Rejected Mate and Following Fate

The dark swirls around me like an oppressive, heavy cloak and I stand motionless, aware of bodies close behind me as we wait in the unearthly still. The sound of labored breathing, suppressed snarls, and growls, as my flank of wolves grows to stand in a uniformed mass of protection.

“Lorey.” The familiar voice, followed by a swoop and gentle thud as my mate lands beside me in perfect poise. Appearing as if by magic. His hand skimming the back of my hair with gentle precision as a show of affection, and he takes a second to focus everything on me with a pause as he checks me over. Appearing from beyond the veil of shadows and trees and I’m instantly calmer, relieved at his presence. Less afraid when he’s by my side.

“Where have you been?” I whisper at him under my breath, not giving him a second to talk or question me; eyes still fixed on the emptiness as I await Jasper’s reappearance. The vampires have all fallen back, leaving us out here as though standing on a stage and waiting on the curtain to rise. It’s a freakish still in the storm and a feeling that has me on edge, drowning in senses as my ability to feel the vampires overpowers me. They’re still close enough to make me antsy. My heart’s pounding through my chest with the heaviness of my own anxiety, trying not to fidget as we wait for the appearance of the man who can end this tonight.

“Fighting, trying to keep the valley wolves alive. There are so many of them and so few of us.” He shifts around me, eyes all over my body as he checks for anything untoward once more, not satisfied with his first appraisal. Always protective, always caring, and then places his palm on the small of my back and pulls me to his side so our bodies touch.

I throw a look up at him and can already tell by his scrapes and mud slick body that’ he’s been having a rough time in the valley. His wounds are slow to heal due to the frequency, so he’s covered in marks and grazes. His hair is messy, his eyes still glowing amber while in human form and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through him like hot lava.

“Have we lost many?” I try and keep my tone inaudible to the nearby wolves as my mate casts a quick glance back at them, instantly uncomfortable and shifts on his feet. His reluctance to answer is obvious.

“Hmmmm” it’s a short and empty reply, but it speaks volumes to me. He knows it will ruin the morale of the ones closest and word would spread fast that many have died already. I don’t want to know how many are gone either; I don’t think I can handle seeing Varro if I know just how many lives have been pointlessly lost tonight. I would hate him before I can even talk to him and it would color everything that came out of my mouth. I push it away as best I can and try to focus on the here and now.

“Where’s Meadow and the subs?” I change the topic and scan the dark again, yet the only faces I see are those who were already here, patiently waiting, and in the back of my mind I wonder where Juan is. He merged into the mess after the imprinting and he’s nowhere to be seen. Not that I care, as he has nowhere to run, and I am quietly confident that once Varro decides to pinpoint him, then he will be caught quickly. We no longer need to protect him, so everything has changed. Juan can try and escape this night, but fate brought us all together for this reason.

“Split up, spread thin. They are some of our best, so they went where needed. Without being able to link, I can’t be sure.”

My gut sinks and flips and I’m suddenly deflated and even more scared with that fact we have no contact with our most trusted. This is a mess. Our pack is disorganized without our ability to link and judging by Colton’s labored breathing, his gifts and strength are fading the longer we are out here. Objectively I know that if we keep going with this fight, we will lose. We never imagined it could even get this way.

“Carmen?” Colton flicks his glance to my side, devoid of her and only flanked by my guards. She swore to him to protect me and yet his furrowed brow and icy glare tell me he isn’t pleased she’s absent.

“Busy trying to disarm the sound for us, where I told her to go.” I nod towards the house and yet Colton’s head stops as he scans the faces to my left. His eyes suddenly coming to rest on something of interest that sparks a facial response; they open in shock and then something warmer as his muscles relax and I spot a hint of a smile.

I turn around and catch sight of Sierra propping Radar up on her shoulder, her fingers tracing his face to make sure he’s recovering, and the look of utter adoration cannot be missed. Radar has his arm around her shoulder possessively, in a way that screams ‘mine’ and Colton isn’t slow on the uptake. He nods in their direction, looking for clarification, but I can only shake my head for now and cast him a look that means ‘later’. I don’t want to recount that story or talk; I am barely keeping my body in check as nerves eat away at me. Colton falls back into line with me, sighing with agreement, and fixes his eyes back on the empty space before us.

My palms are clammy, my heart rate elevating and my legs turning to Jell-O the longer we wait here. It’s a form of torture to wait on the unknown to play out. Knowing I am going to face off the father I never knew and attempt to salvage what is left of the Santo pack, it’s a huge deal and my emotions are all over the place.

Leyanne disappeared with Jasper to go summon Varro and left us standing here in this deafening anticipation. I know word would have travelled to surrounding wolves’ mouth to mouth that I was waiting here to meet with him, so I know that’s why Colton appeared. He would have questioned the sudden retreat of those foul creatures and heard I was standing alone awaiting him. True to his nature, he came to me in a flash.

“You’re okay though? No harm, no one touched you? You aren’t tired, dizzy, needing to lay down?” Colton brings his attention back to me, scanning me with that quick eye and I nod at him, completely distracted. I know he knew the answer to that the second he landed beside me, but he still has to ask. His eyes and emotion sensors all over me because he knows emotionally I am all over the place concerning Varro. He’s trying to fill the silence in the only way he knows how.

“Hmmm…… I’m just sick of waiting. It’s been fifteen minutes, where are they?”

arm as he pushes me slightly behind him and faces the direction in which it came. It’s not Jasper, or any voice I have ever heard and my blood runs cold at the sheer sound. Strange

of my heart, legs finally losing all sense of solid as my entire body turns weirdly cold and light.

to fluidly move from the darkness towards me, only the horrifying glow of dark red eyes visible at first and locked on my face as he seems to grow larger with his progress towards me. I am rooted to the spot, held captive by that eerie gaze and even Colton stiffens and bristles with this intimidating aura. It’s obvious this is not a normal vampire, and we can taste his power sparking the

caught me off guard, but I inhale slowly to cool

I am to you.” His smooth and low voice is like honey on warm cake and despite myself, there’s something almost comforting about it when he adds that little tiny inch of charm.

family, I am a little reluctant to acknowledge it.” I bristle. Mood accelerating from fear to anger in

closes and I am shielded with a strong arm behind his back, catching my wrist and holding me still. He starts to shift as claws elongate and his body bulks a little, fighting his own wolf to stay

handsome face that could be mistaken for human. If it were not for his elongated and pronounced teeth and those devil

my mate…. you won’t get anywhere near her without my say so.” Colton is fired up and ready to battle but Varro just smiles, a disarming and smooth

her….. to see if her mother left anything of herself within her. I came here to find a resolution to our issues.” Effortless suave and oozing charm and I finally understand why the old books told us that Vampires could dazzle humans with their charisma. It’s the first time I have seen

with my mate standing between us with all hackles up, then this isn’t going to be resolved

do. This isn’t the way to resolve your feelings. Alora doesn’t want this, and it won’t bring you any kind of peace. Fighting here, killing each other, it won’t get you what you want.” Colton is still adamant he won’t back down, so instead of

down an entire bloodline in revenge won’t satisfy some of us?” Jasper’s voice filters through from behind Varro and he appears at his side in the blink of an eye. Eyes ambering out as his inner wolf grows restless. His stance is hostile, his eyes gleaming bright with rage and I can taste so much

ready to give up on my brother just yet. There’s enough conflict inside of him to make me believe I still have a chance to help him through this darkness. I know

with an agonizing sad pang. My brother is in agony and now we’re here ready

listen to bickering. I was offered a solution and I want to hear it.” Varro impatiently snaps, bringing my brother to heel with his tone. He snaps all our attention

over a pack and his acts of murder, his actions that kept me a prisoner for a decade. I have as much reason to hate him as you do, so please, don’t see this as some sort of weak compromise. This is as much for me as it is for you.” I let go of my mate and bring myself up tall and proud matching

were other Santo wolves who helped slaughter your entire bloodline.” Varro raises a brow at me, seemingly dissecting my words and acting

help free us form their burden. All we ask is that you don’t touch anyone else. That this fight ends here

years of heartbreak. This anger didn’t just build itself up overnight.” Varro is acting reasonable, even civilized and I wonder if this is an act or if he really is the kind to compromise and listen to logic. His actions of the past say no, but this being in front of me, he seems almost sane. I guess there had to be some qualities in him that drew my mother

whatever it takes to end this. I’m not scared of you. If you do this, I’ll get to know you, take the time to learn who

she wants to know her father. The plan

expected to hear but then I guess, delusional plans had to be part of the bigger picture. Did he just

how mate bonds work and my mate won’t stand back and let you do anything to our pack. Neither will I. I

stubborn, just like your mother. Can’t you be more like your brother… so deep in longing for revenge he will do whatever it takes, even if it kills him. He has managed to stay alive among my kind for a decade, and that was no easy task.” He seems amused at my words, and pats Jasper on the shoulder in a weirdly affectionate way. A hint of pride that my brother somehow didn’t die

all of this. You never knew her if you think any different. At the last moments of her life, she was still fighting for her pack. Think about that. She lost her life while still trying to protect them. She died for these wolves, for her child. She went to

He walks off, his posture stiff but his emotions are caving

You have her fire. Her insane logic and way with words. So what’s the compromise then? You hand me your father-in-law and his men and skip off happily into your forest to live out your life, oblivious to what you are? Is that what you’re offering?” He smirks, a

you want with them but no, I don’t skip off into the sunset. We came here to make a deal and if getting to know me is part of your

spike of fear and protectiveness kicking in. I know he doesn’t want me to have anything to do with Varro after this, but I’ve been denying our link for too long. Hate these creatures or not, this man is my father. I need to stop focusing on the venom that was ingrained into us all these years for these creatures and recognize his motive behind all of this. He did it for love. He did it because of loss. I have been taught to fear and despise them and I’ve let that rule all decisions these past months.