Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond

- Cleo -

It was one bombshell after another this morning. There was a lot for me to take in and consider.

"All I am asking is for a few days, to see if you could imagine raising your child here Cleo. Where they would be protected, nurtured...and would have a pack waiting for them to run when I retire." He extends his hand out to me, indicating that he would like the photo back. I place it in his hands where he puts it back in the safe, locking it and recovering with the painting...as if it didn't exist.

"What about me?"

"You will be the Luna. You will contribute to the success of the pack, you will train...to the outside world, even to our pack members, we will be an alpha and luna.

We will raise your child together, you would receive your own income...I would make sure you were rewarded financially Cleo.

I would make sure you were well looked after. All I ask is that you take sometime to consider it, for you to think about the opportunity I am offering you."

The knock on the door that disturbs our private conversation, couldn't come at a better time.

The door opens to reveal a male of a similar age to alpha Than.

"Ah Cleo this is my beta Zane, and his mate Freya you will spot around the house."

"Hello." I smile out to Beta Zane, his wide eyes staring back at me as he nods his head to me in a greeting.

"The morning report Alpha.." A document is passed between the two of them, one that Alpha Than places upside down on his desk.

"Thanks Zane, I'll take Cleo on a tour of the grounds soon. She's going to be staying with us for a few days...I hope?" Alpha Than puts me completely on the spot. But it isn't as if I had anywhere else to go. ""Yes...yes I will."

....

Lunch was interesting, Luna Medea joined us along with another female...I think she must be an elderly relative of Than's.

She didn't talk at all over lunch, even when I asked her questions. She just stared back at me, blankly.noveldrama

Perhaps she was slightly senile, Luna Medea kept answering my questions on the female's behalf.

After lunch I was taken for a walk around the pack...getting to know the borders and the typical main pack buildings.

It was a big pack, bigger than I had expected.

Like any other pack there were guards on the borders, view points to watch for potential threat..but nothing to the level of the Red Thorn pack.

This place was like my old pack, the pack before the White Moon attacked the Dark Phantom pack.

That night changed everything, in more ways than one.

I could see me raising a child here, it had modern elements to it but still captured a traditional pack character.

"So what do you think?" Alpha Than interrupts my thoughts as we walk along the path back towards the alpha house.

"It's a great pack.."

""You can be honest."

"I am, it is."

Ret

"You wouldn't change a thing?" He stops walking, which results in me doing the same. I turn to

smirk forming upon his

im, a

"I didn't say that..." I smirk back. Why was it so easy for me to talk to him,

to be around him. Maybe

sense that we were related

way.

His tale of his mate bond with Alora is enough to scare most shifters for life.

But here he still stands, still breathing. He was strong, he didn't let her rejection ruin him.

"Okay, what first?" His shoulder playfully bumps into mine.

"Let's talk about the dark green hallway."

"Well, Mother is the luna but as soon as I find someone to replace her...they can do whatever they want to the house." "That's a lot of trust...whatever she wants?"

"Whatever you want."

"Hhmm...nice try!" I laugh out at his attempt for me to make a decision this early. It was a tempting offer, I won't lie.

I had never really thought of being a luna, I had always thought I would support Ares from the sidelines, maybe my mate would have been his

beta.

There was still time for that. I could still find my mate, but would he want me, when I have a baby...a baby that wouldn't be his.

Whereas, here stood an alpha, that was openly offering me an opportunity to be luna of a pack. For my child to be an alpha.

My child at home would be the cousin of the future alpha, but here he or she, would be an alpha.

They could support Ares and his heir

in the future...I could bring the two packs back to mutual

understanding. They were related by family...shouldn't the two packs be like that again.