Fate’s Design

Consequences

Mason POV

When I talked to the elders, I wasn’t surprised to get some pushback, but they ultimately agreed that our laws and the stories of our ancestors allowed me to have Kelsey named Luna before we sealed our mating. My dad continued to deteriorate day by day. Losing mom was taking its toll on him in very clear ways. I didn’t like the idea of adding to his grief, but I was determined to see this through, no matter the cost.

My dad was set to retire at the end of the summer… but the thought of waiting in limbo for a few more weeks was more than I could handle. So I announced to the pack that Kelsey would be introduced to them and made Luna that upcoming Friday night. It seemed appropriate to do it on the night of the full moon, and Dr. Porter advised me that it would help maximize my recovery potential. Not the kind of conversation I had expected to be a part of finding my mate, but I guess the Eternal Light has a sense of humor after all.

Thankfully, the next few days were fairly uneventful. When Friday came around, Seth and Kelsey were still trying to interact as little as possible with each other without fully avoiding one another. It would have been almost comical if I wasn’t staring death in the face. That kind of thing really makes a man think about his life. I wanted to make sure that Kelsey was taken care of. I wanted to make sure my pack was taken care of. I wanted my friends and family to know I loved them. And I had given myself all of four days to make sure everything was in place. No pressure.

I needed to clear my head before evening came, so I let Caspian out for a run, and tried not to think about the fact that it might be the last time I ever did that.

Kelsey POV

On Friday afternoon, I was pacing nervously in my room. I couldn’t believe Mason really planned to go through with this. He and I had had a meeting with Dr. Porter, and after a command from Mason to just give it to us straight, she hadn’t minced words. She asked about my history and what exactly I had done and with who so that she could give us more specifics. Now we knew what to expect, and it wasn’t anything good. I would be dealing with potentially no symptoms at all, but more likely some minor aches and pains as the bond attempted to repair itself. The best case scenario for Mason, on the other hand, involved several hours of excruciating pain. The worst case scenario was a slow and agonizing death drawn out over several months.

Seth only talked to me when he absolutely had to, which was fine by me, and basically pretended I wasn’t there otherwise. To be fair, I wasn’t exactly dealing with him, either. The Beta and Gamma and their mates seemed to be putting some effort into making me feel welcome, but it was clear their hearts weren’t in it. Not that I blamed them. I was the girl who had screwed over their intermediate/soon-to-be permanent Alpha, whom they had helped raise and on whose shoulders rested the future of the pack. They probably hated me. To their credit, they didn’t show it. Their attempts at friendliness and hospitality seemed sincere, if unenthusiastic. Unlike me, Tanya was very excited and very optimistic.

‘Today’s the day!’ She told me excitedly for the zillionth time as she pranced around in my mind.

‘T, you’re exhausting. Yeah, I get it. Mason’s marking us tonight and we’re marking him. But then he’s gonna either die, hate us, or die hating us. You do understand that, right?’ I asked her.

My wolf started sulking at that. ‘Maybe.’ She huffed. I rolled my eyes. Yeah. Maybe. Sure.

Seth POV

“There has to be something we can do!” I said, frustrated. My dad shook his head.

“I get it, son, but Mason’s made up his mind. What he’s doing is completely lawful, so we can’t stop him.” He responded. I growled angrily and punched the training dummy again.

“Well he’s making a bad call.” I said.

My dad sighed. “As Mark’s Beta, there have been times I would love to be able to knock some sense into him. If… if this goes the way we all hope, you’re going to have a few times like that ahead of you with Mason. This won’t be the last time you think he’s being an i***t. You’re gonna have to come to terms with that reality. At the end of the day, this is Mason’s mate, Mason’s life, and Mason’s pack to lead. He is the one whose conscience has to bear the consequences. Our job is to advise and then support.”

I didn’t particularly want to hear it. Time was running out. I had to find a way to make Mason see what a bad idea this was, and fast.

Caspian POV

I was always down for a run. And I could really go for some rabbit right about now. I ran through the clearing, stretching my legs, then into the forest, sniffing out my dinner. It was long before I picked up the smell of a delicious brown fluff ball. I was so focused on my prize that I nearly missed it when another smell hit me. Jasmine and honeysuckle. My mate was close by. I hauled my kill towards the intoxicating scent. I finally got a good look at the copper fur that had streaked so quickly by a few days earlier. She was beautiful. It struck me that I didn’t know her name. We knew Kelsey’s name, but not her wolf. This was my mate.

Tanya POV

Their forest might be a little sick, but the water was perfect. I came to the stream Mason had showed us to cool off a bit and gather my thoughts before tonight. As I drank, the smell of licorice hit me. It had become a familiar and very welcome scent over the last few days. I was amazed at how quickly and easily my mate’s scent had become the most wonderful scent in the world to me. I was little surprised that Kelsey didn’t demand we shift back and give her control as soon as he came near. But this was Caspian. He was different. We knew it just as we knew how to shift. We didn’t need to be taught or told. We just knew. We knew we could trust him. Caspian’s man might have his plans for the humans. But right now… we were the ones in charge. And as I slowly turned to face my mate, there was only one thought on my mind. I could see in his eyes that he felt the same way. Caspian let out a low, possessive, appreciative growl as he set down whatever poor creature he had been snacking on. I accepted his gift and after a brief sniff, snapped up what was left of the rabbit he had offered before we bounded off into the forest together.

Kelsey POV

I had been resting up for tonight while Cas and T got it on. But I was suddenly jolted awake by a searing pain. I shifted back to my own body without even trying. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Mason had also shifted back. He was pale and unconscious next to me. I saw the mark on his neck and felt the burn in mine. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

‘D*mnit, T, this wasn’t the plan. This was supposed to happen at the hospital after I was made a part of the pack.’

The little imp didn’t bother to give me a response. I tried to shift back, since it would be much easier to get Mason to the hospital in my wolf form, but I couldn’t. ‘T, talk to me. What’s going on?’ Silence. ‘Tanya?’