Fates Entwined

3

I was just a kid when my parents, the former alphas of the Ophiuchus pack, went to the Leos to ask for their help. The Leo alpha, Dixon, convinced them he would welcome them as guests. Instead, he killed them in cold blood, along with everyone who went with them. We never even got their bodies back to bury them properly.

A year ago, Dixon orchestrated the death of Ayla's family too, when the Leos decimated the Cancer pack at the previous summer Convergence. They later attacked our hidden village, Coronis, with aid from the Sun Witches, all because we'd rescued Ayla. I lost a few good friends that day, and at one point it seemed as though our entire forest would go up in flames, taking our whole village with it. Kaden managed to defeat Dixon in an alpha duel, and Ayla left with Jordan and the Sun Witches to save the rest of our pack.

My hatred of the Leos burned bright every time I thought of them holding my friend captive and how they’d treated her—especially Jordan. The Sun Witches had created a fake mate bond between Jordan and Ayla, and later we learned they'd been telepathically controlling him too. I knew that many of the awful things he'd done were because of their control, but it was still hard for me to separate him from the villain in my mind.

I remembered when we'd first truly met after the winter Convergence, back when our pack couldn't trust a single Leo. Sure, I'd seen Jordan before in passing or during the heat of battle, but this was different. When I laid eyes on him that night something deep within me stirred, an undeniable connection I'd never felt before with anyone else, though I refused to acknowledge it at the time.

As we worked to take down the Sun Witches and free the other Zodiac Wolves, Jordan always seemed to be there, driving me mad with his infuriating presence. He teased and taunted me, a cocky smirk never far from his lips, and it was obvious that the attraction between us was growing more intense by the day, like a forbidden thread that tugged at the deepest parts of my soul. Despite my lingering anger toward the Leos, I found it harder and harder to resist my growing desire for him, especially after I saw Jordan fight a fellow Leo pack member for the role of alpha. The raw power and determination he displayed that day woke something primal within me, and my blood heated at the memory of the way he'd fought with unfailing strength and courage. Not to mention the way his naked body had moved, the sweat and blood gleaming off his muscular skin...

I reached for my water bottle, suddenly parched. I couldn't deny that I wanted Jordan—physically, at least—but that didn't mean I had to act on my desire. Even if everyone else accepted Jordan as an ally or even viewed him as a hero for helping to defeat the Sun Witches, I couldn't separate him from my hatred of the Leos. Over and over they'd tried to take everything from me. My friends. My family. My home. Now they wanted to take my heart too? No f*****g way.

A cheer went up outside and reminded me I should be there too, celebrating this occasion with my pack. With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of my tent and into the crisp night air. The Convergence meeting was well underway, led by the Sagittarius alphas beneath the watchful gaze of the stars. By now, Kaden and Ayla's light show must have already finished, and I felt bad that I'd missed it, even though I'd seen them practicing it for weeks.

As I slowly approached the area where hundreds of other shifters were gathered, I heard the Sagittarius alpha speak of moving on after our losses, and I realized I'd also missed the memorial for the shifters we'd lost in the final battle against the Sun Witches. A pang of guilt hit me along with a wave of sadness as I thought of my friend Jack, who'd bravely given his life that night. My eyes burned with tears like they did every time I remembered him, and I silently cursed myself for hiding inside my tent instead of being present for the memorial.

As I joined the crowd, I quickly spotted Ayla and Kaden standing together, holding hands and looking disgustingly in love. The sight tugged at my heart and, for a moment, I wished I could share in that simple happiness. Many others from our pack stood nearby, their faces somber as they gazed toward the center of the gathering, including my friend, Harper, and her twin brother, Dane. Harper gave me a quizzical look as I approached, no doubt wondering where I'd been, while Dane gave me a solemn nod.

I tried to focus on what the Sagittarius alpha was saying, but my gaze landed on Jordan, who stood tall and proud among the throng of wolves. Even with hundreds of other shifters around I picked him out of the crowd easily, and his head jerked toward me as if he sensed my attention. Our eyes met like a clash of fire and ice, and suddenly it became hard for me to breathe. He arched an eyebrow at me, almost as if in invitation, but I shook my head, refusing to give in to the pull that bound us together. A deep frown marred his handsome features, and I forced myself to look away.

Beside him stood the Libra alpha, Ethan, whom I had often flirted with before. He'd even invited me to his bed once, but I'd turned him down. Not because I wasn't attracted to him, but because my best friend Larkin had a crush on him and I couldn't hurt her like that. Life would have been so much easier if he’d been my fated mate though. Ethan was smart, strong, and a great leader, and his calm presence was always a soothing balm. The Libras were close friends with the Ophiuchus pack, and I would have felt at home living among them in Toronto, even as their alpha female. But the stars seemed determined to torment me by binding me to my enemy instead.