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Chapter 39
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
J. N. SteinI had tears building up as I wrote this chapter. The next chunk of the story will be dark and stormy, but I know we can brave through it together, Friends. Thank you for reading! -JNS <3
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Rejecting Fate Chapter 40
Lucas POV And just like that…they are gone. I stare at the opening beyond the border, where Bram held Emmy, Viviana, and Daphne. Pained groans from Vincenzo overtake the stillness of the forest. I should check to see if he is okay, but I can’t move. They were just there. I let her go. I let Emmy go, believing the twisted, psychopath’s words that my sister and…my mate…would be returned. He said he would let them go. I saw the fear and hurt in Emmy’s eyes when Bram went back on his word. I saw the pain when he claimed her as his own. I turn and see Renz on his knees, struggling to hold his wolf back. His green eyes now glow radiantly as he slowly loses the internal battle. I heard the same word leave his mouth the very moment I spoke it. Mate. How is this possible? I don’t give myself time to ponder. My mate, Viviana, my Sunshine, has been taken by Bram. I saw the fear in my Sunshine’s eyes when he didn’t let her, or Daphne go. I reached for her
Rejecting Fate Chapter 41
Vincenzo POV “Come, my Topolina! We can run away and be free of this madness. The Moon Goddess has granted us this chance for true happiness.” I reach my hand out to Emerald. She is sitting in a dark room, locked away. I’ve been able to find her- finally. She’s wearing a white dress, made of simple cotton and lace. It almost looks like a long nightgown. Her hair is longer and in a single braid. “Vincenzo? Is it really you? You’ve come for me. I thought you’d forget about me,” she says with tears of disbelief in her eyes. I walk over to her, kneeling in front of her, and taking her soft hands in mine. “I will always find you. You’re mine.” I cup her face in my hands, pressing my forehead to hers. I inhale her beautiful scent- oranges, sugar, and freshly baked dough. My mouth waters as my lips approach hers. She softly runs her fingers along my hands and forearms. My body comes to life as I feel those pleasurable zaps of electricity. “Mmm…I wish you h
Rejecting Fate Chapter 42
Emmy POV I feel the soft, satin bedding wrapped around me. I pull the blankets tighter around me and nuzzle into the pillow, taking a deep inhale. I continue taking deep breaths, waiting for the mouth-watering aroma of coffee, sugar, and chocolate. Tiramisu, my favorite. I take another deep breath, hoping this will be the one that fills my nose with that perfect scent. Instead, all I can smell is pepper, lemon, and charred wood. It’s not a terrible smell, but it’s not what I want. I squeeze my eyes shut, searching for his perfect scent. As I pull the pillow closer to my body, it rubs against my cheek and neck, and a sharp pain radiates down my neck, to my chest. I suck in a deep breath and clutch my neck. “Vincenzo!” I scream for him as I start to remember everything that happened. “No, no, no. Please…” Tears trickle down my face as I sit up and look to the ceiling, pleading with the Moon Goddess to forgive me and take away the pain in my chest. “Aw, come on now, m
Rejecting Fate Chapter 43
Emmy POV As soon as I wake up, I rush out of bed and make a mad dash into the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and exhale with my back pressed against the door. I’ve managed to avoid Bram in the mornings for an entire week. I wake up before him and stay in the bathroom until I hear him leave the room and then I don one of the many red dresses he insists I wear. Each day has been more of the same. After spending the better part of the morning hiding in the ensuite bathroom, I shuttle into the room where Daphne and Viviana are staying. Fortunately, Bram has been true to his word, and neither of them have been harmed. Daphne has been too scared to leave the room, frightened that she will run into Chaz. We have been eating our meals in this room as well, but our appetites haven’t exactly been high. “We can’t keep on like this, Emmy,” Viviana mumbles, tossing a piece of dry toast onto the tray of food. “Eating scraps and staying locked in this room will kill us slowly,” she
Rejecting Fate Chapter 44
Bram POV I am truly beginning to love the way Emerald looks when she is scared. I can almost taste the fear, which adds to the sweetness of her tantalizing scent of oranges and cream. I see her fear intensify as the click of the lock registers in her ears. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I spin us around, pinning her against the door. She brings her arms between us, trying to create space. I grab both her wrists in one hand and bring them up over her head as I twist my other hand into her long, wavy hair. I let the silence continue as the room fills with the sounds of her ragged breaths and whimpers. I feel my lower region roar to life. “Are you ready to listen, my dear? I feel I’ve been extremely patient with you this week. You’ve been allowed to spend each day in that room, away from me. I have let you sleep in peace. All I have asked is for your respect. Am I asking for too much?” I say calmly. “You’re implying that you’re wort
Rejecting Fate Chapter 45
Bram POV (Flashback 31 years ago) “You thinking this full moon festival will bring us any luck in finding our mates, Bron?” I ask my best friend and Alpha, Bronson. We are on our way to a pack in the Middle East to strike a new alliance and enjoy their full moon festival. We are both twenty years old, so we have been searching for our fated mates for two years. We have had no luck in our pack, or in any of the neighboring packs. “We have as good a chance as any, I suppose. This alliance will definitely expand our network even further,” Bronson commented with his trademark smirk. He loves making new alliances. We have an alliance with packs from almost every country. He took over as Alpha of the Veritas Pack two years ago, and in that time, the size of our pack and region has tripled, and the number of alliances we have has more than doubled. Bronson truly is an Alpha among Alphas. He’s fair, protective, and smart. I couldn’t be prouder to be his Beta.
Rejecting Fate Chapter 46
Emmy POV Sympathy for the devil. I know what his game is. I know Bram is a master at manipulation and I refuse to fall victim to his mind games. The only problem is, I am falling. I feel my grip on reality slowly slipping; I need to get out of here. Each passing day, I feel a pull to him becoming stronger and it’s taking all my energy to fight it. Bram is the true embodiment of a predator. He identifies his target, his prey, and he stalks it for hours, days, and weeks, until the animal surrenders itself to him, begging to be put out of its misery. Bram makes them believe that he is the answer to their salvation. I now understand how he has acquired a secret army of wolves over the years. None of them had a choice. None of us do. He will always find a way to wear you down. He found my weakness- my love and respect for my father- and he tried to take it away. How could my father do that? How could he and my mother promise to reject their fated mates, only t
Rejecting Fate Chapter 47
Vincenzo POV “Let’s stop here for the night,” Tobias suggests to our group. Renz’s dark gray wolf growls at Tobias. They may both be Betas, but Tobias has Aurelian, and Aurelian has gotten good at keeping Renz’s wolf in check. “Give your human back control; move back, now.” The bright blue of Tobias’ eye shifts, replaced with the black of Aurelian’s. Renz’s wolf turns away and allows Renz to shift back to his human form. “Thank you, Aurelian. These last few weeks have put my wolf on edge. I haven’t had issues with control since I was young,” Renz says embarrassingly. “How do you think I have Aurelian now? When Sage…was hurt…” Tobias winces as the wounds reopen, and the painful memories come back to him. “It was like her pain was my pain. I can’t explain it any differently,” Tobias says as he slumps against a tree, as Lucas and Fabian quietly start building a fire. Lucas hasn’t been very talkative the last three weeks. We have been trying to lead
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Rejecting Fate Epilogue
Vincenzo POV 6 Weeks Later “I can’t do this…I can’t believe this is happening,” Darius says, pacing up and down the hallway of the Running River Medical Clinic. His eyes are bloodshot from not sleeping all night, his hair is sticking out in different directions, and his clothes are a wrinkled mess. Granted, he’s in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but still, he’s looked better. “Relax, Dare. Everything is going to be fine,” Tobias says calmly but his words fall on deaf ears as Darius continues to pace. “It’s happening…it’s happening…” he continues murmuring to himself. Tobias and I share a glance and snort, laughing at our friend. Darius is not an emotional guy, so I’m definitely getting a kick seeing him like this. Tobias isn’t doing such a good job masking his amusement. In fact, he’s taking a video of Darius having a panic attack. I try to swat his arm down, but he pulls out of my reach. I’m not trying very hard to stop him, and instead I’m enjoyi
Rejecting Fate Chapter 72
Emmy POV After the show wrapped up, our group convened in front of the theatre, waiting for Renz, Daphne, and Viv to come out. Viv pushes open the front doors and holds them for the leading couple. Renz has his arm around Daphne’s waist, and she has her arm wrapped around his, both looking so happy. They are no longer in their costumes, and are now both dressed comfortably in jeans and t-shirts. We all break out in another round of cheers and applause. Daphne seems more comfortable with the extra attention than Renz whose face is redder than a tomato. “Okay, okay. I think that’s enough. Please.” Renz motions for us all to calm down. I’ve never seen him like this. He usually keeps a stoic affect. “You’re not gonna hear the end of this, Renz! You were incredible. You both were,” Lucas says as he approaches the pair. He gives Daphne a big hug and then gives Renz a one-arm hug, clapping him on the back. I can see how close they have become over the last few weeks. It
Rejecting Fate Chapter 71
Vincenzo POV Our group could have easily walked to the theatre, but with everyone dressed so nicely, and Daya being very pregnant, Viv insisted we take a limo. She wanted us to arrive in style. I smile, looking around at our group settling into the long row of leather seats. We have all come so far. I know we still have a way to go, but this is a strong beginning to something great. We make it to the theatre in about five minutes. There is already a small crowd of pack members lined up to go inside. I open the door of the limo and I’m blinded by bright flashing lights. I fall backward into Emerald, making her fall back into Pearl, and a tiny domino effect takes place within the limo. “Oi! What’s the hold-up, Vinny?” Archie shouts from across the car. Somehow, he’s nestled next to Amy. How did that happen? I don’t like that. “What’s the matter, Vincenzo?” Emerald asks, pulling me out of protective, big brother thoughts. “I was blinded b
Rejecting Fate Chapter 70
Emmy POV “I swear, Emmy, it’s not fair that you get the great boobs and ass in this family. So unfair,” Amy pouts as she twirls in front of a full-length mirror. She’s wearing a fuchsia, knee-length, cape dress. It looks amazing against her tan skin. I roll my eyes at her comment, choosing to ignore it. “Just get knocked up. Your boobs and butt will grow in no time,” Daya quips, as she crosses the room behind Amy, flicking our younger sister’s sleek ponytail. Amy attempts to shoot Daya a glare but she can’t hold a serious face to save her life. “How are you feeling Daya? I can’t believe you’re due next month. We’re all going to be aunties!” Pearl shrieks excitedly. She looks effortlessly impeccable in a long, sleeveless, blush-colored dress with beaded embellishments. The length of her dress makes her seem even taller. I always find it amusing that our youngest sister is the tallest of all five of us. “Ugh. I’m ready to get back to training. I get tired j
Rejecting Fate Chapter 69
Vincenzo POV 1 Month Later “I’m telling you, Viv, you’re going to want a bonus room upstairs. It could make a great office, or future playroom down the road,” I tell my sister for the hundredth time as I show her the blueprints for her and Lucas’ future home. “It just seems like too much house for the two of us. You know I hate cleaning,” Viv says, waving her hand over my blueprints. This is the tenth revision I’ve made since she told me she and Lucas would be living in our pack. I’m more than happy to design my younger sister’s future home, but she is proving to be the most difficult client I’ve ever had. I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a big breath. “I promise, Viv, it’s not that much house. And when you and Lucas have kids, you’ll thank me for creating a space where they can play and not bother you,” I nudge her. I’m not changing these plans again. Darius has already sent out members of his pack to start the construction. This meeting was int
Rejecting Fate Chapter 68
Emmy POV I had avoided talking about my time with Bram. It makes me physically sick to think about it, to relive those memories. I truly believed that Vincenzo would look at me differently if he learned about what happened. No, Bram was never able to complete a bond by mating me or having me mark him, but he did enough. I shared a bed with him for an entire month. He touched me. Kissed me. Confused me. If Vincenzo hadn’t gotten to me…I’d like to believe I would have fought off Bram. But I’m not so sure. My wolf wanted Bram until she could sense Vincenzo. Only then was she able to lend me whatever strength she had left to overcome the debilitating delirium of my heat. Seeing Vincenzo being nothing but understanding shouldn’t surprise me. I didn’t even want to talk to my sisters about Bram. I just wanted to bury it in my mind and try to never think about it again. Then I saw red- literally. Viviana came up to mine and Vincenzo’s bedroom while I was unpacking. We were joking
Rejecting Fate Chapter 67
Vincenzo POV Viv and Emerald were over the moon to hear the news about Lucas becoming my Gamma. I never considered having a Gamma until now. I felt like I managed the pack well enough with just me and Renz. Seeing how well Renz and Lucas work together, can be good for our leadership. Darius was the one to put the idea in my head. We spoke on the phone the day after Nathan’s funeral. I mentioned how torn Viv seemed about leaving our pack to be with Lucas. Darius reassured me that he and Tobias could handle things just fine and that he had another guy in mind to be his new Gamma- Logan Emberton, the brother of the young wolf that Renz accidentally killed a few months ago. Now, it’s just Emerald and me, alone again. While my lower body is spurring to life, seeking another vigorous round of sex with my mate, my brain is reminding me about that large trash bag full of red clothes and those urges quickly subside. “You’re quiet, my love,” Emerald says as she wraps her a
Rejecting Fate Chapter 66
Vincenzo POV The sounds of birds chirping pull me out of the sweetest dream. I blink my eyes open, and the bright rays of the morning sun warm my face. I look down and see her. My mate. She is still sleeping, her head on my chest, her thick, hazelnut hair is strewn all over, tangling with dark brown locks, and her naked body is curled into mine. The biggest smile stretches across my face; it wasn’t a dream. She’s really here. She moved in the last of her things last night, but she never got the chance to unpack. Fuck, we never even got a chance to eat the dinner I made. I chuckle to myself as I replay last night’s activities. My mate may come off as a quiet, little mouse, but she is a feisty sex kitten. I feel my dick getting hard again just thinking about her underneath me, her legs over my shoulders and her pussy wrapped around my dick. “You keep thinking those thoughts and we won’t be eating breakfast.” I look down to see my beautiful mate’s
Rejecting Fate Chapter 65
Vincenzo POV “And where am I supposed to go while you and Emmy have your romantic dinner here?!” Viviana complains in my ear. I almost forgot how grating and annoying her voice can be when she’s upset. I’ve missed her so much- I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to her. I continue chopping the vegetables, the fresh fragrance of garlic, bell peppers, and onions filling the kitchen. “I don’t know, Viv. You could always move to Running River with Lucas…your mate. Or is that mark on your neck just for show?” I tease her as I casually point my cutting knife in her direction. Her cheeks redden with blush, and she sweeps her hand over her mark- a red heart, with two wolf pawprints etched into the heart, with a full moon and a sun on either side. It’s beautiful. “We are still trying to figure it all out. Lucas is the Gamma at Running River Pack, but I have so many projects and responsibilities that I oversee here,” she grumbles as she twirls her hair. I fin
