Awaiting Fate Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise for J. L. Sheppard

  Awaiting Fate

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Other Books You Might Enjoy

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  “What?” She managed the strength to mumble.

  He drew closer, pressing his chest against hers. The heat of his body caressing hers, she grew warm with craving. Helplessly, her gaze drifted to his thick full lips. Her mind wandered. What she’d give for a kiss, a single mind-blowing kiss?

  Cheeks flushing, her gaze darted toward his again. “Why are you…” Her body’s desires overwhelming her, she gasped for breath.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”

  He wasn’t just angry. He was livid, and he was livid with her because she’d left.

  She didn’t know what to say, had no excuse, not one she could tell him anyway.

  Shutting his eyes firmly, his anger intensified, coiling rapidly against her until she not only felt it but tasted it.

  Still, she wasn’t afraid. With each passing moment, all she felt was heat, his and hers, and how badly she wanted him.

  “Answer me,” he demanded harshly. “Tell me why you left without telling me!”

  His tone startling her, she jolted against him, her body rubbing his. A desire so powerful rippled through her and spiraled inside her, pooling liquid between her legs. It clouded her every thought and every action, so as she stared straight into his eyes, she couldn’t remember what he’d said.

  Clenching his jaw, he ground his teeth in anger, so close to losing it. “Olivia, tell me!”

  Praise for J. L. Sheppard

  “[BURDENED BY DESIRE] has all the great characters to make it exciting. It’s a fast paced book of intrigue and shifter politics, but with a mating mixed in…Looking forward to other books by this author.”

  ~Night Owl Reviews

  ~*~

  “J. L. Sheppard knows how to create smoldering steam, sensual characters and brilliantly tense moments…Each scene [in BURDENED BY DESIRE] is detailed and the flow is always running hot, either from the action, the arguing, the battles or those intimate moments when I swear I saw smoke rising from my Kindle.”

  ~Tome Tender

  ~*~

  “The author brings [HEAVENLY DESIRE] to life with well written scenes that capture the imagination while the suspense and drama draw the reader into the story and the characters are strong, bewitching and ensnare the readers from the very beginning.”

  ~Night Owl Reviews

  ~*~

  “…Love this series…[HEAVENLY DESIRE] is full of romance, surprises and secrets…”

  ~Paranormal Romance Guild

  ~*~

  “You’ll laugh, you’ll swoon and you’ll fall in love with J. L. Sheppard’s [HEAVENLY DESIRE] world, her words and her characters, whose diversities are like a melting pot of the supernatural!”

  ~Tome Tender Blog

  Awaiting Fate

  by

  J. L. Sheppard

  Fated Immortals Series

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Awaiting Fate

  COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Jeanette L. Sheppard

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Angela Anderson

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2015

  Print ISBN 978-1-62830-877-8

  Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-878-5

  Fated Immortals Series

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  For John Andrew Sheppard

  Prologue

  Five Months Ago

  The sidewalks near New York University were crowded with students making the heat more intense on this hot, humid morning. Sweat beaded on Cain’s brow then slid down the sides of his face, but he paid no attention to the sweltering heat.

  His senses were on alert. As always, when on duty, he read the emotions streaming off everyone he encountered and everyone who neared Jocelyn or glanced her way. It was his duty to protect her, ensure she wasn’t abducted, again.

  His king, Lucas, and queen, Jenna, Jocelyn’s sister, had instructed him to do so and as a good warrior, he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. If anything happened on his guard, he’d never forgive himself.

  When a man eyeing Jocelyn greedily approached her, Cain stepped out from behind a concrete barrier and stalked toward him, his expression fierce, glaring at the mortal, who took one look at him and cowered away. At six-foot-five, Cain could be intimidating when he desired, despite his carefree personality and irresistible charm.

  Jocelyn turned and neared him. Just a couple feet away, looking peeved she said, “Cain?”

  He briefly glanced in her direction, knowing she wouldn’t be too pleased. She wasn’t fond of being “stalked” as she claimed and unfortunately for him, the mortal alerted her of his presence.

  His gaze still squared on the mortal, he said, “Yeah.”

  “Oh God, Cain! Really?” She sounded as irked as she looked.

  Finally, shifting his attention to her, he asked, “What?”

  Jocelyn was a beautiful woman with an oval face, chocolate-colored eyes and pouty lips. Her long hair was a shade lighter than her sister’s, a dark honey brown. Right then, her eyes were narrowed and her brows drawn, mocking anger.

  “Did you have to frighten the guy? I have a class with him and I think he likes me.”

  “Yeah, he likes you all right,” he said amused, his stance still stone cold.

  She quirked a brow. “Huh?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Trust me. You want nothing to do with that guy. He was lusting after you.”

  Lifting her brows, she asked, “So?”

  “So? He was lusting after you in a demeaning way. He’s the type that wants to rip and dip,” he pointed out. “You don’t want a guy like that, Joce.”

  A soft smile spread across her lips then she teased, “How do you know what I want?”

  “I know you have a man who’s destined for you and that’s the one you should look for.”

  “I’m immortal, remember? It could take centuries or longer for me to find that guy. Besides, I’m twenty-one.
I’m not looking for Mr. Right. I need Mr. Right Now.”

  He chuckled, unable to help himself. He had never met a woman quite like Jocelyn. She was, for all intents and purposes, the female version of him. He’d never looked for his fated mate, the one person destined for him, and enjoyed time with the opposite sex. Although he doubted Jocelyn ever slept around like he did, she enjoyed men fawning over her, complimenting her and taking her out on dates. Despite her being abducted less than three months ago, she paraded around New York City without a care in the world. She left the past in the past, also very similar to him.

  “Joce, you’re too much to handle sometimes,” he admitted.

  She shrugged, not denying his comment. “Thanks for letting me spot you by the way,” she said, then winked. “You know how much I love giving my brother-in-law hell about it.”

  That was the understatement of the century. Jocelyn wasn’t fond of being guarded twenty-four-seven, the reason his queen, her sister, had instructed them to remain incognito, but being undercover wasn’t as important as keeping her safe. Everyone agreed. When Jocelyn spotted her guards, she’d run home and fuss to Lucas. It never got old watching a twenty-one-year-old Elemental, who hadn’t come into her powers, ream a seven-hundred-year-old immortal who also happened to be king of the most reviled immortal breed.

  “I didn’t let you,” he pointed out. “The mortal—”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she smiled, cheekily. “I gotta get to class.”

  He watched her walk away and into her classroom, chuckling to himself. When she was out of sight, he leaned against the building’s wall, scouring his surroundings, relentlessly ensuring nothing escaped his attention.

  Then it happened.

  A sweet pine scent wafted into his senses. The scent coursed through every cell of his body, soothing him as deeply as it enticed him. His heart beating rapidly in his chest, he frantically scanned every person in his vicinity, desperate to discover the origin of the scent that captivated him.

  His eyes caught a glimpse of a brunette with shoulder-length dark hair flowing freely in the wind. The air in his lungs escaped him. Everything in sight faded away until she was all he saw.

  Never had he feasted on a more beautiful sight. Her features were striking yet delicate, the soft angles of her face angelic. Her eyes were a piercing blue matching the halter dress she wore that fit snugly to her hips, accentuating her plump breasts, small waist and round hips. Her legs were long, sleek and powerful, like a predator’s.

  “Beautiful…” he whispered under his breath.

  His pulse jackhammering at the base of his neck in sync with his heart made it hard to hear anything but the harsh, erratic pounding and his shallow breaths. It didn’t matter much. He was entranced, enthralled by her beauty, her allure—her. As if he’d been created to behold her, he couldn’t find the strength or will to look away.

  A low growl escaped him as desire for her coursed through him so deeply, so forcefully, he thought he’d die if he didn’t ravish her at that moment. He released a breath as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans.

  Could it be? Had he founded her—his fated mate? His body responded, his heart clenching painfully in his chest.

  He knew then it was true.

  “Mine,” he said in awe as a smile spread across his lips. “She’s mine.”

  He’d found her, and he couldn’t move because he could barely breathe. Unable to take his eyes off her, he devoured her repeatedly, inch by breathtaking inch as possessiveness flowed off him in waves. He knew his own eyes were no longer blue but engulfed in crimson.

  His longing intensifying with each passing moment, the need to follow her gnawed at him, finally forcing him to act. He reached for his phone and dialed.

  “Yeah.” Cain heard Benjamin, one of the demon Guardians, say as his eyes continued to trail his fated mate who seemed to strut across the street, taunting him with her curves.

  “Need you here. Emergency.”

  A second later, Benjamin was at his side. Cain didn’t let him speak. He blurted, “Joce in class. I gotta go.”

  Not a moment later, he ran into the road. A horn blared. A car collided with him flinging him ten feet. He landed hard on the pavement. Disregarding the pain throbbing down his legs where the car had struck him and his back where he’d landed, he instantly leapt to his feet, angry his eyes lost focus of the woman fate granted him.

  The driver of the car who’d hit him pulled open his door and neared. “I’m fine,” he barked not sparing a glance in his direction. His eyes greedy for his fated who’d captured his heart moments before.

  He spotted her and dashed onto the sidewalk. Only twenty feet behind his mate, her scent infiltrated his senses once again. The unique scent of her so captivating, so enthralling, he thought it’d take him to his knees.

  Need her, want her, his demon chanted.

  She paused in front of a restaurant. Not a second later, a male strode out then wrapped his tattooed arm around her. In that instant, jealously coursed through Cain, searing the memory of the negative emotion into his soul, one he’d been privileged to have never felt until now. In its wake, unmanageable rage churned, boiling his blood.

  I’ll kill him, he thought clenching his jaw painfully. He fisted his palms, every muscle in his body fighting for control. His face growing flushed from the effort. Involuntarily, a deep growl escaped him, drawing the gaze of several passersby.

  More than anything, he wanted to kill the male who dared touch his mate. More than that, he wanted to wrap his arms around his fated and take her away, far away where he could admire the angles of her face for days on end and run his fingers through her dark, silky hair.

  “Hey, Liv,” the male said. “Get any shopping done?

  Subconsciously, he recognized the voice but too enraptured with her he didn’t bother to attempt to place it.

  “Yeah,” she spoke, so softly.

  The sweetest voice he’d ever heard soothing the anger coursing through him. In that moment, he knew he could never kill the male if his mate cared for him.

  “Landon, can we go to the movies? I haven’t been in ages,” she asked, so sweetly.

  Landon? He blinked, forcing his thoughts to focus. His mind swirled. The tattoo along the length of the male’s arm, the voice, the name, it was all familiar, so familiar he was intrigued, so he summoned the will to peel his gaze away from his mate and shifted it to the male.

  His jaw dropped. The male wasn’t a stranger. He was the arrogant alpha werewolf who’d recently joined the Guardian League, the league of various immortal breeds Lucas, his king, created to combat Malum Inmortalis, rogue immortals. It was the alpha, Landon, who’d helped them rescue Jocelyn when she’d been abducted three months ago.

  Fuck. It was just his rotten luck.

  Landon shrugged. “Sure, we should go today though. Tomorrow, I want you to come with me to the Guardian meeting.”

  “Really?” she asked. Her eyes had gone round and wide, her excitement clear. “So I’m going to meet immortals from other breeds?”

  “Yeah,” Landon replied, chuckling.

  Her face brightened as a smile tugged at her lips, enough to render him immobile and breathless. His heart, he was sure, stopped beating.

  “I can’t wait! Thank you so much for letting me. You’re the best brother ever!” she exclaimed.

  Brother? What do you know? He wouldn’t have to kill the werewolf after all, breaking his vow to his king and the Guardians.

  Cain started toward her then hesitated, pondering his next course of action. Run after her? Tell her she’s his?

  No, his conscience advised. He couldn’t.

  She was a werewolf, and werewolves were reclusive by nature, had always been. In fact, he’d never heard of a werewolf mating an immortal from another breed. To top it off, she was the alpha’s sister, a princess within her pack while he was a demon warrior. Not only were they worlds apart in class and breed, Cain knew the hot-tempered Landon,
her brother and alpha, wouldn’t be pleased a demon had found a mate in his sister.

  She was now his most important duty, protecting her, his top priority. If he wanted to win her, he had to play his cards right.

  She’d never met immortals from other breeds. That alone was enough to advise caution. He couldn’t confess she was his mate—not yet. There was no way to know how she’d react. Perhaps with time if he befriended her, she would accept him.

  But what if she didn’t? What if she ran?

  His chest ached with the thought. He couldn’t fathom it, and he wouldn’t think of it now.

  Of one thing he was certain: his mate needed time.

  Landon and Liv took a step away from him.

  His heart tightened in his chest and involuntarily his muscles twitched, his heart and body battling his mind.

  I’ll see her tomorrow, he chanted silently attempting to soothe his desire, his need, his worries along with his heart and body.

  He watched her until she was out of sight, sadness too powerful to describe overwhelming him.

  Letting her go was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.

  Chapter 1

  Present day

  The sun had begun to set, glimmering off the large skyscrapers in New York City. As the sun’s rays turned a lovely shade of orange and pink in the sky, Cain breathed deeply enjoying the sight and sounds of cars flying past.

  This had been his home for more than a century now. Although quite different from his home in the demonic plane, Treconomia, where five moons shined in the night sky instead of one, he’d grown to love New York and the human plane where it was housed.

  His job as second in command to Demon King Lucas Thaler had granted him access to this plane, its people and its life. He, along with the Guardians of various immortal breeds, protected humans and immortals from Malum Inmortalis, rogue immortals, whose purpose was to rule immortals and mortals alike. Lucas started the Guardian League to combat Malums centuries ago and asked him to join. Cain agreed because he owed Lucas his life, and because Lucas was his brother, if not by blood then by conviction.

  He’d never regretted his decision. He loved his king like a brother, believed in their purpose—a safe place for immortals and mortals without wars, battles and death. He took pride in his duty to his king, their people and the Guardian league, and above all, it soothed him to know he was, in some small way, avenging the family he’d lost more than four hundred years ago.