Fated For The Wolf: A Fertile Shapeshifter Romance (Werewolf's Harem Series Book 6) (2 page)

“Yeah. We were roommates in college. She’s very smart, and strategic. She made some very high-risk investments in the stock market and made a huge amount of money, so she doesn’t have to work a regular job anymore. That’s how she bought the ranch next to ours.”

“I’m guessing she moved here to be close to you?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah, but she’s been around horses her whole life, too. She told me she bought the ranch to settle down. As in, find a man and raise a family, that kind of thing.”

Kiley bit her lip, and Elijah could tell that she was debating telling him more. After a moment, she seemed to relent.

“Let me show you something,” she said, turning and setting the finished sandwiches on the table. “Let me grab my iPad.”

She vanished for a moment, returning with her tablet. Turning it on, she opened a browser window and handed it over to Elijah. He took the iPad and checked out the site, his eyebrows raising.

“CupidOnTheProwl.com?” he read aloud, shaking his head.

“Yeah, it’s a dating site,” Kiley said. “For wolves only, of course.”

Elijah scrolled down, finding a large photo of Ivy posed by her Appaloosa. He clicked through her photos, scowling when he came to one that featured her posed on a bed, wearing little more than black lingerie and a white silk robe, her long blonde hair splayed out over a dark blue pillowcase.

“Jesus,” he muttered. The image stirred him, stirred his wolf especially, but he couldn’t help but think of how many other males had seen this photo and felt a little stirred themselves.

He looked down to the information section, absorbing little of what Ivy had written there.
House husband
,
money is no concern
,
just a few years’ commitment
,
ready for children right away
…

Elijah grunted as he read the last bit again, to be certain of her words.

The most important thing to me is that we begin to have children right away. I am not looking for a flashy romance, but a stable, longterm, respectful friendship in which to raise children. Must love and want children right away!!!

“Ah,” he said. He pushed the iPad back into Kiley’s hands, a sense of dread filling him. Fate wasn’t being coy with him this week, it seemed.

“‘Where life sets a task, it also gives a solution’,” he quoted.

“What?” Kiley asked, giving him an odd look.

“Nothing,” Elijah said, giving himself a mental shake. “Just something my mother used to say. Now if you don’t mind, I think that sandwich is calling to me.”

Kiley nodded and set the iPad aside, making small talk as she finished the sandwiches. They ate mostly in silence, each distracted by their own thoughts.

Elijah, for his part, felt the heavy weight of responsibility pressing down on him. Ivy was beautiful; if her personality was a tenth as nice as her looks, it would be no hardship to court her and sire children for her. And yes, Elijah would do almost anything to keep Castle Buchanan from going to some lesser-known Highland cousins.

Elijah simply hated the way his choices were being taken out of his hands. Fate had decreed that Elijah would soon be tied down to one female, be caring for a child before the year was out. Foolishly, he’d thought he had more time. Time to settle down and do things his own way. But he’d waited too long, and now his house of cards was being constructed without his choice or even his consent.

Not to mention Ivy’s proposition seemed a little too over-the-top. Why would a woman like that have trouble catching a man? She was gorgeous, rich, and the owner of a prime piece of real estate, all of which she’d set up to lure a so-called
house husband
… The phrase made him shudder. She must be a complete harpy, or be cold in the bedroom, or… something. The lure was too good to lead to anything but a golden prison.

Then again, what choice did Elijah really have? He would be a fool not to at least talk with her, see if their goals were compatible. If she were truly horrible, he didn’t have to commit to anything. He thought of her long blonde hair, her curvy body, and the luminous brown eyes that regarded him with such

“Elijah,” Kiley said, bringing him back to the present.

“Aye?” he asked, looking up from the untouched sandwich.

“I asked if you might be interested in calling on Ivy, since you’re single…” Kiley trailed off.

“Aye. I think I will,” Elijah said, giving her a slow nod.

“Oh! Well… good!” Kiley said, seeming surprised at his answer.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” he asked.

He didn’t like the secretive look that flashed over Kiley’s face at his question.

“I’m sure there’s a lot you need to know, but you’ll just have to go over there and find out for yourself,” Kiley said. “I’m going to go eat outside in the sun.”

She rose and headed out to the back patio, leaving him alone with his suspicions. For a brief moment, he considered whether his father could have somehow hired Ivy to tempt Elijah into continuing the bloodline sooner, but that was flat-out insane. He took a big bite of his sandwich and chewed, but he tasted nothing. Elijah decided that he needed to go meet Ivy sooner rather than later, and see for himself what kind of clever trap she’d set.

Chapter Two

Ivy pinched the bridge of her nose, looking around the huge, high-ceilinged living room of her home. The sunlight was fading, throwing soft shadows on the exposed wood beams of the ceilings. Ivy had always loved Swiss-chalet style homes; considering Montana’s gorgeous white winters, she hadn’t been able to resist tearing down the ranch’s old one-story house and building her dream home in its stead. Though the days were warm now, fall was just around the corner, and her home was always filled with bright, crisp light.

After the whirlwind of living in bustling, faceless New York to be close to the stock exchange, and then over two years of traveling, this house was the first place where Ivy had felt at home in years.

She stretched and smiled to herself. She’d put a roast in the oven about an hour ago, and the smell of the beef and onions was starting to fill the house, making it seem even more cozy. Dinner was planned, she was in her most comfortable pajamas, and she had a whole list of great BBC dramas on her Netflix queue. Life was pretty good right this moment.

Ivy’s cell phone buzzed, a gentle vibration against the wide wooden top of the antique secretary’s desk where she had her laptop laid open. She narrowed her eyes at the screen, scrolling through responses to her online dating profile. There were forty or fifty responses here, and another sixty or seventy in her email in response to various other ads she’d placed.

Ivy felt ridiculous making such a fuss about herself, but she needed more than a willing body for her purposes. She needed a man who was smart, with a good temperament, someone kind and compassionate, and someone great with children. Not to mention that man had to be single, willing to temporarily relocate, and they had to want kids right this minute.

Ivy clicked to open another message, sighing as she read more of the same. The messages always started out promising, some strapping male with all the right qualities. And then, three quarters or more of the way into the message, came the ‘problem’.
It all sounds great except —
,
have you considered —
, and
just need a little time
were things Ivy couldn’t hear. Wouldn’t.

Simply put, Ivy didn’t have time. She didn’t have time to wait eight months while one very pleasing-looking man wrapped up his time on an oil rig. She wouldn’t relocate so that one could finish med school in Seattle, not even for two years, no matter how brainy and gorgeous the man might be. She was going to choose someone this month, and start making a family, and nothing was going to stand in her way or make her wait.

Ivy wouldn’t wait. She’d been handed a death sentence, a medical diagnosis that made her a veritable time bomb. Huntington’s Disease, one of the few human genetic disorders that could effect her kind, meant that she had fifteen, maybe twenty years before she died. Pneumonia, heart disease, aspiration… something unpleasant, to be certain. Ivy had spent two years traveling the world, ticking items off her bucket list, and she didn’t regret a moment of the time spent.

But now, she had to start her family. And because there was every possibility that she wouldn’t live to see her younger child’s teen years, she needed to pick the right father. Someone who would take up the mantle of parenthood when she was gone, someone who would raise them to be the best they could be. Ivy would accept no less.

And if she had to lie a little in the process… so be it. Her stomach turned to lead at the thought of the lies she’d have to tell, of the day she’d have to surprise the man with news of her impending death…

Ivy shook her head. She’d tried to do things right, tried to tell a few men about her diagnosis and her need to raise children. They’d all fled, and with good enough reason.

Ivy knew what she was going to do was wrong, but the time for compromises was over. She had a set amount of years left on this Earth, fewer than most, and she was going to make them count.

Ivy bent her head, recommitting herself to the task of plowing through all the responses. So far she had two
maybes
— a very hunky blond firefighter, and a staid but intelligent geologist. She hadn’t answered any of the messages yet, but she’d decided to pick five and answer them today. She just needed three more…

Her phone buzzed again, and Ivy sighed as she picked it up. Two texts from Kiley were splashed across the screen.

I showed Elijah your CupidOnTheProwl profile. He was surprised but seemed really interested.

And then:

Don’t be mad, but I think he’s going to come over to your house and introduce himself later.

Gritting her teeth, Ivy picked up her phone. In a moment of weakness, Ivy had spilled all the details about her illness and her plans to start a family, including the bit about entrapping a man in a much longer commitment than she let on.

Kiley had surprised her by supporting her completely, and now her friend was utterly gung-ho about finding Ivy a great man. Kiley had none of the qualms that Ivy did about the secrecy and trickery, which was something of a relief but also a bit worrisome. Kiley’s sense of mischief sometimes led to trouble, and that was the last thing Ivy needed right now.

Isn’t he one of Garrett’s friends? I don’t want to impose on someone you guys know
, she texted back.

She scanned through another few responses, sighing at the conditional nature of each answer, before her phone vibrated again.

Shut up. He’s hot, smart, and we already know he’s a good guy. If he wants what you’re offering, you’d better take it. Plus this way Garrett and I will be around… you know, later.

Later. Once Ivy was dead, Kiley meant.

Ivy groaned aloud, squirming in her seat. It was all good and well to sit back and plan for things to happen after her own death, but to hear someone else say it was horrifying. At the same time, Ivy could kick herself for feeling that way. She was lucky that she had a confidante, much less someone willing to make sure her kids were okay after she died. It was a huge commitment, and not one taken lightly.

Before Ivy could respond to the text, another one arrived.

I gave him your number. He’s going to call you.

Before Ivy could start to wonder if that meant tonight or this week or sometime in the distant future, her phone rang. It was a strange number, an area code she didn’t recognize. She almost left the phone on the desk, but then she realized that it could be client. Grabbing the phone, she swiped the screen to answer.

“H-hello?” she asked, grimacing at the girlish sound of her own voice. “Ivy Sullivan speaking.”

“Ivy,” came a deep, thickly accented voice. The very sound of it sent goosebumps over Ivy’s skin, made her shiver. “This is Elijah Buchanan, Kiley’s friend. We met this morning.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry I had to… er, go,” she said, waving a hand in the air making a face at herself. Could she be any more awkward?

“Right, right. Well, pardon my saying so, but Kiley has been telling me a bit about your situation,” he said, seeming to struggle for words. “And seeing as how we know some of the same people, and I’m also on the market, as they say…”

“Come over for dinner!” Ivy cried, her hand flying to her mouth as if she could push the words back in.

“Ah…” He hesitated for a moment, and Ivy scrunched up her face in shame. “Well, alright. When should I come?”

“Um. Let’s see. It’s six now… would you be free in an hour? Or we could make it tomorrow night, if you want to see Kiley and Garrett on their last night in town…” she said, floundering.

“No, no,” he cut in. “Tonight’s great. I think they might like a little time alone, you ken?”

Ivy couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sure. Well, yeah. Just come on over and we’ll… talk.”

“Should I bring anything? I could run to town now, if you like.”

“That’s kind, but no. Just bring yourself,” she finished awkwardly.