Shifting Destinies: A Paranormal Interracial Story (HIdden Hills Shifters Book 3)

by Day, Vella

  Conflicting emotions assaulted her, and she tried to ignore the fact her pulse had sped up. She wasn’t sure she was even ready to speak with him since she feared that same excitement would invade her body just talking with him over the phone—and that only added to her confusion.

  If she didn’t answer, though, he’d probably keep calling. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Emmaline.” His voice was smooth as hot chocolate and strong as steel.

  “Hey, Wade. You get home okay?” Not that she knew where home was.

  “I did, but I called to see how you were doing.”

  That was sweet, but she wasn’t certain how she should answer. He could be asking if she was sore from the intense sex or wonder if she was having doubts about what they did. “I’m great.”

  “No hangover the next morning?”

  She laughed, not expecting that question. “No. I wasn’t that drunk, and you?”

  “Right as rain.”

  She never did understand that phrase. “So when are you heading back down here again? Or should I say up here?” Shit. Now he’d think she was anxious to be with him again. Clingy females had to be a turnoff, so she needed to change the subject. “Where did you say you lived?”

  He laughed, and the sound invaded her body, sending tingles in every direction. “Does it matter?”

  Not really, but it wouldn’t be polite to say so. “Just curious, that’s all. Is it a secret? Will you have to kill me if you tell me?” Sure, she was being silly, but Wade seemed to bring out that side of her.

  She walked over to the living room to be more comfortable and dropped down on the sofa. Ah, her feet appreciated that.

  “I’m in Pittsburgh.”

  That was a good six-hour drive. “What do you do there?”

  He chuckled. “Do you always sleep with someone you know nothing about?”

  She couldn’t believe he asked that. It didn’t matter that it was almost true. The animal attraction had overwhelmed her from the moment they’d first met. “Do you always have sex in the back seat of your truck with someone you know nothing about? For the record, you’re not a total mystery to me.”

  “I’m sorry, you’re right. I had a great time with you, and that’s what counts, but now you have me curious. What is it you know about me?” he asked with a little chuckle.

  That he was the “love-em-and-leave-em” type. “You’re from Hidden Hills, and you’re a bear who’s best friends with Burke Devereaux. According to Tasha, Burke’s an upstanding guy—now. I figure if Burke likes you, you probably aren’t some smarmy arms dealer or something.”

  He laughed. “Thanks for not thinking I have criminal tendencies.”

  She’d be nice and tell him something closer to her true feelings. “I know you’re a loyal friend, which in my opinion, counts for a lot.”

  “Thank you. I should be back in town in three or four weeks. Would you be up for dinner?”

  Given the amazing—albeit quick—sex they’d had, this was probably a polite way of asking if he could have sex with her again. She had no problem with that. Getting to know him better wouldn’t be a hardship either. They shared friends in the same group, which meant they’d see each other occasionally when he was in town. “Sure.”

  As long as she didn’t get too attached, she saw no reason not to go out with him again. They could become good friends.

  “Great. I’ll give you a call closer to the time.”

  “Perfect.” Though she hoped he’d call sooner, too.

  As soon as he disconnected, she held the phone to her chest. She should be happy he called, but it might have been better if he hadn’t. Her wolf was leaping up and down that she’d see him soon, but her human side was trying to think past her hormones.

  * * *

  Emmaline checked her desk calendar again, making sure she wasn’t supposed to schedule something for Mr. Francolini. These last few weeks, she’d been out of sorts. She refused to believe it was because she was pining over Wade Black. He’d called a few times to chat, but after he’d hung up, she got the sense there was something else on his mind—some kind of hidden agenda—that he didn’t want to discuss over the phone.

  Perhaps he’d lost his job and didn’t want to tell her. It wouldn’t make a difference if he were rich or poor. It wasn’t as if she could be with him on a permanent basis anyway. He was too much of a player for that, but she kept getting these odd feelings every time she spoke with him that something was amiss.

  She thought about talking to Tasha to see if she’d ask Burke what his friend did for a living, but then she decided if Wade wanted her to know, he’d tell her. Most likely, he worked construction like Burke.

  Emmaline wouldn’t deny she liked Wade, nor would she claim she didn’t think about him a lot—as dangerous as that was. In the end, it didn’t really matter. They weren’t the same species. It wasn’t as if she could bite him and make him a wolf.

  Em was glad he was coming back to town for a few days, despite the fact that for the last couple of mornings she’d felt as if she was coming down with a stomach virus. The timing couldn’t have been worse. In the end, she decided it was just nerves, because when she got busy at work, things seemed to settle down.

  Tonight, she was meeting with the girls—Chey, Tasha, and Piper. Even though she’d heard every wonderful detail about Chey’s honeymoon, she didn’t mind hearing about it again, especially since Piper hadn’t been with them the last time they were together.

  Mr. Francolini came out of his office. “Emmaline, could you schedule an appointment with Dr. Durant for me?”

  “Sure thing.” She studied him. “You look a little pale. Are you okay?”

  He smiled. “Yes, dear, I’m fine. Just old age stuff.”

  She laughed. “You’re not that old.”

  “I’ll be sixty-eight next month.”

  “Really?” She thought he was over seventy. “At least your mind’s sharp.” Oh, shit, that didn’t sound any better.

  He chuckled. “Call and let me know when he can fit me in.”

  “I’ll get right on it.” As soon as he slipped back into his office, she made the appointment for him. Storm was able to take him first thing Monday morning, and she noted it on her boss’s calendar.

  The rest of the day dragged on, probably because she was excited about seeing Wade this weekend. At least she’d be with her friends tonight and that would help pass the time.

  Around four thirty, Mr. Francolini came out of his office, his briefcase clutched in his gnarled fingers. “I think I’ll finish up my work at home. Why don’t you take off early, too?”

  “I’m just about done here. I’ll leave shortly and lock up.”

  “Good night, then. See you after my appointment on Monday.”

  “Night.”

  Emmaline returned to her list of action items, determined to give him her best effort. It had taken a few months to land this job and she couldn’t afford to lose it for any reason. One of the other paralegals who’d worked for Mr. Parker—a partner when he was alive—was still out of work after nine months. Trinity was lucky, though, as she had a husband who could support her.

  When five o’clock rolled around, Emmaline shut down her computer and headed out to the Cove Bar. To her delight, all three of her friends had already arrived. She ordered a beer and headed over to their usual table.

  “Ladies.” Em pulled out her chair. It was so good to be with them again.

  “Now that Em’s here,” Piper said, “I want to hear all about your honeymoon, Chey.”

  The blushing bride swooned. “It was wonderful. The day after the wedding, we drove down to a cabin in North Georgia. It was the cutest A-frame I’d ever seen. Get this, it had a hot tub in the master suite.”

  “No way,” Tasha said.

  “Yup, and it also had a wrap around porch, a fireplace, and a full kitchen.” She grinned. “Though Storm and I were a bit too busy to cook.”

  They all laughed. Piper peppered her with
more questions, and Cheyenne told them about their hiking adventures. It all sounded so wonderful.

  Ever since Tasha had become engaged a few weeks back, she’d been rather secretive about her future plans. “Have you and Burke discussed when you two are going to tie the knot?”

  Tasha’s face heated up. “I’m the one dragging my feet. We’ve looked at a few dates, but we can’t decide. Winter is too cold and summer is too far away. We just might have to fly to the Bahamas and elope.” She smiled.

  Em laughed. “You wish. With your dad the Alpha and Burke’s dad the Beta, they’d never in a million years forgive you if you did that.”

  She sighed. “So they’ve told us.”

  “I still vote for the Bahamas,” Piper said with a sigh. Most of the humans in town didn’t understand Clan politics.

  With her drink in hand, Tasha leaned on her elbows and faced Emmaline. “Burke tells me Wade’s coming to town this weekend. You going to see him?”

  Em tried not to appear excited. Thankfully, neither Chey nor Tasha seemed to know what happened in Wade’s truck that night. Someday, she’d have to thank Burke for keeping quiet. “He asked me to dinner.”

  The girls oohed. Piper sipped her Margarita. “Have I met Wade?” She glanced to the other two girls, acting as if they’d know.

  “I doubt it,” Em said. “He’s not in town much.”

  “Wade was Burke’s best friend in high school,” Tasha added.

  “What does he do for a living?” Piper asked.

  Em decided to let Tasha field that question, but instead of answering, her friend shrugged. “Don’t know. Em?”

  “We’ve never discussed it.”

  “I’d ask him,” Piper said. “When I find my man, he needs to be smart and rich.”

  Em chuckled. “Dream on.” At least Piper had a ton of humans she could date. While the wolves outnumbered the bears and the cheetahs, there weren’t that many of her own kind to choose from.

  Chey’s cell rang, and she picked up her phone. “It’s Storm. I need to take this.” She pushed back her chair and walked toward the exit, probably looking for some place quiet. When she came back five minutes later, she didn’t look happy.

  “Everything okay?” Em asked.

  “Yes, but I have to go.” She walked around the table and hugged each of them. “Have fun with Wade.”

  Once she left, the three of them ordered some chicken wings and potato skins. While they munched, they talked about what was going on in their lives. As the evening wore on, though, Emmaline started to feel sick again. Damn spicy wings. Knowing they always upset her stomach, she should have been more careful.

  “I’m going to have to call it a night, girls. My stomach is giving me trouble.” She rubbed her belly.

  Piper put a hand on her arm. “How long has this been going on?”

  She shrugged. “Couple of days. I’ll take something for it.” She pasted on a smile. “Gotta be ready when Wade comes to town.”

  Tasha leaned back in her chair and grinned. “Call and let me know how the weekend goes.”

  Em smiled back. “You wish, girlfriend.”

  Once she hugged them good night, she rushed out of the bar, needing to stop at the pharmacy. She’d missed her period last week, but figured it was due to stress. She’d only had sex with Wade, and they’d used a condom, so she couldn’t be pregnant.

  As she walked down the pharmacy aisles looking for something to soothe her upset stomach, she passed the pregnancy tests. Without giving it much thought, she grabbed one. She wasn’t really worried, but she wanted to rule it out. Wade would have said something if the condom had broken—assuming he could have seen it in the dark.

  When she arrived home, she downed a few tablespoons of the pink liquid, and opened the box of ginger snaps since they’d always calmed her stomach in the past. Emmaline then jumped in the shower, thinking the warm water would help. It did a bit, but when she slipped into bed, she felt worse than when she’d arrived home.

  Minutes later, she had to rush to the bathroom where she immediately hugged the toilet. Maybe chicken wings, beer, and cookies hadn’t been the best things to eat. Once she finished throwing up, she brushed her teeth, and then spotted the pregnancy test.

  Should she? Or shouldn’t she?

  Chapter Four

  Wade had a long ass work week and couldn’t wait to spend some quality time with Emmaline. He’d made a promise to himself that he would take her to dinner and then drive her back home where they could relax and get to know one another. He didn’t want her to think he was only interested in sex.

  He’d left Pittsburgh around nine on Saturday morning and headed south, hoping to be at his folks’ house early enough to clean up before going out. The home he was having built in Hidden Hills was months away from completion, so for now, he’d be staying in his old room.

  He’d decided to return to his roots in part because his dad was getting on in years, and Wade wanted to help where he could. The main branch of his business was in Pennsylvania, but he could work from anywhere as long as he took occasional trips to meet his clients.

  It might have been coincidence, but right after that dance at the Cove Bar with Emmaline three months ago, he’d decided to move back to Hidden Hills. Now he could see his subconscious had been at work. He must have known all along that they belonged together.

  When he reached his folks’ place, the familiarity washed over him as it always did when he came home. His parents lived in the same house they moved into when they’d first married. It was a small three-bedroom and needed major repairs, but Dad said he never wanted to move. Now that his friend, Burke, had expanded his renovation business to include Hidden Hills, he would be doing some renovations for Wade’s dad.

  It didn’t matter that over the years, his father made a lot of money selling real estate and developing the land, he still kept his earnings in the bank. No matter how many times Wade told him he couldn’t take it with him, Dad said it was for the grandkids to enjoy.

  His sister had announced she was gay about five years ago, so unless Holly and her partner, Lynn, adopted a child, there wouldn’t be any little ones running around for a while. Convincing the independent Emmaline Nettles they were mates would be no small feat, so he didn’t see kids in the near future either. Hell, he bet it would be easier to amass another fortune than to get her to give him a serious chance.

  Wade cut the engine, grabbed his duffel, and headed on in. “I’m back!”

  “In here,” came the call from the kitchen.

  It was a little after five and they were most likely eating. They were such early birds. As soon as he saw his parents, Wade smiled.

  “I see you made it okay.” His father put down his fork, stood, then hugged him.

  “I did.” Wade stepped over to his mom and kissed her on the cheek. “I really need to shower.”

  “Should I make you a plate?”

  “No, I’m going out to dinner.”

  “You just got here.”

  He smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll see enough of me later.”

  “Well, have a good time.”

  Wade rushed out of the kitchen to get ready for his date. Before he’d left Pittsburgh, he’d debated whether to dress for success or go for the casual look. Emmaline probably had to dress up for work each day and figured she might appreciate it if they had a casual dinner. If he recalled correctly, she hadn’t looked very comfortable in her fancy bridesmaid dress. When he’d called to tell her his plans, she seemed okay with Carmelita’s, a cozy, homey Italian place.

  After he showered and shaved, he ran a wet cloth over his boots to get rid of any dirt, and then checked his jeans to make sure they weren’t sporting any holes. Satisfied he didn’t look like a criminal, he headed back to the living room where his parents had congregated.

  Dad whistled. “She must be special.”

  “She is.” There was no use denying it.

  “What’s her name?” his mom asked.


  His folks had no problem with who he dated, whether it be human, cheetah, bear, or wolf. Most of the women he took out were from Pennsylvania, anyway, so they never got to meet them.

  “Emmaline Nettles.”

  His dad quirked a brow. “Doesn’t her father own a bunch of dry cleaners in the area?”

  Sad to say, he hadn’t asked much about her family. The bear in him had been too excited to taste her, and he hadn’t had the time to get to know her. “I’ll be sure to ask her tonight.”

  His mother stepped over to him and brushed off what he assumed was imaginary lint. “Be careful and drive safely.”

  “I’m thirty, Mom.”

  She kissed his cheek. “You’ll always be my little boy.”

  He had to laugh. “Don’t wait up for me.”

  Wade hadn’t meant to say those words. This date was supposed to be about them learning about each other, not him giving into his baser urges.

  His dad placed a hand on his arm. “Are you going to tell her what you do for a living?”

  Wade would have to at some point. “Soon. If it works out.”

  “I can tell you like her.”

  “How?” This he wanted to hear. “Am I giving off a scent or something?”

  “You wouldn’t have come home so soon after the last visit if she weren’t important.”

  His dad always did see through his plans. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Before they grilled him any more, he left. Emmaline only lived about fifteen minutes from his parents’ house, but the trip seemed almost too short, since it didn’t give him enough time to figure out how he wanted to bring up the concept of her being his mate. This was a big moment. If he fucked it up, he’d have a sad and lonely life.

  He parked in front of her house. Now he wished he’d gone with his gut and bought her some flowers or perhaps a box of candy. How sad was it that he knew so little about what she liked.

  If he didn’t get out of the truck, though, he’d never find out more. He rang the bell and waited. And waited some more. His acute hearing detected movement inside, so he wondered why she wasn’t answering. He was about to knock when the door eased open. All pre-planned thoughts of how this evening was going to pan out disappeared the moment he saw her and detected her alluring scent. Every visceral reaction possible happened, from his heart racing to his palms sweating. Jesus, this sucked. Now, she’d never want him. He was no better than a horny teenager.