Page 38 of A Curse of Fate (Shifter City Fated Mates #1)

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

K ellan and Hunter refused to leave my side.

After the other council members left, Slade took his squad out into pack lands to trace scents and investigate, and a company arrived to repair the gates. New guards came on to keep the street safe, but I never lost my personal bodyguards.

It only really hit me hours after how close I came to being taken and sold off. My years in the human world had diluted my instincts to the point that I’d forgotten how serious it was for an unmated omega in the cities. I’d feared my pack, yes, but had grown too complacent about everyone else.

Around lunchtime, I decided I was done moping around. “I’m going for a swim,” I declared, and both alphas jerked toward me.

I was on the couch, a giant shifter on either side of me, and while the TV was on, none of us were paying it attention. “I know it’s going to feel unsettled until we figure out who’s behind the attack. But I can’t live like this.”

Hunter let out a frustrated growl. “We should have left Jones alive. I knew I fucked up the moment I tore his guts out, but when we scented your fear on him, my wolf wanted him dead.”

I squeezed his thigh in what I hoped was a comforting gesture, all the while trying not to linger on his hard muscles. Muscles that reminded me of how absolutely destroyed I’d been under his touch earlier. We hadn’t had sex—fuck, we hadn’t even kissed—but it was still the most intimate and incredible sexual experience of my life.

Despite my best efforts, I’d fallen into a hard obsession over these alphas, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever get out. “I don’t blame you for reacting on instinct when that instinct was to save and avenge me. No omega could ask for more from her pack. Don’t stress about who was working with him, since I doubt they’ll give up. They will be back, and then we can take their asses down.”

Kellan dropped his head back on the couch cushions. “The not giving up part is what worries me.” My golden boy looked tired, and I wasn’t particularly happy about it. “Hence why I’m not leaving your side until this is sorted.”

There was another rumble from Hunter. “You have an hour until you need to be at the rink. Otherwise, you’re going to miss your first game of the season.”

I knew Kellan’s response before he opened his mouth. “I honestly don’t give a fuck. I love hockey, but I’d quit it today if I had to choose between playing and keeping Emme safe.”

“Not a chance,” I burst out quickly. “Honestly, I never want you to give up anything you love for me. I promise I’ll be at the game watching you play today. Safe and sound and within your sight.” Turning to Hunter, I added, “And if you have work to do, don’t let me keep you here. I don’t need to be babysat, especially not in the pack house.”

Hunter released a dark, unamused laugh. “Reeves Industries will survive without me for a day or so. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than at your side, Emme. I’ll be with you during the hockey game, and then tonight if you still want to work at Luxuria.”

Work . My shift tonight had slipped my mind with everything else going on, but I needed the money. “Thank you both for being here. I’m not trying to sound ungrateful for your support and protection, it’s just not what I’m used to.”

Kellan wrapped me in his arms, dragging me half into his lap. “You better get used to it, pretty girl. Having one of us attached to you is your new normal.”

The heat of his body combined with the heat of Hunter’s gaze was an intoxicating experience. After the frenetic way Hunter devoured me upstairs, all I could think about was being sandwiched between these two alphas in a different way.

My fantasies were cut off when Kellan jumped to his feet and hauled me up over his shoulder. He took off through the house, and I was too stunned to offer any form of protest. The pool came into sight, and I barely had time to suck in a breath before he threw us both in, fully clothed.

When we resurfaced, I spluttered through coughing laughter and aching lungs, thinking about how dull my life had been before Kellan was in it.

“You said you wanted to swim.” He wore a smug smirk as he kept hold of me in the deeper part of the pool. “And since it’s a perfect warmup before a game, I figured I’d join you.”

He kicked off toward my favorite spot under the waterfall. “I’m excited to see you play,” I said, enjoying the silky water against my heated skin. “Who are you playing?”

“Greenville Red Pandas. We’re always against another city’s team during the Summit, and the other Golden Claw teams will play as well.”

I’d had no idea there were other professional teams here, but it made sense with the size of this city. “This Summit is on every year.”

Kellan nodded, looking delicious with his hair wet and slicked back, water tracing down his tanned skin. “Yep, every year a bunch of alphas get together and start shouting demands, and all of them expect their wishes to be first on the agenda. It’s mostly amusing, while simultaneously being annoying as fuck. Hunter usually loses his shit and punches someone, which is nothing on what happens if Slade attends.”

“Does he try and kill off all the other entitled alphas.”

I’d said it as a joke, but Kellan simply smirked. “Yep, that’s exactly what he does.”

“Is he really as scary as everyone seems to think he is? Or is it mostly reputation?”

I knew very little about Slade outside of his shifter animal, his hair and eye color, his excellent taste in road bikes, and his unmatched abilities in hand-to-hand combat.

Kellan’s expression sobered. “Don’t let the humane facade fool you. He’s spent years cultivating his human side, but he was born a beast, and deep where it matters, he’s got the cold-blooded heart of his kind. If you wrong him, he will destroy you without thought or remorse. Everyone here just knows better now than to wrong him.”

A shiver traced down my body, and it had nothing to do with the cool water. “Warning duly noted.”

A sense of relief crossed Kellan’s face, as if he’d thought I would go out of my way to provoke Slade. I mean, it had entered my mind once or twice, but annoying him was not on my immediate to-do list. There were a couple of more pressing issues to deal with first.

For the next twenty minutes we played and splashed in the pool, with Kellan trying not to laugh at my very sad attempts to swim. “You shouldn’t make fun of the orphan kid who had no loving family to teach her shit.” I flicked water at him and forced my lips into a pout.

His expression fell as he dove forward, arms out like he wanted to hug me better. I threw my head back and laughed, which had him groaning. “That was just mean, Shortcake. I was about to start groveling on my knees.”

The thought of him on his knees was enough to dry up my laughter, and I couldn’t tell which one of us was bothered now. “Is… is it time for you to get ready for the game?”

Kellan remained close, his sweet breath washing over me as his palms traced slowly up the sides of my stomach. “Yes, probably,” he whispered.

Neither of us moved.

I swallowed roughly against an internal pulse of need, which was so strong that if he’d let me go, I’d have sunk straight to the bottom of the pool. My limbs were unresponsive, mostly because my brain currently was too.

“Emme,” he said with a rasp. “Please don’t hate me for this.”

I had no idea what he was talking about until his lips pressed against mine in a collision of need and desire, the force too great for either of us to resist. Not that it even crossed my mind to try.

With a gasp I wrapped my arms behind his neck, legs winding around his waist to bring our bodies closer. My head spun as his caramel-cinnamon taste exploded across my tongue, and I was craving more. All . I craved everything from Kellan.

A guttural sound ripped from his throat, and I felt the energy of his wolf shift closer to the surface, bringing dominance to crash against me. His hands bit into my ass as he held me against him, the hard length of his cock between us, which I was already rocking into.

“The entire house smelled like you and Hunter before,” he groaned against my mouth. “Just about drove me fucking crazy. Especially when all I wanted was to feel you against me and know you were okay.” I leaned back, needing to see his expression, only to find his eyes blazing with dark, violet energy. “There are no words to explain how I felt when we heard that scuffle and I knew you were at the other end of the compound. I wasn’t sure we’d get to you in time. I died a thousand deaths in those moments, Em.”

Needing this as much as him, I tilted my head to press my lips to his once more. Behind me, a door opened and footsteps sounded on the tiles. Kellan lifted his gaze in the direction of our intruder but didn’t react, and a few seconds later when I smelled lavender, I knew it was Florence.

“I brought you both snacks, and your usual pre-game drink, Alpha Kellan.”

Kellan shifted us around in the water so we could both see her drop a rather large tray on the table between the loungers. “I’m very happy to see you’re okay, Emme,” Florence added as she straightened. “Let me know if there’s anything I can get you.”

“Thanks, Flo. I’m doing just fine now, but appreciate your concern.”

She waved me off. “We all love you here. Of course we’d be concerned. You’re a part of the family.”

I was pulled closer to Kellan as he hugged me in a tight squeeze. “She’s not wrong,” he said, his voice filled with so much warmth that I was immediately overwhelmed.

Florence fussed over us for a few more seconds, before hurrying off to finish her mid-day duties, leaving Kellan and I to pick through the tray of fruit, sandwiches, and pastries. Before we finished up, Kellan drank his green concoction that smelled like sadness and lawn clippings, while I ate the two chocolate eclairs, because we all had our roles to play here.

“I’m going to grab my gear now,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips, sending butterflies through my stomach. “Meet you here in fifteen?”

“Yes. Yep . I’ll just have a quick shower and change into fresh clothes.”

Kellan’s eyes twinkled at my clearly flustered appearance. “I’ve got the perfect shirt for you to wear today, Shortcake. I’ll leave it on your bed.”

He remained by my side as we walked up the stairs, dripping pool water over the immaculate floors. When he left me in my room, I headed straight for the shower, needing to wash and dry my hair in minimal time. Rushing through it all, I finished up by slapping on some makeup, happy to see I was less pale than this morning.

It bothered me to notice that most of Hunter’s marks had faded from my skin. The visual of them felt like belonging, but alas, nothing was permanent on shifter skin except a mating bite. Oh, and the lovely ropey scar my mom left me with.

In my room, a teal, gold and white jersey sat waiting on the bed, and I slipped it on with my jeans and sneakers. It had the number twenty-two on the back and Jackson above it. Of course, Kellan wanted me in his jersey, his name claiming me as thoroughly as Hunter’s collar tattoo.

Every part of me should be horrified by these alphas and how they’d wormed their way into my life and emotions, but as caramel and cinnamon scent surrounded me, all I felt was satisfaction.

My fucking wolf wanted to purr her pleasure, and it was only my annoyance keeping it at bay. It’s not forever.

It couldn’t be.