by Sophie Stern
Finally, I seem to get in control of myself and my body, and I toss the tiger to the center of the now-destroyed kitchen floor. We’re both covered in flour and baking spices. I think I might even have some frosting on me. I pin him to the floor with my paws. He’s on his back, and this is it. There’s no getting out of this one.
I hope Felicity’s not looking right now. She doesn’t need to see this guy die. Aaron’s eyes meet my own, and he looks at me with anger blazing. He wants to kill me, I realize, and even if I let him live, this thing isn’t going to be over. It’ll never be over, I realize, because the problem isn’t that I have Felicity. The problem is that Aaron doesn’t. Maybe his little dating app adventures had less to do with me and Allison and more to do with his own obsession. I don’t know.
I roar so loud that the building shakes, and then I do it.
I end it.
The tiger is finished.
I step back when I realize he’s no longer breathing, and I back up. Then I shift back to my human form and look around. Where is she? She has to be here.
“Felicity?” I try to cry out, but the word comes out hoarse. I manage to choke it out, but my throat hurts. My body hurts. Everything hurts. I’m more injured than I realized, apparently. I’m bleeding from just about everywhere, and a quick glance down reveals a criss-cross pattern of scratches and cuts.
I realize that even if I hadn’t killed Aaron, he might not have survived the fight. If he was half as injured as I am, he would have required serious medical care. That’s when I realize that I’m going to require serious medical care. I need to find Felicity, and then I need to go to the clinic.
Immediately.
I hear a strange little sound, and I turn sharply to see her. Felicity is no longer in her human form. She’s fully a fox now, and she’s standing on Allison’s chest and practically spitting at her. She makes a strange sort of fox growl, and she bares her teeth. Allison is sort-of awake, but only a little, and I realize that she’s crying. Maybe she knows it’s over.
“It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” she whispers.
I don’t even bother wasting my breath on a reply. Instead, I fumble around, searching for a cell phone, and I dial Henry. He answers on the first ring.
“Sup?”
“I need you,” I say.
“What the fuck is wrong, man? I’m on my way.” There’s something about the way I’m speaking that alerts him to what’s going on.
“They came here,” I whisper. “Need a doctor.”
I drop the phone then, and I fall to the ground and close my eyes. I’m going to rest. It’s only for a little while, and I could use the sleep.
*
“There we go,” a gentle voice says. “Open those eyes, big boy.”
I open my eyes to see a group of people standing over me: Felicity is the person I see first, and I want to reach for her, but I can’t seem to move.
“Take it easy,” a deep male voice says, and I turn to see the doctor. “You were in quite a fight, and your recovery is going to take awhile. Don’t try to rush it,” he says.
“That’s my mate,” another voice says. Meredith. It’s Foxy’s friend from the bar. “He’s a little bossy, but you’ll get used to him.”
“I’m always bossy when people need me to be,” the doctor says. “You gave us a scare,” he tells me. “But you’re going to be just fine.”
Henry is here, too, and he reaches for my hand and touches it gently.
“I don’t know if you remember anything,” he says. “After you called, I got the clinic and the cops on the phone. Everyone arrived at once. You killed that tiger, but it’s a good thing because he would have killed you first. Apparently, he and Allison were both obsessed with you: you and Foxy both. They found plans in his home to blow up your bakery. If he hadn’t died today, he would have killed you and me both, and soon.”
“Allison’s in jail,” Felicity says quietly. “Your mother has been arrested, too.”
So that’s why she hasn’t tried to see me. Well, maybe she has, and I just don’t know. Something tells me, though, that my relationship with my mother is over for good, and that’s quite all right with me. Part of me was worried that when I ended things with her, she was going to try to come back into my life. I’m glad that she didn’t.
“Yeah, apparently, your mom gave Allison and Aaron all of the information they needed to break into your bakery, as well as how to catch Felicity,” Henry shakes his head.
“Disgusting,” Meredith spits out.
“Be nice,” the doctor tells her.
“I will not be nice,” she says, glaring at him. “This is Felicity’s mate we’re talking about.”
“You still need to be respectful while you’re in my clinic,” the doctor says, and he does it with a tone that lets me know he’s both in charge and totally in love with Meredith. Somehow he seems to be both firm and loving with her, and I wonder if Felicity and I will ever reach that level of adoration in our own relationship.
I hope so.
I want her to be my mate.
She seems to sense that I want to be alone with her, because she nods at me ever-so-slightly, and then she turns to everyone else.
“Give us a minute,” she says to everyone else. “I want to be alone with him.”
“No sex,” the doctor warns her. “I mean it. Everyone tries to be kinky and make love here, but don’t do it. He’s weak, and he needs to rest.”
“I promise,” she says.
Everyone files out of the room, and as soon as the door is closed, Felicity climbs up onto the hospital bed with me. She wiggles next to me and snuggles up with me.
“I’m not going to try to make love to you,” she says. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You scared me,” she whispers.
“I was scared, too.”
“You were so brave,” she says.
“Not brave enough.”
I wasn’t brave enough to save her from the pain or the trauma of being there when it happened. I didn’t stop her from being hurt by Aaron. There are so many ways that I let her down. It’s all so much to deal with.
“You’re my hero,” she tells me. “And Brendan?”
“Yes?”
“I love you,” she says. “And I want you to be my mate. I know I don’t deserve you. I know it. I failed you, and I let you down, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove to you that I deserve another chance.”
She’s so sweet and so perfect, and I’d be a fool if I didn’t give her exactly what she’s asking for.
“Of course,” I whisper. “Of course, my fox princess.”
“Really?” She grins, looking up at me.
“I want you now and forever,” I tell her, and then I press my lips to hers.
I don’t know what I ever did to get so lucky as to deserve a second chance with the woman of my dreams, but I know one thing for sure: I’m not going to do anything to ruin it. She’s mine: now and for always.
Epilogue
Foxy
One Month Later
We’re together in the cave. This time, it’s different. This time, we aren’t here out of fear or obligation. We aren’t here on the verge of breaking up. We’ve healed from our injuries and we’ve had some time to emotionally recover from the trauma of the bakery incident, so we’re here.
This time, we’re here because it’s our special place where we come to be alone, to spend time together. This is our special place where we’re going to spend some time celebrating the fact that somehow, we managed to find each other again.
I kiss him deeply, rubbing my body against his, and Brendan kisses me back eagerly, happily, contentedly. He kisses me like it’s the most important thing in the world, and he kisses me like we’re going to make it through anything together.
“I love you,” I tell him.
The words aren’t scary anymore.
The idea of being his is delightful: not terrifying.
There are no lies between u
s now: no secrets.
Right now, it’s just the two of us, and no one can hurt us here. Not when we’re locked away in this private little paradise. When we’re here, it’s like the entire world could pass us by and neither one of us cares to stop it.
“I love you, too,” he whispers.
I reach for him, pulling him closer, and we make out on our little quilt. It’s hard to believe that just a month ago, I was hiding here, trying to save my own life. Has it really been an entire month since we got back together? Since I ended up on his doorstep in the middle of the night?
Somehow, two people who weren’t supposed to get a second chance managed to steal one, and this time, we really are going to last forever. I reach for his neck and rub his fingers over the little scar that’s there: the mating mark I left on him once he got out of the hospital.
“Forever and always,” I whisper, and I kiss Brendan in the darkness of the cave.
I kiss my mate, and my heart is filled with joy because we did get our second chance, after all, and now we’re getting our happy ending.
THE END
Author
Sophie Stern loves cowboys, soldiers, and shifters. When she’s not busy writing, she’s got her nose buried in a book. Sophie lives with her husband and two little boys who are always keeping her on her toes.
You can connect with Sophie through her website or on Facebook.
Make sure to sign up for Sophie’s mailing list here! You’ll receive updates when new books come out and be the first to know when something goes on sale!
Books
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other books!
*
CONQUERED (The Hidden Planet)
Abducted.
Taken.
Locked away.
Fiona doesn't know true fear until she is whisked away from her loving family and doting boyfriend. When she finds herself on an alien ship with only a giant beast for company, her fear turns to anger when she realizes her loved ones have betrayed her.
Quinn doesn't know what to do with the squirrely little human aboard his ship. Yeah, he bought her, but only to save her from a worse fate. She has no idea what could have happened to her if he hadn't found her. She has no idea what could have happened on Dreagle. But now she's on his ship and somehow, she's wormed her way into his heart. Can he ever let her go?
CONQUERED is available wherever eBooks are sold.
ALIEN BEAST
He's a war hero.
She's a virgin.
He's broken.
She's perfect.
When he finds her in the midst of an alien war, Luke takes Willow for himself. He can't help himself. He's never taken a prisoner alive before, but Willow is different. He needs her. He wants her. Most of all, he craves her.
Willow is a human who has the worst luck in the world. When the tour ship she's on malfunctions and crash-lands on the wrong planet, she's thrust into the middle of a war: one she has no desire to be in.
Then everything changes.
She's captured by an alien beast unlike anything she's ever seen before.
And the worst part is that after awhile, she's not so sure she wants him to let her go.
ALIEN BEAST is available wherever eBooks are sold.
ALIEN DRAGON
I'm on the last ship out.
I don't think I'm going to make it, but I do. Earth is dying and there's only one way I can possibly survive: fight for a spot on the dragon planet of Taneyemm.
They don't want humans there.
They don't like us.
They don't know us.
But when I step foot on the ship bound for Taneyemm, I know it's my last hope. I'll do anything I have to survive.
I'll do whatever it takes.
When I finally reach my destination and I see the alien dragons for the first time, I realize I'm in way over my head.
And I don't know if my heart is ready for this.
ALIEN DRAGON is available wherever eBooks are sold.
Hybrid Academy
If you love urban fantasy and fairies, you might also enjoy Hybrid Academy, a story by my alter-ego, L.C. Mortimer. Check out the first chapter here!
Chapter 1
"This isn't what I ordered." The tall man in the suit looked at the coffee and sneered. He thrust the cup back at me. A little bit sloshed over the side of the cup and onto the counter. "And you'd better clean that up."
Biting back irritation, I managed a smile.
"Of course. Anything else I can do for you?” I asked politely. Inside, I felt anything but polite. This guy was being a total jerk, as always. I knew for a fact that his coffee had been made perfectly. He just didn’t like me because I couldn’t do magic.
He wanted Maggie to make his drink.
“A free bagel couldn’t hurt,” the man said, jerking his head toward the display of blueberry bagels.
“I’ll have to get my manager’s permission,” I said. “Please wait just a moment.”
I scurried to the back of the café and knocked on the door to the office.
“Come in.”
I yanked the door open and peered inside. Tony was sitting at his desk with his ankles crossed over the top. He looked bored out of his mind.
“What do you want, Maxine?” He asked.
“It’s Max,” I said. “Not Maxine. And there’s a customer who wants a free bagel.”
“We don’t give out bagels for free,” Tony said with a yawn. He was obviously bored. He was always bored at the café.
“I know, but he said that his drink was wrong and he wants to be compensated with free food.”
Tony glared at me and got up with a huff. He acted like it was my fault that he was the manager of the café or that he had to leave the safety of his office to come do his actual job. Whatever. I’d been dealing with Tony ever since I started working at the café. He was neither a good boss nor a team player, so I tried to stay as far away from him as possible. Besides, something about Tony made me uncomfortable, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
“Is there a problem, Lionel?” Tony asked the tall man.
“Yeah, your em-ploy-ee,” he dragged the word out sarcastically. “Messed up my drink. I asked her nicely if she could fix it.”
“Not a problem,” Tony said. He jerked his head toward one of my coworkers. “Maggie, make Lionel a new drink.”
Maggie shot me a nasty look but nodded and started the drink. The café wasn’t busy and the drink wasn’t complicated, so I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. Actually, I had the distinct feeling that Lionel’s original drink had been just fine, but that he wanted a bagel out of the deal.
Correction: he wanted a free bagel.
Tony and Lionel sat and chatted while Maggie made the drink. I cleaned up the spill on the counter before starting to check our inventory. I wasn’t a magic user, so I couldn’t just summon cups whenever we ran out of something we needed. Instead, I’d have to trot back to the stockroom, find what we needed, and carry it back. It was kind of a drag for everyone, which was just another reason nobody liked me.
By the time I left work that day, I was tired, exhausted, and spent.
And I knew my grandmother was going to be beyond pissed that I was late.
*
I ran up the steps to the little log cabin where I lived with my Grandmother. My heart was pounding, racing, and I silently begged it to stop. Slow down. It needed to chill out, to be honest. Overreacting never turned out well for anyone, least of all me.
I smelled sweaty and I was tired: both signs that I left work much later than I should have. I didn’t want her to give me a hard time about it. Mémère had enough to worry about. She didn’t need to be concerned that my boss still wasn’t letting me leave on time or that my customers were constantly giving me a hard time.
That’s the price I paid to work at a café in Brooksville.
Nobody liked me because I was poor, and an orphan, and I couldn’t do magic.
&
nbsp; All of those elements combined to make me one of the most disliked people in town. Despite trying to have a charming personality and showing kindness to the people around me, I somehow still managed to catch the eye of every magic-user within shouting distance, and not in a good way.
I glanced down at my work clothes. My once-white blouse was now splattered with coffee, no thanks to Maggie and Justine for their “assistance” at work. My jeans had fared just as poorly. They had a few new stains, a new tear, and smelled slightly questionable. I sighed. Mémère was definitely going to notice something was wrong.
I hated to make her worry.
I hated to make her sad.
She worked so hard to raise me, to take care of me, that the idea of letting her down again filled me with stress and anxiety. I wished for the millionth time that I could use magic. I wished that I had a wand, that I knew spells, or that I had, you know,powers. I wished that I could whisper a few carefully practiced words and somehow whip up an appearance she could be proud of.
But I couldn’t.
In my case, practice hadn’t made perfect.
I stared at the front door of our home for a long minute. My breathing finally began to stabilize and I began to feel like everything was going to be okay. Maybe it would. Maybe everything would be fine. One bad day at work wouldn’t kill me.
A hundred bad days at work wouldn’t kill me.
