Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 17

The six wolves of various sizes and colors make an interesting pile of fur.

But to Lani it is everything, she never wants to truly be alone. She just doesn't want to talk about it. It is the greatest hurt and greatest failure in her life to date.

She only stopped running in this beautiful place when the pain of the bond got too much, it hurt so b alive, but there is only so much she could take and eventually she had to stumble and fall. Laying there amidst the familiar scents, her torn body feels a certain sense of relief, but she still feels It has been seven years since she has felt hurt and betrayed, seven years since she felt weak and usel She never wanted to be that way again. Lani drifts off into a restless sleep with her five body guards. Eyelids open, revealing a set of stormy blue eyes. It is only at the crack of dawn that all five of the boy her clothes that managed to make the journey in her mouth and stepping out of the quagmire of slee Her mind has been a jumble and she has no good plans. The level-headed one is a mess. Strategy is o She loves her brothers more than anything, but it is impossible to talk about it with them. Either they The white wolf runs like a blur through the trees, after a short distance she shifts and gets dressed, ta "My name is Leilani from the elite squad. I am here to see Alpha Storm"

The wolves eyes glaze over and they separate. She walks through the two large wolves with confident follows as Leilani picks up the pace to a run.

The wolves look at each other but follow her lead, only just able to keep ahead of her, which should b Leilani doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, she only has one goal in mind. She knows it is stupid,

***

A large tanned and slightly calloused finger rubs over a single word on an increasingly tattered lookin connection

d she knew exactly what it was. Gabriel was f*cking her, she ran through the pain, relishing in it, feeling that it was the only thing letting her know she was

ain disconnect with her wolf.

t at this moment she feels like she is fourteen again, alone and helpless.

nto their deep sleep cycle. Lani has been around them all enough to know how to get away without disturbing them. She shifts slowly and silently, grabbing

r, taking silent steps to the trees, disappearing into the thicket, shifting and running once more.

window and all she can think of is the one person that might understand. She can't even explain the reason why.

fer her pity that she has no interest in receiving or they will kill Gabriel, which will be no good for anyone.

e final step and standing still and waiting. Two wolves run through the trees and stop in front of her, both poised ready to attack.

her hair is tied in a haphazard bun on the top of her head, she has smears of dirt on her otherwise flawless skin, one border patrol leads and the other

ssible as she is in human form.

ows it is crazy, she may be sentenced to death on the spot, but she is feeling reckless. Rationality out, only insanity remaining. of paper.

He is not sure if he is trying to erase the word from existence or it is his way of desperately trying to feel it once more. He sighs as he folds up the note, placing it in his wallet where it has sat for six months.

As he stares out the window of his study, it is still a while till dawn. His insomnia that was bad before has gotten progressively worse over the last six months as he stares out into dark night. The large room light reflecting out into the canopy of trees reminds him of a certain white blonde hair of a girl that he treasures in his heart yet desperately wants to forget. If he had of known it would have been like this. He would never have done what he did. He should have listened to his beta. He should have sent her away. Lived out his boring life without that spark.

Because once the bright spark has burnt out, everything becomes extraordinarily dark. He leans back in his chair, sighing heavily before turning around to do some work. If he can't sleep, he might as well work.

Looking at the picture of a happy couple with three smiling happy children that sits in pride of place on his desk. He can't help but smile sadly.

He has achieved so much over his time as Alpha. The pack has increased to nearly double the size in the nine years since he has taken over. He started developing the properties they already had to be more industrious and then started pushing the boundaries of the pack making it bigger and better than ever.

Most of that in the last three years alone.

His parents and siblings died when he was only fourteen and he had to take the reins of the pack at that young age. His dad was a brilliant husband and father and even a strong alpha, but he had no mind for business whatsoever.

Connor is starting to think that he is going to be the other way. Live alone. Loveless, mateless, familyless.

When he read that note all those months ago, he wondered how his mate could ever compare to what he and his fake fiance shared.

After seeing his fated mate, he was more disappointed than expected.

She was neither the bright spark lighting up the dark nor the steady, loving family type. He looked at her and found it hard to be even slightly interested, but it was his fated mate and if he's going to live his life being bitterly disappointed. Shouldn't he do it with his fated mate? Isn't that what makes sense?

If the moon goddess wanted it that way, isn't it only logical, if he took the time and dug deeper, wouldn't she be perfect for him even if, by all accounts, she looks so imperfect for him?

After the lack of a goodbye with a girl, he feels everything for. He managed to replace his fated mate that he felt nothing for and she still refused him.

Connor looks at his reflection in the glass. Is there something wrong with him? Is he so undesirable?

'Alpha, there is a Leilani at the border, she says she is from the elite squad'

Connor looks at the time. It isn't even seven am, the meeting isn't meant to be for hours.

But it is not like he is doing anything now. Anyway, seven a.m is the same as ten a.m to him. When you don't sleep, the hours just roll into one seeming like a blur of nothing. 'Let her through'

Connor sighs as he resumes his blank stare out the window. This whole thing just seems stupid and nearly embarrassing. Isn't he just broadcasting the fact that his mate doesn't want him? He is fighting for something that he does not even want, that he just thinks that he should want. Isn't a fated bond something worth fighting for, no matter how irrelevant it feels?

There is a knock at the door and Connor composes himself. Giving himself some words of encouragement as he heads into a pointless battle for a prize, can it be called a prize?

Connor's mind slips back to two months earlier. He was having discussions about security with one of the other packs and a woman burst in, jumping straight on the other alpha's lap. That was when the most delectable scent hit him.

"Mine"

The brunette looked straight at him, taking a deep breath in as she assessed the handsome man in front of her. He is up there with the most handsome man she has ever seen. A spark of interest crosses her eyes, but still staying pasted to Gabriel, she talks to Gabriel instead of Connor.

"Who is this?"

Gabriel watches the situation with interest.

"This is Alpha Storm of the Stormy pack"

Maggie's mind runs at a million miles a minute as she pulls up all the information about the Stormy pack. Her father shoved the information down her throat, wanting her to connect with all the right people.

The Stormy pack is hardly comparable to the Half Moon pack, it doesn't matter how handsome her mate is, she is only three months off finally getting Gabriel to mark her. In the world where power rules, why would she give up something that she has worked so hard for?

She and Gabriel have a good thing going. When she looks at her mate, who doesn't have another woman's scent on him, he is neat and tidy, a pile of paperwork in front of him covered in sticky notes and scrawled with notes. Isn't he a little too boring?

No power, no crazy s*x and all hard work, that is Maggie's nightmare.

Connor looks at Maggie waiting for her to come to him. She looks him straight in the steel-gray eyes and then looks away, pressing her lips hard to Gabriel's as she grinds against him.

Connor just sits with an open mouth as he stares at her back, Gabriel's hands all over her. A flash of a white blonde goddess flashes through his mind and he stands up and walks away. He knew he should want to fight for her, for his fated, but at that moment she hardly seemed worth fighting for.