Embracing Fate: A hot paranormal shifter book (Hidden Hills Shifters 4)

by Day, Vella

  A few officers would be stationed in front of the building in case one or more of the men took off. Between him, Jackson, and Selena, Cord was confident they’d be able to take these clowns down.

  Once through town, Cord slowed and approached the designated area with care, keeping an eye out for any of the men. Even though he was in his personal vehicle and not his unmarked SUV, he was to park on Druid Street and work his way toward the alley. Jackson would have his eye on Selena the entire time, but Cord wasn’t worried. He’d worked with her before and seen her handle punks like these with ease.

  Once he parked, Cord headed out on foot. He didn’t have to go too far before he sensed both Selena and Jackson. Cord found a good vantage point next to a rather smelly dumpster and settled in to wait. He could see not only the back door of the bowling alley, but also where it led to the parking lot on the side.

  “She drop off the money yet?” Cord telepathed, fearing he might be too late.

  “She’s been waiting for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  From behind a car stepped a woman in a red wig. Damn, she did look like Piper. Keeping her gaze focused on the drop off location, once she reached it, she looked right then left before opening the lid and dropping the duffel inside. She turned around and remained still for a few seconds, no doubt trying to sense if anyone was near. She must have been convinced the trio wasn’t close because she edged back toward where she and Jackson were hiding.

  Now for the wait.

  Because they couldn’t afford to be overheard, all the men were asked to maintain radio silence. Being able to communicate telepathically with Jackson helped prevent being taken by surprise.

  Noise filtered out from the bowling alley, but the back door had yet to open. It was always possible the men would come in from another direction. Whenever they arrived, the three of them would be ready.

  Jackson was in charge of videotaping the money pickup for use in court and would remain hidden unless needed. Once the exchange occurred, Cord and Selena would rush in and take down the men. If only one man showed up, they would follow him until he led them to the others.

  Cord was usually a patient man—at least when it came to the job—but now he wanted to capture these bastards and return to Piper so he could scrub away all her fears.

  The sudden grating of a metal door shot him on high alert. He shifted into his cat form, making him nearly invisible in the night. A man with a big belly wearing an apron carried out a bag of trash. Shit. He must be the cook for the bowling alley. Piper had told him there was a small bar inside where they served hamburgers and other fried food.

  The cook lifted the lid, dumped in the trash, closed it, and headed back inside.

  “That sucks. Do you think we should move the bag?” telepathed Jackson.

  “Let’s give it a few minutes.” Less than thirty seconds later, three men sauntered down the alley. Hallelujah. This was going to be easier than he thought. “It’s them. Get ready.”

  While there was no way to let the officers in front know what was about to go down, they didn’t need the backup. The only foreseeable problem might be if Selena hadn’t already shifted, the light she emitted when she changed might tip off the men.

  The one who’d acted in charge the last time lifted the trashcan lid.

  “Is it there?” a second man asked, stepping next to him.

  “Can’s full.”

  Cord wanted to shout out for him to look under the other bag, but he refrained. They couldn’t be that dumb, could they?

  The third man came over to check out the situation. Fortunately, he lifted the recently deposited garbage bag. “That it?”

  The leader lifted up the duffel and then unzipped it. “Holy shit it is.”

  “You recording this, Jackson?”

  “Got it.”

  Keeping to the shadows, Cord slinked toward them, ever vigilant in case one of the men spotted him. As the leader replaced the lid on the trashcan, a bright blue flash lit up the alley. Damn it.

  “Oh, shit,” the leader shouted. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”

  As if they’d planned for this contingency, the leader and the shorter of the two headed Cord’s way, and the third man sped in the other direction. He didn’t need to shout to Selena about which one to go after as the lone man was almost upon her. While Cord wasn’t fast as a bear, he’d be more imposing. Shifting into his other form, he rose up on two legs and growled.

  “It’s him.” The shorter man glanced at the leader.

  “Run!”

  Damn. The leader tried to dart around him to the left while the shorter guy headed to the right. Cord lunged for the leader, and when he landed on him, the man’s head hit the pavement, and he let out a loud grunt. When he didn’t move, Cord figured he’d be out for a few minutes at least.

  The footsteps of the second man were becoming fainter with each passing second, and Cord shifted into his panther form. As he turned to charge after the man, he caught sight of Jackson sprinting in human form toward Selena. Her cheetah butt had hit the ground and the lone man appeared to be getting away. Before the assailant rounded the corner to the front, she managed to jump up and take off. Jackson followed. Oh, boy.

  Needing to deal with his own fleeing man, Cord chased after him. A shot sounded and pinged off something metal close to his head. Not only was it dark, but Cord was moving too fast for the man to have much of a chance of hitting him. Pumping his legs hard, he reached the man in less than four seconds. Taking a flying leap, he landed on the man’s back but squelched the urge to bite him. As soon as the man’s knees hit the ground, Cord changed back into human form.

  “You’re under arrest.” He pulled his cuffs from his back pocket, dragged the downed man to his feet, and hauled him to a police car parked on the side of the building. Cord secured the man to the handle then motioned for one of the officers to deal with him.

  Cord almost smiled when he remembered Piper’s question asking why his clothes didn’t shred when he shifted. He’d hate to think of standing in front of a captured man stark naked with no way to secure him.

  Knowing this guy was in good hands, Cord jogged to the back to check on the downed leader. In the distance, Jackson seemed to be lecturing Selena. Cord bet there’d be a good story there.

  Just as two officers arrived on the scene, the leader roused. “I’ll let you two handle this man,” Cord said.

  “Will do,” the beat cop replied.

  Cord went over to where Selena and Jackson were conferring with a third policeman and the final man. “You guys okay?” he asked.

  Selena pointed a thumb at his friend. “Ask Jackson. He was the one who dropped the camera.”

  Frustration and anger rolled off his friend. “Had to. When this asshole kicked you, I thought you needed help.”

  She shook her head. “I can handle myself.”

  Cord swallowed a smile. It was clear something was going on between the two of them, but he had more important things to attend to. “If you guys are good, I’m heading out.” He looked at Selena. “We can fill out the paperwork tomorrow.”

  “Works for me.”

  Cord placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You good?”

  “Yeah.”

  As Cord headed back to his truck, he called Dram to let him know his babysitting duty was over. As much as he wanted to hear Piper’s voice, Storm’s house was only fifteen minutes away, and seeing the relief on her face when he told her the danger had passed would go a long way to erasing this nightmare for her. Just because these men wouldn’t be bothering Brody for a long time, though, didn’t mean her brother wouldn’t gamble again. Cord had thought about speaking to him, but then decided he’d help only if Piper asked him to intervene.

  * * *

  Piper hadn’t expected Cord to return so quickly, but as soon as he pulled in front of Storm’s house, she’d rushed out to greet him. Wanting her friends to hear the details of the story, she asked him inside. Cord h
ugged her, gave her a quick kiss, and then followed her into Storm and Cheyenne’s home. Cord told them about the successful sting operation and how quickly they’d taken down Brody’s attackers. Piper was thrilled, not only for her brother but also for Cord and his friend.

  Storm held out his hand. “Congrats. Nice job.”

  “Thanks.”

  Piper hugged Cheyenne goodbye, and as soon as Piper slipped into the front seat of Cord’s truck, she dialed her brother then disconnected. “Damn, I forgot Brody’s cell is dead.”

  “I just spoke with Dram. He said Brody was packing up and that they’d be heading back soon.”

  It was probably for the best that she couldn’t speak with him. She would have lectured Brody about his gambling habits. At least now, she wouldn’t have to listen to her brother’s empty promises, which would spoil her good mood.

  She tucked a leg under her. “So what do you think we should do to celebrate?” Sex, sex, or more sex?

  Cord smiled. “I’m sure we can come up with something, but before we do, I’d like to continue with that discussion we never had.”

  She wracked her brain for what that might be. “Discussion?”

  “Remember I told you there were several things about me that you didn’t know—things that might make you change your mind about me?”

  After all they’d been through, did he think anything he told her would make her not want him? Only because he acted as if he needed to get it off his chest, did she agree to listen to such nonsense. “Tell me.”

  He let out a long exhale. “After my brother was born, my parents wanted to have another child, only my mother was unable to conceive for some reason.”

  He’d told her that much before. “Are you adopted then?” That wouldn’t matter in the least.

  “No. My mother decided to try fertility drugs. The problem was that my parents couldn’t afford to buy them at a local clinic, so my father found them on the black market.”

  She moved a little closer and placed a hand on his thigh, hoping to bring him some comfort. From the strain in his voice, telling the story was difficult for him. “Did something happen?”

  “I was born a freak.”

  He’d used that word before. “I don’t understand. Aren’t your parents shifters?” She couldn’t imagine two humans having a shifter baby.

  “Yes. My mother’s a bear shifter and my father is a panther shifter.”

  “So you took after your mother. I don’t see the problem.”

  His hands gripped the wheel. “Actually, I took after both of my parents. I can shift into either a panther or a bear at will.”

  “So Brody was right when he said you shifted from a panther into a bear.”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s really cool. Why is this a problem? You can be big and strong or fast and lethal, whichever works best. That would give you a huge advantage when fighting crime.”

  He glanced over at her. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m different from everyone else? I’ve never heard of anyone like me.”

  “Personally, I like different. It makes you extra special. Is there something other than your ability to shift into two animals that is unique?” She couldn’t imagine why that would even be an issue for him.

  “Yes.”

  He pulled in front of his garage apartment and cut the engine but said nothing more. She wasn’t about to let him off so easily, but she’d wait until they were inside before she questioned him further.

  Cord unlocked the front door and motioned her in. His story about the black market drugs made her wonder about his career choice. “Is that why you decided to join the DEA? To put men like the ones who gave your mother drugs out of business?”

  He flipped on the light and faced her. “Yes. Unregulated drugs can have dire consequences. Even though the men who sold the drugs to my mother were put out of business a few years after I was born, the damage had already been done.”

  She slipped off her jacket, tossed it on the back of the sofa, and faced him. “All of that is past history. You are an amazing man, Cord Triggert. You need to forget about it and accept your fate.” She stepped over to him and tried to unbutton his shirt, but he stopped her. She then gave him her sexiest pose, hoping to change his mind. “Don’t be that way. I thought we’d celebrate.”

  He cupped her face and looked down at her. “There’s more. I’m not sure you can understand what it means, but I need to tell you anyway.”

  His intensity scared her. “Tell me what?”

  “You’re my mate.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Piper couldn’t believe it. “We’re really mates?”

  She threw her arms around him and kissed him with every ounce of her being.

  Cord planted his palms on her waist and leaned back. “Do you understand what that means?”

  “My friends have filled me in, especially about the part where their men can’t keep their hands off them.”

  He laughed, but then quickly sobered. “Before you get too excited, you should know that I have no idea if I’m capable of having children.”

  One of the nurses she worked with had a husband who was unable to conceive, but that didn’t mean Sarah loved him any less. “I’m willing to take that chance. There’s always adoption.”

  A sparkle came to his eyes. “Really?” She nodded. “That’s great, but are you sure you understand what might happen when I claim you as my mate?”

  She thought back to what Cheyenne had told her about how she’d bitten Storm and turned him into a cheetah, like her. “I’ll be able to shift?” Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she’d ever possess that kind of magic.

  Cord glanced off to the side. “Most likely, but I have no idea if you’d become a bear or a panther.”

  “Who cares? I’m intrigued with the whole idea of having this super power. It really doesn’t matter to me which one I can turn into. They both have their pros and cons.”

  “You are something else.”

  Piper kicked off her shoes. “Show me.”

  He grinned and her insides melted. “Now that I’ve told you that you’re my mate, my inner animal is bursting to get out.”

  Piper worked hard not to laugh. No man had ever said anything like that to her before. “What are you waiting for?”

  He dipped his shoulder, and when he lifted her up in a fireman’s hold, she laughed and grabbed onto his waist to keep from slipping off.

  “It’s not funny.” He lightly patted her butt. “I hope you’re ready to be ravished.”

  Even though she’d only known Cord for a short period, his sincerity, intensity, and caring had already worked its way into her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved this man. “Wait and see what I have planned for you.”

  He dumped her on the bed then beat his chest, acting like Tarzan. Piper giggled so hard, she rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball.

  Cord crawled next to her and flipped her onto her back. He then plucked open her jeans and slid down her zipper. “Don’t laugh at me, woman.”

  She saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  His playfulness evaporated the moment he removed her jeans and panties. He then pulled her to a sitting position and stripped off her top. “You wore red?”

  She looked down at her bra and now discarded panties. She’d only brought sexy underwear from her apartment. “You don’t like red? Don’t tell me you’re part bull, too?”

  “I’ll show you what kind of animal I am.” He undid the clasp in back, rolled the bra down her arms then tossed it to the side. He sat back on his haunches and ran his gaze up and down her body. “I have to be the luckiest man alive.”

  His words swirled inside her, bringing her great joy. To show him how much she wanted him, she grabbed his crotch. “I can make you feel luckier.”

  He plucked her hand from his dick. “You have no idea what being around you does to me. The urge to make you mine is so overwhelming that staying in human form is hard.”<
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  Piper leaned back on her elbows, planted her feet on the bed, and spread her legs wide. He growled, and then his teeth sharpened. The mere sight of him slowly turning into an animal excited her to no end. Wanting to tempt him beyond reason, she dipped two fingers into her pussy, removed them, and then dragged them across his covered cock.

  “You are so going down,” he growled.

  Cord jumped off the bed and practically tore off his clothes. His chest was covered in fur, and his nails had elongated. Despite the slight changes to his outward appearance, he was all man—and all hers.

  Piper opened her arms. “Come here.”

  Cord eased toward her, his dark eyes smoldering with passion and desire. She’d never seen anyone so focused before, but she wasn’t scared. This was her man, and he’d proven many times that he was capable of loving and caring for her forever.

  “I don’t know where to begin.” His gaze shifted from her lips to her tits to the apex of her thighs.

  She smiled, dipped her forefingers into her mouth to wet them, and then rubbed them across her hard nipples. “I can give you some suggestions.”

  As if he was already in his animal form, Cord pounced, his knees landing on either side of her body. “You don’t need to tempt me to make me want you.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” She reached between his legs and squeezed his hard cock.

  His eyes narrowed and when he swiped his tongue across his teeth as if getting them ready to claim her, her pussy dripped with explosive lust.

  “If I don’t taste you, I’ll lose my mind,” he said.

  Cord slid down onto his belly, forcing her to let go of his dick, and plied open her pussy lips with his thumbs. He inhaled, closed his eyes, and then dragged his tongue across her opening. Sparks of total bliss skittered across her body, and her inner walls contracted in need of his hard dick.

  As much as she wanted him to impale her, this was the moment when the two of them would become one for all time. She hoped she could last long enough for the memory to be forever branded in her mind.