‘Do you believe in fate?’
My belly warmed at his voice inside my head, an intimate thing reserved for only the closest bonds. I noticed him looking at me with a side glance, eyes trailing up and down my body.
I mulled over his words. I liked the idea of fate. Of mates that were destined to be together, but I also wanted to be in control of my reality. I didn’t want to feel helpless for my future, thinking everything was written for me.
‘Yes and no,’I told him.
He stopped, dropping my hand, and faced me. My long dark hair was down, splayed out around my shoulders and I was suddenly very aware of the lack of clothing both of us had on.
“I think that no matter what, I was meant to find you. Whether I was adopted or not, we would have ended up together, eventually.” He paused and I felt his nerves through the matebond. “I think you’re my destiny.”
My breath hitched at his words and he took two steps closer to me, closing the gap between us. My eyes fell on his soft, full lips as the words he had said bounced around inside my brain. Destiny. I needed more of him then, not this cautious display we had been doing. At my thought, we crashed into each other. My mouth sought his and when they touched, an explosion of pleasure released in my belly, heated and warm. His arms came around me, pulling me closer with a hunger that I matched. His rock hard body felt so good against my bare skin. Opening my mouth to deepen the kiss, our tongues brushed and a moan escaped me. His hands roamed down my back and to my butt as he lifted me up and I straddled my legs around his waist. Gavin walked a few paces and gently pressed my back against a tree as I continued to kiss him, letting our tongues find a perfect slow pace.
‘Mine,’he said and my inner wolf howled.
‘Mate,’ I replied.
I’d been dreaming of this moment since I first saw him. I wanted more. All social rules and insecurities flew out the window. I wanted to take him right here and now on the forest floor. At that thought, he pulled back, looking into his eyes. I saw so much passion and need. My body ached for him, for more. This was crazy … but felt so normal. Like we had been together for a thousand lifetimes and were just now reconnecting in this one. I made fun of chicks that fell for guys this quickly, and yet here I was … falling.
‘Nahuel is here.’My father’s voice broke our heated display. Shit. I could see from Gavin’s face that my father had sent that to both of us. He took a second to catch his breath and then slowly sat me down, his hand came up to cup my cheek as he placed a sweet kiss on my lips once more.
Smiling, I took his hand as we walked back to the house and I tried not to think about the amazing kiss we just shared and the promise of more.
Nahuel stood talking with my parents on the porch. Behind him, I saw a dusty, red pick-up truck in the driveway and assumed it was his. Huh. I never knew he drove. I assumed he astral traveled or something. Jax came out the door then and tipped his head to me. As Gavin and I drew closer, I noticed Nahuel was covered in ceremonial war paint. Interesting … nerves suddenly clawed at my belly.
Cutting to the point, he looked directly at me and Gavin. “You both need to come with me. We’ll be gone a few days. Pack light. No food.”
My father growled, staring Nahuel down. “I don’t like this! What if they get sick again, go unconscious, get the fever? We need to be there to help them.”
Nahuel sighed, looking tired. “Alpha, when have I ever steered you wrong?”
Something passed between them then because my father looked defeated. My mom rested a hand on my father’s shoulder. “They must go. I’ve seen it.”
My heart stopped. I hadn’t gotten around to interrogating her about that vision yet.
“You’ve seen what?” I stood firm, holding her gaze as she looked up at me.
Staring into her bright blue eyes I suddenly felt grown up. For the first time in my life, I was getting visions, I was finding that I had a life purpose and it looked like mine was very separate from my mother’s.
“I’ve seen you go with Nahuel,” she stated and I could almost smell that she was hiding something.
I tilted my chin up and stared her right in the eyes. “What else?” My voice was much more demanding than I intended and a flash of hurt crossed my mother’s face as she strode over to me.
“Doesn’t matter, baby, the future can change.”
There! In her face,fear. Shit. She’d seen something bad. It took a lot to scare my mother.
Jax cleared his throat. “Good, if the future can change, then I will be going along whether I was in your vision or not.” My brother stood tall and gave off an air of ‘Don’t mess with me.’
Nahuel nodded. “Your path is intertwined with Anya’s.”
Huh. That was easy. Jax looked smug as my father balked. Before they could begin to argue, my mom linked her arm with mine and led me into the house. Feeling her warm skin on mine, I became sad. I felt like I was finally flying the nest and no longer would be seeing her or needing her every day. It was exciting and sad all at the same time. We entered my room and my mother began shoving my clothes into a duffle bag.
“Mom, tell me. What did you see?”
She looked up from the duffle bag and I nearly stumbled back at the yellow eyes and feral expression that she gave me. Her long blonde hair hung in tousled waves framing her face. Striding across the room, she cupped both sides of my face.
“My birth mother had a vision when I was born that I wouldn’t make it to my fifth birthday.” Her voice was strong and didn’t waver. I knew the story, my mom and her twin were hidden away with humans,magikedthe humans to think they were their own biological children. In doing this, it had broken the chain of events that would have led to my mother’s death at age five. But her twin brother still died pulling her from a raging creek. He drowned. I knew then that she wasn’t going to tell me what she saw because she believed I could change it. I also knew with 100% certainty that she saw my death.
