by Cara Wylde
“Rebecca…”
“This discussion is over.” She headed towards the door, letting him know she had no intention of listening to one more word he had to say if he intended to bullshit her again about how it was too dangerous for her. “Are you coming?” However, when she turned around, she saw him standing in front of his old bed and desk, his shoulders slumped, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. “Emil…” She went back to him and hugged him from behind. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to make a decision now. My vacation isn’t over yet, so there’s plenty of time to think about it. All I’m asking is for you to consider other options.”
He sighed.
“If at the end of my vacation, you still believe it’s better for you to sell everything and go after the Calimala alone, then I won’t stand in your way and I won’t hold it against you.”
***
Rebecca had to sit on her suitcase to be able to zip it close. She had bought so many things from Segesvar that she had had to get a second suitcase, even bigger than the one she had come with. Traditional clothes, two pretty purses, and dozens of souvenirs, some small, others rather big. She was surprised she had actually managed to fit all of them in the two bags. Before leaving the room, she checked the bathroom again, as well as every corner where there was the slightest chance she could have thrown something and forgotten it. Satisfied, she checked the time and realized she had to hurry if she didn’t want to miss the train.
She managed to carry the suitcases on the corridor, and then turned to close the door and lock it. She smiled when she felt Emil’s strong arms around her waist.
“Ready, my queen?”
She giggled. “Don’t call me that. It’s silly.” Her knees almost gave in when he kissed her neck.
He let go of her and grabbed her luggage.
“Oh my! These are heavy.”
“Oh, shut up! I know they feel like two bags of feathers in your hands.”
He grinned and started down the stairs. Becca followed him, but walked slower, careful not to trip over her impossibly high heels. One week in sports shoes and mountain boots and she already had trouble getting used to high heels. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. Moreover, the tight skirt she was wearing was suffocating her, which could only mean one thing: she had put on weight. Of course she had. She and Emil had eaten at various restaurants three times a day, usually two courses plus dessert. Oh, and Romanians knew how to cook. Everything they served was heavy and consistent. Becca would have to start going at the gym three times a week the moment she got back home.
Emil nodded towards the receptionist and took her luggage to the cab parked in front of the inn. After putting the suitcases in the trunk, he held the door open for her. Once she was inside and had finished fumbling with her blouse and skirt, he got in and slammed the door shut.
“To the train station, please.”
The driver nodded.
“You didn’t forget anything, did you?” she asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Did you talk to your attorney and your assistant?”
“Yes, they have everything under control. We’ll find someone who is willing to invest in the Weavers’ Inn and the Weavers’ Tour Company and act as my partner.”
“Awesome!”
They were silent for a while. Becca admired the beautiful landscape and the fortress of Segesvar far in the distance as the cab passed over the bridge.
“I was thinking…” said Emil.
“Hm?”
“If we are to do this thing you suggested…” he hesitated, trying to find his words. He still found it surreal that he had agreed to Becca’s insane idea.
“The secret society for supernatural people,” she whispered, throwing a quick glance at the driver.
“Yes, that.” He smiled broadly. Yes, it was insane, but it was also exciting. Maybe she was right and it really was time for vampires, shape-shifters, witches, and all the other special people out there to create their own organization and start fighting against the members of the Calimala Guild. Start hunting down the hunters. One by one, until there was none of them left. “If we are to do that, we need a name, don’t you think?”
“Oh yes! We do!” She clapped her hands. She had always loved this part: coming up with a good name for a project she knew would kick ass. Literally, this time. “What should it be?”
“Well… Before they had me and were forced to run from the Calimala, my parents belonged to the Severin Pack. The whole pack was killed and they were the only ones who escaped. This is why they chose to adopt Severin as their family name.”
Rebecca thought for a second. “All right. This could work. The Severin Pack?”
“No, not pack. It’s a form of organization specific to wolves. If we are to convince other… people to join us, then it has to be more general.”
“Then… How about The Order of the Severins?”
Emil’s eyes sparkled and his whole face lit up with enthusiasm. “That’s brilliant!” He took her cheeks between his palms and kissed her sweetly. “I love you, Rebecca. You know that, right?”
“I love you too.”
EPILOGUE
Shift Your Fate looked exactly like it had a week ago. Rebecca entered and smiled at the cheerful ring of the chimes above the door. This time, however, Kassandra was behind the counter. The woman’s face brightened when she saw the chirpy blonde step into her shop. It was obvious Becca was almost dancing with joy, and Kassandra knew exactly why.
“Well, well… Look who’s back from Europe!” She rounded the counter and spread her arms wide, then walked straight to Becca and hugged her tightly.
Becca’s smile froze on her face for a second then she relaxed in the awkward embrace and patted the woman on the back lightly. She wasn’t used to hugging people she had only seen once before.
“Hi. I just wanted to drop by to thank you.”
“You’re welcome, my dear! But I didn’t do anything. I just told you that you needed a vacation and Segesvar was the best place to go this time of year.”
Becca looked at her puzzled. “What are you talking about? You know exactly what you told me: that I would find my destiny there. I didn’t believe you, but I went anyway. And here I am now, ready to admit my ignorance and apologize for my behavior a week ago. You were right! I did find my destiny there, and guess what! I brought it with me to New York!” She laughed wholeheartedly. “Actually… him. I brought him with me.”
Kassandra shook her head stubbornly. “I might have told you a couple of things only an empath could know, but what happened in Segesvar was all you. All you and your wonderful man.”
Becca cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t insist. She hadn’t come here to argue. She had come to thank her, yes, but that wasn’t all.
“I’d love some of that fabulous tea of yours,” she said.
Kassandra studied her suspiciously for a second, then smiled broadly and invited her in the back room. While waiting for the old woman to come back with their tea, Rebecca went over the proposition she wanted to present to her for the hundredth time that day. Her idea was good. She was sure of it. Almost as good as The Order of the Severins.
“So, have you taken many pictures?” Kassandra set the tea in front of her, then took her own cup and sat down in the opposite chair.
“Thousands! Not even I have the patience to look at all of them at once.”
Kassandra nodded in approval. They were silent for a while. The woman felt that Becca had come to tell her something else, and Becca knew it.
“Listen, I…” Suddenly, she wasn’t sure how to begin. She took another sip of tea, then cleared her throat and tried again. “I think Shift Your Fate has a lot of potential.”
“How so?”
“You’re running it and advertising it as if it’s a mystical shop, but we both know it’s not. All the things and small trinkets you sell in the other room are just a distraction, aren’t they? You can help people, Kassandra. You can
actually help people. Why don’t you let everyone know you’re an empath? I found you thanks to someone who knew you, but there are so many women like myself out there who have been looking for the right man since… since forever. You, with your special gift, can help them.”
The woman sighed and put her cup down. “It doesn’t work that way, my dear. You found me because it was the right time for you. People come to see me every day about various problems. Sometimes it’s about family, other times it’s about money, their job, or a relationship that doesn’t work. I try to help them the best I can, but the truth is that I can’t work miracles. People must want to help themselves first.”
“Yes, absolutely! I understand that. But there are so many women who only need a bit of guidance, a nudge. Or… or they need someone to tell them there’s still hope, to let them know there’s someone out there just for them. You can do that. Shift Your Fate can become such a huge and extraordinary thing!”
“Shift Your Fate is exactly what it needs to be, Rebecca. Those who need me will find out about me one way or another. They don’t need to read about me in the newspaper or see me on TV. That would defeat the whole purpose of… fate.” She smiled encouragingly. She hated to see Rebecca so disappointed, but she knew what she was talking about. “Look: if you know someone who could use my help, send them over. I will gladly try to help anyone you believe might need it. But no, I have no intention of changing anything about Shift Your Fate. It is what it is, and it’s perfect. After all, it worked for you, didn’t it?”
Becca sighed. “I guess…” She had truly hoped this discussion would lead to a whole new world of wonder and possibilities. She had to admit, though: re-branding Shift Your Fate as some sort of matchmaking service would have defeated the whole idea of destiny and the mysterious ways in which it worked.
They drank their tea and Rebecca told Kassandra about Segesvar and Emil. She even told her about his parents, the Calimala Guild, and that they were working on putting together a secret order of their own so supernatural people from all over the world would finally have something to unite them against their common enemy. She trusted the old woman. She trusted her completely, with her life and Emil’s. She could swear there was much more to the empath than she had let Becca see, and because of that she immediately decided she needed her as a friend and ally.
“How about I take over your accounting?” suggested Becca right before leaving the shop.
Kassandra smiled kindly. “That would be lovely, my dear. But I must warn you: it’s a mess.”
Becca laughed and waved goodbye. “Don’t worry, we’ll sort it out.”
Just as the door closed behind her and she was looking up and down the street for a cab, her smartphone started vibrating in her bag. She looked at the Caller ID and her lips curled up in a smile.
“Amber! What’s up? I’m so glad you called!”
There was silence at the other end then Becca heard a sob.
“Becca…”
“Oh my God, are you okay? Are you crying? Don’t tell me you’re crying…”
That was when Amber started crying harder, and there was nothing Becca could do. She had no idea her own worried voice and soothing words were actually making Amber cry more desperately.
“I… I’m sorry… I don’t have anyone else to call, I don’t have any friends. Becca, you’ve been so kind to me in Segesvar.”
“Honey, I’m always here for you. I’m your friend. It doesn’t matter that we only met and talked a couple of times. You can tell me everything and I’ll help you if I can. I’ll do everything in my power. Tell me what happened.”
“Stephan…” Amber hiccupped then sobbed. She took a deep breath before trying to speak again. “We’re getting a divorce. He’s cheating on me, Becca. He’s been cheating on me for years!”
“Oh, Amber…” She didn’t know what to tell her. In this situation, nothing she said could make things better. “Where are you now?”
“Back home in Chicago. We arrived only two days ago. Ava is out in the courtyard, playing. I don’t want her to see me like this. I don’t know how to tell her that her daddy and I are getting a divorce. But I can’t stay here anymore, Becca. I can’t. I hate this house! I hate the Castell family! I don’t want any of them anywhere near my daughter!”
“Honey… Honey, listen to me: you can come and stay with me and Emil for a while. Take Ava with you. Until you sort all this mess out, you come to New York and I’ll take care of everything.”
“For real?”
“Of course, Amber. I’m glad you called me. Book your ticket and pack your stuff. Your jerk of a husband doesn’t deserve you and Ava.”
“Thank you…”
Rebecca waited until Amber calmed down, and then called a cab. She had a lot of work to do.
THE END
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review and helping other readers make an informed purchase by telling them what you thought, what you liked and didn’t like. Your review will also mean a lot to the author, as your opinion might influence what she writes next. Thank you!
Shift Your Fate – Reading Order
Carpathian Wolf (SYF #0.5) – BBW Wolf-Shifter Romance
Amazon US | Amazon UK
Bonus! Subscribe to Cara Wylde’s Newsletter to get a free copy of the first guide to the world and mythology of Shift Your Fate:
Visit Segesvar with Rebecca and Emil
Bear Unbound (SYF #1) – BBW Bear-Shifter Romance
Amazon US | Amazon UK
Beautiful, curvy Amber is ready to reclaim her freedom. She's had enough of her husband's lies and she's done with his family's weird rules. She's getting a divorce, and she's taking her 8-year-old daughter with her. Oh, and she's determined to stay away from men. For now at least. But her best friend, Rebecca, has other things in mind. She takes her to the one place where Amber can find what she's truly looking for: Shift Your Fate. Instead of advising her to leave her past behind, the empath Kassandra reminds her there was someone else before her ex-husband, someone who could have made her happy, if only she had given him a chance.
Tyler Atwood lost contact with Amber ten years ago, when she married Stephan Castell. He had a choice to make then: tell her the truth about her husband, or step aside and leave them be. He chose the latter. Amber wouldn't have believed him anyway. Bear-shifters? An Assassins' Guild hunting supernatural people? On second thought, it was better if she never knew. Now, Amber is back into his life. Being with her puts both of them in danger, but how could he resist? She's always been the only woman who could tame his bear.
Secret Baby Lion (SYF #2) – BBW Lion-Shifter Romance
Coming soon…
More Books by Cara Wylde
Sold to the Alpha
A BBW Wolf-Shifter Romance
Amazon US | Amazon UK
This Complete Edition contains all 6 books and NO cliffhangers. Get it now at half the price of the individual installments. If you have Kindle Unlimited, then read it for free.
This complete edition contains all 6 books of Sold to the Alpha. It’s the full story of sexy, curvaceous Avelyn and her hot Alpha, Max Blackmane. No cliffhangers!
Avelyn is a shifter bride, which means she has been raised and educated to become the wife of a shape-shifter and bear his children. The problem is that she doesn’t want to accept this fate. She will do everything in her power to gain her freedom and build a new life far away from shape-shifters and what society expects of her.
Alpha werewolf Max Blackmane is in search of a bride. When he comes to Alma Venus Boarding School, one of the best schools for shifter brides in the world, he is determined to buy a young woman who would bring him political advantages. However, when he sees Avelyn, his plans are turned upside down. He can’t imagine his life without her.
Avelyn uses every trick to convince Max to buy another bride. It doesn’t matter that his perfect body and smooth voice make her weak in the knees. She has a dream, and her dream does not
include a wolf-shifter who thinks he can simply own her because the peace treaty between humans and shape-shifters says so.
The Hidden Alpha
A Fox-Shifter Romance
Amazon US | Amazon UK
A sequel to Sold to the Alpha. This Complete Edition contains all 3 books and NO cliffhangers. Get it now at half the price of the individual installments. If you have Kindle Unlimited, then read it for free.
Sexy, sassy and intelligent, Amelia is one of the few shifter-brides who have nothing against the peace treaty that was signed a century ago between humans and shape-shifters. She was in an orphanage when the headmistress of the Alma Venus Boarding School decided to take her in and prepare her to become the bride of a fox-shifter. The year she turned 18, Amelia became eligible to be sold to the highest bidder, and there was nothing she wanted more.
Seth of Clan Sylfur is in search of a bride for his future Alpha. Roman Sylfur, the Alpha of the most powerful fox clan in the world, is dying and his son, Blake, will soon take his place. The second he sees Amelia, Seth knows she is the perfect woman… for him, not for Blake.
Amelia is torn between her feelings for the hot, hunky Seth and her responsibility as a shifter-bride. But how could she stay away from the Beta fox when her mysterious husband won’t even bother to see her and welcome her to her new home? How could she possibly be faithful to a stranger? Her husband is hiding something from her, and that makes Amelia run to Seth. What they’re doing is dangerous, but she feels safe in his arms.