Fae-ted to the Bear: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance (The Bond of Brothers Book 4)

by Harmony Raines

“I don’t know about that. He’s a shifter, he wants nothing more than a wife who will give him a handful of children.”

  “And he told you this in the few moments you spent with him this morning, while also getting yourself a job at the restaurant?”

  “He didn’t have to tell me. We both know that’s what shifters want. All shifters are driven by a need to procreate.” She waved her fork at Karros. “You would think our parents would be happy I’ve been chosen by a shifter. They might get their grandchildren after all.”

  “Does that mean that Caleb has already changed your mind?”

  “No,” she insisted. “I want a career. I want to be the best chef I can be, and I know that’s possible if I learn from Ivan.”

  “Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you?” Karros asked. “I know Mom and Dad never praise you enough, so I thought I should remind you of your awesomeness.”

  “You’re much too kind but I appreciate it. Sometimes I need to hear it and today is one of those days.”

  “You got the job you wanted, why aren’t you celebrating?” Karros asked. “You don’t exactly look as if your dreams are starting to come true.”

  “I suppose I’d feel better if I’d gotten the job on my own instead of having to rely on your ex-fiancée and my mate.” She speared a piece of tomato and popped it in her mouth.

  “Sometimes it’s good to depend on other people.”

  “It would have been great to get the job on the merits of my cooking and not my connections.” She looked down at her salad. “If Caleb wasn’t my mate, Ivan wouldn’t have agreed.”

  “Okay, here’s the thing. Caleb got you this chance at your dream and you should be grateful for that. But mate or no mate, Ivan is not going to let you stay in his kitchen if you aren’t any good.” Karros inclined his head toward her. “The restaurant is a success, he’s not going to jeopardize that, not even to keep his brother happy.”

  “You’re right.” She cracked a smile. “I knew there was a reason I brought you along.”

  “I wouldn’t have let you come alone.”

  “You don’t think I can look after myself?” Elise asked.

  “Oh, I think you can more than look after yourself. But I want to be here for you in case you need me. In case you want someone to talk to. You have never spent more than a few days out of the fae realm. This is going to be a huge adventure.”

  “Starting with finding somewhere to live.” She stared out of the window at the buildings across the street. “Caleb offered to help us.”

  “That might be a good idea.” He studied her expression. “Don’t you think?”

  “So I can be indebted to him even more?”

  “No, so you can get to know him.”

  “I said I’d go on a date with him.” She reached into her purse and took out the piece of paper with Caleb’s phone number on it and set it down on the table. “I need to give him a chance, don’t I?”

  “You don’t need me to answer that question.” He smiled sympathetically. “You have been given this gift of love. Love with a man who knows he’s yours and you are his. If Flora had fallen for any other man, who wasn’t a shifter, I wouldn’t have let her go so easily.”

  “It sounds as if you like shifters,” Elise said.

  “I don’t dislike them. The shifter bond is unique. Don’t you think it’s an incredible gift to be able to know who your mate is the moment you see them for the first time? You don’t have to second-guess yourself, Elise.”

  “I see your point. But I counter that point by reminding you that it takes away a person’s free will. What if a shifter finds their mate and learns they don’t want the same thing? The poor guy, or woman, is stuck. They can’t walk away because fate takes their choice away.”

  That’s what scared Elise. She didn’t want to hurt Caleb, who seemed to be a really great guy. Just maybe not the great guy for her.

  “I can’t answer that. Meet Caleb, talk to him. Meet his family, I’m sure they’ll love you.” Karros finished his spaghetti as Elise sat mulling over his advice.

  “I’ll call him and ask if he’s free to help us find somewhere to live.” She ducked her head and looked at the sky. “I don’t really want to spend the night camping on the beach.”

  “Why not? It’s a lovely day, the night is clear, we can lie on the beach and watch the stars.”

  “I have to start work tomorrow at seven. I’d rather not sprinkle sand all over the breakfasts.” She chuckled. “Although, I could just tell Ivan it’s a fae delicacy.”

  “You’ll do just fine working at the hotel. Ivan won’t be able to resist your sense of humor. Or your cooking. Just relax, be yourself and you’ll do fine.”

  “Did I mention Ivan is a dragon shifter?” Elise coughed as she nearly choked on a lettuce leaf. “Your face.” She took a sip of coffee, her eyes watering as she cleared her throat.

  “A dragon shifter. Did you know before we came here?” Karros asked.

  “No. I’d heard of Ivan. He’s got a great reputation even in our world. Which I doubt he’d hang onto if they knew he was a dragon shifter.” Elise finished her salad and set her fork down on her plate. “It’s going to be hard to win him over. Ivan knows that fae and dragons don’t mix well.”

  “What is he doing here?” Karros asked. “I’ve never heard of a dragon shifter being raised in Wishing Moon Bay. If he were an orphan, the dragon isle would have claimed him as their own.”

  “That I don’t know. All I do know is he’s a great chef, hugely talented and I want to learn from him.” Elise picked up the piece of paper and took her phone from her purse. “Shall I go call my mate and ask him for help?”

  “Yes.” Karros caught the eye of the server. “I’ll get the check while you make the call.”

  “Thanks, Karros.” She placed her hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “For everything.”

  “You owe me.” He took his wallet out. “When you open your restaurant, I expect free food for life.”

  “Deal.” Elise turned around and left the diner, her hand shaking as she looked at the piece of paper and dialed the number.

  She’d expected to fight for a place in Ivan’s kitchen. She never expected to find her mate on the same day.

  Chapter Four – Caleb

  “Elise?” Aiden asked as Caleb put his phone in his pocket and sat down at the table where they were finishing their meal.

  “Yes.” Normally he wouldn’t have answered a call while he was eating with his family. Not unless it was an emergency.

  Our mate calling is an emergency, his bear replied. If she needs us, we’re supposed to be there for her no matter what.

  “She’s not canceling your date, is she?” Valerie asked.

  “No, she wants me to help her and her brother find somewhere to live.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m meeting them in half an hour.”

  “Then why are you still sitting here?” Aiden asked.

  “Trying to clear my head. It’s all fuzzy. How am I supposed to help them if I can’t think straight?” Caleb rested his head in his hands.

  “Just breathe and relax,” Aiden told him. “This part fades, soon your head will clear, and you’ll be back to your normal self.”

  “Is that how you felt when we met?” Flora asked her mate.

  “Yeah. The moment I saw you outside the candy store, I knew you were the one for me. The person I was supposed to be with for the rest of my life. It was as if that one thought just pounded in my head over and over again, like a drumbeat, pushing all other thoughts away.” Aiden reached for her hand. “Then it cleared because I knew you needed me.”

  “I did.” She caressed his cheek. “I do.”

  “Goodness, when I see the two of you together and hear Caleb talking about his mate, it’s enough to make a man cry.” Rift shook his head. “I want this. I want the head-exploding, heart-pumping knowledge that I have a mate.”

  “It’ll happen for you, Rift,” Valerie assured him.

&nb
sp; “I sometimes wonder. I’m not getting any younger and with four brothers already mated, it feels as if my luck has run out.” He glanced at Milo. “I guess I’m just hoping to be the best uncle ever instead.”

  “That was going to be my job.” Caleb half-raised his hand.

  “That’s true. Caleb was feeling just like you a couple of days ago. Now, look at him.” Aiden glanced at his brother. “We should get going. Elise and her brother aren’t the only ones who need a place to live.”

  “Of course.” Caleb stood up. “You’re welcome to use the apartment until you get yourselves settled. I could move back in with Valerie. If she’ll have me.”

  “Always.” Valerie looked up at her son. “But I suspect it would only be for a short time. Your mate will soon realize that the two of you belong under the same roof.”

  “I hope so.” Caleb backed away from the table. “Thanks for the food. Are you okay if I run?”

  “You go.” Valerie waved him away. “Help your mate get settled. If you need us, you know where we are. I want Elise to know we are here for her as a family.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Flora offered.

  “No, you have your own things to sort out. I can do this alone.” He smiled at her. “But thanks for the offer, it means a lot to know you’re there if I need you.”

  “It’s no trouble at all, I owe you a lot. And I want Elise to be happy. She deserves it.” Flora gave a half-smile. “It might also make Karros realize that there was nothing I could do to stop the way I feel about Aiden.”

  “If he sees how the mating bond works for me and Elise, he’ll understand it more.” Caleb inclined his head. “At least I know Karros won’t be trying to drive a wedge between us. If he let you go, he must have some understanding of the mating bond.”

  “He does, but this is different. It’s one thing to set me free to be with Aiden. But Elise is his sister. Karros knows how his parents will react to the news. He might not be so willing to support your relationship with Elise.” Flora’s knowledge of Elise’s family would come in useful if Caleb had to try to win them over.

  “And I thought the hard part was finding your mate,” Rift said.

  “Me and you both,” Caleb agreed. He rubbed his hands together and backed away from them. “Okay, challenge accepted, I am going to make some phone calls and see if I can find a really great place for them to live.”

  “And we’re going to find Logan and ask if we can move into his cabin until we’ve had some time to plan our future.” Aiden gazed adoringly at his mate and Caleb experienced a pang of jealousy. He couldn’t wait until he had such a deep loving relationship with his mate.

  Don’t forget they have been through a lot together and have learned to trust each other. The past few days have been tough on them, but it’s drawn them together and made their relationship stronger. His bear’s wise words helped as Caleb left the restaurant and crossed the hotel reception area.

  Jeremy was typing on the keyboard of the hotel computer, but aside from that, the reception area was empty.

  “Are you busy, Jeremy?” Caleb went to the desk, aware he didn’t have a lot of time to spare if he didn’t want to be late for his meeting with his mate.

  “Always.” Jeremy raised his eyes from the screen to study Caleb for a moment. “What do you need?”

  “Do you know of any apartments or houses that might be available to rent?”

  “Ah, you’re homeless since your brother has found his mate.” His eyes narrowed. “Is this your roundabout way of asking if I need a roommate?”

  “No!” Caleb answered quickly. “I have a few contacts of my own, but I figured I’d ask you since you meet so many people coming through the hotel reception. I wondered if you’d heard of anything.”

  “Oh.” Jeremy looked relieved. “Sorry.”

  “I’ll let you get back to work.” Caleb tapped the desk and turned around, heading for the door.

  “Wait, there might be something. I had a couple in earlier who have come to view a new development along the coast. It’s a little outside of town, which might suit your mate.” Jeremy paused. “That was your mate in here this morning?”

  “Yes. It was.”

  “Fae. She was here with her brother, they were asking for Aiden. I saw you with the whole startled I’ve just met my mate look in your eyes.” He snorted. “Shifters.”

  “Shifters indeed.” Caleb leveled his gaze at Jeremy. “Do you have any more details?”

  “Oh, yes.” He tapped the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the computer screen. “Here.” He printed off a sheet of paper and handed it to Caleb. “A couple of the apartments are already leased. There are still two more vacant. It’s a quiet development, which might also suit your mate.”

  “Thanks, Jeremy. I owe you one.” Caleb folded the piece of paper and hurried toward the door.

  “You’re welcome. And good luck. You’ll need it.”

  “What does that mean?” Caleb paused at the door.

  “A fae and a shifter. Not always the most compatible of people. But I’m sure you’ll make it work.” He went back to staring at the screen as Caleb left the hotel and headed across the parking lot to his truck.

  It was a beautiful day. The kind of day that made people fall in love with the town. He went to his truck and got inside, inserting the key in the ignition but didn’t start the engine. Before he met up with Elise and Karros, he made a couple of phone calls.

  First, he lined up a viewing of the ocean view apartments. Competition for them was tough but he managed to talk the owner into letting them take a look this afternoon. It helped that the guy knew Caleb, by name and reputation if not in person.

  The second call was to a client who he and Aiden had done some work for a couple of months back. He’d been converting an old barn into a stunning house and the twins had helped with the building work. Caleb had driven past the house last week and popped in to see the completed work. The owner, Wilf Jaeger, had proudly shown him around, only the final finishing touches needed completing before the house was ready to rent out.

  “Hey, Wilf, it’s Caleb.”

  “Caleb. How are you?”

  “Good, I might have someone interested in renting your house.” Caleb put his hand on the steering wheel and gripped it tightly.

  “Okay. The front and back yards need landscaping, but aside from that, it’s finished. I was going to start taking viewings next week.”

  “How about we swing by this afternoon and take a look?” Caleb asked. “They’ve just moved to Wishing Moon Bay and need somewhere as soon as possible.”

  “You mean right now?” Wilf asked.

  “Yeah. I know it’s short notice, but...” He knew Wilf well enough to ask him for a favor. “They’re a brother and sister. The sister is my mate.”

  “Your mate? I never knew you’d met her. Congratulations. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

  “I only met her this morning. So it’s early days,” Caleb confessed. “She’s moving here to train with Ivan. I’m just worried if she doesn’t find somewhere to rent then she’ll leave town.”

  Wilf laughed. “You want her to move into a place she loves so that when Ivan chases her out of his kitchen she’ll stay anyway.”

  “Something like that,” Caleb admitted.

  “Since it’s you... I can’t be there. I have a job to do on one of my other properties, but there’s a key under the flagstone in the back yard. You can let yourselves in. If they like it, give me a call and we’ll see what we can work out. They just need to be flexible while I finish up all the little jobs around the place.”

  “Thanks, Wilf. I appreciate it.”

  “It’s the least I can do. You and Aiden did a great job on the house. And for a reasonable price.” He laughed again. “Although, you may have to raise your prices now that you both have mates. I did hear it right, didn’t I? Aiden met his mate and she’s a fae.”

  “That’s right. News sure does travel fast.”
/>   “I heard it from Oscar. We play pool together on a Thursday night.”

  “And my mate is a fae, too,” Caleb admitted. If that was going to be a problem, he’d rather know now.

  “Ah. Okay. A fae renting out my house is fine as long as they’re good for the money. I don’t want to have to go chasing them for the rent across their realm. That never ends well.”

  “I’ll guarantee their rent,” Caleb offered.

  “Then we have a deal. If they like the place.”

  “I’ll call you and let you know.” Caleb ended the call and started the engine. Those were two places they would go look at today. Two that weren’t being advertised by a real estate agent.

  You’re hoping to impress Elise and Karros. His bear had been sleeping.

  I am. You know how hard it can be to get a decent place to rent in town. If Elise is working at the hotel then she’s going to need to be close by. Her hours will be long, and she can’t afford to be late, you know how Ivan hates tardiness.

  And then there are the areas of town they need to avoid. Not everyone would welcome a fae as a neighbor. Especially if the residents are shifters.

  That’s why I thought Wilf’s house might be the best idea. However, the apartments Jeremy told us about are very nice, with great views over the ocean.

  He drove toward the beach, where he’d arranged to meet Elise and Karros. As he parked the truck, his stomach flipped with nerves. What if he blew this? What if Karros tried to persuade Elise to leave Wishing Moon Bay and her dreams behind just to spite Caleb? It would be one way to get revenge for losing the woman he loved.

  Caleb parked the truck. As he switched off the engine, he was suddenly alert to the feeling he’d experienced this morning. His mate was close by.

  He closed his eyes and let his shifter senses roam free until he pinpointed his mate among the dozen or so people on the beach. It was as if they were connected.

  We are connected, his bear reminded him. We’re connected by the shifter bond. We’re connected by fate.

  Caleb only hoped that connection was strong enough to keep his mate by his side.

  Chapter Five – Elise