One True Mate (Furever Shifter Mates #2; Shifting Hearts Dating Agency Book 5) Read online

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  "Gina Kincade is imaginative, intelligent, and full of heart. It really takes a special writer to not only craft attention-grabbing, complex plots, but to also write three-dimensional characters that come alive on the page and in your hearts."

  — Amazon Reviewer, TOP 100 REVIEWER

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  I devoured this story in one sitting and could have easily read an entire series of just these characters, this world, and this story. It really takes a special write to not only craft such an attention-grabbing plot, but to also write three-dimensional character that come alive on the page and in your hearts. This is a story I will not soon forget, and the emotions I felt while reading will surely haunt my thoughts for days to come."

  — Amazon Reviewer, TOP 100 REVIEWER

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  The detailed descriptions of everything from the storm to the magical objects and spells brings this whole new dynamic to the story, enriching it, adding depth, bringing to life every single part of the story, no matter how big, small or even how inconsequential it *may* seem. It truly is What Lies Within Us that makes this story the magical gem that it is!

  — Cherri-Anne Boitson, Leather & Lace Reviews

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  "Great storyline with characters that make the pages steam. Loved all the Christmas elements added into this spicy little tale. Do yourself a favor and gift yourself this story then, then put yourself on the naughty list by taking some time to indulge in this read."

  — Kirstein Howell, Vine Voice

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  "Having just spent the afternoon reading this wonderful book, I have to say that not only it is as captivating as it is sexy. The story moves along at a fast and furious pace taking you into a world of whirlwind romance and the paranormal. It kept me on the edge of my seat taking me into the story with every page."

  — Amazon Customer

  Praise for Gina Kincade

  This was a really fun, and hot, read. I spent most of the story grinning, heart pounding, eager for what would happen next. It's so great to see Gina writing again, as we're gifted with gems like On Santa's Naughty List. This story made me wish that I was in an area where we got a White Christmas, because it's perfect to warm you up on a cold winter's day.

  I highly recommend it for anyone after some Christmas kink!

  — Casey Kerwitz, Amazon Reviewer

  One True Mate

  Furever Shifter Mates, Book Two

  Shifting Hearts Dating Agency World

  ISBN: 978-1-77357-074-7,

  978-1-77357-073-0

  First Edition

  Copyright ©2018 Gina Kincade

  Published by Naughty Nights Press LLC

  http://naughtynightspress.com/

  Cover Design by Willsin Rowe

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

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  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  About

  Note to Readers

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  A Taste From Accidentally Forever

  Chapter One

  Read More From Gina Kincade

  About Gina Kincade

  About

  Curvy psychologist—and panther shifter—Tallan Walden gave up on men a long time ago. Fed up with the insults and innuendoes about her size making her an easy target for sex, she's pretty much sworn off them for good. She's happy with her life just the way it is.

  That is, until Sylvia Ludus, co-owner of the Shifting Hearts Dating Agency, sets her up on a blind date. He’s gorgeous, he’s funny, and he’s hot for her generous body. Can he be for real, or is he just a better liar than the others?

  Yet even if he’s truly her one true mate—as Sylvia promises—there’s one more enormous obstacle. No way can Tallan bring a bear home to meet her species-purist mother.

  Will Sylvia’s magic touch bring Tallan the happiness she now wants, or is she destined to break the Shifting Hearts Dating Agency’s winning streak?

  Note to Readers

  Dear Reader,

  I'm so happy you have the chance to read One True Mate! While originally created for the Paranormal Dating Agency KW (only available in the United States), this version of Luke and Tallan's story is modified from the original and is now perfect for Erzabet Bishop's Shifting Hearts Dating Agency shared world.

  I just wanted to let you know, there are so many other amazing books in the SHDA world already and many more on the way. I hope you will take pleasure in every single one of them as we delve deeper into this fictional world with Sylvia Ludus and Paige Matheson, co-owners of the Shifting Hearts Dating Agency, and their uncanny, Goddess given intuition to find the perfect fated mate (or mates!) for our beloved characters.

  Check them all out here: https://shifterlove.blogspot.com/p/shda_10.html

  Kisses and Nibbles,

  One True Mate

  Furever Shifter

  Mates Series

  Book Two

  Shifting Hearts

  Dating Agency

  Gina Kincade

  Chapter One

  "You are absolutely stunning, Trina Marie Walden," Tallan said, love swelling in her heart for her baby sister.

  She watched as Trina's smile grew in the mirror in front of them. In the reflection, Tallan saw her baby sister in her wedding gown, a glossy white satin with small touches of lace and pearls. Trina didn't need much to make her beautiful, though. A thinner, younger, stunning replica of herself, Tallan had never been jealous, always content t
o sit in the shadows, help her little sister shine, achieve, since before she even realized that was what she was doing.

  Trina liked to throw around the old maid card when trying to get Tallan to come out of her shell, to take her nose out of a book, or come home early from work. Tallan took it as a term of endearment by now. She found nothing wrong with throwing one's life into one's work. In fact, this ethic made her a woman she could be proud of, culminating in her point to existence, her reason for being in the world.

  As a psychologist, the gratification of the work sustained her, gave her the connection to humanity she needed. When the work became tough and draining, this thought process gave her an excuse to dig in, to study harder, to have something to fight for, a higher level to strive to achieve. Everyone needed to love and to be loved. Tallan simply showed her love through listening and subtle suggestions that made her patients feel as if they'd come to the solution on their own. Pride in one's accomplishments went a long way, for her and for them.

  It had always been enough. With a big family and black panther pride, her heritage gave her the strength she needed, the connections to others, the love that sustained her, filled her enough to offer to others such a gift. She needed nothing else.

  What the mirror also reflected was the way in which Tallan hid behind her sister, not caring to see her own well-rounded body in her burgundy bridesmaid dress. Not that she hadn't come to terms with her curvy figure and her looks long ago. She had, but she didn't need to stand out in a crowd. One could have the self-confidence to love themselves as they were without flaunting, contrary to popular belief. She didn't need the limelight. She didn't need to turn men's heads. She needed to support her family, her pride, and her patients. Her looks didn't affect any of that. Loving her roles in life, comfortable in her own skin, she'd found contentment even if no one else around her could accept that she had.

  "If only I could but see you as happy, my sister," Trina managed, a laugh interrupting her words before she could finish, the joke getting funnier to her every time she used it.

  While this amused Tallan, also touching her heart, she feigned her distain.

  "You dare to attempt to quote Jane Austen to me, again, and poorly this time around, too, I might add. Well, sweet sister, I appreciate the attempt, both in speaking to me through a dearly loved novel and in the sage advice. Though you butchered the line, words, and delivery, I shall give you a pass because it's your wedding day. You focus on you, dear sister of mine. Today is your day." Tallan gave her sister's shoulders a squeeze, as the door opened to the room they had used to dress in.

  Their mother walked in, shoulders square and her back ramrod straight, confident in herself. A stunning, fierce, and exceedingly intelligent woman, her panther always hovering close to the surface, protecting her young, she made a formidable appearance whenever she walked into a room. She gave most of the men in the pride a run for their money, though few, save their father, dared challenge or correct anything the woman said. He didn't even try very often, though more out of exhaustion they all assumed than anything else. He wasn't one to be trifled with either, so if she upset him in any way, he made note of it. While meddling parents, still active in all of their children's lives, they had a good marriage, and example to them all of the slight balances it took with the push and pull, the compromises. Work. Marriage, hell all relationships took work. Looking at her sister, she knew the woman she'd become knew that, too. Her and Lyle would be fine.

  "It's time. The pride awaits. Let's go now," her mother instructed from the doorway, turning on her heel with the last word to walk away, fully expecting to be followed without a word said otherwise.

  "Mom, doesn't Trina look beautiful," Tallan said, her eyes wide, signaling her mother to compliment her sister before they went though all she could see was her back already.

  "Of course, it goes without saying," she stated with no tone to her voice at all as she whirled on them again. "Now, come. We mustn't keep the pride waiting. It is time one of my daughters wed, even if it is the youngest."

  This whole day was to be a Jane Austen novel, apparently, the youngest not able to marry until the oldest did. With all of them out in society at once, it could hardly lead to sisterly relations, she quoted in her head, knowing her own quote to be lacking in exactness. She'd just have to read the book again, or maybe watch the movie when she got home tonight. The thought brought a bigger smile to her face. She took her mother's dig in stride, shaking off, literally with her head, then the rest of her body following. She moved behind Trina to follow her to the door as her mother again turned sharply on her heel to walk away. To lead, actually. Stopping in the hall, the older woman turned back again to scold Tallan into coming out first, as she needed to align herself with the best man to walk first down the aisle.

  Doing as bid, Tallan stood up tall, or as tall as her five foot five frame allowed, to move to stand parallel to the best man who towered over her by at least a foot, making her look more like a dwarf in a short fancy dress. The ceremony small, as Trina had wanted, they'd chosen to also break a few wedding rules. For some unfathomable reason, Trina had insisted that the best man escort her sister, the maid of honor, down the aisle, rather than waiting by the groom. After this adjustment to the proceedings surely meant to give her old maid sister a few minutes with a man, though Tallan viewed it as more of several minutes in hell, the rest of the ritual would carry on as society dictated. Following her brutal obligation, their father would escort Trina down to her soon to be husband, Lyle.

  Only to please her baby sister, Tallan looped her arm through Luke's, a bear shifter, and Lyle's best friend since boot camp who had somehow managed special leave from his current assignment to be here for the wedding. Though how he'd pulled that one off she still had no clue. She looked away when he grinned at her, keeping herself stiff, a forced smile on her face, and looking toward the end game: the end of the aisle in the great hall they used for pride business.

  The building had been in the pride for decades now, having one great big room for gathering, along with a series of small offices in the back in which they had just used to dress and primp themselves for the wedding. The pride had access to the hall for whatever they deemed necessary, and this would not be the first time it had been used for a wedding. The ceremony short, performed by the alpha and pride counsel, the rest of the guests stood to either side of the room without chairs. It allowed for them to easily gather in a semi-circle around the couple for the nuptials, and then clear way for tables to be set up in the same area for the reception.

  In place of pew or aisle chair decorations, each female standing there now had been given a small bouquet of flowers that resembled the large bouquet held by Trina.

  Tallan had thought Trina's cascading flowers of purple, white, teal, and burgundy, full of calla lilies, hydrangeas, and orchids a stunning choice. Now, seeing that arrangement all over the hall, she mused her sister had an eye for this sort of thing and felt grateful the beauty gave her something to focus on other than the fact everyone in the room stared her way. Her own small bouquet accented her burgundy dress, which her sister had also chosen, having done much better than 'the purple potato sack' Tallan had originally picked. Her sister's words, of course.

  At first, Tallan had scoffed at the dress with a crisscross bodice, empire waist, and full short skirt topped with taffeta and lace. Standing here now, ignoring Luke's frequent glances that had bordered on gawks and ogling, she breathed a bit easier, having seen how the dress not only pushed up her large breasts, but also accented each of her curves. More comfortable in simple dresses and sweaters for work—the style of a sweater to her meant long, big, and soft, one that could double as a blanket when needed—or a pair of cozy jeans with the same style sweater for anything outside of the office, she'd have never tried such a dress on had it not been to please her sister. She never wore flashy colors either, earth tones only for this raven haired, full-figured woman. However, she'd given in just for the day, fo
r her sister's sake. Thankfully, she believed Trina would only marry once.

  Her keen hearing relayed the soft, muffled behind hand gasps that rippled throughout the room as she filled the doorway. She'd take even the unexpected positive words regarding her appearance, surely spoken only out of surprise, as compliments to get her through the torture of walking down an aisle with all eyes focused on her. Heat flushed up her neck, making her pale skin blotchy, she assumed. And, everyone knew red and burgundy clashed. Her cat purred at the encouraging words even as Tallan outwardly bristled her embarrassment.

  She couldn't wait for her sister to make her grand appearance and gather the attention for herself for the rest of the day. No one gave her a second look with Trina around, and that's the way she'd come to like it. Wallflower or behind the scenes support roles suited her just fine.

  "I've got you, babe," the bear clasping her arm whispered, moving his other hand over to pat the back of Tallan's hand.

  "Who are you, Sonny or Cher?"

  "What?"

  "The song. You know the song, I've Got You Babe?"

  His puzzled look showed he wasn't much into old music. She shook her head, faced forward, and waited for the signal from her mother to begin their walk. Yet, the woman took forever to strut down the aisle herself, not going to give the one in charge of the music the signal to begin the song until she was seated, her time in the limelight over.