Crossed Fates by Lexi C. Foss

Alaric

Makayla sputtered beneath the water,her thoughts vacillating between want and denial.

Yes, please.

No. Not happening.

But last night—

Cannot. Be. Repeated.

My lips twitched. “You let me know when you’ve worked all that out, sweetheart.”

She glared in response, the water dampening her beautiful red hair to a ruby shade that matched her ring. I set the soap aside, then ran my hands over my body as a taunt. Her pretty eyes followed the path of my touch, her pupils dilating with a desire her mind adamantly fought.

No. We can’t be mates. We just can’t. I don’t want a mate!

“Why?” I asked her, picking up the soap again to lather a few more suds into my palms for my legs. “Why are you so against having a mate?” I knew why I had never craved one, but we hadn’t discussed her reasoning before. Just that she didn’t want one.

Her lips tugged down. “It’s… it’s not that I’m against you…”

“That’s not what I asked,” I replied, bending to draw my hands along my calves and thighs. “I want to know why you don’t want a mate. Not me, just a mate.”

I stood to find her nibbling on her lip, her pensive gaze matching the thoughts in her mind. She ran her fingers through her hair, then shifted when she heard me thinking about the water. This telepathy stuff is really useful, I noted.

She snorted in response.

“Can you imagine what it’ll feel like when I make you come?” I asked conversationally. “I’ll be able to hear your pleasure. Just thinking about it makes me so damn hard.” Her gaze dropped to my erection, her nostrils flaring.

“You’re trying to distract me.”

“I’m trying to point out that there are benefits to this arrangement, Mak,” I replied, turning to rinse the soap from my front. I could feel her eyes on my ass.

Like granite…Her muttered words had my lips twitching. But I didn’t interrupt her perusal by replying. Instead, I waited. Because I could hear her thinking through her reply to my question about mates. She wanted to explain it right, and I was more than willing to wait.

It wasn’t until I had the shampoo in my hand that she finally said, “It’s not that I’m anti-mating. I’m just… I’ve spent the last decade discovering my place in the world. And I’m not ready to give that up for a mate.”

Her words gave me pause, the shampoo bottle frozen in my palm. “You think your mate would make you choose between him and your job?”

“Wouldn’t you?” she asked, making it personal rather than theoretical. “You’re an alpha, Alaric. If you decide to take over this pack, I’m obligated to them just as much as you are.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to dismiss that statement, yet I couldn’t find a voice for my words. Because it felt wrong to say something like, It’s a moot point anyway. I’m not taking over. I wasn’t sure I believed that. And so I couldn’t claim it out loud.

“Listen to those instincts, son. They’ll guide you.”

My father’s statement replayed through my mind as Makayla blew out a breath.

“I’m not from here,” she blurted out, speaking her thoughts aloud rather than keeping them secluded to her head. “You weren’t even born with the mark, Alaric. Like this all has to be some sort of mistake. An eligible true mate in my world is born with the mark of their animal, regardless of their origin.”

“Is that why you asked me about birthmarks?”

“Yes.” She grabbed the shampoo from me and squirted a healthy amount into her hand. “Between the different worlds and your alpha status, I don’t know how this could work, Alaric.” She held out the bottle for me to take back from her. “I won’t give up who I am. I’ve worked too hard. I love what I do. And I refuse to be tied down.”

I considered that for a moment, then admired the view as she lathered the shampoo into her hair. Then I followed suit and switched positions with her when she mentally asked for the water. When she finished rinsing, I took over the showerhead again and did the same. Then I leaned against the wall while she started soaping up her gorgeous body.

“I became a slayer because I’ve always enjoyed adventure and the thrill of the chase,” I said. “It also placated my more aggressive instincts and gave me a purpose. I protect people because it’s a natural inclination.” My blood heated as a soapy droplet trailed over her stiff nipple, taunting the rosy peak and glistening in the low lighting of the bathroom.

I cleared my throat before returning my gaze to hers.

“At no point would I ever expect you to give up what you love for me, Makayla. I understand the desire to be a lone wolf more than most, and I would never expect you to just stop doing your job because we’re mates.” It felt important to say that to her because it was true. I’d never even considered tying her down.

Okay, no, that wasn’t true.

“I’ll admit I’ve fantasized about locking you in a cage to use to my heart’s content, but that’s purely to feed my sexual beast,” I said, aware she could probably hear it in my mind, so I might as well get that out there right now. “But part of the fun of that imagery is knowing you’d fight like a hellcat and make the sex so much hotter as a result.”

“I would kill you.” The serious quality in her tone just made me grin.

“And the battle would be erotic as fuck,” I drawled.

“Until you died.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, taking a step toward her. She didn’t move, which placed my hard dick right against her soapy belly. “Or you’d end up panting beneath me.”

“Only from the exertion of stabbing you.”

I chuckled, amused. Then I leaned in to draw my nose along her cheek, my lips going to her ear. “The pull between us is mutual, Mak.” I pressed my mouth to her thundering pulse, stirring a shiver from her. “It’s magnetic and electric and hot as hell. And while I might not have wanted a mate, I’m not going to belittle what exists between us, sweetheart. Last night was the best sex of my life, and I fully intend to repeat it.”

“Then you’ve not listened to anything I’ve said.”

“On the contrary, baby, I’ve heard every word.” I nipped her neck, then stood to my full height to recapture her gaze. “You don’t want a mate who will tie you down and demand you quit. Well, good news. I’m not that kind of mate. You want to keep working freelance, go for it. I’m not going to hold you back.”

It’d go against every part of me to do such a thing.

Except for in the bedroom. That might be fun.

But in the real world? In life? Hell no.

“However, I would like to know more about your job.” I stepped backward to dampen my hair again, then plucked the conditioner off the shelf.

“More about my freelance life?” she asked, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, like how it all works. You mentioned training with your alpha’s company… uh, KBO?”

“KBO Consulting.”

I ran my fingers through my thick strands, coating my hair with the moisturizer. “Yeah, that. You worked there before Marc recruited you for the gig here, and then you went freelance, right?”

She nodded, a note of pride touching her expression.

“So, what does that mean? You go back and forth between realms, looking for jobs?” I understood what “freelance” meant, just not how it worked for her.

She retrieved the conditioner and mimicked my movements, then said, “Well, Marc shared my contact details with several of his clients back in our home realm. I have a soft spot for taking on trafficking cases, as I’ve mentioned, so I get a lot of missing person files. Usually girls. But I’ve also been trying to establish myself in your world. That’s not been as easy, considering I’m not from here. However, Sapphire kept sending me leads. Including the one that brought me here most recently.”

Which I now know was a total setup,she added in her head. Thanks, Saph.

I didn’t comment on her mental note since it wasn’t meant for me. Instead, I focused on what she’d said out loud. “Why have you wanted to establish yourself here?” I asked before dipping backward to let the shower pour down over my head. Wolf-ear perks allowed me to hear her just fine, even over the rushing water sound.

“Honestly? Because your realm needs me more than my own does. Your supernats are… less robust.”

I snorted. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, for starters, you kill vamps with stakes. Ours don’t die that easily. Ours are also much faster and stronger, can compel, and have a whole slew of upgraded traits.”

Huh. Does that apply to Cassius?I wondered.

Yep, she replied without missing a beat.

Not that I’d been asking her, but it was good to know.

He’s a royal, too. Part of the Vampire Dynasty bloodline. His cousin, Dimitri, is the former king. He was dethroned. It’s a whole thing.

Interesting,I replied, finishing with the water and switching spots with her so she could rinse. “Okay, but wouldn’t that make it easier for humans to survive here, then?”

“Around vampires? Yeah, I guess. But it’s more… your humans are just as dark and dangerous as ours… and I have a stronger skill set to help handle those issues?” She voiced it like a suggestion, but I followed what she meant.

“You think the supernaturals of this realm are too weak to properly protect them.” I tried not to be offended by that. Tried and failed.

“I just acknowledge that I’m stronger, and you all could use my brand of assistance,” she rephrased.

“Uh-huh.” I caught her hip as she finished washing her hair and backed her up against the wall. “You think I’m weaker than you?”

“Well, you’re mortal.”

“Mortality just means I value life more,” I argued. “And I still heal quickly.”

“Not as fast as me.”

“Yeah?” I bent to bite her neck, breaking the skin and laving the wound. She hissed with pain, then grabbed my shoulder and dug her claws into my skin.

“What the hell?” she demanded.

I grinned against her throat. “Just testing your healing, mate.”

She growled.

I growled back. Then I kissed her cheek. “So you’re immortal, then?” That would certainly pose an interesting challenge for our connection. It was a revelation that should probably bother me a bit more, but all I could think was, That makes her indestructible. And that thought strongly appealed to my wolf.

“I stopped aging, or will stop, sometime in my twenties,” she said. “It’s not an exact science. But yeah, I’ll stay this way… and I’m hard to kill.”

“Well then, that just makes it even easier to accept your job,” I admitted. “Not that I needed the extra reasoning. You can clearly take care of yourself. Knowing you’re more unbreakable just adds another layer of security to it.”

She met and held my gaze, her blue eyes searching. “You really don’t care that I take jobs that put my life on the line every day?”

“You just claimed to be immortal.”

“Yeah, but I can still die.”

I studied her. “Are you trying to convince me to lock you up, Makayla? Or do you want to be free? I’m confused.”

“I’m just… I’m surprised you’re so open to the idea of me working.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I countered. “I work for E.V.I.E. for a reason. I’ve taken numerous cases that endangered my well-being. Case in point, the hybrid. So I’d be a hypocrite to keep you from your passion, especially when I’m also passionate about your kind of work.” I cupped her cheek and pressed my lips to hers. “I’m not going to chain you down, Mak. Not unless you beg me to while naked, of course.” A man had his standards, after all.

Her lips twitched, the first sign of true humor touching her face. “I’ll never beg for that.”

“Never say never,” I teased, kissing her again before drawing back, my tone falling serious once more. “Let’s not overreact to this, okay? I understand it’s a lot to accept, especially with the whole realms thing. But I’m not going to go all beast on you and start making demands. As I’ve said, I never wanted a mate. However, last night certainly proved there are benefits to it, and I’ll very happily indulge in those benefits again.”