Even the best relationships could be rocked to the core by prejudice and poverty, two things many shifters had to deal on a daily basis growing up. Levi got into his car before driving down the road to the highway. When he arrived back at the lodge, he noticed a text message on his phone from Juliet.
Harry will be fine. Wedding is still on for tomorrow.
What a relief. Harry certainly was a brave man to go from being lost in the mountains to the groom at a wedding the next day. Levi had a feeling he knew what love could do for a man. He wanted that for himself. He texted Juliet back, letting her know he had arrived at the lodged.
Just made it back. Good to know everything will be all right with the happy couple.
He had hoped that she would text him back by the time he arrived at his apartment, but his cell phone stayed quiet. Levi took a shower and climbed into bed, more grateful than ever for his comfortable home in his comfortable life.
As confused as he felt, he would have to sort it out in the morning. No matter what Corey said, Levi could not argue with his bear’s need for a mate. The man in him needed exactly the same thing. He wanted Juliet. She belonged to him. He wanted cubs to leave his legacy to. No amount of pain could make him stop wanting any of those things.
15
Juliet woke up the next morning to find Levi’s text on her phone. She had been fast asleep when he’d arrived the night before and regretted not being awake to greet him. After Quinn’s speedy departure, Juliet knew what she needed to do.
Maybe Quinn could run from commitment, from love, but Juliet was exactly the opposite. She was hesitant to simply fall head over heels for a guy she just met, but she could tell that she was doing just that. She had liked Levi when they were exchanging text messages. When she met him, she liked him even more. But it wasn’t until they’d made love that Juliet knew this was the real deal.
Levi’s kiss had swept Juliet up into something unexplainably big. Her body vibrated with need at the very thought of him. When she remembered the scent of his skin and the subtle look of desire in his eyes, her entire being called out for him. She craved a connection with him. She craved his touch, his kiss, his embrace. She wanted to be a part of him and to allow the bear inside him to take care of her.
She knew that Levi wanted the same thing. He had told her as much on their first date. That day out at the gazebo had been the most beautiful experience of her life. Making love to him in his bed had been mind-blowing. If those things were any indication of what it would be like to be Levi’s mate, then all Juliet could say was “bring it on.”
Quinn ran away from her mate, but Juliet intended to run straight toward him. She was tired of waiting, tired of reluctance. Maybe they had just met each other a few days ago, but she no longer cared. All she could think about as she slipped into her bridesmaid dress was being Levi’s mate.
The ceremony would be held in the massive atrium at the other end of the lodge. It was a greenhouse full of tropical plants and was ideal for a wedding. Juliet knew it would be beautiful and perfect for Charlotte and Harry. But they wouldn’t be the only ones professing their commitment to each other today.
Juliet wasn’t going to let love slip through her fingers the way Quinn had. Quinn’s departure had been the thing that woke Juliet up to what she really wanted. She wanted Levi and everything he had to offer. So what if she was being stupid? She had thought she was being smart all along and look at where that had gotten her. She’d spent years with an abusive boyfriend. And when she finally broke up with him, he turned out to be her new boss. She was still stuck in that relationship because she was being “smart.” She wasn’t making rash decisions by leaving her secure job.
Juliet was done with being smart and stable and steady. None of those things had ever served her. They had just been excuses to allow herself to be overlooked and hurt by people who didn’t give a shit about her. No more. If Levi wanted her, he could have her.
She didn’t know what she was going to do for money or how she would advance her career living in Fate Mountain Village, but she didn’t care. Those details could be sorted out later. The only thing that did really matter was getting her cat, Snuggles.
She finished dressing and doing her hair and makeup then joined the rest of the bridesmaids with Charlotte and her bridal suite.
“I can’t believe Quinn just left,” one of the other bridesmaid said.
“She was sick,” Charlotte said. “Her health insurance wouldn’t work at the hospital here.”
“She was fine the last time I saw her,” the same bridesmaid said.
“I think she was just upset about something that happened on her date with that shifter the other night,” the second bridesmaid said.
“Is that true?” Charlotte asked.
“Guys, Charlotte doesn’t need this right now,” Juliet pleaded.
“Just tell me the truth,” Charlotte said.
Juliet didn’t want to have to lie anymore, but she also didn’t want Charlotte to be angry with Quinn. Now that Harry was back and Charlotte’s wedding was actually going to happen, Juliet decided that Charlotte deserved the truth.
“She was really upset about something that happened with the shifter. It’s not for me to say. And no, he didn’t do anything she didn’t want him to do. I didn’t tell you, Charlotte, because Harry was missing. I didn’t want you to freak out. Please don’t be angry at Quinn. She was really messed up when she left.”
“I understand why you told me that, Juliet. I probably would’ve done the same thing if I were you. I just hope Quinn is all right. Are you sure that shifter didn’t do something to hurt her?”
“As far as I know, the shifter is innocent. But the rest of it, you’re going to have to ask Quinn about yourself. It’s her business. It’s not for me to spread the story,” Juliet said.
Juliet helped Charlotte finish getting ready as they all sipped champagne. Charlotte’s mother arrived, and Juliet bowed out of the room, promising to be back in just a few minutes.
She went to her room and found Quinn’s note still folded up in the back of the jeans she’d been wearing the day before. The idea of facing Duke and handing him this note made her sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. Quinn was Duke’s fated mate and she had left him, leaving him alone forever. Juliet knew it wasn’t fair or kind, and she couldn’t make any excuses for it.
Juliet decided to do all she could think of and sent a text to Levi, asking him where he was. A text came back a few moments later informing Juliet that Levi was in his office on the first floor. She hurried down in the elevator and skirted around the lobby to the employee hallway along the kitchen where Levi’s office was located.
She came to his closed door and softly knocked on the wood. She heard his voice from within, inviting her to enter. She gripped the handle and pushed the door open, finding Levi behind his desk. His eyes widened upon seeing her, and he stood, moving around the desk to come stand in front of her.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” he said in a reverent tone.
“Thank you. I have something to ask you. Can you give this note to Duke from Quinn?”
“Duke mentioned he hadn’t heard from her.”
Juliet handed Levi the note, and Levi shoved it in his pocket.
“What happened?” he asked.
“This really isn’t any of my business but since they are both our friends, and I trust you, I’ll tell you what she told me. I guess they went out to his brewery, had too many beers, and he told her that she was his fated mate. Then they had sex. And then she asked him to mark her.”
“He marked her? Where is she?”
“She left. She didn’t want to see him again. I guess she regretted it in the morning. She didn’t want to be his wife forever after knowing him for one day. She told me that she thought she was under some kind of shifter spell that made her want to do those things with him. I know it’s really shitty of her to do that. But she’s my friend; I have to be
on her side.”
“Damn. That’s terrible. Fuck. Poor Duke. Did you read this note?”
“I haven’t read it. That’s for Duke to read, not for me.”
“I’ll give him the note. Can I tell him what you told me?”
“I don’t see why not. He has a right to know.”
“And what about us?” Levi asked, running his hand up along her bare arm.
His touch sent an electric thrill through her body, making her want so much more.
“What about us?” she breathed, tilting her face up to him.
“You know that you are my fated mate. Do you want to run away?”
“I want to do the opposite,” Juliet admitted, moving closer to Levi.
She could smell the scent of his skin mixed with his cologne. She could feel the heat radiating from his hard body. She reached up and pressed her hand to his chest. He pulled her closer, pressing his hand to the small of her back. He ran his other hand along her jawline and cupped her cheek, tilting her face up towards him. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, drawing a reverent breath through his mouth.
“Juliet,” he breathed before pressing his lips hard against hers.
She moaned softly and melted into his embrace. She wanted more. So much more. They kissed for long moments, exploring each other, feeling each other’s bodies and souls. The desire rising in her core was overwhelmingly hot and needy. It took every ounce of self-control in her not to push him back against his desk and climb on top of his lap. She was beginning to understand how Quinn must have felt when she’d asked Duke to mark her.
The difference between Juliet and Quinn was that when Juliet let Levi mark her, it would be the most erotic, most passionate commitment she had ever made in her life. She would never leave Levi if he marked her. She would remain with him and be his faithful mate until the end of time. Those emotions reeled inside of her, building to a crescendo of desire that resonated throughout her entire being. It was the biggest, most profound feeling she had ever had. For someone like Quinn, who wasn’t ready for it, Juliet could understand how it would make her want to run away.
Levi pulled away from their kiss and planted his lips on her forehead before pulling her head against his chest and holding her close.
“I want you right here, next to my heart, forever,” Levi whispered.
“I want that too. But I have a wedding to attend,” she said, giggling as she pulled away.
Leaving him was like trying to pull apart two magnets. When she got to the door, she turned to him and asked him if he would be at the ceremony.
“I’ll be there, watching from the back of the room,” he said. “But my eyes will only be for you.”
Juliet blushed and closed the door behind her. She let out a long sigh as she walked through the lobby to the hall that lead out to the atrium. The bridesmaids and bride stood in an alcove at the end of the atrium, waiting for their queue. As the maid of honor, Juliet would walk first. The wedding planner handed Juliet her bouquet and directed her to the groomsman she would be walking with. She smiled at Harry’s friend, who she’d met a couple of times, and slid her arm around his elbow.
The wedding planner pushed open the double doors into the atrium, and Juliet marched down the aisle with her groomsman. She hadn’t been in the atrium before, having only seen pictures of it, but as soon as she entered the towering room, she was blown away.
Full-size palm trees jutted up towards the glass ceiling. Orchids dripped from the walls and the palm trunks. Birds of paradise filled the room with bright red flowers. The guests were seated in rows of chairs lined up to face a waterfall that landed in a crystal-clear pool behind the minister.
Harry stood at the altar in front of the minister, his fingers wrapped in bandages from the frostbite. Juliet had to hand it to Harry, he really had come through a difficult journey to make it to his wedding day.
Juliet and her groomsman came to the end of the aisle and stood at either side of the minister as the other bridesmaids and groomsmen began to walk down the aisle. When “Here Comes the Bride” began to play, and Charlotte stepped out into the atrium, all eyes turned to her. She was beautiful in her flowing white dress and delicate veil. Her bouquet dripped with orchids from the atrium and her eyes focused on Harry.
The look that Charlotte and Harry shared when she finally met him at the altar made Juliet’s heart burst. She glanced to the back of the room and found Levi’s green eyes staring at her. In that moment, it was as if she and Levi were the only people in the room. A shiver ran through her, and her mind expanded as if to encompass the entire universe. She could feel him. She could feel Levi’s connection to her. It was the most enlivening and expanding experience she could imagine. It was beyond imagining. It was something completely new. It felt as if she were evolving, awakening to the truth of who she really was.
With Levi as her mate, Juliet felt anything would be possible.
16
The slow song played and Levi held Juliet in his arms as they moved across the dance floor. The ceremony had been perfect. The reception had moved on to the main dining room with a view of the lake. A band played at one end of the dining room and the bartender served drinks from the bar at the other end.
Shane’s lobster had been so delicious, most of the guests had asked for second helpings. By the time the bride and groom were ready to cut the cake, the guests were happy and satisfied as could be. As pleasant as it was to have satisfied guests in his lodge, none of that could compare to the feeling of having Juliet in his arms.
Wedding ceremonies were a human custom, a custom many shifters participated in. It only made Levi think of what his wedding with Juliet would be like one day. The words they had exchanged in his office had told him all he needed to know. He was done holding back. Not even Corey’s words could change his mind now. He and Juliet were meant for each other, and they would be together forever.
As soon as he could get her alone, he intended to show her everything he had to give. He wanted to fill her world with pleasure. He wanted to fill her with joy and bring a smile to her beautiful pink lips. Now that Juliet was in his life, her happiness would be his life’s mission.
As he danced with her, he whispered into her ear how much he looked forward to spending some quiet time together. She relaxed even more deeply into his arms and agreed that she wanted the same thing. He was about to suggest they go up to his suite when he noticed Duke walking through the dining room with a keg over his shoulder.
Dammit. The note.
Levi kissed Juliet on the cheek and led her back to her table before telling her that he needed to go speak with Duke. She gave him a worried expression as she looked up into his eyes, but he smiled down at her and patted her shoulder. Juliet was so kindhearted, always thinking of other people. She had tended to both Quinn and Charlotte in their hours of need. It would be his pleasure to attend to her needs from now on.
He crossed the room to Duke and tapped his friend on the shoulder. The bearded bear turned to him and frowned.
“I don’t see her anywhere,” he said.
“Who?” Levi asked, although he knew exactly who Duke was talking about.
“Quinn. Girl from the bachelorette party. We were matched on Mate.com,” Duke said. He leaned in to speak quietly into his friend’s ear. “I marked her.”
“Duke. I’m sorry, man. I have this note from Quinn. Juliet gave it to me.”
Duke took the note and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the contents before he crumbled it up, took a violent sigh and looked away. “She’s gone,” Duke said, looking back at Levi.
“She couldn’t handle her feelings for you, Duke. Just give it time, she might come around.”
“Not according to her note.”
Duke threw the note in the fireplace and walked away. Levi turned to watch him disappear out the dining room doors and into the lobby. God dammit. Duke was really upset and there was nothing Levi could do about it. Quinn had made her decision, and no one c
ould force her to come back. She had taken Duke’s mating mark and run away with it.
Levi joined Juliet at her table, and they both drank a glass of champagne as the music played.
“Is he going to be okay?” Juliet asked.
“I don’t know if there is any getting over something like this. Quinn is his. The one. That might not mean much to a human, but to a shifter…it’s everything.”
Juliet slid her fingers over Levi’s hand, looking up at him with concern-filled eyes. It made his heart break to see her feel so much for others. He couldn’t wait a moment longer to fill her eyes with pleasure and passion. He wrapped his hand around hers and stood from the table.
“Duke and Quinn are not us. We have our own story to tell, Juliet. Come with me now.”
17
Levi kicked the door to his apartment closed behind them, the look in his eyes changing right in front of her. He narrowed them at her and picked her up off the floor, wrapping her legs around his waist as he walked through the room and deposited her on his giant king sized bed.
She kicked off her shoes as Levi stood over her in the gray three-piece suit he’d worn to the wedding. He peeled off his jacket and threw it on the floor, revealing his muscled chest and arms under the white button-up shirt. He loosened his tie and slid it out of his shirt. Their eyes locked, and an instant later, Levi was on his knees in front of her on the floor.
“You’re ready for this?” Levi asked, more hesitant than he had been the last time they’d made love. This time she knew she was ready.
“Yes,” she breathed.