Filed To Story: A Claim of Fortune Book PDF Free by Jaymin Eve
I had no idea how she managed it, but if it helped me grow through my trauma, then I’d continue these near daily sessions for as long as it took.
“Hey,” Emme said, breaking through my thoughts as she hurried down the stairs, jumping into the entrance hall. “I hope
I’m not late! Slade was helping me learn more about my dyslexia and we figured out fonts that improve my reading.”
Her face was flushed, her eyes lit up with a deep excitement. She looked so beautiful that it was hard to stare directly at her. Especially when all I wanted was to drag her against me and drown in her curves.
She pushed the wild strands of her pinkish blond hair off her face, and the piercing ice in her eyes held me captive. The first time I’d stared into her unusual eye color, I’d been hit with a sense of home that sent me into a downward spiral. Since that day, nothing had changed, except my stupid ass was no longer running from it.
“You’re right on time,” I assured her, already calmer with her presence.
My bear rumbled at me to step closer, but I knew I’d struggle to keep my hands off her, which was the last thing she needed.
She tightened Slade’s coat around her, her slender form swamped by the massive jacket. If she ever wore anything of mine, I’d use that a sign she had truly forgiven me. Until then, I’d be happy with the relationship we were slowly developing.
“Do you want to drive?” I asked her.
Her happiness shot up a few extra notches, and I felt that smile all the way to my soul.
“I’d love to,” she said, moving closer, and my chest rumbled as her scent wrapped around me. “But let’s choose one of the other reinforced cars today. The G-Class has had a good run lately.”
I nodded, and she fell into step beside me as we headed for the garage. “What will you choose?” I asked. “The Rangey, Rolls, or Hummer?”
She took a long time to consider them all, her expression torn as she worried at her plush bottom lip with her teeth. I was so mesmerized by the movement that by the time she answered, I’d almost forgotten the question. “The Rolls. I’ve never driven one, obviously, and I feel like you deserve a little luxury before you delve into painful memories.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed as we entered the garage, stepping into my happy place.
Or at least it had been before Emme.
Now, I wasn’t so sure I could have a happy place she wasn’t in.
As we headed for the Rolls, I was stopped by Emme reaching out and grasping my hand.
My bear roared and it felt like the world stilled around us. We didn’t touch much in general, but today she pushed her pain and anger at me aside to offer comfort.
“Before we get to therapy, I just wanted to say that it’s going to be okay,” she said, her expression soft around the edges. My sweet fucking mate. Goddess, I would be protecting her until my last breath. “You’re brave for taking this step and fighting your demons. I admire and respect that about you, and I want you to know that even though we haven’t experienced the exact same upbringing, I do understand some of what you went through. The abuse, fear, and loneliness. I will never judge or repeat anything I hear in that room.” Her lips twitched. “No matter how much you piss me off.”
I couldn’t breathe. The room started to spin around me, and if there hadn’t been an omega grounding me to this Earth, I expected I’d just shatter into a million pieces and drift off into the universe. “Em,” I grit out, voice guttural as I fought for composure. I hadn’t cried in fucking years, and yet here I was, breaking apart like a damn cub.
Emme gave me a reprieve by simply squeezing my hand and stepping away. “I know, Grouchy. I know.” My bear howled inside me, and I was so close to shifting that I felt the magic tingling across my skin.
I had no idea how I pulled myself together enough to stumble to the car, but it was lucky that Emme had chosen to drive. I was absolutely in no state of mind to deal with traffic. I barely managed to program the address into the GPS, while Emme patiently watched me fumble.
Once we were out of the family compound and heading downtown, she started up a normal conversation. Which I greatly appreciated. “How’s hockey going?”
“Really good actually,” I said, settling back into the chair. “We had a new transfer added to the offensive line, and he’s working out well so far. Kellan has a mini-crush on the new bear, which should bother me, but I’m confident in my number one position.”
A burst of laughter spilled from her as she stopped at a red light, a dozen or so shifters crossing the street in front of our car. “You two have a bromance that can never be broken,” she said. “I wouldn’t worry about losing him to another bear.”
“We’re pack and brothers,” I said with a nod, having no doubts about our bond. “It’s unbreakable.”
Her responding smile was soft, and I found myself just staring at her while she looked out the front windshield. “I’m sorry I haven’t made the last couple of games,” she said suddenly, turning to meet my gaze. There was a tugging of guilt across her expressive features, and I fought the urge to trace a finger down her cheek.
Now that I was learning how to deal with the anger in my soul and direct it where it belonged, it was hard to remember when I’d resented her presence in my life.
“You have a lot going on, Em,” I said, forcing my palms flat on my thighs to keep my hands occupied. “And your safety is the number one priority. Hockey isn’t important when compared to everything else we’re dealing with.”
“Not true,” she shot back immediately, and the lights changed green, but she didn’t even notice. “It’s important to you, and for that reason it’s important to me.”
Her statement was a gentle caress to my soul, but it also reminded me of bullshit I’d said in the past. Another sin to atone for. “I know you’ve listened to me bang on about how hockey is my life, and that I need it more than anything else in the world. To some degree, it did save me both in the past and now?- “
The blast of a horn interrupted, and I barely restrained myself from ripping the door off this million-dollar car and beating the shit out of the impatient fuck behind us. Emme laughed as her hand shot out to press against my chest, and just like that I was calm.
She had magic in her soul this omega.
“Don’t kill them, Grouchy,” she said in amusement. “I was sitting at a green light. They’re fine.” Our car moved forward once more, and she added, “You were saying hockey saved you…”
“Yep, it did, and still does.” I cleared my throat. “But I’ve also learned a lot about myself over the last few months. I learned that if Kellan had died when the witch magic hit him, hockey wouldn’t have saved me. I learned that when the light in your eyes faded as I hurt you one too many times and you told me we were done, hockey wouldn’t have saved me. I learned that hockey is now second to my pack. Every single shifter in my pack.”
Her lip wobbled, but she kept it together as she shot me a look that seared into my soul. What I’d said was only partly the truth. Even within our pack, Emme was my number one, and nothing in the world could compare to her. I’d quit hockey in a heartbeat for this omega, which should have terrified me, but it didn’t. I’d come to accept one undeniable truth: Emme was the heart of our bond, and I couldn’t survive without her.
Before I could figure out how to express that without freaking her out-we were still early days into our healing journey-she turned into the parking lot of the therapy offices. We were a few blocks from Reeves Industries, right in the middle of the business district. The streets were teeming with shifters going about their day with work, shopping, or catching up with friends and family, and it wasn’t the sort of place for heavier conversation.