A Bond of Trust (Shifter City Fated Mates #4)

Chapter 1

TALON

The wheel was foreign under my hands. It felt breakable, like if I squeezed just a little too hard, it would crack and shatter into carbon and Alcantara pieces. I’d recently learned what the G-Wagen’s steering wheel was made of, courtesy of my mate, Emme.

Not that she’d said much else about the vehicle itself, other than asking if I wanted to have my first driving lesson.

We’d just come from trying to visit the Annandale pack’s house but hadn’t even made it to the end of their street. Warrick met us on the road, and while he took the baked goods and apologies from Emme, he hadn’t let her any closer.

They weren’t ready.

But if I had to hear my mate’s silent sobs for one more second, I was going to crush and burn this fucking car. And maybe also this world that kept on hurting her.

“Okay, I’m fine now,” she said, sniffling, and I wondered if she could sense how I fought my demons in the face of her sadness. Sadness I couldn’t fix. “Let’s get this lesson moving. We don’t have a lot of time before our ceremony.”

Her existence had been torn to pieces yesterday, but I’d learned there was never enough time to deal or heal when magic was involved. To fight Jewels, we had to complete our quintet bond and strengthen our pack. Still… “Are you sure you’re up to the ceremony today?”

I didn’t care what it cost us, if she needed another day I’d stand in everyone’s way to ensure she got it.

Turning fully in my seat, I took in her unnaturally drawn features, even as the blue of her dress reflected the golden sheen of her skin. My mate was stunning. I didn’t deserve to be in the presence of such beauty but fuck the goddess if she thought I’d ever give Emme up.

“Yes,” she cleared her throat and forced a smile. “I’m absolutely up for it. I want us to be as powerful as possible. But first… let’s teach you to drive.”

Before I could respond, a motorcycle engine revved. Hunter and Slade were with us, the entitled alpha on his Honda, and my twin on his Ducati. Now that we’d embraced the twin soul connection, I could feel Slade in my essence, almost as strongly as I felt Emme.

Then there was the rest of my pack.

Pack.

For a shifter who’d never really had anyone, it was a huge responsibility to now have many to keep safe under my dragon wing. Thank the goddess my wingspan was large and capable.

Emme turned to meet my gaze, and honestly…

I was once again fighting the urge to shift into my beast, steal my mate away, burn the car to the ground, and fly her out of this fucked-up place.

If only that wouldn’t damn all shifters, including Emme, to a curse that would steal our ability to shift by the next full moon.

Slade revved his engine again, as a reminder we were on a deadline, and I bit back my snarl. Everyone in this pack enjoyed cars, bikes, engines, and speed. I only enjoyed one of those, but maybe I’d change my mind when I learned how to control these unnatural pieces of metal.

Hence why I was here today, killing time before the ceremony.

With the only shifter I’d ever tolerate a lesson from.

Frankly, Emme could teach me the ancient art of knitting and I’d hang on every damn word. If anyone else tried though, I’d use those same knitting sticks to ensure they wore their intestines as a scarf.

“It’s not critical for me to learn how to drive,” I reminded her, my voice rougher than I intended. “Firstly, I can fly much faster than any car. Secondly, there’s no shortage of shifters in our pack who can drift around a fucking corner.”

Emme’s lips twitched, and my beast calmed when a brief peal of laughter escaped her.

After all of her sadness, that light, delicate sound had me desperate to hear more.

My life wasn’t one for light, and she was a miracle I never expected.

I’d kill my former alpha, Fletcher, a million times over if that meant having Emme laugh just once.

“One day, when you race on the track with us all, you’ll understand why we love to drive. Not only is it fun, we’re competitive as fuck. Kellan always wins, but there will come a time when someone knocks him off his pedestal.”

“I could kick his ass without even trying,” I decided.

Confidence went hand in hand with being a dragon, and if I wanted to beat him, I would.

Emme patted my arm and every part of my body stood to attention, eager for more. “Of that, I have no doubt. But don’t underestimate our Golden. He drives like a shifter with a death wish, and Slade hasn’t bested him yet.”

Kellan, the other light one in our pack. I’d never met an alpha like him before. My dragon was torn between enjoying his banter and wanting to punch him in the teeth.

Still, he was pack, which made him ours.

“Okay, show me what to do,” I said, facing forward, feeling the stare of the entitled alpha and my twin. Outside of the engine revs, both showed surprising patience, but we could only push them so far.

Emme leaned toward me as she pointed out the parts of the car, including the start button, wipers, hazards, and how we signaled to turn. Her scent washed over me as she flicked her hair back, and it took every ounce of my hard-fought-for focus to not drag her into my lap.

“Are you listening, Tal?” she asked with a smirk, and since I never lied to her…

“You’re a huge distraction in the best way,” I murmured.

The lightest hue of pink tinted her cheeks, and the chocolate and honey tones deepened. “I’m going to be a much bigger distraction soon,” she replied, voice raspy.

I liked that sound. I liked everything about this shifter. Enough to be worried that I might take over my twin with obsession and stalking.

“I haven’t thought of anything else since we decided last night,” I told her, and that blush darkened, spanning down to the tops of her breasts, visible in the cut of her dress.

With a shake of my head, I forced myself to look out the front window, which was dull and uninspiring compared to Emme. “Let’s focus on the lesson so I don’t ravish you here and now.”

Another scent spike, but she sucked in a fortifying breath and ran through drive, reverse, park, and other features like the low range for off-roading.

“You shouldn’t ever need that for regular driving,” she added, “since this one is always in four-wheel drive mode and can handle a fair amount of rugged terrain.”

This car had nothing on my beast. “If I get stuck, I’ll just tear the roof off and fly away.”

Another burst of laughter from her, and my cock jerked in my pants. To have my body react so strongly was a new experience, and I found myself curious about what the rest of the day would bring. There were no real nerves, as I knew instinct would guide me in claiming my mate.

But the anticipation might kill me before that moment.

“The doors will still work,” Emme said around her laughter, “but sure, tearing off the roof is always an option.”

I barely heard her over the roar of my beast.

Scent matches were intense, and I drowned in the animalistic needs coursing through me.

“Okay, well, let’s try moving,” Emme said, and she moved away to sink into her seat. “Foot on the brake before pressing the start button.”

Following her instructions helped my focus, and it seemed straightforward and simple.

The car moved as soon as I lifted my boot from the brake, and I enjoyed the little jolt forward when I hit the gas.

It was smooth, the wheel responding to the smallest adjustment, which kept us on the straight road.

It did take me a second to maneuver my boots on the pedals, as everything in here was too fucking small, but eventually I got the hang of it.

After ten minutes I felt confident in controlling the machine, and another ten minutes had me ready for more speed. I pressed my foot harder, and on either side of us the bikes kept pace easily. “I want to try one of those next,” I said, eyeing Slade.

Top speed, brother, I said through our bond. Show me how fast it is.

Emme must have caught some of my curiosity through our connection, as she turned to examine Slade. When he took off in a roar, her breath quickened, and I didn’t need a mental connection to know she wanted to be out there on her Panigale.

Slade’s motorcycle moved like the wind, sleek and black and lethally fast. “Yep, I definitely need one of those,” I decided when he disappeared from sight. I was finally beginning to understand.

“This is one of my happy places,” Emme murmured, watching the world go by out her window, her long legs sprawled out in front of her.

“Cars, my mates, and no one trying to kill us.” A sad bark of laughter left her.

“At least not right this second. I can’t believe my alleged father is in the house, and he’s half fucking witch and half shifter, just blowing all my conceptions of our races out of the water. How did this even happen?”

“Fletcher would have known more,” I grumbled, flexing the weak wheel again. “His death needed to happen, but it clearly set in motion a chain of events that might be even worse.”

Emme swung in her chair toward me, eyes narrowed.

“Don’t you dare feel guilty for the choice you made, Talon Riverson.

We had no idea what that bitch-witch had set in motion, and the world will always be better without that monster in it.

We’ll just deal with the next challenge, as we always do.

” She paused, and took a few breaths, visibly calming.

“I do think you should take us to his compound, if Jewels hasn’t figured out how to burn it all to the ground already. There might be clues there.”

“I will take you,” I promised her. “I don’t know what remains of it, but it makes sense to search it in our quest to track the witch. I was never allowed into the underground rooms, but I could smell the darkness from my cage.”

Even when I’d been on board with Fletcher’s plan to take over the cities and return shifters to their former glory, he’d never fully trusted me. I knew the reason why now: Slade. He tried to beat it out of us, but the twin-soul bond trumped all except my bond to Emme.

“Will you show me Golden Claw?” I asked, wanting my last niggling doubts over the way the cities were run put to rest. “I know it’s the largest of the cities, and the closest to mimic how the human world functions.”

She nodded, and I was drawn to the row of straight white teeth working over her plush bottom lip. “Yeah, it’s the largest and most similar to a big human city. I just…” She swallowed roughly. “I’m worried that you won’t like the advancements and start rallying for us to bring the old ways back.”

The thought had crossed my mind, but even if I never fully shunned Fletcher’s vision, I loved Emme more.

I would change for her. I would adjust and adapt until she was permanently in her happy place.

“I choose you, Sweet Honey,” I said softly.

“In a city, in the desert, in the middle of the ocean. Whatever it looks like, I choose you. You have nothing to worry about.”

Her lip popped free, and I was caught in her fucking glorious smile. “Tal! You like me, you really like me.” There was a teasing lilt to her voice, and I recognized that this was her way of joking with me. Such a novel concept, and goddess, I was completely and totally gone over my omega.

“I love you,” I said suddenly, returning my eyes to the road in time for Slade to race back into view. “I really fucking love you.”

I’d never said those words to anyone before, and I expected them to burn in a way that even a dragon was unfamiliar with. But they flowed like water filled with contentment.

Emme was silent for a few seconds, and I slowed the vehicle to give her my full attention. She stared wide-eyed and unblinking, her smile long gone. My heart clenched hard, and the fires raged in my gut as moisture once again clouded her icy-blue gaze.

“Are you okay?” I growled, hitting the brakes, slamming the car in park, and reaching for her. “What’s wrong?”

When she squeezed her eyes closed, I had to force my dragon down. Neither of us liked when she cut herself off from us. “Mate.” My rumble filled the cab. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”

She shook her head, a hint of a smile finally on her lips.

“Some days it’s hard for me to believe we ended up here.

When you forced the bond, I couldn’t imagine liking, let alone loving you.

Yet here we are.” With that, she opened her eyes, and I was locked in her brilliant blue gaze which calmed the inferno in my gut.

“I love you too, Talon Riverson. I love you.”

This was also the first time I’d ever heard those words said to me, and if anything in the world was going to take me out, it was this moment. Fuck. My chest ached like it was caving in but also exploding at the same time.

My voice was a whisper. “Say it again. Please.” Who knew that the day a dragon begged would be this one. Not fucking me.

Emme leaned over and pressed a kiss against my cheek, before moving down to my lips. Featherlight kisses, and between each one, she whispered her love.

With a growl, I reached out and yanked her over the center console and into my lap, trying to fit my limbs and mate all in the stupidly small metal box.

“I would kill and die for you without thought, Sweet Honey,” I rumbled, hoping she heard the absolute truth in that.

“Destroy cities, raze alphas to the ground, and crawl on my fucking hands and knees to reach you. You’re it for me, Emmeline Anders.

You’re my one and only, and if that’s not love, I don’t know what is. ”

She leaned back so our gazes could connect, and when the moment extended for four long, tension-filled seconds, she lurched into me.

Her fingers attempted to grip the short strands of my hair, and I held her face, forcing myself to be gentle.

She was so fragile, and I had to temper my strength to ensure she remained in perfect condition.

I understood why my brother chose not to spar with her most of the time. It was terrifying to think that one slip of control… Never.

She groaned against my lips, and I demanded entry, my tongue brushing hers as I chased her sweet taste. Her wolf rose up to frolic with my beast, and he treated her with the sort of reverence he’d shown no other. This was what I’d searched for during my empty life: love, a mate, a pack.

I finally had something to fight for, and I would not let that witch steal it all away.