Awaiting Fate

by J. L. Sheppard

Wherever he was, she needed to be.

  She belonged with him.

  Sighing heavily, she strode toward the French doors leading to the balcony. Parting the doors, the scent of the woods enveloped her. The sun hung high in the east, but not even its rays seemed to soothe her.

  A knock sounded on her door. She turned and headed toward it, saying, “Come in.”

  Jocelyn stepped through.

  “Morning,” Olivia greeted, smiling. “How do you feel?”

  “Like a damn cow,” Jocelyn muttered. With a heavy sigh, she plopped on the love seat near the walk-in closet.

  Olivia sat next to her and placed her hand on Jocelyn’s belly, rubbing it softly.

  “The real question is how are you?” Jocelyn asked pointedly.

  Looking away, Olivia whispered, “I miss him.” She did, but it was more than that. She was sad, empty, and feeling a little lost. It was so absurd even to her. She’d just seen him. She’d spent a week with him alone. Would it always be like this? Would she feel that sadness every time they parted? Or was it just because they had yet to complete the mating?

  “That’s normal. Even before your brother and I were on good terms, I’d miss him. The moment he’d leave, I’d get an awful ache in my chest. It was devastating especially at the time. I didn’t want to have anything to do with him because he’d waited so long to tell me,” Jocelyn admitted.

  “I remember. He was just as torn without you, you know.”

  “Yeah,” Jocelyn said smiling wistfully. “When you tell your brother, you won’t have to hide anymore.”

  “I know. I want to tell him, but Cain thinks we should tell him together. Landon isn’t going to take it well. There’s no telling what he’ll do, and Cain hates it when Landon loses his temper. What if they get in a fight and—”

  “Don’t think about all the things that could go wrong,” Jocelyn said. She then shrugged and added, “Besides, if I’m there, I’ll just use my power over the wind to pull them apart. Easy-peasy.”

  She wasn’t so sure. “I hope.”

  “Why don’t you go…” Jocelyn’s voice dying away as her gaze darted toward the balcony.

  Olivia’s gaze followed. There Cain stood, as handsome as ever, wearing a collared blue shirt that fit perfectly against the expanse of his chest and a pair of jeans.

  Her heart leaping, she rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She felt his deep chuckle as he, too, wrapped his arms around her, bending to place a light kiss on her neck.

  There he stayed and whispered, “I missed you too, darling.”

  “You have no idea,” she said, pulling away to meet his eyes.

  Cupping the back of her neck, he crushed his mouth against hers, silencing her. The kiss firm but light and short and exactly what she needed.

  “I guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Jocelyn interrupted.

  Cain pulled away from her lips. His gaze moved behind her. “Oh, hey, Joce,” he said, seemingly noticing her for the first time. “I didn’t even see you there.”

  “Well, of course you didn’t. Liv’s here. If I hadn’t spoken I probably would’ve caught a great peep show, huh?” Jocelyn smirked.

  Olivia flushed bright red. She knew he felt her discomfort because the next moment his arms tightened around her.

  “How are you feeling today?” he asked Jocelyn.

  “Like a damn whale,” Jocelyn shot back, then turned to head out the door. Before she reached it, she turned toward them again. “I almost forgot. Liv, Landon wanted me to remind you. The Texan alpha is going to be here tonight. He wants you to meet him. He should be here around eight.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “You two have fun,” Jocelyn said, then winked.

  ****

  With a towel firmly wrapped around her torso, Olivia sat in front of her vanity, and applied her make-up. She spent the day with Cain in bed and regretted having to leave him, but he needed to hunt for Malums, and, although she wanted to be with him, she couldn’t. As princess and part of the council, it was her duty to welcome the Texan alpha into their home. If only the alpha had come another day, or she’d told her brother the truth or…

  Tomorrow, she pledged. Tomorrow, she’d tell her brother about Cain.

  She couldn’t stand being away from him, leaving him got harder each time. Lying to her brother and hiding her relationship took its toll on her. Another reason: she’d almost marked Cain again that afternoon.

  His skin had been slick with sweat when he’d filled her. She’d been overwhelmed with desire, and her canines elongated. At the moment, she’d wanted nothing more than to rip into his neck with her teeth, marking him as hers. If he hadn’t pulled away when he did, she would have.

  She couldn’t ignore his need to mark her either. His control slipped by the minute. Today, he’d bitten into a pillow instead of her. The look of torment on his face had nearly been her undoing. He’d been so patient with her, waited to tell her she was his when he thought she wasn’t ready, and even now he waited. He hadn’t once mentioned telling her brother. He was still waiting, and she was making him.

  She planned to tell her brother last night after Cain left, but things hadn’t gone as planned. After their romantic interlude and watching the anguish in his expression, she intended to come straight home and tell her brother, but then she remembered the alpha’s visit.

  It would have to wait.

  Tomorrow, she promised.

  Olivia quickly finished applying her make-up and browsed through her clothes, wondering what she should wear. She wanted to make a good impression on the alpha, but she was more concerned about wearing something Cain would admire when he came to see her later that evening. Finally, she decided on a blue empire-waist dress with fitted top and pleated skirt. She added simple earrings and a couple of bracelets before a knock sounded on her door. She opened it.

  “Hey, Liv. You look beautiful,” Landon said, reaching to quickly hug her. “When did you get in?”

  “A little while ago,” she replied.

  “How was training today?”

  Figuring Jocelyn must have told a white lie, she lied, too. “It went well.”

  “Drake’s here already. Joce is downstairs entertaining him.”

  “Drake?” she wondered.

  “The alpha from Texas.”

  Oh, right. She’d gone a day calling him the Texan alpha. She never thought to ask his name.

  She and Landon took the elevator to the first floor and headed into the large living room. The moment she entered, piercing gray eyes locked on her. The smoky eyes belonged to a tall, broad-shouldered man with disheveled black hair. Drake, although handsome, was the complete opposite of her male, who had blond locks and crystal clear blue eyes.

  “Miss Olivia,” he said, his voice laced with a Texan drawl. He closed the distance between them and extended his hand.

  She clasped his hand and shook.

  As his eyes continued to bore into her, he said, “You are as stunning as Landon said you would be.”

  Shocked at the compliment, she quickly withdrew her hand from his and spared a glance at her brother who beamed with pride. She wasn’t sure what shocked her more: the compliment from this man or her brother’s reaction. Her gaze met Jocelyn’s who appeared as uncomfortable as she felt.

  Damn. She’d walked into the lion’s den. The meeting was more than met the eye, and much more than what she’d been told. Her overbearing brother was trying to set her up with the Texan alpha. She shouldn’t be surprised. It was just like Landon to think he knew what she needed in a male. Worst, she hadn’t had a clue. Naïve Olivia played the idiot, again. What else was new?

  More distressing than feeling like an idiot and how angry it made her, was the guilt. She knew she shouldn’t feel guilty for her brother’s doing, and still the emotion overwhelmed her.

  Was she expected to sit at a dinner table with this stranger as if they were on a supervised date while her male risked his life fighting M
alums? Was she supposed to pretend her heart wasn’t taken?

  Hell, no. She wouldn’t and couldn’t. She belonged to Cain and loved him.

  Pull it together, she scolded. You won’t be left alone with him. He won’t dare make a move in front of my brother and sister-in-law.

  Finally, she turned her attention toward the alpha again.

  His smoky intense eyes hadn’t left her. “I’m Drake Callaghan,” he introduced himself.

  Despite her discomposure, her manners kicked in. She plastered on a fake smile, and said, “Nice to meet you.”

  As if he’d sensed her discomfort, he turned his attention toward Landon. “Landon.” He shook his hand firmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. You have a lovely home.”

  “Thank you. Please, let’s have a seat,” Landon said, motioning toward the sofas.

  Olivia waited until Drake took a seat, then positioned herself as far away from him as possible.

  Cristal stepped into the room, and headed toward the small bar. “Mr. Callaghan, would you like a drink?”

  “Miss…”

  “You may call me Cristal, sir.”

  “Miss Cristal, I’ll have a whiskey neat, please,” Drake said, flashing a million-dollar smile.

  Her heart clenched in her chest. Whiskey reminded her of Cain, her Cain, her male—the only man she’d ever loved.

  Cristal prepared Drake’s drink, then proceeded to prepare drinks for each of them. After serving them, she left. Olivia immediately took a big gulp of her apple martini hoping to steady her nerves.

  “Did you travel alone?” Jocelyn asked.

  “No, I was accompanied by my sister and her male,” Drake informed.

  “You should’ve brought them along,” Jocelyn said. “They would’ve been welcome.”

  But then it would have ruined my brother’s plans, Olivia thought with disgust.

  “She’s my youngest sister and still very young, less than two centuries old. She’s never been to New York, and hoped to go to some of the tourists sites.”

  Olivia bit her tongue to stop the nasty retort that sprang to mind. If he thought two centuries was young what would he think of her age? What would he think of Jocelyn’s age, barely twenty-two?

  “Or at least that’s what she told me. I suspect it has nothing to do with the city itself. She just recently met her male,” Drake continued.

  “Well, that explains it.” Landon chuckled, rubbing Jocelyn’s stomach. “Jocelyn and I met less than a year ago.”

  “And you’re expecting. Congratulations.” Drake’s gaze shifted slightly toward Jocelyn. “Mrs. Waden, you are part of the new breed?”

  “Please, call me Jocelyn. I am, so are my sisters.”

  His brows drew up. “Sisters?”

  “Yes, I have four. We were separated after our mother’s death. I was just recently reunited with two of them.”

  “Interesting…and the other two?”

  “We’re looking for them,” Landon replied for her.

  “Pardon my questions, but I’m intrigued…” Drake paused. “What abilities do you possess?”

  “My sisters and I have the ability to control the four classical elements: earth, fire, water and wind.”

  “Impressive,” Drake said then turned his attention to Landon. “I must admit times have changed since the last vampire-wolf war. I was under the impression my pack was the only one in existence that allowed their wolves to mate outside our breed. It’s why I assumed you were joking when you mentioned you’d allied with vampires and demons.”

  Landon tensed, squaring his shoulders. His eyes sparked, the blue infused in yellow. “We recently changed our laws,” he said simply.

  Jocelyn placed her hand over his, and his eyes returned to their blue color, calming his temper.

  “No offense,” Drake said. “As you know, we didn’t participate in the last vampire-wolf war. A choice I made and I’ve never regretted it,” Drake paused. “About thirty wolves in our pack found their females or males from other breeds including vampires. The first vampire-wolf war left us nearly extinct. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t take the chance, causing a rift within my pack. Any fated female or male of any members of my pack, I consider part of my pack.”

  How admirable of you, Olivia thought sarcastically. Just as the thought came, his gaze darted toward her as if he’d heard.

  “I can understand,” Landon said evenly. “Yearly, several pack members would disappear, it hadn’t occurred to me why a wolf would abandon his pack until I found my female. When we told them, some were shocked, even resistant, but it’s worked out for the best. Several deserters have rejoined.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Drake said, taking another sip of his drink. “I was also surprised to find out there was another pack still in existence. I’ve bumped into others of our kind, but all of them were loners. None belonged to a pack.”

  “I was under the same impression,” Landon said.

  “As you know, my pack has suffered attacks from Malums, not to mention the numerous grisly deaths of mortals in our area. From what you’ve explained to me, our goals are the same, but I’m still hesitant. I’d like to meet the Guardians first, then I’ll decide whether to join the league or not.”

  “I’ll arrange a meeting,” Landon said. “How long will you be in town?”

  “I leave tomorrow night.”

  Landon turned his attention toward Olivia. “Liv, who’s hunting tonight?”

  She tensed at the sound of her name, then cleared her throat. “Benjamin, Lucas, Jenna, two new recruits and Cain,” her voice hitched at the mention of her male. “Ashley, Jacob, and Clyde stayed in tonight.”

  “They’ll hunt till dawn. I’ll try to set something up for late afternoon or early evening. How does that sound?”

  “That’s fine. I can always postpone my flight,” Drake said.

  Cristal entered the living room, and advised dinner was served. Olivia stood, immediately feeling Drake’s eyes follow her out the room. Instead of heading into the dining room, she detoured to the bathroom. Inside, she took several deep cleansing breaths. A light knock sounded on the door. It parted slowly, and Jocelyn came through.

  “Liv, I’m so sorry. I tried to talk him out of it. I warned him you’d be upset,” Jocelyn whispered, placing her hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s not your fault. I should have told him already. I got myself into this mess.”

  “It’s not a mess. It’s beautiful. You found your mate.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. She whole-heartedly appreciated her sister-in-law’s attempts to comfort her, but finding Cain wasn’t the problem, telling her brother was.

  “This is bound to get more complicated before it gets better. I had plans to tell him today then I remembered this dinner, so I decided to tell him tomorrow, but now I can’t because of the meeting between the alpha and the Guardians.”

  “You can still tell him tomorrow, the meeting isn’t until late afternoon.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said, sarcasm biting her tone. “Landon will flip his lid when he finds out. It could affect our alliance not only with the Texan alpha, but with the Guardians as well.” She shook her head in defeat.

  “I know it seems like a big deal now, but when it’s over, you’ll feel a lot better,” Jocelyn said. “And don’t worry about Drake. He’s harmless.”

  “Harmless? He doesn’t look harmless to me. He’s tall, dark, and handsome.”

  Jocelyn cocked an eyebrow.

  “Not my type, but he’s an alpha like my brother, used to getting his way. Nothing is harmless about either of them,” Olivia added.

  “Liv, if he tries anything, I’ll kick him to the curb myself. I promise.”

  “I feel…” Her words trailed off refusing to admit her ridiculous emotions.

  “Guilty,” Jocelyn finished for her. “I was afraid of that, but you shouldn’t. This is business not pleasure, regardless of Landon’s intentions. Drake may be an alpha. He may be domine
ering and overbearing like your brother, but I think that’s a good thing. I don’t see a man like that pushing a woman who doesn’t want him. They’ve got too much pride. Unless, of course, you’re his, which you aren’t.”

  Or he’ll be more persistent because he’s used to getting what he wants, Olivia thought. Instead of saying it aloud, she nodded and together they headed toward the dining room.

  The large table was set for four. Landon was already seated at the head of the table. As usual, Jocelyn sat to his right and Olivia sat to his left. Drake sat beside her.

  The first course was served. They ate. While the others talked, Olivia remained quiet, unable and unwilling to participate, despite Landon’s attempts to involve her in the conversation. She partly listened, her mind wandering to Cain.

  “My sister’s mate, Lucas, is the leader of the Guardian Demons. He’s their king. Actually, he founded the Guardians,” Jocelyn said.

  “A demon, really?” Drake asked.

  “Yes,” Olivia said firmly before she realized she’d spoken. All gazes darted to her. “Contrary to popular belief, the demon king is noble, as are his warriors. I train with them regularly.”

  “I believe you,” Drake replied, his gray eyes locked on her, unnerving her. “I doubt Landon would trust many with his sibling.”

  “He wouldn’t,” Jocelyn added. “And he doesn’t. Lucas and his warriors are the very opposite of their reviled reputations. My sister is stubborn,” she chuckled. “Stubborn enough to drive a noble man to violence. He’s patient, kind, and loving with her. Every time he turns, he’s in control.”

  “His twin is the leader of the Malums,” Landon advised. “Lucas’s father was responsible for teaching their kind to learn to control their demons. His brother wasn’t keen on the idea. He wanted demons’ natures to remain ‘uncontrollable,’ and reviled. In an effort to take over, he had their family assassinated in the demonic plane centuries ago. Lucas survived…” He paused. “By accident,” Landon added. “He wasn’t where he should have been.”

  “I must admit, I’ve never dealt with demons before. In the past, they’ve been as reclusive as weres.”

  “They prefer to remain in their plane. Excluding Lucas and his men, I’ve only encountered a couple in five hundred years. My female and her sisters are as thick as thieves, so our destinies are intertwined,” Landon said, chuckling.