His surprise was understandable since I’d given away every single carving I’d made over the years. I whittled because it relaxed me, not for any emotional attachment to my pieces. Once they were done, I was ready to hand them off and get to work on something new. But not this time. The thought of anyone other than me owning the tiger I was creating pissed me the fuck off. “Yup.”
“Huh.” He craned his neck, trying to get a better look at the carving clenched in my fist. “That doesn’t sound like you at all. Why are you keeping that one?”
“Because I want it.” I didn’t have a better answer for him since I didn’t have a clue what was different about this piece.
Cason quirked a brow before standing up and walking over to the trash can to toss out the cans he had crushed. “Alrighty then. Now that you’ve cleared that up for me, I guess I’ll leave you to your whittling. Maybe you’ll be a little less touchy about your carving once it’s done.”
“Sorry,” I grumbled, loosening my hold on the partially completed tiger to set it on the table. Now that my brother wasn’t sitting across from me, my wolf relaxed a little over his proximity to the carving. I needed to get the damn thing done soon, and then maybe I could figure out why it was so fucking different from all the other pieces I’d done.
3
Trinity
As I headed toward the car rental area in the airport, I sent a quick text to my sister to let her know my plane had landed. I didn’t make it much farther before her ringtone sounded from my cell phone. “Hey, Tab.”
“How was the flight?”
I sidestepped around a family with two kids who were barely moving before answering, “Longer than it should have been, stinky, and loud.”
“See, springing for a first class seat was worth the cost,” she boasted.
I wasn’t a big fan of being trapped in small spaces with hundreds of strangers, so I tried to avoid flying when I could. But I didn’t have much of a choice for this trip since I hadn’t been able to leave the city early enough to drive all the way to Timber Ridge. Riggs had been understanding about me using some of my vacation days, but he’d still expected me to take care of a bunch of stuff before I headed out of town. When I’d complained to my sister about the flight, she’d talked me into paying the upgrade fee so I’d be more comfortable. “It’s a good thing I listen to you sometimes. You have no idea how happy I am that I forked over that extra cash.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse.” I shuddered at the memory of the baby who’d cried for an hour straight. Luckily, I’d brought my noise-canceling headphones with me, and the family had been seated farther back in the economy section. “I’d be way more irritable if my seat had been smaller and the flight attendant hadn’t brought me free beer before we even pulled away from the gate.”
Tabara laughed, making me grumble under my breath. My annoyance only made her crack up more, and she didn’t pull herself together enough to speak until I’d made it to the back of the line at the car rental counter. “I’m surprised they had a brand you were willing to drink. You’re such a beer snob.”
“That’s fair.” My lips curved up in a small grin. “I was shocked when she told me that their options included Fat Tire Belgian White and a Sam Adams seasonal.”
“If I was placing money on it, I’d bet that you just had to try both,” she guessed.
“You know me well,” I murmured as the line slowly moved forward.
“I do, which is why I called to check on you,” she admitted softly. “What with being stuck on a plane for a couple of hours to visit your favorite place in the world.”
I stretched my neck to the right and then the left, trying to work out the kinks in my muscles. “I might as well be headed to Timbuktu.”
“Nah, Timbuktu is way bigger than Timber Ridge,” she disagreed with another laugh. “There are more than fifty thousand people who live there, but our little brother’s hometown is what...maybe a quarter of that?”
I rolled my suitcase in front of me and released the handle. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I thought about all of the things I would miss during this trip. “Not even.”
“You could’ve said ‘no’ when Tane asked you to go babysit the kids,” she reminded me.
“True,” I conceded as I shuffled forward again. “But he made me an offer that was nearly impossible to refuse.”
She snorted in disbelief. “You’re making our baby brother sound like a mafia boss or something.”
“As if.” It didn’t matter how much bigger than us Tane had gotten, Tab and I would always remember him toddling after us when we were younger.
“Right?” I could practically hear her eyes roll as she complained, “I still can’t believe you get to name our newest nephew or niece. It’s so unfair that I couldn’t go out there instead.”
My lips curved up in another grin, but this one was a little mischievous. “Aww, poor Tab. Your career got in the way of this opportunity, and now you’ll have to concede favorite aunt status to me.”
Tabara was a costume designer and in the middle of production for a new show, so she couldn’t get away from the city. But we both knew that she would’ve been the one headed to Timber Ridge to help out with the kids if it had been possible since she didn’t resent our brother’s pack as much as I did. “I never thought I’d come to regret working on the biggest show of my career, but this is definitely making me think twice about how many hours I’m spending slaving over the costumes for this one.”
“I’m sure all of your hard work will be worth it.” I was proud of everything my big sister had accomplished, especially the Tony Award she’d received last year for the iconic looks she’d come up with for a musical that had instantly become a smash hit. She was one of the most sought-after costume designers working on Broadway. Between her innovative designs and killer work ethic, she received a continuous flow of offers from the best producers. “You’re freaking amazing, and they’re lucky to have nabbed you for that show, no matter how big it is.”
“Thanks, Trin.” She heaved a deep and dramatic sigh. “But I hate that I’m missing out on seeing the kids.”
“I’m sure that’s the only thing you that’s giving you FOMO,” I drawled, shaking my head.
“Okay, maybe I’m a little more upset about losing out on the chance to name the baby.”
Her soft admission made me grin. “Uh-huh.”
“C’mon, have pity on your poor big sis,” she wheedled. “The very least you could do is promise to let me help you brainstorm names. I’m the creative one, so I’ll come up with some awesome options for you to consider.”
I grinned as I finally reached the front of the line. “I guess I can consider your oh-so helpful offer, since you asked so nicely.”
“Or if it’s a girl, you could just pick Tabara.”
Her suggestion didn’t surprise me since she’d already tried to talk Tane into naming one of the girls after her. Not that I could be upset with her for it since I had too. “Sorry, sis. If Calliope is carrying another baby girl and I decided to use one of our names, it would be mine.”
“I should’ve known you’d take advantage of the situation like that, even though it’ll be weird for one of Tane’s daughters to be named after you when I’m the oldest,” she grumbled.
I barely stifled my laughter at her irritation. Pushing her buttons was a lot of fun, but I didn’t want to rub this in too much since I would have been feeling envious if our roles were reversed. “Shouldn’t you be too busy on your sewing machine to bother me?”
Tabara’s career involved a heck of a lot more than just sewing, so I knew my little jab would distract her. “Geesh, you’re awfully cranky today.”
One of the car rental agency representatives gestured in my direction, giving me the perfect excuse to end the call. “Sorry, Tab. I’ve got to run so they don’t give my car away to someone else. Talk to you later.”
I walked over to the counter after disconnecting the call an
d was incredibly frustrated when I left with keys in my hand. I’d only been joking when I told my sister that they might give my car away, but the agency had somehow overbooked the vehicle class I’d reserved, so that was exactly what had happened. I’d been looking forward to putting the top down on the convertible for my two-hour drive to Timber Ridge, but I was stuck with rolling the windows down on an economy car instead. By the time I was pulling into the rinky-dink town where my brother lived, my crankiness level was at an all-time high. Jabbing my finger against the screen of my cell phone, I called my brother and switched it to speaker before he answered. “Are you close?”
I switched over to the map on my cell to check my estimated time of arrival. “I should be at your house in about five minutes.”
“Try not to sound so happy to be here. I don’t think I can handle all the love you’re sending my way.”
“I’d be careful if I were you. If you give me too much of a hard time, I’ll turn this car around and drive straight back to New York.” The second he saw me pull into their driveway, Tane would realize that I was bluffing since there was no way I’d ever drive this car that far. But he had no way of knowing that yet, so at least I could tease him about it until I got there.
“You can’t do that,” he growled. “The kids would never forgive you for it.”
“Hmm”—my lips curved up in a grin that bled into my tone—“are you sure it’s your children that you’re worried about me disappointing? Or are you pissed about the possibility of losing your alone time with Calliope?”
He sighed, his frustration palpable through the line. “When you’re mated, you’ll get where I’m coming from.”
“I don’t see that happening anytime soon, so I guess I’ll just have to pretend to understand.” I drove past the small downtown area, where most of the lights in the storefronts were already turned off even though it was only early evening. As a night owl, it wasn’t a welcome sight. One of the great things about living in New York City was that a ton of places stayed open late, some even around the clock. Not that it really mattered for this trip since I couldn’t leave the kids home alone to do some late-night shopping. “As long as you keep in mind that you owe me big for helping you out. I’m not sure that naming rights for the newest baby is going to be enough to pay me back for staying somewhere without a decent restaurant.”
4
Damon
“Dude. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Cason slammed the pan he’d just finished rinsing into the dishwasher. Leaning his hip against the counter, he folded his arms over his chest while he glared at me.
My wolf pushed against my skin, pushing hard to be let out. “I’m not sure.”
“Something has to have gotten you all worked up.” He tapped the toe of his boot on the floor. “You were fidgety while we ate and almost bit my head off more than once over nothing.”
“Sorry, man.” I stood and paced the length of the kitchen.
He shook his head. “I’m not looking for an apology. I just want to know what’s got you all worked up, and I’m not buying that you don’t have a clue about what’s going on.”
Sometimes, the fact that my brother knew me so well sucked because it was almost impossible to hide shit from him. “I was telling you the truth. I don’t know why my wolf is on edge. I’ve never had a problem keeping him under control, but for the past couple of hours, he’s been pushing me nearly to my limit.”
“Really?” He tilted his head to the side, a wrinkle popping up in his brow. “That’s damn unusual for you.”
“Yup.” My wolf pushed to get out again, and I clenched my fists as I pushed him back down.
My brother’s gaze drifted down to my hands, and his wolf flashed in his dark orbs when he saw how white my knuckles were. “Maybe you should give him what he wants. Go for a run or something.”
I considered his suggestion before shaking my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If I give him free rein, I’m not sure I can hold him in check. The last thing our pack needs is for my beast to draw the wrong kind of attention if he does something stupid.”
“Yeah, Kace may have forgiven us for being idiots back when he met Larissa, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t kick your ass if your wolf fucked up,” Cason agreed.
I cringed at the reminder of how we’d first reacted to our alpha’s human mate. My brother and I had still been reeling from Aaron going lone wolf after he’d been rejected by the only woman he could ever love. The wound had been too fresh for us to think clearly. When a young female member of our pack who’d looked up to our brother had tried to turn our pack against Larissa, we’d said some stupid shit before we’d come to our senses. Cason and I were damn lucky that Kace had been willing to forgive us for being dumb asses. His ability to empathize with what we’d been going through—even while experiencing the early stages of his mating, which messed with any shifter’s ability to think clearly—was one of the many things that made him such a great alpha. “So we’re in agreement; letting my wolf out right now isn't an option.”
“Yeah.” Cason scrubbed his hands over his face before leaning his head back to stare up at the ceiling. When I walked past him to put the leftovers in the fridge, he patted my shoulder. His touch was meant to be supportive, but I barely held back from flinging his arm away. A deep growl rumbled up my chest, and every muscle in my body tensed up as I fought my wolf for control. My brother stepped back and held his hands up in surrender. “Shit, you weren’t joking when you said you’re on edge.”
“Not even a little bit,” I gritted out before taking a deep breath. I’d expected it to help relax me, but as I dragged air into my lungs, my wolf gave another hard push for freedom. “Something’s very wrong with me, Cason.”
“Then there’s only one thing to do.” He pushed off the counter and headed toward the kitchen door, pausing to look at me over his shoulder and gesture ahead of him. “Let’s go to Kace’s house to see if he has any ideas about what’s going on with your wolf.”
His suggestion made sense. Our alpha was the only person who’d be able to keep my wolf contained if he was able to break my control. “Good call.”
“You never know. Maybe being outside will do your wolf some good,” my brother added after I passed him, and he followed me through our house.
Cason couldn’t have been more wrong. My wolf went crazy when we stepped on the front porch. I caught the faintest trace of a scent that made my heart race. “Not fucking likely.”
He stuck close to me while we walked down the street but remained silent, which was a good thing because I wasn’t sure I could speak. It took every bit of my concentration to keep my human form as we made our way to the street where our alpha lived. My wolf was frantic to get out by the time we were in front of Tane’s. I didn’t recognize the car parked in his driveway, but something about it made me stop. The license plate holder marked the vehicle as a rental, and I recalled Tane saying something about one of his sisters coming to watch his kids while he and Calliope took a trip to celebrate their anniversary.
“You okay?”
Cason’s question pulled me from my visual inspection of the car. “No.”
“Is your wolf unhappy about having another tiger in town?” He jerked his thumb toward the front door of Tane’s house. “Maybe he’s feeling protective because he senses Trinity’s dislike for our pack or something?”
“Trinity?” I echoed softly, my wolf perking up at the name.
“Yeah, she’s Tane’s other sister. The one who almost never visits because she blames us for him leaving New York,” he explained.
My wolf’s attention shifted from the car to my brother, and he wasn’t happy that Cason seemed to know her when I didn’t. “Have you met her?”
“Yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “I bumped into her at the hospital after Rush was born. It’s one of the rare times she’s come to Timber Ridge.”
I took a deep breath, and the scent that had been teasing my nostrils while w
e walked became stronger. The reason behind my wolf’s attempts at breaking through my skin finally became clear. My mate was close.
Shifting my gaze to the house, I stalked away from the car. I didn’t stop when Cason called, “Where are you going? Kace’s house is the other way.”
I ignored him as I stormed up the steps and pounded on the front door. With my wolf at full attention, my senses were in hyperdrive. I heard Tane mutter something about motherfuckers waking up his babies as he stomped over to open the door.
“Where is she?” I demanded, pushing past him into the house. My mate’s scent was stronger here. For the first time in my life, desire coursed through my veins. As I dragged her fragrance deep into my lungs, my cock hardened and pushed against my zipper.
Tane grabbed my shoulder, twisting me around until I was facing him again. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Where. Is. She?” Being this close to my mate pushed me to the edge of my control, and I had to force the words out.
Before he could answer, Calliope and another woman rushed into the foyer. My gaze focused on the brunette at Tane’s mate’s side. She was fucking gorgeous with her long dark hair flowing down her back. Her brown eyes were wide, a startling contrast to her pale skin. Even though she must have spent the day traveling, her expertly applied makeup still enhanced her beauty. Her lips were painted red and formed a perfect O. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her.
“I know you aren’t talking about my sister, Damon,” Tane snarled. “She’s just here watching the kids while Calliope and I take a brief trip. Then she’s leaving.”
No fucking way was that ever going to happen. Not unless I left with her. “Like hell.”
“Who do you think you are?” My beautiful mate’s eyes practically sparked with indignation, and it only made my cock harder. I fucking loved how fierce she was, but I didn’t like how high her walls against me seemed to be.
Her Fate Page 2