Impulsive Destiny

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Strong-willed, then,” he amended with a grin. “Anyway, before you start thinking about killing the messenger, I want to remind you that coming here to talk to you was not my idea.”

  “Cam sent you?” she asked, trying not to sound excited by that prospect.

  Jase shook his head. “Cam decided to give you what you’ve been asking for all this time. He’s not planning to come near you again.”

  The finality of those words hurt more than Claire would have ever believed they could, even knowing she had no right to that pain after all she’d done to push Cam away. “Then why do you want to talk to me?” she asked angrily since she usually lashed out at people to hide her pain.

  Jase studied her in silence for a moment before responding. “So, that’s how it is?”

  “How what is, Jase?” she shot back.

  “You really do love my brother. I figured you did, but I’m not an expert at love. Shifters do things kind of differently, so we don’t get caught up in romance,” Jase explained. “I mean, I already knew my brother loved you, but I wasn’t convinced you returned the sentiment until now.”

  “This isn’t about love,” she argued. “Cam made it clear that this is about his instincts telling him I’m the right woman for him.” Of course, she was lying. Cam had told her he loved her. She’d just been too stupid to tell him she loved him back.

  “Instinct is part of it,” Jase agreed. “In fact, that’s the part that should give you the most comfort if you love him. Love can change, but the bond between mates can’t. Cam would be devoted to you for the rest of your days. In fact, he left because of his devotion to your happiness.”

  Claire really wanted to fight Jase on this—not because she didn’t believe him, but because she didn’t know how to give in.

  “I can see I’m not getting through to you,” Jase said with a sigh. “Cam came back to us looking like he’d lost everything.”

  “I never meant to hurt him,” Claire insisted.

  “I believe you,” Jase responded after a moment. “If it helps, I don’t think Cam believes you wanted to hurt him either. This is one of the big reasons our father doesn’t like intermingling with other species. It’s too hard for others to understand our needs.”

  “So, it’s probably best if I stay away from Cam.” Claire couldn’t hide the sadness in her voice.

  Jase shook his head. “No, it’s a stupid idea to stay away from Cam, but you’re running out of time.”

  “What do you mean?” Claire demanded.

  “Zane was supposed to go to one of our females during her heat cycle,” Jase began, sounding uncomfortable.

  Claire just nodded and waited for him to continue. She’d already heard that Zane had a mate, and she was not a shifter.

  “My father needs to prove that at least one of his sons is carrying on the line. There’s been some tension lately,” Jase explained, and Claire had a sinking suspicion she wasn’t going to like where this was going.

  “Just tell me,” she huffed in exasperation.

  “Cam agreed to take Zane’s place,” Jase continued quietly. “He figures that, if you aren’t going to be with him, he can at least help the clan.”

  Swallowing back her pain, Claire nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Really?” Jase asked with one raised eyebrow.

  “No!” Claire shouted, angry more than hurt. She wasn’t angry about what Cam was doing to her. She’d turned him down more than once, and had no right to expect him to remain faithful to her. What pissed her off was the fact that Cam was going to hurt himself by doing this. “That stupid lynx! He’s avoided this all these years because he’s afraid of his children having a mother like his. Now, he’s just going to give in, all because he’s mooning over me like some idiot. Oh, hell no! This is not going to happen.”

  Jase actually laughed at her rant. “What are you going to do about it?”

  Claire opened her mouth to answer, but had no idea what she was going to do. It’s not like she could leave to go after Cam at the moment. Connor would have her ass. “Can you give him a message from me?” she asked.

  “No,” was Jase’s simple reply. “The words have to come from you.”

  “But I can’t get away from here yet,” she argued. “Fuck it. I’ll figure this out. I’ll do my best to make it out there tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be until at least the day after that. Will that be enough time?”

  Jase shrugged. “I have no clue. My father didn’t tell me when the female will be in heat.”

  “Will your father let this happen?” she asked. “Before you answer, I’m going after him no matter what you say.”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Jase admitted. “There’s this part of me that thinks my father wouldn’t let it happen even if you don’t show up. He did send me here to get you, so I have to assume he doesn’t want Cam to go through with this. Then, I think about the lengths he’s gone to over the years to keep us all safe, and I’m not convinced he wouldn’t sacrifice Cam’s happiness for the safety of the clan.”

  “This is really important to the safety of your people, isn’t it?” Claire asked, as an idea came to her, one that just might solve several problems.

  Jase shrugged. “My father’s authority wasn’t challenged for well over a century. Now, the clan has begun to suspect he won’t produce more children. They’ve also begun to question why none of his sons have children. His brothers all stayed behind in Canada, so people are wondering if our line will die out. If one of us produces an heir, it will ease the concerns of the clan. It was always assumed I’d be the one to do that, as the oldest. Then I met my mate. She’s not near her first heat cycle yet, so it would be completely inappropriate for me to claim her. Theoretically, Zane finding a mate may be enough, but there still may be issues with their children not being shifters, and I’m not sure if Zane can convince her to have children right away. I’ve noticed that vampires and humans like to wait longer.”

  Claire’s mind was whirling with all this new information. Their world was much different than her own. “Cam really wants children,” she murmured.

  “He wants you more,” Jase assured her.

  “I know,” she practically snapped. “I’m just thinking out loud. I’ll do whatever I can to get to Cam tomorrow, but I can’t make any promises. Things are much too unsettled here, and Connor may not let me leave.”

  Jase nodded. “I guess that’s the best I can ask for.”

  “I also may have a solution to your problem, but I need to talk to Connor about it first.”

  “Okay,” Jase reluctantly agreed.

  “Please, take care of him, Jase, and don’t let him do anything stupid.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Jase promised her before he took off, leaving Claire nervous and oddly at peace at the same time. The realization that she was going to accept Cam as her mate should frighten her. She’d always expected it to scare the hell out of her. Instead, it felt right.

  She just hoped she wasn’t too late.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Lexi found Danny and Quinn waiting for them when they got home. She hadn’t seen Danny since the day she’d left the hospital. Quinn had been at the training center until Layla and Raven had come to take over.

  “Looks like my replacement is here,” Layla remarked. Raven had only walked part way back with them, claiming she needed to check on the wolf cubs.

  “Hey, Pixie,” another man called out as he emerged from the shadows by the house.

  “Ugh!” Layla groaned. “Don’t call me that, Simon, or I won’t bake anymore cookies for you.”

  Lexi studied the newcomer for a moment. He was handsome in an almost pretty way, with deep blue eyes, golden hair that brushed his shoulders, and full sensual lips. Lexi imagined most women, and men, stared longingly at him. That sort of man had never done much for her.

  “Have you met Lexi yet, Si?” Danny asked, sounding somewhat distracted. Lexi was keeping her distance from Danny beca
use the tension radiating off of him was almost stifling. This ability to feel people’s emotions more often sucked monkey balls.

  Simon shook his head and studied her as he took a step forward. “No, but I’ve heard all about our visitor from the past. I’m Simon.” He gave her a warm smile. “How are you holding up being stuck here with Zane? I might go crazy if I had him climbing all over me all the time.”

  Rather than taking offense, Zane just grinned. “Careful, vampire, or I’ll tell the little kit you’re being mean to me and hurting my feelings.”

  Layla snorted. “Sorry, but I’m not going to buy that. Based on everything I’ve seen, I’m not sure it’s possible for anyone to hurt your feelings.”

  Zane glided over to Quinn and Danny, moving between them to wrap an arm around each before letting out a contented sigh. “How come I’ve been here days and haven’t seen your mate before today, Quinn?”

  Quinn shrugged and glared at Danny. Danny looked at Lexi for a moment before letting out a sigh and responding. “Things have been really hectic, and I’ve been on patrol a lot more lately. One of my friends was also injured.”

  “Who?” Zane demanded.

  “Mark,” Danny replied.

  Quinn snorted. “Why not tell him the real reason you’ve been avoiding Zane and trying to convince me to do the same?”

  Lexi saw the flush staining Danny’s cheeks and decided she should just end this. They were fighting because of her presence, and she didn’t like that.

  “Danny’s not comfortable with Quinn being around me while she’s pregnant,” Lexi answered for Danny. She figured they weren’t saying it because no one wanted to hurt her feelings, even if they didn’t trust her. She’d developed a pretty thick skin over the years, and in this case, she could even understand Danny’s reluctance to have her around Quinn. The tension when she’d arrived likely had to do with the fact that Quinn had come over to visit them earlier.

  “When you say it like that, it makes me feel like an asshole,” Danny muttered.

  “You are,” Zane told him before shoving away from Danny with enough force to throw Danny off balance. Then he walked back to Lexi’s side.

  “It’s not a big deal,” Lexi assured Danny. “Not to sound rude, but this is the second stop to chat we’ve had on the way back here, and I want to jump in a shower and then get something to eat.”

  “I’ll be in soon,” Zane said, reaching over to stroke her cheek gently.

  “Okay,” she relented, even though she wanted to insist that Zane join her rather than fighting with Danny. Something told her he would just be moody if he didn’t get this out of his system, so she left him to work it out, and tried hard to block out the sound of raised voices outside the house. Zane was pissed at his friend for making her feel like an outsider, but that’s exactly what she was. Her being here seemed somehow unnatural. What would have happened to her had she not been pulled the day before the world as she knew it had ended? Was she even supposed to be alive?

  Her mind continued on this path as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the shower. If she’d stayed in her time, would she have become a vampire? Or, did her being part Fae make that impossible?

  Then she began to wonder about her mom. What had happened to her mom? She’d been dying, and Lexi had just disappeared one day, having been yanked through time. Had her poor mother died alone, wondering what had happened to her?

  “Why are you crying?” Zane asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She hadn’t even heard him enter the bathroom, and there he was in the shower with her, exactly where she needed him.

  “I was just thinking about my mom,” she replied, trying not to sob like a baby. “She was dying, and I was supposed to meet her the night I ended up here. I can’t even imagine how scared she must have been when she couldn’t find me. There was no one there to protect her. Do you think she became one of those feral turned vampires? Is it wrong that I hope it was that rather than her being a victim of one of those things?” She had no clue what caused some of their hearts to continue beating like the vampires she’d met here, but her mother had been so weak; it seemed unlikely she’d have survived.

  Zane held her tighter and kissed the top of her head as the warm water cascaded around their bodies. “Sometimes, I forget how much you’re going through because you’re just so strong. I don’t know anyone who could hold things together like you are.”

  “What choice do I have?” she asked. “Bad shit has happened in my life, but my choices are to either fall apart or keep fighting.”

  “You’re amazing,” Zane murmured as he turned her to face him before brushing his lips against hers.

  Lexi moaned as Zane rained feather-light kisses along her jaw. Then he nipped her throat, sending pain and pleasure shooting straight to her core. Lexi’s body suddenly ached for Zane’s touch.

  “Please, Zane,” she pleaded. “I want you.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, a hand on each cheek to keep her eyes focused on his.

  She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her lips. It sounded funny as it merged with the remnants of her sobs. “In case you haven’t noticed, I seem to be insatiable when it comes to you.”

  “One of your best qualities,” he murmured against her lips. “I need to touch and be touched. The fact that you welcome my touch makes you even more perfect for me.”

  “I’m only like this with you,” she admitted shyly, loving the sexy growl that came from the back of Zane’s throat.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard, you won’t remember why you’re upset,” Zane promised as he effortlessly lifted her off the ground, obviously determined to prove there was enough room for sex in the shower.

  Her legs immediately wrapped around Zane’s hips as her hands gripped his shoulders. The raw power and strength Zane possessed was such a turn on that she was practically whimpering from the need to feel him buried deep inside of her.

  “Reach down and position my dick, angel,” he ordered, keeping his eyes locked with hers. His gaze was so hot it practically burned her.

  Lexi reached down and positioned him at her entrance, and he used his hold on her ass to move her down his pulsing erection.

  “Oh, Zane,” she moaned, closing her eyes and letting her head drop back.

  Zane’s only response was a growl as he continued to move her against his body.

  She’d never had sex standing up before. In fact, she’d always figured it wouldn’t work too well, but with Zane’s strength, he was easily able to support her weight as he controlled her pleasure. Zane knew just when she needed him playful during sex, and just when she needed him dominant. Now, she needed Zane to take control and take her mind off of the many things she couldn’t change.

  All she heard were the sounds of flesh meeting flesh, her needy whimpers, and Zane’s low rumbling groans. Her desire escalated, and she began to desperately struggle to get more pressure with her clit.

  “Touch yourself for me,” Zane ordered, and when her eyes snapped open, she found him watching her with an intensity that sent white hot lust straight to her core. “Let me see those fingers of yours stroke your hot pussy while I fuck you.”

  His words were enough to make her moan. She’d never realized before Zane how much she enjoyed having someone talk dirty to her. Or, it might be having Zane talk dirty to her that she loved.

  Lexi slipped her hand between her legs and stared at Zane while he watched her fingers. His eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared. All the while, he continued to move her up and down on his dick.

  “You like that?” she asked, as her fingers skimmed over her sensitive nub. She was still on the verge of orgasm, and the raw need in Zane’s eyes nearly sent her over the edge.

  “You look so incredible touching yourself,” he said in a strained voice. “I want to lay you down on the bed and watch you pleasure yourself over and over again. Would you do that for me? Would you let me watch you touch yourself until I can’t wait another se
cond to be inside of you? After that, I’d have to run my tongue across every inch of flesh your fingers had touched until you begged me to fuck you.”

  Now, it was Lexi’s turn to moan. The image he’d painted in her mind made her achy, and all she could do was lick her lips and nod.

  Lexi’s fingers moved faster against her clit, as she came even closer to orgasm.

  “Let me taste them,” Zane pleaded as he rolled his hips against her.

  Lexi brought her fingers up to Zane’s mouth, and his tongue darted out, licking them like a cat before sucking two of her fingers into his mouth and groaning.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he murmured. “Show me where you want my tongue, because after we’re done in here, I’m going to lick every spot you touch until you scream.”

  Lexi brought her shaky hand back down between her legs and stroked herself as she imagined his tongue on her. His thrusts became more urgent, and his dick got even bigger, hitting just the right spot to make her whimper with pleasure.

  “That’s it, angel,” he urged desperately. “Come for me. Let me feel your beautiful body pulse around my cock.”

  Unable to hold back any longer, Lexi screamed as her body spasmed around Zane’s. She heard him call out her name as he found his own release. Zane carefully set her back on her feet and leaned forward to kiss her gently. The water was starting to get cold, but Zane’s touch was doing a fine job of keeping her warm.

  “Finish washing up so I can take you into the bedroom and follow through with my promise to go down on you until you scream. Then, I’m going to fuck you until your legs are so weak you can’t walk.”

  After her intense orgasm, Lexi was shocked to realize how much she already needed Zane again. Maybe time travel had turned her into a nympho.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “What’s up with Mark?” Ian asked as he approached Connor. He’d stopped by the human’s house to see how he was recovering from his attack, but Mark had refused to answer the door. He’d told Ian to go away, something that was very unusual for Mark. Ian had done his best to avoid getting attached to Mark or Danny when they’d first arrived, but both had refused to leave him alone, insisting they were going to be friends. In truth, he suspected they were just being irritating because he was so anti-social, but the end result had been the same. “The annoying human won’t even talk to me. I stopped by there yesterday after I updated you on what was happening, and he said he was wiped out. At least he answered the door then. Today, when I stopped by, he wouldn’t even open the door for me.”