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* * *
“So, you and Diesel, huh?” Demi asked, swirling a red straw in a glass of clear, carbonated liquid.
“Yeah. Do you believe in fate?”
“Hell, yes!”
Em chuckled at her enthusiasm.
Demi twisted on the stool to face Em and she mimicked her. “I mean, yes, I absolutely do believe in fate. I think that being a shifter means I feel like there’s more magic in the world, you know? I didn’t know that humans believed in fate.”
“Maybe not all of us, but I do. Now, anyway.” Em explained meeting Diesel. “How else can I explain coming here that night when Diesel was working and us meeting so perfectly? So many other things could have happened that night, from the other bar still being open to me leaving with the bridal party instead of sticking around. It’s all fate.”
Demi chewed on the straw and dunked it back in the drink. “I don’t want to do an arranged mating. My parents want me to. They’re very traditional – they think it’s foolish to leave something like a mate to chance.”
“You want to wait, though.”
“Of course. Now that we don’t have to leave the pride if we mate with someone who’s not a lion, there’s no reason for me to toe the line. I can mate who I want, when I want.”
“Excuse me?” Hemi said incredulously. “After I vet him fully, of course.”
“You’ll scare everyone off!” Demi complained.
Em nudged her new friend. “If he’s a good guy, he won’t be scared by muscles over there.”
“Good point.” Demi looked thoughtful. “I’m sorry your friends were assholes who don’t like shifters.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“Humans not liking us?” Demi shrugged. “Sometimes. On first glance, we just look human. It’s not like we have fur in our human forms, or weird eyes or ears. So most of the time, no one even knows if someone is a shifter unless they hear them growl or purr or see an eye color change from emotion.”
“Or if they’re in a place where shifters like to congregate,” Em said.
“Exactly. Some humans hate shifters for reasons like your friend’s family, and some humans hate us because we’re different. There are shifters who don’t like humans for the same reasons.”
“People are jackasses,” Hemi said.
“Which people?” Em asked.
“All of ‘em.”
Em chuckled but stopped as she felt something coming toward her. She couldn’t explain it exactly, but she felt menace bearing down on her.
Hemi’s eyes went wide, and before Em knew what was happening, the big guy had vaulted over the bar and was standing next to Demi, both of them blocking Em.
Demi growled. “Back the fuck up.”
Em twisted on the bar stool and looked between the two lions to see a woman standing a few feet away. She was flashing her fangs and her fingertips had lethal-looking black claws protruding from the ends. While she was tall and pretty, wearing clothes that looked like they came from a designer boutique, she also appeared to be about two seconds away from killing something. Or someone.
“You!” the woman said, pointing at Em. “You ruined everything! But I’ll fix it. I’ll fixyou.”
* * *
Diesel had never run so fast in his life. He tore out of the office and down the stairs, slamming his shoulder into the security door. He saw Em on a stool at the bar. Demi was in an aggressive stance in front of her with Hemi at her side, and they were facing off against Valerie, who was pointing a menacing finger at Em.
Diesel stopped in front of Demi and Hemi and snarled at the audacious female. “You need to leave, Valerie. I’m not going to allow you to do anything to my mate.”
She growled, her upper lip curling to reveal fangs. “I will take what I’m owed. If you won’t fulfill your end of our agreement because of that human, then I’ll take her out of the equation.”
