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Chapter 53
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Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 54
“Oy!”I whirled, stepping away from Ben and nearly stumbling off the sidewalk into the road. “Are you coming?” Ethan said. I felt Ben grip my arm and yank me out of the way, as a nearby car beeped loudly and drove past.“Ow!” I pulled my arm from his. He hadn’t meant to, but he had hit the same bruised spot earlier that Perrin had taken full advantage of. “Watch it!” Ethan yelled, looking both ways before crossing the street. Justin stood silhouetted behind him just outside of the lobby doors. “What are you doing?” Ethan yelled, approaching and taking me in. “Did you hurt her? And who the hell are you?” He looked Ben up and down. Ethan had a few inches on Ben, but Ben didn’t challenge him, nor meet his eyes.I looked from Ben to Ethan. “Ethan, this is Ben. He works at the archive.”“Is it normal archive behavior to hurt you?” He growled.“Calm down,” I said, frustrated. “And that was an accident.”“An accident?” I bore my eyes into his face, willing him to let it go. He seemed to g
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 55
PERRINWhatever type of friendship was blooming between Kira and Ben, I didn’t know. I always had the feeling that they didn’t quite like each other. But when Ben showed up without Kira a few minutes later, I followed after him to the bar.“Coke please,” he said, leaning on the counter. He saw me, then stood up quickly and held his hands up as if in surrender. “Don’t worry. It’s just coke.”I smiled dismissively, eyebrows furrowing. “I’m not here to babysit you. You can handle yourself.” He snorted in acknowledgement, raising his glass in my honor. “Are you feeling better?” I asked. I anticipated that his private moment with Kira had something to do with their shared… situation.“Not really,” he replied sourly. “Speaking of, where is Kira?” I looked around.His face contorted into a sneer. “Damned if I know.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, stepping towards him. He didn’t back away, but it was as if something inside him snapped and he realized the tone he used with me.“She…
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 56
Perrin“Keep us posted if you see either of them.” Mark instructed. Janas nodded, then disappeared into the crowd. It seemed to grow and swell with each passing moment. How many people had Salindra and Nael invited to this thing? How many people did Salindra still know here? How could this party be so big to the point where people were standing nearly shoulder to shoulder? Minutes passed, and I continued to feel uncomfortable. Warm. And slightly lightheaded. I got another water. “Do you really think he’d have the balls to plan a meeting during his own party?” I asked under my breath.Mark’s head had been non stop swiveling like a bobblehead doll. “Stupid is as stuipd does.”But just then, a booming voice called over the microphone. Nael’s voice echoed through the speakers. “Ladies and gentleman!” “Guess that was a fool’s errand,” I said to Mark, eyes not seeing Janas anywhere. But Mark’s eyes were on Salindra, who had appeared with Nael on a small platform at the far end of the bal
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 57
PerrinThe lobby was packed with people.I held Lo’s hand gently in mind as I wound our way past the hotel guests, snaking through the crowd that seemed to be taking a break from the ballroom and dancing. “Seriously, why are there so many people?” I muttered, gently tugging Lo behind me. The last place I wanted to be was surrounded by so many people; inundated by so many scents that weren’t her.“Leila?”I stopped dead, but Lo apparently didn’t want to have anything to do with her mother, pulling up to my side and then ahead of me, yanking my hand. How they got out here; away from the dancing so quickly was beyond me. “Leila!” We weren’t moving fast enough. I watched Lo’s shoulders slump as she turend to face her mother. Salindra’s arm was looped through Nael’s arm. Lo tensed, the passion that had lit a fire in her eyes just moments before now extinguished to a dull simmer. “Hello, mother.”Salindra walked forward and grabbed Lo’s shoulders with her hands, gently kissing each of he
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 58
Lo“Where are we going?”“My room.” His tone was all business. Perrin’s large frame navigated through the busy pack lobby. I guess we weren’t the only ones to leave the engagement party early.Engagement party? No. Full-blown circus act.But the last thing I wanted to–or could think about–was my mother right now. Perrin was with me. Finally. And this was all I wanted. My heart had been hammering non-stop from the second I showed up at the pack house to discover where he had gone; my daydream of our reunion shifting quickly to involve way too many people.But there he had been, eyes shining and mirroring the relief that I felt, appearing before me in the middle of the dance floor like our bond had summoned him to my side. It was as though nobody else had been there; no crowd to navigate or people between us. He seemed taller than I remembered, more handsome in person than over video call, and smelled even more seductive than I could handle. My body started heating at the sheer sight of
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 59
Inside the Archives The beeswax candles flickered on the walls, casting shadows deep into the shelves and stone. “Did anyone see you leave?” asked a voice. “No, I don’t think so,” replied a second voice. “There are too many bodies in that room for anyone to notice, anyway,” mused a third. A chuckle rippled from the first voice. “My new fiancee can be good for something, I guess.” The other two laughed in agreement before the first spoke again. “Is he coming?” “I’m honestly not sure,” said the third. “Most of the Aperture vehicles were all occupied this evening. I’m not sure he could get a ride from the infirmary over here.” The first clicked his tongue in disapproval but nodded. “A car would have been too obvious anyway.” “Is he really going to stay here?” Asked the second. The first smiled, the shadows the candles cast on his face etching deep lines into his face. “He is. I had a chance to speak to him earlier today.” “And will he cooperate?” Pushed the second. The first el
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 60
LoPerrin’s steady breathing tells me that he’s asleep at last; finally full and satisfied to the point where he can relax, reassured that I’m here with him. I shifte every so slightly off of his chest so as not to wake him, noting how deliciously sore I was between my legs.I smile to myself. Worth it.Our bodies had tangled in so many positions that other parts of my body felt sore, too. Nothing broken or bruised, but wholly satisfied. I felt a blush at my cheeks just thinking about last night. The way he moved against me and with me. The bliss he wrought from my body. And how complete I felt when he was within me.I inched out of bed, careful not to jostle the mattress and padded to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind me.Flicking on the light, I took a look in the mirror. My hair was wild and disheveled. My makeup smeared a little under each eye, but not totally horrible. I had stolen Perrin’s dress shirt before he drifted off to sleep, my fatigue from our activities ha
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 61
PerrinThe hours seemed to pass faster than either of us wanted them to.The sunrise had greeted us as she let me worship her body, breaking through the windows as she exploded into pieces the last time. Since then, Lo had fallen asleep. She now slept soundly, tucked in my arm, her breath light and warm on my chest as she dozed. I stroked her hair, caught in my own state of blissful reverie before we broke the spell around us.A baby. Goddess. Lo was pregnant.It was a blessing. A surprise, of course, but a welcome one. Given my history with Jesamine, I had never let myself ponder the idea of having a family of my own. Adopted? Maybe. But Jesamine had put the brakes on that before the wheels ever started to turn. Goddess, that seemed like such a long time ago.But seeing Lo again this past year. Getting to know her. Falling in love with her? It had been easier than falling asleep; slowly, then, before I knew it: all at once.I could sense it now, even swear I could hear the heartbeat
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Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 160
Deidre“How about this?”Mistra shakes her head, the pink dress I’m holding not doing it for her. Of course it wouldn’t. Mistra only wears dark and… darker. Except for the day she came back from vacation. From ‘visiting her son.’ Here. In Texas.“How about this?” This dress is darker, with a slit up to the thigh that should make any she-wolf her age think twice.“Too revealing,” she dismisses it. The hangers clank loudly on the rack as she disapproves of yet another rack of options.“Mistra?” The clacking plastic stills in response. “You wore pink when you came back from Texas. You think I didn’t notice?”A considering pause follows, then, “I was in a different mood, then.”“Oh?”“Yes. It was… the fresh air.”“So logic would dictate the color would suit you now as well, wouldn’t it?”Another pause. “I suppose.”I thrust my arms around the corner of the clothing rack, holding the original pink once again. She grabs it reluctantly and holds it up to her chin in front of a full-length mi
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 159
Perrin The sound of my camera phone clicks and I don’t bother checking it before sending it to Lo. Then I switch shirts, and send another. PERRIN: Blue or green? LO: Either. They each bring out one of your eyes. LO: Goddess you look good. Before I can type a response, a video call from Lo pops up on the screen. I can tell based on the angle of the camera that she’s propped me up against a glass on Dina’s counter in the kitchen. “Hey there, beautiful.” Beautiful doesn’t do her justice, even mid-meal. Her eyes are bright and full of laughter, as if she’d just been joking with Dina. She munches on a carrot stick, grinning. “You know it’s not fair for you to just send me pictures like that.” She lowers her voice. “When you know I really want the other kind of picture.” I laugh, angling the camera so she can see my bare chest. “Gross,” I hear a mutter somewhere off-camera. “I’m not going to be attacked while I’m having lunch, Jack. You can be excused for ten.” “Thank Goddess.” Ja
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 158
Deidre “Fontaine?” I flick through my mental list of scholars. Nothing registers. “Well, if he’s not a medical scientist or researcher, I probably wouldn’t have heard of him.” Mark grunts, throwing his phone down next to his lunch plate. “I’ve got nothing. The internet is supposed to be helpful. All I have are a bunch of university papers and a bunch of research I can’t make heads or tales of.” “Ah yes. My husband’s Beta, ever the academic,” I smile over the brim of my cup. “Quit it,” Jason growls, absorbed in his own phone screen. “Janas is keeping tabs on him, but other than going back to the infirmary, he hasn’t done much apart from call a taxi to take him to a restaurant.” Mark blinks. “A restaurant?” “Yes,” I quip. “The social environment in which people elect to eat and enjoy one another’s company–not that you’ve been to one in the last ten years.” “Seriously?” Jason snaps, head swiveling between Mark and I. “This is the last thing we need.” “A restaurant is not a securit
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 157
Kira The tour was incredibly boring. Ben was professional and polite, wandering at a pace that Lo could keep up with, without getting breathless and being able to contribute to the conversation. It annoyed me how courteous he was. Jack spent most of the tour looking around inconspicuously for all of the cameras, finding their hidden reflective lenses in the niches of wood and leather around the Archives. From what I could tell, he’d found twenty-six of thirty. A flashing, toothy smile catches on another camera. Fine. Twenty-seven. They were just making the far side of the stacks, near the stairway that led down to the pack Archives, when Sirius became incredibly more interested. “And what are these?” He asked pointedly, looking at the stairs and the ropes that separated them off from prying visitors. “Ah. The Royal Archives of the Aperture Pack,” Ben said admiringly. “Home of our pack lineage, royal birth and marriage documents, copies of temple ceremony proceedings, and histori
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 156
Kira I watched through the screen as Lo’s baby bump proceeded the rest of her into the frame, extending her hand to greet Ben’s. It was more formal than I’d ever seen either of them interact; but I recognized the show. It was all about appearances. Impressing this scholar. A moment later Sirius eased into the frame, his height nearly blocking out all of Lo except her belly, his own graceful hand extending to capture Ben’s as they exchanged greetings. “Good morning, Professor–?” Ben opened warmly. Smooth. And good. Since I still had no idea what this guy’s last name has to do a thorough background check. I looked at my legal pad, tapping my pen on the blank page. Mark was clear with his instructions, and so far I wasn’t doing very well. “Oh! Just Sirius, please. No need for formalities.” Lo stepped out from behind Sirius, her face beaming with that pregnant glow of hers, despite the gray-scale of the monitor. “Sirius, this is Benjamin, the scholar and historian I was telling you
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 155
Kira Janas walked me through my controls. Eight screens, two keyboards, something that looked like an old-school joystick, and enough cords and plugs to cover the majority of the Luna’s office. I wondered what she’d think of it now; it’s usually pristine surfaces now covered in a jungle of electrical equipment. “Got that?” Janas said for nearly the seventh time. “Yes,” I muttered, sitting down in the seat behind the Luna’s desk. It was the last place I ever thought I’d sit, and shifted uneasily as I put down my crutches. The ruse was still necessary in case anyone came in here with Cynthia while I was working. I had felt the glances as Janas wheeled me in this afternoon, crutches across my lap as we passed the busy lobby of the pack house. Many offered greetings and wishes for a speedy recovery, all genuine. It made my back stiffen at the deception. I made a mental note to talk to Perrin about just how different his legacy was going to be from his father’s… and despite my own sel
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 154
BenMy alarm goes off, and I don’t even want to reach for my phone.It’d be great to stop the two-day hangover that plagues me. But something else entirely when I’ll look at my screen and realize Kira hasn’t called me back. Or texted.Not like she would.I roll over, swatting blindly at my bedside table until my phone drops onto the floor, vibrating and jittering across the cheap carpet like some strange bug.I test my eyes, flickering them open against my ceiling.Well. At least my hangover is gone today. I exhale. I’d rather have the pain of that hangover instead of the anger I feel at myself. Not just anger.Shame. Annoyance.And the worst part? The self-pity.I’ve drowned in the feelings of the last few days, addicted to the self-sabotage of not eating, not consuming anything and not trusting myself. I’ve been sober for years. And doing this now? Giving into temptation? I want to blame my thesis. My stupid failed research. I want to just burn all of it to Hell and back. But gnawi
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 153
Perrin“Holy shit.”Mark softly whistles behind me, unnerved at the site of it as we drive in. The Chiyad training facilities is enormous. No. gigantic. Whichever one is bigger.“This is where Ethan’s been training,” I say unnecessarily, awed at the outside of it. I wondered if Ethan could escape being the favorite for the Beta championship by just having access to state-of-the-art facilities. Mark doesn’t answer, but drives to a series of parking spots on the side of the building. “I know Ethan’s been working hard,” I go on as we get out of the car. “And Justin had only mentioned they were working on getting their facility renovation underway. Is this the before or after? They couldn’t have done all of this in just a few months.”Mark’s neck cranes to look up the side of the building. “I don’t know.”We walk into the large side entrance, automatic doors whooshing in around us with crisp, air-conditioned coolness. I blink twice as a discreet whirring sounds, a scanning of our bodies
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 152
KiraI set the phone down on the bedside table, pulling my blankets over me at the chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of my room.What the hell?But I couldn’t help but smirk. My gut instinct about the visiting wolf hadn’t been totally off. Something hadn’t been right about Sirius. Not wrong, per se… but definitely not normal. Were all European wolves that way? And how Mark had discovered our pack had a visitor less than twelve hours after they’d left? I didn’t know. Some type of Beta secret perhaps. He’d tell me in time. I was beginning to realize just how much I had to learn.I frowned, knowing Royhill would likely come pick me up in the morning. I stared at the clock. It was way past my bedtime. Not that I cared. I scratched at the stupid fake brace on my leg.On the positive side, apparently hiding away in the Luna’s office was going to be exactly what I was up to, the joke made earlier to Jesamine in jest or not. And sooner than I had anticipated; Naineeve was her
