by C. D. Gorri
No. She is our mate. Mine. His Jaguar forced the words into his head. The animal was furious at his human half for believing his own bull shit. He’d been getting harder and harder to control over the past few months, but that wasn’t unexpected.
Approaching thirty was a rough time for unmated male shifters. His Station Master, Rex, a big ass Bear Shifter, had sent him down to the convention after he’d gone a little too far apprehending a lone Warlock who’d been looking to stir up trouble near their base in Virginia.
Take a guy swimming and everyone gets a little antsy around you. Well, in their defense he’d taken the Warlock to the pier in the middle of the night where he’d proceeded to dunk him head first into the water.
Luis avoided the liquid stuff, you know, being a cat and all. He’d tied the guy’s feet with some industrial strength fishing line and hoisted him up over the water by tossing the line over a pole right on the far edge of the dock.
Damn line was strong as fuck. Designed for shark fishing, Luis wasn’t surprised it held the Warlock’s weight though everyone else seemed to be. Fucking sharks were big.
The Warlock, who’d screamed he couldn’t swim repeatedly, also hadn’t known about that. By the time the night ended, Luis had the location to the altar the Warlock had set up with the intention of calling to the Demons who waited on the other side of the veil for an invitation to cross over and run amuck. Dark artifacts bagged and stored, no harm no foul. But did Rex feel that way?
Hell to the no. And here he was, banished to a weekend of conferences with a bunch of stuffed shirts. Well, at least there would be a party tonight. Food, booze, maybe a pretty face or two to pass the time.
Who are you kidding? They mean nothing. He huffed out a breath and walked back through the doors into the hotel lobby. He stilled instantly. The air sizzled around him. What the?
The smell of mangoes and fresh air hit him right in the gut. He stopped dead in his tracks. One foot still in the air. His eyes grew wide. He hadn’t smelled that perfect combination of sunshine and sweetness in years. But how?
Holy. Shit. She’s here! Luis’ dark gaze devoured her from the top of her wild red curls to the soles of her tiny little feet.
Isabella Fuente was still petite, a good foot shorter than he was. The surprise came in the womanly body he did not recognize.
Sleek and lean, she was fit as most Shifters were. Her toned athleticism easy to define, but what had him gasping for air was the ripe roundness of her breasts and hips. Isabella was a woman. And he was fucked.
Well, if he was lucky, anyway. She was more enticing than he’d imagined. And he’d done a lot of imagining. Isabelle Fuente was a Fox. Literally and metaphorically. And she was his. Mine. Roar.
“Hello, Bella,” he said into her ear. He noted the shiver that pulsed through her body before he found himself holding the side of his face.
It was all he could do not to fall right on his ass after her fist smashed right into his cheek. Fuck me!
“What the heck?!” She yipped and turned to face him.
“Mierda! Lo siento. Sorry, Bella, I just wanted to say hello,” Luis rubbed his stinging cheek and eyed her warily.
Her chest rose and fell with the force of her breath, but she gave nothing else away.
No other emotion. He didn’t mean to startle her. Then again, he wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t been aware of him before she went all Oscar De La Hoya on his ass.
He could have sworn he saw her nose twitch in recognition, but that was a split second before she swung that deadly left hook of hers. She’d always been a boxing fan. Damn. What a woman!
Being the smallest Shifter at the finca, Isabella had endured a lot of teasing. Teasing that Luis had helped put an end to when he’d started teaching her to box.
“I should have remembered the left hook,” he smiled, hoping to smooth things over with the easy charm most women found irresistible.
Not Isabella. One look into her cold blue eyes told him charm was not going to work. Fuck.
“How are you, Isabella?”
“Go to hell, Luis.”
She turned her back and walked away from him as if he was nothing to her. He cringed as her red high heels clicked across the tiled floor of the hotel as she made her way clear across the lobby to the elevators. He watched as many male heads turned to watch the sexy Fox Shifter. Roarrr.
He felt himself tense. Was that jealousy? Fuck yeah. Head held high, luscious backside swaying, she pulled her suitcase along, pressed the elevator button, and didn’t look back. Not once.
He didn’t need his Jaguar’s roar in his head to know he was in deep shit this time. Isabella Fuente was here for the convention, he had no doubt. It was as if the universe had given him a gift. One chance to work things out. And hopefully not fuck up. Again.
One thing was certain, Luis was determined to settle things with her before the weekend was through.
Mine!
CHAPTER 2
Of all the men in the world! Por favor! No! Isabella knew in the back of her mind that there was a possibility of running into the last Shifter in the world she’d ever wanted to see, but having to face him the second she arrived? That was one thing she hadn’t counted on.
Luis Fernandez. Just thinking his name was enough to send shivers down her spine. The way he stood there, all lazy elegance and sex refined, made her mouth water. It wasn’t fair! After all these years, to have him turn her insides to mush with barely a whispered hello?
No. NO. She was not doing this. Despite her months-long communication with Phoebe Bright, a Witch and Junior Station Master assigned to their Virginia branch, the woman who’d convinced her to attend this conference to meet with her about a transfer, Isabella had no intention of tangling with Luis again. Not after last time.
Sure, she had been a child. An innocent teenager in love for the first, and only, time in her life, but that hadn’t made his complete and total rejection of her any easier.
On the contrary, she’d been devastated. Turning to her training, she graduated the finca at the top of her class and had been traveling through Stations across Latin America since then.
She’d inquired about obtaining a more permanent spot at a Station, but the ridiculously chauvinistic world of Zodiac Shifters had left her high and dry.
Until a certain Ms. Bright got in touch. She’d wrangled it so that Isabella would attend the Wardens of Terra Centennial Convention.
Here, they would meet and discuss her permanent transfer to Ms. Bright’s current assignment. The Virginia Station or Station Northeast as it was called, seemed perfect. She just had to make it through the next few days.
Meaning, she had to avoid Luis! Easier said than done. She growled as she walked into her hotel room, slamming the door shut.
Later that night…
The ballroom was dimly lit, but what really astounded her was the thousands of twinkle lights that were set up all around the grounds outside. After spending the afternoon listening to one boring lecture after another, she’d looked forward to tonight’s festivities with eager anticipation.
She’d expected to run into Luis again, but was lucky to have missed him. Lucky or disappointed? Her Fox growled the answer. An answer she didn’t want to hear. Find him. Mate.
No! She shushed her Vixen. She didn’t want to go there. Not ever again. Luis had done enough damage. She was focused on her career now. Isabella would never risk her heart again.
She turned away from the pounding rhythmic music the DJ was playing and escaped through the double doors to the colorful carnival that was spread out across the grass.
“What is this?” She asked no one in particular, taking in the lights and noise with a childlike thrill she hadn’t felt in years.
“The Heralds decided a real celebration was warranted given we have been called back into action,” the deep voice was familiar and yet foreign.
As a teenager, Luis Fernandez had been heartbreakingly handsome, as an adult, he was devas
tating. The timbre of his voice was rich and deep, his accent all but gone since his departure from Ecuador.
She’d been a Shifter long enough to know they picked up and dropped accents easily with their acute hearing. Also, as part of their training, Wardens had all but mastered the art of assimilation.
Still. She hadn’t been talking to anyone in particular when she voiced her question. He must have been watching her. The thought left her stomach tightening in response.
She inclined her head, a thanks of sorts, and moved to turn away. The rustle of her skirt loud in the sudden silence between them.
“Isabella, please,” he murmured placing a hand on her bare shoulder. She couldn’t stop the shudder that racked her body. And hated herself for it.
“Luis, we have nothing to say to each other.”
“Isabella, I was just a boy then, let me explain-”
“That is not necessary. I intend to enjoy the carnival before tomorrow’s rounds of conferences, Good evening.”
CHAPTER 3
Luis watched her walk away from him. He grimaced as unexpected pain lanced through his heart. Fuck.
This was the only woman in the world who could wreck him so easily. She always could. He must have sensed that as a boy. Maybe it was why he ran? He watched her with covetous eyes.
She was unapologetically beautiful. Had been as a child, but as a woman her beauty surpassed every one of his expectations. The curve of her back as she swayed in and out of the crowds. She stopped and chatted with a few people.
Wardens he knew or would get the names of as soon as he was done following her! Her smile was still dazzling. He remembered how easily and readily she had smiled as a kid. Her inquisitive nature startled him back then. She’d been so open and honest. Now she was a stranger. Or was she?
His gaze never left her retreating form. The thick mane of her glorious red hair fell down her back in a careless tumble of waves that managed to look artistic, though he knew she’d have done nothing more than wash it before dressing.
Her shiny locks were enticing, begging for his nose to delve in between them and breathe in her scent. Luis practically drooled at the thought of smelling her, everywhere.
He bit his lip, silencing the growl that threatened to slip out. Not wise near so many Shifters. He watched as others looked their fill as she cut a path between vendors and revelers. Back off fuckers!
He closed his eyes and counted to five. Chill out. You’re acting like a caveman. He opened them again and flicked his eyes over the people milling about. Where was she?
He breathed again when he spotted her, walking towards a row of games and miniature tents. This convention was truly a spectacle. The idea of hosting a carnival to celebrate the Wardens’ return was unique if not a little daunting.
Still, through all the lights and noise of the party, Luis could only picture Isabella and her deep blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle. She used to love rides, he wondered if she still did.
He sided up to her and took her hand, ignoring the way she tensed. Without words he pulled her alongside him to a line for some whimsical ride that was bound to spin them until he got sick. He hated spinning.
She raised an auburn eyebrow, but he just smiled. Giving her hand another squeeze and marveling at the zip of recognition that raced through him.
The strapless gown she wore was the color of midnight. The sheer material clung to her sleek curves, revealing the smooth length of her legs through strategically placed slits in the skirt. When they boarded the ride, her legs close to his as they squeezed in beside two other Shifters, Luis draped an arm around her.
Beautiful, tempting, and utterly fascinating to watch, Isabella bit her lip and closed her eyes as they began to spin.
“Ahh!” She screamed in delight. Unable to hold it in as they went faster and faster.
“You always loved rides, Bella,” he whispered into her ear, taking in more of her sweet fragrance.
When the ride ended, she tucked her wild curls back behind her ears and walked away. A nod of thanks was all he got. Not that he deserved more, he told himself.
His Jaguar growled as more heads turned, following her gorgeous figure as she went. Shit. He was helpless to resist. He should leave her alone. Really, he should.
But all he could do was follow in her wake. A slave to her whims. No. I go to watch over her. Marco would expect at least that from me.
He tried telling himself that his actions were selfless, but Shifters didn’t lie. Even to themselves. The taste of it was abhorrent. The truth was simple. He was connected to Isabella and he needed to face the truth.
Luis Fernandez was no stranger to sex or women. He knew the games they played and enjoyed mastering a few of them himself. But he was done with all of that.
His Jaguar and the human side of him were finally in agreement. Something had to change. He’d been seventeen when this glorious creature confessed to him that she believed he was her mate.
Seventeen years old, when his whole world tilted on its axis. He’d been ashamed of his feelings. The desire in his heart for his friend’s little sister. And so, he’d refused her claim.
Seventeen and scared. Dumb as shit too. He’d scolded himself thousands of times since then. And what now of Marco? His best friend. A brother, really.
How could he betray his trust by drooling all over Marco’s little sister like she was catnip?
Fuck if he knew. But one thing was for sure. Luis could no longer ignore the rage of emotions building up inside of him just from being near her.
CHAPTER 4
Isabella felt eyes on her as she walked among the carnival booths. She supposed the Wardens and Heralds had much to celebrate. This was sort of a coming out of retirement party for them, she thought with a silly little grin on her face.
A ride. He took me on a ride. Too bad she couldn’t let herself go and simply enjoy it. Not with him at any rate, and the jerk was stalking her!
As if the constant reminder that he’d found her lacking wasn’t enough. Ugh. She stopped at a booth depicting a large eye and some interesting runes. Ah! A seer!
Isabella pretended not to notice the huge man who stood right behind her. Ignore the fragrance of him, the subtle rasping of his breath, the way heat seemed to radiate off his lithe frame.
“Still looking to have your fortune read, little Bella?”
“Luis, haven’t you noticed there’s a party going on? Why don’t you find some friend to chat with?”
“I have a better idea,” he said and closed his long-fingers over her elbow.
She stilled herself against the shock that came whenever he’d touched her. Years since the frequent occurrence and yet, bam, there it was. The electrifying zap that sent pulsing heat through her veins and moisture to her core.
“Let’s go inside,” his breath tickled her neck as he pulled back the curtain and gestured for her to go in.
“Really, Luis?” but before she could object, he was leading her through the purple velvet curtain by the small of her back.
That tiny part of her that still believed in magic stood awestruck at the decadently decorated tent. She’d expected to see a small, older woman dressed in skirts with gnarled hands and two teeth, much like the one she’d met years ago in Ecuador. The person who greeted them was anything but.
A young woman, in her twenties or so sat behind a table. She had stark white hair that seemed dyed but the fact that there were no dark roots gave Isabella pause.
She wore cut-off jeans that were raggedy around the edges and a Ramones t-shirt. Bright pink ear buds were stuck in her ears and her eyes were closed as she tapped out a drum solo on the wooden table.
Isabella watched as Luis grinned at her. He leaned forward removing one of the earbuds. The woman looked at him from head to toe in a way that made Isabella stand straighter.
“Excuse me,” he said.
“Ahh! Hey! Well, at least you’re cute for an old dude, and she’s a hottie. So, what’s up?”
Silver eyes turned to her and Isabella gasped. She’d never seen anything like this woman.
“Um, hi.”
“You know, you scared the shit out of me pulling out my earbuds like that!” A New York accent met her ears and Isabella grinned. She immediately liked this young woman.
“Forgive us, miss, is your mother or grandmother here?” Luis asked in that gentle tone of his he reserved for children.
Isabella grated her teeth against it. She’d always hated it when he’d used it with her. I’m a woman dammit. Not a child.
“No? Why would they be?”
“Well, we were interested in a reading, but we can come back-”
“Ah, you’re one of those,” the young woman eyed him with a bored expression.
“One of what?”
“You figured, fortuneteller must be some old woman with a kerchief on her head and a long skirt, big crystal ball, yada yada, you know that’s like sexist or something!”
“Uh, no, I apologize, I didn’t mean,” Luis stuttered, and Isabella held back a grin.
“Sit down Luis, have your fortune read,” Isabella gestured towards the chair and he looked at her eyebrows raised.
“I thought you would enjoy this more,” he said.
“And I will enjoy watching you, that is, Miss if you don’t mind?”
“Nah, I don’t hold grudges. Well, slick? What do you say?”
“Okay, I am game.”
“Good, that’ll be fifty. You pay upfront.”
Luis lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow but reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.
“Do you have change?”
“Nope.”
“I didn’t think so,”
“Great, jefe! Let’s get started!”
After the regular deck cutting and shuffling, the young woman with the crazy silver hair and eyes focused on her task. Isabella gasped as the room grew dark except for the table.
It was as if a silvery glow was pouring out of the young fortune teller and touching each one of them. She reached out with her Shifter senses but felt only purity and goodness. The Virgo in her approved and she relaxed.