Page 9 of Fated Surrender

“It’s part of their charm,” Connor retorted.

Connor was just cleaning up from breakfast when Aleks and Rebecca walked in, smiling at each other. Connor breathed a sigh of relief, as it looked like catastrophe had been averted. For now.

“How is my favorite baby sister?” Connor asked, walking from behind the counter to kiss Rebecca on the cheek. He didn’t move quick enough as small arms wrapped around his neck pulling him down.

“Whatever you said. Thank you,” she whispered.

Connor kissed her forehead and winked at her.

“Anytime. Now, what can I get for you? I have to feed my nephew,” Connor said, patting her extremely distended belly.

In the past month it seemed that her stomach was nearly as big as she was. It surprised him some days she was able to walk upright, much less pop around like she still did.

“Oh, can I get the chili? Hmm, with some of Pa’s pickles cut up in it with spicy mustard mixed in?” she asked, looking up at him brightly.

Connor just stared down at her. “You three can never get pregnant at the same time again. Your eating habits are starting to disturb me,” Connor said, heading back behind the counter to spoon out some chili.

“Actually, there is a very reasonable explanation for that. As we are a small shifter community, my getting pregnant basically put the every female in town into estrus. I’ve been reading up on shifter social breeding patterns and found that in small shifter groups, females tend to get pregnant at the same time so that their children will have a support system growing up. It’s why you, Aleks, Bran, Liam, Rian, and Damian are about the same age,” Rebecca rambled while building a sugar cube cabin on the tabletop.

“So, we’re basically going to see a mini baby boom over the next couple years. Good to know. Here is your freaky ass chili,” Connor said, putting the bowl down in front of Rebecca, who immediately doused the bowl with Texas Pete.

Connor looked over to Aleks. “Anything for you?” he asked.

Aleks watched as Rebecca shoveled spoonful after spoonful into her mouth, humming happily. He looked up and shook his head, swallowing hard. “I’m good,” he said, wincing when she popped a pickle in her mouth.

“God, I am craving chili!”

“Me, too.”

Connor turned to see Kate and Sebastian walk into the diner with their mates. Grinning, he went back to the large pot of chili and dished out two more bowls and waited.

“Connor, can I get a bowl of chili with some grapes in it?” Kate asked.

“Oh, that sounds good. Connor, can I get mine with grapes, too, and add some pepperoncinis,” Sebastian called out.

Shaking his head, Connor went to the refrigerator and got out the grapes and the pepperoncinis. He walked over to the table where Kate and Sebastian sat with Rebecca and put the two bowls in front of them.

“Bon appetit,” he said, laughing out loud at their mate’s expressions.

Connor walked back behind the counter and put a pan of baking powder biscuits in the oven. In the fall, they could never keep enough of them baked. He was pulling a second pan from the oven when the bell on the diner door chimed again. When Connor looked up, he nearly dropped the hot baking sheet.

He quickly placed the baking sheet on the counter so he could stare. Rian, Damian, Felix, and Doc Claybourne had walked in with the most stunning woman he had ever seen. She looked nothing like the doctor. She was tall for a woman, around five-foot ten. Her auburn hair was pulled back in an elegant bun that seemed to perfectly match her creamy skin and bright, turquoise-blue eyes.

He watched in rapt fascination as she threw her head back and laughed at something Rian said. The group took the table next to Rebecca. Rian immediately went to Kate to show off his new things. Connor was about to turn back to the meal he was preparing when a luscious scent hit him in the face. The woman in front of him smelled like apple cake, and she was his mate. His gums ached as he fought his canines from descending.

He watched her nostrils flare, and she looked up to see him watching her. She took another deep breath and then deliberately turned her face to her brother to resume their conversation. Connor felt his mouth drop.She knew.She knewthey were mates and was ignoring him! Snapping his mouth shut, he walked over to their table and stood next to the elegant redhead.

“Connor, I’d like for you to meet my sister, Madison Claybourne. Madison, this is Connor Arkadion,” Claybourne said, introducing the two.

“Nice to meet you,” Connor said, looking her in the eye. He watched as she eyed him up and down, taking in every burn mark and stain on his clothing and apron. She ignored him and turned to Rebecca.

“Rebecca, I’ve heard some interesting things about you. How do you like living in a shifter town?” Madison asked.

Connor looked to Claybourne, who was frowning at his sister. Rebecca’s head tilted to one side, and she stared at Madison for a few seconds.

“I love it here. Then again I was almost mated to Aleks just minutes after arriving in town.” Rebecca looked from Connor to Madison back to Connor.

“Funny you should mention that, Becca. Madison, can I talk to you for a moment?” Connor asked, still standing beside the table.

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