Drake nodded. “I do, but Eira didn’t want to know.”
“I still haven’t changed my mind. Adonis and I decided we want to be surprised. As long as they are healthy, that’s all that matter to us.”
“Can I know?!” Tatum shrieked.
Eira shrugged. “I don’t care, just keep it to yourself. I’m serious. I don’t want to know until they’re born. Okay, Tatum?”
“Okay, okay.” Tatum leaned closer to the doctor as Eira covered her ears. Drake whispered the sex of the babies and a huge smile split Tatum’s face. “Aww, that’s so cute!”
“Tatum! I’m not kidding. Do not tell anyone.”
“Oh my God Eira. I said okay. I won’t tell a soul.”
Chapter Seven
By the time Jett reached the hotel he was drenched and in desperate need of a change of clothes. He couldn’t very well walk through lobby with soaked fur. Besides, shifters weren’t allowed to be in animal form in the building with so many humans around. After finding some spare clothes in another hiding spot, he slipped them on and stomped into Adonis’ office. He must have looked like a complete mess with his shirt half open and his long inky bangs slicked to his forehead. But, he didn’t care about his appearance in the slightest. Not even Tatum almost running him over, again, was a big deal to him. He had bigger problems at the moment that needed to be addressed.
Adonis snapped his head in his direction. “Don’t you ever knock? Why do you look like a crazed animal?”
“Because I am one. Do you have a minute to talk?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I just came from town and saw three of four wolves lurking around the woods.”
“So what? There are lots of shifters that seek solitude in the woods. You do.”
“These wolves are not from here Adonis. They aren’t interested in peace. They have their own agenda.”
“Which is?”
“I don’t know, but we need to keep a keen eye on the humans and the let the local shifters know to watch out for them as well. This whole thing is giving me bad feeling.”
“Well, I trust your instincts more than anyone else, so let’s get some added security here at the hotel and make a schedule for other shifters to pitch in and let us know if they see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Okay, I’ll go get Ronin and we can make another circle around the mountain and…”
“Wait a minute. Just sit down a sec.”
“Adonis, there is no time to sit and relax. There could be…”
“Will you just sit the fuck down for two seconds please. I want to talk to you about something.”
Jett plopped in the chair across from Adonis’ desk. “Fine, but hurry up.”
“Take your phone out of your pocket.”
“For what?”
“Just do it.”
Holding the cell in his hand, Jett furrowed his brows, confused as to why Adonis was asking him to do this. “Now what?”
“Dial this number.”
Jett slid his thumb across the screen and began to dial. When he reached the second to last number, he stopped. “This is Gerri Wilder’s number.” He recognized it because he had given it out to so many of his friends, Adonis included. He just hadn’t used the number for himself yet. “And why am I calling Gerri?”
“To find your mate.”
Jett cleared the numbers off the screen and stood. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“Why not?”
“Now is not the time for this nonsense Adonis. We have more pressing matters to deal with and finding my mate isn’t one of them.”
“Look, I have seen a big change in you lately. You keep to yourself a lot more than usual and it’s just not like you at all.”
“Miss me?”
“Hell no. But Eira is worried about you.”
“Only Eira?”
“If you’re fishing for any other reason, I hate to disappoint you, but you’re not going to get it.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Jett glanced at his phone. “You’re right. I hate to admit it, but you are. Something is missing in my life. I don’t know what it is, but I’m not finding it out there.” He pointed toward the window. I’ve spent hours thinking about what I can do to fill the void that has set up fucking camp in my gut. I hate feeling like this. Like I have no fucking direction anymore.”
“Maybe it’s time you start seeking out other options. You should have a mate by now. Don’t be as stubborn as I was. Eira is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Trust me you’re missing out on something really special.”
Jett sat back in the chair. “In my heart I know you’re right, but I don’t think I can do that now. Especially with all this shit going on now.”
“You go above and beyond for your friends and your job here at the resort. It’s time to start thinking about yourself. Call Gerri.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll call her now.”
After swallowing his pride and reaching out to Gerri the day before, he learned...nothing about his mate. Gerri refused to tell him anything about her. Not her name, what she looked like, or what she did for a living. He was then informed that he should wait for Adonis to let him know some of the details and where he would meet her. Was his conversation with Gerri aggravating? Definitely. Did he mind the secrecy? Absolutely. But, he knew from previous conversations with other shifters that Gerri knew what she was doing, so who was he to question an expert. When he thought about it, he had to admit, the mystery surrounding his mate was kind of exciting. She had to be pretty special if Gerri was making such a big deal out of it.
Anyway, he couldn’t worry about that now because he had to go pick his car up at Speed Demons. They called him early that morning and notified him that the car was ready and he could go get it anytime. The place was hopping when he got there, as always. He couldn’t remember a time when it wasn’t busy. Since they serviced more than cars, the business had plenty of customers to keep them on their toes.
When Jett walked to the back of one of the garages to pick up his Jeep, he noticed it wasn’t where the receptionist said it would be. He strolled over to one of the mechanics working under a silver Ford Taurus. The shop was loud so he had to yell over all the noise. “I’m looking for my Jeep!” The guy didn’t even flinch, so Jett screamed louder. “Hey! I said I’m looking for my Jeep!” Still no answer. He had things to do and didn’t have time to play hide and seek with his car. What he needed to do was get the Hell out of there so he could patrol the mountain and the surrounding woods around the hotel. Jett kicked the trolley the man was lying on and he slid out from under the truck. Only...it was a guy. It was...her. “You!”
Tatum stood, wiping the wrench in her hand with a grease covered cloth and strode over to the tool box on the counter to set it down. She didn’t even acknowledge him as she spoke. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same thing about you.”
She finally turned to face him as she sprayed orange cleaner on the dirty rag she was still holding, then proceeded to scrub her hands. “I work here.”
“You work here?”
“Yeah, what are you a parrot? Do you always repeat something that’s said to you?”
“What I meant was why do you work here? I thought you were only visiting.”
“I was, but Eira suggested I stay.”
Jett’s eyebrows bunched together, clearly annoyed by this whole situation. He thought she was going to be leaving soon, he didn’t think he’d have to deal with Tatum practically on a daily basis because he would have to since his best friend and her friend were mates. “Well, isn’t this just the icing on the cake.”
“What is your problem?”
“What’s my problem. I don’t know, let us recall what has happened in the last two days to cause me to be in such an ire mood. First, you almost run me over with your motorcycle, then you scream at me for destroying said motorcycle, which wasn’t my
fault to begin with, and last but not least you try to run me down with Eira’s car on the way to town.”
“You know what, I don’t like your attitude.”
Jett waved his hands in front of him. “Oh, big shocker.”
Tatum threw the dirty cloth on the counter behind her. “First of all, I was ready to start over. I was ready to bury the hatchet between us and try to be your friend, but you know what, I would rather bury the hatchet in your head.”
Tatum pushed past him and disappeared behind the garage. Good riddance. At first, he was only being nice to her because Adonis asked him to, then he felt really bad after he saw her cry in his Jeep on the way to Eira’s and he’d actually wanted to help her. But, she never gave him a chance. She continually berated him, blamed him for things that were out of his control, and she was still being rude to him. He didn’t need someone like that in his life, he didn’t care if she was Eira’s friend. There was only so much a man could take, and he wasn’t going to sit back and take her bullshit anymore.
Chapter Eight
Tatum looked at the dress in her hand. No way she going to wear to dinner to meet her date. No. Freaking. Way. Holding it out to her friend, she vigorously shook her head. “I am not wearing this Eira.”
“Why not?”
“Would you?”
“No.”
“Then why should I?”
“Because this is the first time you’re going to meet your mate. First impressions are everything.”
“Which is exactly why I’m not putting this atrocious piece of fabric on. Don’t you think I should be myself?”
“Uh, you can be a little…”
“What?! I can be a little what?”
“Harsh.”
“I don’t care what you say. I refuse to be something thing I’m not. I can look good without wearing a dress.”
“Okay fine. Just go get ready please. Adonis is meeting us there with him at The Honey Pot in less than an hour.”
Twenty minutes later Tatum stepped out of the bathroom, clad in a pair of black stretch jeans, an off the shoulder black sweater, and black boots. She glanced down at herself, feeling proud that she didn’t have to compromise her style to be sexy and gave Eira smirk. “See. I don’t need that damn dress.”
Eira laughed. “You sure don’t. You look amazing. That man is gonna fall on his knees at your feet once he sees you. Let’s get going. We shouldn’t be late.”
It wasn’t a long ride to the resort, but every second felt like an eternity. Tatum was never apprehensive about meeting guys before. Hell, she worked with them all day long. The only difference was, this time she was going to be introduced to the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. A nervous heat began to boil in stomach. What if Gerri wasn’t right this time? Sure, she’d brought together hundreds, maybe even thousands of couples together, but what if she was completely wrong now? What if this was Tatum’s only chance to find love and it didn’t work out.
Tatum drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She needed to relax. She needed to calm down before the anxiety building in her chest took over completely. She couldn’t afford to make a spectacle of herself in front of everyone at dinner. Embarrassing her friends was not an option either. Adonis and Eira have always been so good to her. They were going to be there to support her tonight, so she had to pull herself together and quick because the car was pulling up to the hotel now.
The Honey Pot was located on the top floor of the building and had the most stunning three-hundred-and-sixty-degree mountain view Tatum had ever seen. The dim lighting and soft music playing in the background created the perfect ambiance for a romantic evening. A sense of calmness washed over her as she stood in the entryway of the restaurant. She could do this. She had to do this. Eira had been right when she said Tatum was harsh. She realized that as she thought back to all the times she’d had to put up a wall so she couldn’t get close to anyone. The men she’d dated before didn’t really support her or her career choice. One guy even said it was cute she was trying to be a mechanic because a woman could never do a man’s job. So, she did what any respectable would do in her shoes; she decked him. That thought made her smile and Eira flashed her a questioning glance.
“Why are you smiling?”
“No reason.” Tatum saw Eira wave at Adonis who was standing by a table toward the back of the room. She guessed her date hadn’t arrived yet because she didn’t see anyone else standing with him. As she got closer to the table she could see the back of his head. His black hair and tanned skin peeking out of his plain black shirt were the only things she could see from that distance, but an odd feeling swept over her. It was one of familiarity. She knew him. She could sense it in her gut and when he turned around she froze. Standing in the middle of the room staring at him was not an option. She didn’t know why Jett was there sitting at the table and she couldn’t care less. All she knew was that he’d better leave and soon before her date got there and ruined everything for her. Tatum stomped across the room with Eira waddling behind her as she closed the distance between them.
Jett hadn’t seen her until she was only a few feet away. When he lifted his head to meet her furious gaze, he leaned back in his seat and blew out a defeated breath. “Oh, shit.”
“What the Hell are you doing here?! Adonis, what is he doing here? He’s going to ruin my whole night.”
Jett sat straight up in his chair; an angry glare beginning to form on his face. “Boy, you are completely oblivious, aren’t you? I am your whole night.”
Tatum furrowed her eyebrows. “What? What are you babbling about?”
Jett stood. “I am your date. Apparently, we’ve been set up behind our backs.”
“That can’t be possible. Gerri said I’d be meeting the man I’m supposed to be spending the rest of my life with here tonight.”
Jett held his arms out to the side. “And here I am.”
“You are not my mate.”
“That’s not what Gerri thinks.”
Tatum snatched a butter knife off the table and held it out in front of her. “There will be no happy ever after if I cut your heart out.”
Jett smirked. “With that? Don’t you think that would be kind of difficult to do?”
“Oh, I promise you I can make it happen and it would be quite painful.” Tatum turned Eira, glaring. “And you, I should tell you the gender of those babies just for tricking me into this.”
Eira squinted at her friend. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Adonis yanked the dull knife out of Tatum’s hand as he spoke in a hushed tone. “Why don’t we all just sit down and talk this out.”
“There’s no way I will ever sit and have dinner with him.”
Jett leaned over the table, bunching the linen tablecloth in his fists. “You know what Tatum, I was really excited about meeting my mate tonight, until I saw you walking over here.”
“Jett!” Adonis yelled, placing his hand on Jett’s shoulder.
“No Adonis, let him finish.” Tatum said, holding up her hand.
“I’m not happy about this either.” Jett continued. “You are the last woman I would ever want to be mated with.”
Adonis slumped into the chair behind him, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Oh Jett, no.”
Jett’s statement stabbed Tatum right in the heart. She didn’t know why that hurt her so much, but it did. Really, why should she care what he thought about her? They haven’t gotten along from the second they laid eyes on each other, so why would something he said matter to her. She hated him, didn’t she? If she did then why did she feel like her heart was being squeezed dry by the pain surrounding it? She’d never felt this kind of agony over mere words before. She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I’m such a disappoint.” Before she could stop the tear from falling, it slid down her heated cheek and she violently brushed it away. “I guess you can call Gerri back and let her know she was wrong about this one. Maybe next time she’ll f
ind you a mate that you’ll be happier with.”
Tatum didn’t give anyone at the table another glance as she turned and made her way out of the restaurant. Deciding not to take the elevator, she opted to take the stairs and blow off a little steam. Maybe some exercise would diminish some of the anger and pain she was feeling. It seemed like a good idea, but she didn’t get far. After descending only a few flights, the tears filling her eyes clouded her vision to a point where she couldn’t see clear enough to continue. So, she just sat on a step and cried.
Chapter Nine
“Jett…” Adonis’ low voice sounded like a scream throughout the room, ringing in Jett’s ears.
Jett lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh. “I know.”
“You have to go after her. She’s your…”
“I know! You don’t have to tell me what the right thing to do is.”
Shoving away from the table Jett strode through the restaurant with all eyes judging him on the way out. He didn’t need anyone to tell him he went way overboard with what he said to Tatum. He knew he screwed up. He was just so damn angry by her reaction to him. Being so turned on by someone who infuriated you to no end at the same time was fucking aggravating. He should have known better though. That was not how you were supposed to treat your mate. But Tatum never even gave him a chance. Her mind was set, and no one was going to change it. But he had to. Deep down in his gut he knew she was the one for him, and he didn’t need Gerri Wilder to knock him over the head to prove that. He could feel it in his gut, only he had to push that feeling away because of Tatum’s stubbornness to let others in. Well, he couldn’t allow that to happen any longer, not since he got confirmation that they were meant for each other.
Jett exited the restaurant, making a b-line toward the elevator, but his keen sense of hearing picked up a woman sobbing behind the door leading to the stairs. It didn’t take long for the sound to register and know it was Tatum. He pushed the door open and without trepidation made the descent to where she was sitting. She snapped her head in his direction before turning back around and hurriedly wiping her eyes as if he hadn’t seen the wet drops fall down her pinkened cheeks. He sat on the step above the one she was on. “So, what are Adonis and Eira having?”
Paranormal Dating Agency: Where He Leads (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 4