Forever Fated Mates: A Shifter Romance Collection

by Meg Ripley

  “Okay, then.” I grinned, genuinely happy. “I did have a great time,” I repeated.

  “I’m glad.”

  He hugged me and waved as I got into my car and drove off.

  8

  River

  When I got home that night, I was exhausted from the hike. I got plenty of regular exercise, but I was looking forward to a long bath and a good book in bed.

  I gathered my things and brought them into the bathroom. As I turned on the hot water to fill the tub, there was a knock at my door. Luckily, I was still fully dressed, so I headed to the front door, on guard. Before I opened the door, I peeked through the hole.

  And there stood Levi.

  The rage was instant in my chest. How dare he show up here? I should just call the cops. But the thing was, somehow, even though I’d been free of him for about a year, he still had some control over me. I was too afraid to make the call. If the cops came and arrested him, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him in jail. He’d be back out eventually, and where would he go? Right back to me. And maybe that time, he would be successful. Maybe he’d actually kill me.

  Unless things got dire, I wouldn’t make that call. I hated to admit it and felt ashamed. As long as he stays outside, then it’ll be fine. He can’t hurt me from out there.

  “River! I know you’re in there!” he called out.

  “Go away, Levi.”

  “Why are you doing this to us, baby? Come on, let me in so we can talk.”

  “No way. You remember the restraining order, do you not?” Maybe mentioning it would have some sort of effect.

  “It’s so cute when you try to play Miss Independent. I know how much you need me.”

  My insides were boiling and I couldn’t unclench my hands. “I do not need you. That’s why I broke up with you. Just go home.”

  “I am home. My home is wherever you are. Come on, sunshine; I just want to talk to you. You owe me that much.”

  “I don’t owe you anything,” I spat. “Do you want me to call the cops?”

  “I know you’d never do that to me, baby. You love me too much.”

  That alone made me want to vomit. I took a step toward the bathroom, but stopped. “What is it you want this time, anyway? Just tell me so I can get on with my night.”

  “Oh yeah? Who have you got in there? That bear shifter? I saw you the whole night, you know. Laughing with him, playing games with him. It was so freaking cute, let me tell you. I nearly ripped that guy’s head off for touching my girl.”

  Anger rumbled low in my chest as my irises began to shift into their golden avian hue. “I am not your girl and I don’t belong to anyone. Especially you.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” He blew out a sigh. “I just miss you so much. I need you back; I’m not myself without you. I can’t sleep, I barely eat, and when I do, it’s just junk. It’s been so hard for me, being in your clan, seeing and hearing you, but not being allowed to talk to you because you think I would hurt you for some reason. You know I would never hurt you, baby.”

  It’s like he forgets all the times he did. The tips of my toes stung as my razor-sharp talons began to extend through my flesh. What an asshole!

  “I love you more than anything in the world; you know that. I can’t take seeing you with someone else; it’s ripping my heart out every minute, River. I can’t stand it, it’s too painful. I can’t live without you.”

  He even managed to waver his voice to sound like he was crying. But he wasn’t. I knew better than to fall for that.

  “Please, just let me in for a few minutes,” he begged. “I just want to talk. If I can talk to you for a few minutes, then maybe I won’t hate myself so much. Please? You’re my best friend. I need to talk to someone, and you’re the only one I have.”

  I drew in several long breaths to prevent a full-on shift. So many parts of me warred with each other. At the end of the day, I actually felt bad for him. I knew that most of what he said was true, pitiful as it was. I knew he could also threaten to kill himself, which he’d done before. I didn’t want to get into all that. If I just let him talk a little while, made him see that we were really over and I was moving on, maybe he’d let up and let me go. Let me be happy.

  I unlocked the door, but before I opened it, I said, “There will be absolutely no touching at all. No hugging, no kissing, no hand holding, nothing. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, of course. I completely respect you, I just really need to talk and you’re all I have.”

  I pulled the door open and glared at him as he entered.

  “Thank you so much,” he said with a smile. “This means everything to me.”

  I shut the door behind him. “Let’s hear it. What’s so important that you have to talk about?”

  “Can’t we go sit down in the living room? It’s much more comfortable in there.”

  “Nope. We stand right here. We are not a couple anymore, Levi. Please get that through your head. We are not even friends because you couldn’t handle being only my friend, remember? That’s why I now have the restraining order. Because even though you said you’d never hurt me, you did. More than once.”

  “And every time, I explained what happened. My anger just gets out of control and I go crazy. I can’t help it. It’s something I’m working through, but I need your help to do that, too. You made me so much better. I was a better person with you. That’s why I need you.”

  “Oh my god, Levi. Stop. Enough. You don’t need me. You’ve survived a whole year without me, haven’t you?”

  “If you can call it surviving.” He shifted his weight and closed some of the distance between us. “I can’t call it that; I’ve been miserable. I’m not functioning. My place is a wreck and my boss is ready to fire me for being so behind on my articles. I’m nothing without you.”

  “Then I guess you should have thought about that before you hit me.”

  “I never meant to; you know that. I felt terrible about it, and I still do. I love you so much and it kills me that I did that to you. You’re just the only one I have, so when I explode, it happens to fall on you. I wish it wasn’t that way and I’m working on it. I’m even in therapy now.”

  I crossed my arms. That was new. “Therapy? Where?”

  “Over the internet. We have Skype sessions.”

  “Really? You have internet therapy?”

  “There’s not much available around here, so I had to do whatever it took. I want to show you that I’m changing; I’ll be exactly what you want me to be. You’re already my mate, but I’ll become your perfect mate. We’re bonded and we’re meant to spend our whole lives together. You can’t just undo that.”

  “No one else believes that eagles-mate-for-life bullshit. Maybe it would have been true if we’d gotten married, but we never did.” Thank god…

  “Then let’s change that. Let’s run away. Have the craziest wedding we can have. We can start our lives together, for real.”

  He leaned in, a desperate expression pinned on his face, and took a few steps closer. I backed up, feeling my shoulder blades press against the door, and tried not to panic.

  Shaking my head, I spat, “I’m never getting married. To anyone. Not anytime soon, anyway. I’m not living under anyone else’s command. Not yours. Not anyone’s.”

  “Except that guy from the bar.”

  “Nope. We’re not a couple; he’s just a little fun.”

  Levi huffed. “You could have your fun with me. You don’t have to whore around on me like that; out in public, making me look like a fool. I don’t know how you can be so heartless.”

  I swallowed hard. “We’ve been broken up for a long time, Levi. I’m not going to put my life on hold because you can’t get yours together. I’m sorry if you feel like you need me to do that. You had me, and you blew it. So now you have to figure your life out without me. Because you and I will never be together again. Ever.”

  He shook his head and gave me a sad, half smile before he took another step clo
ser. “River, I know you think that now, but you don’t know how I’ve changed. You’ll see. I am your perfect man. Your lifelong mate.”

  He took two long, fast strides and had reached me. Without pausing, he slipped his hand into my hair and brought my face to his, forcing me into a kiss. I pushed him back and kicked his shin.

  Hopping on one foot, he yelped, “What was that for?”

  “For kissing me! How dare you?” I yanked the door open. “Get the fuck out. Now. I said no touching and you couldn’t control yourself. Out!”

  He limped toward the door and glared at me. “This isn’t over, River. You are mine. Whoever gets in my way, bear or not, I will take him down. You hear that? Anyone who goes near you gets a target on his back.”

  “Then I guess it’s time I start acting on that restraining order.”

  He gave me a smug grin. “Good luck with that. When I tell them you allowed me into your home to talk, it’ll get dropped immediately.”

  Gritting my teeth, I glared and pointed to his car. He walked away and got in without another word.

  I slammed the door shut and locked it.

  9

  River

  For some reason, soaking in piping hot, sudsy water always seemed to do more for me after a Levi encounter than anything else, so I returned to the bathroom and started the water again. Before I undressed, I peeked outside to make sure Levi’s car was gone. When I was sure he had actually left, I undressed and slipped into the tub.

  Bubbles floated over my tired limbs. My head dropped back and I closed my eyes. This is all too much. After I’d finally ended things with Levi, I’d expected my life to go back to normal—to pre-Levi status—but it hadn’t. Not only had he not left me alone, but the residual effects of his abuse still lingered in my mind. There’d been no happily ever after when our story came to an end; only continued misery, anxiety and frustration.

  And now there were two more men in my life.

  I thought of Max first. How fun our date had been. How hot the kiss was. How I’d wanted so much more.

  And then I thought of Carson. How smart he was, how magical our time together had been. I’d wanted more of him, too, but realized what I was getting myself into with the two of them.

  Even if it was just for fun, what the hell was I thinking going out with someone, let alone two men? And Levi didn’t even know about Carson yet. What would he do when he found out? He’d never let up; maybe he’d even act on his threat against them. Should I warn them? Max had an idea since he’d had the unlucky privilege of meeting Levi in person. But if he showed up at Carson’s, it would totally catch him off guard.

  I blew out a breath and sank down to wet my hair. Too much drama. I couldn’t deal with it. It was hard enough trying to heal from the abuse; I couldn’t be thrown into the middle of some kind of Levi-Max-Carson triangle, too. It would be bad enough when Levi found out about Carson.

  But what would happen when Max did?

  Surely, he would be hurt, but truth be told, I hadn’t been able to help myself. When I’d met Carson, the reaction had been every bit as strong as when I’d met Max; the same sort of inescapable pull, the same burning desire, the same insatiable need. How could I feel so intensely about two men? I’d never even felt so strongly about Levi. Maybe I’d never really loved Levi at all.

  And look what you’re doing now, I scolded myself. Instead of relaxing and preparing for the next day, I was stressing over three men. I couldn’t get rid of one of them, try as I might, but the other two could be eliminated. Spend some much needed me-time. That would be far healthier than getting mixed up in a shifter love triangle like some ridiculous teen romance novel.

  By the time I’d finished my bath, I’d made the decision to tell them both what was going on with Levi, and that I couldn’t take the drama of it all. They’d understand, and if one of them didn’t, that was their problem. I was done taking responsibility for other people’s emotional well-being.

  It was time for me to look out for my own.

  I drifted to sleep with that decision weighing on my mind, but my stubborn eagle wouldn’t entertain the thought, molding my dreams into a vision of the future I could have with Max and Carson.

  Soaring high above a field of vibrant wildflowers that stretched as far as the eye could see, I swooped down, spinning and dancing as I shifted into my human form. Someone reached out to me and took my hand, pulling me so I floated over the flowers toward him. At first, I’d resisted, but when I’d realized it was Max, I waved and laughed as I drifted along. When I landed, Max took my hand and danced with me through the field, gleeful as we spun.

  He picked wildflowers and tucked them into my hair, and as we sat, basking in the sun, he waved as someone else arrived. I stood, and when I’d realized it was Carson, I jumped long, landing right in front of him. We both waved to Max, then it was Carson’s turn to take me through the field. He stopped to tell me the names of the flowers, while also pointing out the species of trees and insects flying by in slow motion. Reaching down, he spread the tall grass apart, revealing a hidden world. As if he’d pulled out a chunk of the topsoil, I could see below as ants marched in trails running through the dirt. Carson explained how amazing the tiny creatures were; that they could carry hundreds of times their body weight, and I was mystified by it all.

  Max came to join us and the three of us meandered off into the distance. Max tickled me and made me laugh while Carson tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear, telling me how captivating I was. Each was so distinct: Max with his dark, tousled spikes and Carson with his short, blonde waves. Max’s dimples and Carson’s bright blue eyes. Max wearing his torn jeans and t-shirt while Carson sported crisp khakis and a polo.

  Each fulfilled a different part of me. Max was fun-loving and spontaneous; warm and easy to be with. While Carson was more serious, it didn’t matter; he was always opening my mind to new things, intriguing me to no end. I needed both—equally. While Max played to my emotional side, Carson engaged my intellectual one.

  If I could combine them, I’d have the ultimate guy…

  I woke with the thought echoing in my mind, then chided my inner eagle for conjuring up such a grand fantasy. What a stupid dream. As if I could ever have them both at the same time. But as I recalled my vision of the three of us together, I couldn’t deny the ecstatic feelings that bubbled up, bringing a huge smile to my face. Though, you’re right: if I could, it’d be close to perfection.

  It was a strange phenomenon, to feel so strongly for two. Equally.

  And it felt like a betrayal to each. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not tied to either, had made no promises to either, and was not in relationship with either. Neither could rightly upset if he found out about the other—or so I’d hoped.

  I shook my head. River, don’t be stupid. But what could I have done? As much as I tried to reason with the stubborn bird, my inner eagle wouldn’t let me say no to either.

  And she wasn’t giving up any time soon.

  10

  River

  Perhaps over time, one would come out stronger than the other, and I could avoid getting too tangled. Since I had already promised Max a second date, I figured I’d start with him.

  When I thought back through our conversation, I remembered him saying how much he loved action movies and was looking forward to seeing the one playing in theaters.

  I grabbed my phone and checked the movie times before I texted him.

  Hey! Did you see Soldier Force yet? It’s playing tomorrow at 8:04. Wanna come see it with me?

  It didn’t take him long to respond. I’d love to! Haven’t seen it yet.

  Perfect. We can find something to eat first if you want.

  I’ll find a good spot for us :)

  I looked at the emoji for a moment, then laughed. Of course, Max would be an emoji user. I texted back a silly face emoji with, Sounds good! How do you feel about sushi?

  Ehh. Not my thing.

  I felt a small st
ab of disappointment. I loved sushi. Anywhere we eat is fine by me.

  Not much driving required for dinner and a movie, though, he pointed out. What about the fancy car?

  True. Maybe we should save the car for a weekend drive sometime?

  Yes! That’d be better, he messaged back.

  I went through the day with a smile, looking forward to my movie date. It made the day fly by, and at the end of my shift, I paid extra close attention to who was calling over the radio in the eagle station. I just wanted to hear his voice.

  Or Carson’s, my eagle chimed in.

  I hurried home to change and get freshened up. I put on the outfit I’d spent an hour deliberating over, then freshened my makeup.

  He picked me up—just five minutes late—in his shiny red Mustang.

  “You know,” I said when he led me to the car, “your Mustang is pretty nice; maybe we can hold off on the fancy car.”

  “Oh, just wait.” He grinned and pulled open my door. “This is nothing compared to the car I found to rent for us.”

  So, he’d already looked into it and made a plan. Nice. I appreciated a man who could plan, but could also be spontaneous.

  As we drove to the restaurant, and then again while we waited for our food, we played 20 questions. Not the usual way, where you’d ask questions about an object until you figured out what it was. No. The way Max explained it, we’d take turns asking 20 questions to learn more about each other.

  At the moment, I was on a food trend. “I know you hate sushi, which is blasphemous, by the way, but what about pizza? Are you a plain or an everything-on-it person?”

  “I’d like to think I’m a hot and spicy type of guy.”

  I rolled my eyes and playfully smacked his arm. “Yes, we’ve established that, but the pizza?”

  “Oh, right. I usually go for meats—pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham. Whatever meat they have, pile it on. Then maybe some peppers for extra flavor.”