Beyond Fate

Seeing ghosts

Johnny was standing at the bottom of the steps on the driveway messing with his phone. He looked up at me sensing us coming and I glared at him.

“ Thanks so much for leaving us back there” I scolded him. He just raised his hands in defence.

“ hey when mom’s on the warpath it’s everyman for himself” he clarified, bloody traitor.

“ You're such a mommy’s boy” I teased, folding my arms making sure I remembered this for when mom next went crazy.

“ Damn straight…..so dad's still alive? I didn't hear any death cries” Johnny asked, smirking. Knowing full well mom wouldn’t go crazy with Mina around. I knew if dad had a say he would keep Mina there till Johnny's wedding if it held mom back. Though I doubt Mitchell would part with her for that long I could tell from the hallway conversation he had been itching to go get her. It warmed my heart to see that in such a short space of time he could hardly stand to be without her but that was Mina she got into your system and it was impossible to be without her. Mitchell joined us and we all began walking.

“ He's already in the shed and mom dumped his beer but I think this is just the beginning, she’s been talking about that dress for months” I warned knowing mom was far from done and this was just to buy time for her to plan her revenge.

“ ahh she’ll be fine you know mom will look amazing even if she made her new dress out of dad's skinned Carcass for the wedding” I chuckled out loud thinking about how that may be the case with how little time we had left. Even I couldn’t believe Tammy was waiting till next week to get the bridesmaid dresses.

It was true though no man was immune to my mom's bewitching beauty. Dad always says how his friends couldn’t believe it when he landed the pack's most beautiful girl as his mate. Dad was a great man and the future Beta but he had never had to beat away the females growing up. My gran had always described him as goofy looking when he was young and the fact that he was leaner and shorter by werewolf male standards than most hadn’t helped. It wasn’t until he became Beta and everyone saw how he thrived at the position did people begin to realise how wrong they had judged him. Mom would tell us how she had found it hard to make friends when she had first joined the pack. Suddenly all the female population were jealous at missing out on a chance with my dad before he found his mate.

“ oh crap I forgot my gym bag” Johnny halted, looking back at the house cringing.” Do you think it’s safe?” I laughed at him, a grown man still terrified of his mommy.

“ She's in bed and dad was heading to the shed when we left, I think you're fine” I said, knowing the house would already be quiet. Johnny started walking back but then turned to Mitchell.

“ if there are any dead bodies I’ll link you to come grab a shovel” he nodded to Mitchell and he gave him a thumbs up. Johnny started jogging back towards mom and dads while Mitchell and I started walking again, it was too cold to stand still now the weather was dropping and my light jacket wasn’t helping keep the breeze away from my skimpy top.

“ Are you ok now?” Mitchell asked, breaking the silence that oddly enough hadn’t been awkward.

“ yea thank you for catching me and I am sorry about tonight at dinner I just..”

“ I know, you weren't alone being freaked out, I actually saw that Natalia girl last night briefly but it was enough for a mini moment and I thought I was seeing things again” he looked down at the ground sadly I wanted to ask him what he meant by again but he shoved his hands in his pockets and I knew it wasn’t something he was ready to talk about right now.

Seconds later Johnny came rushing back with his bag in hand “ ok we’re good thanks to mini Mina moms being forced to skip to the silent treatment but unfortunately it also means…”

“ the make up will be sped up too” I groaned, reminding myself to stay clear of my parents house for a couple of weeks. If you thought their fights were bad, the makeup was worse, it was as if they had both gone into heat, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, it had been so bad growing up Johnny and I would have a overnight bag packed ready to head to our grandparents house until things would go back to normal. Mitchell just chuckled beside us and we all began walking again.

On the way back Johnny had an argument with Tammy over the phone because he had blocked her out when her mind linking had given him a headache. He decided he would stay at the pack house instead tonight not wanting to head back home either. We said goodnight to Mitchell and Johnny walked me to my door to say goodnight, he hugged me tightly before heading back downstairs to find a spare room. As I watched my brother walk away I smiled, for the first time since Mitchell had returned It actually felt like old times again. Maybe he and Johnny could save their friendship after all.

I took my keys out testing the door and to my surprise it was open. The day's activities had drained me and my anger from this morning was long gone. I just wanted to see Lucas with a smile on my face. I opened the door but the sight I saw had my face drop instantly.

“ what’s going on?” I asked, not believing what I was seeing with my own two eyes. It was as if I had stepped into a nightmare and all of Nathan and Kelly’s words hit me at once at the sight of Lucas standing by our bed frantically packing his stuff into his black duffel bag.

As soon as he heard my voice he froze. Obviously he wasn’t expecting me back so soon. My stomach dropped and I suddenly felt ice cold. Everything Nathan and Kelly had said was right, Lucas was leaving me and what was worse, by the way he was rushing he hadn’t planned to say goodbye.

“ you weren't supposed to be home yet” he whispered without looking at me as if he was talking to his duffel bag.

“Sorry to screw up your getaway, is this what I think it is” gesturing to his bag and clothes on the bed, he still wouldn’t look at me, he only sighed, closing his eyes and nodding gently. I felt like he had punched me in the stomach. I was so winded I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Looking around the room I could see everything but Lucas’s stuff had been left exactly in the same place even the books he had been collecting still lay on the table by the window we had used as a workstation tears slid down my face as I came back to Lucas waiting for an explanation.

“ Look Alisha I like you, I like you a lot maybe even love you but let’s call a spade a spade we knew we weren’t each other’s mate” I stepped back feeling more winded by his words since when did he care about that.

“What are you saying?” I asked weakly.

“ We had an expiration date Alisha, it’s sad but that’s the truth of it” something had happened, this wasn’t him I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t walk away just because of that.had he found his mate was this what it was. Was he leaving me because he found his mate, but why just leave without saying anything surely he couldn’t be that cruel.

“ Have you found your mate?” I asked, dreading the answer. I felt my stomach churning at the thought, I didn’t want him to leave. I promised myself I’d be happy for him when this day came no matter what but I couldn't. I couldn't take it that he could so easily toss me away.

“No!” He said frustrated thredning his fingers through his hair and glaring at me “..but I don’t need to, to know this has to end before we both get too invested” I almost scoffed, too invested we had been too invested since day one he knew things about me not even my family knew yet he was acting like I was some teen with a crush that had gotten out of hand.

“ You just said you love me and you don’t think that’s already too invested Lucas” I sobbed trying to get him to look at me but he had already gone back to shoving his clothes into his bag.

“ Exactly, I’m protecting myself, I can never compete with the mate bond no matter what I do that asshole will always be trying to snatch you from me and the bond will always tie you to him you’ll never really be mine” his said through gritted teeth his jaw clicking and his anger evident had Nathan said something to him.

“ But we were working on that, you said you’d help…”

“ Yea and I tried Alisha, it's been weeks and we’re no better off than we were on the first day. That says it all doesn’t it” he shouted still not looking at me, I tried to grab for him to make him stop and talk to me but he shook me off.

“So you're just leaving” I cried my own anger taking over. How could he just be giving up on me?

“ we knew this couldn’t be forever” he sighed he grabbed one of his shirts gripping the material too tight I could hear the fabric strain and begin to tear.

“ but where are you going?” I pleaded for him to tell me. Grabbing his arm again.

“ I DON’T KNOW ALISHA!!!” Lucas roared throwing his bag across the room half the contents spilling out of it. I flinched backing up, for the first time since I’d met him I was actually scared, buried beneath his calm cocky exterior lay a dormant beast, one I’d just rattled. Lucas nostrils flared and he squinted his eyes shut I could see he was struggling to a control his wolf and that scared me even more.

“ What's going on in here?” I heard Johnny rushing into the room behind me, anger and concern evident in his voice. I hadn’t even realised I hadn’t closed the door, I backed up into Johnny's chest needing him as an anchor while I watched Lucas pick up his bag and the content that had fallen out stuffing it back in. He stormed towards us and I felt my heart sink. He really was just going to leave me.

“ don’t worry Beta I was just leaving, convince

your sister why it’s for the best” Lucas said through gritted teeth and growled making us both flinch or was it just me I couldn’t tell? Johnny grabbed my shoulders supporting me as he pushed past both of us and all that was heard was the sound of his retreating footsteps. I felt like I couldn’t breathe collapsing into Johnny's arms.

Lucas was gone, he was gone and now I had no one that knew how insufferable my life was. It wasn't his fault really. I shouldn't have put my hopes into him making things right for me, I had depended on him to make everything better but the truth was once he left me, things would slip back to the way they were before. Nathan would jump back into pressuring me like he used to and the pack only tolerated me when Lucas or the alpha were around. I was still unwanted that didn’t change just because I wasn’t being physically abused anymore. I was stupid to think things could change. So utterly stupid. I clutched to Johnny's shirt sobbing like a baby with only my big brother to offer me any kind of words to soften this brutal blow I eventually found darkness wondering how much more heartache I could possibly take before it would finally kill me.

(One week later)

“ ok that’s it I can’t take this any more” Jasmine said pulling back the curtains in my room opening the window. I scrunched up my face as the bright sunlight blinded me. Groaning I threw the covers over my head seconds before the were aggressively whipped off me.

“ get up right now!!” She demanded breezing through my room like a whirlwind. Her black hair swished behind her. As was her style she wore a fitted green jumpsuit with stiletto heels that were so high I wondered how she could walk.

“ go away” I shouted, covering my face with my pillow.

“ have you even been outside since?” She asked coming to my side of the bed I peaked out, obviously she knew I had been outside in order to get from the pack house mom and dad's house.

“ no I’m severely depressed now f**k off” I growled the last part trying to grab for my quilt but she whipped it back out of reach.

“ babe your better than this, ok so your s*x god American lover left without a word but it isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to you and quite frankly your current state is bumming me out so get up I have plans for us to cheer you up” she said going to the wardrobe her heals clicking along my wooden floor making me regret ever letting dad pull up the carpet. I could feel the clicking drilling into my brain.

“ unless it’s Lucas’s balls on a pitch folk I’m not interested” or Nathan’s but I couldn’t tell jaz that. As predictable as ever the little weasel had shown up less than 24hours after Lucas’s departure trying to proposition me. I knew at that moment that I had to get out of the pack house again so I had moved back to mom and dads the following day. Alpha Mitchell had been understanding, he hadn’t even told me I told you so which I appreciated, it was more than could be said for Johnny and dad who had spared none of my feelings by telling me what an i***t I had been to get involved with Lucas.

It had been a week since Lucas had left and I was no better than the day after he had left as usual my family had left me to wallow. The only time I hadn’t but someone's head off was when my munchkin came in she would lie in bed with me stroking my hair and making me drawings to cheer me up my walls were now littered with beautiful artwork from my girl. Alpha Mitchell had told the school I was unwell once again cleaning up after me but I could sense everyone was getting fed up of my depressing attitude and they were getting desperate sending Jasmine in to turf me out of my room.

Suddenly without warning I was grabbed by the ankle and dragged from the bed. “ what the…” I yelled as my butt hit the floor jolting my back and making me cry out, I growled ready to kill Jasmine.

“ now go shower, you stink and it’s called a toothbrush, use it… don’t think I won’t come in and do it for you either” she stated and began stripping my bed sheets so I couldn’t climb back in, I hadn’t even seen the fresh sheets on my chair at my dressing table. The scent of fresh linen lingered in my otherwise stuffy room. I got up stomping towards the ensuite making a point of slamming the door as I went.

As I stood in the shower I didn’t feel my troubles wash away and make me feel better like it usually did. Losing Lucas had sent me adrift and I wasn’t sure how to feel about any of it. I was awash with emotions. I was angry for trusting him, I was sad he had been able to leave without a second glance, I was disappointed in myself that I had called him so many times begging him to come back. After the third day his number had been disconnected and I had gotten the message loud and clear he wasn’t coming back. I was nothing important I guess he hadn’t loved me, so why say it?

I got out of the shower wrapping a towel around my body. I felt weak and pathetic but I couldn’t seem to snap out of it. I was so tired of being treated like I didn’t matter. I wiped away the steam from the mirror, hardly recognising the pale looking woman staring back at me. My eyes were dark and I had bags under them from lack of sleep and crying for the first few days before I just got too pissed off at everything. I brushed my teeth as Jasmine requested not wanting to let her have to drag me back in which I knew she would.

Going back into the bedroom I found Jas lay on my newly made bed painting her nails a bright shade of red that I’d never been brave enough to use. She had already laid out a set of clothes on the bed for me, probably knowing I'd go straight for a clean pair of PJ's. All I can say is thank goddess I’d brought all my stuff back when I fled the pack house otherwise Jasmine would have definitely had me in the cocktail dress. Thankfully it was just a pair of jeans and button down mustard blouse, jasmine's version of casual.

“ What's that?” I asked once I was dressed and hanging up my wet towel to dry seeing a red gift box in her hand on my bed that matched her nails there was a white bow resting on top of the box making it look like a Christmas present. Jas eyed the box shrugging.

“ something for you, your mom just brought it up but there’s no name” my heart skipped a beat wondering if it was from lucas maybe he was sorry about the way he left things. Without thinking I tore it open finding a mobile phone inside I smiled to jas thinking maybe Lucas had sent it with his knew number in. Jas just rolled her eyes catching my train of thought.

I turned it on and jaz looked at the card on the box. “ it says go to the voice recordings” she frowned looking up at me. I did and pressed play immediately Lucas’s voice filled the room. He sounded angry and appeared to be arguing with someone.

“ she already has a mate but he’s been abusing the bond so I agreed to help her and why shouldn’t I get a f**k or two out of it, like you said she is a pretty little thing and we know how she wolves love spreading their legs” Lucas voice mocked another male laughed in the background.

“ so she’s just a f**k?” The man asked and I noticed his voice was familiar but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before.

“ that’s right just a bit of entertainment as I’m passing through, she means nothing to me, just a quick f**k before I throw her away” i slumber on the bed unable to stop the tears that rolled down my checks Jasmine wrapped her arms around me while I clutched the phone tightly.

“ then you won’t mind if I have go, after all orders are orders, I was told to have my fun with her before she dies” the other male says amusement in his voice making me feel sick that someone would take enojoyment at hurting another person but what was more disturbing was Lucas’s casual tone at this man talking about r****g and killing me.

“ do what you want, I told you she means nothing to me” I gasped feeling like I might throw up i swear I could feel the rampant sound of my heart beat going crazy, throwing the phone across the room hearing it smash I screamed at the top of my lungs feeling like the biggest fool in existence.

“ babe calm down, that bastard doesn’t deserve your tears” Jasmine urged, holding her hands up in surrender. I gripped my vanity unit gasping for air and trying to calm myself. Had I been on better terms with my wolf I was sure I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from shifting.

“ it was all a lie jas, he never wanted to help me he just wanted a quick f**k, you heard him” I cried trying to control my bubbling rage, he’d been talking to a strange man who had openly said he was going to hurt me, no not hurt me, kill me and all Lucas had said was ‘ do what you want’.

“ babe I’m so sorry he’s an i***t your so amazing and he’s not worth your time” Jasmine said rubinb my back, I felt the warmth from her healing hands spread their power through my body helping to calm my rage and I relaxed a little.

“ you know what your right f**k that evil prick” ok so Lucas had turned out to be an arsehole only looking to use me for s*x, but I wasn’t about to be defeated. I’d had enough of this I needed to change no one was going to protect me from the arseholes that wanted to hurt me so I would have to do it myself.

Before I had chance to say anything else there was a knock on the door and dad poked his head into the room.

“ Hey sorry didn’t mean to interrupt, your mother sent me up to remind you, you have that bridesmaid thing today at one” he said cringing, knowing I would rather drink liquid silver than go to try on dresses with those girls but I just chanted in my head I was doing it for Johnny. Before dad turned to leave I stopped him.

“ hey dad I want to ask you something” I said already feeling nervous, rubbing my sweaty palms together.

“ sure baba whatever you want” dad looked back at me fondly.

“ I want you to start training me again” dad's eyes went wide and I knew I had shocked him with my request. The last time he had asked me to train I had told him I was an omega and omegas weren't allowed to train. I had regretted the words instantly because I knew I’d hurt him but at the time I was depressed because Nathan didn’t want me. The truth was omegas weren't allowed to train with the rest of the pack but I was a beta blood and my dad was a beta and if the higher ranks wanted to train an omega privately it was permitted.

“ I’m not starting if your gonna quit after a week baba, you do this you stay with it and there’s no free rides because you just broke up with Lucas, you do this I want a hundred percent from you” dad said deadly serious folding his arms, allowing his authority to flow.

“ I promise” I smiled crossing my hand over my heart so he knew I meant it, I couldn’t keep waiting for someone to save me and I didn’t know who this other guy was planning to hurt me but I needed to be ready if someone came looking for trouble. Yes I had training already but I hadn’t trained properly in years, I was out of shape and I felt it, being whipped into shape by my old man was exactly what I needed.

“ alright see you at five am” dad smiled leaving the room, I groaned when he left forgetting his early morning starts. I turned back to Jasmine who was smiling smugly. Clearly she felt she had accomplished her task with me today.

“ there she is, thought we’d lost you for a while there” she said moving towards her handbag, I looked at the clock seeing it was already half twelve and I needed to get going if I was going to get to the store in town by one. Thankfully we no longer had to request to leave pack territory anymore if we wanted to go to the local town we could. It had taken some getting used to but it was one change Mitchell had made that had been completely welcomed.

“ So you gonna come with me to this dress fitting?” I asked Jasmine, grabbing my bag and jacket off the table as we both got ready to head out.

“ sorry babe but I don’t trust myself around that band of bitches without risking rolling some heads and I doubt your sexy ass f**k brother would appreciate that when one of them is carrying his pup” she smiled throwing her handbag over her shoulder glancing back at me.

“ Suit yourself mother hen” I smirked and she scowled slightly but then she blew me a kiss and left the room in a flourish of perfume, vanilla and absolute fabulousness.