Fate’s Joke

Chapter One

AUTUMN

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

THREE WEEKS AGO

A FEW HOURS BEFORE DAWN. Hayley Takaani stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze fell on the arms around her. In an instant, her body tensed up, prepared to defend herself. But the familiar, comforting woodsy scent in the room, brought back the events of the previous night. 'She had finally slept with her chosen mate!'

Sighing, she gently shifted the hands wrapped around her, and sat up, groaning.

She needed to wash up. Her body was sticky from the intense lovemaking. Her muscles felt sore, trying to sit up hurt, and that was something given that she was an alpha, and healed relatively faster than the average wolf.

Peeking at the impressive body splayed out on bed beside her, she felt conflicted.

Her wolf, Lucy stirred, awakened by the intensity of her gaze, and clawed at her mind fighting for control.

Struggling to catch her breath, she heaved, trying to suppress her wolf. But Lucy kept growling the primal urge to hunt, to taste the sweetness of blood, threatening to overwhelm her as her wolf push images of her dead pack members into her head.

"No," she whispered, the word barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

"Not now" her nails dug into the sheets as she fought to maintain control.

Shutting her eyes, Hayley ran her fingers through her hair, her wolf simmering beneath the surface.

Suddenly reminded of all the adjustments she had made and dealt with in the past year since the council, decided to butt into her affairs, she felt irritated, and gave in to her wolf’s bloodlust.

Draping a cloak around her naked body, she shoved washing up to the back of her mind and quietly slipped away from her lover’s side.

A lover. That was what Rafe was to her. She just couldn't bring herself to think of him as anything more just yet.

Fastening her cloak around her body, she maneuvered her way through the night. The rain swollen soil squishing under her feet.

Taking the narrow path behind the pack house whose architectural style was both ancient and modern, a run-down building covered in mosses and well-hidden by the dense forest trees came into view.

Pushing the mosses and other plants that covered the entrance of the house, Hayley revealing a hidden door with an intricate lock. Punching in the passcode, the door creaked open. Revealing steps that led to what looked like an underground cell.

RAFE MACULL STOOD BY THE BEDSIDE STAND, waiting.

Like every other night since they started sharing a room, tonight was no exception. She had slipped away from his side.

He had woken up to find her tensing up in his arms and watched as she draped a cloak over her petite frame.

Instinctively, he’d wanted to hold onto her, but held back. Despite having blurred all the lines, they hadn't marked each other.

She was yet to fully accept him. The way she stiffened in his arms when she woke up was proof.

He had hoped that the s*x would be enough channel to drain her overflowing energy, and for once, have her in his arms till dawn.

He had gone at it over and over again, hoping to tire her out and sate her appetite. He could swear he heard her groan when she sat up. But it still wasn't enough! She had enough strength to torture the rogues she caught from the attack on the pack that resulted in him being stuck with her. Running his fingers, through his hair, he sighed, feeling dejected.

He smelt her before she turned the handle of their shared bedroom. Feigning sleep, he lay back on the bed, when his sensitive nose picked up her flowery minty scent tinged with the metallic smell of blood and his anger and frustration boiled over.

"Why?" He sat up. "Why are you doing this? You know you are living in denial right?" He stared at her irritated. Not sure if he was mad at himself for the strong attraction he felt towards her, or at her for not accepting reality.

She had also turned his world upside down. Binding himself to her meant he also couldn't be with his moon-given mate. But, he didn't mind! And it annoyed him greatly.

He had felt that if he stayed by her side, she would probably come to accept reality, and perhaps see how well-matched they were.

However, seven months down the line, they hadn’t made any actual progress.

"I know those rogues, got us in this mess" he gritted his teeth for calling what they shared a mess.

"But they know nothing, and you know this. Yet, you keep going to them every night."

"If we are going to try giving this mate thing a shot, I think we should start by you not sneaking out in the middle of the night to go torture those rogues" at least not after I feel like I managed to make you channel all that excess energy somewhere else' he muttered rest to himself.

"Rafe,"

"You have no right to talk to me about this. Not when you know nothing" She glared at him, the bloodied cloak, sticking to her body. The guilt and initial shivers his voice sent down her spine when she opened the door, turning to anger.

"Says the person who made a choice for both of us" He muttered grabbing a fistful of his hair. And Hayley felt the back of her throat burn. She had indeed made the choice for him. From the beginning he just went along with whatever she said.

"You wreak of blood" he ignored her, clenching his fists "and… I do have a right, Alpha" He paused "We are mates"

"Chosen mates" she muttered.

"Fair enough." His voice level, he smirked at her. "I am the mate you chose. If you aren't cool with me questioning you, you might as well choose another." He cursed himself internally. He damned right loved being the one by her side, he loved being the one who saw the little cracks in the walls she had put up.

"I am trying." She mumbled, cringing within her, knowing she wasn't putting in much effort at all.

"Hayley" he stepped close to her trying to pull her into a hug, and she flinched subconsciously.

"See?" he motioned at her movement.

"You are yet to accept this! This whole thing."

"But at least, we rolled around on the sheets!" she interrupted him.

"Wow" he laughed, irritated.

"We had s*x. Yes, we did. But, s*x isn't enough. This isn't working! s*x isn't going to make this work! You are being selfish! When you chose me, remember we decided that we were going to call it quits if it doesn't work."

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"I am simply saying that we are still in the seventh month of the one year-trial period we agreed on. And out of the two years you were given by the council to find a mate, or have them shove one at you, you still have five months left. We don't need to torment each other any further. You can go find another person. It's not like we even announced anything to the pack or marked each other.

Who knows, I might meet my fated mate soon"

"Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I'm not trying to make this work?" She snapped, her hazel eyes turning to a piercing blue with golden flecks, signaling her wolf’s emergence.

The thought of enduring another round of mate meetings, or worse, watching him with another woman strangely annoying her to no end.

"This whole charade of trying to connect with someone I don't feel anything for, someone I'm not fated to, is infuriating," she hissed, her anger boiling over.

"Forcing myself to see you as attractive, roll around around on the sheets with you and even bind myself to you... it's... it's all so repulsive." Her voice dripped with disdain, her eyes blazing blue, as her wolf asserted dominance.

Unintentionally, her power surged, making him whimper. Her dominance was palpable, filling the space between them.

Rafe's eyes widened, his pupils dilating as he felt Hayley's dominance wash over him.

He tried to maintain his composure, but his body betrayed him, trembling slightly.

"Hayley, please..." he whispered, gasping for breath. His voice laced with a mix of submission and desperation.

Hayley's gaze lingered on him and a low growl rumbled from her throat.

"Alpha" He bared his neck in submission, hoping to pacify her.

Inhaling sharply, Hayley reined in her dominance, her eyes returning to their natural hazel. The tension in the room easing slightly.

"I didn't mean to..." she began, her voice softer. "Lucy has terrible timing"

Rafe's gaze remained fixed on hers, his expression a mix of awe and trepidation. "You didn't mean to what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry." she muttered, reaching out to him.

"Don’t touch me!" He warned, his voice level but firm. "With all due respect alpha, I don't think we are cut out as mates" He walked out of their shared bedroom and banged the door.

Feeling stifled, Hayley ran her hands through her hair and walked into the bathroom to scrub the smell of blood off her body.

"Way to go Lucy" She mumbled, peeling the bloodied cloak off her body.

Wiping down her body, she wrapped a trowel around her chest and hair and stepped out of the shower to see Rafe throwing the bed sheet into the laundry basket.

"Rafe, I’m sorry." she paused.

The air was thick with unspoken emotions, the weight of their unresolved issues hanging like a challenge between them.

Closing the distance between them, she hugged his back and let out the breathe she didn't know she was holding. He was her best choice.

"I will try to do right by… Alpha! There is something you need to see" Her head warrior’s voice sounded in her head. Halting her movements.