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

Chapter 27

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

C ora picked me up from the front door, and since none of the alphas were home, I offered to bring her inside for a tour. Her stare turned to one of longing as she examined the outside weatherboards on the beautiful house. “You need to check in with your alphas first,” she finally said, shaking her head. “They’ll scent me as soon as they get home, and I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

I understood her reasoning, but it also pissed me right off at the thought of needing permission. It was only the fact that this wasn’t my house, and I’d claimed nothing with this pack, that stopped me from ranting and raving about it.

But I still found myself saying. “If they want to pretend I’m part of their pack, then it’s my temporary home. You’re my friend, and I’d love to give you a tour of the common areas.”

Cora waved me toward her car. “It can wait for another day. Let’s lunch. I’m starving.”

The way the shifters of this city feared my pack was no joke. No one wanted to cross or upset them. I assumed there were politics at play here that I was unaware of, having not grown up in the cities, so I passed no judgement on Cora for her choices.

“Lunch sounds amazing,” I said as I jumped into the passenger side. “I’ve missed hanging out with you.”

She dropped her hand on my thigh and squeezed briefly before she started her car and headed down the street of the family compound. I’d seen a few vehicles enter and exit from the other houses but still hadn’t officially met any family.

I wasn’t even sure I wanted to, because it hurt to know that if I’d been born with a different designation, they would have been my family too.

Cora chatted all the way to Hawker House Brewery, telling me about pack life. “Warrick’s been gone all hours of the day and night with his squad, getting them ready for the Summit. The enforcers provide security while we have so many visiting packs and council members from other cities.”

“I never knew what a big deal this Summit was,” I said, realizing that if Warrick was this involved, Reeves Pack would be as well. They’d mentioned it once or twice, but not in any sort of detail. “Warrick said one of the alphas from Reeves Pack leads a squad too.”

Cora nodded, glancing my way when she stopped for a red light. “Yep, and you might be surprised to learn it’s Slade. His anti-social ass doesn’t seem the type to lead a group of soldiers or inspire any sort of loyalty, but they would die for him. I swear.”

She was right and wrong about suspecting it was Slade. He had the lethal badass vibe I expected from the leader of an enforcer squad, but he also had that whole scary shifter vibe that made everyone stay away from him. “I haven’t officially met or talked to him since I moved in. He’s…”

“Terrifying, intense, intimidatingly gorgeous?”

I nodded. “Yep. Pretty much all of the above and more.”

Her chuckle was relaxed. “Slade is the most dominant shifter in the world, and the last of his kind.”

She had all of my attention now. “The last of his kind?” I repeated slowly. “I mean, I knew he wasn’t any of the obvious shifters...” I started racking my brain to recall any super rare beasts.

Cora’s eyes widened. “You should probably sit down for this information, girl.”

I rolled my eyes, laughing. “Okay, I get it. He’s a big deal. What is he? A cobra or something?” There had been an icy, cold-blooded feel to his energy that would fit a reptile.

Cora drove a few more blocks, dragging out the suspense just long enough for me to start sweating. And then she blew my mind. “He’s a dragon. Slade Riverson is a dragon shifter, hence why no one fucks with him. Ever. Ever ever ever .”

I stared at her, unblinking, while a low hum filled my mind. “Dragon… there… how? That’s not possible. That is absolutely not possible! ”

Cora threw a sympathetic glance my way. “I know. It’s not exactly a secret, but if you didn’t grow up in Golden Claw, you might think it’s only a rumor that one of the ancient ones walk amongst us.”

“How old is he?” I sounded breathless. I felt breathless.

Her expression creased into worry, as if she knew I was on the verge of a panic attack. “He’s only been walking around on Earth for thirty-four years, even if his egg was much older.” His egg was much… Was she fucking with me? “Slade’s egg was unearthed by shifters in the deep trenches below Mount Blood, over in Europe. Apparently, dragon eggs can lay dormant for years until a burst of heat and energy kickstarts their birth. His was triggered by a volcanic eruption—he was born in his dragon form and shifted to human when he was two years old. Dragons are the opposite to the rest of us, who are born in our human form and shift when we’re older.”

“Who found him?” My voice remained echoey and weak.

There was a decent chance I’d pass out after finding out that I’d been sleeping under the same roof as a dragon . A dragon I’d rejected, and who quite likely hated me. Or at minimum resented my presence in their lives.

“Hunter’s dad, actually. He’s this rich old bastard who takes great joy in controlling the shifter world, using his strength and money. He’s currently in England, changing laws over there. Hunter has never spoken fondly about him, saying the only decent thing he’s ever done was to allow Slade and Hunter to be raised together. They’re brothers in every sense of the word except blood.”

I told Kellan that I didn’t want information unless it came directly from the source, but that had been mostly about protecting myself from knowing these alphas too deeply.

Cora’s little story now had shattered the wall thoroughly. All I could think about was seeing Hunter and Slade together. To observe the brother bond for myself.

Lunch ended up being a thankful distraction as Cora pulled into the parking lot. She parked in a spot near the front entrance, and by the time we’d been seated in the rustic warehouse brewery, I’d stopped freaking out over her revelations.

I’d truly believed dragons were myths, and now I wondered about unicorns, yetis, and gremlins too. Well, okay, I’d met Alpha Sissily, so the existence of gremlins was all but confirmed.

When the waitress took our order, Cora chose salmon and rice, and I ordered a rare rib fillet steak with mashed potato as a side. Potato was the best of the vegetables, without the audacity of being green. It was also delicious deep fried and could be turned into vodka. It was the true MVP of the vegetable world, and I had a full debate prepared for anyone who disagreed.

“We’ll also take a bottle of wine,” Cora added at the end, naming a vintage and year that at my last bar job retailed for at least five hundred dollars a bottle.

Kellan had loaned me a hundred dollars for this lunch, which I’d only accepted because I planned on paying him back as soon as I started work. But my loaned cash would not come close to covering the wine.

When we were alone, Cora must have noticed the panic on my face. “It’s my treat,” she said quickly, reaching out toward me. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a girls’ lunch. Sierra is upset she couldn’t make it, but they’re in full prep mode for the new hockey season. The first game will be on the opening night of the Summit, with all the important alphas in attendance.”

I hated charity as much as pity, but in the spirit of friendship I searched for a compromise I could live with. “Thank you, it sounds like a great wine. And I’m totally getting the wine next time we catch up, though it probably won’t be quite that nice of a bottle.”

Cora’s stare was assessing as she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Your pack hasn’t given you access to their accounts?”

Conversations about finances hadn’t come up with the Reeves pack at all, which suited me just fine, because I had no plans of sharing their money. “I can’t bond with them,” I said, fighting down a surge of exhaustion. Today had been emotionally draining, and part of me wished I’d just cancelled lunch. “In those circumstances, it feels wrong to take their money. It’s bad enough that I’m living in their house and eating their food. Not to mention they’re driving me everywhere. Anything more, and I’d feel like a selfish asshole.”

Cora’s expression twisted into sympathy, and when she patted my hand I barely resisted the urge to squirm against how uncomfortable I felt.

“This entire lunch is on me,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think when I invited you out that you wouldn’t have had a chance to start work yet.”

Friendship was a new concept for me, and as uncomfortable as parts made me feel, I also knew I’d really lucked out with Cora. “Absolutely not. I can cover my lunch, and I’m so happy to catch up. I needed a little break from all the testosterone. It’s not all happy families over at the Reeves pack house.”

Cora loved gossip, and I was happy to change the subject to what had happened this morning with Kellan and Finley—and my reaction afterwards. I’d had no real intention of revealing the shower scene, but for some unexplained reason it slipped out.

Heat bloomed in my cheeks and I pressed a hand over my face to hide it. Cora’s laughter drew my gaze from between my fingers, and I found myself chuckling awkwardly along with her. “I’m so embarrassed. Sorry . I overshared.”

Her laughter died off as her mouth popped open. “Oh my goddess, no. This is exactly the juicy goss you share with girlfriends. Not that any of us expected Hunter Reeves to be anything less than exceptional in the dick department, but now I have the proof. What is surprising is his gentleness and caring for you. Hurricane Hunter, as you aptly call him, has never shown a softer side to any female. As far as I’m aware.”

Deciding not to touch that statement, I focused on the first part. “Look, his size was shocking, and I’m not sure it’s made to fit a regular vagina, if I’m being completely honest.”

This set Cora off again, and she told me a bunch of stories about her first time with Warrick, and how they’d almost had to see healers. It initially felt weird to casually chat about such intimate moments, but it was also one of the best conversations I’d ever had with another woman. We got our feelings out and there was no judgment between us.

After that, we moved on to the new house she was working on a layout for. Cora pulled out her phone to show me the mood board she had pinned, asking my opinions on design. I’d never decorated a house in my life, but an opinion was for everyone, so I happily shared mine.

We chatted and sipped the wine, which was as delicious as expected, while the brewery slowly filled around us. By the time our food arrived, almost every table was occupied by packs and friends. The atmosphere was loud and comfortable, and while I noticed a few curious stares coming my way, mostly everyone kept to themselves.

“These portions are huge,” I said, pulling my steak closer, my rumbling stomach reminding me that I hadn’t eaten yet today.

“This place is one of my favorites.” Cora drizzled lemon over her salmon, while I seasoned the meat.

I moaned around my first bite of tender steak, which all but melted in my mouth. It took every iota of my control to not shove my face into the plate and eat like I was in my wolf form. “Okay, this brewery is my favorite now too.”

Cora was too busy shoveling salmon and rice into her face to answer, as we both ate in silence. My wolf rolled over in the contentment of sharing food with other shifters, still completely sated after this morning. With the rarity of having shifted twice in a week, I already felt stronger.

I wasn’t sure my senses and healing would ever be as strong as other shifters, but it was clear that I could get closer if I stopped keeping my wolf contained.

For a little while at least, I’d let her live her dream of running with the packs.