The Shifter's Future Mate (Fayoak Romance Book 1) Read online

  He took an even longer sip of his coffee, then he finally looked back at me. "What's the deal with that guy? Angus or something?"

  "Alex," I corrected. "I didn't know you had a chance to meet him already."

  "I didn't. Sam told me who he was."

  "Why are you so curious about Alex?"

  "I'm always curious about new people in town. That's all." His tone was casual, but he had a sharp look in his eyes.

  I shook my head and laughed softly. "No, you're really not. You're hardly ever here, remember?"

  "That doesn't mean I can't be concerned about my hometown."

  "If you say so." I shrugged and moved my fingers from his arm just as Alex came back through the front door, his arms laden with far too much, as usual. I sighed at the sight. He would never learn.

  "What're you sighing about?" Maddox asked.

  Alex wobbled slightly and the stack in his arms followed suit. Wide-eyed patrons in the booth closest to the door shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

  "One sec, someone's trying to prove they're big and strong, and I really don't want to be cleaning up glass and jam today."

  I laughed to myself and darted out from the counter to help Alex carry everything into the gift shop. It was a song and dance that we did nearly every single time he made deliveries to The Peach. Our deliveries were always huge because we were forever busy. In the beginning, I got the funny feeling he did it on purpose, but now it was more of a game.

  On the way over to Alex, I made a mental note to check back in with Maddox about the whole attitude thing he had going on. I frowned to myself as I grabbed the top two stacks from Alex's tower of jelly and jam. Maddox was normally so much happier when he visited. I carefully balanced the stack of jam in my arms as my frown deepened. There was definitely something going on.

  "Hey, Rose, you in there?" Alex's voice cut through my thoughts. "What's bothering you?"

  I blinked and looked around me. We were already in the gift shop. I hadn't even realized I had walked over here. Jams and jellies from the Greenhaven Orchard packed the shelves. Local honey in jars and flavored sticks graced one side of the counter. Kitschy T-shirts hung on display with cute sayings like, To Peach Their Own and Low hanging fruit? That's my jam!

  I was so stuck on the way Maddox had acted I had walked over on autopilot. I felt that tingle again and looked over my shoulder just in time to see Maddox look away. I didn't know what was going on with him, but it was starting to get to me.

  "Not a single thing is wrong," I replied cheerfully, pasting on a wider smile than usual.

  I set my stack of jam down on the gift shop's counter next to the honey. Alex set his slightly taller stack down beside mine. He rested a hand on the counter and looked down at me.

  "I don't know if I believe you," he said with a smile, although his eyes narrowed. "The Rose I see every morning never loses her smile."

  "It's just one of those days, I s'pose," I replied.

  "Well, remember how I told you I had a surprise? I've got just the thing to brighten your day."

  "Oh? Do tell," I said, my curiosity piqued.

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the side of the gift shop, out of view of the dining area. I gave him a confused look. What could possibly be so deserving of secrecy?

  He shoved a hand in his pocket, then pulled it out with a flourish. He held a small brown bag. He quickly opened it and poured the contents into his hand. His fingers curled up so I couldn’t see what it was. Then he slowly opened his hand in front of me, palm up to display several little brown seeds. I looked from the seeds to him, still not getting it.

  "Um, thank you?" I said slowly.

  "Just watch," he said with a mischievous smile.

  I looked back down and gasped. Little sprouts curled out from the seeds. I watched as they grew roots, followed by little stems and leaves that grew bigger and bigger, until finally, several buds formed and bloomed into gorgeous pansies in his hand. They were warm shades of red, orange, and yellow with neat black centers.

  "That was amazing!" I clapped my hands together. "All that just for me?!"

  "Of course." He bunched them together in one hand and held the flowers out to me. "Pansies are such happy flowers. Always smiling . . . just like you."

  I took them from him with a grateful smile. "You're the best, Alex."

  "I want to get these in some water." I started to leave the gift shop, then paused. "Oh, I need to get you your check, too. It's behind the front counter. Join me?"

  "I would love nothing more." Alex gave me a wink that left me rolling my eyes. He sure knew how to lay on the charm. He was the sort of guy that had never seen a pretty face he didn’t mind hitting on.

  "Oh! I can totally introduce you to Maddox, too," I said as I glanced back at Alex as I led him back into the main dining area.

  "What about me?" Maddox asked from nowhere.

  I whipped my head around as I came to a sudden stop. He was right in front of me. It looked as if he was on his way to the gift shop.

  "What're you doing?" I asked. "Are you leaving?"

  Maddox arched a brow coolly. "My order’s not ready yet. I was stretching my legs."

  "Trying to preemptively work off all those pancake calories?" I meant for it to be a joke, but judging by the way his entire expression took a shift toward the dark and stormy, I must've said something wrong.

  "Where did you get those?" Maddox's eyes zeroed in on the pansies, his brow knotted together. "And why do they still have roots?"

  I was so relieved to have a change of subject that I turned to Alex with a bright smile and tapped him on the shoulder with the makeshift bouquet.

  "This is Alex. He made them for me. You see, he's Mrs. Greenhaven's grandson." I looked between the bouquet and Alex, then shot a grin at Maddox. "Talk about a green thumb, right?"

  "Yes, I see," Maddox said simply, not sharing even an ounce of my enthusiasm. He slid his eyes over to Alex, his smile pleasant enough. "It's nice to meet you, Alfonse."

  Alex held out a hand, smiling enough for the both of them. "It's Alexander. You can call me Alex if you'd like. Might be easier to remember."

  Maddox shook his hand and Alex's smile turned into a wince. Based on Maddox's white knuckles, I had a feeling that I knew exactly why. I had never seen him treat a new person in town so rudely before. I knew it could be a case of Alex rubbing him the wrong way. Attention-hungry fae could do that to people sometimes, but that was no excuse to act like a barbarian.

  "You going to introduce me, Red?" Maddox asked.

  "Oh, right." I looked between the two of them with a smile. "Alex, this is Maddox, Meghan's brother."

  Alex nodded. "I've heard of you, yeah. Maddox Shepherd. You hit it big with construction."

  "I didn't realize I was so talked about."

  "Rose talks about you all the time. I feel like I already know you," Alex replied with a laugh, his natural charm easing the tension in the air.

  Maddox's posture relaxed slightly. His smile turned more natural. When he shifted his attention to me, it was with the same smile I always saw. "You talk about me that much, do you?"

  "We all do. Like, everyone in town," I said, embarrassed. I didn't realize I talked about Maddox that much. "We're proud of our hometown success stories around here. And you're the biggest of them all."

  Alex let out a low whistle. "You've got a real fangirl in Rose."

  I groaned inwardly as Maddox gave Alex a narrow-eyed look. "I guess I do."

  The expression on Alex’s face was a weird one, like he hadn't been expecting that sort of response. I was disappointed that Maddox seemed to dislike him so much. He wasn't even giving him a chance. That was okay though, because I had a sudden idea to make everything better.

  "Hey, Alex, what would you say to getting to know more people around town?" I asked.

  "I'm always down for meeting new people. What did you have in mind?"

  "We're having a big barbecue in my neighborhood tomor
row," I said. "You should totally come!"

  Maddox started in with, "Are you sure—"

  But Alex nodded his head and said, "I'd love to. I already know there's going to be at least one beautiful woman there."

  I laughed and shook my head. "You're so full of it. I think you'll have a good time, though."

  "Great," he said. "I had better finish my deliveries and get home before Granny loses her mind and we have no staff and a jungle to deal with. Thanks for the invite, I can't wait."

  "Oh, right." I scrunched up my nose, then offered him a sympathetic smile. "Good luck to you and the orchard."

  "We'll need it," Alex replied with a good-humored grin. He turned to head toward the door. "Nice meeting you, Maddox."

  "Yeah, you too, Alan," Maddox muttered.

  Alex paused just before he walked outside and looked over his shoulder, first at Maddox, then shifting his eyes to me with a grin. "I'll see you tomorrow."

  I waved goodbye to Alex when I heard a snarl beside me and jerked my head to look at Maddox. His expression was suspiciously calm.

  "I heard that," I whispered. "Control your inner kitten, would you?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "That's the second time I've heard that today." I turned around to face him. "What gives?"

  Maddox stared back at me silently.

  "Maddox, your to-go order is ready," Rhonda called out from the counter.

  "I should probably get back to my tables," I said with a sigh. "They'll be looking for refills and checks right about now."

  He stalked over to the counter and grabbed the to-go bag. Even angry, he moved with such contained power that it drew my gaze. It didn’t help that he wore indecently tight jeans. He immediately turned on his heel and headed toward the exit. As he passed by me on his way to the front door, he said, "We'll talk later."

  I nodded and it was only after he headed out that I started to wonder what he meant. It was odd to me that he was suddenly in such a rush, but I also knew that he had that to-go order for Meghan. He probably wanted to get it to her before it got cold. What could he want to talk about though?

  I pondered what was going on with Maddox as I took care of my customers. I could definitely tell that something upset him. I briefly entertained the idea that it was Alex's flirting, and yeah, he flirted with me sometimes, but he flirted with everyone. There's also the fact that Maddox and I weren’t serious. I mean, I've told him about my terrible dates before and we laughed about them together.

  He told me about his dates, too. They were often just as bad. I bit my lip. He hadn’t mentioned any lately. Whenever I asked, he changed the subject. As I thought back, I realized he hadn’t mentioned any dates at all since his last visit home.

  "Oh no," I gasped, suddenly realizing what that could mean. Something that could explain the strange feelings I was getting from him. His impatience and temper. Maddox must have found his mate. And he didn't know how to break it to me.

  4

  Maddox

  I tried to keep my expression blank as I walked out of the diner, carefully holding the to-go bag. However, I couldn't suppress a snarl as I passed the plants to open the door. Stupid plants. It fueled my anger that the door opened and closed so easily. I felt an overwhelming urge to slam it shut.

  I stomped to my truck as I remembered the smile on Red’s face as she laughed and joked with Alexander. Alex. Who the hell was Alex? Yeah, Sam had said he was Mrs. Greenhaven’s grandson. So that meant he was fae. They could beguile and charm like no other. And that prick was charming my Red.

  I got in my truck and carefully shut the door. I didn’t want to break a window by closing the door too forcefully, and I was angry enough so there was no telling what destruction I could do. Shifters, as a general rule, were stronger than humans and other beings. Stronger than most fae even. The only fae stronger than shifters were trolls and ogres, but they were rarely in civilized places. Alexander wasn’t a troll or an ogre. If we came to blows, there would be no contest.

  I flexed my hands on the steering wheel as I started my truck and carefully backed up. The task took my attention and forced me to focus. I didn’t want to hurt anyone with my vehicle and had to pay attention. Although, if Alexander had been standing behind me, anything could have happened. I might have accidentally hit the accelerator. Who knew?

  Alex, she called him. I snarled again. And he brought her flowers. Pansies. What a sap. A smile crossed my face. Alexander had no idea what Red liked. He brought her pansies. She’d smiled and had acted all delighted, but I knew pansies weren’t her favorite flower. I narrowed my eyes. Perhaps I’d stop by the nursery and pick some snapdragons before I picked up Red tonight. I knew exactly what she liked, in more ways than one.

  I drove carefully through town, paying attention to the lights and stop signs. The Fayoak Sheriff’s Office thrived on their ticket revenue. I knew a few of the officers, but not all of them. All it would take was a newbie to pull me over. If the officers knew you were a local, they usually let you slide with a warning. Usually. I didn’t feel like pouring money into the sheriff’s coffers, so I kept to the speed limit, despite how pissed off Abner, or whatever his name was, had made me.

  I turned down a residential street and pulled into the driveway of my sister's cozy home. I grabbed the to-go bag before I got out of the cab, quickly closed the truck door, and walked up to the front door. The dark blue of the door reminded me of Red’s eyes; I loved that color. I gave a quick double knock and opened the door.

  "Hello," I called out.

  "In the kitchen," my sister's voice answered.

  I turned right and walked into the kitchen. Hazel eyes the same color as mine lit up as Meghan smiled at me. The round oak table in her kitchen gleamed in the late-morning sun. The cheery colors of the quilted placemats caught my eye and I wondered briefly if Meghan had made them. I knew her pregnancy boredom had led to a lot of new and interesting hobbies. Her chair feet grunted on the tile as she pushed it back and started wiggling to get up to greet me. I rushed over to keep her from getting up.

  "Stay put, Meg," I said in a firm tone.

  "No, no, it’s good. I gotta get up and move," she said. "Besides, you know that bossy tone doesn’t work on me." She shot me a cheeky grin.

  I recognized that stubborn tilt to her chin, despite her grin. I helped her stand up, rather than continue to argue with her. That would get me nowhere. Once she was on her feet, she pulled me down for a hug. I was careful not to squish her. When she released me, I reached out and rubbed her belly. I felt a kick as the newest member of the family greeted me.

  "Every time I see you, your belly gets bigger. You have got to stop eating so much," I teased.

  She’d actually lost a lot of weight during her first trimester and the doctor had been worried. The family was relieved that she had managed to gain it back and was in a healthy weight range now. Her mate had been practically feral. All shifters were over-protective of their mates, but we got worse when they were pregnant. My imagination conjured up a picture of what Red would look like pregnant, but I quickly stamped it out.

  She wasn’t my mate and I would only have children with my mate. That meant any children she’d have would be with another guy. I bit back a snarl. The thought of her pregnant with another man’s child made me see red.

  Meghan stuck her tongue out at me. "Beast. You know better than to tell a pregnant woman she’s fat."

  I smiled, shoving back my thoughts about Red, and held up the to-go bag. "Brought you something from The Peach."

  Her face lit up and she held her hands out. "That smells so good. Hand it over."

  I gave her the bag and she tore into it, making happy noises. When I told Sam I wanted something for my sister, his face lit up and he smiled. I knew what she usually liked, but her pregnancy had made for some odd cravings. I figured Sam would have a good idea of the flavor of the week since she ate there frequently. Judging by my sister’s expression, Sam got it righ
t.

  She sat down after getting a fork from the drawer. I sat down next to her and watched, my amusement growing, as my refined and sophisticated little sister wolfed down the food as if she was afraid someone would take it away. Sam had outdone himself, as usual.

  She scooped up one forkful after another of the migas: scrambled eggs mixed with bell peppers, jalapenos, cheese, and—the best part—chopped and fried corn tortillas. It was one of her favorite dishes. I seriously considered grabbing a fork and trying to steal a bite, but the expression on her face made me reconsider. She might do bodily harm to anyone who tried.

  I took a deep breath, then quirked a brow up. "No onions?" "Nope. They disagree with me right now."

  As I watched her eat as if she was starving, I wondered if I was wrong and she wasn’t eating enough. I studied her, but she didn’t look underweight. But what would I know? I gave myself a mental shake. I was being silly. I knew Joseph, and he loved her to distraction. If anything, he probably tried to feed her all the time.

  "You doing okay?" I asked, worry gnawing at me, despite myself.

  The tone of my voice must have alarmed her because Meghan stopped eating again for a moment, swallowed her bite, and looked at me with a serious expression.

  "I’m fine," she said with a look of confusion. "Ready to have the little one. Why?"

  Suddenly embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don’t know." I shrugged. "The way you were eating . . . as if you weren’t getting enough food. It made me worry."

  A bright smile crossed her face and she shook her head, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Worrywart. You’re always looking after me. I’m fine."

  She scooped up the last few bites of the food and sat back with a happy sigh. She started wiggling to get up and I sprang to my feet.

  "What do you need?"

  She smiled at me and stopped moving. "To put this in the trash." She waved her hands over her empty to-go container.

  "I’ve got it." I swiped up everything before she could argue. It took only a moment, and the trash was cleared away, the fork in the dishwasher. I turned back to her and caught a flash of pain cross her face.