Forbidden by Fate

**Emersyn’s POV**

A cool breeze washes over my exposed body, welcoming me, beckoning to me. I revel in the power coursing through my veins as I allow my wolf to take control. She is the part of me that does not need permission to be wild. She is the freedom I long for. She is the power I hide from others for fear of being too much. She is the best version of me, and tonight is her time to shine.

Liam’s footsteps echo behind me as he tries to match my pace. But I can’t be bothered to wait on him. My wolf aches to be set free and I won’t deny her. I hear my father’s howl, signaling that it is time. I push myself harder before leaping into the air. I relinquish control to my wolf, allowing her to take her true form.

The pain is nearly unbearable as my bones shift into their rightful place, but the ache subsides as the euphoria envelopes me. The tingling prickle of my fur breaking through my skin invigorates me. Intuition replaces my human emotions, and I am no longer shackled by the weight of my responsibilities, instead I am simply a creature aching for the thrill of the run.

My paws kiss the earth with the lightness of a feather as they grace the cool, moist leaves beneath me. My silver fur glistens around me in the iridescent light of the moon giving me the appearance of a spirit wolf. My perfectly arched ears hear the faintest sounds that surround us. I am torn between running at my full potential and staying frozen in place. I know that this is the most pristine moments of a wolf’s existence.

I pause allowing myself to take in a slow deep breath as my eyes scan the forest surrounding me. I want to remember this moment for a lifetime, the freedom and the true sense of self. I want to carry this memory with me for the rest of my days. But just as quickly as the serene peace had came it left as I sensed the presence of another.

Liam’s scent fills the night air as a large mahogany colored wolf appears through the brush. His honey-colored eyes grow wide as he sees me in my true form for the first time. I can see that he is shocked by my wolf’s sheer size, larger than most females, but there is something else in his eyes that I cannot quite read. He almost hesitates before approaching me slowly, all the while holding my gaze. My wolf seems at ease as she allows Liam to take in her scent at a distance, but something changes in an instant when he attempts to lean his muzzle against mine.

I sense the disconnect, the immediate protective stance, and I realize in that exact moment that not only does my heart belong to another, but that the heart of my wolf does as well. Shock resonates throughout my body as I fight the urge to allow my human emotions to take control once more. Liam must feel the warning in her stance because he takes a step back almost submitting to her.

I see it in his eyes, confusion and uncertainty, but my wolf isn’t bound by the pang of guilt that my human side is clearly feeling. She doesn’t hesitate as she turns away from my betrothed and begins to run at her full potential. I don’t question her, and in this moment I am thankful that she has the reins. I will deal with the consequences later but for now she is allowing me to have the freedom that I so desperately need.

I feel the pull of my pack and know that she is leading us to our safe place, our home. She is protecting me in her own way and for that I am grateful to the piece of my soul that completes me. She navigates the forest floor without hesitation, avoiding the low hanging branches and briars.

Liam struggles to keep up with my wolf and I find myself warning her to slow down. He can’t sense my pack and the last thing I want to do is explain how I lost an alpha heir simply because my wolf didn’t like him. She reluctantly slightly slows allowing him to match our pace but I get the distinct feeling that she is only doing this for me.

I steal a glance in his direction hoping that I don’t see anger apparent in his eyes. Relief washes over me when he gives me an almost understanding look in return. I can’t help but feel an appreciation for the obviously decent man that he has become. I have no doubt that he will have questions but for now he seems to understand that my wolf is in control.

I curse to myself, frustrated that even my wolf is convinced that another is our mate. But she does not allow me to linger on my feelings. The conniving beast picks up her pace only moments before I realize what she intends to do. The ravine that separates us from my pack is fast approaching and my wolf does not hesitate even a moment before leaping across the vast opening.

I want to close my eyes, but the incessant wolf doesn’t allow me the satisfaction. She forces me to live in the moment. And though the deep-seated human emotion of fear threatens to force it’s way through the barrier my wolf has put up, something uniquely amazing happens. I see the world in a way that I have never seen it before. The world around goes silent and all that I can feel is the wind beneath my paws and the exhilarating feeling of what it is to be alive and truly free.

I don’t know what possesses me but I allow all of my frustrations, fear, and confusion to come to the surface. Just before my paws land on the other side of the ravine, I open my muzzle wide and a howl to bellow through the forest. And for a moment, all my worries cease, and I am as free as the wild creature that consumes me.

I am utterly under my wolf’s command as she immediately breaks into a run. I hear the rumble of the paws of a wolf as it breaches the clearing ahead of us. She runs with all her might towards the dark figure as if a beacon is summoning her. I can’t deny her, or rather I won’t. I can’t explain the feeling, but I know that she is taking us home.

As the moon glistens above the field lighting my way, I am blissfully unaware that my wolf is leading me down a dark and dangerous path. It isn’t until I see two emerald eyes staring back at me in the depths of the night that I realize how royally screwed that I am.

She was never leading me to the pack, she was taking me to her safe place, her home, her mate.