Destined to Run

by J. Kearston

  “And what is it you’re looking for, exactly?” Furrowing my brow, I attempt to wrap my head around all of this.

  Ian clucks his tongue. “Hold on.”

  I bite my tongue, worried and on edge, even more so when I watch sweat start trickling down from Ian’s temples. Whatever he’s doing is clearly taking its toll and I don’t want to be the reason to distract him and screw something up. It’s agony though, just holding my breath and waiting, hoping.

  Ares and Cole look just as anxious, but they keep stock still for the same reason. We just watch, and the more labored Ozzy’s breathing becomes, the more I start to freak out. I don’t think Ian would do anything to him, but what if I’m wrong? I don’t know this guy. What if he’s putting a failsafe in place, making sure we let him walk out of here alive? That’d be the smart thing to do. Fuck, what if we just made things worse for Osiris?

  “I’m not sure how to describe it in a way you’ll understand, so this might come out as nonsense. Basically, shifters have a magic of their own, but they only tap into it to change forms. The rest of the time, it’s just a layer of energy throughout their bodies.

  “Mages on the other hand, it’s not a layer; it’s who we are. But the more we use our abilities, the weaker we get because it drains our very essence. It’s not like the magic tank hits empty and we’re just human until it refills. If we push ourselves too hard, there are physical ramifications.” He takes a deep breath, keeping his eyes shut, but looking no less taxed.

  “The transfer of energy is something studied in health class for mages in case someone depletes themselves past the point they can recuperate on their own by taking it easy for a few days or weeks. It’s pretty much CPR for mages, I guess you could say. There’s been enough people discussing the theory of pulling energy from shifters that I’m not surprised to find out it happened, just disappointed.”

  He pulls his hands away, shaky and panting, but looking proud of himself. “Fuck, they did a number on him. But I think I tetris-ed your boyfriend back together,” he says before slumping to the side. Ares catches him before he bashes his head on the ground, the three of us looking at each other alarmed.

  “Shit, does that mean we need to find another mage to top him back up?” Cole asks, looking between Ian and Osiris who has also passed out.

  Ares puts an ear to Ian’s chest as we get to our feet before tossing him on the bed beside Ozzy. “I don’t think so. He doesn’t sound like an idiot and definitely has no reason to sacrifice himself. He probably just needs to sleep it off.”

  “And Ozzy?” I whisper, biting my bottom lip until I taste blood.

  “He’s just dramatic,” Cole teases, but his voice is tight as he starts poking at the side of his brother’s face.

  Ares ties Ian’s shoelaces together before stealing a pillow and blanket. He walks over to the door, stretching out in front of it. “We’re all exhausted and worrying won’t give us any answers. This is the only way in and out, so why don’t we take the opportunity to all get some rest?”

  Instead of curling up on the free bed, I snag another pillow and settle on the floor with Ares; his back to the door and mine pressed against him. He throws an arm over my stomach, pulling me closer.

  “Why the shoes?”

  Cole tosses one last longing look at the bed before joining us on the floor. “If we don’t hear his change in breathing when he wakes up, we definitely will when he trips.”

  I smile before attempting to reach out to Ozzy one more time, only to be met with silence and have the brief grin fade away.

  “This went as well as we could have hoped,” Ares assures me, but it’s hard to accept that when so much is riding on crossed fingers.

  Nineteen

  Rin

  “It’s been almost an entire day,” Cole states, pacing the tiny room, like we aren’t well aware.

  “Why don’t you two go grab some food to bring back and I’ll stay here?” Ares offers. “We’re nearly into shifter territory, so should be safe enough if you stay close.”

  I kiss him goodbye, grateful for the distraction. Cole and I take the truck, driving until we find a convenience store rather than actual food since neither of us want to stray too far. Having a task and change of pace is good, but I feel just as strained being away from them as I do being pent up with them all right now.

  Mates are stressful.

  “No, mates are amazing. Our life is stressful,” Cole corrects and I flick his arm.

  “Stop eavesdropping.”

  He grins. “Don’t think so loud then. But seriously, Rin. He’s going to be alright.”

  Exhaling heavily, I acknowledge that I’m just stressed out and every little thing has me on edge. We start grabbing things at random, most of it all junk. If there were ever a perfect excuse to stress eat garbage food, it’d be while waiting to see if your mate is ever going to wake up and what condition he’ll be in if so.

  “I don’t know if I can think of him as anything other than Ozzy,” I admit, snagging a package of donuts to add to our rapidly growing pile. “And then, what is he expecting? Play catch up and have claiming sex while you guys hide in the bathroom with Ian?”

  He snorts and I glare. “I’m serious. What if he just goes all Pinocchio, turns into a real boy, and wants to work out weeks of sexual tension?”

  Cole abruptly bursts out laughing, doubling over and dropping the massive pile of snacks. He grabs onto the display beside him to remain upright as he struggles to suck down a breath, red faced and tears starting to gather as he wheezes, failing to get coherent words out. My glare stays firmly in place for about two seconds before I break, but his mood is contagious. It may be at my expense, but it doesn’t feel like he’s mocking me, just the situation.

  He straightens up and palms both of my cheeks, placing a hard kiss on my lips between his laughter. “God damn, beautiful, I love you. But you’re worrying about the wrong things here. Seriously though, I’m picturing you fighting off a horny wooden doll right now, and I just,” he tapers off, wheezing as tears gather in the corners of his eyes while he struggles to breathe.

  I chuckle, picking up some of the things he dropped while he gets control of himself. “I see your point.”

  He wipes at his eyes, chuckling. “If it makes you feel better, I volunteer as your chastity belt. He comes too close before you’re ready and I’ll punch him for you.”

  I snicker, imagining it. “Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. But you know what I’m getting at here. Ozzy the ocelot is one thing, but I don’t know Osiris. What if I don’t feel the same about him? You two claimed me, but what if that drive isn’t there for us? It would be awkward as hell at home.”

  We drop our armloads of sweets onto the counter and a matronly woman starts ringing them up, laughing and not bothering to pretend that she wasn’t eavesdropping. “Sounds like you need to stop worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, young lady. Take things one step at a time. Life’s hard enough without inventing more problems on top of all the ones it throws our way already.”

  My cheeks heat, but I know she’s right. “I think I’ve developed anxiety since setting foot in the wilds. I swear, I haven’t always been this neurotic.”

  She laughs, passing a bag over to me before taking Cole’s money. “Cut yourself some slack. It’s natural for you to feel out of your depth, but from just the bit I gathered, you’re in good hands. Not every day fate tosses mates together; enjoy the ride. Things will work out one way or another and stressing about things won’t make them move a second before they’re ready to unfurl.”

  I sigh, ripping open a candy bar and stuffing a piece of chocolate in my mouth. “I know you’re right. I think I just need a hot shower and some sugar and I’ll be okay.”

  She snickers as we leave. By the time I’m shutting the door on the truck, I’m so tired of feeling out of my element that I just slump my head on the dashboard, banging my forehead an extra time for good measure.

  Cole s
lips a hand between me and the dash before my next thump, chuckling under his breath. “You might be surprised to find they’re actually the same person instead of two separate entities. You already know Osiris, Rin, you have from the first day he showed up in your room. Because even though you’d never met, you were his safe space and he’s the one you turned to for comfort when you were hurting long before you met us. That’s Osiris; always has been.”

  I turn my head, resting my cheek on the back of his hand and face him. “Hot, huge dick, and poetically insightful. Pretty sure I got pregnant just listening to you talk.”

  He sputters, laughing uproariously before stealing his hand back and firing up the truck. “Things like that will go straight to a man’s head, gorgeous. Not that I’d be opposed,” he winks, pulling out of the parking lot.

  “Oh, heck no. I obviously can’t even be trusted to make decisions for myself; no babies.”

  He snorts. “Especially since if you ask Ian, we’re just going to eat them.”

  The corner of my mouth twitches in amusement. “I don’t hate the guy, truth be told. Kind of regret how this played out, but I’m relieved we ended up asking him for help instead of someone like Selena. I have no doubt she’d flay off our skin with or without magic for daring to force her to do anything.”

  He chuckles in agreement as we pull back up to the motel, grabbing two bags while I insist on at least carrying the other. I’m feeling pretty useless in comparison to the rest of them and as stupid as it sounds, it makes me feel better. I know they don’t look at things that way, but it’s hard not to feel inadequate surrounded by these men.

  Cole hesitates outside of the door before opening it, bracing himself as the levity of our break drains away. I follow him inside to find Ian still passed the fuck out, and Ares pacing, looking pale. Eyes hastily darting around the room, I come up empty; Ozzy conspicuously missing.

  My stomach drops. “What happened?”

  Ares is already crossing the room and a part of me is waiting for him to tell me he’s buried in the backyard. “He’s okay, he just…” He turns to look towards the closed bathroom door, and it’s only then I hear the faint sounds of the shower running.

  “He’s kind of freaking out.” He switches to telepathy so Osiris can’t hear us talking about him. I’d feel worse about it if they hadn’t done it to me so much in the beginning.

  Why?

  Ares shares a look with Cole as I’m clearly cut out of the conversation. Cole sputters out a laugh and I smack the bandage on his arm, knowing it’s healed enough that I don’t feel repentant.

  “What?”

  “He was pulling a Rin and overthinking shit, beautiful, that’s all. You were having a breakdown in the gas station while he was having a mini meltdown here. It’s adorable, nothing bad.”

  The water shuts off and my breath hitches in my chest, leaving me a nervous wreck. It’s like meeting a stranger on the internet for the first time, only to have the rendezvous at a secluded cabin in the woods. What the hell am I so scared about? Cole’s right, I already know him.

  What I wouldn’t give for a few shots of rum right now to steady my nerves, though.

  Ozzy comes out of the bathroom towel drying his hair, but dressed. And thank fuck, because if he’d been only in a towel, my ovaries might have exploded. His hair is a bit longer than Cole’s, but the same shade of obsidian. A light five-o-clock shadow covers his jaw, highlighting his bright, golden eyes.

  Motherfucker. They just had to throw another one at me, didn’t they? Why’s it so hot that he’s wanted for murdering my husband? Why don’t I care?

  “It’s called being horny,” Cole teases and I snap out of my ogling to playfully smack his arm while he laughs at me.

  “Get out of my head,” I snap. Because if he heard me, they all did, and that’s more than a little embarrassing. “Useless chastity belt, I’m telling you,” I mutter, glaring.

  He snorts, reaching into one of his bags and tossing something to Ozzy. He catches it, but his unwavering gaze stays locked on me. I shift from foot to foot, just waiting for either the floor to open up and swallow me whole, or someone to take point navigating the awkward stage we’ve found ourselves in.

  “So, it worked.”

  “Smooth,” Ares praises in my head before I growl. He steps away laughing, grabbing the bag from my hand and dumping it on the free bed with Cole so they can pick through things to trade like a couple of kids on Halloween.

  “Seems so,” Osiris agrees, looking just as uncomfortable as I am.

  I bite the inside of my cheek as I replay weeks of interaction; namely petting him like an oversized cat and how often he was rubbing all over me. “Feeling alright?”

  He smirks. “Mild discomfort, but that could either be how long it’s been since shifting or just the conversation.” He cocks his head to the side. “Less of an adjustment if we communicate like usual? I know saying things aloud is difficult enough sometimes, let alone with those two listening in.”

  I take a steadying breath. “It’s okay. I think I actually need to get out of my head more often.”

  He smiles, stretching out his hand in offering. “Care to join me for dinner?”

  Releasing a heavy exhale that takes some of my tension with it, I take his hand, reminding myself what Cole said. I already know this man, no matter what form he’s in. If I get out of my own way, I’d notice the way my body instinctively relaxes when I’m close to him, and surrounded by all three of them?

  Even this cheap motel room feels like home.

  Despite the sugar high I’m already riding, I grab a handful of candies from Ares’ box, loving the way his eyes light up happily when I do. It’s such a little thing, but to him, it means so much. I’m not blind to the way he’s gradually been getting me to accept that it isn’t the end of the world to overindulge on occasion, and right now, we have plenty of reason to celebrate.

  Twenty

  Osiris

  The hilt of my closed pocket knife comes down again and I twist it for good measure.

  “What are you doing?” Rin asks, coming to peer over my shoulder and I fight the compulsion to lick her neck. I’ve spent far too long with my instincts driving my actions that it’s hard to shove them back down for human manners.

  I scoop the pulverized powder off of the end table and into my hand, walking towards Ian who still hasn’t woken up. “If he’s recouping from using too much energy, then some sugar should do him good. Can’t hurt at least; body needs fuel to heal.” Parting his lips, I trickle the powder into his mouth slowly so that it can dissolve without worrying about him choking or trying to get him to involuntarily swallow anything.

  “Should we grab a bottle of syrup next time we stop?” she asks, canting her head to the side and watching for any change in the mage’s condition.

  “Not a bad idea,” Ares agrees, coming out of the shower and stuffing clothes into his backpack. He tosses it to Cole and joins us, scooping Ian up and throwing him over his shoulder easily. “But we need to get on the road. Now that we know he’s capable, we should get him to Sarah.”

  He heads for the door and I steal Rin’s hand as we fall into step, absolutely obsessed with being able to touch her. No matter how much I desperately want to, I haven’t kissed her yet. She’s been through so much so quickly, and the vamp attack left her shaken despite how she tries to hide it. If after everything she’s endured, I ended up being the thing to push her past her breaking point?

  I’d never be able to live with myself.

  But honestly? This is enough. To just be able to touch her, hold her if I want to? The option is there, and I’ll never take the little things for granted again.

  Ian is tossed in the back and Rin starts to climb in next before I grab her hips, setting her back on the pavement and switching places. Extending a hand down, I help haul her in since it’s a decent step up and she looks at me in confusion.

  “I think it’s pretty clear by now that he’s not going to h
urt us,” she points out, closing her door and fastening her seatbelt.

  Shrugging, I stretch an arm over the back of her seat, toying with a strand of her hair and lean in closer to whisper in her ear. “Call it a stupid guy thing, but I don’t want to smell Ian all over you. If you’re going to be coated in anyone’s scent, I’d rather it be mine.”

  Ares starts driving as I pull back, reveling in the shiver that snakes down her spine. “So, Ares was right.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I wait for her to continue while resuming playing with her hair. I may be self-disciplined enough not to maul her in the backseat, but that doesn’t mean I can stop at least casual touches.

  “You’ve always been clingy.” My fingers still before she starts laughing, leaning into my side. “Breathe, I’m only teasing. It’s just amusing that I was so worried about this when you’re simply a less hairy, larger Ozzy. Still trying to climb onto my lap and rub your scent all over me; it’s cute.”

  “Maybe one day you can even upgrade from cute to sexy,” Cole teases and I snort in amusement.

  Says the guy that would let Rin wear him like a coat if she asked. You’ve been halfway up her ass since the day you met her.

  “Not too far off base there.” Ares barks out a laugh that has our mate narrowing her eyes at us.

  “Keep it up and Ian and I will have all sorts of inside jokes that you won’t be a part of,” she threatens.

  “It’s cute when you try to be intimidating,” Cole teases, turning in his seat to face her. “But seeing as we’re ditching the mage after he fixes Sarah, it falls a little flat.”

  She raises an eyebrow as she flicks her gaze to the side, thinking on her feet. “Alright, then I’ll ask Gage to make the bed for my room. Every time we have sex, you’ll be forced to admire his handiwork and marvel his skills.”