Claiming His Fate (3 page)

“So, what's the plan?” Shadow asked. Every head whipped in his direction, surprised by his question. The kid rarely spoke.

I glanced at Gates who was watching the young shifter with a smirk on his face. Gates had a soft spot for the wolf we’d only just voted to patch. He’d been our prospect for two years before he’d earned his road name and his colors during a raid on a gang of wolves selling a homemade version on The Draught. Because the chemical formula of the only drug known to calm our inner beasts was my creation, and something we made a great deal of money selling, we took piracy of the formula seriously. Shadow had fought as hard as the rest of us to shut the illegal operation down. And he’d shown true stealth, sneaking past multiple guard stations along the way. He was our ninja, our shadow warrior.

And suddenly he was speaking without being asked a direct question.

With one last glance around my motley crew, I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. “We go in, pretend to be having a celebration, and scope out the scene. If there are wolves, we talk to them. If there are man-eaters, we end them. Over and done.”

We arrived at the club as expected. The six of us strolled through the front door, joking and roughhousing like a normal group of human men about to celebrate. But our senses were on high alert—listening, watching, and smelling. If there was something wrong here, we'd figure it out.

A wolf we recognized as belonging to the Milwaukee pack met us as we entered. “Well, if it isn't the Feral Breed. What an honor to have you here tonight. I am Mr. Morris, the manager of Amnesia Gentlemen’s Club. How can we be of service?”

Gates stepped forward. “Our brother Scab here is celebrating a birthday. We thought we'd throw him a little party since we’re passing through town. We heard you've got some interesting talent.”

Morris grinned, the expression oddly snakelike for a wolf shifter. “Oh yes, the talent here is exceptional.”

“Perfect.” Gates clasped Morris on the arm and directed him farther into the club. “We reserved a room under the name of Woodward.”

We followed Morris and Gates through the club, still observing the situation. I caught the scents of six different wolves, but that wasn’t immediately concerning. The club carried the welcoming mark of the shifter community. The symbol, a circle with an S inside, was painted on both the large sign visible from the highway and the front door. Wolves in a shifter bar would be par for the course. 

But when I walked into the private room we reserved, every hair on my body stood on end. My nerves fired in pulses, sending anticipatory tingles all over my body. It was as if lightning was about to strike right in front of me, and I had nowhere to run. Mouth dry and hands clammy, I glanced around the room while my wolf howled in my head. 

And then I was gone. 

Blond, beautiful, with bright green eyes that had locked on mine. 

Mate.

My wolf whined and huffed as my mind spun. I’d never even contemplated the possibility of meeting my mate, figuring I’d die early as most unmated shifters did. Yet there she was, all soft and light and absolutely fucking perfect. I wanted to grab her. I wanted to kiss her, bite her, lick her skin. I wanted to bury my face in her breasts and hold on to her hips as I rutted against her. I wanted to fuck her through the floor then soothe her delicate pussy with my tongue. 

I wanted not to be caught in a room full of half-naked women with my cock about to burst through the fly of my jeans.

“Gentlemen, please meet the ladies who will be at your service tonight. This is Star and the lovely Porsche. And this beautiful lady will be your private waitress. Say hello, Cherry.”

I could hardly control the need to flash my canines as Morris wrapped his fingers around Cherry’s arm and led her to the center of the room. 

My mate. Our mate. 

I whipped my head around and growled when a hand landed on my shoulder. 

“Take it easy, man,” Gates whispered. The ladies and other wolves hadn't noticed our interaction, but I thought I saw Cherry glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. Had I scared her? I only wanted to keep Morris’ greasy hands off her.

Keep every other man’s hands off my mate.

Jesus…I had a mate. 

Gates and the other guys made themselves comfortable at the tables while I hung out in the back on a couch that reeked of sweat and sex. What the hell happened back here?
Fuck.
I ran a hand down my face and tried to calm my aching cock. I knew exactly what happened back here. And God help me if one of my men tried to make that happen with my Cherry.

My eyes tracked her all night. The way she smiled and flirted, the way she swung her hips when she walked, how her ass jiggled in those barely-there little short things that looked as if they were meant to be worn under her clothes. She was sin and sex and all kinds of wrong wrapped up in one gorgeous package. 

But I couldn’t make a move to introduce myself. She was my lust personified but nothing I could have at that moment. She was a mere human, and we had a possible man-eating wolf on our hands who was a danger to humans. Case first, mate second. 

And then what? 

As Star bent over and shook her bare ass in Scab's face, I realized being mated meant leaving the Breed. No mated wolf rode. It just wasn't done. 

I would have to give up my job and my brothers to have my mate. I’d be trading something I’d loved and honored for decades for someone I hadn’t even met yet. My wolf was positive this was the one for us, but the man wasn’t happy about giving up everything he cherished for a woman. 

And didn't that just chap my ass.

“What do you need, darling?”

“You.”

The answer burst from my lips, automatic and unintended. I hadn't even noticed Cherry approaching, too caught up in my thoughts. But there she was, looking right at me, and good lord, I could smell her. A little scared, a little anxious, and a whole hell of a lot aroused. My wolf liked that last smell best, licking his jowls and preening as his mate smiled at us. 

“I'm not on the menu tonight, handsome. How about a beer?”

I bit my lip as my cock again came to full mast. Her proximity made me crazy; her honeyed scent drove my wolf mad. The wolf’s needs were simple—sleep, food, fuck. The man…well, my needs were partially in line with my wolf’s plus a few more. Like my brothers, my bikes, and my commitment to the Breed.

Like my need to beat the shit out of Scab if he didn't stop looking at my Cherry's ass.

“I'll take a light beer, thanks.” I kept my eyes on hers as I released a subtle growl. The sound shouldn’t have been loud enough for a human to hear, but a wolf, especially one of my own, would respond to the threat.

Much to my surprise, Scab completely ignored me while Cherry's eyes grew wide.

“What is that?” she asked, her voice low. The scent of her desire increased, and her face flushed an enticing shade of pink. The woman enveloped me in her desire, making me rock hard and ready to roll over for a little of her attention. Preferably focused on my cock.

I licked my lips. “You heard that?”

She nodded, her eyes still staring into mine. I couldn't decide if I should be thrilled my mate could hear my wolf sounds or terrified. There would be no way to hide my shifter side. I’d have to tell her almost immediately, giving me no time to court her first. Did people even court anymore? It’s not like I’d dated in the last hundred years or so. Unmated shifters didn’t date—we fucked. There was no point in doing the whole relationship bullshit when finding a mate could end things with a single glance. I had no idea how to entice a woman to want to spend time with me that didn’t involve getting her off. 

My mind was entirely focused on Cherry and the battle raging within myself, so I didn't notice the way my brothers grew quiet or the stillness in the room. 

Until I smelled the blood.

One whiff and the reality of why we were at the club slammed me into work mode. Glancing around the room, I noticed Numbers whispering to Shadow and Pup. The younger wolves stood close together, their eyes bouncing from door to door as they looked for possible threats. Scab had both strippers completely naked and writhing all over him but his eyes kept cutting to Gates. My Sergeant-at-Arms sat board-straight on a couch to my left, taking in the entire scene with his trademark expressionless face. They all smelled the blood. 

We needed to get out of this room and find the source, but first I needed to make sure my mate was safe.

My mate…fuck.

“Hey, Cherry?” I kept my voice soft but with a slight growl to it. She seemed to like the sound, and I really needed her to accept what I was about to ask her to do.

Cherry made a humming sound in the back of her throat, throaty and almost purr-like in tone. If I hadn't suddenly been afraid of her being in the same building with a possible man-eater, I probably would have thrown her down on the floor and rutted against her for making that sound.

But all thoughts of the possibility of getting Cherry underneath me fled when a roar thundered through the building.

“Pup!” 

The youngest member of my den, an unpatched prospect who’d been a hanger-on for the past year, appeared at my side.

“Get the women out of here and put them somewhere out of the way. I want them safe.” I grabbed his arm as he turned away, spinning him back toward me. With a snarl and a flash of teeth, I placed Cherry's hand in his. “Especially her.”

FOUR

Cherry

“In you go, ladies.” The young man directed the three of us into the changing room. Star trembled and tried to cover her naked body while Porsche strode in with a scowl.

“How long are we going to be stuck in here?” I slunk back as his gaze landed on me. The look the man gave me, the intensity behind his eyes, sent chills up my spine. He made me feel on display, as if he was inspecting me for something. The coldness of that look belied his youthful face and shaggy hair. This was no young surfer-wannabe. 

“You’ll be in here as long as it takes. I’ll be right outside the door.” He looked me over, his eyes pausing on my breasts. “You might want to put some clothes on.” 

Without another word, he spun and left the room. 

“Well, ain't this a crock of shit?” Porsche banged her locker open. “I could have been making bank out on the floor but no, those bikers had to get all ‘Oooh, something's going on. Let's get you weak little women to safety.’ And what's with the whole ‘especially Cherry’ thing? You know these guys?”

I swallowed, my heart racing and my throat tight. “I've never met them before.”

“The one with the blond hair sure seemed as if he knew you.” Star walked past me on her way to her locker, still a little pale and shaky. “He couldn't keep his eyes off you all night. I thought he was going to bite my head off when I offered him a beej in the corner.”

Heat burned through my chest as I pulled my shoulders back. “You did what?”

She shrugged. “I offered him a blow job. I figured it'd be a quick fifty bucks. The man was pitching major tent when I approached, but apparently I wasn't what he had in mind.” She looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows at me. “He turned me down and just kept watching you work the room.”

Huh.

“I have no idea why he turned you down.” I licked my lips to hide the smile trying to sneak across my face. So he watched me probably as much as I watched him.
Double huh.
 

Porsche huffed as she slid her jeans up her thighs. “Those guys creeped me out.” 

I nodded because they did. 

Most of them, at least.

Rebel

Gates, Numbers, and I left the private room in search of the club manager. I sent Scab and Shadow to the main room in case everything went sideways. Hopefully they’d be able to get the humans out of the building before anyone went full-on wolf.

“Morris!”

The man turned, his annoyed expression morphing into that reptilian smile in a heartbeat. But I hadn't missed it. Greasy motherfucker was up to something.

“How can I help you, sir?”

“Name's Rebel, and I get the feeling my brothers and I are missing out on one hell of a party.” I tapped the side of my nose to let him know I smelled the blood. 

“I have no idea what you mean.” Morris stood a little straighter but looked away. 

Chickenshit.

I grinned and turned to Gates. “You hear this? As if we can't smell it.” I leaned over Morris, my grin turning wicked as he backed into the wall. “Blood and sex go well together, don't you think?”

“Ah, yes. Well…” Morris frantically glanced up and down the hall as if looking for anyone who could overhear before leaning toward me. “We do
occasionally
offer exclusive parties to some of our more discerning guests.”

“By discerning you mean angry, hungry, and horny, right? Because I'm pretty sure that describes my entire party.”

Gates and Numbers stepped up beside me, each one looming over the sputtering shifter.

Morris paled. “Sir, these parties are planned months in advance. The girls are hand-selected to be of the utmost perfection for what the host prefers. This isn't something I can put together on short notice. Now, if you'd like to—”

I growled, long and deep. His teeth snapped with the force of him shutting his trap.

“What I'd like is to get in on the action happening”—I sniffed the air—“downstairs, perhaps?”

“It's not possible.” Morris practically whispered, his face pale and his skin clammy.

The footfalls of another man reached my ears before he reached the corner. I was ready with a glare and a growl when he walked up on us.

“What's the problem?” Tall, massive, with ice-green eyes and a wicked scar to rival my denmate Beast's deformed mug, this shifter gave off the air of someone pissed and ready to fight. That was okay with me. After the whole “mate, can't mate, others staring at mate” shit, I could use a little relaxation-by-fist.