Beyond Fate

Secrets

(Alisha pov)

“ For goddess sake Lucas I just asked you if you knew him” I shouted trying to look brave but the truth was I was becoming rather intimidated by the entire conversation. I wished I never asked him about any of it now. I was still reeling from yesterday's events and today wasn’t turning out to be much better.

“ how the f**k would I know anyone around here Alisha?” Lucas snapped at me, running his hands through his hair. We stood in our room. I was by the end of the bed in my nightgown from where I’d leapt out of bed when he had tried to touch me but I was so angry with him I wouldn’t let him distract me, Lucas was by his side of the bed half dressed from where he’d tried to sneak back in this morning.

He’d been like this since he’d come back ten minutes ago. I had been woken up around midnight by alpha Mitchell after falling asleep in Mina’s bed. She had been shaken up after what had happened and I didn’t want to leave her, I had gone back to Lucas’s room assuming he’d be there but nothing, a little later Alpha Mitchell had mind linked me saying Lucas had gone for a run but Lucas hadn’t returned, by three I must have fallen asleep because the next time I opened my eyes it was light out and Lucas was stood over me looking anything but his usual cheerful self.

I knew he was hiding something but I didn’t know what. When I had asked him If it had something to do with his friend I’d met last night he had started quizzing me about who I was talking about. The interrogation had led to this, the pair of us shouting at one another and me yet again left with more questions than answers about my so-called boyfriend.

“ Alisha I don’t know who the f**k you’ve been talking to about me but I might suggest in future you keep your f*****g trap shut” I stumbled back at his words I couldn’t believe he had actually said something like that to me. Lucas looked as shocked as I did by his outburst. He reached his hand out for me but I stepped back out of his reach, for the first time since I met him not wanting him near me. Tears spilled down my face and I didn't even try to hide them. I had never seen him like this, so angry and aggressive,I knew Lucas was a powerful wolf. You only had to be around him for five minutes to feel the power that radiated off him but he had always been so laid back like nothing in the world could touch him. It was clear from his outburst it was all an act and he had a dark side and very real world problems he was not willing to share with anyone, including me.

His face softened and he ran a tattooed hand down the front of his face, he only wore his jeans and his muscled upper body was on full display along with his beautiful body art that I had spent so many nights in the past weeks tracing with my fingers…tongue including the detailed swirls that overlapped one another like some kind of beautiful thorn bush that danced along his torso leading to his V that his jeans were doing nothing to hide at this moment. I dragged my eyes away from his body knowing if I kept staring I’d give in like I always did, I looked back to his face and I could see the regret in his eyes. I knew he was dying to hold me but I wasn’t interested. I was too angry and too stubborn right now to let it go.

He wanted me to stay out of his business. Fine. Maybe I had got this thing between us all wrong and he didn’t really care about me. I was just another girl in a great many packs he had visited. The thought hurt more than I wanted to admit. I knew from Mitchell’s comments that Lucas was the kind of wolf that was used to upping sticks and moving on quickly but he hadn’t, he had stuck around. I’d just been stupid enough to convince myself it had been because of me and that I had meant something to him but isn’t that true of all women, we always want to believe we are the special one, we always want to believe we mean more than the rest before us but that isn’t always true.

Without wanting to look at him anymore I ran into the bathroom slamming the door shut behind me and locking it so he couldn’t come in. Standing there for a moment realising the bubble I’d been living in this past month had just popped and Kelly's words from yesterday came back to me.

“ you’ll lose him too soon enough, it’s hilarious really you think he actually cares for you but your just his w***e, I heard him telling the alpha he’s heading back home to his pack soon”

She was right, Lucas would grow tired of me and eventually leave. I stripped off my nightgown, tossing it in the laundry basket before heading to the shower. I didn’t bother to look in the mirror. I knew I would look a state from lack of sleep and now I was crying. No doubt my eyes were already red and puffy. I didn't need to see it.

I turned on the water and stepped in not waiting for the temperature to adjust, hoping the scalding water would wash away my hurt feelings, at the very least it would mask my tears. I heard knocking and then the rattle of the door handle but I ignored it. I didn’t want to talk to him right now and I wasn’t in the mood for s*x which is all he would offer me, no explanation, no apology, just a temporary distraction to the fact that this whole thing was anything more than just physical. I promised myself when it started I wouldn’t look at this thing between us as anything more than temporary yet it was clear from my reaction that I hadn’t really felt that way. I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t help falling for him, the way he was with me was so different to anything I’d ever experienced before but I guess when no one was ever kind to you, you're going to cling to something good.

When I came back out of the bathroom Lucas was gone. I knew I wouldn’t see him for a while and to be honest I was grateful, I couldn’t keep ignoring the secrets between us and it was clear Lucas wasn’t going to reveal any more about himself to me which didn’t leave much other than one other conclusion, I didn’t want things between us to end but if he didn’t tell me something I didn’t see how we could go forward.

When things were good they were great but the gap that just kept filling up with things he was hiding from me was becoming the elephant in the room we could no longer ignore. I wasn’t just imagining it and I wasn’t being unreasonable to want answers. I mean we friging live together, if this was just physical why the hell had he asked me to move into his room, why was he helping me to break the bond with Nathan. I growled frustrated running my hand through my hair wanting to tear it out and decided to just get dressed.

I threw on my usual school clothes of skinny jeans and a black T.Shirt feeling low and wanting it to show in my clothes today, I pulled my blonde hair back into a messy bun not bothering with makeup besides a bit of mascara and set about my day.

As I left our room I was distracted fumbling for my keys in my hand bag when I collided with a hard body and didn’t need to look up to know it was Nathan. He tried to grab for my waist to pull me to him but I pushed back out of his reach, straightening myself. I was taken back by how hurt he looked. I resisted the urge to try and comfort him as my wolf suddenly came to life being around her mate. The simple fact he was standing in front of us was enough for her to forget his diabolical behaviour. He looked good too for once he was wearing a shirt and suit pants like he was actually going to do some real Beta work today. Then I remembered Alpha Mitchell was out on business today and had taken Johnny with him at the last minute which left Nathan in charge to lord it over everyone. Even though I couldn’t deny he looked good in a suit, well a nice shirt and trousers, he didn’t radiated the power alpha Mitchell did he looked more like a teenager that had been given his dad's suit to wear for his parole hearing all he needed was a few bad tattoos and a bit of stubble and he was good to go. Even so my wolf purred wanting nothing more than to jump his bones, I ignored her trying to move around him but as I moved so did he.

“ Beta Nathan please allow me past so I can carry on with my day” I addressed him formally, I couldn’t tell him what I really wanted to say, after all he was still the pack Beta so I had to tread carefully.

“ Kelly said you two spoke yesterday and that you're coming round to our way of thinking finally” he stated indifferently like we were talking about the weather yet a second ago he had the audacity to look hurt because I hadn’t wanted him to touch me.

“ Well if Kelly said so it must be true” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes before turning to lock the door to Lucas’s room, something he insisted on each time we left.

“ So nothing happened between you and that mutt?” I heard him behind me moving closer.

“ don’t call him that” I growled at him over my shoulder turning back to the door. Nathan’s eyebrows raised at how bold I was to growl at him but I was sick of him speaking about Lucas that way he’d never have the balls to say it infront of Lucas. For one Lucas would tear him a new one.

“ he’s going to leave and then what will you be left with, I’m offering to take care of you for life, what has he offered you besides his bed” Nathan whispered in anger and I could feel his hatred burning a hole in the back of my head making me drop my keys, I scooped down to pick them up thinking about Nathan’s question feeling tears sting my eyes.

“ My freedom” I whispered, the words that meant everything to me, not that it meant anything to Nathan. How could it, he had the power to grant it with one sentence he would never utter.

I cringed as I felt Nathan’s body press into my back hating that having him close brought me comfort

“Nothing can take you from me Alisha you were made for me only I will ever want you” he whispered into my ear sniffing my hair I leaned into his touch unable to stop myself. It was these moments that led me to falsely believe Nathan cared, I wanted this, to feel this way but not with him. I wanted a man that was in love with me, that was true to me. That man wasn’t Nathan and that’s exactly why I needed to be free of the mate bond. I turned to him looking deep into his handsome face and wondered if there was anything in there of the human that had ever cared for me. After a moment I realised that the only thing in Nathan that wanted me was his wolf but not Nathan.

“ Nathan you don’t want me, you never wanted me that’s the point, you have Kelly and I have Lucas” yes Lucas and I had a fight but I wasn’t going to deny my feelings didn’t run deeper than I had indented when things had first started I didn’t want to lose him, I didn’t hold back allowing Nathan to see the vulnerability in my eyes for once, not the defiance just the girl who wanted this to end because this whole affair had already taken so much from her “can’t we just end this and move on? Why are you insisting on dragging this bond out when it’s barely there anymore and we are both happy with another” I’d tried everything else, why not try logic. Other than his ego there was no other reason for Nathan not accepting the rejection, hell if it was his ego at stake he could reject me and I’d happily accept if it meant I could be free of our bond. My eyes pleaded with everything I had just to say the words. Nathan seemed to think for a moment and I dared to hope he would actually have enough in him to care, and end this whole thing for good.

Nathan let out a long sigh before looking back to me stroking my cheek with the back of his hand “you are mine Alisha, the goddess gave you to me end of story, just because you are unworthy of my status as Beta does not mean you are any less mine, your life’s dedication is to serve me” he looked at me with such intensity and I couldn’t hide the shock on my face. His beautiful blue eyes that I had looked into so many times before searching endlessly for something that was never there. Love, affection, anything that even shows the tiniest hint that my mate cared for me but there was nothing but his self righteous bullshit.

He truly believes his words. He viewed me as property, nothing more than something to be owned. I felt sick thinking back to the days when I had worked so hard training and trying to prove to him I was worthy of being his mate. I realise now that was never the problem because he did see me as his mate. Not a gift given by the moon goddess to cherish and love but a gift that he would decide how best they would serve him throughout their life and he had deemed me to be nothing more than his toy to toss away and pick back up whenever he chose.

Infuriated I smacked his hand away from my face, Nathan stepped back as if I’d punched him in the face, I wish. “ Lucas isn’t going anywhere and I will free myself from you if it is the last thing I do in this life” I declared in anger, biting back the tears I refused to let fall. I was sure he could see them but I held my head high believing the words I was saying to him. I pushed past Nathan heading down the hallway towards the nursery with one promise to myself.

As goddess as my witness I would free myself from the binds of the mate bond even if I died immediately after I would leave this world free of Nathan Ritchards.

(Lucas pov)

I walked through the forest not needing to look for my destination. I knew these woods better than my own back home after all the late night runs I’d been doing lately. My wolf and I were at odds and we both knew why. Alisha.

I loved her. There was no point denying it. I loved her, more than I had ever loved anyone. I knew she wasn’t my fated mate but I no longer cared. What was fate anyway, something that told you, you had no choice in the path of your own life. Not me. I chose my own way in life and I chose her. What had fate given Alisha anyway a worthless unworthy mate that didn’t deserve to crawl in the wake of her shadow. A mutt that had been given the greatest gift the goddess had to offer and spat in her face instead.

I saw the kind of gift Alisha was and I would cherish her the way she deserved. It wasn’t a big thing where I came from and I knew that Alisha was who I wanted with me for the rest of my days. So much so in fact that I had planned to ask her to come home with me and become my chosen mate.

I'd planned to ask her last night before the s**t had hit the fan… or the window as it were. That’s what had brought me out here in the middle of nowhere once again. I was sick of dealing with hidden threats, lying to the woman I loved. I was done with it all. It killed me to see the look of hurt in Alisha’s eyes this morning. I'd wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms and ease her suffering but I couldn’t, not until I told her everything. I knew it wouldn’t be easy and my life is far from simple but I’d seen first hand how wonderful it could be having a mate by your side and how much more cherished it was when it had been fought for. Alisha was worth fighting for.

A snap of a twig alerted me to another presence. I rolled my eyes wondering why he insisted on this every time, I loathed how these meetings had become so frequent there was a routine to them now.

“ stop lurking I know your there” I said staring at the ground hearing his footsteps draw closer and the distinct smell of tobacco covering his natural scent. Moments later he appeared just a distance away I knew he didn’t have the balls to get too close to me. He stood leaning against the tree closet to him with a casual smile on his face that was just a mask hiding the evil beast that lay beneath the man.

“ How are you, your highness?” There was a cheer to his voice, the son of a b***h had me out here and he loved the fact that he had called and I’d come running. His signature black clothes leather jacket and shaved head emphasised his dark aura and the angry scar across his otherwise flawless face showed he was not a man you wanted to cross. However neither was I.

“ cut the bullshit” I growled glancing up at him, he hadn’t changed since the last time I’d seen him almost a year prior still the jokester luring his victims in with banter but the truth was he was more ruthless than the most feared warrior. Men like him always were, anything for a price and soles as black as hell.

“ Easy, that’s no way to speak to an old friend is it?” I scoffed at his comment, we were the furthest thing from friends. The amount of times I’d almost killed this dog was proof that he was only around until he was useless to his master. He was a pet serving a master but he was a smart pet. I'd give him that, he knew how to play the game with men of power but he was getting arrogant. He'd been able to talk his way out of a situation too many times. That’s why he’d been bold enough to send me a message in the shape of a stone through the kitchen window of the pack house last night. The fact I was out here less than 24 hours later made him believe that he had me over a barrel. I just needed to know how much he actually knew about the people I cared about here.

“ What are you doing here?” I demanded authoritatively, sick of the games and wanting to return to Alisha to make things right.

“saw your mate last night, pretty little thing, bit skittish though, seems a bit too sweet and innocent for your type” he grinned causing the scar across his face to crinkle making him look uglier than before.

“Enough games Troy we both know you're just the errand boy, what does he want?” I knew Troy hadn’t come here of his own free will; someone had alerted Troy’s master to my whereabouts. I had my suspicions as to who alerted them and I would deal with that sick little Witch Nerva soon enough. The little b***h didn’t know who she was messing with if she thought selling me out to the highest bidder was going to go unpunished. Troy and whoever else would have been sent to see what had peaked my interest here. Just as I thought I’d stayed in one place too long and it had gained the wrong person’s interest.

“To send you a message” he smiled, folding his arms over his chest as if he knew some big secret. Fucker enjoyed the build up before going in for the kill, men like troy wernt in it for the money or lack of options, or even some kind of misplaced loyalty to the master they served. Men like Troy lived this life because they got pleasure out of the despicable deeds their masters asked them to perform. It was the kill he loved and it made me sick.

“I got that already so why are you still here?” I asked knowing already he was far from done disturbing my life.

“Oh that wasn’t the message that was just to get your attention. the message was supposed to be your mate strung up in the timely fashion. you know his calling card.” I did, Troy’s master was an animal even by our kinds standards. His calling card was to kidnap the loved ones of his chosen target, once he had them his men would r**e, torture and mutilate said loved one and string them up outside the packs territory for all to see, as a message that he was not to be crossed.

“Alas my plans last night were thwarted when your girl came home and she had the little one with her, so I just had a bit of fun putting the scare into her instead” troy brushed his knuckles over his chest like he had not a care in the world. I had to clench and unclench my fists taking some deep breaths to stop myself from taking this guy apart, my wolf was going crazy and I was struggling to control him.

“ IF YOU DARE..” I roared my control slipping, thinking about how easily I could have lost Alisha last night, I had let my guard down and allowed myself to become sloppy. I should have been more focused on the threats around me.

“ save your threats your highness be grateful it was me and not any of his warriors he sent, they wouldn’t have hesitated to do to the pup exactly what I will do to your mate” so that was it he was here for Alisha. Nerva had told them I had a female and people were putting two and two together thinking I’d found my fated mate. Now Alisha was in danger. Without a thought I grabbed troy by the collar forcing him back till he hit the tree behind him debury from the bark and leaves rained down on us but Troy just laughed.

“ she isn’t my mate” I said with conviction, even though it caused me pain to say, it was true she wasn’t my fated mate. Troy pushed back but I didn’t let go of him. We were locked in a battle of brut strength and I could easily over power the dog but I let him think he had a chance slipping on my feet ever so slightly slowing him to think I was struggling in his grasp.

“ bullshit you think you can stop this” he spat sounding breathless, his confidence slipping slightly. He wouldn’t touch Alisha. I would make sure if it. Whatever that meant for me, not matter what it cost me, he would never lay a hand on her.

“ it’s the truth 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” I mocked hoping he’d buy it I needed him to believe she was just another female in the crowd.

“ so she’s just a f**k?” Troy eyed me suspiciously, he wasn’t stupid he knew my movements. The amount of times we’d crossed paths over the years it’s hard not to learn each other’s movements. I knew his too. Knowledge I’ve spent a long time trying to forget.

“ 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 let him go knowing if I was going to convince him I couldn’t act like I was seconds away from taking his head off, it couldn’t look like I gave a s**t about Alisha. Troy straightened his clothes gathering himself.

“ 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” I turned my back on him my jaw clicked and my wolf roared in my head to kill him.

“ do what you want I told you she means nothing to me” I shrugged giving nothing away to the anger that was building within me. I began walking away needing a moment to regain control.

“ Probably be doing her a favour, from what I hear this pack’s days are numbered as it is, apparently they have secrets of their own without you hiding out here” he shouted making me stop mid step, I turned back to him to see the wicked glint in his eye and I knew then he hadn’t bought my lie “ like I said in my note last night, you will fail her as well, just like you failed the others you can’t protect anyone your just a worthless runt” he spat and I snapped. With super human speed I moved so fast even troy a vicious mercenary didn’t have time to react as I gripped his throat hoisting him up so his feet dangled slight off the ground digging my claws into his flesh gripping his jugular ready to rip the thing clean out.

“ You tell me Troy, do I seem like a man to threaten” I said so very calmly but even Troy could see the malice intent in my words,he gargled no doubt choking slightly on his own blood, after a moment of clutching at my arm trying to free himself to no avail he finally settled.

“ I want you to deliver a message to your boss, old friend” I grimaced using the word friend showing my utter disgust that this vile creature would ever try to put himself in that category, for the first time I saw real fear in the man’s eyes.

“ s.s..sure…I..I mean yes your highness whatever you want, W..w.what’s the message?” He choked, blood spat from his mouth hitting me in the face but I didn’t move an inch, still dangling his six foot boulder like frame with ease, as if he was a scrawny teenager that needed to be taught a lesson. I pulled him towards me enjoying the look of pain across his face as I brought him closer. Troy had finally made his ultimate mistake, for a man who made a career out of doing as he was told and speaking only when he needed to it was ironic how it was his big mouth that would cause his end.

“ don’t worry Troy you are the message” I whispered close to his face his eyes went wide with the realisation of my words seconds before my other fist went through his chest pulling his heart free with my bare hand.