Shaman
“You changed again?” Juven asked as I came down the stairs. Again. The back of my neck was wet with perspiration, not only from nervousness but from the exertion of changing clothes so many times. Juven had seen three outfits, but I’d changed at least a dozen times.
“Yes. Knock it off. I’m nervous.”
“I know, but she’s either going to like us or she won’t. She’s not going to reject you based on jeans or khakis. If she does, do we really want her?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. Oh, great. My forehead was sweaty as well. We would have to crank up the air conditioner in the truck so I didn’t look like I’d barely survived a monsoon on the way.
Both of us had been texting Amber since the other night.
Not the video calls that I wanted, but it was good to keep in contact with her—get to know her better.
We had a group chat, as well, and I secretly thought that was how this relationship would work out, if it did.
We would each have a connection with her and then all of us would have a bond together.
The transition would have some hiccups, but I thought we could make this work.
We would have to if Amber was our fated. I didn’t have to be reminded that we were running out of time by the second.
“She’s not going to judge me by my clothes but I’m judging myself. This isn’t just some date. This is the date.”
Juven sighed and gave me a one-armed shrug.
He was still on the fence about Amber even after seeing her on video.
His unicorn, in my opinion, would have to see her in person.
Scent her. Get a feel for her presence, before deciding if she was ours.
Mine knew from the second I saw her. We weren’t the same, but I hoped to the Goddess he caught up soon.
“We’ll see. Let’s go before we’re late.” My friend had never cared if we were late to anything. He arrived when he wanted to. I wasn’t calling him lazy, but he did what he wanted, when he wanted.
She was getting to him.
“Let’s go.”
We stayed mostly silent on the drive down the mountain and to the east, to the city where Amber lived.
We passed restaurants and ordinary places like the market and the gas station, and I wondered if she went there.
Of course she went to a market and to fill her tank, but I imagined her going to those specific places.
Man, I was a goner.
“We still managed to be here early,” Juven said.
I let out a sigh. This was tough. What if he met her and still wasn’t convinced? What if he wasn’t her fated, but I was? Would she accept only me? Her profile said two or more, but would she mate me and then try and find another to be her second?
My brain rattled with the possibilities and other than Juven being her other fated, all I saw was heartbreak.
Rejection was the worst of the fates for most shifters but especially tragic for unicorns. We were devoted to our mates on a baser level. Our unicorns lived for our mates. Sure, it happened like that in shifter novels, but we set the bar.
Amber would be the moon of my night. The sun of my day. The planet I revolved around.
Sounded creepy when I said it in my head. Might want to keep that to myself tonight.
“Let’s go in and wait.”
Staying in the truck and waiting for her to arrive seemed odd.
Inside the self-serve restaurant, I scoped out the menu but didn’t place an order yet.
I’d never been to one of these places. There were no waiters or waitresses.
The food arrived in a window. Made by a faceless person in the back.
Or maybe by robots. Who knew? The city was always a splash of cold water compared to our life in the mountains.
“Is that her?” Juven asked. I watched as Amber got out of a small car that looked like a wind-up key belonged on the back.
“It is.”
“I’ll grab some drinks.”
I didn’t ask how he knew what Amber would want. She walked into the restaurant and her smile brightened the already fluorescent overly lit place. “Shaman, it’s so nice to meet you, in person.” She extended her hand and I nearly toppled over.
I grasped her soft, lithe hand and sucked in a breath. Yeah, she was mine, and I was head-over-heels hers. “It’s nice to meet you too. Juven is grabbing some drinks. Should we find a place to sit?”
“Sure. How about that booth in the corner?”
She sat on one side and I chose the opposite, scooting over to give Juven a place next to me.
Seconds later, he showed up with a tray of all kinds of drinks—enough for a football team. I expected him to introduce himself, but instead, he stared. His hands trembled. He nearly dropped the whole tray. I barely caught it before he did.
“Amber, this is Juven.”
“Juven, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
The only reason Juven managed to sit down was because I watched as his knees trembled. I might’ve fallen for Amber at first glance, but Juven? He’d found his fated mate too. And he nearly collapsed with the power of it.