Bonded by Fates; The Origin

25. Hard Path

Kathlyn POV:

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***a month and a half ago***

I made my way out for a jog, the night was nice and I needed to stretch ever since I don’t usually shift regularly like I wanted to.

Suddenly, I stumbled into something and I sprained my ankle.

“s**t, seriously?” I thought to myself.

“That was unexpected, you stumbled over nothing” my dragon Zafira said, chuckling in my mind.

A nice skinny brunet woman that was also jogging came near me.

“Oh my dear, are you OK? You stumbled”, she chuckled and I smiled back and I kept walking but I was walking limping out of pain.

“Oh no, it looks like you sprained your ankle. I’m so sorry. Come here. I’ll help you make your way to your place. You should go to a hospital” she said, smiling.

“It’s fine, I’m OK, thank you so much for your concern” I replied, not unkindly.

We always cared about our safety and I wouldn’t trust a woman coming out of nowhere.

“You can barely walk, I can help you, nothing required for exchange. Well, maybe a cup of water. I’ve decided to go for a little jogging tonight and my water ran out already” she giggled, she seemed really nice and I was clearly needing this help.

Prospero might be working with Liam until late at night, so I wouldn’t bother my mate and a cup of water is nothing, Zafira roared in my mind. She was always very careful.

“All right, thank you for helping me”, she helped me to walk and in a few minutes we arrived at the mansion and her eyes opened wide.

“You live here? Wow, that’s real nice” she said, sounding uneased.

“I better get going then, see you around” she said.

“Wait, please. Thank you, let me get you a cup of water. I know it wasn’t easy to practically carry me all the way here”, I smiled at her and she smiled back.

I couldn’t invite her inside our mansion. I opened the gate and the door. I was about to ask her to wait for me there and Devon went outside.

“Hey Kat, are you OK?” He glanced at the woman and a slight frown formed on his face “who’s your friend?” he asked, but he didn’t sound hesitant.

“I’m Helena, nice to meet you, huh, sir” she said, and Devon smiled at her.

“I’m Devon” he turned to face me.

“So Kat, won’t you invite your friend to come inside? It’s cold today”, he said.

“Are you crazy? You know we can’t do that without Liam’s approval”, I mind-linked Devon.

“Look at her, she’s weak and skinny and let me sniff her” he took a lungful of air. “Oh and human”.

I sighed and hesitantly nodded.

“Helena, I’m Kathlyn, nice to meet you, please, come in…” I invited her and she went inside the living room.

“Can you please wait here? I’ll go get a cup of water”, I pleaded, and she nodded.

“Watch her, please, Devon”, I mind-linked him and he nodded at me.

I quickly went to the kitchen and grabbed a cup and filled it with water and when I made my way back to the living room, she was nowhere to be found.

“What happened?” I asked him.

“Oh, she seemed very uneased and she said she would leave”, he told me.

“That’s weird, she seemed so thirsty”, I told him and I found it very suspicious.

“It is weird indeed, do you think we’ll get in trouble?” he asked, and I honestly didn’t know what to say. All of a sudden, Prospero came to the mansion and I hugged him and welcomed him back.

He started to sniff and so did I. A weird scent was filling the living room.

“What’s that? Smells like wolf”, Prospero said.

He ran to Liam’s office and the wolf's scent got stronger and he looked around and some drawers were slightly opened.

My heart raced.

“Someone entered the mansion and stole our runes. I have to tell Liam, is there anything suspicious happened?” My mate questioned us and I was about to tell him what happened.

“No, not at all”, Devon replied, and my eyes opened wide.

“s**t” he cursed and I left Liam’s office and Devon followed me.

“Why didn’t you tell them?” I asked him.

“I don’t want you to get in trouble, Kat” he told me, and I couldn’t believe it.

“What? She wasn’t supposed to be here, Devon, I’m sure she was the one who did it, Goddess, we have to tell them”.

“Kat, please, don’t! Remember this, you’re the one who invited her. I just thought she meant no harm at all, I thought she was human. I didn’t order you to invite her. I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you think they’ll simply believe you? You know how King Liam is towards his horde, he’s over protective”, he said, and he was right, it was all my fault.

I was scared. I had to tell them, but yet I couldn’t. What am I going to do?

Prospero would never forgive me and King Liam would have me locked and punished. What did I do?

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***back to present

I woke up and I saw Susan and Alice on the bed. They were looking intently at me.

“You’re so beautiful Kathlyn, I can’t believe your mate turned his back on you. I mean, look at you, you look like a human supermodel”, Susan told me, and I sat on the bed.

"I told you. That mate of ours is going to pay, he'll regret it badly", Zafira said, and I put her in the back of my mind.

I could understand him but I thought that he might at least listen to me before turning his back completely on me.

It was already morning. Last night we just had a girly talk and slept.

“Guys, I need to tell you what happened that night”, I told them and they gathered in front of me and I told them everything.

Alice and Susan's faces frowned and Alice glanced at Susan after.

“Honestly, Susan, I know exactly what it looks like. You tell me, what are the chances that Devon is the dragon who’s behind it all?” Alice asked Susan and I’m the one who frowned now.

“That couldn’t possibly be true. I mean, he’s Liam’s 3rd in command. Why would he betray us? Besides, even if he was the one behind it all, no one of them would trust me instead of him. Devon has been working with Liam for way too long and they trust each other. Devon has a younger brother who’s also planning to take his place if something ever happens to Devon”, I told them.

"I never liked him", Zafira said.

I didn't either, but I had to respect him.

“s**t, that is some sick news, we have to tell someone who can trust us and I know exactly who”, Susan said.

“Not my dad, right?” Alice asked her and she shook her head.

“Of course not. Randall would probably be on Liam’s side. You know how that Alpha is. I mean someone who can tell she’s telling the truth, someone blonde, tall, strong and wise”.

“King Werloth?” Alice asked and she nodded.

“Or King Philip. Werloth is so polite, he'd call Liam, Philip is very friendly. I would vote for him”. Susan said.

“All right, let’s go then, Kat” Alice asked.

“All right, but can I eat something before? I’m starving” I pleaded, and they chuckled.

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Alice POV:

We were eating and chatting about all the regular things.

“What about you, Susan? How are things going with my dad?” I asked her and she stiffed.

“What? Did you know?” she asked me and I couldn’t help my ear-to-ear smile.

“Now I do” I said, chuckling, and she giggled.

“Alice, Kat, please, what I’m about to tell you girls, die here”. We both nodded dramatically, even Hope was curious, she perked her ear up intently.

Susan looked down and she hesitated a bit, but I wouldn’t let her back up now.

“Don’t even think about backing up now, come on, what we say to each other, dies here” I reassured her.

“Randall is my fated mate” she said and I froze, my eyes opened wide as Hope was howling happily.

“What? How come?” I asked her.

I was almost jumping out of joy, but they’ve known each other for too long and nothing happened until now-a-day?

“I was previously from Silver Moon Pack, I was already a doctor there until…” she looked down and some tears shed from her eyes and I could feel her pain. What the hell happened to her?

“Alpha Mueller, he…he raped me” she told us and I felt my heart racing as Kat and I started to sob.

“What? I always knew he was bad news, but to get to this point…that’s unbelievable, Goddess, you’ve been through the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. I really had no idea. Does my dad know about it?” I asked her.

“Yes, because after it happened, I made myself out and ran away from his pack until I ended up on the border and that’s when Randall and I met in the first place. Aurora's paws were bleeding and we were both tired, but I refused to stop running away. I recognized him as my fated mate. I don’t know much about the mate bond and its pull, so I don’t know if he ever recognized me, until nowadays, but I just got unconscious back at that time and when I woke up, I was already in the Pack’s clinic and he knew exactly what happened to me. I felt so ashamed but he let me stay, so I’m forever grateful to him and the way he protects us, the pack members, but he doesn’t know who did it. How could I tell him? You know how Randall is, he might kill the Alpha without any evidence, except my word. King Conri would take his Alpha position. I can’t let this happen to him. Besides, as the years passed by, I healed little by little and Randall's sexiness also helped me a lot” Susan was crying like a child but she stopped when she talked about my dad.

"She's a horny she-wolf" Hope said.

"Seriously, Hope? That's all you have to say right now? You're weird", I talked back at her.

Kat hugged her left side and I hugged her right side. I felt complete again with them here.

“You know what, I always wanted you to be my mother and I remember I always said to my dad about it” I chuckled as tears were falling from my eyes “About the mate bond, you’re my dad’s second chance mate, actually, you’re his fated mate because he never got to know about the woman who was supposed to be his mate, my mother killed her” I told them and Susan frowned in pain.

“I’m sorry about his first mate, Alice. But you’re saying that Randall can feel it too? He feels about me the same way I also feel about him?” she asked with hope and joy in her eyes.

“Yes, he does and I can’t describe how happy I am to get to know about it” I told her.

Kat was even happy now. I grabbed a cup of water and started to drink it to calm me down.

“Goddess, I think we’ll have a long talk later, then. I touched myself a lot of times thinking about him”, Susan said, and Kat laughed out loud and I almost spit the water I was about to gulp.

“Ew Susan, it’s my dad you’re talking about” I laughed out loud.

“Actually, since it’s women’s confession time, I have something to say too. Prospero and I haven’t mated ever since the robbery and I feel like he’s been avoiding me. My heart hurts so badly, I don’t know what’s happening. I tried to talk to him but I don’t know. I think he doesn’t want me anymore, he has always been quiet and polite actually. I never felt like he was giving his all in our relationship. How is this possible?” Kat said and just on hearing his name I got angry again.

“I just can’t believe he turned his back on you and I’m also enraged with Liam, he locked you up and didn’t even give you the chance to speak. That’s unacceptable. I couldn’t have it sleeping in the same place that you were unfairly locked in the dungeon like some kind of criminal”, I told her.

“Alice’s right. She has some real good instincts and I have no clue why Dragon Daddy did it. And about your mate, let him fight for you now until you feel like he's getting desperate and ready to be opened up and give you his all. It'll be the best day of your lives, trust me. I might not have enough experience, but I've been mated for 20 years to someone I didn't have. Many things have already passed through my mind, I'm just waiting to do it”, Susan said, making all of us chuckle.

"That's interesting, but I don't think I could ever do that to my sexy dragon", Hope said, and somehow I had to agree with her.

“I truly hope so. I just have to find all the strength I don't know I have, to keep ignoring him when everything is settled”, Kat said, looking down.

“All right, enough with the heavy. We ate and we're full now. Susan will talk to my father and this pack will have her as a Luna. She’ll be the best Luna this pack ever had for sure, and as for us, Kat, I think I’ll flash us to King Atlas castle and I’ll ask him to contact Philip, he’s a really nice man and fun to be with and I’m sure he’ll help us somehow or at least we’ll have him as ally, he can see exactly what happened that night” I told her and she nodded.

“Thank you Alice and Kat, I don’t remind myself of being so comfortable when talking about my traumas. I really appreciate it, both of you are really good friends and I needed that”, Susan said, and we hugged her again.

I really loved this time we spent. I was already missing Liam terribly but I was determined to prove Kat’s innocence and rub it right on their faces and make Kat go back to the mansion. That was my main priority right now and Hope was also as determined as me.

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Liam POV:

Fuck, I can’t believe Alice left with Kathlyn.

What have I done? I knew Alice was right, but back at that moment, I didn’t think about any consequences. I was naïve because I knew my mate very well and, of course, she wouldn’t just let it go, but I didn’t expect she would kidnap Kat and run away.

I thought we had settled things down after our sweet moment.

I was so enraged when I woke up and didn’t see her by my side and when the guards mind-linked me I knew exactly what happened, I couldn't sleep all night. I know Alice, she’s strong-minded and she’s also fair. She’ll be a perfect Queen.

“You should have listened to Kathlyn at least, Liam. Now my mate is gone because of you”, Alec said.

“Can you skip the sermon and get to the part where you can make me feel better?” I asked him ironically, I can’t believe Alice’s gone and the worst part is that I can’t even mind-link her.

“I can’t because you don’t deserve it. Stop treating my mate and my clan like s**t and maybe I’ll give you some hints about how to be a good mate and a good king” he replied, and I just put him in the back of my mind. I don’t need this right now.

Now that Alice left again, I could feel the weight of my actions right on my shoulders.

I would be ready to listen to Kathlyn and investigate it if she was telling the truth and exactly what happened after I felt like I cooled down.

I need to find them.

“Prospero, I’m going to look for Alice and Kathlyn”

“I’ll stay here. I don’t think I can face her after the way I treated her. Alice was right. I turned my back when my mate needed it the most. I’m a bad mate after all. I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me. Neither will Alice forgive you, Liam”, Prospero told me, running his hands through his hair.

“Welcome to the bad mate’s club but we still have to look for them and apologize for acting out of rage, even if Kathlyn is guilty, she needs to have a fair judgment”, I told him.

“You’re right, we have to stop acting like the world is against us again, it’s been centuries, it’s time to leave the past where it belongs” he said, and I nodded as I put my hand over his shoulder for reassurance.

“But Liam, you don’t understand, I’ve been focusing so much on business and the mansion recently that I took Kat for granted and I didn’t act like the mate was supposed to even before last night’s event. I feel like I failed her and now she’s gone and I regret it deeply. I miss her like I never thought I could, it’s the first time we’ve been apart like that”, he finished, and I felt bad.

He's never been through the bond withdrawal symptoms.

“Let’s find them, let’s start with the Pack house”. I teleported us to the pack house and I smelled Alice’s faint scent, she was there.

“Randall”, he was seated at the dining table having breakfast.

“I’m sorry for coming in without warning but we need to know if Alice and Kat are here.”

Susan came rushing inside the pack house like she was in a hurry for something and she froze when she saw me, but soon her face became upset.

“You dragon daddy, how dare you put Alice and Kat in such a situation?” she asked me and I startled. Not because of the way she spoke to me but to know that she was around here indeed.

“Have you seen her?” I simply asked.

“Of course, they’ve been there with me and they told me everything that happened. Kat is innocent and they are up to do whatever it takes to prove her innocence. It should be you both to do it for them, but your acting out of rage just made them choose the hard path and I shouldn’t even be saying this, but the satisfaction of seeing your guilty and regretful faces is so much worth it, they’re already gone”, she told us and my heart was racing and so was Prospero’s heart.

We have to find them. They’re in danger wherever they are, especially around the Realms.

Susan’s words just stabbed right in the hurtful spot of my heart like a wolfsbane dagger. I can’t believe this is happening.

Now I know what Alice might have felt last night, but this is worse, much worse.

Susan will have to tell me where they went.