Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads)

by Hunter, Adriana

  I shook my head, “No, it’s a different one.”

  “All right, pull on over to the shoulder and get me the info.”

  I did as he said, shouldering the Bronco, just in time for it to heave a dying breath and crap out. I dug the business card Jolie had gotten me to print out for the librarian and handed it over. She probably didn’t mean for me to use it quite like this, but hey. When opportunity knocks, right?

  “I’ll be damned, but come on out,” he said when he returned a couple of minutes later. “You working for the New York Times? I was impressed about some of you all going to college, and here you are a writer for the Times.” He whistled. “Well, anyway. Uh, you getting out?”

  I was so stunned I hadn’t really realized what was happening. “I’m waiting for my photographer, if that’s okay.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, “Did you just say you had a photographer? You gonna tell me you’re going to be on the nightly news next?”

  Forcing myself to laugh, I tried to play it cool. “No, but thanks for the compliment. Damon King is my photographer, but he’s only part time. I don’t know if they’ll know he’s working for me.” Thinking quickly, I added a suitably smug, “Down at headquarters.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet,” he said. “Whenever he shows up, I’ll have to give you the rules for the crime scene. Some stuff you can’t shoot.”

  Damon’s bike roared up the side of the road. I squinted, surprised to see him ballsy enough to not only ride the shoulder, but to ride on it going the wrong way down the road. I just about started fluttering when I saw his hair flying behind him, and those beautiful cheekbones.

  “Your boyfriend needs to wear a helmet,” Officer Sanders said, as Damon pulled up beside my Bronco and killed his engine.

  I wonder if he actually did get brained, would it just grow back? I decided not to voice my question to the policeman.

  Damon hopped off his bike and almost mauled me trying to get me out of my car. He crushed me to his chest, his lips tasted like beautiful fire when he pressed them to mine. Heat poured from him, embracing me and passing through me in a wave.

  “I was so worried when your grandpa told me you saw Devin, or he was here. A million things went through my mind and they were all too awful for me to think about. I had to get here,” he said, clutching me again and parting my lips with another breathtaking, ferocious kiss. “I had to make sure you were safe.”

  “I’m fine,” I whispered. “Play along. And also, you’re in quite a different mood than when I saw you last.”

  A half-smile crept across Damon’s lips. “What are we looking for?” he asked. “We already know what happened.”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just wanted to see if there was anything... obvious that he might have left behind.”

  “If I treated my crime scene photographer like that, I believe she’d sue me,” Officer Sanders said.

  “Damon,” I said, slightly stunned, and opening my eyes wide to remind him to play the game. “Did you bring the camera?”

  “Camera?” he said. “Why?”

  “Hard to take pictures without one,” I said. “I’ve got a backup in my trunk, grab it.”

  Luckily, I’d not bothered to take in my cheap little digital to the library earlier. By that point, Officer Sanders was so tired of dealing with me he didn’t bother to ask why a real life, big-time journalist was going to take pictures with a fifty-six dollar camera.

  Damon sighed heavily. “Lily, we don’t have time for this.”

  I shot him another glance, one that he took seriously.

  “Come on, kids, I need to get back to doing my actual job.” The policeman tilted his head to the small handful of cars that had gathered, waiting for his direction. Someone drove through even though he was waving at them to stop. “See? Chaos,” he said. “Utter chaos.”

  As soon as we were a few feet away from him, Damon gave me a funny look. “What did you do?”

  “I’m just using my press rights. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a little closer to see what he did.”

  Damon laughed and shook his head, clearly shocked. “I don’t even know what to say,” he said. “But listen, I think he’s changing. Earlier I heard some cops talking about a break-in at Lottie’s, that truck stop. I’m pretty sure he busted in, made a mess, and killed the guy working the counter.”

  Damon’s voice was taut and strained. “Lily,” he said softly. “We’ve gotta, I mean, I’ve gotta stop him. We can’t let this turn into a war. The only problem is, if he’s fully turned, I haven’t even started my ritual yet. I don’t even know how to start. Poko just keeps telling me that I’ll know when the time is right. Like that does me any good.”

  I put my hand on his chest, feeling his warmth, relishing the thumping of his heart against my palm. “Everything’s fine,” I said. “Come on, keep up the charade. And don’t think you’re getting away without us having a long talk.”

  “Congrats, by the way.” He chose to ignore what I’d just said.

  “For what?”

  “Your grandpa told me about the story,” Damon said. “That’s awesome.”

  I blushed as I smiled. No one else knew. I hadn’t even told Annie at the library what I was doing since she never asked. I guess that if I did, I was afraid it’d be more real.

  “Thanks,” I said, smiling.

  Damon bent his head a little and kissed my forehead.

  “All right, all right, this way,” Officer Sanders said. “I thought you were here to be journalists, not neck like teenagers.”

  “Come on,” I said to Damon, trying to sound official. “We’ve got work to do, camera man.”

  Fifteen

  “This has gone too far,” Damon growled. “As soon as I find him, he’s dead. I don’t care what Poko says.”

  I tried to shush my enraged and semi-estranged boyfriend before the on-duty police officer heard him threaten to kill someone. “You can’t,” I whispered. “You know you can’t just up and kill him.”

  He walked slowly down the gashes that marked where Devin had undoubtedly drove his claws into the side of Caitlyn’s moving car and dragged it to a halt. Just the idea of strength like that sent a chill through me.

  “Are you scared of him?” I asked. “I mean, he’s... well, he did this.”

  “No. I’ll never be afraid of a monster like him. Better to put him down once and for all than risk a clan war.”

  His voice was taut, strained, and full of anger I’d never really heard before.

  “So the actual answer is that yes, you are scared of him,” I said. “Why won’t you admit it? I get it, you’re big and strong and calm all the time, but Damon, if you expect me to stick by you, you’re gonna have to open up about something at some point. Otherwise, what exactly do we have?”

  He shook his head, obviously distracted. “I can smell him,” he said.

  “Listen to me.” I grabbed his thick, leather belt and held him still. Damon clicked a couple of photos to keep up the charade, at least until he figured on where Devin went. “I don’t want to lose you again. But I can’t be with someone who won’t share anything.”

  “Are we really doing this right now?” he said. “Can’t it wait?”

  “Yes, no,” I said. “In order of the questions you asked. All you have to do is tell me what is scaring you.”

  “Lily.” he sighed. “Even if you want to be rid of me, you can’t. I hate it. You’re just stuck with me because some old prophecy says we’re soulmates. Doesn’t that bother you? At least a little?”

  “I dunno, does it bother you? Also, aren’t you just turning what I’m upset about around? That all sounds pretty familiar.” I shrugged.

  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, all I know is that Poko tells me all this stuff and I’m just supposed to believe it. How do I know any of it is even true?”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “Is there anything in particular that makes you doubt your condition? How about the time you bla
cked out, and ended up in a cave half dead? Or what about the time you blacked out, and then woke up in a field, having missed your own graduation and showed up at my house with a flayed knee that magically healed?”

  “Okay, okay,” he said, dropping his hands to his sides.

  “Picture,” I whispered. He snapped one.

  “If my opinion in all this matters, even a little bit, I,” I clapped my mouth shut, upset at what I was about to reveal. “No, you know what? I’ll start. How do I know this,” I gestured to the car, “isn’t going to happen to me? How do I know you’re not going to go absolutely nuts one day? Why don’t I let that bother me?”

  “You don’t, I guess,” Damon said softly. “You just have to take it on faith. You know I’d never do anything like that, like this, on purpose.”

  “Right. Faith. That’s something Cat doesn’t have. She doesn’t even know what Devin is. She probably thinks she’s going insane.”

  We stood there, right beside one another, for a long minute.

  I wanted to reach out for him and feel his hands, hear him tell me everything was all right. But if it was honesty I wanted, and it really was, then I couldn’t expect him to lie, either. No matter how badly I needed to hear one.

  “Gonna have to ask you to head on out,” the man said. “Gotta take over the scene. I’m Detective Williams, and I’m in charge of the investigation. I understand you’re press?”

  “Yes sir,” we both said at once and exchanged a glance.

  “Thank you,” I said. “We’re just getting finished up.”

  I gave Damon a look as we briefly parted. “Where?” I asked.

  At the detective’s insistence we moved away from the wreck, and stood on the side of a roadside ditch.

  There was a storm behind his eyes. Finally he shrugged. “We’ve gotta find Devin, and we have to make sure it happens sooner than later. No telling what he’ll do if he’s alone with Caitlyn for long. You said this just happened?”

  “Yeah.” I slid my arm around his waist. “I’m sorry for getting so irritated back there. I’m just worried about everything.”

  He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I’m sorry too, for being so quiet. How long ago?”

  “About ten minutes before I texted you,” I said.

  I went to brush the hair back out of my face, but Damon intercepted my motion and he did it for me. He stared into my eyes before kissing me so hard I almost doubled over right in the middle of the street.

  “What was that?” I said with a surprised laugh.

  He stared straight into my eyes, suddenly serious. “I don’t want to regret not doing it. I can’t imagine losing you, Lily. I just can’t.”

  “That’s quite a change from your story last time I saw you,” I said with a voice full of doubt. “What’s got you so cranked up?”

  “Don’t be like that,” Damon replied. “Just... I got a feeling.”

  I watched him for a second, bemused.

  “Hey,” I said, “hey, nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ve got you, right?”

  Damon grunted a laugh. “Yeah, hope it works out. Let’s meet back at your place and try to figure out what’s going on.”

  “Wait a second,” I said. “There’s too much left hanging for us to just go on like nothing happened.”

  It wasn’t the time, it really wasn’t and I knew that but I just couldn’t help myself.

  “I need to know where you stand, Damon.”

  He let out a heavy sigh that told me what he thought of my timing. “I don’t know, Lily, I just... I can’t let you get hurt. But then at the same time, I thought about what you said the other day, and you’re right. I can’t just tell you what to do and expect you to listen.”

  “No matter how right you might be?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

  He nodded. “Yeah, or how right I might think I am.”

  That, I didn’t expect. I waited for a second, and he continued.

  “I know I say a lot of things, and I know that about half the time it all comes out wrong, but I can’t,” he chewed his lip, obviously having trouble making the words go from brain to mouth. “No, I mean, I won’t stand here and watch you get hurt. I know I’m not going to be able to get you to do what I want you to do, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him hurt you because I’m too much of a denial-ridden coward to admit how much you...”

  When it became clear he wasn’t going to continue, I said, “How much I what?” My hand found its way to his arm.

  His eyes burned straight through me when he searched my face.

  “How much you mean to me.”

  Even as I squeezed his muscled forearm, the only thought running through my perplexed brain was that he let it all out too quick. Too much, too quick. I stared at him for a second trying to figure out if something happened. Maybe he’d gotten into another fight or something and had his head rattled.

  “What...” I paused, considering my words. “What made you say all that? Last time I left you, I thought you were done as done could be.”

  His eyes went back and forth. Damon was keeping a secret.

  “No secrets,” I said. “That’s what got us here in the first place.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He leaned against the side of the Bronco, and a patch of dirt stuck to his tight-fitting t-shirt. “I talked to Poko, and he explained some things about the Skarachee alpha’s fate and—”

  That was not what I wanted to hear.

  “It had to be that, huh? Remember how all this bullshit got rolling down this hill? Remember how it was because you wouldn’t tell me if you wanted me for me or because you were supposed to?”

  “Wait, Lily,” he said, putting his hands up to deflect the bullets.

  I was being more than a little unfair, no matter what sort of emotions were coursing through my veins. After all, I went off on him for not acting like an adult in a relationship, right? So I made myself bite my tongue.

  “That’s not what I meant,” he said. “Well, maybe it’s close but I screwed it up.”

  “Then get it out,” I said. “I’m sorry I got us started on this, I should have just let it alone. We’ve got more important things to worry about than relationship drama.”

  “No,” he shook his head. “No we don’t. This is the most important thing in the world to me right now, and probably ever.”

  “Drama?” I let out a little scoff.

  I’d finally gone too far with my nervous joking so I clapped my mouth shut, except to eke out a “sorry” that Damon didn’t acknowledge.

  “Truth is I don’t know what I believe about Skarachee ways, or any fate or anything else. Poko is my elder though, and that means something. I can’t... explain it really, because it seems like that doesn’t make much sense to most people, but when a seven hundred year old man is telling me things, I tend to listen.”

  “But...” I said, anticipating his words.

  “But.” He nodded, “he doesn’t always speak in literals. Sometimes what he means and what he says are hard to figure out. That’s got nothing to do with what I’m trying to say,” he sighed heavily.

  His openness, his tender voice, it all made me realize how hard he was trying to get his point across. “You’re doing fine,” I said, regretting how sharp I’d been in the minutes past. I expected too much, demanded too much.

  “I don’t care whether it’s true or not,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anymore. All I know is that I’m about to go through some things and I don’t know if I’ll survive. I also know that if I can’t have you by my side, then suddenly the surviving means a lot less.”

  “What are you saying?” I heard him, but for some reason I needed to hear it again, like that made it real. “You don’t want me to go?”

  “I couldn’t live with myself if you weren’t around, Lily,” he said. There was a strain in his voice, he’d been going over this and over this and now that it came out, he looked relieved. “I want to protect you. I need you to be safe and if th
is goes to war between our two clans, I know you’re going to be in the middle of it.”

  Swallowing hard, I drew near him, put my head on his chest and my arms as far around his thickly muscled torso as they would go. “I’m sorry.”

  Damon pushed me to arms’ length and held me there staring at my face. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he said. “You never have. This one’s on me. I have to believe in you just like you believe in me. I have to have faith in you.”

  Tears burned behind my eyes. Why would he have faith in me? What had I done to deserve any of this?

  “Where do we go now?”

  “Lily,” he said. “I love you. I always have. I never knew how to show it and I never had the courage anyway. But you gave it to me. I can’t do,” he swallowed, “any of this. You make my heart strong.”

  He paused for a moment then ran his finger along the side of my face. “It’s better if you don’t. When I wrote this speech out I didn’t plan on you responding, and if you do I’ll have to think of something else to say and then chances are I’ll screw it up and then, well...”

  “You couldn’t,” I said. “You couldn’t say anything to screw up what you just laid out. That’s... I don’t know how to...” I let out a trickling, unsure laugh, shook my head.

  He laughed nervously too, right afterwards. “Good,” he said. “I was so damn worried that I’d say all that stuff and you’d tell me it sounded corny. I just never know with that kind of stuff.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “It wasn’t corny. Or anything besides beautiful. Thanks.”

  “We’ve got something else to worry about.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed, massaging my palm with his huge thumb and forefinger. I had no idea how much I needed him to do just that just then. “Why don’t we head back to your place and we can try to figure out where to go next.”

  “Shouldn’t we go to Poko?”

  Damon shook his head no. “I have to do this on my own. A very smart young lady told me a couple of weeks ago that I’d figure out what it meant to be a leader, and I’m not going to let her down. If I keep having him solve all my problems, I’ll never understand what it means to be the Skarachee alpha.”