by Lauren Dane
“Four. Mom called five. You called twice, Tracy once, Tegan once and Grace twice. Grandma just stopped by.”
“We worry.”
“I know. It’s very sweet. Until the third call. But you know, that’s the breaks. We called Tee this many times and Tracy too. Nina doesn’t answer the phone now with the baby and Gabby running riot but she got the calls and visits. It’s weird to not be up there all the time now.”
“It was time. The Enforcer’s job doesn’t have to be a full-time guard to the Alpha. Anyway, Hiro is so good at it and he can take Nina without even blushing. You need to keep yourself on the special diet and try not to be stressed.”
“I love you.” She reached out and squeezed Layla’s hand.
“I’m so glad we have each other. I was worried but he came through thank goodness.”
“He comes through every day. It’s like that first month didn’t even exist. Every once in a while, I look at him and try to imagine what it would be like if he’d never come to me.” She shrugged. “But I can’t. Because he’s been so solidly here ever since.”
“Sometimes you try to fight what’s fated but hell, you can’t fight fate, cookie.”
“Who wants to when fate drops tall, dark and handsome into your lap?”
“Yes, those Rosario genes are pretty impressive.”
“Hey you two!”
They turned to see Nina come up the walk, wearing the sling.
She kissed each of them and sat, patting the bundle slowly. “He’s been sort of cranky. I thought a walk would help. And you might as well come up here and go play with Sid and Shane, I know you’re there.”
Lex came out of the tree line with a sigh. “Well, next time don’t try to duck out when I’m putting Gabby down.” He stopped to send Megan a narrow-eyed look. “You all right? Shane said your blood pressure was up. I heard you weeded!”
“She sat while Gabby and I weeded. She held Mr. Man here and he never cried once. Hmpf. You think I’d make your sister weed when she’s been sick?”
Lex’s manner softened as he brushed a hand down Nina’s jawline. “All these years and it still gets me hot when you snap at me.”
Nina actually blushed. “Go on then. We got girl talking to do.”
“Fate is pretty awesome.” Megan looked around at them, her sisters, her friends, at her deck in her yard. Awesome indeed. Hard fought, but worth every moment of struggle.
* * * * *
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much to the entire Carina Press team! Art, editorial and marketing/promotion—you’re all fantastic. I appreciate how much you do for me and my books.
Angela James—Thank you for everything.
Also available from Lauren Dane
and Carina Press
Second Chances
Believe
Goddess with a Blade series
Goddess with a Blade
Blade to the Keep
Blade on the Hunt
At Blade’s Edge
Diablo Lake series
Diablo Lake: Moonstruck
Diablo Lake: Protected
Cascadia Wolves series
Reluctant Mate
Pack Enforcer
Wolves’ Triad
Wolf Unbound
Alpha’s Challenge
Bonded Pair
Cherchez Wolf Pack series
Wolf’s Ascension
Sworn to the Wolf
From Lauren Dane
and HQN Books
The Best Kind of Trouble
Broken Open
Back to You
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and Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin
Cake
Coming soon from Lauren Dane and HQN Books
Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled
Whiskey Sharp: Jagged
Whiskey Sharp: Torn
Also watch for the next book in the Goddess with a Blade series, coming soon from Carina Press!
About the Author
The story goes like this: While on pregnancy bed rest, Lauren Dane had plenty of downtime, so her husband took her comments about “giving that writing thing a serious go” to heart and brought home a secondhand laptop. She wrote her first book on it before it gave up the ghost. Even better, she sold that book and never looked back.
Today Lauren is an award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over sixty novels and novellas across several genres.
Find out more about Lauren’s books at www.laurendane.com.
Twitter.com/LaurenDane
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Craving more sexy stories from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Dane? Don’t miss these paranormal romances!
The Diablo Lake series
In Diablo Lake, Tennessee, a town populated by werewolves, witches and more, magic woven deep into the earth protects the town’s secrets from outsiders.
DIABLO LAKE: MOONSTRUCK (Diablo Lake, book one)
DIABLO LAKE: PROTECTED (Diablo Lake, book two)
The Cherchez Wolf Pack series
Follow the Cherchez werewolf pack in Washington’s North Cascades National Park as everything in their world changes.
WOLF’S ASCENSION (Cherchez Wolf Pack, book one)
SWORN TO THE WOLF (Cherchez Wolf Pack, book two)
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—Fresh Fiction
The Cascadia Wolves series
Join the Warden siblings as they find their mates.
PACK ENFORCER (Cascadia Wolves, book one)
RELUCTANT MATE (Cascadia Wolves, book two)
WOLVES’ TRIAD (Cascadia Wolves, book three)
WOLF UNBOUND (Cascadia Wolves, book four)
ALPHA’S CHALLENGE (Cascadia Wolves, book five)
BONDED PAIR (Cascadia Wolves, book six)
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ISBN-13: 9781488028502
Bonded Pair
Copyright © 2017 by Lauren Dane
This is the revised text of the work Fated first published by Samhain Publishing in 2008
This edition published by Carina Press, 2017
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