The Shifter's Future Mate (Fayoak Romance Book 1)

by Moira Byrne

  "Y'know, that disappointed look on your face is going to work super well on your kiddo someday," I told her.

  She huffed through her nose and I realized she hadn’t appreciated my comment. I instantly felt like a goober, all sprawled out on the ground next to Alex. I turned to look at him, but his eyes were elsewhere.

  I followed his gaze and saw it was fixated on Sophie. He stared up at her like he had just found his new religion.

  I blinked. I hadn’t even noticed she was there until now. But, of course, she would be there to witness my downfall. The world had decided it didn't like me anymore and this was my punishment.

  I sighed and flopped back into the grass. Today sucked. Even my fake boyfriend wanted Sophie.

  "Nope, nuh-uh, you get up right now," I heard Meghan say. "Joseph, could you get her? I would happily haul that drunk mess around if I wasn't carrying your bowling ball of a child in my stomach."

  "Want me to take her straight to the car?" Joseph asked in his usual unassuming tone, completely unaffected by Meghan's annoyance. I smiled. He was so nice and calm. I liked him. He was a good mate for Meghan, just like Sophie would be for Maddox. Because, apparently, everything is easy and awesome when you're a shifter.

  "Good idea," Meghan replied. "Let's get her home so she won't embarrass herself anymore."

  "I just want to eat chicken in peace," I protested as Joseph bent down to scoop me up into his arms. Normally, I would've put up more of a fight for my independence. But the world started spinning at approximately ninety miles per hour the moment I was off the ground. Maybe they were right. I couldn't even remember how many drinks I'd had.

  "I hope things get better for you, Rose," I heard Alex say.

  "Thanks for being my rock, buddy," I said as I tried to look around for him without making the world spin again. I finally managed to find his blurry outline as he got to his feet. He started to fall over and Sophie darted over to steady him. She was so freaking lithe and agile, like a cat or something. I snorted to myself as I remembered she was a shifter. Duh.

  "Sophie, do you want us to take you home too or . . .?" Meghan asked as Joseph hauled me to the car. I propped my head on Joseph’s shoulder and watched them as he carried me away.

  "Careful now," Sophie said to Alex, her arm around his waist. "You guys go on ahead, I can't leave this guy like this. He's going to hurt himself."

  "Alex actually doesn't live that far from you," Meghan said. "Would you take his car and drive him home?"

  "Sure, that wouldn’t be a problem," Sophie said.

  "Sound good, Alex?" Meghan asked in a gentle voice. I frowned. I got all the exasperation, yet Alex got the nice voice. Not fair. I would take that up with Meghan when I could form coherent sentences again.

  Joseph opened the car door and got me seat-belted into the back seat. Time blinked, and the door closed. I was shut off from the world. I blearily stared out of the car window as they all smiled and chatted. Alex looked toward the car and smiled and waved. I smiled back before I slumped over.

  I must have passed out at some point around then because I couldn't remember much of anything after that. The next thing I knew, Joseph carried me upstairs to my room.

  He and Meghan snuck me through the house like teenagers out past curfew. Somehow, they managed to stay quiet, so as not to wake my grandmother. He slipped out of the room, and Megan helped me out of my dress and into my night clothes.

  "You’re going to be such a good mother," I said. The world was fuzzy and my ears were stuffed full of cotton. Her face came in and out of focus, and she seemed to be saying something important.

  Finally, she shook her head and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. As I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, all I could think about was the fact that I was about to lose Maddox to a supermodel with a heart of gold.

  10

  Maddox

  I didn’t know how I made it through the barbecue without attacking Alexander. Every time he touched Red I wanted to rip his throat out. When he turned his smarmy smile on her, I could barely restrain myself from marching over there and punching it off his face. At one point, I caught myself growling low in my throat. I’d gotten lucky and my parents had already left, and my sister was in a deep discussion with some other ladies.

  Sophie had been close enough to hear and had looked at me in concern.

  "You okay?" she asked, her eyes wide as she glanced around for the threat that had me growling.

  I managed to smile at her and cleared my throat, as if that was the noise she heard.

  "No, all’s fine, just something in my throat," I said as I forced a smile.

  She reached over and touched my arm. I had to fight to stay still. She was my sister’s midwife, but that didn’t mean I welcomed her touch. It didn't feel right.

  "You sure that’s it?" The look she gave me said she didn’t buy it, but what could she do? Tell my sister she heard me growling?

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I said. I was in no mood to be social. My sister unintentionally saved me when she asked Sophie a question. The midwife removed her hand and turned to talk to Meghan.

  I moved my attention back to Red and Alexander. I watched them and my anger grew. But I couldn’t look away. Every time he touched her I became more enraged. When she smiled at him, my vision blurred and my fists clenched.

  The urge to go over there and physically separate them was strong. The only reason I resisted was because the instinct to protect my sister was stronger. The cat inside me wouldn’t let me leave Meghan’s side until her mate arrived. I also knew that I was capable of seriously injuring that handsy fae in this frame of mind.

  I couldn’t figure out why Red hadn’t come over and said hello. My only guess was that she was too involved with Alexander. Much like that morning she cut off our conversation to go greet him at The Peach. I had tried to ignore it, but now I had to wonder if there was more going on between them.

  I didn’t understand why that thought had me so edgy. By the time Joseph finally arrived, I was so tense that I had to get out of there. Red was drunk and sat on the ground with Alexander. Then they started singing. Poorly. I still wouldn’t have been able to leave, except when Meghan saw what was going on, she got that look on her face. The one that said she was ready to raise some serious hell.

  When she headed over to lay into Red, I booked it out of there. I couldn’t stand another moment of hearing Red laugh at Alexander’s jokes and comments. I was either going to be physically ill or hurt someone. I knew if I didn’t get out of there, I’d do something I’d regret.

  I made it to my cabin in record time. When I arrived, I raced inside as if it was a safe haven. But once I was within the four walls, all I did was stomp around. I picked up a book, but couldn’t bring myself to read. I opened my laptop and immediately closed it. I had no interest in checking my e-mail or surfing the web. I turned on the television only to turn it off right away. I was restless, agitated, and couldn’t get myself settled.

  I tried to remember what I told Meghan when I left, or even if I had said anything at all, and my mind was blank. I looked out the window and the darkness called to me. I needed to run. My panther needed out.

  I walked out the cabin door and shut it firmly behind me. One of the reasons I always rented one of these cabins was the location. The woods nearby were extensive and gave my cat plenty of land to roam. Having enough space to run was a rarity in my daily life, one that I only truly found in Fayoak.

  I jogged until I was deep in the woods. I stripped and stashed my clothing in the branches of a tree, then let my cat free. One moment I was a man, the next I walked on four feet instead of two. Suddenly, everything was sharper, my vision expanded and I could see better.

  Scents bombarded me from all directions. There was a mouse hiding in the bushes to my left. A deer had recently brushed up against this tree. The pungent odor of a possum hit me. The bite of pine mixed with softer aspen. The breeze ruffled my fur, filled with information about the world
around me.

  All this information was processed by my cat within seconds. I arched my back and dug my claws into the soil, then sprang into a run as my primal nature rose to the surface and my cat took over. It didn’t understand all the emotions that ran through me. Its needs and wants were simple, and I was able to escape into the moment.

  I ran and hunted. I didn’t catch the rabbit or the deer. I tracked them and could have caught them. But I wasn’t hungry. It was the joy of the hunt, the thrill of the chase. I don’t know how many hours I ran, but it was deep into the night when something caught my attention and caused my cat alarm.

  My human self swam to the top of my consciousness. An odd scent came to me on the breeze. It smelled like gun oil, but it wasn’t hunting season, not that anyone should be hunting in Fayoak anyway. There shouldn’t be anyone with guns around here. The wind shifted and the scent went away. I tracked around a bit, but couldn’t find it again.

  Now my mind was active with circling thoughts once again. I was no longer just a panther who ran free. It was probably a sign for me to head back to the cabin. I couldn't stay out here forever.

  I wanted to go see Red, but the way she acted with Alexander made me hesitate. She’d seemed so happy as she laughed and joked with him. I’d never seen her behave that way with another man. Oh, sure, I knew she’d dated. We’d talked about it on our daily calls. But it was one thing to know in abstract, and another to see her talking to another man. Touching and smiling at him.

  My feet pounded the ground and my stomach churned. We had been friends with benefits for years. It started one time when I came home and had been so starved for intimate touch I was going nuts. Shifters needed touch and intimate contact. But I couldn’t stand the thought of another shifter touching me while I searched for my mate. Somehow, Red knew I was in trouble. She was there for me. One thing led to another, and we became lovers.

  Was I being fair to her? This wasn’t the first time I asked myself that question. Was our relationship stopping her from finding happiness with someone else? The thought of giving her up made my vision cloud up with anger, rage, and sorrow. But the thought of hurting her was worse.

  My mouth opened and a roar emerged. If I’d been human, it would have been a cry of anguish. But in my cat form, only another shifter would have recognized the emotion. Anyone else would hear the primal sound of a great cat and shiver in fear. The sound promised something dire.

  I couldn’t stand the thought of never being able to laugh with Red again. No more calls at night when we would talk for hours about nothing. The only touch shared would be that of a friend. To have to look at her and force myself to feel nothing was too terrible to contemplate. But if she had a chance of happiness with Alexander, I couldn’t stand in her way.

  I made my way back to my stashed clothes, shifted, and dressed quickly. Despair sat on my shoulders, and my feet dragged as I walked back to the cabin. On autopilot, I locked the door behind me and slipped into the shower. I’d just gone for a hard run. I needed to wash off the sweat, and if my cheeks happened to get wet, I could blame it on the shower. As I crawled into bed, I fell asleep to the thought that this was the first time in years that I went to bed without telling Red goodnight.

  The next morning my phone rang at seven o’clock. Who the hell calls at that ungodly time? I rolled over and grabbed the phone without looking at the screen.

  "Yeah?" I snapped.

  "Hey, Maddox, did I wake you?"

  It took me a moment to place the voice on the other end of the line.

  "Daniel?" I said as I woke up.

  "Yeah, man. How’ve you been?" His voice was ridiculously cheerful for a call to a practical stranger at seven in the morning.

  "I don’t mean to be rude, but why the hell are you calling me this early?" I tried to keep the growl out of my voice. But, seriously.

  "Oh, sorry, dude. I know you’re in construction and you guys get going early. I saw you at the barbecue last night, but didn’t get a chance to say hi."

  "So that’s a good reason to call someone this early? How did you get my number?" I grumbled as I sat up and rubbed my face. Daniel and I went to school together, but we weren’t close.

  "I got it from Meghan. I tried to call you yesterday and left a message when you didn’t answer. Look, we need your help. We’re building a raised bed garden at the school. The guy who was going to move the soil, run the equipment, and direct the volunteers ended up in the hospital yesterday."

  "Is he okay?" I asked as my mind cleared.

  "He’s going to be okay—bad case of food poisoning. I got the call from his wife last night while I was at the barbecue, and then when I went over to talk to you, you’d already bailed."

  "Let me guess," I said as I went to the coffee maker in the cabin and started it brewing. "The event is today, isn’t it?"

  "Yeah." Daniel’s voice was full of anxiety. "The volunteers are all gonna be there this morning, and the soil and equipment were delivered yesterday. We might be able to muddle through, but your experience would be great."

  I sighed. Well, what else did I have planned for today? The stuff I was doing on my house wasn’t critical, and it sounded like this was an emergency. And at least it would keep my mind off Red.

  "Sure," I reluctantly said.

  "Great, can you be at Oakside Elementary in an hour?"

  "Yeah, I’ll be there."

  Daniel thanked me and hung up. I shook my head. I hadn’t planned to work this week, but what the hell? I was here until Meghan had her baby, and I needed the distraction.

  It didn’t take me long to get ready. I scrambled some eggs and drank my coffee, then I was ready to go. I glanced at my watch and noted it was seven thirty. It would only take about ten minutes to get to the school, but I decided to head out anyway. It would be better for me to arrive early to check out the equipment and supplies. I’d taken over many projects in the past that were short on something. Better to find out early.

  The school parking lot was tiny, and I knew the busses would block any vehicles when they came to pick up the kids. I parked in the church lot next door and pulled my toolbox out of the cab before I closed the door.

  I walked through the fence opening and down the stairs. In a glance, I saw the bobcat with the loader bucket next to the giant pile of soil. A pile of wood, which I hoped was cedar, sat nearby. But the greenhouse caught my full attention. I didn’t know a lot about greenhouses. As I walked closer, I saw someone standing in the double door entrance.

  Recognizing the blond hair, I schooled my expression to be pleasantly friendly . . . even if I wanted to snarl at him. If Red decided on him, I should be nice. I could manage that. Really.

  Alexander looked over his shoulder as he heard my approach. He smiled at me in that smarmy way of his. I thought he might look a little green around the gills. He and Red had been tossing them back something fierce at the barbecue.

  "Hey there, Maddox, right? They rope you into volunteering, too?"

  I nodded and managed a small smile. "I know construction, but not greenhouses."

  "Oh," Alexander said with a smile of pride as he patted the door of the greenhouse. "This beautiful high-tunnel greenhouse is my doing. They reached out to my granny . . ."

  My mind zoned out for a moment, trying to reconcile Mrs. Greenhaven as granny, but I couldn’t do it. I’d known her since I was a child, and she’d always been a little scary. As I grew up, my opinion hadn’t changed. I brought my focus back to Alexander and he didn’t seem to notice my brief check-out.

  ". . . and I said I’d help them out. With this greenhouse, they can grow plants all year round. We had to get the electricity and the water run. Now we’re able to pull it all together."

  "So why did they say they needed me to run the equipment? Isn’t that something you can do?"

  The smile Alexander gave me was otherworldly for a moment and I felt a chill. There was a reason people didn’t always trust the fae. Just as quickly, it was gone, and hi
s happy-go-lucky expression was back in place.

  "I don’t drive the equipment," he said with a shrug.

  I pondered that for a moment. Why wouldn’t he drive the equipment? I glanced over at the bobcat and back at Alexander. He kept his smile in place, but his eyes watched me shrewdly. Suddenly it clicked. He was fae. Some were rumored to be sensitive to steel. I wondered if he was one of those.

  "Afraid of the big bad machines?" As soon as the words left my mouth I felt like an ass. I knew better than to ask. I was being childish.

  He blinked slowly, that friendly smile still on his face. "Nope, not afraid. It's just not what I do."

  I studied him, but he made no aggressive move, even though my question was in no way polite. Alexander stood there as if he had all day. The silence started to get awkward. I turned my gaze to the piles of lumber and soil.

  "Right. So they also asked me to help build the raised beds," I finally said. I glanced at him and noticed a pinched look at the corner of his eyes. The type you got with a hangover.

  Alexander nodded slowly. "That’s great. I’m aces with the plants, but all thumbs when it comes to building stuff."

  I had to admire his honesty. Many guys I knew would try to come off as knowing more than they did. I turned my attention back to the greenhouse to study the space. I knew building, but I didn’t know plants. I could do flower beds, but that was different. This was a greenhouse full of plants. I had no idea how much space each plant needed or what the optimal size for the beds should be. Did it depend on the plants grown?

  As much as I hated to admit it, I was going to have to ask him for help. Maybe I’d get lucky and this task would be over in a day. On the bright side, he wasn’t off flirting with Red while he volunteered here.

  I saw an ice chest in the corner of the greenhouse and walked over to it. When I lifted the lid, I saw it was full of ice and bottles of water and cans of soda. I reached in and pulled out two bottles of water.

  "Here," I handed one to Alex. "You should keep yourself hydrated."