Rejected Mate and Following Fate - Awakening Book -
Chapter 89: Fate
"What the hell was that.” The vampire growls hauling my brother to his feet, seemingly irritated, and
almost violently dusts him down. No one seems to know how to react and Leyanne, well she just
chuckles and doesn't seem shocked at all. No hint of surprise, just an 'oh well" attitude and a pretty
smug expression.
"It's called falling in love.... the wolf version anyway. Jasper just found his forever mate, and frankly, I
do like a good bit of drama in the family. Well, isn't this another layer to add to a seriously strange
story." Leyanne is almost cheery with the turn of events and Jasper is white and panic stricken and
looks like he's about to throw up. Meanwhile Carmen is on her ass, outright staring his way with a
devastated air of freak out all over her and doesn't seem to be able to respond in any kind of way at
all.
"They imprinted?" Meadow is almost as speechless as me and quickly speeds over to help Carmen
back to her feet. Deja Vue of a similar chaotic scene coming at me from months ago, being literally
swept off my feet, and the pain in my heart intensifies with the lack of his being here. Colton would
be happy to know Carmen found her someone... God he would be happy to know my brother lives.
He would be ecstatic on all counts and probably be smothering me half to death with joy and
kisses. All of this, he should be here to share all these things with me. The truths, the possibility to
an end to the war. Seeing Carmen finally get a chance to move on and heal. That the fates never
forgot her at all.
"Carmen... 2" Jasper whispers it affectionately, seems to be rolling her name around on his tongue,
trying it out, familiarizing himself with what his heart will want from here on in. And despite openly
staring at one another as if none of the rest of us are here, longing growing between them, neither
is moving towards the other and it's a strange and strained atmosphere of pause. I can taste the
apprehension from both sides, the disbelief, the severe lack of trust that life could show them a
second of mercy. My brother must have been through hell too, and now I can feel it, free from my
own overshadowing emotions. I can taste his lack of faith in fates, bonding, relying on wolves at all.
He's scared to approach her, and she is the same.
"This is not our focus... we have something to do. The girl can wait." The vampire bites in, hauling
Jasper to face him by his upper arm, obviously no concept of what imprinting really means for a
wolf. I can see the struggle on my brothers face as logic cuts in, but his heart and needs are fully
focused on the femme mere feet away. I know how it goes. After the initial shock wears off. The
instant love and longing, the sudden infatuation as the thoughts and memories you were hit with
open up and make you see the other as someone you've always known. Unravelling a sea of
feelings you never knew were possible to have for someone who seconds before, was a complete
stranger.
"Do you have any idea how much of a big deal imprinting is.... He can't fight it. Neither of them can
and it's cruel to make them." Meadow's snappy attitude is aimed at the vampire I knows she's
having a hard time ignoring. All her instincts from the second she saw them have her riled and she's
been on high alert this whole time. She is looking for any excuse to attack and I know she's
controlling it best she can. Her eyes have never stopped being amber this entire time.
"Maybe weak ones like you can't... but Jasper is one of us. He took the oath; he was initiated into
our coven. He comes with me... the girl can wait!" Darrius commands, grinding out his words with a
low rumbling grow! that sends unease through everyone. His teeth becoming more visible as he
snaps, and his eyes seem to deepen in color as his pupils constrict. Even Jasper lowers his head in a
sign of respect that tells me Darrius is not someone to disobey. Submissive immediately and I can
tell this Darrius character, he's not as reasonable and steady as he seems to make out. There's a
darkness around him, a cold aura, and a severe lack of any kind of compassion.
"Can I just talk to her, for a second? ... My heads full of..... I need to just touch her, just once." Jasper
tries to keep control by I know only too well how strong the pull is to bring you together. The urge
and instant love of the bond and he's struggling. I remember needing to be by Colton’s side,
feeding from his presence and aching to have him touch me.
"Get out of the way.” Carmen's voice breaks into the tension, that bitch tone I'm starting to be fond
of, and the vampire is physically pushed sideways as she storms face on to my brother without
hesitation. No fear in her anyway. The shock and anger on Darrius’ scowling mouth only calmed by
Leyanne's touch. She shakes her head to tell the vampire it's hopeless to intervene. Seems Carmen
has pulled herself together and she marches right to him to get her first proper look at her fate.
Jasper doesn't hesitate either but pulls her forward to him and presses his nose to hers while he
lassos her in his arms, bringing her to him like it's the most natural thing in the world. Seeing this,
the fluid way they come together, makes my heart soften. The instant way they mold, that they
weren't strangers seconds ago and suddenly she's the only thing he wants in this moment. Eyes
locking and both faces soften to an expression I see on my mates face every time he looks at me.
That level of love and need can never be hidden.
I don't want to think about tall the ins and outs of this. I mean she's my mate's ex-lover... and he's
my brother. So, he's now going to make love to the girl who bedded his brother-in-law? God, this is
intense. I'm not sure I want to keep thinking about it. Does this mean, she becomes my sister?
This is the last thing I expected to happen, ever. Although now that it has, I'm sort of not mad about
it. Jasper's been alone for a decade, living with these god-awful creatures and Carmen's been an
untethered boat on a stormy sea for a long time. They're sort of perfect for each other and I guess
the fates knew that all along. They should have bonded so many years ago, when they first turned,
but were pulled apart so everything else in this story could play out.
This also means one very important thing — her love for Colton, it's gone. In the blink of an eye, her
emotions, her heartbreak, all her sorrow and pain ... A band aid is applied. It all just goes away, and
her heart is filled instantly with the love for the wolf the fates found worthy of her.
In a way I'm sort of happy it was this way and not slow and natural love. Carmen imprinted, she was
worthy of that rarity and the fates clearly have other plans for her. I hope she sees it now too. That
whatever she thinks she did to call upon punishment, it hasn't been close to true. She had to walk a
path to be her own part of this bigger picture.
I turn away blushing when my brother bridges the gap and kisses her without restraint, and
Meadow hugs me tight with an 'awww' noise deep in her throat. All her previous dislike of Carmen
seems to wash away on the witnessing of this new love. And I know Meds is a romantic at heart.
Leyanne looks instantly bored, plays with her nails and her jewelry seemingly disinterested and the
vampire stalks off shaking his head and clicking his fingers at his minion holding the door open. His
dark bad mood, and aura of iciness, thankfully goes with him and I shudder outwardly. I don't like
him. He isn't overly threatening but yet, something about him is terrifying and maybe it's knowing
he's a completely different breed. The vampires we have known are nothing like this.
"You have three minutes, Jasper. The lord will need to see you to be convinced of her existence. We
don't have time for any of this." His commanding snarl is delivered before he gracefully slides back
into the nearest SUV, clearly done with our presence. Jasper ignores him completely. So homed in
on the girl in his arms and I hear the rushed whisper of his hurried words as he breaks from her lips,
and nuzzles against her cheek.
"Come with me.... I need to go with him for now. I don't want to leave you when I just found you."
There's no denying the utter infatuation in his tone, the intense focus on his mate, and Carmen
seems limp in his embrace, flushed and sweet.
My stomach tightens and Meadow too looks instantly worried, glancing at one another in question.
Carmen may not be our best friend in any kind of way, but she belongs with us, with her pack, and
not running after my brother into some vampire world she's not accustomed to, to see some high
lord. There's no telling what would happen to her. Jasper couldn't protect her against them if they
turned on her after we left.
"No. I follow my Luna. I'm here to do what she needs of me. I won't let her down and break my
word. Find me when you come back. I can't leave her; she needs both of us with he to keep her safe
on the journey home. I won't abandon her.”
Carmen's words shock me and with a last rushed kiss on my brother's lips. As though she knows
longer will make her weak, she pushes him away and quickly removes herself before the emotions
caused by the bond take away her will power. Jasper looks instantly lost without her in his arms, and
then questions what she said almost in afterthought. A sense of confusion sweeping over his
expression.
"Luna?" He utters, his gaze coming back to settle on me.
Of course, he doesn't know, and he won't yet have time to rifle through Carmen's memories to
pinpoint everything he doesn't yet understand. It's only just happened, and it takes time to really
sink in and open the cavern of things from another mind.
"Me. I'm Luna Santo, Colton Santo's mate and mother of our fractured pack.” I stand up on
unsteady legs, leaning on Meds for support and smile his way with a soft hint of pride. Jasper's eyes
completely burn to instant amber fire, his sweet expression dropping to furious glaring and a grow!
erupts from his throat, aggression on full show.
"Fucking Santo!!! Are you fucking kidding me?” the swift change from smooth and steady reliable
Jasper, to instantly enraged and crazed makes me jump and step away in shock. His whole aura
turning deadly and he seems to grow with sudden intimidation, a warrior showing face that I had
never seen on him. The air crackles with electricity and I get a taste of my brother's ingrained hatred
and pain in one suffocating blow.
So I guess I should have seen this coming, given the fact Santos slayed everyone he loved and all
this time his despisal has clearly grown. I never gave it a second thought that he wouldn't know all
the ins and outs, but how could he? He has only just found me.
"I'm a Santo too.” Carmen meekly utters the words and Jasper spins furiously towards her with a
piercing gaze. Seemingly searching his memories for the truth of her words, his eyes widening,
shaking his head with venom as disgust takes over his expression.
"No..... this isn't fucking happening. You? ... Fucking you!!!" he spins back on me, accusation heavy in
his knife sharp words. "The Santos killed everyone, Lorey... our whole family. Our parents. Our entire
pack! They took everyone we loved. They caused this. You can't get in bed with the one pack I aim
to destroy. I swore on my life that I wouldn't rest until I took every Santo from this earth and made
them suffer." His fury overtakes his gentle demeanor of a moment ago, a side to him I've never
seen, and I'm fueled by his own pulsating rage. It feeds my own internal temper and my need to
protect my people engulfs me. Forgetting what he is to me when faced with this kind of intent on
my pack.
"They are not all like Juan Santo... not all wolves are to blame for what he did. The Santos are MY
pack, my people... won't let you do anything to them, I won't stand aside and let you try. Your mate
is Santo... does that not tell you what the fates want? Are you going to deny that and destroy her
along with them. Cast aside your own sister and cause more sorrow in our lives?" Tears mist my
eyes, but my anger holds them at bay, spitting at him in fury. The Luna in me showing face and I
march to him, squaring up, eyes glowing brightly and warn him with the snarl in my tone. I will
protect my people at all costs, even against my own brother if that's what it takes. Jaspers aimed
look of rage is thrown to Carmen for a fleeting moment and then back at me, a new wave of
something in the depths. A coldness enveloping him that reminds me of Darrius, and I flinch.
"They deserve to die, even if the war stops. There's a debt to be repaid and it's only in the form of
Santo blood... no matter whose that is or what it does to me in the end.” He casts a look Carmen's
way again, loaded with meaning and I catch her crumbling despair and her lip tremble as she
realizes what he means.
In one second, he was her forever... in the next he's swearing to cut down not only her entire pack,
but her too, even if it kills them both. His hatred runs deeper than love can reach and in one
sentence he rejects the bond and makes it clear that she is no mate that he will ever accept. I lose
my temper and I fly at him, seeing red and hating his arrogance, smacking him in the chest with
meaning and send him reeling backwards. Seemingly my gifts are still strong.
"I'm Santo... so if you want to maim and kill and rebalance the debt with Santo blood, you will have
to go through me. Those are MY pack and in the absence of MY mate.... I'm their queen and I will
die to protect them. Every. Last. One. I won't cower because my brother dares to stand against
them, I'm clear on where my loyalty lies and it's not in revenge and misguided hate.” My venom
outshines him, my intent clear. Heart hammering in my chest and trembling all over with adrenalin
until my limbs feel unsteady, but I stand my ground.
He stands where he was, unmoved yet not as fierce as before. Eyes locked on mine, amber to my
red, claws elongated in both of our human hands. We both pant in heavy breaths, neither willing to
back down or relent, stubborn and headstrong and matched in aggression
Leyanne walks between the two of us in a rather casual manner, pushing him back a step so she can
regain some space.
"You both have a common goal and she's right... Santo is a blood line, not a collective of guilty
wolves. The ones you want, are the same ones your sister has not dismissed yet. Their time will
come, and you can rid the world of Juan Santo and his minions together... this is not the way. The
sins of few should not be carried by the many.... Santo is not a dirty word, Jasper." Leyanne is the
voice of reason and her tone is patient, as though explaining to a child. Wisdom and maturity
shining through and for a second, I forget I don't trust her and find a new appreciation for her.
Jasper throws an angry stare at Carmen, unable to stop himself being drawn to her at every
opportunity and I see the war ravaging his heart. He turns to me after a hesitated pause, and spits
his last words, ignoring Leyanne completely.
"I'll never mate with a Santo... Not even ordained by the fates. Don't stand in my way, Lorey. No
matter what happens with the war, my goal has always been to return to the Santo lands and finish
what was started. I've been biding my time and if I have to take down my mate and end myself in
the process of scourging the earth of their kind, so be it. I promise you; I'll die avenging our family.”
Jasper turns on his heel and stalks back to the car, atmosphere thick with his words, sadness
growing in Carmen's heart and choking me in proximity.
Without looking back, he storms in and slams the door, so it echoes in the air and causes instant
cold silence. Within seconds both cars move off, seemingly done with this and our presence. No
hesitation, no minutes to cool down and rethink this. I'm sure Darrius sees this as the best outcome
given how little he gave a shit about the imprinting.
I know it's for the best, given the change in what just went down but part of me is incensed that he
just walked off and left us here like this. Ten years, a shitty ten-minute reunion and it all goes to hell
when the word Santo is brought up. My brother just up and left, after telling me how happy he was
to find me alive. Well screw him and his damned vengeance.
Carmen crumbles behind me with his departure, the tears falling and the flood gates opening
Pulling all attention of us three other remaining women to her pitiful state as she sits abruptly on
the ground and my heart breaks instantly. Even Meds is moved to go to her and cradles her frail
figure in her arms as she weeps and buries her face in her palms.
"I should have known this was too good to be true.” she blubs out, wiping her face and trying to
regain the cold composure yet failing. She's too deeply broken by this and I can sympathize.
Imprinting is a whole other level of despair when your mate rejects you. I've lived it and I hate that
on top of everything this girl has gone through, she now relives some of my darkest days. Maybe
she's right and the fates are punishing her because I cannot get my head around why the hell things
like this would keep being thrown her way.
"What now?" I blanche at Leyanne, so overwrought and done with all this shit and just waiting on
the next major thing to be tossed at me. I'm sick of all the misery and chaos and I need answers. I
need a plan to fix some of this crap and get back on top of things. I don't even want to digest the
fact my brother is alive and just made me his sworn enemy.
"We follow the plan..we have a fog to stop and then... we might have a different kind of battle to
intervene in.” She shrugs, still infuriatingly indifferent and I wonder if this witch has a heart at all.
She really doesn't seem all too invested in anything.
"It's a long journey. I know a lot just happened here, but we need to move.” Meadow cuts in,
bringing reality back to the mess left behind from their departure and I glance over Carmen as she
pulls herself together with speed. Swallowing her tears, sitting herself upright. Pasting on that face
we all see often, the cold attitude, the air of not caring. The mask engages and the wall is erected
faster than I could have managed it. She always leaves me in awe.
"I'm fine.... This is how it goes.... I should have expected it. I would be a shitty mate anyway, I'm way
too selfish.” She bites her bottom lip to curb its tremble. Pushes Meadow's hands away, yanks
herself up and walks off to the truck, getting in and moving straight back to the rear out of sight
and making it clear she wants to be alone. Meadow and I exchange worried glances and sigh in
unison. A look of sympathy mirrored in us both and I genuinely want to cry for her.
The girl needs some kind of a break. Having your imprinted mate reject you is the worst feeling in
the world. Her pain right now has to be up there with the top ten of all awful things that's ever
happened to her. Even beside her mom's death.
"If these things were easy and straightforward there would be no effort in putting things to rights.”
Leyanne jovially sing songs in that heavy Celtic brogue with a way too jolly smile and I think she
might actually be some sort of sadist who thrives on the hurt and pain of others. She certainly has
no qualms about behaving rudely and giving the wrong responses to emotional moments.
"This is going to be a long drive.” Meadow sighs and gestures me into the truck where I too head to
the back meekly, to check on my femme. I see Carmen has curled up tight on one of the beds and is
facing away from me. Her body language screaming to be left alone but I can tell by the subtle
shoulder movements that she's crying silently. I feel helpless and my heart aches for her, my
instincts are to console her, but I know I can't. Her character, her aura, her entire self-preservation
system is telling me to stay away and not disturb her. She wouldn't thank me right now for any kind
of consoling.
I've been here. I know the pain of denying the bond and the agony of being parted right from the
initial impact of it. She needs time to process and so do I. My head's a mess and I think I also need
some quiet time to think.
In twelve hours, I've found out that I'm pregnant with twins, my brother lives, my father is freaking
vampire royalty and my entire existence was a lie. My brother is on a vendetta to take down
everyone I love and thus wounding me the same way the Santos did a decade ago. Somehow, in the
midst of all that, I'm the key to stop it all. All while my mate is in some enchanted state of zombie
and looking to strike me down if he gets to me before I break the spell.
I have to get back and free my mate in the hopes he knows what to do, because I sure don't
anymore. It's all too much. Maybe Colton has a plan to deal with Jasper, when he finally shows up to
exact revenge on the wolves I consider my family now. I only hope that all of this comes together
and makes some kind of sense, because the fates have to know what they're doing, or else, we're all
screwed.
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