Rejected Mate and Following Fate

"Oh my god." I feel sick, as bile rises in my throat, the levity of the situation finally coming through at me. I was an idiot to think that he'd been sitting twiddling his thumbs at the pack house while I've been gone. Everything is in uproar and he's been in the middle of an actual war.

"It's not the same size as the manor by a long shot, it's a homestead, and smaller, but it has land. It's isolated from humans, surrounded by forests, and for now we're managing to defend it pretty well. I'm more focused on keeping my people safe and giving them a place to rebuild, before I go chasing vampires and starting fights like my father seems to be doing. It's all he cares about, and now knowing what you showed me… it makes fucking sense. The war were his glory days, he was a commander with an army who jumped to his orders, lording over a united race. I wouldn't put it past him to somehow deliver a means to the vampires to rile it up again." The anger simmers in his tone and it's obvious Colton has been going through it as much as I have.

"Do you think the orphanage attack, we were meant to die? Was it him?" I touch on the memory Colton would have seen, of me and the doctor theorizing this exact question, but Colton shakes his head and glances my way, a look of complete cynicism.

"No, he really didn't seem to know that was coming, and from what you've shown me…. your death is hers." He nods at the rear view, so I glance back at his mother. "Her death is his. He wouldn't have wanted it. And until I challenged him, he truly was still reeling me along like he thought I would somehow support him in his madness. He didn't want me dead, he wanted me bound to his loyals, so I would follow him into war." That edge of something else clawing in, like maybe anger at not seeing it before.

So, Juan wasn't behind the orphanage, but he did create the tech to disable us. He sold it out there, not caring who got hold of it, because he wanted the vampires to think they had a weapon to restart a war. He had to know once they got it they would have the confidence to try and come at the wolves again at some point, so he waited.

The Vampires thought they had a full proof plan. They aren't as strong as us, but with something like the isolation box, they would be stronger, and have a shot at taking us down this time. Which means Juan has to know how to combat it and disable the effects of the box. He would never let them have something that would give them their victory, of course not, he'll have a master plan that he's going to sit on until this thing is in full throes. He has to keep his weapon hidden and let this brew long enough to give the packs a need to unite before he brings out whatever that is and prove victorious once again.

Juan craved the union of all the packs, not just the north, and he knew the only way to force that kind of need was to push us back into a war. He supplied the possibility and then sat back and waited, his own arrogance telling him that he would be the one chosen to lead them all. And now he has the answer to their weapon, to force the packs into choosing him. It's his leverage. The wolves from every land will want the weapon to counteract theirs. It shows how insane he really is to believe he would reign and lead, when the first time my own mother pushed him off that pedestal. So easy to knock down and replace. Did that teach him nothing?

And then when he had the steps in place to ignite a second chance at his gaining a crown, the fates intervened instead, and nothing has been coincidence on either side since. Turning and imprinting me only weeks before the vampires first attack. Solidifying a white wolf in the midst in hopes of redressing the balance, because they knew what was coming. Tying me to a Santo. It all makes sense; every single piece of the puzzle fits and I was always meant to end up in Colton's arms, in the middle of it all. I'm the fates trying to reclaim a prophecy that Juan keeps trying to destroy.

I turn my attention back to what he said, dragging my brain from that to this. Head a tangled mess of emotions, but the logic of the bigger picture is sliding neatly into place. Picking out something he said which peeks my attention.

"What do you mean bound to his loyals?" I don't even know how he could do that.

"Carmen. She's the daughter of his Beta, he's always tried to push me to stick with only the wolves he approved of. He hated the fact my sub pack was never the children of his own subs. He just had to accept it, but Carmen, now, looking back I realize he kept pushing femmes at me from certain houses and he only wanted me to mark and settle down once you posed a threat."

And we come straight to the one thing that chokes me up and makes me hate him all over again. He says it so matter of factly, like he didn't just stab me in the chest with a dull object and twist it for good measure. He just admitted it. That he's bound to Carmen, and his father wanted it that way. He maybe didn't say it outright, but he said enough for me to interpret it that way. I fall silent and turn away as tears prick my eyes and that sense of 'I knew it' makes me feels so stupid. Crushing that stupidly, ever hopeful, annoying shining light, that pops up no matter what I tell it.

but Colton is obviously not part of that plan, because no way in hell would they allow him to be such a dumb ass and do such a hurtful and stupid thing if he was my forever. How could he be if they let him mark her and break me all over again. You don't come

half witch? A manor you knew you had but didn't need. All while I

as it was completely untouched, and no one seemed to be able to get in until I tried the door. It was weird but…. a god damn witch! The strangest part is…. I don't feel shocked. It's like I knew, but I didn't. I can't explain it." He's slowly coming back to that swoony high school jock as he talks, hints of normal Colton shining through at me, but it doesn't

to stray back to him, holding my outward cool and trying not to let all I'm thinking spew out at him while being really good at focusing on the important issues in this conversation. Not me and him, and I'm

than I intended, watching that slight change to his expression and completely unable to read it. He half frowns, his jaw tensing a touch, but he doesn't

he's

partly is. I mean, everything is upside down and my plan of leaving and running just brought me back right here to where I started, among the people I left behind. No idea what the future

them…. they won't give a shit if we're half breeds. That's not how they are…. it's how my father is. And we're not the only hybrids hidden in the Santo pack. Nor the subs. Secrets are rife in my father's kingdom because he's an asshole and it took me way too many years to realize that and see through him." He grips the wheel, that growl again in the undertone as

I won't even know what to look for in the nineteen years' worth of them, and instead start pulling names out of boxes

you possess an answer without them guiding you to the right visual. I probably have so many things in my head

grand scheme of things. To him maybe, but I spent my life being told I was an impure reject only to find out the

What the hell?

like you are, and my father made sure no one knew his son pack-bonded with impure breeds. He couldn't do anything about them, as they are all Santo by blood and he'll never shame his own bloodline or admit that most of the pack come from interbred unions. There are hundreds of supernatural species, wolves are highly sexed

and a little offended with that last sentence. It's

trace his roots any more than anyone else and the history books are complete

he's over there like Mr. Cool. taking it in his stride without barely even a blink that our entire existence is based on horse shit. The nausea envelopes me fully and I get a little lightheaded with the number of explosions going off in my

long. The Shaman, he's with us, and finally no longer bound to his alpha Juan because I'm the rightful leader and he doesn't have to obey my father anymore. He can now unleash all he knows without fear of the fates

him right now. My stomach is all in knots, my palms sweaty, and I think my

it hard to home in on your abilities and why they weren't run

everything blurs slightly and the lack of oxygen from gasping hits me between the eyes.

tell you?" I breathe out,