Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond

"Does she even know?"

"No...or at least I don't think so."

"Why can't you be together?"

"Because I can't lose her."

"Lose her to what?"

"Being a mate of the Varon family comes with threats.."

"But you can lose me?" She raises an eyebrow at me.

"No...you're twisting it..." I seethe out, the bitter taste of anger spreading into my mouth.

"Shit...my parents."

"I'll sort it, Cleo won't say anything and...I can handle Josie."

"You have a mate Jace, a mate who clearly is in love with you. Are you certain, a hundred percent certain the two of you can't be together. You're an alpha, you'll have warriors at your disposal to protect her." Her words are aimed to reassure me, to rethink things but I can't, I won't.

I won't lose Cleo to fate.

If that means I can't be with her, at least she will be alive. I can love her, protect her from a distance.

""No!" I roar out, my fists clenching by my side.

"So you'd be willing to let her go completely, let another man call her his..."

Her words are hard to hear, a lump forming in the back of my throat as I consider the real possibility of being able to watch Cleo take another.

A chosen mate.

After tonight she'll never contemplate that I am her mate, because a mate of hers would never be so cruel. Wouldn't have let her leave.

As far as she knows, Callie and I are mates, and I am now having to do everything I can to save

my mate bond.

"Jace, I let my mate go...don't make the same mistake as me..."

I can't listen to this, I can't hear her words of advice. I know she means well but I made my mind

up a long time ago, I've missed a year of my family's life, strained my relationship with them for

this exact reason. Otherwise, it will have all been for nothing.

"Where are you going!" Her tongue clicks out to me as I head towards the cabin door.

"I need fresh air." I grunt out, needing space.

My head was a mess from my wolf's anger at me

and also Callie's words that hit the nail on the head.

No, I wouldn't be able to cope with Cleo taking another.

"Jace!" She roars after me as I barge open the door, exiting the cabin and moving through the

meadows back towards the alpha house.

I can already hear Callie jogging behind me to keep up.

As we gain distance on the alpha house we find Uncle Orpheus' and Auntie Rosa's car driving up

the pathway towards the direction of the gate, cutting the evening short.

I expect Cleo to have made an excuse for them to leave early but when we come to the front

courtyard I'm surprised to find Jaxon and Josie arguing with one another.

"Why did

Met her take your Josie is fuming, her anger to

misdirected towards Jaxon

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right now.

"I said leave it Josie.." He tries turning his back on her, only for Josie to yank him back.

"You never let anyone drive your call, so why did you let Cleo drive it and alone. She was upset,

s to en.kikistorie ne

you shouldn't have let her leave."

"Why was she upset?" He takes a step closer to Josie, his frame engulfing her but she doesn't back down.

"I...I don't know." Her eyes flicker mine

to return back to

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Something, he picks up Cont s to en. to net

on, his eyes turning to mine.

"Why was she upset Josie?" His powerful aura is directed solely on Josie who refuses to submit,

she doesn't even look as if she is in pain struggling to fight it. Perhaps she isn't.

"Knock it off!" Knox roars out, practically running to his mate's side.

"Mum, Dad?" Callie moves to the side of me, where Alpha Bill and Luna Louise are both standing by the front door watching the show.

"Oh, there you both are, you missed all the drama. The Cleo girl returned apparently needing to leave, she took Jaxon's car. Is something going on with the two of them, they seemed very cosy at one stage."noveldrama

Just the very suggestion has me turning to Luna Louise with a ferocious growl.

"Perhaps Callie, you can take your parents inside, we will be in momentarily." Mum calls out

politely yet taking a step closer towards Jaxon, her eyes fixed on him.

"Where are you going?" Jaxon calls out to Josie as she barges past him, purposefully colliding her shoulder into him.

"I need to make sure she is okay, she's driving all that way alone."

"Her parents will catch up with her. Don't get involved.." Jaxon words a mere whisper.

She spins back to facing him, but her eyes falling on me. Her eyes a raging fire of orange.

"How could you let her slip through your fingers?"