Prim and Proper Fate (Twisted Fate Series Book 2)

by Tami Lund

  They watched the entourage of vehicles drive away from the house and turn down the road, heading north. Prim felt a pang of sadness. She’d never been part of a pack before, and now that they were all leaving, she realized what she had been missing for all these years.

  Family.

  “We’ll see them soon enough,” Brandon said, accurately reading her emotions. “In a year, you’ll wonder at your decision to join the pack.”

  “It’s the right thing for Lily,” Prim replied. “It’s time to let her live the life she was meant to live.”

  “Just remember,” Lily cut in. “I get to choose my mate, not you. And don’t be surprised if the process takes a long time. A really long time.”

  Prim rolled her eyes and Brandon chuckled. Gaya disappeared into the house, stating she needed to use the bathroom before they left. The three people remaining on the porch looked up at the sound of tires crunching on gravel. They watched as a sleek black limousine worked its way carefully up the gravel drive, until it came to a stop in front of the porch. A tuxedo-clad driver climbed out and hurried around to open the back door closest to the house.

  As they watched, a leg slid out of the car. It was pale as milk, and ended in a pair of elegant silver sandals, showing off toenails painted the same silver color. A shimmering silver skirt dropped out of the car, and then a feminine hand, the fingers adorned with silver rings and the nails coated in silver polish, reached out and accepted the hand the driver offered. A woman stepped out of the car and straightened, looking at the scenery through a pair of wide, white-framed sunglasses. Her dress draped over one shoulder and was cinched at the waist, much like a toga, and fell to the tips of her silver sandals. A silver sash secured it to her waist, and a slit up the side revealed milky white skin all the way up to her hip.

  If she’s wearing panties, there isn’t much to them.

  The thought drifted through Brandon’s head a moment before he heard Prim’s sharp intake of breath. He shifted his gaze away from the strangely glamorous woman and focused on the love of his life. She dropped her arm from around his waist and moved away from him, subtly stepping in front of Lily.

  “Who is that?” Lily’s voice was breathless, and she watched the woman with wide eyes. When Killian stepped out of the limo behind the elegant lady in silver, Lily’s lips formed a thin line, and Prim’s emotions turned even more tumultuous. Brandon wanted to reach out to her, but instinctively knew she needed to keep her distance. Although if she started to show signs of having an episode, she wasn’t going to have a choice but to suffer his closeness. It would be better to let the First know she was sleeping with a shifter than to let the head Fate know she was on the verge of mental collapse.

  Was being the key word there. As far as Brandon was concerned, he planned to make it his mission to ensure she never reached that edge again. Ever. She was his, and he had every intention of spending the rest of eternity with her by his side, in his bed, in his thoughts and emotions. She was his everything, prim and proper Fates be damned.

  “The First Fate,” Prim said tightly, responding to Lily’s question. She forced her lips to curl into something that vaguely resembled a smile, as the woman finally acknowledged the group standing on the porch.

  “Prim? Darling, come down here and give the First a proper greeting.”

  “She refers to herself in the third person?” Brandon asked out of the side of his mouth.

  “She’s a bit . . . eccentric,” Prim responded.

  “William’s eccentric,” Brandon replied. “This is . . . weird.”

  “Just wait,” Prim commented, and then she stepped off the porch and walked down to greet the woman who, as she had explained to Brandon the day before, was the first Fate ever to exist. This was the woman who had determined that Fates should make it their responsibility to protect Chala from harm, at least until they found a mate to take over the job. She looked pretty damn good for being well over a thousand years old.

  Brandon stepped down behind Prim, and Lily clamored after him. He could tell Prim wasn’t comfortable with how close he stood to her, but he refused to let her face this alone.

  “Hello, First,” Prim said politely. Following some custom dictated only to the Fates, she bent to one knee and waited for the First to place her hand on Prim’s head, telling her it was okay to stand again. Brandon fought against his own disapproval of the action, knowing she could sense his emotions and it would only add to her already high stress level. He did not think she needed to be subservient, but he knew Prim thought he was wrong. She had already explained that the First controlled nearly everything about a Fate’s life. If she were so inclined, she could take away Prim’s right to be Fate to the Chala. She would be forced to live for eternity, with no purpose whatsoever. Brandon knew she would go mad if that was the end result of this encounter.

  “Prim. You look lovely today.” The First placed one elegant, silver-tipped hand on Prim’s head.

  “So do you,” Prim replied politely as she climbed to her feet, ignoring Brandon’s outstretched hand.

  The First glanced down at her gown. Her hair was silver blond, complimented nicely by the color of her dress.

  “Oh, you know how the First prefers her white,” she said with a sniff. “But human society claims it is wrong to wear white before Memorial Day.”

  Brandon considered pointing out that human society no longer wore togas, but he refrained.

  “Do you plan to introduce your companions to the First?” the strange woman asked, her gaze locked on Lily, who fidgeted under the scrutiny.

  “This is Brandon Haines and Lily Gallow.”

  “Haines. Can the First assume this one was related to one of the lost Chala?”

  Prim glanced at him before responding. “Yes. His mother was a Chala.”

  The First nodded, accepting Prim’s confirmation. “And Gallow . . . That name sounds vaguely familiar. Why does that name sound so familiar?”

  “Her mother was a Chala,” Killian supplied overly helpfully. “Although I can’t remember her first name.”

  Prim threw him a dirty look. “Her name was Louisa.”

  “Louisa Gallow,” the First mused. “Oh yes, the First remembers. But she wasn’t your Chala, was she?”

  “No,” Prim admitted.

  “And she was, in fact, already mated when she was killed.”

  “Yes.”

  “As the First recalls, she was at the end of her pregnancy when she died.”

  “Yes.”

  “Can the First assume this is the result?” She waved, encompassing Lily’s body.

  “I feared for her safety. Her mother begged me to take her,” Prim defended herself.

  “The First believes it’s time for you to offer refreshments,” the Fate said abruptly.

  “Sorry,” Prim said, and she opened her mouth to speak again, but the First cut her off by turning to face Killian.

  “It is your home,” she said curtly. “Invite the First inside. Offer refreshments to the First and your other guests. The First recalls you have a fondness for fine wine. Offer some to your company, Killian.”

  Killian looked as if he had no interest whatsoever in sharing his fine wine, but Brandon had already figured out when it came to the First, no Fate said no. Soon, they were all seated around one end of the long plank wooden table in the dining room, and Gaya appeared with two bottles of wine, glasses, and a small platter of cheeses and fruits. After setting the table, she melted into the background, although Brandon noticed her gaze never left the strange, silver-clad Fate.

  “This is excellent,” the First praised Killian, as she sipped the wine. She sat back in her chair and let her heavily shadowed eyelids droop over her pale, silver eyes. “The First is ready to hear your version of things, Chala.”

  Lily gave Prim
a questioning look. Killian shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. Prim covered Lily’s hand with her own.

  “She wants you to explain what happened when you . . . sent Killian away,” Prim explained. “It’s okay,” she added encouragingly. “Just state the truth. The First is not unjust.”

  Lily threw Brandon a frightened look, and he nodded his encouragement as well. She stuttered out her story, ending with a description of how she had grabbed the nearest lamp and flung it at Killian’s head when he backed her into a corner and demanded she kiss him. Brandon felt a pang of sympathy for the naïve Chala, and wished he had been there to protect her. He had a feeling guarding two Chala was going to prove to be difficult for the pack of hapless Light Ones.

  “The First wouldn’t want to kiss you either,” the First said with a disdainful look in Killian’s direction. “Of course, the First wouldn’t want to kiss you either,” she said with a pointed look at Brandon, “but the First sees this has no bearing on her Fates’ choices.” She turned to Prim. “You do realize he is a perfect fit for your Chala, do you not?”

  Brandon didn’t miss the reference of Lily as Prim’s Chala.

  Prim cleared her throat and spoke carefully. “Yes, I am aware of that. I’ve given it great thought, and—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Lily interrupted. “Brandon’s like my dad,” she complained. “No way could I mate with him.” She punctuated her words by wrinkling her nose in obvious distaste.

  The First blinked, clearly surprised by the Chala’s outburst. And then she laughed. “A Chala with her own opinion. How delightful.”

  No one was sure exactly how to respond to that. Both Chala in their lives had strong opinions. Brandon decided it was best not to point this out to the First. It wouldn’t be a good idea at all to remind the First of Sydney’s existence right now. A Chala mated to a Rakshasa was most definitely not in the First’s plans.

  Conversation remained stilted, as the First continued to refer to herself in the third person, dropped snide comments periodically, and did not make any sort of ruling on the fact that Lily broke some sort of Chala-Fate cardinal rule by killing a Fate.

  Soon, it was lunchtime, they’d missed their plane, and had plowed through four bottles of wine. The First drank more than her fair share, and was heading toward a solid drunk when she finally stood and announced her flight was leaving soon and she had best be going.

  Everyone clamored to their feet and watched with baited breath as the First staggered around the kitchen. Lily lost her patience first and walked up, grabbed the Fate’s arm and firmly guided her through the house and out the front door. The limo driver stood with the door open, waiting for his employer. Prim, Killian, and Brandon hurried outside behind them, while Gaya hovered in the doorway, trying to watch without bringing attention to herself.

  “Thanks for visiting,” Lily said politely, as she and the driver helped pour a drunken First Fate into the limo.

  “The First considers it a pleasure,” she slurred and flopped back onto the seat. “Tell your Fate to come speak to the First, Chala.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lily said, and she turned around and motioned for Prim. Naturally, Brandon followed her to the limo.

  “Yes, First?” Prim asked, as she bent at the waist to look inside the cushy vehicle.

  The First waved her hand in Lily’s direction. “You’ve done well with that one, Prim. Now, the First expects you to find her a good match, so she can give us more Chala to protect.”

  “Thank you,” Prim said sincerely, as she blinked back tears. That was apparently high praise, coming from the First.

  “Oh, and one more thing. The First bestows you the pleasure of informing that one that he no longer qualifies to protect Chala.”

  “F-First?” Prim stuttered, her eyes widening.

  The First nodded drunkenly. “This Chala was perfectly within her rights. Killian has been an issue for centuries. The First revokes his privileges. If he wishes to earn them back, we can discuss ways he can do so. Now, back off. The First must get to the airport. For some reason, she always gets stuck trying to get through security.” She shook her head, as if she couldn’t quite understand why she, of all people, would be targeted while trying to get onto an airplane. Prim stepped away and Brandon closed the door.

  Prim turned to Brandon, her smile wide. “She didn’t take Lily away.”

  “You were worried?”

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  “I wouldn’t have let her,” Lily announced defiantly.

  Brandon grinned. “Me neither.”

  Prim pulled them both into her arms. “I love you. Both of you.”

  Epilogue

  Six weeks later, it took Brandon two hours to unload the astronomical amount of luggage Prim had insisted upon bringing with her from the island property. He pointed out that her perpetually summer wardrobe wasn’t really appropriate for the climate of northern Michigan, and she’d have to purchase new clothes anyway, but Prim refused to leave anything behind. She was a high-maintenance woman, she reminded him. Lucky for her, he liked high-maintenance women. This one, anyway.

  They brought Lily with them, of course, as well as Gaya, Brutus, and Brokk. She had offered to let them stay, if they wanted, but Gaya especially had been practically giddy about the prospect of moving in with a pack of shifters. She hadn’t been inside the house ten minutes and she was panting like a dog in heat.

  Good, Prim thought as she watched the petite brownie take in her new surroundings. Perhaps if Gaya kept them all busy enough, this houseful of Light Ones wouldn’t immediately start sniffing around her Chala. Prim wanted Lily to get adjusted to her new surroundings before she chose a mate. She had a feeling the entire experience might be a tad overwhelming for her naive Chala. Speaking of Lily . . .

  “Where is she?” Prim wondered when she realized Lily was no longer in the same room.

  “Here I am,” Lily called, as she walked into the room, waving a thin, white plastic stick in her hand.

  “What is that?” Prim asked as she walked over to inspect the item more closely. As soon as she drew close enough, she knew. She snatched the pregnancy test out of Lily’s hand.

  “Lily! How is this even possible? Who? I can’t even believe—”

  “It isn’t mine!” Lily protested. “I don’t even know—”

  “It’s mine.”

  All gazes swiveled as one toward the sound of the quiet, feminine voice. Sydney stood in the doorway leading to the kitchen, with Gavin hovering protectively behind her. She gnawed on her bottom lip and her cheeks reddened.

  “Remember when Gavin wasn’t cursed, and I met him alone at that motel? Well . . . we, ah, we . . .”

  “Had sex,” Gavin finished for her.

  Lily’s eyes went wide, and Prim sucked in a harsh breath.

  “And we didn’t exactly think about using protection,” Sydney admitted, her blush deepening.

  “I thought Chala and Rakshasa couldn’t reproduce?” Brandon asked, glancing at Prim.

  “I think it’s a case of shouldn’t,” Gavin said, squeezing Sydney’s shoulder. “We have no idea what will happen now. What it will be.”

  “It’s a baby,” Sydney said, her tone defensive. She wrapped her arms around her midsection.

  “That’s a pretty fucking huge mistake,” Brandon commented. Prim smacked his shoulder and gave him a disapproving look. “Well, it is,” he protested.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Gavin pulled Sydney to him and hugged her. “One way or another, we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

  Brandon looked at Prim and smiled. She couldn’t help it. She smiled back.

  Yes. They always do.

  Also from Soul Mate Publishing and Tami Lund:

  OF LOVE AND DARKNESS

&
nbsp; OF LOVE AND DARKNESS kicks off the new Twisted Fate shape-shifter series. There are two kinds of shifters: Rakshasa and Light Ones. Rakshasa want to snack on human bones. Light Ones want to protect the humans.

  Unfortunately, the Rakshasa are currently winning the battle, as the Light Ones are not fertile. Only one type of Light One, exceedingly rare females called Chala, are able to produce offspring. The Rakshasa know this, and have managed to nearly decimate the population.

  Enter Gavin Rowan, a cursed Rakshasa who believes he is a Light One. He feels all his Rakshasa urges to kill, but has been cursed to protect the Light Ones instead.

  Throw Sydney Amataya into the mix. She is a Chala—except she doesn't know it. At least not until Gavin saves her from a Rakshasa attack and then declares her as his mate.

  But that's not how Sydney operates. Encouraged by her cross-dressing Fate, William, she refuses Gavin's claim. If he wants to mate with her—once she gets over the shock of discovering this supernatural world, that is—he's going to have to woo her, impress her, wine and dine her. Romance her. She deserves no less, end of the world be damned.

  Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hrjryv9