Fated for Forever(5)

“We’re going home!” Aleks said as he stood, and he swung his mate up in his arms.

“When we get home we’re going over gun safety, again. And this time the lesson will stick. You hear

me?” Aleks demanded. Rebecca got a dreamy look on her face.

“Yes, sir,” she said as Aleks carried her out of the diner.

“Oh my God did you see the look on his face?” Connor said, doubling over laughing. That set off the

entire diner. Kate wiped her eyes laughing.

“And to think he hesitated in mating her because he was scared at how delicate she was,” Kate said and

that brought a fresh round of laughter. Ashby smiled. Rebecca and then Kate had found true happiness with

their mates. He knew better than to ask for something like that, he only hoped his date with Gabriel would

go smoothly and that he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

Chapter 3



Four hours later Ashby stood shivering in line outside the club. He was wishing he had gone practical

over sexy. The line hadn’t moved at all since he had gotten there nearly an hour ago. He could feel the bass

of the music from inside the club reverberating through his body. He had chosen a simple light-blue tank

that matched his eyes and a pair of black jeans that, according to Nic, showed off his “bubble butt” to

perfection. Looking around he felt decidedly underdressed. The paranormals around him were dressed to

the nines. There was mesh and glitter and liberal amounts of latex, and if that didn’t have him nearly

heading to the car, the conversations around him did. As a fennec fox, his sense of hearing was so good he

could hear prey moving around underground. As a human he could hear nearly every conversation within a

few hundred feet. Normally he was able to phase it out and make it background noise, but one name kept

popping up, grabbing his attention.

“I wonder if Prince Gabriel will be in tonight.”

“Did you see Prince Gabriel’s outfit last week? I thought I was going to come in my pants the way it

showed off his body.”

“Prince Gabriel looked at me last week, I just know we could hook up tonight. We are destined to be

together.”

Prince Gabriel. What had he been thinking? How could a prince be serious about him? In his fantasies

he was confident and suave. In real life he felt awkward and small. He stared down at his cell phone

debating on texting Gabriel that he couldn’t make it. He sighed.

He probably wouldn’t even me miss anyway, Ashby thought.

He sniffled and sighed again. Now that his nose was running, his picture as a pathetic loser was

complete. At least he didn’t have to smell the cologne of the raccoon in front of him anymore.





* * * *



“Where in the hell is he?” Gabriel paced his office checking the monitors constantly hoping to catch a

glimpse of the man whose blood caught his attention months ago. When the vans he had loaned the

Arkadions came back from the rescue operation, he had caught a faint whiff of blood from the one that had

held Rebecca and her missing friend Ashby Fairfax. He knew that it wasn’t Rebecca’s blood that had

affected him. That only left Ashby. And the man was late.

“What time did he say he would be here?” a calm voice asked and Gabriel swung his head around to

look at his acting second-in-command. He would have just called the man his second-in-command, but

Roman rejected the title outright saying that title belonged to Mikhail and Mikhail alone. Roman didn’t want

to be second-in-command to anything.

“An hour ago,” Gabriel grumbled, staring at the monitors again.

“Did you check outside in the line to get in?” Roman asked. Gabriel snorted.

“Why would he be in line? He knew he was expected as my guest,” he said, his eyes moving from one

monitor to the next. Roman rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed.

“From everything you have told me about him, in detail, repeatedly, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

He sounds like the type of man who wouldn’t assume he was entitled to anything. I bet he is freezing his ass

off outside,” Roman said, watching his words start to penetrate his Prince’s thinking.

“Damn. You may be right. Could you…no. Never mind, I’ll go look for him myself,” Gabriel said,

ignoring Roman’s astonished expression. He made his way downstairs. He passed the dance floor and

walked to the front doors. The two vampires he trusted to monitor admittance practically snapped to

attention. Around him people hushed their conversations, trying to hear what would bring Prince Gabriel to

the front door. Bryn stepped forward, his blond hair pulled back from his face.

“Sir? Was there something we could do for you?” he began. Radek stepped up beside Bryn.