Fated, p.15
Fated, page 15
I called over the edge, “Guys, c’mere, hurry!”
Nero grunted as he hauled himself up to the top of the canyon. “Hurry guys, c’mon guys, why are you people always in such a—”
He raised his head, then stopped.
Beside him, Nishiki was breathless and speechless, too.
Seeing all three of them together, it instantly became clear to me why Nero and Nishiki both looked familiar. It wasn’t just their resemblance to each other as brothers—it was the fact that they were both clearly Dr. Pine’s sons.
Their hug seemed to happen in slow motion. Nishiki and Nero ran towards her as she opened her arms to them, and they collided in a huge embrace.
I sniffled and wiped tears out of my eyes with a smile. I noticed that even Remington was tearing up, too.
Xander scooped up Starry and murmured to us, “Why don’t we give them some time alone?”
After we waited out the emotional moment inside the cavern, Dr. Pine called us back up to the twin pools.
Nero had mentioned earlier that he wasn’t as sensitive as his brother, but he was the one with puffier eyes when we returned. Still, all three of them looked happy as clams. It warmed my heart that we could help reunite them.
“Dr. Pine, did you make these pools yourself?” I asked, then gasped. “Wait. Are they for Nero and Nishiki?”
Dr. Pine chuckled. “They sure are. One freshwater and one saltwater. And yes, I did.” She showed off a bicep. “I’m not too old for a little elbow grease, young pup.” She turned to Xander. “After you and I spoke, a curious thought came to me. When you mentioned an alpha who could not shift, I wondered if it was one of my boys.”
The memory seemed to jolt Xander. “I remember now. You asked me if I’d only seen one man.”
“Yes. That is why I wasn’t sure if my hunch was correct, since Nero and Nishiki were joined at the hip the last time I saw them.” She smiled. “But I said to myself, just in case, let me prepare for my sons to arrive, whenever that may be.”
Nishiki gestured to the pools. “Then… you knew, mother? That we were fish shifters?”
“Of course.” Dr. Pine’s eyes twinkled knowingly, the way they always did. She winked. “But as for the reason why, that’s a story for another day.”
“Aww!” I complained.
Neither Nero or Nishiki seemed entirely disappointed that they weren’t getting the whole tale yet. I had the feeling they were mostly relieved and happy to be reunited with their mother.
“I see you’ve brought your little one with you all the way here,” Dr. Pine said, smiling at Starry. “I’m so glad to see her healthy.”
I happily handed her over. By this point, Dr. Pine was basically extended family, like a communal grandma or something. Dr. Pine smiled and cooed at her as Starry batted at her finger with her paws.
Then, for the first time, Starry popped into human form.
I gasped, and so did Xander.
Starry had thick blond hair with stunning natural black specks running through it, just like her kitten coat. It framed her chubby cheeks and bright eyes. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
And of course, I started crying again because I was emotional as hell.
Xander put his hand on my shoulder. “There, there.”
“It’s our baby!” I blubbered.
He chuckled. “I know, Sage.”
In the end, Nero and Nishiki decided to stay with Dr. Pine. They had a lot to catch up on, and since Dr. Pine had gone out of her way to make them pools for their koi and shark forms, they even had a place to practice shifting.
“Thanks for all your help, truly,” Nishiki said with a smile. “I don’t know what either of us would’ve done without you.”
Nero grinned. “It really does feel like destiny or something that we all met that day.”
“Does that mean you’ve forgiven me for knocking you out?” Xander asked.
“Psh, forget about that. Reuniting me with my family is apology enough.”
Xander looked pleased to hear that. As they shook each other’s hands, I was really glad they could make up without any hard feelings. It was wild how our lives had intertwined in this strange, incredible way and ended up better for it.
“Don’t be a stranger, all right?” I told the twins. “The pack’s always gonna be there if you need us.”
Nishiki nodded. “Please tell everyone I said thank you.”
“Uh, me too, even though I didn’t meet any of them,” Nero added with a lopsided grin.
“Will do!” I promised.
After we said our goodbyes, we set out on our return journey to the pack. No doubt they were all wondering where the hell we’d gone, but at least we had an awesome story to share when we got back.
When we’d past the edge of the canyon, where the yellow hard-packed earth turned to lush grass, a very amazing pun popped into my head.
“Hey. Hey, guys,” I began.
“Oh, gods, here we go,” Remington mumbled.
Xander sighed but smiled at me with the patience only a fated mate could muster. “What is it, Sage?”
“Wouldn’t you say that we had a… fin-tastic adventure?”
Remington groaned, but Xander laughed along.
“Yes, Sage,” Xander said. “You might even say we had a whale of a time.”
As I cackled loudly, Remington muttered in exasperation, “That doesn’t even make sense!”
20
Epilogue: Xander
“Keep your tail low to the ground, just like that,” Sage whispered. “Now, slowly…”
I smiled to myself. Even while whispering, my mate couldn’t avoid detection that easily. As I sat on the grassy hill with my back to the grove, I knew he and Starry were sneaking up behind me, but I didn’t want to ruin their fun so I stayed silent.
“Now, when he’s not looking, you gotta pounce, all right?” Sage was saying. “And—Starry, baby, keep your tail down, I know you’re excited but he’s gonna see you!”
I had to bite my lip to withhold a snicker. An expert on stealth, Sage was not, but at least he was good at keeping our daughter occupied.
I heard the soft tamping of paws on grass and the soft inhalation of rapid breath. Of course, even if I didn’t hear them, I recognized the scents of my fated mate and my daughter anywhere.
“There, that’s close enough… Now hold it…”
I kept my gaze ahead, trying my best to pretend that I was oblivious to their attack. I even shut my eyes to help the illusion.
But then, nothing.
Nothing came. No kitten pounced on me.
Just as I was about to peek an eye open, Starry yowled and launched herself at my chest. I fell back, hitting the grass.
“Oof,” I said.
Starry sat up proudly on my chest with a triumphant yowl. Meanwhile, Sage came into my vision upside down with a big grin.
“Ha! We did it! We tricked you!” he said.
My jaw fell open in genuine surprise. “You mean you were making that big racket on purpose?”
Sage beamed with smug pride. “Uh huh. I knew you’d think I’d blunder a sneak attack no matter what, so I pretended we were attacking from behind. Then Starry snuck around front and bam! Dad is defeated!”
I sat up, lifting Starry up in the air as her furry limbs dangled below her. “Well, you caught me, didn’t you, kitten?”
She mewled and I tickled her nose with mine.
“Hey, what about me, the coach?” Sage complained before leaning on my shoulder. “It was my plan, y’know. Starry was the—excuse the obvious pun—star player, but I was the one who taught her everything she knows.”
“Wow, you’re right. How could I ever forget?”
I kissed Sage on the lips, which made all the smart remarks he was about to say melt in his throat.
He blushed when we broke apart, then burst out into giggling.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
Sage’s eyes glittered with warmth. “Nothing. I just love you so much it bubbled out of me.”
Months ago, I would have groaned at such a sappy statement—but months ago, I also didn’t know Sage. He’d changed my life in ways I’d never imagined to be possible and I couldn’t be happier.
I put my arm around him and pulled him closer. He sighed contentedly. With our daughter sitting between us beneath the starlit sky she was named after, we were the picture of perfection.
I closed my eyes, wondering if this had all been a dream somehow, and that I might wake up from it to my old reality—
“Ow!”
My eyes opened. Starry had her needle claws digging into my arm. When I raised a brow at her, she shifted to human form and giggled mischievously, along with her daddy, who presumably thought it was funny as well. I couldn’t help but grin down at our daughter.
No. As Starry had so kindly demonstrated, this was not a dream.
It was reality. My life.
And I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.
THE END
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Fated: Wolf and the Shark (Book 4)
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Hawke Oakley, Fated
