had a chance to meet yet. I briefly debated asking what Slade’s beast was, before deciding it was better not to know.

“Speaking of,” Kellan continued, “why didn’t you answer the group chat?”

I tilted my head, wondering if I’d misheard him. “The what?”

His smile grew wider, flashing a lot of white teeth until he looked like the Big Bad Wolf come to eat me. “Where’s your phone?”

Oh shit . After Hunter told me about the phone this morning, it had completely fled my mind. “I never went anywhere,” I said quickly, half-panicked. “He said to contact him only if I was going somewhere.”

Kellan shook his head like I was a weirdo. “You might want to grab it and chime in so that Daddy Alpha doesn’t lose his shit. He’s a little overprotective. Of all of us, but you… yeah, fair warning. He’s going to be all over you in a way that will have you questioning your morals.”

“Because I’ll want to murder him?” I suggested sweetly.

An odd expression tugged at his features. “Well, that’s one way to look at it.”

“Are you suggesting I might be into his domineering, stalking ways?”

Kellan shrugged, and I was starting to think he’d lost his mind. Sure, I’d never really had the opportunity to explore my sexual preferences or kinks, but after what happened to Mom, there was no way I’d be into any sort of control or dominance.

After being alone most of my life, I had no desire to be controlled, in or out of the bedroom. Not even by powerful, sexy alphas.

No, especially not by powerful sexy alphas.