Chapter Five: Moving On & Up

Dustin smiled at his mate. She was right. If she joined him in the shower, he’d fuck her, and they would have to wait thirty minutes for his knot to soften. So, he kissed her forehead, then headed to her shower. When he finished, he found her in her room with a medical kit ready to doctor him. He smiled at the thought of her playing doctor.

“Sit,” she said, pointing to the only chair in her room.

He obeyed and sat down. Shar knelt before him and scowled at the cut in his side.

“It’s already healing,” she said as she pulled peroxide from the kit.

“Yeah, we heal fast,” he said, looking into her eyes.

“Do you think I will, too, now that we’re connected?” she asked, concentrating on his wound.

He shrugged, “I don’t know, Mafilia. We’re learning as we go here.”

She smiled up at him. “Are there books we can read?”

“My mom might have some.”

She nodded and looked back down at his cut. “Then, we’re going to the family dinner.” She poured the peroxide on the wound.

He roared as he grabbed the arms of the chair and squeezed.

“What the fuck!?” Daryl bellowed as he entered the room.

“Hi,” Shar said with a smile as she looked at her new brother.

Daryl looked from Shar to his brother and back again. He looked at the cut in his brother’s stomach and the bottle of peroxide in Sharissa’s hand and grinned.

“Has having a mate softened you, Brother?”

Dustin snarled at his brother, and Shar clucked her tongue.

“Did you not see the bodies in the living room?” she asked as she recapped the peroxide.

Daryl stopped laughing and nodded.

“Then you know your brother is no pussy,” she said as she stood up and smiled at her mate.

Dustin pulled Shar closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. He’s already falling for this woman. It’s like a train wreck, and he can’t stop it. It will happen whether Dustin wants it to or not, and man, does he want it to. To love your Fated mate is the best feeling in the world. Next to fucking her, of course.

~🐱~

“Look at this mess,” Dylan said as he entered Shar’s apartment.

“Hey, Dylan,” Shar said with a smile when she saw him. “Can you help Dominic with the bodies?”

Dylan stared at Shar. “Where are Dustin and Daryl?”

“They went to get a friend of theirs. I think they said something about his father being a cop….”

Dylan nodded and responded, “Raj.”

“Yeah, that’s him.” Shar pulled another box off the table and opened it.

“What are you doing?” he asked, watching her.

She smiled and answered, “packing. We would have done it later, but now, with my door broken, I don’t want to leave my apartment unattended.”

Dylan nodded. “Need help?” he asked.

“Once you boys finish with the bodies, I could use a lot of help.”

“Thanks for volunteering me there, Shar,” Dominic said as he lifted a boar over his shoulder.

She smiled at him. “You’re most welcome, Dom.”

Dominic chuckled as he walked out the door.

“I see he has accepted you,” Dylan said with a smile.

“How so?” she asked, watching him.

He turned back to her. “He told you to call him Dom, right?”

She nodded.

“He only allows those closest to him to call him by his nickname.”

She smiled and said, “well, I’m glad you all accept me. Because this shit has been crazy, you know?”

He nodded—he knew. “Well, I’ll get to helping my brother so we can help you.”

She smiled and replied, “thanks, Dylan.”

“No worries, Seliana.”

Shar watched the guys carry the bodies from her apartment. She didn’t know where they were putting them, and she didn’t care as long as they were away from here.

“All done,” Dylan said as he and Dominic returned to her apartment.

She wrinkled her nose at the smell. “Go wash some of that smell off you first,” she said, almost gagging.

The two men looked at each other, then at her.

“So, it’s true then?” Dylan asked.

“What?” Shar asked, her nose still wrinkled.

“That a human mate gets her mate’s abilities,” Dominic said, watching her.

“Oh. Yeah, it’s true. Please wash up.”

Both men chuckled as they headed to the kitchen to wash their hands and arms.

“And burn your shirts!” she hollered at them.

Dominic snorted as he pulled his shirt over his head.

Shar shook her head. Two women are out there waiting for those two, and they’ll be lucky to have them. They’re just as muscled and good-looking as their older brothers.

“What’s going on here? Why are my brothers half-naked?” Dustin demanded when he entered her apartment.

“Well, hello to you too,” she said, turning to him. “I told them to burn their shirts.”

“Why?” Dustin asked, watching his brothers.

“Because they removed those nasty ass boars out of here, and I do not want to smell their stench anymore. I think I’ll burn the carpet, too,” Shar said, looking at the blood on her carpet.

Daryl laughed as he slapped his brother on the shoulder. “She has a point.” He nodded to his new sister. “They do have a stench, and it’s worse in death.”

He has never seen Dustin so jealous of his brothers before. This Fated mate thing was fascinating if it turned his wayward brother into a one-woman—tear your head off—type of man.

“That’s an understatement,” Shar said. She was having a hard time not throwing up.

“I’ll wash the carpet,” Dylan said as he grabbed what he needed from under the sink.

“I forgot our bond amplified your senses,” Dustin said with a smile as he pulled her into his arms.

She smiled up at him. “Tenfold. I didn’t know my belongings had a distinct smell for each object.”

Dustin chuckled, “every person, too.”

“Oh, God,” she said, gagging.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking down at her.

She chuckled as she got her gag reflex under control. “There’s this guy at work who stinks to high heavens all the time. And now….”

Dustin chuckled, “now, he’ll smell even worse.”

She nodded and jested, “thanks a lot.” She smiled so he knew she was teasing.

Dustin knew, and he kissed her for it.

“Okay, the carpet is clean. Shall we get to packing?” Dylan cheerfully asked.

“You’re too chipper,” Dustin growled.

Dylan grinned and said, “it’s not every day one of your brothers finds his Fated mate.”

~🐱~

It took them all day and into the night to pack Shar’s apartment and move it to Dustin’s mansion. Luckily, he had an enormous garage, and she stored most of her belongings there to go through later.

“You just need clothes and bathroom items for now,” Dustin told her as his brothers stored her boxes in his garage.

She nodded, “right.”

“Shar?”

“Hmm?” she asked, turning to him.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yep—no,” she admitted with a deep sigh.

He moved over to her and pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“I should have never gotten involved with Johnny Vega. But I swear, I didn’t know who he was.”

Dustin sighed. “I know, Mafilia, I know.”

“What do we do now?”

“Now, we live our lives. I’m here to protect you, and you have the rest of my family. You’ll never be alone again.”

She smiled up at him. “I like that thought.”

“Of being protected?”

“Of not being alone.”

He nodded and kissed her.

“Whoa,” someone said as they entered the living room.

Dustin grumbled as he lifted his head and looked at the intruder.

“Sorry, man,” the man laughed.

Shar looked at the newcomer and noticed his silver eyes. Shifter.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” he asked, wide-eyed.

Dustin grumbled, “Shar, this is Raj Cunningham, a close friend of mine and my brothers.”

“The cop’s son,” Shar said, nodding to the man.

“Ouch,” Raj said, placing his hand over his chest.

Dustin chuckled. He knows his friend is used to people recognizing him. He hasn’t been called the cop’s son—in over twenty years. Not since he found his passion on the ice.

“Am I wrong?” Shar asked, looking at Dustin.

Dustin grinned at his mate and kissed her. “Raj here is used to being recognized.”

She looked between the two men. “I’m sorry. Are you famous?”

“Oh, double shot to the heart!” Raj cried out as he flopped onto the couch as if she’d shot him.

“He can be dramatic,” Dustin whispered to her.

She chuckled. “I’m sorry, Raj. Where should I know you from?”

He eyed her. “Do you watch sports?”

She shook her head, “no, sorry, I’m not a sports fan.”

Raj laughed, “it figures you’d find one who hates sports as much as you do.”

Dustin chuckled and replied, “you know I only watch to watch you get your ass kicked.”

Raj snorted, “I give more than I take, and you know it.”

“What are you two talking about?” Shar asked, confused.

‘Is he a fighter or something?’

“Raj is a professional hockey player,” Dustin said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Shar nodded, “oh.”

“That all? Just an, oh?” Raj asked, watching her.

She smiled at him. “I would love to see you play.”

He grinned at her, “maybe your boyfriend will bring you to the next home game.”

Shar looked at Dustin. “Do you think it’s safe to go?”

Dustin smiled and said, “I think so. Enormous crowd, don’t think Vega will want so many witnesses.”

She nodded. “Can we go?”

He nodded and answered, “but only if you promise to stay with me and do as I say.”

She nodded again. “I promise.”

“Great,” Raj said as he got to his feet. “Oh, I almost forgot. My dad wants to see you.”

“Where is he?” Dustin asked.

“Out in his car, waiting for you.”

Dustin looked at Shar, and she smiled. She loved how he worried about her, and she knew it wasn’t because he was her paid bodyguard. It was because he cared about what happened to her.

Raj smiled at Dustin, “go, I’ve got your girl covered.”

Dustin nodded, then quickly kissed Shar and walked out the door.

Raj moved closer to Sharissa. “Let me see,” he said, holding his hands out.

Shar eyed him, confused about what he wanted.

“Your markings,” he said.

“Oh.” She blushed as she held her hands out to him.

He took hold of her wrists and looked at them. “Incredible,” he mumbled. “I’ve never seen a bonding before. Is it true?” he asked, looking up at her.

“What?”

He smiled. “That you gain your mate’s abilities?”

She smiled back, “so far, two senses and strength.”

He nodded. “Which senses?”

“Hearing and sense of smell.”

“How’s the sex?”

She choked and pulled her hands from his.

He chuckled, “sorry to be so blunt. But I heard it’s intense—especially the knotting.”

She tried to speak, but nothing would come out.

“What the fuck did you do to my mate?” Dustin demanded when he returned to find Shar sputtering—her eyes open wide.

Raj shrugged and said, “I asked her what knotting is like.” Raj ducked Dustin’s fist and laughed as he escaped the man. “I’m just curious because of the stories, you know, how sex is a hundred times better.”

“Go find your own Fated mates and find out for yourself,” Dustin growled.

Raj laughed, “catch you at my next home game. Got to go; Dad’s waiting on me.” He dodged Dustin’s fist again and laughed as he ran to his father’s car.

“Sorry about that,” Dustan said, turning to Shar.

Shar smiled at him. “It’s okay—he’s just curious. I was just shocked at his bluntness.”

He chuckled, “yeah, Raj has always been blunt.”

“What does he shift into?” Sharissa asked as she watched Dustin walk over to her.

“A tiger.”

She blinked. “Really?”

He nodded and replied, “yeah.”

“I would love to see that,” she said with a smile.

He growled as he pulled her into his arms. “You would, would you?”

She nodded. “I would love to see others. I have always found shifters fascinating.”

He chuckled, “we’ll go to The Shifter Dive this Friday.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Isn’t that the shifter bar—where only shifters hang out?”

Dustin nodded, “and their mates. Though you’ll be the first Fated mate.” He smiled. “But don’t worry, they’ll be happy to see you. You’re one of us now, Sharissa.”

Sharissa smiled. She has never been so proud to be a part of something before.