Soulfated

by Sara Summers

  Tanner didn’t say anything, but I felt something inside me change just a little.

  “It’s done. We’ll be off your land in an hour. Anyone under 12 will stay with their parents as long as there isn’t a reason to take them away, everyone over that will have a choice to be with their families or with the pack.”

  Tanner and I shifted and ran back to his parents’ house, Cody and Artie and some other young shifters following close behind us.

  We could hear the rest of the other pack howling as we went.

  Twenty

  “Are you sure this is legal?” I grimaced, looking back at our bed full of teenage shifters. There wasn’t much space in the truck between mine and Tanner’s stuff, but they somehow managed to squish in there.

  Cody honked at us, the bed of his truck holding even more teenagers than ours because of his lack of stuff.

  “I’m sure it’s illegal.” Tanner gave me the same lighthearted grin I’d opened my front door to a little less than a week before.

  I groaned and shook my head.

  “Cheer up, Omega.” One of the seven teenagers who were stuffed into the back seat reached forward and patted me on the shoulder. Had I not been squished between Tanner and yet another teenage shifter, I would’ve turned to look at him. “At least no one’s trying to kill you now.”

  Some of the other boys laughed when I shook my head again.

  “To think I used to want a little brother.” I said, making them laugh again.

  Tanner put his hand on my knee as he pulled away from his parents’ house.

  Cody and a dozen other older shifters with vehicles followed us. Tanner told me that Emma’s house was usually only a thirty minute drive from his parents’ house, but because we drove slow and took the least-busy roads, it took almost an hour to get there.

  It ended up being a good thing that Emma and Logan were rich celebrities, because they had a ton of land around their house that made it so everyone could park their cars and trucks there.

  Also, it made their house the ideal pack headquarters.

  After everyone parked and got out of their vehicles, we all gathered outside Emma and Logan’s house.

  “Alright, everyone.” Tanner and I stood at the front of the crowd. Though that wasn’t my favorite place to be, I’d just become the Omega to my soulmate’s Alpha and he needed me at his side. “Welcome to your new pack. I haven’t come up with a name yet, so text me any ideas you have.”

  Almost as soon as he said that, his phone started vibrating and dinging in his pocket.

  I smiled and Tanner grinned.

  “After the meeting.” He turned his phone to silent because the pack was full of teenagers who he knew wouldn’t listen. “Look, we don’t really have a lot of space here. We’ll all be sleeping on the floor for a few days, maybe a few weeks. I’m not going to force anyone to stay here, and I am going to force you to go to school if you haven’t graduated yet and choose to stay. If you’ve been avoiding going after your soulmate, get over it. At least go and find her. Once you see her, you won’t be able to walk away.” He glanced at me for a second, a smile appearing when he did.

  He focused on the pack again.

  “Anyone who isn’t in school should be working full time, and if you are in school work part-time if you can. Stay busy and save up your money so you can start a life in the human world when you find your soulmate.”

  Tanner looked to me.

  “Anything to add?” he checked.

  “Um…” I had no idea what to say to a group of teenage boys.

  “Make good choices.” Logan called out from the back of the crowd.

  The hundred or so teenagers in the pack cheered when they saw Emma and Logan, and they parted to give them space to walk.

  “Alright, everyone get out of here.” Tanner ended the meeting. “Go for a run, go get your stuff from your parents’ house, go home for good if you want. Text me to let me know if you’re staying or leaving, and give us a call if you need help with anything.”

  The guys all started talking, and I heard mention of a game of football as Tanner, Cody, and I followed Emma and Logan into their house.

  “One of our spare bedrooms has a bed and a bathroom connected to it, I’m sure you want to get cleaned up and have some time to talk about all of the craziness that’s going on.” Emma said, leading us through the house. “I was looking at apartments for you during the drive here and found an awesome one that’s only three minutes away, so I called and bought it for you.”

  “Emma!” Tanner protested, holding my hand as we followed Emma up the stairs.

  “I’m mega-rich, so I’m going to buy things for you whenever I want to. Just say thank you.” She chided. I bit back a smile when he scowled.

  “I’m going to pay you every month.” He warned.

  “You can try, but your checks will bounce.” She grinned when he groaned.

  “You can’t spend that much money on me, Em.”

  “I spent it on Hallie, not you. I need to be close to my new sister.” She winked at me and opened the door to the spare bedroom. “Don’t worry about it, Tanner, really. It didn’t even cost ten percent of what I made from the movie we just finished filming, and Logan got paid way more than I did. Plus we were plenty rich before that movie.”

  I guess that helped Tanner’s conscience a little, because he stopped arguing.

  “You’re picking up the keys at five tonight, so you have an hour and a half to get cleaned up and have some alone time.”

  “Does Emma just love to buy stuff for people?” I asked Tanner, as he closed the bedroom door.

  “Oh yeah, I think buying people things is her favorite hobby. Logan always sends me Cody pictures of her giving things to strangers, we’ve been laughing about it since she first started. Once she was walking down the sidewalk and someone complimented her shoes, and she actually took them off of her feet and gave them to the girl who liked them.”

  “What?” I laughed and he grinned.

  “Just wait. Now that you’re sisters I’m sure she’ll be bringing things over for you every chance she gets.” He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close. “But I don’t want to talk about Emma.”

  “Are you sure you want to talk at all?” I gave him the best flirty smile I could, and he pulled my body tight against his.

  He pressed his mouth to mine. We only kissed for a second before we both pulled away and grimaced.

  “I’m eating dirt.” I just about gagged on it.

  “Let’s pick this back up after we shower.” He agreed.

  I headed for the shower, and Tanner followed me.

  “Are you planning on sharing the shower?” I lifted an eyebrow, stopping in the middle of the bathroom.

  “I was actually going to sit on the floor so we could talk.” He admitted. “It’s only been a few hours since we were alone, but I’ve missed you.”

  It surprised me to hear that he didn’t want to get in the shower with me, but I thought it was sweet that he wanted to talk so badly that he was willing to sit on the floor.

  “That sounds great.” I smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, getting in and turning on the shower.

  Twenty-One

  “Are you okay with being the Omega?” Tanner asked, from outside the shower.

  “I think so. Everything happened so fast that I haven’t really had a chance to think about it.” I admitted. “And I have no idea what you have to do as Omega, so I don’t know if I can really know yet.”

  “From what I saw my mom do when I was growing up, I think the Omega is just meant to love people.” Tanner said.

  “I think I can do that.” I thought back to the way I’d felt, standing in front of the crowd of teenage boys. I had cared about them and wanted the best for them regardless of the fact that I didn’t know them.

  “I think you’ll be incredible at it. Are you okay with me being the Alpha?”

  “As long you stay alive and safe.” I didn’t h
ave to think about that one. Tanner seemed like a natural leader, and I’d noticed the way he enjoyed being at the head of the crowd. He was going to be a great Alpha, I knew that even though I barely knew what that meant.

  “I will.” He promised.

  Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, and the silence was peaceful. There was a question nagging at my conscience though, and I needed to get it out of the way.

  “Tanner, are you mad at me for putting myself in danger?” I asked quietly. The noise from the shower would’ve drowned out the words before human ears could hear, but he heard perfectly.

  When he didn’t answer right away, I was afraid the answer was yes.

  “I don’t think I could ever be mad at you, but I am a little bothered that you thought you had to risk your life to get me to help my pack.” He finally responded. “My mom was behind it, wasn’t she?”

  “Yeah.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “She thought you’d never challenge your dad unless I was in danger.”

  “I almost challenged him during lunch.” Tanner reminded me. “My mom just thinks I’m a better man than I am.”

  “That’s not a bad thing.”

  “If you’d gotten hurt, it would’ve been a very bad thing.” He disagreed, but he wasn’t trying to start a fight or anything.

  “So if she had come to you and asked you to challenge your dad so you could take the young pack members you would’ve done it?” I asked, really wanting to know so I could understand my soulmate a little better.

  “Definitely. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I cared more about you and about the rest of the pack finding their soulmates than I cared about upsetting the fragile balance between my dad and I. We both knew it was going to happen eventually.”

  “Then I’m sorry I didn’t tell your mom just to ask you. I won’t put myself in danger again unless I talk to you about it first.” I promised him.

  He didn’t say anything.

  “What are you thinking about?” I asked a few seconds later. I didn’t want to push and prod, but I was still a little worried that he was bothered.

  “A few things.” His answer was vague.

  I took that to mean he didn’t want to talk about it anymore and started washing my hair with the fancy shampoo and conditioner Emma had put in the bathroom.

  “I think you were right.” Tanner finally spoke up when I was rinsing the conditioner out of my hair.

  “About what?”

  “That you’re my weakness.”

  I stopped moving, just letting the water hit my skin.

  “I felt that you were in danger and I reacted. If my brothers hadn’t been there telling me to be smart about it, I would’ve killed every one of those men. I had no control over myself. Every one of my values flew out the window the second I knew you were in trouble, and I would’ve torn apart the world to keep you safe.”

  “Are you okay with that?” I hoped he wasn’t going to suddenly decide that he wanted nothing to do with me.

  “I don’t know.” He admitted.

  “Well do you want me to leave?” I bit my cheek, worried that the answer would be yes.

  “What? No. No way.” I could imagine him shaking his head even though I couldn’t physically see him.

  “I don’t want to make you feel weak.” I was starting to feel unsure about Tanner’s feelings for me, for the first time since we met. It was unnerving, not knowing if he really wanted me to stay.

  “That’s not what I was trying to say, Hallie. You don’t make me feel weak, you just make me…” he trailed off and then groaned. “I don’t know what you make me, okay? Having a soulmate is just as new to me as it is to you.”

  “If you need more time I can move back in with my dad, Tanner. Most couples wait a long time before moving in together, it’s a big step and you don’t have to be ready for it right now.” I turned and leaned my forehead gently against the side of the shower, closing my eyes.

  The last thing I wanted was to leave Tanner. We had only been together a week, but it had been the best week of my life. I’d felt loved and understood and cherished in a way I had never imagined I could before.

  I wanted to be with him, but if he didn’t feel the same way I couldn’t stay. It would hurt too much.

  “I’m ready to move in with you.” His voice was growly again, but I was feeling too unsure to appreciate the growl that I usually found sexy.

  “I think I should leave until you really know what you want.” I said, panic driving my emotions. Up until a few minutes earlier, I’d never questioned my future with Tanner. He had seemed so certain, which made me feel certain…

  If it wasn’t certain, I needed to go and figure out something else.

  “If you mention leaving one more time I’m going to chain you to my side.” Tanner’s voice was more growl than words. “I’m not questioning you or our relationship or our future together. I’m just trying to get my mind around the fact that having a soulmate is different than I expected, alright?”

  “Tanner, I really can’t stay if—“

  He swore and I heard him stand.

  “Hallie, do I need to come in there and kiss you until you believe that I wouldn’t survive it if you left me?” his words surprised me.

  I expected anger, but I got love instead.

  I wasn’t quite sure what to say to that.

  “Do I need to come in there and kiss you until you believe me?” he repeated. “If you don’t answer I’m taking it as a yes.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek.

  Here it was; my chance to get out before Tanner could hurt me. Everything had been perfect for too long, hadn’t it? It was time for me to leave before he could think about how much he hated the way I made him weak, or how much he wished I was better at one thing or another.

  When I heard his t-shirt hit the floor, my eyes opened wide.

  He was serious. Completely serious.

  “Tanner, I—“

  He cut me off when he stepped into the shower, still wearing basketball shorts because we hadn’t reached the naked-together level in our relationship.

  “I’m not leaving until you believe me.” He folded his arms.

  “Then convince me.” I folded mine.

  I should probably stop there for modesty’s sake, but let me tell you, when we finally got out of the shower there wasn’t a sliver of doubt in my mind.

  Tanner was never going to leave me.

  Twenty-Two

  We met Emma and Logan in their kitchen ten minutes before we were supposed to be at the apartment to pick up the keys.

  “I texted you the address, Tanner, text me Hallie’s phone number when you get a chance.” Emma instructed. She handed me a black t-shirt with the words “MEET YOUR MATE” and the current year written across the front in big letters. There were two silver-sharpie signatures on the front of the shirt.

  “That’s for the realtor you’re meeting at the apartment.” Logan and Tanner exchanged grins, and I figured that it must’ve been some kind of exclusive movie t-shirt that both Emma and Logan had signed just for the realtor.

  “Oh, stop. It makes people feel special when you give them things.” Emma protested.

  “Every time I buy you something you give it to someone else.” Though his words made him sound like it bothered him, it was easy to see he was teasing her.

  “That’s because I can use your money to buy myself anything I want.” She smirked at her soulmate before turning back to me and Tanner. “He’s going to give you the keys to a few other apartments that we got for the pack so no one has to sleep outside.” Emma added.

  “Em, you don’t have to buy everything for everyone.” Tanner protested.

  “I don’t have to, but I can try.” She smiled while Logan grinned and shook his head.

  “Maybe you should try to land a role as some kind of a fairy godmother next.” Logan teased her.

  “Oh, whatever.” Emma rolled her eyes and focused on us again. “You two need to get g
oing. Don’t forget the t-shirt.”

  “Fine. Try not to buy the whole town while we’re gone.” Tanner called over his shoulder.

  “No promises!” Emma called back.

  Just like she said, the apartment was only three minutes away, and just like Tanner guessed, it was much nicer than we needed. Everything was modern and looked brand new, even the front door. It was large and spacious, and the carpet was just about the softest I’d ever walked on.

  We took the keys for five other two-bedroom apartments in a building down the street from ours, and I had a feeling they weren’t quite as nice.

  Emma called me a few minutes after we picked up the keys.

  “Hey! Do you want to go shopping for everything you’ll need?” She asked.

  I glanced at Tanner, who shrugged to say he didn’t care.

  “Sure.”

  “Tell her I’m paying for it.” he added.

  When I gave Emma his message, she just laughed.

  “I’ll be there in five minutes. Tell Tanner that Logan’s close behind with a truckload of guys and bunkbeds to assemble.” She instructed.

  “Okay, see you soon.” I agreed.

  Twenty-Three

  I had a ton of fun shopping with Emma that day, and the next day, and the next. Whenever I wasn’t with her, I was with Tanner and the rest of the pack or just alone with Tanner.

  The next few weeks passed in a blur of happiness.

  I got a job at a cute little bakery nearby while Tanner and a lot of the other pack members worked for a local construction company. The two of us worked similar hours, which gave us plenty of time to be together.

  It felt strange not to be taking care of my dad anymore, but I talked to him on the phone a few times every week. While we didn’t talk long, it was always nice to hear his voice.

  Everything was completely and utterly perfect until the second it wasn’t.

  Twenty-Four