Denying Fate ( Moonlight Trials Series #1)

Chapter 17 – Some Answers?

Chase’s POV

It’s been a week since Karma left with that rogue, Tracker. My dad had sealed himself in his office and wasn’t talking to anyone, not even my mum. Mum has been constantly on edge since that night and is worrying about getting me into the role of Alpha. There’s a lot of preparation to mentally take on the whole pack. I can link a lot of people but all 500 is hard even for a powerful Alpha. It takes a lot of preparation, and the mind has to be open to receive the transfer of power. However, I’ve picked up a lot more work since my dad seems to have just given up.

Karma checks in with me every morning to tell me how she’s getting on, but I never answer her. The guilt I feel over everything is engulfing me, and I miss her so much. Ace isn’t talking to me either. He’s there if I need him for anything like shifting etc but general communication has stopped. The only time I can truly feel him now is when Karma talks to us every morning.

This morning she talked about how she missed everyone and how Tracker didn’t even talk to her. I could hear the loneliness in her voice, but I still couldn’t bring myself to reply. I knew Tracker was her mate, especially because of the way he looked at her and her him without realising it, the way she reacted to him too. But I also knew how I felt, the sparks and everything, I wasn’t going to retrieve her until I figured this mess out. She told me about the area she was staying but I didn’t know of anywhere near us that remotely looked like where she described. I knew my dad knew more than he was telling me.

I stormed up to his office and banged hard on the door. He didn’t answer but I could feel his presence in the room. I needed answers, he knew something was off and the stupid idea of how he rejected one of his mates had caused this seemed preposterous. I’d read so much material and nowhere had it talked about two mates except for twins or if a one-sided rejection happened and a second chance mate came along prematurely. None of that made sense to our situation.

“DAD!” I yelled. “I know you’re in there, it’s been a week. We really need to talk!” The door opened a little and I edged my way inside.

Karmas POV

I sat on the sofa with my legs curled under me, holding a steaming cup of tea in my hands. The warmth was lovely against the terrible chill I had developed since meeting Tracker’s mother. The emptiness in her eyes and that chilling laugh sent shivers down my spine.

“So…” Tracker started as he leant against the kitchen side. He took a sipped and then shrugged.

“She seems really nice…” I said not making eye contact.

“Bull s**t, Karma!” He said, looking at me sternly. “She’s broken, sometimes a little deranged and definitely not nice…” He trailed off. His tone sounded angry, but I could see the sadness in his eyes.

“I don’t know her, Tracker. I’m not going to say anything bad about her.” I said, taking a sip of my tea.

“But you can see…” He said moving towards the sofa to sit beside me. He sighed heavily looking at the floor. “She’s been broken since I can remember… Always crying, always hiding away. I was… lucky… enough to be raised in the Silver Rose pack as long as I did. She couldn’t function and definitely wasn’t able to care for me.”

“What about your dad?” I asked shocked.

“My father… he… wasn’t around.” He sighed again and turned to look at me. “My father wasn’t my mother’s mate according to my mother; he was someone else. But he wasn’t around for me. He left my mother just after I was conceived. Then after she gave birth to me the Luna thought it would bring her out of her haze, but it didn’t. What I do know is that after I was born, my mother hoped it would make her mate return to her, seeing that she could give him a future son... to help the pack.” He hesitated to say the last part. “We stayed with the pack until I was 7, then she realised that nothing would happen and finally rejected her mate completely. It broke her worse and she spent months in a state of absolute nothingness. That’s when we left the pack.” He started to glare but it wasn’t aimed at me. “The Alpha…” he spat “moved us out here and makes sure we have everything we need. But it doesn’t mean I don’t hate him for what he’s done.”

“Alpha George?” I asked, shocked. Tracker nodded. “Alpha George sent you out here? Why?”

“He wanted rid of us, he couldn’t afford to have my broken mother amongst his people, someone who knew some of his secrets…” he trailed off.

“Secrets?”

“It doesn’t matter, He will get found out eventually. But anyways… it’s not nice to see someone who you love to be like that. I know she loves me, and she started looking after me once we moved away but she has bursts of time where she thinks she’s back at the pack then other times where she’s hungry for the blood of her mate. That’s why she locks herself into her room, for both of our sakes. She goes for runs every now and again but we’re far enough away from anyone just in case she goes into one of her episodes. Which does happen a lot.” He sighed and looked at me again. “Except the one day where she found you…that was an unusual day.” he trailed off.

“The day I met you…” I replied, looking back at him. “I’m sorry you’ve been through that, and I’m even more sorry for your mother. That must have been hard. I’m also sorry I can’t remember you…” It was my turn to trail off now.

“Karma, I know you think I’m terrible, but can we at least try to figure this mate bond out?” Tracker said, his eyes pleading. I sighed.

“Tracker…” I trailed off not really knowing what to say. I missed Chase terribly, but he’d not answered me, he’d not searched for me, heck he hadn’t even tried to contact Tracker… What did that say? He’d told me I was an omega and not worth anything and I was more suited to a rogue. I heard Kismet growling in my mind and fought tears once again. I looked at Tracker whose face was full of hope.

“I want to get to know you. I want to find out about you. BUT I can’t just have feelings for you because of a bond that our wolves say is there. I always thought the mate bond would be wonderful and the person I found would be someone I could get to know and grow with. I grew to love Chase over 18 years of getting to know him and I had the bond with him even though it was only in fits and starts. That doesn’t go away… I know the moon goddess did this for a reason, but… I honestly cant see that reason. All I know is, I love Chase and the feelings I felt for him were as real as the feelings Kismet feels for you and Break.” I said, holding my breath for his reaction.

“But you’re willing to get to know me and maybe try this?” He said hopeful.

“To get to know you… yes, but you have to understand. I still love Chase. And despite us not having a full mate bond like we seem to have; the sparks were there sporadically. I don’t know what that means but it means something, it has to. I can’t just stop loving him despite the fact he… he’s abandoned me.” I felt tears starting to form and quickly looked up to the roof of the house. “I love him, and Kismet loves you and Break… So, I’d like to be your friend. I can’t promise to love you. But I can promise to try. Meanwhile I want to try and figure out why I seem to have two mates, and why the moon goddess would do this to us, especially knowing what you and your mother has been through” I looked him in the eyes. “Is that ok?”

Tracker looked at me but didn’t answer. Then suddenly I was engulfed in a hug.

“That’s all I ask. Let me show you were meant to be together. Let me show you how much I love you and that I always have. We will find the answers, but together.”

I smiled and hugged Tracker back, meanwhile Kismet was howling happily in the back of my mind. She was happy despite knowing the feelings I still had for Chase. We would get to the bottom of this one way or another.

Chases POV

I stumbled out of my father’s office… I was Alpha… My father had renounced his title before I had chance to do anything. I felt the power shift and wasn’t prepared. Suddenly everyone’s voice was in my head, they were shocked and confused but congratulated me all the same.

I crouched to the ground holding my head. I knew this was coming but I was supposed to be ready for it. There was supposed to be preparation for me, mentally and physically. Everyone was supposed to be prepared as well. It was too much, and Ace was moaning in my head.

“Chase?!” I heard my mother shout from down the hall. She came running towards me as she saw me crouched holding my head. “Are you ok?”

“I’m… fine. Just wasn’t prepared… My head is just… so full.” I managed to get out between painful bursts of headache.

“I’m going to kill your father!” She said through gritted teeth. “What the heck was he thinking!”

“I don’t think he is mum… he seems so far away. I wanted answers about Tracker and Karma, but he just transferred the title there and then without any warning. No communication or anything. I feel a bit better now, it was just a lot…” I trailed off knowing my mother was getting angrier and angrier. “Mum? What’s going on…”

“What do you mean?” She eyed me up and down, making sure I was ok but also looking at me questioningly.

“Why is dad acting like this? Why did he want me to reject Karma? Why is he slowly going mad?” My mother shook her head and pulled me in for a comforting cuddle.

“I…” She sounded like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. “I don’t know, well figure this out.” I nodded but deep down I think she does know and I’m going to find out what’s happening. I need Karma back in my life and I want to do it properly, with all the information and answers before grovelling at her feet for forgiveness. I also don’t want to hurt Tracker, we were really good friends until he left. Something else my dad knew about but wouldn’t share. I was Alpha now…

Its go time? Ace spoke for the first time in a week.

It sure is! We’ll get to the bottom of this! I answered before pulling away from my mother and storming to the library.