by Sara Summers
“You told him?!” Isla’s jaw dropped, giving Kina a look that said she felt completely and totally betrayed.
“Realy McReal here, Isla.” Kina waved at her face with her finger. “I don’t do well with surprises. That’s more your style.”
Isla sighed dramatically, but nodded.
“Should I tell him?” She whispered, looking from Kina and I to Zane.
“Nah, let him be surprised. You’re a wild card, girl.” Kina winked at her.
Isla smiled and nodded, letting out a nervous breath.
“Whew, this is so exciting!” She exclaimed, turning and going out into the crowd to chat with some people.
Kina laughed, and I leaned forward to press a kiss to my woman’s cheek. She stepped backward into my arms, letting me pull her in close so I could kiss the top of her head.
“We should do this more often.” Kina murmured, leaning into me.
“Stand at the back and watch everyone socialize? Sounds nice.” I smirked, and she punched me lightly on the shoulder.
“You can go talk to people, you know. This is just my safe zone.” She waved to the three feet of sidewalk we had up against the wall, under the shade of our porch.
“Which is why there’s nowhere I want to be but here.” I pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. “You’re perfect.” I murmured as I pulled away. My hand drifted down to rest on her belly, sticking out just the tiniest bit. “And you’re going to be the best mom.”
“Alright, people. It’s time!” Isla announced. How she could yell so loud without a microphone was beyond me. “Kina and Rhett, come on up!”
I took her hand and led her to the platform Isla had set up the day before. Okay, the platform Zane had set up at Isla’s direction.
“As you can see, everyone at the party thinks it’s going to be a boy. I should’ve made more blue punch!” Isla’s voice was cheerful, and her stupid joke made a bunch of people laugh. “Turns out gender reveal parties aren’t a big thing when everyone you know is giving birth to boy babies.
“Now, for the big reveal. Drumroll, please.” She gestured to Declan and Denver, Rhett’s youngest two brothers. They started banging on the hand-drums Isla ordered just for the sake of this party, and Isla gestured to Zane and Stetson.
There was a huge popping noise as two massive confetti cannons went off, shooting bright pink confetti into the air, all over everyone and everything. I coughed when pink glitter filled my nostrils, and spat out a piece of confetti. Word to the wise: close your mouth when your best friend launches a confetti cannon.
“IT’S A GIRL!” Isla shrieked, her voice completely giddy.
Everyone was silent, staring at us with their mouths hanging open like they were waiting for us to tell them we were joking.
“Kina’s pregnant with the first female shifter to be born in twenty years!” Isla exclaimed, waving her hands in the air while hoping they’d catch on and cheer like she wanted.
It worked.
At once, the crowd erupted. People yelled and screamed and cheered, and every face I saw had shock written all over it.
“I’m going to have a granddaughter!” My mom screamed, throwing her arms around both me and Kina at the same time. “We are going to buy so many dresses!”
“She’s going to have so many overprotective uncles.” Kina laughed, hugging her tightly. “And the best grandma in the world.”
Tears streamed down my mom’s cheeks.
“I’m so glad Rhett found you.”
“Me too.” I agreed.
Kina rolled her eyes but smiled.
“Alright, my turn.” She mumbled, stepping away from me and my mom. “Hey!” She waved her arm, and the attention turned to her in an instant seeing as how she was the female-shifter-incubator at the moment.
“Everyone!” She called out. “I’m not the only one! Isla’s also pregnant, and she’s having a girl too!”
The noise stopped, and everyone’s eyes turned to the copper-haired grizzly, biting back a smile a few feet away from the platform she’d set up.
I lifted my eyebrows at Kina, who winked at me.
“I can keep a secret when I want to.” She smirked.
I hadn’t known about that part—I hadn’t even known Isla was pregnant. A quick glance at her soulmate’s wide-open eyes and mouth told me he hadn’t either.
“Surprise?” She met his gaze, somewhere between nervous and excited.
Zane barreled through the crowd, which parted to make room. He whooped and lifted his soulmate in the air before taking her lips in his. Their kiss got a little heated, and Kina and I exchanged amused gazes.
“Alright, let’s keep this G-rated!” My mom stepped in and separated the lovebirds.
“Sorry!” Isla blushed.
Teresa, the sister-in-law she hadn’t quite managed to charm, was grinning behind her and Zane. It looked like a little PDA was the way to win her approval, because Teresa handed her soulmate her baby and pulled Isla in for a fierce hug.
We socialized for the next two hours. No one wanted to leave, they were too excited talking about the fact that there would be two female born-shifters coming to Mount Edge in a few months.
After the guests finally left, Kina and I were in the kitchen with Isla and Zane, eating ice cream straight from the carton since we hadn’t had time for it during the party.
“I still don’t understand how you managed to keep your pregnancy a secret from Zane for almost five months. You’re terrible at keeping secrets.” I pointed an ice-cream-filled spoon at Isla, who blushed.
“I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. I took the test while he was in class and threw the stick away after twenty minutes because you know, it’s gross to hold onto a stick you peed on. He didn’t answer when I called to tell him because he was in class and all, but when he called back I couldn’t bring myself to break the news over the phone. I kept trying to figure out how to tell him and nothing seemed good enough. Even the doctor told me to tell him, but I put it off and then me and Kina learned the genders together, and it seemed like fate.”
She shrugged, still sheepish about the whole thing.
“Don’t make fun of me, I still feel like an idiot for it.”
I grinned, and Kina laughed.
“You’re not an idiot. It was perfect.” Zane promised, his lips meeting hers as his hand fell protectively to her mostly-flat belly. The kiss got a little hotter, and Kina fanned her face.
“Whew! We should go do that, but where there’s a bed so things can get hotter.” she grabbed my hand.
“You’re sexy when you want to bang me.” I remarked, swatting her butt.
“I’m always sexy.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, flashing me a grin.
“Can’t argue with that.” I tugged her into our room.
I never thought I’d be glad that my soulmate was thrown in jail, but I was. I’d get to have a life with Kina because she punched a drug dealer, and as insane as that was, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
THE END
Isla and Zane’s Story,
THE IMPULSIVE SHIFTER
Is Available Now
Keep reading for a sneak peek!
Teresa and Garrett’s Story,
THE IMPULSIVE SHIFTER
Is Available Now
Lyssie and Mason’s Story,
THE MOTHERLY SHIFTER
Is Available Now
Emma and Logan’s Story,
SOULMATED
Is Available Now
Thanks for reading Kina and Rhett’s story! This was one of my favorites to write.
Please take a second to write a review on Amazon or Goodreads or both.
Reviews help others find my books, so please take the time to leave one!
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to my husband
Because he’s my favorite everything.
About the Author
I love books, I believe in smiling when life sucks, and I believe in happil
y-ever-afters. Thanks for reading!
Keep up with me and my characters at my website, iamsarasummers.blogspot.com
Or follow me on Instagram
@sarasummerswriter
Happy reading!
-Sara
Also By Sara Summers
Paranormal University:
Parallel Souls
Parallel Pain (coming July 1st 2019)
Parallel Hearts (coming August 1st 2019)
Mount Edge Shifter Romances:
By Sara Summers:
SOULMATED
SOULFATED
SOULHATED
SOULWAITED
THE STUBBORN SHIFTER
THE IMPULSIVE SHIFTER
THE MOTHERLY SHIFTER
THE LONE SHIFTER
By Rebecca Kay
SOULBOUND
SOULGROUND
Moon Manor Vampire Romances:
ETERNAL
Modern Paranormal Fairytales:
MIDNIGHT
Shifty Series:
More than a Werewolf
More than a Panther
More than a Grizzly
More than a Mermaid
More than an Otter
More than a Cheetah
More than a Lion
More than a Human
More than an Eagle
More than Me
More than a Monkey
*Finished Series*
Here’s a peek at
PARALLEL SOULS
Available now!
HELLO
Before walking through the gates of Paran University, I had no idea that it was full of paranormals who expected me to save their world. My sister, on the other hand? She knew and didn’t even mention it.
“You are going to love it here.” Jessie’s arms wrapped around me tightly.
“I know.” I laughed, pushing her away. “You can let go now.”
“Alright, alright.” She finally released me, stepping back beside her husband, my brother-in-law. “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.”
“They would, wouldn’t they?” I looked up at the tall, metal gates that separated my new school and home from the rest of the world.
Paran University was one of the most elite colleges in the world, and even just getting accepted was nearly unheard of. Getting a full-ride scholarship? That was a miracle, one that only happened to me because my sister had gone there first.
“I wish we could come inside and see your room.” Jessie sighed.
The university had a strict no-outsider rule. It was so private they rarely even did tours, and we hadn’t been able to make it up for one so I had never seen where I was going to live.
“I’ll send pictures.” I promised.
My sister threw her arms around me again, and when I felt the tears on her cheeks, my own eyes started to water.
“Remember, don’t open your present until 12:19.” She sniffled.
“I know the tradition.” I reminded her.
“Fine, I’ll let you go inside.” When she pulled away, she didn’t bother wiping her face. The waterworks were flowing, and they weren’t going to stop anytime soon. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I’m sure we’ll hear from you soon.” Oscar smiled, wrapping his arms around me for a quick hug.
“You’ll hear from me more than you want to.” I assured him. Jessie laughed, and then started crying harder when I stepped away from her and Oscar, grabbing my suitcases.
I hurried to wipe my face.
“Bye. I love you guys.”
And then I made my way up to the security booth, swiping the ID card I’d gotten in the mail. The guy in the booth opened a short gate to let me in, and I turned to wave at my sister. She was bawling in Oscar’s arms, but he waved back.
My hands were shaking when I pulled my suitcases through the gate and stepped onto the school grounds. Pushing my tangle of dark curls away from my face, I looked around what I could see of the campus.
Trees towered above the tall stone and glass buildings that went on further than I could see, and the sound of waves crashing against rocks was like background music to the school. Paran’s fancy metal gates were nestled tightly into the forest on three sides, and the fourth was a massive cliff that dropped off to meet the ocean.
The campus somehow managed to look both old and brand new. Gray stone mixed with massive glass windows created buildings that were so large they could’ve been castles, and thick green grass met neatly-trimmed trees, bushes, and flowers.
There were people everywhere, pulling suitcases and holding boxes, carrying duffel bags on their shoulders. I stopped for a moment to just watch all of them, in a hurry to get moved in and find where their classes were. Some of the people were talking and laughing together, and others were focused on getting to wherever they were going.
There was this energy around the crowd, like it was a moving and breathing creature rather than a group of individuals. While I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of the group, I’d determined to put down my books and spend time with people when I went away to college.
“Hi, are you new?” a cheery girl grabbed my arm, pulling my attention away from the campus and rushing people. Her shiny white smile was so huge I thought it would pop off her face. Everything from her pink lips to her tight, purple crop-top shouted “cheerleader”, until you looked at her hair.
Her hair was the exact same color as the grass on the ground, and it fell in long waves down to her waist. There was variation in the color that resembled the natural highlights anyone who spent the summer in the sun would have, almost like green was her natural hair color. That was plain ridiculous, though.
“What? Oh, yeah.” I let go of one of my suitcases and held out my hand. “Adrie Lane.”
“I’m Briar.” She gave my hand a funny look and hit it with a quick high-five.
The gesture was so strange I barely choked back a laugh.
“Do you know where to go?” she checked, back to cheerful.
“Not really.” I admitted, reaching into the large, floppy gray purse that fell over my shoulders and to my hip. Jessie had always told me I looked like a hobo when I wore it, but I liked it so I kept it. “I have some papers though.”
The thick cuff bracelet I’d been wearing for as long as I could remember caught on my bag as I reached in, and I winced as it yanked against my skin. Easing away from the side it had caught on, I grabbed the thick yellow packet of papers and pulled it out.
“Oh, you don’t need those.” Briar brushed it off. “What are you?”
“Um…” I frowned, not really sure how to answer that question. “I’m a freshman.”
Briar laughed, and her light gray eyes lit up. Green hair and grey eyes… not something I’d seen before, but you know, she made it work.
“You’re funny. I’m a nymph, so I’m in the Maple building. Weres are in Willow, Sirens in Palm. What are you?”
I didn’t know what she meant by nymphs, weres, and sirens, but I could kind of see it as stoners, jocks, and pretty people. I didn’t really fit into any of those basic categories, but every building she named was a type of tree, and I remembered reading something about a tree in my packet.
“Are you talking about, like, social classes? I’m kind of a loner, I don’t know if that’s like vampire or something, but my packet says…”
My finger trailed down the words, looking for the tree thing.
“Okay, I’m in Redwood, unit 1001. What group is that?”
When I looked back at her, there was shock in her eyes.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Adrie Lane. Am I supposed to be somewhere else?” I looked back at the front gate. “My ID card worked, so I assumed…”
“You’re in the right place. Sorry, I just um, forgot where Redwood was for a second. Let me show you where to go.”
Her big, cheery smile was back, but this time it didn’t reach her eyes.
Some
thing about her was definitely weird, but I chalked it up to her being a part of the stoner, nymph group.
We crossed the campus, stepping through the crowd instead of joining it. People called out to Briar as we went, and she smiled and waved but didn’t stop to say hi as she did.
I felt a little self-conscious, worried that she wasn’t stopping to chat because I was cramping her vibes or something, but I was distracted enough by the new scenery not to care too much. Growing up in the suburbs near Phoenix, Arizona hadn’t exactly prepared me for forests and glass buildings.
As we moved further into the campus, the buildings were progressively more glass and less stone, and there were less trees and more flowers. Because I was there on scholarship, I half expected Briar to do an about-face and take me back toward the older looking buildings.
We were at the far edge of the campus when Briar finally stopped. I could see where the gates met the trees, marking the edge of the school.
“Okay, this is the Redwood building.” She gestured to the tallest, most modern-looking building I’d seen. It was the largest and shiniest by far, almost looking like an office building, and while the other ones had rivers of students going in and out, there wasn’t a single person within forty feet of the Redwood building.
“You forgot where this building was?” I looked to her with raised eyebrows.
“Yep.”
So she was sticking with that lie. Interesting.
“Can you show me where my room is?” I checked, more to prod for information than because I wanted help finding my dorm.
“I’m not allowed inside.” She apologized, tucking her hair behind her ear and then untucking it.
She was nervous. Hmm.
“If I go in there is someone going to kill me?” I checked, only half-joking.
Briar smiled, and it didn’t seem like a nervous smile that time.
“Oh, no. This building is for important people, it’s supposed to be fancy and expensive. There are three security guards just in the lobby, so this is the safest place on campus.”
