Kismet Dating Agency Box Set: Fated Mates Romance

by Haley Weir

  "No—”

  "Yes," Rina said over him. She grabbed the pen he offered and signed her name before he could stop her. Caleb watched as Plutus reached across the desk and touched the back of her hand. A ripple of magic raced up her arm, and markings appeared on her skin. They were raised slightly and one shade lighter than her complexion.

  Plutus smiled and caressed Rina's arm with admiration. "This will allow you to summon a gateway to my realm. While you are here, you are under my protection, and you will scribe the prophecies that I speak."

  "Hold on," Caleb shouted. "Why do you want her here?"

  "I need a secretary, and it gets lonely here without feminine company."

  "She's my mate."

  "And I will respect that," he chuckled. "I may be greedy, Calleus, but I'm not an adulterer. But marry her quickly or I might just change my mind."

  Rina stood up and lifted her arm with her palm straight up. Caleb moved to her side. He placed his hand on her hip, steadying her as a gateway appeared. He clenched his jaw as she glanced over her shoulder at Plutus. He blew her a kiss just to goad Caleb.

  They stepped through the gateway and appeared in the courtyard. Sunshine beamed down on them, warming Caleb's skin. It was a nice change compared to the unnatural chill of the underworld. "I know you're upset with me," Rina said quietly.

  "Upset doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling."

  "Caleb, please don't walk away from me," she pleaded. Rina wrapped her arms around him from behind and leaned her cheek against his spine. "I'm pregnant. That's why I was ill. Plutus spoke to me telepathically. He told me that my child would be in danger if Atë found out."

  Caleb lowered his head. He stared down at the ground until his vision blurred with unshed tears. "You're pregnant?"

  "I believed him when he told me," she replied with a wet sigh. He turned around in her arms and kissed Rina with all the love in his heart.

  "Will you marry me?"

  She leaned her head back and smiled up at him. "Of course I will. But I want Madeu released."

  "Are you insane?

  "Listen," she scolded. "Use the same wards on the dungeon and make shackles and a collar. Make sure he can't leave the palace, keep him close so you can watch him."

  "Rina he locked me up and—”

  "And you said nothing. A cage won't soften his resolve, but kindness will." Rina kissed him gently. "Please?"

  "I'll talk to the others, but this isn't my decision to make. Giddeon is still king, and there are rules for how things like this should be done." Caleb took her hand and led her towards the palace. "Until then, let's celebrate the good news..."

  "What did you have in mind?"

  "Let's just say you won't need those jeans." Caleb shot her his best smile, and they raced up the stairs. Rina stripped out of her shirt and tossed it on the floor. Caleb practically tore her jeans down the center. "I might complain that you don't listen to me at times, but when you take control like that, I get so hard."

  "Do you?"

  Caleb growled and rocked against her to make his point.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Castle Black

  Destiny, Alaska

  The temple was washed in radiant light as the guests milled in through the doors. Everyone was on their best behavior after Rina threatened to feed people to Plutus if they ruined her wedding. She wasn't big on the whole idea of marriage or the typical wedding traditions, but she had agreed to do things the way Caleb’s people had done them in the old days. Casey had explained to her that marriage took sacrifice, and there wasn’t a price Rina wouldn’t pay to make Caleb happy. They still had their days where they argued, but they weren’t perfect.

  And perhaps that was why she loved Caleb? She felt no pressure to pretend around him.

  Rina placed her hand on her rounded belly. Spring had come with the news of a wonderful baby girl growing inside of her. The fear and excitement that came with being a mother were indescribable. She felt as if she could take on the world. And something in the back of Rina’s mind knew she might have to. Her words in Plutus’s office weren’t just meaningless bluffs. Deep inside, she knew war was on the horizon, and Octavius wanted the key.

  Giddeon had agreed to allow Madeu some freedoms, but he was forbidden to enter certain rooms within the palace. However, that hadn’t stopped him from joining her in the bride’s chambers as she prepared for her wedding. “What do you think of the dress?”

  Madeu glanced up with his usual expression of confusion and annoyance. “It looks like a dress,” he replied. “What do you want me to say? I have no interest in trivial matters.”

  She scoffed and walked over to the chair he sat in as he flipped through a hunting magazine. Rina didn’t like Madeu’s strange fascination with guns and modern weaponry. She snatched the magazine from his hands and slapped it on the table beside him. “Make yourself useful and pour a few glasses of champagne for when my friends arrive.”

  “You have friends?”

  “Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

  The door opened with a whoosh and Olivia hurried inside with Diana beside her. They stripped off their coats and boots before grabbing the dresses that had been laid out for them. Rina sat on the cream-colored settee as they changed into satin dresses that hit the floor with a slit up the front. Olivia balked at the fabric and claimed they weren’t “big girl friendly” despite the fact that they fit perfectly.

  Diana had fallen silent and Rina turned to see what had stolen her ability to speak. Her friend stormed over to Madeu and slapped him across the face. Rina gasped in shock, as Diana wasn’t a violent person, and pulled her friend away from her soon-to-be brother-in-law. “What the hell was that? Madeu has done nothing to you.”

  “That was for Seth,” Diana hissed over Rina’s shoulder.

  “You don’t even know the entire story.”

  “No, but I know Giddeon and Caleb’s story and that’s enough for me. He’s a monster, Rina. He doesn’t deserve your kindness.”

  “Whatever you choose to believe, it’s my kindness to give to whoever I please,” she snapped. “If you have a problem with Madeu being here, then you can leave. Because I know the truth, and it is far more complicated than Seth is willing to believe.”

  Olivia wandered over to them and whispered, “You’ve never met Seth, Diana—”

  “Do I have to know someone to sympathize with their pain?”

  “It’s just...unusual that you would feel so strongly about it.”

  Rina wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

  “I’ve said my piece, Diana. Make your choice.” She walked back over to the mirror and adjusted her hair for the twentieth time since it had been done by one of the servants. Madeu came up behind Rina and straightened the row of pearls that cascaded down the back of her dress. He met her gaze in the mirror, and she wondered why no one else could see the pain and sadness behind his facade. It was as clear as day to her.

  “If my presence is an issue, I can leave.” Madeu slid his finger to pull his collar away from where it chaffed. “I wouldn’t be angry.”

  “But I would be,” she explained as she turned around to face him. “After today, we’ll be family, Madeu. I don’t care what the others think of you; I’m an adult, and I can form my own opinions. Even if I burn my bridges today, I want you to stop hiding who you truly are.”

  He gave her a small smile and tucked a ringlet behind her ear. “I’ll bring the matches.”

  “Good. Now, no more talking about the past. Today marks a new beginning for me. I’m not just Rina anymore.” She finished up a few small details and waited for the knock at the door. Plutus appeared, ready to walk her down the aisle. Rina wasn’t sure why he insisted on giving her away, but she suspected it had something to do with angering Caleb.

  “You look good enough to eat.”

  “And you’re incorrigible,” she snickered. “Did you have to wear the same color robes as Caleb? He’s going to murder you when all of this i
s over.”

  “So long as he waits until your contract is up, I wouldn’t mind dancing with death. The underworlds get quite dull at times—believe it or not. I could use a vacation.”

  “And who would punish all the greedy souls if not you?”

  “Hell if I know,” Plutus said in a pitiful excuse for a joke. “After all, there’s so much delicious greed to feast on up here. I honestly don’t know why I don’t visit more often.”

  ~*~

  Caleb fidgeted with the cuffs of his robes as Balor whistled a jaunty tune. He smacked his brother upside the head and swallowed the last bit of fear that roiled in his gut as the doors to the chapel opened. The ceiling was a stained-glass mural that caused light to dance in vivid colors around the room. Rina looked like a dream come to life as she walked beside Plutus. Giddeon stiffened, and Caleb gripped his brother’s wrist to keep him from ripping the god’s throat out. After he explained what had happened in the underworld, Giddeon was far more protective of Rina.

  Even he couldn’t deny that she bartered her freedom to save them all.

  Harp music filled the air, and candlelight cast an intimate glow upon the altar. Giddeon stood before the altar in his crown and raised his hand. The guests sat in their seats as Rina released Plutus’s arm to join him. Caleb thought she was even more beautiful up close. Giddeon spoke in the language of the old kings, asking the gods to bless their union as they embark on their journey together. There was no war or plight against the world he would not fight to be with her. Caleb knew there was no life for him if Rina was not by his side.

  As his eldest brother came to the end of the ceremony, the world around them faded away. Caleb saw and heard nothing as he reached out for Rina. She dropped her flowers to the floor and clung to his chest like ivy to the eves. He felt her heartbeat pounding against his chest and realized that it matched his own. “I love you,” Caleb whispered.

  “I love you too.”

  Someone cleared their throat, and Caleb was catapulted back to reality. Plutus smirked from his place beside the bridesmaids. Caleb lifted his finger in a rude gesture and kissed his bride once more. Giddeon used his magic to complete their union and Rina smiled happily. “Your brother is eating the cake already.”

  Caleb looked past Casey and saw Balor with his grubby fingers covered in frosting like a child at a birthday party. He released Rina and tackled Balor. Rina moved to Madeu’s side as she erupted in a bout of laughter. Over the sound of the commotion, he heard Madeu whisper, “Is this what it’s like to have brothers?”

  And Rina replied, “I think it’s charming. I don’t know if it will always be that way, though. We have four of them now. It’s bound to get ugly at times.”

  Balor smeared frosting on Caleb’s face before Giddeon pulled them apart. They were tossed out into the courtyard as the party continued. People drank in celebration of Caleb’s wedding and feasted on delicious foods from all around the world. Rina danced with her girlfriends to a song he once hated, but Caleb would have listened to anything so long as he could hear Rina singing along. He snagged her from the group of giggling females and pulled her close as their song began to play.

  “So, how long do I have to wait before you have your way with me?” Caleb asked.

  Rina pushed up on her tippy toes and kissed the tip of his nose. “Not long now, I promise.”

  “Plutus is an ass.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he knows that,” she chuckled. “I wish I could be angry at Balor for ruining the cake, but the two of you were hilarious fighting like children.”

  “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.”

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later...

  Destiny, Alaska

  Diana set her bags down inside the door and turned on the light. It flickered for a moment before dying completely. Rain had begun to pour since four in the afternoon the following day, and she wanted nothing more than to dry her things and climb into bed. The inside of her new apartment was still rather empty despite the sizable chuck the little rental took out of her bank account. She closed the door with her foot and toed her sneakers off. The radiator rattled as the heat kicked on, but there was a chill that had settled in her bones.

  She looked around at what had become her life and sighed. While two of her friends lived in a giant castle, Diana had gone from famous screenwriter to a laughing stock in Hollywood over the course of three days. There hadn’t been a director in Los Angeles who wanted to sign on to her project with Giddeon Black. The world just wasn’t ready for bear shifters and ancient deities, she supposed.

  Diana dropped her manuscript onto the coffee table that was just a little sticky and covered in rings from uncoastered cups. She kicked her feet up and stared at the water-stained ceiling that dripped onto the floor. Her mind struggled to come up with a plan. She had a budget, she had a script, but there wasn’t a studio backing her anymore, and her reputation was swirling the proverbial drain. Diana was desperate—poor and borderline paranoid, but mostly desperate. Lightning flashed, and the shadow of a man was cast upon her floor. Diana jumped to her feet and hurried to the window. She opened it just in time to see someone running down her fire escape. Her fingers trembled as she called the police. The woman on the other line seemed nice enough, but her nerves were practically on fire.

  It was nearly twenty minutes before an officer arrived. The knock on the door caused Diana to flinch. She peered through the hole in the door and slid the lock free. The town sheriff stood less than a foot in front of her. Diana felt breathless in a way that had nothing to do with fear. “Good evening, ma’am. I’m Sheriff Black.”

  “Diana Kelly.” She stepped aside to let him and was struck by the sheer size of Giddeon’s brother. Though she hadn’t met the youngest two, Diana was good friends with Caleb and Giddeon. Seth was a mystery, and that intrigued her. She showed him over to the window. “I saw the man go down the fire escape and disappear into the alley.”

  “Can you describe him?”

  “I only caught a glimpse of him. I’m sorry.”

  “Do you know of anyone who would want to scare you like this? Maybe it was just a prank,” he suggested. The deep rasp of his voice caused her pulse to quicken.

  “N-no, nothing like that. I just moved here and I don’t have many friends in the area.”

  The sheriff nodded and climbed out of the window with an agility she hadn’t expected from someone his size. He was careful not to touch anything as he shined his light on the fire escape. Diana watched as he knelt down and touched something. He lifted it to his line of sight and declared, “There’s mud out here. Someone was definitely up here not too long ago. I doubt there are any tracks left in the alley, but I’ll take a look in the morning. I’ll park right outside so you don’t have to worry about someone coming back here tonight.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate the gesture.”

  ~*~

  She was beautiful.

  It was such a strange thing to notice when he was on duty, but Seth couldn’t deny that Diana Kelly was a stunning woman with a body he wouldn’t mind sinking his teeth into. Though she was in distress, there was an ethereal glow to her that made him yearn for her touch. No woman had ever elicited such a reaction in him. Seth cleared his throat and nodded. “If you need anything, just wave from your window and I’ll see it.”

  “Should I keep a light on?”

  “No, I’ll be able to see it.” He hurried back into her apartment and returned to his car.

  Seth watched the alley well into the late hours of the night. It wasn’t until nearly midnight that he saw movement. He told himself that it wasn’t anything of interest, but the figure stayed in the shadows as if it was watching him as intensely as he was watching back. Seth turned on his headlights and saw the figure move with a speed that raised his hackles. He climbed out of the car and gave chase with his hand hovering above his revolver.

  The only light in the alley came from the windows from the apa
rtments a few stories up. Seth felt the call of his bear but forced it down and continued on foot. He shined his flashlight ahead and saw the creature huddled over what appeared to be a body. Seth unholstered his revolver with a flick of his wrist. He aimed at the creature and fired. It shrieked so loud that he nearly dropped his gun before running off once more.

  Seth used his radio to reach the station as he knelt beside the body.

  The victim was female, but her face had been torn to pieces. He heard footsteps approach and raised his gun. Diana Kelly held her hands up in surrender. “I heard gunshots. I-I wanted to see if you were all right...”

  Seth felt his stomach drop as he looked between her and the poor woman lying on the ground. Both women had dark hair and a lightly tanned complexion. They appeared to be about the same age, height, and body type. Seth put his gun away and moved her away from the victim. “Thank you, but this is a crime scene now. I’m going to need you to go back to your apartment and wait until an officer comes to take your statement. Lock the door and—”

  “Is she dead?”

  He nodded his head. For some reason, her tears stirred something protective in him. Two squad cars pulled up to the scene. “Wait here. I’ll walk you back.”

  Seth turned to walk over to his officers, but she wrapped her fingers around his bicep.

  “Was it him? Was it the man outside of my window?”

  “I don’t know, but I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  THE END

  Seth’s Bounty

  Chapter One

  Castle Black

  Destiny Falls, Alaska

  The castle gate opened with a gust of wind. Summer had come and gone, with Autumn quickly approaching. Diana Kelly shuffled into the courtyard with a trail of sticky, colorful leaves behind her as she pulled her cap low on her ears. Her friends, Olivia and Casey, met her at the entrance of Castle Black. Their lives had changed for the better after Olivia married Giddeon Black—who happened to be the king and Alpha of a sleuth of bear shifters descended from gods. That had been a rude awakening for all of them. While she was grateful Giddeon had helped Olivia believe in love again and find her happy ending, Diana wasn’t sure if the same thing could happen to her. She had tried all of the dating apps and websites, with mediocre results at best.