Destined For Her

by Laura Fang

  Fifteen minutes later, we had a seat at a little Mexican place, waiting for our Mexican beers and one dollar tacos to be served. “It sounded like you really needed to talk about something,” said Cecelia. “Is everything okay?”

  I shook my head, staring morosely at the table for a moment. Then I looked up into those blue eyes and felt like everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn’t at the moment. “So, Leo Trussom, the guy who did the interview of you, has been made my editor,” I said.

  “Oh! Good for him,” said Cecelia, hastily revising her answer when she saw my face. “No, not good for him. Not good at all.”

  “How do I start this,” I said, rubbing my temple. “Okay, so Leo has never liked me from the beginning. He’s always been a little cold and unhelpful. He’s competent and reasonably professional, but for whatever reason, he’s always disliked me. I never knew why, but it didn’t matter, because the previous editor, Shawna, was awesome. She really wanted to help me succeed by giving me good assignments and generally helping me out. She had to leave, though, so they gave Leo the promotion.”

  “I think I see what the problem is,” said Cecelia, sipping her beer.

  “Right. So Leo called me in this morning and you know what he did? He asked me out.”

  “What?” Cecelia’s eyes widened.

  “That’s exactly what I said. He told me that he knew I was gay but he wanted to date me because he thought I was cute, and he basically promised to make things difficult for me if I didn’t agree. He said I could make an exception for her. Obviously, I can’t. So I’m screwed.”

  “That is insane,” said Cecelia, shaking her head. “So can you go to your boss or HR or someone?”

  “I can’t,” I said. “There’s no HR department because it’s a small publication, and the boss is very close with Leo. And what would I even say? It’s such an absurd problem.”

  “It sounds like the best thing might be to try to move on,” said Cecelia.

  “I know. But I love the paper. I love the assignments they give me, and I love the idea of climbing the ladder there. It’s a great job at a great company, or at least it was when Shawna was working there. Now that Leo is my boss, the whole culture might change.”

  “You’ll figure something out,” said Cecelia. “I mean, you could help with my company if you wanted. If shit hits the fan, at least you’ll have something.”

  “Really?” I perked up.

  “I mean, I can’t offer you full time work. But like I said, it’s something. You wouldn’t be totally dependent on the whims of Leo.”

  “What kind of work would it be?” I was intrigued.

  “Basic PR stuff. I need someone to write and pitch press releases. With your experience, you’d be a perfect fit.”

  “Hmm,” I said. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, but then, I wasn’t in a position where I had a lot of choice. Really, I was grateful to Cecelia for even offering a solution.

  “There’s other tasks I need done as well. I need someone to help maintain the website. We had a guy, but he had to quit so the developers have been chipping in. But they can’t do it all on their own.”

  “Well, I’ll think about it. It all happened today so I’m still reeling, you know,” I replied.

  “Sure. Take your time.”

  I felt so relieved now that I had gotten this off my chest. It was kind of Cecelia to offer me the freelance work. At least I didn’t feel so helpless anymore. It was nice to know I had options. I would have to search for other work as well, or find another full time job, but Cecelia’s offer would be enough to get me started. Between that and some other gigs, I could put in my two weeks at the paper and leave Leo behind forever.

  Now that I had gotten myself out of my head, I noticed that Cecelia didn’t look happy either. She had a cheerful face on, but she lacked the energy and confidence she normally had, like she was preoccupied. I didn’t want to pry, but I did want her to know that she could confide in me. I was happy to return the favor.

  “So, what’s up in your life?” I asked.

  “Umm,” she said, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll lay it all out… I received a letter from my ex-fiancée.”

  “You have an ex-fiancée?” It was my turn to be in shock.

  “Yeah. She was an omega too, and her name was Fiona. It didn’t feel right between us, so I broke off the engagement and she um, she became unhinged. I cut off contact with her and even changed my phone number, though she threatened me for a while after that. She threatened my family and friends too, anyone she was jealous of. For two years, I thought I’d heard the last of her. I had been lulled into a false sense of security. But I got another letter today.”

  “That’s horrible!” I cried, amazed that we could both be having such a hard time. “Did you go to the police?”

  “I think I’m going to wait and see if she pulls something else. I am an alpha, after all. I’m strong and I can defend myself. The police might be useful for legal protection, but if it comes down to it, I’m ready to take her on.” She looked away, frowning.

  “Well, if there’s any way I can help…”

  She looked back at me and smiled, but it was a strained expression. “I appreciate it, Tess. There’s nothing to be done right now, though. And if something happens, I’m sure I can handle it.”

  I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t want to push her further. I knew that emotionally unstable people could be dangerous. My mother had been like that. I could never tell when she had a kind gesture or a spanking in store for me. She had been unpredictable and physically abusive—a horrible combination, and the obvious reason why I had such a hard time trusting people. I believed Cecelia when she said she could handle herself, but I couldn’t help but worry.

  In any case, it wasn’t my place to push her. This was only our second date, after all. I started to understand what it meant, when people said that shifters moved fast. I felt like we had been dating for months already. Maybe the whole fated mates thing was right.

  The food was good and the beers we drank helped us relax and loosen up a little. I found myself hoping that she’d invite me back again. I was feeling more emotionally connected after we had both shared our unusual problems, and it was making me aroused. This time, I wasn’t going to turn her down.

  It turned out that she was on the same page. “You want to hang out at my place?”

  “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  I knew we were on the same wavelength when we both made our best efforts to rush out of the restaurant. I snatched the bill up this time. I probably didn’t make half as much as she did, but I wasn’t going to let her pay for everything. She gazed at me indulgently, giving me a wry smile. And then we were gone.

  On the walk over, I had to avoid being all over her. For all I knew, she’d be flattered, but I didn’t want to seem undignified. It was surprising that a switch had flipped in me just like that. I was hornier than I’d ever been around her now, with all nervousness and apprehension wiped from my mind. Even though it was a short walk, I found myself impatiently imagining what our encounter would be like, which only made me more aroused.

  As soon as we stepped into her living room, we were all over each other. The alcohol had made me feel warm and outgoing and I felt myself wanting to be connected to her, physically and emotionally. I pressed myself up against her and starting making out with her, taking the initiative this time, but she took the lead soon after, holding me tightly to her and plunging her tongue into my mouth.

  I still wasn’t sure I wanted to have sex with her. I felt good about doing this with her, but I wasn’t ready for sex. I knew other alphas could be pushy, so I hoped that she would respect my boundaries. She seemed like a nice person, but you could never be too sure. Lust did weird things to people. Weird and scary things.

  She started to take my shirt and bra off so I did the same, running my hands across her skin, which was hot. Shifters ran warmer than humans did f
or whatever reason. Her hands crept down and squeezed my buttocks, so I slipped my hand into her pants and found her sex.

  I started unbuttoning her pants as she moved her mouth to my neck and shoulders, nibbling and sucking on the delicate skin there. Soon enough, I had her pants down. And then I knelt and went to town.

  Eventually, after he’d reciprocated, I came back down to earth, breathing deeply. She stroked my hair gently, making me shiver.

  “I take it that was good?”

  “Really fucking good,” I said, looking up at her. She gave me an affectionate kiss on the lips.

  After a few moments of waiting for the last of the orgasmic feelings to wash over me, I sat up straight. “Thanks for not being pushy,” I said shyly.

  “Of course,” she replied. “Why would I be pushy?”

  “A lot of alphas are. They think just because they go home with you, you owe them sex.”

  She twisted her mouth into a frown. “I’m an alpha, and a true alpha respects and cares for her omega. I’d never dream of pushing you and making you uncomfortable.”

  “It’s hard to believe alphas like you exist,” I said.

  “It’s sad that it’s hard to believe.”

  I shrugged. “Just the way it is. Anyway, I’m lucky I found you.”

  She picked me up and started walking up the stairs towards her bedroom. I was starting to feel drowsy and I thought that maybe this time, I’d feel comfortable sleeping over. When she laid me on her bed and removed my pants and threw her blanket over me, I knew I was done. There was no way I was going to leave this cozy room.

  She took a moment to brush her teeth and then came to bed, curling up beside me and holding me close to her. I felt better than I had in a long time. I was starting to learn that I didn’t have anything to fear from Cecelia.

  It was making me question everything I had ever learned, especially about how relationships worked. I hadn’t had the best example from my parents. Even the other couples in my pack seemed unhappy. Thanks to Cecelia, I was learning that it might be possible to be in a happy relationship. They weren’t mythical things.

  “Goodnight, Tess,” said Cecelia sleepily.

  “Goodnight,” I said.

  I slept peacefully in my alpha’s arms, dreaming of the future.

  6

  Cecelia

  It sounded cheesy, but Tess made me so happy. I really felt at peace when I was with her. Maybe it was because I finally had my real omega to protect and care for, or maybe I had forgotten how good being paired up could feel. And the best part was that even through Tess’ tough exterior, I could tell she was learning to trust me.

  I wouldn’t see her for a while, though. This week, I was heading to a conference. It was for mobile developers, so I was going to be showing off the Solace app. It had gained a lot of positive regard in the past year, so I knew I’d be able to make even more of a splash here. I was feeling pumped.

  As a bonus, it was at a beachside town on the West Coast, so I’d be able to travel somewhere new and enjoy some leisure time for myself. It seemed like everything was going great in my life thus far. I couldn’t believe that a few weeks ago, I had been lamenting how lonely I was. I wasn’t alone anymore.

  Thankfully, I hadn’t heard anything else from Fiona. I was still extremely wary, and I was a little scared for Tess. I kept debating between telling her about the threat mentioned in the letter and keeping it quiet. I didn’t want to scare her unnecessarily, and I had already mentioned that Fiona was active, after all.

  In the end, I decided against it. If I heard about anything bad happening to Tess, I’d be on the first flight back home. But I couldn’t put everything on hold just because of that letter—it would mean that I was letting my ex control my life again.

  The drive to the airport couldn’t have gone fast enough. But finally, after a short flight, I was touching down on the other side of the country. I was having a hard time not thinking of this as a vacation, so it was all the more difficult that I didn’t have Tess with me. Walking together on the beach seemed like the consummate romantic activity.

  The conference was stimulating enough, and my app did garner a lot of positive attention. But the whole time I was thinking about Tess. Even if I saw something small that reminded me of her, I had to fight the urge to text her. I didn’t want her to think I was clingy. But I was so overcome with the desire to talk to her and see her face that it was hard.

  On the third and final night of the conference, I got a call from Tess. Seeing her name on my phone buoyed my spirits. She must have missed me, I thought. I picked up immediately, eager to talk to her. I wanted to tell her all about how well Solace was doing and how much I wanted her to be here on the beach with me.

  “Hey,” said Tess. “How’s the conference?”

  “It’s great!” I said, instinctively gushing with enthusiasm. But her tone of voice made me alert. There was something wrong. She wasn’t calling only to say hi. “What’s new with you? Is there anything wrong?”

  “Um, so last night, I saw someone skulking around in front of my house, around my mailbox. I went outside and they had disappeared, but the scent of wolf was in the air.”

  Fuck, I thought. It wasn’t Fiona, was it? But then, who else could it have been? If she had hurt Tess, I didn’t even want to think of what I’d do to her.

  “The next morning, this morning, I mean, I went to check my mail and there was a letter in an envelope. It said that I needed to back off. It was really threatening. I got freaked out, obviously, but I wasn’t sure whether or not I should call the police. I mean, I know you didn’t, when you got your threatening letter from Fiona.”

  “Fuck,” I said again. “This is bad. I’m getting on the first flight home tomorrow morning. Do you have a friend you can stay with tonight?”

  “Whoa, whoa,” said Tess. “I was going to call the police. I mean, she said to back off. She isn’t going to do anything unless I don’t back off.”

  “No!” I cried, my voice raised in anger and fear. “You don’t know Fiona, or what she’s capable of. She is not going to behave predictably like that.”

  “I’ll be okay,” Tess said. “I’m a wolf too. I just wanted to call and let you know. I can take care of myself.”

  I was so torn, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t force her to do anything. I could only hope that she’d be okay. “Be safe, Tess,” I said.

  “I will. Goodnight, Cecelia.”

  When she hung up, I thought it over. I had been at the conference for three days already; I could return home early. I had done all I needed to do here and I had accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish. I immediately got out my laptop to look for return tickets and managed to swap mine. Feeling somewhat relieved, I got into bed. It was going to be an early flight.

  But I had trouble sleeping. I only got a few hours in before I had to get up again, rushing to the airport in the early hours of the morning. The sun was creeping over the horizon, lighting everything up in shades of honeyed gold. I couldn’t appreciate it, though. I would feel so much better when I was with Tess again, or at least, when I heard from her.

  I could not believe, still, that Fiona had had the nerve to threaten Tess, a complete stranger. What she was doing was massively fucked up, but then, she hadn’t known some of my family and friends either, when she had threatened them. She was messing with poor Tess, who already had trouble trusting people. I sincerely hoped that this wouldn’t make her want to break things off with me, but if it did, I couldn’t blame her. I felt horrible about the whole situation.

  As I sat on the plane, helplessly waiting as it glided across the Midwest, I cursed myself—not for the first time—for choosing Fiona in the first place. I had had those instincts all throughout the relationship, always ignoring them because I thought it was just what you were supposed to do. If only I had trusted myself.

  Apparently I had dozed off, because when I awoke, we were fifteen minutes away from the airport. I was a
lert now and I zoomed home, jittering my leg in the cab as the driver wove through rush hour traffic to my house.

  I wasn’t due back at the office for a couple more days so I didn’t have to worry about that, at least, though Sally would see my new flight details and wonder what was up. But that could wait. The first thing I did was text Tess to make sure she was okay. She ended up calling me back.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  “I’m fine. How’s the conference?”

  “I ended up coming back early,” I said, suddenly feeling sheepish. Had it really been necessary? Or had my protective instincts overtaken me?

  “That’s nice of you,” said Tess. “I promise though, I’ll be fine.”

  “That’s probably true,” I admitted, “but I’d feel a lot better if you were staying with me.”

  There was a pause while she digested the idea. “Staying with you?”

  “Yeah. I have a guest room where you can keep some stuff and do your work. Or you can sleep there if you like.” I didn’t want to sound too pushy, so I gave her the option.

  I knew Tess was having a hard time grappling with this idea. She was so bent on being independent that it would be hard for her to accept that she could do with my protection. On the other hand, she was concerned enough that she was genuinely considering the idea. My heart sank as I realized it was my fault for dragging her into this. A wave of frustration passed over me for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “It’s okay,” she said finally. “I’ll be fine at my place.”

  “Okay,” I said. “But please, don’t hesitate to call me if anything happens. Even if you feel the least bit worried.”

  “I promise I will,” said Tess. “We can hang out today if you like?”

  “I’d like that.”

  We made plans for dinner again. Even though I knew she was safe in her office, I felt like I wouldn’t be happy until I knew she was with me, in my sight. Maybe this was what it was like to truly care about someone. I hadn’t felt this way about Fiona—but then, I had repressed all the positive memories of our relationship in light of her horrible behavior.