Page 31 of Called By Fate

Vinson and Hemsworth left to go for a run to stretch their legs while Dante, Elian, and Kaos are doing some macho shit and doing three on one takedowns. I needed a break so I’m sitting on a small bench at the far end of the room, taking everything in while also keeping an eye on my mate.

I hear Matilda's thoughts coming before I see her. She’s normally very open with them and they’re hard to tune out. She sits next to me on the bench, quietly watching the action for a while before she speaks. "It's barely been a few hours and she's already winning them over. I can see why the Goddess chose her."

The noise level in the gym is loud enough for us not to be overheard.

A dreamy sigh escapes me. "She really is amazing, isn't she?" I can barely keep my eyes off her, watching her muscles burn and pull as she spars with Auryen.

"You love her? Truly?" Matilda asks quietly.

"I do," I respond without even thinking about it. "She stole my heart that night at the diner and refused to let it go. She's it for me."

"Then why haven't you claimed her properly yet? You know it's dangerous for her not to have finished her mate bonds. Her Awakening is coming soon and she's going to need you. All of you."

"I know."

"’I know’ isn't good enough, Reed Soleil,” Matilda chastises. “Does she evenknowabout the Awakening?"

I shake my head. "No, none of us have told her. We agreed that we don't want to rush her into these mate bonds with us. Especially when Vinson just fucking died and her relationship with Elian is rocky at best. We’ve barely gotten time together either. Hell, I just got the others’ stamp of approval."

"Boy, I raised you better than this. Tell the woman how you feel. Make heryours.If you wait for the world to fall in your laps, it'll pass you by. You know this."

She's right. Sadie's Awakening is upon us. We need to finish the bonds with her because a mated Weaver is always safer. Something about the magic of love puts an extra layer of protection on us. Not to mention bolsters our powers.

Her magic will also continue to push us together regardless, which is why I haven’t said anything. I don’t want her to think she has to mate with me. But then again, mates aren’t meant to be separated. Usually, they bond instantly, and the Awakening happens shortly thereafter.

Matilda is right though. What the hell am I waiting for?

Knowing the whole fucking magical community is about to be divided, which means our Circle needs to be stronger than ever, I should tell her how I feel. Put myself out there. That gets the gears in my head turning about all the possibilities between us. I have to make it special. I want her to know how much she means to me. Maybe I could write her a little something… That really gets all the ideas swirling in my head.

I give Matilda a nod, catching on to exactly what she was doing—pushing me to be better, like always. "Thanks, Tildy," I say, using her nickname from when I was little.

She makes sure no one is watching us and then ruffles my hair like she would when I was fifteen and got caught sneaking a book out of the library against my father’s wishes. "Sometimes you men need a little push." Then she portals away and leaves me with my thoughts.

12

Dante waltzes into the kitchen and puts his hands on my waist. "Good afternoon, Angel," he says, pulling me into an expert spin. The sudden movement draws a laugh from me as Dante leads me around the kitchen. He’s slightly sweaty from his workout, but smells delicious, like a campfire.

"Good afternoon, Blondie," I repeat, using his nickname. He stops for a moment then proceeds to dip me before giving me a searing kiss.

Vin chuckles at our antics from his spot at the stove, where he’s preparing dinner. He gets this shit-eating grin on his face, looking at Dante staring at me like I’m a snack.

"Hey, Dante. What's your favorite food?" Vin asks.

Dante raises my hand and shoots him a suggestive eyebrow raise while waving his other hand up and down my body, stopping to gesture at my vagina. As if we didn’t catch exactly what he was referring to.

That makes Vin full-on laugh, and he sticks his hand out for a fist bump. Vin's eyes roam from my legs up to my face, making a shiver traverse down my spine. "Yeah, I could eat that every day," he responds, desire flashing in his golden eyes.

Hot damn. Did the temperature just rise nine-hundred degrees, or is that my skyrocketing libido? Fuuuck.

Men who enjoy eating kitty?

How did I get so lucky?

“As much as I’d love to eat you on this table right now, Angel, I’m afraid I need a shower before dinner. Will you be okay?”

I chuckle. “How will I ever survive? Yes, Dante, I’ll be fine.” I get close to his ear and whisper, “But maybe later?” He shoots me a devious grin and a nod before waltzing right back out of the kitchen.

“Need any help?” I ask as Vin gets out some homemade pie dough he made earlier. Niall has been making grocery trips for everyone, using Matilda to portal him and his shielding ability to stay under the radar. It’s been working well so far.

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