Bear Your Fate_McMahon Clan 4 Read online

  Bear Your Fate

  McMahon Clan 4

  Rochelle Paige

  Copyright © 2018 by Rochelle Paige

  Cover designed by Elle Christensen

  Editing by Manda Lee

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Bear Your Fate

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Also by Rochelle Paige

  About the Author

  Bear Your Fate

  Watching your children as they find their mates and build their families eases the pain of loss and makes it easier to bear your fate. But it doesn’t stop the longing for what you’ll never have.

  Carrick McMahon is happy for his sons and daughter. He’s worked hard to make sure they have the one thing he knows he never will—their fated mate. He lost his chance years ago, when the woman fate paired him with chose another… a man who tried to destroy his family.

  With his death, the danger to the McMahon Clan has passed. Carrick is focused on his growing family and position on the council. But his newest daughter-in-law isn’t willing to let him settle. She wants fate to give him a second chance…and she has the power to make sure he gets it.

  Prologue

  Audra

  “Need you,” Carrick growled, his bear gleaming from his eyes. I’d never had a man look at me with such need. How I wished it was caused by more than just the adrenaline still pumping in his veins and the victory from our battle fresh in our minds. I’d barely gotten him into his room, intending to check him over for any permanent damage caused by the protection spell the dark practitioner had weaved around the man who’d caused so much pain for Carrick and his family, before he’d prowled towards me and backed me against a wall.

  “It’s just the heat of the battle making you feel this way,” I argued, my breath catching in my lungs when he wrapped his large hands around my hips and held me in place.

  “It’s more than that,” he insisted in a deep purr. “I’ve faced many a fight over the years, and I’ve never felt quite like this before. Like my bear’s about to break through my skin so he can get to you.”

  “Carrick.” His name came out as a moan when his fingers slid around and flipped open the button of my pants. His hand descended lower, until I caught his wrist to stop his progress. “You’re not thinking clearly. I’m a witch, a high priestess. You’re a bear shifter on the council for Goddess’s sake!”

  “I didn’t hear you making the same argument when it came to my son mating your daughter.”

  Damn him and his logic. He broke his wrist free from my hold to rub his fingers over my clit, making my hips roll. My thighs squeezed together, trapping his hand between them. “That’s different,” I whimpered. “They were doubly fated to be together, Selene as his mate and Camden as her consort.”

  “Fuck fate!” he hissed. “Now that all my children are happily mated, fate can go take a flying leap. I’m the master of my own life, and right now the whole goddamn world can burn down around us while I’m buried deep inside your pussy for all I fucking care.”

  He shoved a finger inside me, making me shudder. My mind was telling me to find a way to resist him, but the need coursing through me at his touch was impossible to ignore. The feel of his finger filling me was too damn good, it made me want more.

  “So fucking tight. I’m not willing to wait another minute to feel you wrapped around me, Audra. The only thing that’s gonna stop me is if you tell me no.” He added another finger and shoved them deeper without any warning, sliding his knees between my legs and lifting me off my feet. “But you’re not going to say no, are you? Not with your tight, little pussy dripping wet around my fingers. You want this as much as I do.”

  I did want it, damn him. I’d felt drawn to Carrick from the moment my eyes had landed on him. I’d even felt a pulse of heat in my left wrist, and for one brief moment my heart had soared when I thought he might be my consort, only to come crashing down when I checked for the telltale mark and found nothing there. I hadn’t had the time to deal with the feelings he evoked in me, not with the seriousness of the situation in which my daughter was embroiled. So I’d pushed them away, bottling them up deep inside where I’d planned to leave them. Forever. Only he wasn’t letting me get away with it any longer. Apparently, I hadn’t been the only one to feel the tug between us.

  “Tell me,” he rasped, his breath hot in my ear. “I need to hear the words.”

  “Yes, I want you.”

  My admission was soft, but his reaction to it was anything but. His fingers continued to pump in and out of me, his leg holding me up while he used his other hand to work the button and zipper of his pants. He ground his palm against my clit on each upward thrust of his hand, and I had to force my eyes not to roll back in pleasure so I didn’t miss the sight of his cock springing free. Long and hard, with a drop of pre-come leaking from the tip. I wanted to taste it, badly. My tongue slipped over my bottom lip as I moaned.

  “Dammit, I wanted to go slow the first time I took you, but that’s impossible, my little witch. I need you too much. I’ll take it slow the next time around,” he exhaled, lifting me higher to position his cock at my entrance.

  I wrapped my legs around his waist, moaning at the feel of his hard flesh slipping through my wetness. He didn’t make me wait, pushing inside with one deep thrust and then holding still to allow me to adjust to his size. It was a good thing, too, since it had been quite a while since I’d taken a man to my bed, and I felt every inch of his invasion. It didn’t take long before I was writhing beneath his body.

  “For the love of the Goddess, if you don’t start moving I’m going to have to make you.”

  His bear bled into his eyes as a growl rumbled up his throat. “I’d love to see you try, little witch. But some other time because right now you’re going to take what I give you.”

  One of his hands slid up to cup the back of my head, protecting it from banging against the wall. The other gripped my hip and held me in place, seemingly with very little effort. Then he pounded into me like he was trying to hammer me into the solid surface at my back.

  “I’m not going to last. It’s been too long, and you feel so fucking good,” he moaned, rolling his hips. “I need you to come first, Audra. You can do that for me, can’t you?”

  I arched my back, and the change in angle had him hitting even deeper inside me with the next thrust. His hand shifted from my hip, moving slightly inward until his thumb was at my clit, and with a couple flicks I gave him exactly what he’d asked for—my pussy clenching tight while I tried to smother my shout of completion.

  “Fuck, yes!” he bellowed, falling right over edge with me.

  Not that it slowed him down any. He just carried me over to his bed, dropped me onto the mattress, and proceeded to take me all over again. After the third time around, when I was completely exhausted, he pulled me close before passing out.

  Whoever said adversity made for strange bedfellows couldn’t possibly have known what a massive understatement it was. I stared at t
he man sleeping next to me, his muscular frame tangled in the bed sheets. I was the worst mother ever, sleeping with my daughter’s new father-in-law while she was suffering from a serious case of magical recoil. But, somehow I had a feeling I’d find myself in the same spot again. Hopefully.

  Chapter One

  Carrick

  “You’ve been like a bear with a sore paw for the past year.”

  Turning away from the stove, I found the youngest of my triplet sons leaning against my kitchen counter. I’d left him and Selene in the living room while I’d checked on dinner, and Camden had managed to sneak up on me. There was concern shining from his eyes, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to let the topic drop. It was a conversation I’d managed to avoid having with anyone, and I didn’t plan to open up about it now—especially not with my daughter-in-law in the other room.

  “You’re right about half of that. I am a bear.” I lifted my hands and twisted my wrists so he could see both sides of them. “But my paws seem fine to me.”

  “You know what I mean, Dad,” he grumbled. “Don’t pretend that you don’t.”

  I turned away from him to pull the roast from the oven, but that didn’t stop me from hearing the flow of words from his mouth.

  “Our lives are better than they’ve ever been. The danger to our family has been eliminated. The clubs are doing great. All your kids are happily mated. You’ve got four grandchildren already. And when Selene finally goes into labor, you’ll have another.”

  I chuckled at the frustration in his tone. His mate was a week past her due date, and he wasn’t dealing with the wait well. Meanwhile, my daughter-in-law was serene about the whole thing—even with my son hovering around her pretty much all of the time. It had made for some interesting council meetings over the last few months, that was for damn sure.

  Just about the time the other council members had grown accustomed to having Selene around, Camden had knocked her up and refused to let her out of his sight. Having a witch on a council of shifters, who’d spent their whole lives not trusting witches, had been an adjustment for everyone. Even me, and I adored Selene. But serving on the council with a mated and pregnant witch whose bear-shifter consort growled at anyone who even looked at her wrong? It was fucking hilarious, at least for me because I was the only one safe from my son’s wrath. Camden had it right when he said our lives were better than they’d ever been.

  “I do have a lot to be thankful for,” I agreed as I yanked a tray of rolls from the stove next.

  “I just want you to be as happy as the rest of us.”

  The pain in my son’s voice tore at me. After dropping my oven mitts on the counter next to the stove, I moved towards him. As soon as I got close enough, I pulled him in for a brief, but strong, hug. Looking at him, I wished I had the words to make this right. But I didn’t. He’d made enough comments recently for me to know exactly what was bothering him, and there wasn’t a solution for it.

  “I spent years being bitter about the hand Fate had dealt me, but that time is past. I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll never have a mate of my own, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy,” I explained. “That I won’t have a rich life, full of contentment. I might not be mated, but I have a feeling Fate has something in mind for me, Camden. And I’m more than okay with the path I’m on.”

  I knew exactly where—or I should have said towards whom—that path was leading me, too. But I wasn’t ready to share that information with anyone yet. Not until I convinced her to stay where she belonged, at my side.

  Once that battle was over, Audra and I would face our family together. With Selene about ready to pop, my wait was almost over. Thank fuck because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold out much longer.

  “I just want you to have what I found with Selene,” he whispered, his left hand lifting to his right bicep where his consort mark wrapped around his arm.

  “It is what it is, son. There’s no changing fate.”

  “I don’t know, Carrick.” Selene’s soft voice had both of us turning towards the door. “Maybe it just needs a little nudge in the right direction.”

  She practically glowed with happiness, her green eyes shining mischievously and her hands resting on her swollen belly.

  “You made all my favorites.” Her smile grew wider as she wandered over to the stove and lifted the lid off a pot of mashed potatoes.

  “Of course I did,” I confirmed. “I figured it might be the last time you’ll enjoy my roast quite so much.”

  “Like a not-so-little pig, you mean,” she grumbled, waving her hands at her belly. “I swear all this baby wants to eat is meat, meat, and more meat.”

  “Thank fuck for that,” my son chuckled as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist to rest his hands over her stomach. “Because my meat appreciates your cravings.”

  “Camden!” she gasped, slapping her hand over his mouth. “You can’t say stuff like that in front of your dad.”

  Camden’s answer was muffled by her hand, but I could see his jawline moving as he spoke.

  “Ew!” she screeched, jerking her hand away. “I can’t believe you licked my hand.”

  She scrunched up her nose and wiped her hand on his shirt, making me laugh.

  “I’m pretty sure he’s licked more than your hand,” I deadpanned.

  “Carrick!” “Dad!” they yelled at the same time, turning to look at me with wide eyes.

  “What?” I shrugged, gesturing at her stomach. “It’s not like I don’t know how she ended up like that.”

  “Fuck, Dad,” Camden sighed.

  “Exactly,” I muttered.

  “Oh my Goddess!” Selene gasped, doubling over with laughter. “You—” she sputtered, pointing at Camden. “And then he—” she continued, turning towards me. “So not right,” she finished, shaking her head.

  “Too much?” I asked as I pulled a stack of plates from the cabinet to set them on the table.

  “Ehhh,” she giggled. “It’s not like I didn’t already know where he got his dirty sense of humor from.”

  “His brothers,” I replied drily.

  “Oh my Goddess!” she exclaimed, bending at the waist again. I expected her to burst out laughing, but she cried out in pain instead.

  “Selene?” Camden wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a hand against her belly. “Holy fuck! Is that what I think it is?”

  “If you think I’m going into labor, then yes,” she panted.

  I grabbed the pots and pans off the top of the stove and shoved everything into the fridge, tossing lids on top of them haphazardly.

  “No!” she cried out, making Camden and I freeze up and look at her, scared shitless.

  “What is it, baby?” Camden asked.

  “I didn’t even get to eat any of the delicious dinner your dad made for us.”

  It was a good thing she sounded so damn pitiful, or else I might have ended up laughing at her and that would have been bad. Seriously bad, considering she was in labor with my grandchild, and the very last thing I wanted to do was piss her off or upset her.

  “All my favorites,” she sighed as Camden helped her towards the door. “And not even one tiny bite of food made it into my mouth.”

  “I’ll make you whatever you want as soon as you’re home again,” I promised, hurrying after them.

  “Will you bring me a big breakfast tomorrow morning?”

  “Of course.”

  “Only if the doctor has cleared you to eat regular food by then,” Camden corrected.

  “The doctor can take a flying leap if he thinks he’s going to stop me from eating real food,” she hissed. Camden got her settled in the back seat of my car, and she kept on grumbling. “You heard your dad, he said he’d bring me breakfast. A big one. Is he the only one who understands that I’m going to miss dinner while I’m giving birth to your giant baby?”

  I tore out of my driveway, headed towards the hospital as fast as I could go. Her litany was abruptly cut off
by a moan, and Camden urged her to breathe through the pain. This contraction seemed to last longer than the one before it, but it hadn’t taken too much wind out of Selene’s sails.

  “We should have taken your truck, Camden. My bag’s in there.”

  “I grabbed it from the backseat,” I reassured her.

  “Oh, thank goodness. Then we’ll have everything I need when we get to the hospital.”

  “What about your mom?” Camden asked frantically. “She’s supposed to be here for the birth. I knew I should have insisted she come to town last week when I talked to her.”

  “No need to worry,” Selene answered. “Trust me, she’ll be there in no time at all.”

  “What? How?” Camden asked the question rattling around my brain.

  “She’s my mom. She’ll know when I need her, just like she knew I was pregnant before I did. Heck, considering it’s my mom we’re talking about, she might even beat us to the hospital.”

  Finally! My wait was over. Audra was coming back. I wasn’t sure which part made me happier—knowing I was going to meet my newest grandchild soon or being able to see Audra again after she’d done such a bang-up job of avoiding me for so long.

  Chapter Two

  Audra

  “Two seems to be our lucky number,” Carrick murmured as he moved to my side to look through the nursery window. If it had been anyone else, I would have been startled by the statement because I’d been wholly focused on my precious grandbabies. But not with Carrick—I’d known the exact minute he’d stepped into the hallway, my body lighting up like it always did whenever he was near.