Destined to Run

by J. Kearston

  He growls low, crowding me until I can feel the vibrations even through the air. “Ours.”

  I swallow, trying to ignore the chaotic feelings warring for dominance as he presses so close. “So I have three men claiming I'm their mate. You can see why I'm a little skeptical to believe that. If I can't give you a good mate-sniffing right back, how am I supposed to believe you?” I watch the gears in his head turn, trying to come up with a plausible explanation and failing.

  They seem to mull things over, grasping for an explanation. “How do humans choose their mates?” Ares finally asks and it strikes me as odd before realizing he might be as far removed from our society as I was from theirs. But I would imagine even in the fringe towns he’d be interacting with humans, so I can’t help but scrunching up my face in confusion.

  “Dating? Picking the one we think we are most compatible with and praying it works out, divorcing and trying again if it doesn’t.”

  Now it’s his turn to wrinkle his nose. “That seems like a waste of time.”

  Cole strides into the room and I get my first look at the man. Messy black hair falls over his bright blue eyes, and he has his hands nervously tucked in his jeans’ pockets like Ares did. He’s not quite as large as the man sitting beside my legs, but still puts the men back in the city to shame. Muscular, but in a graceful way like his animal form.

  He gives me a sheepish look, staying in the doorway. “Sorry if I scared you, I was out of line. I forget humans aren’t as open with affection as we are, and well…” he sighs, not meeting my eye. “I’ve been suppressing my instincts for weeks, so when I smelled not only Osiris again, but you? I couldn’t really control my shift.”

  “It’s alright, I’m not upset,” I admit, surprised by how true the words feel. “And with as chilly as it is in this house, it was nice.” I frown, feeling conflicted.

  Cole grins and starts crossing the room, looking like he’s about to slide in next to me when Ozzy rolls to his feet and hisses in his direction, a silent conversation taking place between them. It leaves me the odd man out in just one more way, and my stomach is a knotted, chaotic mess.

  Cole ends up sitting at my feet opposite Ares, Osiris acting like a buffer. Logically, it shouldn’t feel this comfortable with him compared to the others, especially with the revelation that he’s convinced I’m his mate too. It’s just so hard to imagine him as a person when he acts more like a loveable pet.

  Hiding behind my neurotic guard cat, the conversation circles back like I inevitably knew it would. “Unless the shifter thing is too much for you,” Cole murmurs, looking self-conscious.

  Now it’s my turn to growl, getting annoyed. “Don’t try and spin this. My problem isn’t who you are, it’s that I was literally just forced into a marriage at gunpoint. If it wasn’t for Osiris, I have no doubt Jax would have raped and beaten me into submission until I either killed him or myself. And now I have three more people deciding that I belong to them? Is it really that hard to believe I’m a bit skeptical here?”

  There’s a heavy beat of silence as Cole and Ares’ faces twist with fury, glaring down at Osiris to get the telepathic blow by blow I’m sure. Despite my claims, a tiny, nagging voice in the back of my head points out that even as these dangerous men war with their rage, not a single instinct is telling me to flinch or run. I deem that voice my inner, hornier self and clearly not the angel sitting on my shoulder begging me to make smarter life choices.

  After some time, they start to settle down, the two men sharing a look. “Let us prove it then,” Ares suggests, looking proud of himself and grinning. “And trust us, Rin. No one in this room thinks you belong to us, we think you belong with us. Big difference.” I blink, half impressed with having that level of confidence, and the other half at the words themselves.

  Cole gravitates closer, almost like he can’t help it, and stretches out on his stomach. He rests his head on his folded arms near my hip and Ozzy flops onto Cole’s back like he knew my legs were falling asleep and needed a break.

  “We were made for each other, so it’s just a matter of time before you realize it, too.” He gazes up at me earnestly, bright blue eyes looking vulnerable as he adds, “No one is forcing you to stay, but we hope you will. At least give us a chance, Rin.”

  I sigh, closing my eyes and looking towards the ceiling. By the time I open them, there aren’t magically any answers painted and waiting, just rich wood looking back at me.

  Ignoring the jumbled mess of emotions, I attempt to wade through the chaos and focus solely on the facts. I can’t go home. My father will likely kill me if he finds me. There’s a good possibility I’ll be arrested for Jax’s murder if they don’t find Ozzy, because his family is far too influential to not have someone held accountable so they can call it justice. I don’t have a job and the little cash I do have will only last so long, let alone I have nowhere else to go. So two attractive men willing to let me hide out in their home and haven’t yet given me a reason not to trust them? Honestly, of all of my problems, the mate thing ranks pretty low.

  “So, do shifters not date?”

  Cole answers since it’s clear Ares is a bit more out of his element on this front. “Not like humans. Those that don’t find their mates tend to hook up or start living together for convenience’s sake if they get along well. But we don’t do the whole ‘marriage’ thing. We form prides and packs, and when we mate, they join it.” He shrugs, making it sound so seamless.

  Ares interrupts, looking intrigued. “What sort of things count as dating?”

  I smother a smile, while simultaneously realizing how absolutely shallow or stupid everything that comes to mind sounds. “Attending events together, sharing meals, or doing some activity?”

  “How does that let you know if you want to mate with them?” Ares cocks his head to the side, his confusion honestly endearing.

  “The more time you spend with someone, the more you get to know them. You learn what sort of person they are, because different situations bring to light different facets of their personality.”

  Cole nods his head sagely despite the awkward angle. “So you can see if someone’s just bullshitting you to get laid. They might seem nice at first, but it gives you the chance to look for red flags.”

  I give him a small smile, never actually giving much thought to it before. It’s just…what’s done and what’s expected. But watching Ares and Cole break everything down to get to the point, to analyze things in a way that makes sense to them, is rather endearing.

  “Like if he seems nice enough, but then you see someone drowning and he doesn’t bat an eye,” I explain a bit more in depth, amused at how hung up they are on the whole thing. “Then you’d know they’re the sort of person to ignore someone in need because it doesn’t directly affect them. Or if they’re constantly checking out other women’s asses when they don’t think you’re looking.”

  The last part I throw out there just to see how they’ll respond, because if they’re talking about mating like it’s a party here, I want to know what I’m getting into. Ozzy nips at Cole’s shoulder and Cole tilts his head as they carry on a conversation. His eyes widen imperceptibly before fixating on me.

  “He wants me to clarify that shifters take the mate thing seriously.” He curses under his breath before continuing, frustrated. “It’s just different, not wrong. Humans are pretty monogamous, but shifters tend to be more polyamorous. Sometimes that means one woman and three men, sometimes three women and eight men! It’s just unique to each pride or pack. But still, no one steps outside of that.”

  I toy with the idea, trying to imagine what something like that would look like from the inside. Ultimately, I circle back to what I’m actually concerned about, but hating how it makes me sound.

  “So what happens if you come across some other woman that smells like ‘mate’ too? I’m just supposed to accept that?”

  The three look between each other before Ares replies, watching his words carefully. “I doubt th
at would happen, honestly. We have a pretty good sense on those things, and when I look at you? I don’t feel like there’s anything missing anymore.”

  I try to ignore the stab of longing that lances through me with his words. “I’m just trying to be honest about my reservations.”

  “And that’s why it works!” Cole beams. “Because people talk about what isn’t working and come up with a solution together that everyone can live with. At its core, you just treat it like you would any relationship. Don’t keep things pent up and let them fester until they become bigger problems than anyone can handle. We do our best, but we’re only human...ish,” he smirks, teasing. “And we’re bound to make our fair share of mistakes. But as long as everyone’s committed to putting in the effort, you’d be surprised how well it can work.”

  “You never have to be alone again, Rin,” Ares declares, and my chest constricts. “There will always be someone in your corner, standing by your side, and the rest of the pride behind you.”

  I swallow, my throat feeling as constricted as my chest, and nod. “Then I suppose a few dates won’t kill me.”

  Nine

  Osiris

  Dude. This isn’t a date, it’s chores, dumbass.

  Ares turns to look at me, surprised. After a month of not being able to talk to anyone, I don’t even care that he’s spent most of these last few days yelling at me. He’s pissed, but it stems from his worry; he just isn’t good about this sort of thing. Cole or I always take point on heading into the fringe towns for business, and I don’t think Ares has ever actually set foot in one beyond the tiny shifter run area not far from here that barely even counts as a town. That’d be fine, if it wasn’t for the fact he clearly doesn’t know the first thing about human culture.

  “She said an activity!” he defends and I roll my eyes.

  Yeah, a fun activity, not manual labor. The girl’s clearly never held an axe before today.

  “Axes are fun,” he grumbles and I snort as much as my feline face allows.

  After her first swing clipped the side of the wood wrong and sent the entire thing flying in my direction, I decided to watch from a safe distance for this one. Stretched out on the branch above them, I have the perfect vantage point to watch my brothers make fools of themselves as well as keep an eye out for any incoming threats to my mate.

  Cole steps in behind Rin to correct her stance and try to show her the best spot to aim for on the chunk of wood sitting on the massive stump serving as a makeshift table. Her next strike sinks into the center, but not nearly deep enough to split it. The axe stays lodged in place and I just watch amused as she starts getting frustrated and angry.

  She’s spent so much of her life having to be a watered down version of herself to fit in, that it’s beautiful to see her true self start to shine through. She’s starting to let her guard down around my brothers as much as she was with me, realizing they aren’t going to hurt her and she doesn’t need to tiptoe around their moods.

  A growl slips out of her throat as she wrestles the blade free and while Cole looks amused, enjoying the show too much to intervene, Ares’ expression is one of carnal hunger. He swipes a hand over the back of his head and shuts his eyes, looking to the sky and counting to ten. I don’t think either of them have noticed that they’re more alike than they realize, despite her human status.

  She may not have fur, but she certainly has claws.

  It’s just a matter of getting her to see that too. She’s more like us than she is any of those bastards she left behind. Rin belongs here, belongs with us. I have no idea what we’ll do if she decides she doesn’t feel the same. It would destroy us, that’s for fucking sure, but we can’t let her go back to the city either, even if she rejects us. They’d kill her, and I’m sure she knows that. I just don’t want her to feel like we’re her only option, that she needs to make the best of what she’s been given because it’s better than being alone.

  I don’t want to be a consolation prize; I want her to continue looking at me as she does now even when I shift back.

  There’s no doubt in my mind that she struggles to picture the men and the beasts as the same entity instead of separate, hence why she didn’t bat an eye when a damn panther curled up beside her. Yet, if Cole the human were to sneak into her bed in the middle of the night? She would have panicked.

  Take her to the workshop, I suggest and both men share a look as they contemplate it.

  “You just said manual labor doesn’t count as fun, and you want us to take her where we actually, you know, work?” Ares’ face scrunches up in confusion.

  I get to my feet, walking to the edge of the branch and gracefully leaping off. Trust me.

  We follow the winding, tree lined path between our house and the massive building that serves as our workspace. Cole pulls open the massive set of double doors, unlocked as they always remain. We’ve never had an issue with theft out in the wilds, each pack and pride respecting one another far too much for that. Not only would we be able to follow the scent of who was messing around with our shit right to their doorstep, but it would ignite a feud that just isn’t sustainable out here.

  We rely on one another far too much to risk something like that for a few tools when all someone needs to do is ask for help and it’s given. Even those we don’t particularly like, if they showed up at our door desperate, we’d help as best as we could. Give them hell for it, maybe, but we wouldn’t leave them stranded.

  “What is this place?” Rin asks, a touch of awe to her voice.

  The woodshop is massive, with a myriad of projects in various states of completion. Lathes, table saws, and other assorted machines line one wall while the other is for supplies. A counter that runs half the length of the wall is strewn with things not yet put away; even though the drawers beneath and the shelves above are right there.

  I side-eye Cole, glaring. He’s always been terrible at keeping things organized, even though he knows it bugs the shit out of me. He shrugs, unrepentant.

  “We thought you were dead. You not riding my ass was really the only good thing I had going for me,” he flippantly states and I deflate.

  It wasn’t fun for me either, you know.

  He doesn’t respond and I frown, worried. Ares hedged at how things were when I was gone, but it sounds like it was far worse than he let on. I just assumed the state of the house was from them being slobs, but mixed in with a few of the cynical comments Cole’s been tossing out there, I hate to think what would have happened if I’d been gone for any longer.

  “Woodshop,” Cole cheerily answers, not showing any sign of the morose voice that was just echoing around my head. “Have to make a living somehow.”

  She wanders over to a table that’s about halfway completed, lightly running her fingers over the ornate leg reverently. “It’s beautiful.” Her attention remains fully focused on tracing the design, enraptured.

  “I really didn’t expect her to be interested,” Cole admits, cocking his head and watching her, curious.

  Girls like pretty stuff, no matter what form it’s in.

  I jump onto the pile of lumber, climbing to the top and lying down. Sawdust feels awful on my paws, and I have a sharp pang of longing to be able to shift just so I can wear some damn shoes.

  And the whole point of dating is apparently to get to know one another. This is a pretty huge part of who we are and what we spend a good chunk of time doing.

  “You really made all of these?” she asks again, moving to another chair in a similar state.

  Cole practically preens under her attention, soaking up the admiration in her voice. “Sure did. That one is Osiris’ though, and we couldn’t bring ourselves to finish it.”

  She turns her head sharply, wincing a bit since she’s still been dealing with mild headaches since her injury. Grimacing, she opens her eyes. “I envy you, you know. The way you’re all connected, I mean. If I could have spoken with Ozzy like that, everything would have been ten times easier. He could have g
iven me your number and-“

  Cole cuts her off with a sad smile. “And your father would have likely traced the number and known exactly where to find you after you ran. Even if you had called us for help, I can’t imagine the three of us running off with you would have been any easier to pull off.”

  She sighs. “But I could at least have let you know he was alive.”

  Cole just shrugs, bypassing the chair and moving over to the bookshelf not far away. “No good comes from ‘what ifs’. All that does is lead to unnecessary heartache when we’ve already dealt with enough. The two of you are home now, and that’s what really matters.”

  He doesn’t see the measured look she gives him, slyly assessing him with his back turned. From my perch though, it’s clear that he’s starting to make an impression, and I think it’s better than he’s convinced. It’s been years since he unintentionally projected his thoughts, just showing how out of sorts being around our mate makes us. He’s internally chastising himself, completely oblivious to the way Ares is also smirking at his lack of control.

  I may wish to be able to spend time with her like this too, but I’m just as happy watching her. Even better, she trusted me enough to have my teeth around her neck and rip her away from everything she’s ever known. Let alone I get to curl up next to her every night. It may still suck for numerous reasons, but I’m going to count my blessings for now, because as Cole said, that’s the only way we can move forward.

  “I’m surprised there’s a market around here for such detailed work,” she continues, delicately tracing the carvings on the side of the bookshelf.

  It isn’t some piece to be stuck in a corner and forgotten, but a piece of artwork in itself. Both sides have a massive tree etched into the side, spanning the entire five-tiered length. The tree’s set on a small piece of land, situated in the center of a pond. On one side it’s cast as daytime, with the sun’s twisting rays caressing the leaves and the closed flowers floating on the water’s surface. The other is still unfinished, but enough detail is added to see the moon and a few stars, as well as several open blooms.