Rejected Mate and Following Fate

“Yeah. A bond like that may take years to grow given the dramatic rollercoaster story behind all this. He doesn’t get to just step into the daddy shoes because things are clear now. He has to earn your trust.” Carmen pauses and looks around seemingly sensing something and then shifts further away to rearrange plants along the wall units. I pause to watch her and then wave it off as nothing.

“Time will tell. I won’t reject him. I won’t stop him from making contact with me or seeing these two when they are born. I think it’s one of those things that can’t just be fixed with a meeting and put to rights overnight. I don’t even know him or anything about him.”

“Getting over what he is will be your first hurdle, and his part in the wars of the last two decades.” She throws me an empathetic smile.

“Yeah…. enough about that though. What are you doing about my brother?” I know I shouldn’t ask as she normally clams up and pretends she doesn’t care, but it’s driving me insane seeing no progress.

“Nothing. It’s all on him. I’m so tired or marching to the beat of other people’s drums. Chasing and always ending up alone. He knows where I am and if he never finds his way to me I’m not going to stop living and hold my breath. I can have a future without a mate. There’s plenty to do here and who knows, maybe I can date casually whenever I have an urge that needs fulfilled.”

It seems Carmen really is fully pulling herself back together. Giving up even when she is bonded to Jasper; putting herself first. This is more like the girl I used to see. The one who says screw it to the Fates and decides on her own path to follow. The warrior inside the girl who won’t break with what the world throws at her.

“Baby? Where you at?” Colton’s voice breaks in as he enters the room from across the other side. Eyes scanning our efforts at making this a place to dine with guests and smiles radiantly when he locks eyes on me. As usual the butterflies and goosebumps he causes me ripple all over my skin and through my soul and my day gets brighter with him just being here.

Behind him Jasper follows at a distance, still carrying that pensive frown of his and a slight snarly aura to him. I now know what carmen could feel coming. Back in the early days of imprinting I too was way mor sensitive to my waits whereabouts if he got within fifty feet of me. Thankfully that’s dulled down a little and I am no longer constantly hyper aware of his location unless sin wolf form.

resting my head under his chin and letting myself relax finally. I have been tense all day, ever since I woke up to a note on my pillow saying he was up and out to deal with some things.

glance towards my brother who is still hovering by the far door. His eyes on her despite his efforts to keep looking away and it ignites a tiny splinter

library. They aren’t needed in here.” I nod at the extra plants sat on the floor from when we were styling the dresser and nod towards Jasper’s door which leads to the same hall the library is on. She has no choice but to go that way or else it would be too obvious she’s avoiding him. She has her pride after all. And I am not against using

I know it’s all bravado and I inwardly applaud her ability to put on that cold

sexy sway of her walk and smile gleefully as my brother’s eyes latch onto her in that intense focus gaze of a wolf on the hunt. I feel like maybe today

glowing and with her efforts of her appearance, I see the beautiful girl who used to stroll around the valley like she owned the place. Jasper’s eyes lock on her face despite himself as she walks towards him and goes to brush past him without a word. I see the shift in him

tugs her to a halt in an unexpected manner. She almost drops the plants and stumbles slightly before catching

has in that hand but he smoothly takes it from her with his free hand and places it on the table by the door. Eyes never leaving hers and

look her in the face as she dodges him by trying to walk forward, but she turns away moodily, holds the pot even tighter and refuses to back down. He has no idea how much of a wall Carmen is capable of building

level with her and I relax, knowing Jasper isn’t going to back down anymore. I can see it all over him. He’s made up his mind and he’s willing to try and figure this out with her. Carmen glares at him with passionate hatred and tugs her arm once more, this time a frown of scorn and warning him with amber eyes that

only weapon. Dumping it on the same table before spinning her around so the arm in his embrace ends up across

rolls his eyes. Something tells me this isn’t all that much of a shock to him and maybe he knew my brother was

whole bad boy biker style. It’s not his normal MO, but a more casual and sexier version of the vampire styling he came home with. His hair is gelled up in a spikier fashion and his whole aura seems a little predatory. That’s a Lychan who is overcome with desire for his mate and willing to bow down to have her. I guess the imprint is slowly eating away at him and finally the

release her. Instead, he spins her back towards him, bends down and flips her over his right shoulder the second she starts to curse him out and