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Chapter Fifteen
Zion
The fog lifted to reveal the stretch of empty beach stretching north and south. We were just a bit off the highway, which was not heavily traveled this far into the fall, although the sun beamed down on a perfect day for swimming.
Which was what my mates were doing. Andrade and Diana splashed in the surf, riding the waves to shore then swimming out again and again. Their nude bodies glistened in the sun, and I thanked the Fates for their gracious gift. Andrade had been more than enough for me, until our other mate presented and I learned what competition felt like. All the parts of my soul were joined, and my joy spilled over.
We had looked for Diana’s friends but had no luck finding them, so far. I finished loading the dishes from our breakfast in the dishwasher, prepared to join my mates when I heard voices from down on the beach. More than two.
While shifters were very comfortable with nudity, humans often were not or thought it meant what it didn’t, so I hurried outside and down the steps to the beach. My mates were still in the water, waves splashing around their bare thighs, locked in a kiss. Watching them stood three women wearing light packs, waving and shouting. “Diana!” one called. “Diana!”
“Who is that guy?” another asked. “Crain is going to shit a brick.”
Their giggle told me they didn’t really care what Crain shit.
“If she was going to take off with some guy, she should have said something though,” the third woman said. “So we weren’t looking for her all night.”
I approached them from behind. Not quietly in particular, but apparently they didn’t hear me because when I spoke, they all shrieked. “Ladies, you are our mate’s friends. We looked for you this morning.”
They turned as one, all to the right, and the expressions on their faces were comically matching.
The one on the left said, “I don’t know who you are, but as of last night, Diana was betrothed to Crain, and now you say she’s mated to…both of you?”
The other two giggled again and pushed at each other.
“Wendy! Bunny! Sandra.” Diana came running out of the water, kicking up sand as she came, Andrade on her heels. “I am so glad to see you.”
The four women embraced, and Diana introduced us to her friends. It was going to take a while to explain, so I invited them all inside for lunch.
The table was small, but we managed to squeeze together and I could see how much these women cared for our mate. Their pack was a good one, and everyone I’d met from there was a fine wolf, but I’d never met this Crain, so I hoped to learn more about him.
Passing around a plate of cookies, I asked, “So, we’ve told you our part of the story, maybe you can enlighten us about Crain. I promised our mate that there will be no trouble between our packs.”
Wendy winced. “I don’t know about that. The alphas won’t give you any issue, I don’t think, but the former groom…we think he was a little obsessed with Diana. In fact, we’d tried to talk her out of making the match because he is not the mate for her.”
“Well, we know that now,” the one called Bunny put in. “But he hid it well.”
“All right, now I know what I need to do. Thank you.”
They all watched, cookies in hand, as I headed for the bedroom. But it wasn’t as difficult as all that. Even if they had mated, she’d have been able to divorce him if she chose. I just didn’t think Diana would have done that without great cause. And we might not have been able to be together.
But everything I’d heard about Crain made me believe it was necessary to have a conversation with his alphas, and rather than send a message with the ladies, it was time for a face-to-face meeting. With him and with Sawyer and Tadeo. As much as I hated leaving the beach when we’d waited so long to be here, some things had to be settled and quickly.
I dialed the number for Sawyer and waited for him to pick up. But when he did, the news was not good.
“Crain’s not here, Zion. Nobody has seen him since the ladies left. We assumed he’d gone hunting or something to fill the time until his mating.”
“The mating that will not take place. Diana’s friends feel that he might take it badly. And I wanted to ensure that we had no problems between us.”
“Our mate Analise was very concerned about the match. I believe she tried to talk her out of it, in fact. Suggested she take this trip to give her some time to reconsider, even if she didn’t phrase it as such. Our Analise sometimes has premonitions or feelings and knows just how to direct our people to their best life.”
“I see.”
“But let me call him and see if he has a phone with him and if he’s in range.”
“I’d appreciate that, Sawyer. Thank you for understanding as well.”
He chuckled. “Do you think I’d not support a fated mating? I wish the three of you all the happiness. We’ll miss Diana around here. Visit anytime. This makes you family.”
