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

- Cleo -

My eyes cast upon Jace's and Josie's heated discussion just outside of the

hospital room door. I wasn't deliberately listening but the anger hitting me through the bond from Jace was hard to ignore, as was Josie's deathly scowl aimed solely at her brother.

I do feel for her. Through no fault of her own she is currently caught between her mate and her brother, over someone she doesn't even know.

"Are you an angel, am I dead?" A lowly hoarse voice steals my attention from the doorway, Jace's friend Colt finally coming back to.

He was incredibly pale from losing so much blood, his body taking its time to accept the transfusions...I heard the doctors say if it wasn't for Josie he wouldn't have made it through.

His eyes are half open, mischievous-looking hazel coloured eyes peering out at me through the small slit of his eyelids. He has longish light brown hair that is swept behind his neck, the length to the base of his neck and he has a stubble that I can tell, consciously hides scaring to the jaw line.

He was handsome; even as his lips tug at the corner of his lips, I knew he was aware of his good looks.

"No angel...welcome back." I lean closer towards him, my hands pressing the call button by the side of the bed frame

"Are you sure because you must be the moon goddess herself...." His head turns towards me, gaining a closer look at my face.

"...as you sure look like one."

"Colt?" My eyes dart to the doorway where Callie gasps out loudly.

"Ah there she is...I was thinking you were too important now to visit the

commoners." His hand reaches out towards hers, Callie wrapping hers around it and pulling his hand to her lips.

"How do you feel?"

"Like a high speed train ran me over...reversed..then repeated the action."

"So not good?" Jace chuckles out from the doorway, his body leaning against the doorframe. His eyes dart to me and I hold his gaze before a hand grabs mine.noveldrama

"I was talking to this angel..." Colt smiles out at me, moving my hand closer to him.

"Like I said, no angel." I roll my eyes, I had a feeling Jace's friend was a bit of a ladies man. Even being half dead wouldn't stop what I imagine is a very flirtatious character.

"I'm thinking dinner...dancing.."

"I have a mate." I turn my neck to him slightly, but I can't help the smile that breaks out onto my face.

"Can I let you in on a secret...uh..." He lifts his finger up, flicking it to gesture for me to move closer to him so that he can whisper to me.

To which point he realises he doesn't know my name.

"Cleo." I help him out.

"Cleo? What a beautiful name. Can I let you in on a secret Cleo....I find the mated kind the most challenging..."

"Okay Romeo, I think that's enough flirting for one day." Jace closes in, jokingly warning his friend but I can feel the possessiveness bubbling away at him through the mate bond.

If his words of warning didn't do the trick, then pulling me into his side, wrapping his hands tightly around my hips does the trick.

Colt watches, his eyes moving to my hips before moving to Jace's neck.

"Wait, are you two mated...to each other?"

"Colt, let me introduce you to my mate Cleo. Luna of the Amber Desert pack."

"But...” His eyes move to Callie, who nods out in confirmation.

"We have a lot to catch up on." She lets go of his hand, placing it back on his chest.

"So it would seem. I saw signs of a celebration I just assumed it was the two of you taking on the leadership of the pack, but when the guard said there had been an important death...I knew my timing was off.

Hang on...Luna of the Amber Desert pack? I thought this was the Clear Waters?"

"It is, there really is a lot for us to catch up on bud." Jace's lips move to my neck where he places a kiss upon my mate mark, the vibration aloneCreating tingles on my skin and shooting sparks to my lower core.

“Careful, or you'll have me wanting you right here." I purr out through the mind-link

to him.

"I've literally had blue balls since the training hut. He groans back at me

feeling of excitement surging through me. The memory of him lapping up my juices flash back in my mind, making my entire body sing out to him.

through the mind-link, that into