Rejected Mate and Following Fate

The warm sensation sliding around me and the sudden weightlessness I experience wakes me up before his voice does. A feeling of floating, as everything comes back to me and my brain re-engages with my limbs, as warm hands, and body transfer heat to mine.

"Baby, we're here, wake up." Colton's honey tone slides over me as his scent submerges me in a firm cozy hold, submerged in his delicious scent that makes me giddy, and I blink my eyes open to find myself in his arms while being scooped out of the truck as he stands by my door. The night is cloaking in around us but illumination from the front of me makes my eyes blurry as I try to adjust and screw them shut again quickly. Taking a moment to savor the weird in between state of awake and dreaming while being cradled. He has me in his arms, pressing me to him, one under my legs and one around my back while my face is in against the crook of his throat, nestling me in as the cool air brings me round fully.

I slide my hands up his expanse of hard chest impulsively, searching out a place to anchor myself, aiming to slide around his neck when sense fully awakens me and I realize this is probably not wise when my heart is so bruised. That getting all tangled up with Colton is the opposite of what I need. It's far too easy to accept his touch and his willingness to add intimacy to the mix but I have to be stronger than him.

"I can walk, put me down." I croak hoarsely, my sleep addled tone heavy and I wriggle to get my legs free. Resisting even if it's feeble and thankfully he isn't too set on fighting me.

Colton relents after a moment of hesitation, sliding my feet to the ground carefully, but he keeps me anchored to him with the arm around my waist and tugs me front on. Bodily closing the gap between us and lifts his other hand to stroke my cheek as he leans in to bridge the height difference. Rendering me momentarily senseless, as that burning connection makes my knees buckle almost completely. He cups my face and pulls me in, bringing his forehead down to mine and pushes us together intimately. Our breaths mingling in the cool air and I'm overly aware how dangerously close this is, a slight inch more and he'll be kissing me. Caught tired, and slow in reaction speed, and somehow feeling vulnerable at waking up to his touch.

"When my mom's settled in the infirmary, we need to talk. We need to figure this out and fix us. I missed you more than you'll ever know, Lorey. I'm never letting you go again." His eyes stray to my lips and that crazy overwhelming urge to lean in and take what he's pondering doing almost kills me. My own lips parting slightly as the tug of desire pulses through me with fervor and I'm powerless to pull back when caught in his breath this way.

His touch goosebumps my skin all over, the low intensity of his voice drawing me in as if no one else exists around us and I almost weaken to the point of melting into him. My pelvis, and between my thighs heats up to molten lava at this kind of contact with him and I almost have to press my knees together to gain some control. The haze is approaching, and I guess it's already starting to screw with my libido, or maybe it's always just him and I'm still a weak fool for this man. More so when caught off guard and too sleep addled to think straight. So easy when this feels so right, but I catch myself and finally muster the strength to pull back, covering his hand with mine and sliding it from my face.

"Colton…" I start to rebuff him, but he doesn't let me loose as easily as he put me down.

"We can't ignore how we feel about each other. That we're meant to be." It's a hint of desperation in his ravaged tone, mirroring my urges, his jaw tensing and squaring off which only makes those irresistible dimples prominent and those lowering brows bring out the cute boy face. Leaning closer and making it harder to breathe when my senses are filled with him. It sparks that self-defense mechanism in me though, that urge to run far away before he cripples me again, and I slide my hands between us and push him away with enough force to get him to release me.

"Why not? You did!" I bite, stepping back coldly, as his hold drops and the sweep of hurt and regret is evident on that flawless face. It tugs at me, slicing my own heart with a sharp stab but I don't weaken, pushing my pain and agony away and refusing to break. If he thinks he can be mated elsewhere but still have a side chick so he doesn't have to live with the mistake, then he can go to hell. I won't be some dirty secret that has to steal moments with him, and share him with her, just because he didn't manage to break our bond in taking another. I'm not doing this, no matter how much I yearn for him, or how much I still love him. I have more respect for myself than that and I won't be one of those wolves who bring shame upon themselves by committing adultery with a mated, even if we were destined.

He broke this, not me. He made his choice, no matter what his reasons were. It can't be undone.

I need you, and I'll earn your

searing touch that was invented to torture me by being both the best

pouncing its prey, like a freight train and a tornado all in one, and sweeps between us, hauling me off my feet in a bear hug that momentarily dazes me, and spins me around with alarming strength for a

my feet and grabs me by the face with an insane clutch like grip. She starts kissing me all over the cheeks, nose, and forehead, like an overbearing momma, and it's a furious fast barrage that doesn't give me a second to counteract. I can only screw my eyes shut, pucker up my face to protect my poor features and accept this ambush while trying to unhook her fingers around my cheeks before she leaves bruises. She's strong and

lipstick smeared attack on my face, giggling wildly at the ridiculousness, but she's relentless. Finally, once I'm sure

spewing. She's still holding me in her arms, but I have to say the feeling is mutual. I've never been so happy to see another femme in my life, as her. I throw myself at her for a second

chatter as people figure out who's coming out of the truck and I can feel the whispers spreading through the pack as the atmosphere is charged with shock and excitement. I can see some pulling out the machines and cabinet and putting ramps in place. A hive of activity over there, with

you." Meadow drags my attention back to her, pushes me back to arm's length and even though its dark out here, lights from the pretty huge and towering house, standing tall in front of us, illuminates this area enough that we can see each other with clarity. That was

wearing?" Meadows face and tone completely drop as

and let's go before rubbing her fingertips as if to

it comes to female things. I mean, he dated Carmen for two years, that says it all, Chica." She bobs her head side to side waving a very pointy red nail in the air and I let

… Dress me, I mean. He found me like this. It's all I had to hand." I look down pulling at the grey sweats a little as I take in my baggy outfit and oversized boots, but it's not as

remedy that. Once we get our Luna inside and comfortable, you and I, we need to burn these. Maybe bury them and perform some kind of last rights." She tugs at the hemline of my sweater and then runs a set of talons through my hair to push it off my face and draws me back to her. "You do look different though…. like you maybe only left for a few weeks, but you've grown in years. You look beautiful, and less tortured. My baby growing up so fast." It's an insightful perspective, but she's right. These past weeks I do feel like

I'm not sure about less tortured given my current state of affairs; cheating mate, relearning my past, and finding out my entire pack was murdered. I would say maybe,

get Sierra inside." I nod to where they all seem to have everything under control, catching sight of the bed coming into view and Colton stuck to his moms side, her hand in his once more, even though she is still dead to the world. He's looking at her with so much adoration, fixated, that it does make me feel completely broken as I

past and I flatten against the truck as the entire entourage gets by us and follow close behind, meadow sliding

I'm dive bombed by an enthusiastic male who footballer style wrestles me into a hug before I'm hit from behind by another. Equal stealth and strength and I almost fall over with the weight of two heavy boys hugging the life out of me. Unable to breathe and

between them before I get ground into the mud and I get a kiss on each side of my face in unison.