Her Fate

by Davenport, Fiona

  As a shifter, she would know the answer to her question if she pulled my scent into her lungs or touched me. But her body language was closed off, and her expression was blank. Obviously, she didn’t want to discover what I already knew to be true, and it freaked me the fuck out. I’d thought I understood the pain Aaron had gone through when he’d been rejected by his fated mate, but now that I’d met my own, I finally got how much deeper his soul had been wounded. The pull to her was strong, and it felt as though I was being drawn toward her as I stepped forward. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, refusing to let her drop her gaze and deny what we were to each other, I growled, “Your mate.”

  Two shocked voices echoed my announcement while Trinity’s hand came up to cover her mouth. She held utterly still while we stared at each other.

  “Holy shit.” I glanced over my shoulder at my brother’s whisper. He was standing in the doorway looking as shocked as I felt. “You found your mate.”

  “I did,” I confirmed as I turned back around and started to move toward my Trinity.

  She took one step backward before Cason stopped her with his whispered plea. “Please. Don’t reject my brother. He needs you more than you could ever possibly know.”

  5

  Trinity

  There was no denying who Damon was to me. Not when I was feeling desire for the first time in my life. This gorgeous man with shaggy dark hair, gleaming brown eyes, and a tall, muscular frame had to be my mate. And he was obviously a wolf shifter who lived in Timber Ridge. Fate had a wicked sense of humor, pairing me up with someone who represented everything I’d resented for so many years. But it didn’t matter how mismatched we were, I couldn’t turn my mate away. “I’m not going to reject him. I just need a minute to wrap my head around the fact that I found my fated mate in the very last place I expected.”

  My brother’s gaze darted between his pack member and me, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe you’re having a difficult time believing Damon is your mate because he isn’t.”

  “What the fuck did you just say?” Damon growled, leveling a glare at Tane as his brother moved quickly to grab his upper arms and hold him in place.

  “Are you seriously asking your sister if she’s mistaking something else for the mating bond?” Calliope laughed and shook her head, moving across the room to stand next to Tane. “I know it’s been more than a decade, but you couldn’t possibly have forgotten what it felt like when we first met.”

  Tane wrapped his arm around Calliope’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Of course not, baby. Every detail from when I walked into Kace’s house and found you sitting in his kitchen will be etched in my brain forever.”

  She elbowed him in the side. “Then quit acting as though you really think your sister could be wrong about Damon being her mate when you know better.”

  “Fine,” my brother huffed as his shoulders slumped.

  I laughed at how easily Calliope could make Tane back down, which only made him grumble more. But my humor fled when Damon’s brother released his arms, allowing my fated mate to stalk across the room toward me. When he got close, I dragged his scent into my lungs, and the woodsy fragrance full of the power of his wolf went straight to my head. I was having a hard time concentrating when he pressed his finger under my chin to tilt my head back. “Your minute is up.”

  That was all the warning I got before he bent low to toss me over his shoulder. As all of my blood rushed to my head, I gripped the waist of his jeans so I wouldn’t sway as much while he stomped through Tane and Calliope’s living room. As he carried me outside, his brother mumbled, “I guess I’ll find somewhere else to stay.”

  By the time Damon tossed me onto the mattress in his bedroom, I was more than a little light-headed. Lifting my hand to my head, I murmured, “Whoa.”

  “Are you okay?” He shifted my body until I was resting against the pillows, and then he dropped down next to me.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him, stroking my palm down his bicep. “Just not used to hanging upside down like that.”

  He rolled on top of me, pressing his hands into the mattress on either side of my head to lift his body about an inch above mine. “You better not be. I’d have to kill anyone who dared to put their hands on you. You’re all mine.”

  “Of course, I am.” I patted his chest before twining my arms around his neck. “We’re fated mates after all.”

  “Damn straight, we are,” he agreed as he tugged my shirt over my head. After he tossed the material onto the floor, he kicked off his shoes and removed his shirt too. I was too distracted by the bunching of the muscles in his arms and the sight of his bare chest to pay much attention as he undid the button and zipper on my pants and slid them down my legs. Not until he did the same with his jeans, exposing his hard length to my gaze since he’d gone commando.

  I trailed my fingertip along the vein running down his engorged shaft. “You’re huge.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll fit since you were built to take me,” he reminded me as he slid his hands under my back to undo the clasp on my bra and drag the straps down my arms.

  His entire focus was on me, making me feel as though I was the only woman in the world. His smile sent heat swirling through my blood, and I pressed my thighs together in the hope that the pressure would curb my fierce need for him. It didn’t work. I suspected that nothing would except for the feel of his cock moving inside me. “Then that’s exactly what you should do. Take me and make me yours.”

  “Oh, I’ll take you.” He kissed his way down my neck to my chest to flick his tongue over one of my nipples. “But make no mistake, you’re already mine.”

  I didn’t argue, only letting out a whimper of need when he used his lips, tongue, and teeth to worship my breasts. By the time he moved lower, I was already close to the edge. My fingers dug into his scalp when his mouth clamped over my drenched core, and he plunged his tongue deep. I cried out and tried to lift my hips, but he pinned me down with his hands. He devoured me, eating my pussy as though he was dying for my taste. My breath was ragged, and my desperate cries filled the room. “Please. I’m so close.”

  “Then come for me,” he demanded, his wolf flashing in his dark eyes. He sank a finger into my tight heat, and the touch along with the flick of his tongue over my clit sent me over the edge. My orgasm tore through me, my body going taut and my pussy clamping around his finger as waves of pleasure rolled over my body.

  “I’m already addicted to your taste, kitten.” He brushed his chin against my inner thigh after my body went limp, and goose bumps popped up at the scrape of his scruff against my soft skin. “Your pussy is so fucking delicious. All it took was one lick.”

  “Kitten?” I echoed softly, a little thrill racing through my body at the term of endearment.

  He lifted his head and smiled at me, his eyes full of male satisfaction. “What else would I call my fierce tigress when she purrs so prettily for me?”

  A heated blush swept up my chest, drawing his attention to my breasts. He kissed his way back up my body, pausing to suck each of my nipples into his mouth before settling between my hips. His hard length nudged at my entrance, and he stared down at me as he inched the tip inside me. With our gazes locked together, he gripped my hips and pulled me against him as he slammed into me, ripping through the proof of my innocence with one powerful thrust. I screamed, and my inner walls instantly clamped around him, but the pain didn’t last for long. It quickly turned to pleasure. When I gave my hips an experimental wiggle, he murmured, “Are you ready for more, kitten?”

  “I’m ready for everything,” I gasped, clenching my knees against his waist.

  My agreement seemed to rip his control to shreds. He pistoned into me over and over again, his hard length dragging against my inner walls. The sensual tension between us wound higher and tighter with each thrust of his hips. His fingers dug into my skin as he powered into me, throwing me over the edge again. But it didn’t sate my need for him. I begged him for more, my satisfied
cries bouncing against the walls.

  I felt him swell, stretching me as his cock pulsed. It felt as though he was branding me there the same way his teeth would when he marked my neck. My body went rigid as my pussy clamped down and strangled his cock. He pushed forward twice more before anchoring himself deep inside me as I splintered again and took him with me. Jet after jet of his hot come filled me to overflowing.

  When our rapid heartbeats started to slow, his body collapsed against mine. He buried his face in my neck and breathed deep. A deep growl rumbled up his chest, and he wrapped my hair around his fist. Gently tugging my head to the side, he had better access to scrape his teeth over my skin. “Are you ready to accept my mark, Trinity?”

  A shiver raced up my spine at the sensual promise in his deep voice. After all of the pleasure he’d just given me, I had a difficult time believing it could get any better. But that was exactly what was supposed to happen when he sank his teeth into me while I was full of his come. The sensations experienced by fated mates during the marking was said to be more intense than anything else we’d ever feel.

  Another growl rumbled up his chest as his wolf flashed in his eyes. My tiger responded in kind, her fur brushing the inside of my skin. She was beyond ready to accept his mark. For us to be claimed by Damon. “Yes.”

  He sank his teeth into my flesh, and it felt as though the planet stopped turning on its axis. Power surged between us, tearing my soul apart and putting it back together and leaving me feeling as though I was whole for the first time in my life. But that wasn’t enough for my tiger. My canines extended, and the pleasure I experienced grew even more powerful as I turned my head to sink them into Damon’s neck. Marking him as my mate so that no shifter could ever miss that he belonged to me. My bite triggered another orgasm for both of us, and it left me feeling completely wrung out as we collapsed against the mattress.

  “What happens now?” I’d been told many times about how the mating bond worked, but I never expected the overwhelming strength of the connection between us. We didn’t even know each other, but Damon was somehow the most important person in my life already. I didn’t regret my quick acceptance of our mating, but I didn’t know how we could possibly mesh our lives together when we were so different.

  “Go to sleep, kitten. The most important part has already been decided. You’re my mate. We’ll figure everything else out later.”

  6

  Trinity

  Waking up with Damon’s strong body wrapped around mine was surreal. My tiger was more relaxed than she’d ever been, thrilled to have her mate so close. I was sore in places I didn’t know were possible, but the pleasure I’d experienced more than made up for the aches this morning. He was asleep, but I still felt him through the bond between us. He was happy because he’d found me.

  My lips curved up in a satisfied smile, knowing that I’d erased the fear that had filled him before we met. I couldn’t quite catch what had caused it in the first place, but that didn’t really matter at the moment because the feeling was gone. He’d eventually share whatever it was with me since mates didn’t keep secrets from each other.

  I cuddled into his embrace, reveling in the feel of Damon’s arms circling me. Even in his sleep, he didn’t let me go far. Not that I tried to get away from him. Throughout the night, I had clung to my mate as much as he did me. I’d also woken him up with my mouth on his cock the same way he’d done with his tongue in my pussy. We’d gone to bed early, but we didn’t get much rest before the sun started streaming through his blinds. Most of the night had been spent giving each other orgasms.

  Damon stirred behind me, his arms tightening as he nuzzled his face against my neck. His lips brushed over my mating mark, sending a spark of desire directly to my womb. I pushed back against him, his hard length nestled against my butt. “Morning, kitten.”

  I tilted my head back to meet his gaze. “Good morning.”

  “Did you get enough rest?” His brow wrinkled as he scanned my face.

  I twisted in his hold until we were face-to-face. “You know very well that I didn’t get much sleep.”

  “I’m sorry, kitten. I should have been more careful with you.”

  I flashed him a mischievous smile. “I guess it’s a good thing that shifters don’t need a lot of sleep because I have a feeling that we’ll have plenty of nights like this.”

  “I hope so.” He returned my smile before lowering his head to claim my lips in a deep kiss. Our tongues tangled as we breathed in each other’s air. When my stomach let out a gurgling noise, he ended the kiss, and his hand drifted from my hip to cup my belly. “I guess I’ll have to wait to enjoy my new favorite meal since my gorgeous mate is hungry for food instead of orgasms.”

  “Sadly, I really do need some fuel before we do anything else today. Maybe we could go grab some breakfast and save the sex for later,” I proposed even though I was sorely tempted to suggest we postpone eating until after he’d given me another orgasm with his mouth. But my body needed food more than pleasure...at least for now.

  He slid my hand down his chest and wrapped my palm around his hard-on. “This will be waiting for you whenever you’re ready.”

  “Hmm.” I squeezed his hard length and was about to suggest we wait until later for breakfast when my stomach growled again.

  Damon shifted his hips backward, groaning when my hand stroked his cock as he pulled his shaft from my grip. “Save that thought for later, kitten. My cock isn’t going anywhere. It will always be hard for you.”

  “It better,” I grumbled as he tugged me out of bed and led me into the bathroom. I borrowed his toothpaste and used the extra toothbrush he hadn’t opened yet, along with a shirt that was several sizes too big for me. After tying a knot at my waist, I headed into the kitchen where Damon was waiting for me.

  As soon as he spotted me, he poured a second cup of coffee and asked, “How do you take it?”

  I perked up at the sight of caffeine. “If I can’t have a latte, I prefer mine with all the cream and sugar.”

  “Hopefully milk will do until I can get to the store for cream.” He grabbed a carton from the fridge after dumping half of my coffee back into the carafe to make room in my mug. Then he took a bag of sugar from the pantry and handed me a spoon.

  I laughed softly as I poured milk and spooned sugar into my mug. When he quirked a brow in question at me, I explained, “Sorry, but this is such a guy way to fix my coffee.”

  “I guess that makes sense since I’m definitely a guy.” He winked at me, and I giggled before taking a sip of my coffee.

  “Yeah, you more than proved how male you are last night.” I shivered at the memory. “And after we get back from breakfast, I’ll give you the chance to show me all over again.”

  “There’s a diner that has damn good omelets, biscuits and gravy, and corned beef hash,” he suggested.

  I’d been hoping for something a little more gourmet than a greasy spoon. “Darn it. I forgot that there’s nowhere around here to go for a decent breakfast or a latte.”

  “And now you sound very much like a big city woman,” he teased as he walked over to the fridge to pull out a carton of eggs, a package of bacon, and some vegetables.

  “I guess that’s because I’m definitely a woman, and I’ve lived my entire life in New York City, which is about as big as it gets,” I echoed his earlier comeback, swirling my finger around the rim of my mug as I considered the compromises Damon and I would need to make in order to spend our lives together.

  “What do you like in your omelets?”

  His question pulled me out of my thoughts. “Are you going to cook for me?”

  “Since I can’t take you to a fancy restaurant for breakfast without a long drive, I figured we might as well stay here instead of going out.” He set two pans on top of the stove and placed several slices of bacon in one of them.

  “Well, I’m glad you can cook since I’m horrible in the kitchen.” I got up and poured myself another cup of cof
fee before peeking over his shoulder to see what my options were. “But I love food, which is why I love working in restaurants.”

  “What do you do in them if you can’t cook?”

  Before I answered his question, I set aside a tomato, red pepper, and onion. “A veggie and cheese omelet would be wonderful.”

  Damon nudged me over to a chair at the kitchen table and peppered me with questions about my career as he made our breakfast. I explained how I’d gotten my start when a lion shifter my dad knew needed some help opening a restaurant in our neighborhood. Since I was bored, I had offered to pitch in. The opportunity had led to a career that I loved...and one I wasn’t sure I’d be able to continue now that I was mated to a wolf shifter in Timber Ridge.

  I was sipping my coffee and staring at Damon’s butt while he washed the dishes—which he’d insisted on doing even though I had offered to take care of them—when my sister’s ringtone sounded from my cell. I dragged my gaze from how perfectly his gray sweatpants cupped the rounded globes to press my finger against the green button to accept the call.

  “What’s this that I hear about you finding your fated mate in Timber Ridge? I wonder if you guys will fight like cats and dogs.” When I didn’t laugh along with her, she added, “Get it? Because you’re a tiger and he’s a wolf.”

  I lifted my index finger to let Damon know I needed a minute before walking out of the kitchen to head down the hallway toward the bedroom. I didn’t want him to overhear my discussion with my sister because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings over something as small as my concerns about adjusting to small-town living. “I’m not stupid, Tab. Your joke was just lame and ill-timed.”

  “What’s wrong?” Her tone became serious, without a hint of her earlier playfulness. “You’ve finally found your fated mate. All should be right with your world. You should be happy, not grouchy.”