Her Fate

by Davenport, Fiona

  The wheels started turning in my head. “That just might work, except for the chef.”

  “You’re a genius when it comes to opening restaurants. I’m sure you’d be able to find a highly qualified shifter who would be interested in joining our pack,” Tane pointed out before leading his mate outside so they wouldn’t be late for their reservation. When they returned a few hours later, I was still thinking about what they’d suggested.

  9

  Damon

  Ever since we babysat for Tane and Calliope, Trinity had seemed distracted. She hadn’t brought up the idea of opening a restaurant, but I was selfishly hoping that was because she was seriously considering it. She also hadn’t mentioned her boss’s looming deadline for returning to New York if she wanted to keep her job. With so many details about our future up in the air, my wolf was feeling even more territorial. My human side, too.

  Pressing her curvy body into the mattress, I licked over my mating mark and ground my hips against hers. She twined her arms around my neck and hummed. “I love your idea of a wake-up call.”

  “And I fucking love waking up to your curvy body pressed against mine.” I nibbled along her jawline and glided my palms up her body to cup her tits. “It doesn’t matter if I had you only a few hours ago. My cock is always ready to sink deep inside your tight heat before my eyes even open.”

  “What a lucky coincidence.” She lowered her arms to rake her nails down my back. “Because I’m more than ready to feel you moving inside me again.”

  My cock was already rock hard, and her request made it feel heavier. We hadn’t put any clothes on after the last time we’d had sex, so there weren’t any barriers between us. I took possession of her mouth, kissing her hard over and over again. She was mine. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  Dropping my hand to her breast, I cupped the soft weight as I rolled her nipple between my finger and thumb. The peak instantly pebbled, and she arched her back to press more firmly into my touch. When I sucked her tit into my mouth, the breath hissed out of her. “You taste so damn good.”

  “Please,” she gasped, twining her fingers in my hair.

  I worked first one side and then the other, using my teeth, tongue, and lips to drive her to the edge. Her pleas echoed around the room as I kissed down the length of her body. Pulling her thighs apart with my hands, I inhaled the scent of her desire. “So fucking sweet.”

  After wedging my shoulders between her thighs, I draped her legs over my arms. Then I bent my head and plunged my tongue deep. Her taste was addictive, and I couldn’t suck her desire out of her fast enough with my tongue. Holding my mate still while I devoured her, I brought her over the edge twice before I lifted my head to crawl back up her body. I pushed the head of my cock into her drenched channel and demanded, “Give me your eyes, kitten. I want to see your gorgeous brown eyes when you fly apart for me again while your pussy milks the come from my cock.”

  My blood pounded with need as her lids drifted open. Her dark orbs were clouded with desire. Now that she’d given me what I wanted, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I surged in with a brutal thrust, anchoring myself balls deep. Feeling the tell-tale tingle at the base of my spine, I held still while I tried to regain some of my shredded control. But my mate didn’t care how close I already was to the edge. Her nails dug into my back as she wiggled her hips. “Please. I need you to move. Now.”

  I began to move inside her, groaning as my cock dragged against her tight walls. The fiery clutch was almost more than I could bear, but I refused to find my release before her. I kept a relentless pace, watching her face the entire time. I saw the tension build, the helpless need in her gaze matching what I felt. I loved how her eyes glazed over as she got closer. How the squeeze of her pussy around my hard length became tighter.

  Her hips lifted off the mattress to meet mine, thrust for thrust, as I buried myself as deep as I could go. When the inferno between us burned as bright as possible, I slid my hand between our bodies and pressed my thumb against her clit. Her lips parted on a gasp, and I felt her pussy clamp down around me. “That’s right, kitten. Come hard for me.”

  “Oh, yes. Damon. Yes,” she cried.

  I slammed into her again and felt her body tighten to the point where I had to fight to get back inside. But I didn’t stop moving until her body went taut, and she screamed. Her orgasm finally tore through her, and it took me along with her. My cock jerked, and she shuddered when my hot jets of come splashed against her walls. I buried my face in her neck as the ripples continued, and I rode us through our powerful releases.

  As I collapsed onto the mattress and rolled onto my back, I pulled my mate with me. When I had her settled on my chest, her body sprawled on top of mine, I sent up a prayer that my seed filled her womb, and I’d be able to scent her pregnancy soon.

  “I hate that it took me this long to find you.” I rested my forehead against hers. “If we’d just bumped into each other during one of your brief visits before, there wouldn’t have been so many wasted years. Who knows how many pups we would’ve already had by now?”

  She stroked her fingers through my hair, her dark eyes full of regret. “I’m sorry my bias against Timber Ridge kept me from staying longer than a day on the rare times I came. If I’d been around more, I’m sure we would have met before now.”

  The last thing I wanted was for her to feel guilty over decisions she’d made due to the pain she’d felt when her brother chose to join our pack. Cupping her cheeks with my palms, I claimed her lips in a deep kiss before whispering, “It’s not your fault, kitten.”

  “But if I’d only—”

  I cut off her argument with another kiss. “We’re not going to play the what-if game. The past doesn’t matter. Only the many years we get to spend together.”

  She relaxed against me as the tension drained from her body. “Thank goodness for those shifter genes, huh?”

  I’d never been happier about how long shifters lived than when I found Trinity. Before her, I’d expected my years to be filled with loneliness. But she’d transformed my future into something wonderful, no matter where we lived. “How would you feel about driving my truck out to New York so we could bring some of my stuff with me? And then I wouldn’t have to worry about exploring the area while you’re working.”

  Her head jerked up, and she stared at me with wide eyes. “Would you really move to New York City with me?”

  “Of course, I would.” I brushed my lips over hers. “Towns are just a place to live, but where we are doesn’t really matter to me. My home is with you, Trinity.”

  The smile she flashed me was blinding. “You’re absolutely right. Which is why I think we should just make a short visit to New York so I can quit my job in person. And when we come back to Timber Ridge, I’ll get to work on opening up my very own restaurant. I already have the perfect chef in mind who will be excited to design a farm-to-table menu that will also include rare, hard-to-find proteins that shifters will appreciate.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” The blood started to pump harder through my veins at the possibility that my gorgeous mate was willing to leave her big city life behind for me.

  “I’m one hundred percent certain.” She toyed with the hair at the back of my neck, her expression going soft. “You’ve changed my perspective of Timber Ridge. I love you, and you love it here.”

  “I love you so fucking much, kitten.” It felt as though the admission was torn from deep inside my soul.

  Her smile turned wicked. “How about you show me exactly how much?”

  I might have just taken her, but I wasn’t going to turn down an offer like that. I was always more than ready to give my mate as many orgasms as she could handle. And maybe we’d get lucky this time around, and she’d end up pregnant with my pup.

  Epilogue

  Trinity

  Butterflies swirled in my belly as I looked around the restaurant, searching for anything that needed a last-minute adjustment.


  “Stop overthinking, kitten,” Damon whispered in my ear as he slid his arms around my waist, resting his hands on my very prominent belly. “Everything is perfect.”

  He was right, but I couldn’t help it when the combination of my nerves and perfectionist tendencies were putting me on edge. Tonight was opening night for my restaurant, and despite my years of experience and reputation in the field, I was terrified of failing. Plus, I didn’t want to let anyone in the pack down.

  To my surprise, it hadn’t taken long after Damon and I mated for me to feel at home in Timber Ridge. I’d already been close with Calliope, but her two best friends had embraced me, and they were just as much my family as my sister-in-law. They, as well as many others in town, had helped enormously when I decided to open Timber Treasures. Now it was time to prove that their efforts had been worth it.

  “Time to stop procrastinating.”

  Damon and I both turned to see Peppa, the chef I’d lured here from a five-star restaurant in Chicago, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. The lion shifter’s hands were propped on her hips, and her expression was filled with exasperation. “My kitchen is running like a well-oiled machine, and my staff is itching to start creating perfection.”

  I had no doubt that what she said was true. Peppa had brought most of her kitchen staff with her, and I’d been amazed at their cohesiveness. They adored and respected the chef, following her orders to the letter and clearly enjoying themselves in the process.

  Calliope had walked into the room in time to hear Peppa, and she giggled when the chef huffed and marched back into the kitchen. “The place looks amazing, Trinity,” my sister-in-law gushed as she faced me.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Tane added as he came to stand beside his mate, placing a protective hand over her stomach, which was nearly as big as mine. Despite being four weeks behind her, I was larger because I was carrying twins. Little Drey—I’d given Calliope veto power over the names, but it turned out she loved my first choice—was due to arrive any day. Damon hadn’t wasted any time knocking me up. I was pretty sure it had happened in the first week or two that we’d been together. Calliope and I were both excited that Drey would be so close in age to Greenlee and Nyx. With the tendency for twins to come early, we couldn’t even predict who would be older.

  Damon rubbed my belly, and one of the babies kicked, clearly recognizing their daddy. “Time for you to sit down and relax, kitten. Trust the people you hired to do their job.” His tone was firm, and I knew he wouldn’t budge on forcing me to rest since we’d made a deal. When I found out I was pregnant, I’d already outlined a plan for opening my restaurant within six months. At first, Damon wanted me to put off the project until after the baby—we hadn’t known there were two yet—was born. In order to get him to relent, I’d promised to take it easy during the last couple of months. He’d come to know me well enough to know that I wasn’t the sit back and watch type of woman. But it hadn’t been a hard promise to make because I would never do anything to put our sweet babies in jeopardy. So I let him guide me over to the smaller of our two party rooms, which had glass walls separating them from the main dining area, where I could still oversee the action.

  My parents, Tabara, my nieces and nephew, Damon’s parents, Allegra, and Larissa—with their mates and kids—were already gathered in the space. Cason had been feeling out of sorts and had taken off to spend a month or so with some friends, but he’d promised to be home by opening night. It looked as though he was running late, but I had no doubt he’d be here.

  Damon helped me lower down into a chair facing the glass, and I chewed my lip as patrons were seated. My stomach squeezed with nerves, and the babies shifted restlessly. I placed a palm over their resting place and rubbed soothing circles. When I felt the same sensation three times more, at fairly even intervals, I gasped. These were different than anything I’d experienced, even the Braxton Hicks contractions.

  “What is it, kitten?” Damon swiftly vacated the chair at my side and fell to his knees in front of me. “Are you alright?” He watched me with concern as he placed his hand on top of mine.

  “Ummm…” I really didn’t want to admit that I was pretty certain I was in labor. It would be hours before I was ready to give birth, and I wanted to spend the time at Timber Treasures rather than in a hospital room.

  But my body betrayed me. When my stomach tightened again, Damon’s eyes narrowed. “Kitten,” he growled.

  I threw my hands up in the air and huffed, “Fine! I’m in labor. But I want to stay here and —”

  It wasn’t worth continuing the protest when he scooped me into his arms and stalked to the door. The look on his face suggested he wasn’t open to changing his course.

  Though I would never admit it out loud—despite the fact Damon’s and my connection was clear enough that he knew I was thinking it anyway—he’d been right to rush us to the hospital. I gave birth to Greenlee and Nyx less than an hour after we arrived.

  Our parents and siblings, including Cason, who’d finally made it back, came in to see our precious little ones before leaving me to rest and promising to be back in the morning.

  We had a parade of visitors the next day, including Peppa, who informed me that opening night had been a smash. She was holding Nyx in her arms when the door banged open, and Cason stalked into the room, looking around wildly until his eyes landed on Peppa.

  * * *

  Cason

  I’d been feeling at odds with my wolf for a couple of months, and the only explanation I could come up with was that I needed to get away from all the mated pairs who reminded me that I was alone and cursed. I was happy for my friends, and especially my brother and his adorable mate, but the desolation was suffocating me.

  I had taken off to visit some single friends who lived a more primitive lifestyle out in the wilderness. It had been a relief to get away from my troubles, and I would have stayed longer if I hadn’t promised my sister-in-law that I would be back for the opening of her restaurant. It turned out to be doubly good that I’d returned because Trinity had gone into labor about ten minutes before I arrived at the restaurant. I’d immediately turned the car around and drove straight to the hospital, where I was shocked to only wait an hour and a half before being allowed back to meet my new niece and nephew.

  After a restless night, I was grouchy from lack of sleep, but I drank a few cups of coffee as I got ready and met my parents in the waiting room of the maternity ward. The minute I stepped off the elevator, I felt my entire body freeze and go up in flames at the same moment. I inhaled deeply, pulling in the most delicious and desirable scent I’d ever smelled. My wolf went on high alert before ramming into me, demanding to be let out.

  Fuck. I couldn’t believe it. I almost chalked it up to my imagination, except there was no denying the hard on I was now sporting. Even when I dreamed of a mate, I’d never experienced the physical reactions to lust. The only explanation was that my mate had been in this room a short time ago. My wolf obviously agreed, and I was having a difficult time containing him. He wanted to get to our mate. Now.

  “Cason?” my mom called out as she walked toward me with a worried expression.

  I shook my head, the overwhelming sensations of lust, relief, and joy making it hard for me to force more than one word from my lips. “Mate.”

  My mom clapped and bounced on her toes like a kid in a candy store as a giant smile broke out on her face. “Well, go get her, son. What are you waiting for?”

  Her words snapped me back to reality, and I focused on following my mate’s scent. I went through the doors to the hallway where the recovery rooms were, ignoring the nurses' protests. I had a single focus, and I was desperate to find the source of my desire. To my shock, the smell was strongest when I reached the door to Trinity’s room.

  I shoved it open and stomped into the room, frantically searching for my prey. Finally, I spotted her. Long, wavy hair framed a round face, the dozens of shades of blond creating a halo eff
ect with the sunlight pouring in from the window behind her.

  She was watching me with wide, golden eyes, her plush lips forming a little O. I was enraptured by her face, but when she shifted her position, adjusting a bundle in her arms, I dropped my gaze.

  My nephew was snuggled into her tits, and for a moment, I was jealous of the kid. But the most pressing feelings bombarding me came from how fucking amazing my mate looked with a baby in her arms. My wolf huffed with approval, completely on board with the plan forming in my mind.

  I prowled over to her and gently took the baby.

  “Hey,” my mate protested as a protective scowl formed on her face like a fierce little lioness. She reached for Nyx, but before she could take him back, I turned and transferred him to Trinity’s arms.

  Though my mate tried to hide it, her mouth drooped into an adorable pout. “I wasn’t done holding him.” She cast a look of longing toward the baby, and a smug smile curved my lips.

  “Don’t worry, mate, you’ll have your own cub to hold soon enough.”

  Epilogue

  Damon

  “That’s it, kitten, purr for me,” I growled before swiping my tongue up my mate’s delicious pussy. She was so sensitive down there, it barely took a few licks and a suck of her clit to set her off. But I was addicted to her taste, so I usually pushed her to a second release to continue eating my favorite snack.

  “Damon, I can’t—” She broke off and hummed with satisfaction, the purr sounding so much like her cat when my wolf took her.