Chapter Five: Shopping Spree

The pain settled, and Josiah looked at his wrists. “What’s that?”

“That is our bond.”

“It looks like Tribal Markings.”

Gerald smiled as he kissed his mate’s shoulder. “Yeah, I guess it does. Turn your wrists over,” he said as he moved his hands down to Josiah’s hips.

Josiah stared at the word UNITY on his right wrist. Then looked at his left wrist and sucked in a breath. “Your name is on my wrist.”

Gerald grinned as he held his left wrist up for Josiah to see. “And yours is on mine.”

“Wow,” Josiah breathed. “So, what’s that in my ass?” he asked, turning his head toward Gerald.

Gerald chuckled. “That’s my knot.”

“So, we’re like common dogs now, huh?” Josiah asked with a scowl.

Gerald chuckled. “No. The knotting is to….” He stopped, not sure how that would work with his mate.

“To what?” Josiah asked.

Gerald sighed. “To impregnate our mates.”

Josiah’s cheeks turned a bright red. “Uh….”

“Yeah, I know. It’s crazy….”

“No, not really.” Josiah chuckled. “It explains why I was in heat.”

Gerald’s eyes opened wide. “You believe you can get pregnant?”

Josiah shrugged. “Why not? The Goddesses have done crazier things.”

Gerald laughed as he kissed his mate on the cheek. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

Josiah shrugged.

“Can I ask you a question, since we’ll be stuck here for a while?”

Josiah nodded.

“How are you so calm after the life you’ve led for the past ten years?”

Josiah took a deep breath. “My dreams have kept me calm.”

“Dreams?”

Josiah nodded. “The Goddesses gave me glimpses into my future. Never showed me my life partner, but I got to see our pups. At first, I thought we’d adopted, but now I see, maybe, I give birth to them….”

“Really?” Gerald asked as he licked Josiah’s shoulder.

Josiah shivered. “They were a mocha color and were the cutest little things. I remember the love I felt for them. And knew someday I would see them. That’s what kept me sane and kept me going. So many men had died in there before and after me. It was as if I was protected.”

Gerald smiled. “All Fated Mates are protected by the Goddesses.”

Josiah nodded.

Gerald’s cock slid out of his mate, and he turned Josiah to face him. “Want to go again?” he asked with a smirk.

Josiah grinned as he slid down the wall and took his mate’s deflated cock into his mouth. In no time, Gerald was ready to go again, and they barely made it back to the bed.

~🐺~

Gerald and Josiah walked into the dining hall on the hotel’s ground floor.

“You two look happy,” Sharissa said with a smile when she noticed them.

Gerald smiled as he pulled his mate closer and kissed his cheek. He was still in the clothes they’d found him in yesterday. And sexy as hell. He’ll never get enough of his mate. He looked at Shar, the other women, then back at Shar.

“I have a favor to ask of you.” She nodded, and he continued. “Josiah doesn’t have any clothes. I was wondering if you could take him shopping. I have a bit of money….”

“Don’t worry about money.” Shar grinned as she looked at Josiah. “We’ll take care of your mate. After all, he’s a member of The Fated Mate Club.”

Gerald watched as his mate’s cheeks pinkened and chuckled. “It’s a good thing, Mafilio.” He kissed Josiah’s pink cheek.

His mate is so beautiful. Gerald wanted to take him back to their room and mate with him a few more times before he released him into Sharissa’s care.

“Let’s eat breakfast first,” Lyvia said from her position on the other side of the table.

“This will be fun,” Maddy said, smiling up at Josiah.

Josiah smiled at them as Gerald pulled a chair out for him. Gerald liked how accepting his new family was of his mate.

“How about we check out that clothing store we saw yesterday before we went to the club?” Josie suggested.

“When are we leaving Vegas?” Gerald asked. He didn’t want his mate to be here any longer than necessary.

“There’s one more place close by that we need to check out before we leave,” Pearl said without lifting her head from her menu.

“What time are we heading to that one?” Shar asked.

Pearl looked up at her. “Tonight. You have plenty of time to shop.”

Shar smiled. “You coming along?”

Pearl shrugged. “Why not? I could use a new shirt,” she said, her face wrinkling when she remembered her other shirt with the vampire bloodstains.

“Great, all of you can make a day of it.” Dustin pulled Shar close and kissed the side of her head.

“What are you boys going to do without us?” Lyvia asked, batting her eyes at her mate.

Raj grinned. “I don’t know about the others, but I’m going to miss my mate.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips.

They ordered and ate breakfast. They talked briefly through breakfast and laughed about a few things that had happened yesterday. Dustin paid the bill when they were finished, and the rest headed outside.

“Take the van,” Raj said, handing the keys to the van over to his mate.

“Thank you.” Lyvia kissed him softly on the lips.

“Ready?” Shar asked as she moved over to Lyvia.

Lyvia smiled. “Yep. Let’s get going.”

The men waved to their mates, then turned to each other.

“What are we going to do without the girls?” Dustin asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

The others laughed.

“Isn’t your cousin due to join us soon?” Daryl asked Raj as they headed back into the hotel.

Raj nodded. “Later this afternoon.”

“There’s a game on if you guys are interested,” Rolando said as they headed for the elevator.

“Let’s meet up in the big suite. There’s a fifty-inch flat screen there,” Dustin said as he pressed the button for the top floor.

“We can order drinks and snacks,” Dylan said as he looked at his phone.

The men gathered in the large suite and watched the game, missing their mates terribly.

~🐺~

“What about this? This would look great on you.” Shar held a blue polo shirt up against Josiah.

Josiah frowned down at it. “I’m not used to this,” he whispered.

Shar smiled. She’d forgotten that he’d lived on the streets before the dark witches and wizards had captured him.

“Trust us,” Maddy said, holding a button-down shirt up to him.

“Take off the hoodie,” Josie said.

Josiah did as Josie asked.

The women sucked in breaths as they stared at him.

“Damn,” Josie whispered.

“You said it, Sis.” Maddy whistled.

Josiah looked around at them, his eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“You’re hot,” Lyvia blurted out.

Josiah’s cheeks turned a deep red, and the girls giggled.

“Gerald is one lucky man,” Pearl said as she walked behind him, her hand lightly brushing across his back as she moved.

“You girls are embarrassing him,” Bridget grumbled, uncomfortable with shopping.

She usually just took what she wanted and told the clerk she’d paid for it. Who was going to argue with a vampire?

“Okay, that settles it.” Shar picked up a few shirts and a pair of slacks, then took hold of Josiah’s hand. “Come along,” she said with a wide grin as she pulled him toward the changing rooms. “Now remember, we want to see each piece.” She handed him the clothes and shoved him into the changing room to change.

“He’s so damn hot,” Maddy said, fanning her face.

“He has the brooding bad boy look to him,” Josie said with a nod.

“If he was straight, he’d have his pick of any woman in the world.” Lyvia grinned.

“Don’t forget, Gerald is pretty hot too, and huge.” Maddy chuckled. “And sweet as pumpkin pie.”

The others laughed.

“I don’t know about this,” Josiah said as he came out of the changing room in the light gray polo shirt and slacks.

“Holy fuck,” Lyvia said, staring at Josiah with wide eyes.

“The grey in the shirt enhances your silver eyes,” Shar said, looking him up and down.

“I’m buying Raj a polo shirt.” Lyvia turned and walked back to the rack of shirts.

“What is it about shifters that gets me all hot and bothered?” Maddy wondered as she looked Josiah up and down.

Josiah smiled at her. “Your mate is Gerald’s friend, right?”

Maddy nodded. “You have yourself a good mate there. He’s sweet, caring, funny, and a big ole perv,” she said with a grin.

Josiah smiled. “He’s also gorgeous.”

Maddy chuckled. “Yes, there’s that too.”

“Okay, what color do you think would look good on Raj?” Lyvia asked, holding up three shirts. Blue, grey, or orange.

“Blue,” the others said at the same time, even Josiah.

Shar smiled at him. He was getting more comfortable with them; that’s good.

Lyvia grinned as she turned and headed back to the rack.

“Okay, try on the button-down shirt, then we’ll pay and get lunch.” Shar turned Josiah and gave him a push toward the changing room.

“I’m going to get this for Rolando,” Maddy said, holding up a t-shirt with the words SEXY AS SIN written across the chest.

The others chuckled.

“Maybe we should all get our mates that shirt.” Josie grinned.

“No.” Maddy pouted. “It was my idea; get your own idea.”

Josie chuckled as she watched her sister walk away.

Josiah walked out in the button-down shirt and gray slacks.

“Fuck, me,” Josie said, staring at him.

Josiah grinned. “You girls are crazy.”

“Crazy in love with you,” Josie said with a wink.

“If I didn’t know how much you all love your mates, I’d be worried.” He laughed.

“Go try on this t-shirt with these jeans.” Shar handed him a t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

He nodded as he took them from her and returned to the changing room.

“What size shoes does he wear?” Josie asked as she looked at the shoes.

Shar asked Josiah. He admitted he didn’t know; the shoes they’d provided for him were too small.

“We’ll measure his feet when he comes out,” Pearl said as she picked out a couple pairs that would go with his outfits.

“No, not those, these.” Josie handed Pearl a pair of black sneakers to go with the jeans.

“Nice.” Pearl nodded.

“Hey, girls,” Bridget said from her place by the window.

They turned to her, and she motioned for them to come to her. When they got to her side, she pointed down the street. The girls chuckled when they saw what she was pointing at.

“I guess they couldn’t stay away from us for more than an hour.” Shar giggled.

They scurried away from the window when the guys were close enough to see inside the store.

The bell over the door jingled as the nine sexiest men in creation entered the store. They noticed women in the store staring at them with gaping mouths.

Dustin snuck up behind Shar and wrapped his arms around her.

“Who in the world could this be?” Shar asked with a grin.

“Your mate,” Dustin said, kissing the side of her neck.

Shar sighed. “Is my husband here too?”

Dustin chuckled. “Yes, Mafilia.”

She turned in his arms. “Oh, hello Dustin, what are you doing here?”

The others chuckled as they reunited with their mates.