Rejected Mate and Following Fate

"You can untie her, Doc, she can eat, but she stays confined in here until we decide what should be done with her. I still want a name and pack. I need to know what kind of threat she is, or they pose. I'll be back soon. I need to contact Alpha. Santo. and get direction concerning our intruder. He'll want to be informed."

My heart literally stops beating in my chest, and I have to stop myself from gasping out loud at the words that come out of his mouth. My insides self-combust, and my blood freezes in my veins, as my mind comes to a complete standstill on those two little terrifying words.

Alpha Santo! Juan! There is no other Santo pack in these parts, and his resemblance isn't coincidental. Why Colton kept coming to mind is now glaringly obvious. This is Juan's facility, which can only mean one thing. Deacon is a Santo, it explains the assholes bad attitude and shitty behavior, and possibly, Sierra is not an invading dream because of Colton's telling me about her before I left him. She's been calling me somehow, from these four walls, and led me right to her. There's no other explanation for how this all ties up like this. The fates wouldn't just let this casually happen.

I don't understand how, or even why, or that she managed to do it from inside an isolation tank, but there's no other logic for this kind of crazy coincidence. This is a Santo building, a facility, so many miles, and days away from the mountain, but close enough for Juan to have his reach. Doubt he has many facilities in our lands, and I didn't just come upon this by chance. I start wondering how much of this was orchestrated by the fates, and I don't mean from the second I turned East. I mean all of it, and how I was led here from the day of my turning.

I'm so screwed though. Once Juan knows I'm here, it's going to be game over. He might actually send me to the same fate as Sierra, wherever she is, and leave me to rot in here along with her for the next ten years. It'll be the answer to the dilemma of my pairing with his son. Keep me locked up, and keep Colton safe, it's not like anyone'll miss me if I too disappear for a decade.

The doctor moves over me as soon as Deacon leaves us alone, his face apologetic, with a softness to his grey eyes that I didn't notice before. He has a kindness, in the wrinkles and lines around his eyes and mouth, that suggest he genuinely smiles a lot in his life. With a worried glance at my face, and a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, he whispers in a shaky voice, revealing his own fears.

"Please, don't react when I remove these, I don't want to have to sedate you again, and I don't know if I've a strength to match you, even in human form. I swear, I mean you no harm. Let's keep this civil. You play nice, we play nice. It doesn't have to be hostile." He doesn't trust me, and even though in here, I have no gifts, he's wary of me. He's human for sure, and he knows what we are capable of, which means he's probably witnessed it to be this kind of afraid. I find it weird they even have a mortal here, but I guess the wolf world has a shortage of crazy doctors to keep Juan's mate hidden with. Packs are family, and it's rare to find sub packs who keep secrets from the rest, especially among one as big as the Santos. I guess humans are easier to keep quiet.

I nod and relax my body in a bid to show him I'll behave, and he seems to pick up on it, his smile strengthening, and his face relaxes. I can almost taste the tension seeping out as he leans in to undo the first buckle.

He makes fast and light work of releasing me from the bed and jumps back cautiously when he unties the last ankle strap, eyeing me from a distance as I slowly sit up and regain my bearings. It takes a minute, and my head swims as I level up, aware I have only this gown on to cover my modesty, and it falls forward off my shoulders as I move, telling me it's not even tied at the back. They must have thrown it on before restraining me, and I reach back to pull it together again.

"Just let me go. I'm not interested in this place or your work. I have my own plans and route. I'll happily get back to that." I point out, trying to sound sincere, but the old man's eyes narrow and he frowns at me, shaking his head apologetically.

"Oh, my dear, I'm afraid I'm not the one who makes those kinds of decisions, or I would show to the door with a wave and a sandwich. The problem is, we can't let you go without being sure all of that is true. No one's come up here in ten years without invitation, and yet here you are, not just a regular silly trekker or lost hiker…. but a wolf. A solitary femme, which is quite unusual in itself given pack hierarchy and the female role in your world, but a rare white form at that. Remarkable. I'm afraid it's all a little too suspicious given the circumstances." His voice is hushed, as I guess he doesn't want Deacon, or whoever watches the camera, to hear and the real serious concern etched in his eyes shines out. He has a trusting quality about him that's tingling my sixth sense and telling me he's not one of the bad guys.

"What circumstances would that be?" I match his expression, a little churning of suspicion of my own as I take in his manner and the way he seems to be deflating a little, his posture sagging as he turns towards the wall. He stops at the food trolley and pushes it towards me with a fake smile.

little spy came to gather intel for a rival pack? My work up until now has been a secret, and protected, but

have no idea what you're talking about. I'm white, because much like my mother, I lack a pigment… it's not rare because it's special, it's a flaw! Diluted bloodline, or some nonsense, and not actually desirable at all. In my world, I'm an outcast because I'm inferior, so screw your theory. No one cares about that kind of intel, least of all me." It's an angry outburst with a

I said something ridiculous, his wide eyes, and startled,

wounds and illness. You think your DNA would allow such atrocity, by defect? No, of course it wouldn't, it couldn't. Your own gifts work out the kinks in your make up, from the second you're born. It's the bonding perfection between two species and happens only when the biochemistry of a particular set of genes lines up in a magical way. Two species, two blood types, merging beautifully in one captivating dance that produces a new third, equally magnificent species. You, my dear… are what I have been dying to test for the last decade!! It's a near impossible combination to make stick without awful deformities, or even loss, and your kind are few and far between. Whoever first engineered your astounding DNA must have been incredibly talented. Tell me, are you a first generation, or are you a natural born?" That grand speech, and

what you're talking about, or half of what you said, but I know hybrids aren't a thing." Terror overtakes me as his words filter in, and my mind refuses to digest what he's saying, because it's

when weak DNA like my families infects a pack, and those people become calm land workers with no urge to fight and dominate. It's why

flat hand to his chest, aghast. Eyes wide, an expression that

forte!! I would so love to get your samples under my microscope and see if the stories are true, and show you for yourself, the absolute wonder of

blood runs cold, my eyes raking him and trying to make sense of what he's saying, so many questions forming and gathering on my tongue. My head scrambling with the uncertainty that he might actually be telling the truth. But that would make my

a strange look that suggests he doesn't like whatever feeling we just gave him. The atmosphere is tense, and the doctor seems to lose his enthusiastic energy and slinks back out of the way, probably afraid to admit he told me way too

This one…. Her name is Alora, and interestingly, from our own mountain, so take from that what you will. She isn't going anywhere." Deacon turns to me, a look of disgust rippling across his face as he scowls at me, and everything inside of me seems to disperse in a wave of numb. The fear claws through me that Juan knew exactly who I was with just one call and is coming here personally to

that slight hint of recognition that flitters across his brow before he pushes it away and locks his facial

it away. Maybe also the fact he knows I'm missing now, and one

brows at Deacon with false bravado as if to say, 'so what?' His eyes narrow at mine and

I'm sure he'll find the perfect punishment for a flawed failure who betrayed her own kind." I don' doubt Juan has conducted a whole new story about why I'm public enemy number one and arguing it is going to be futile. Deacon is a believer, a loyal to Juan's sub pack, and it's boringly obvious. He was put here, probably because he is one of

ruthlessly, and hauls me off the bed forcefully, my body still a dead weight and I almost fall on the floor with the sudden demand to use my limbs properly. Grabbing out to catch myself and instantly overwhelmed with dizziness at

Deacon. Compassion. A little human dignity. If we have her for two days yet, then I need to harvest samples for my studies and could use the time to learn more about her very unique blood! I can't let this opportunity go to waste, and I certainly can't stand and watch you

chick is going, is down beside that mindless corpse they keep in bay two, and out of bounds for you and your quack colleagues in the lab. If we're lucky, she'll stay as quiet as her new roommate and be gone before she messes up anymore of my week." Deacon is an asshole for sure. He pulls me with him, not waiting for my legs to catch up and despite my inner desire to not touch this idiot, I have

and detained by you thugs and your lack of vision… she's a work of art, a person with feelings, and thoughts, and if Juan would only allow me to waken her

like you will be if you talk about her again." Deacon

The spark in him of real rage before he was shut down, and paces off to bubble under the surface, grabbing a nearby rag, and twisting it between his hands as