Rejected Mate and Following Fate

"What the hell was that." The vampire growls hauling my brother to his feet, seemingly irritated, and almost violently dusts him
down. No one seems to know how to react and Leyanne, well she just chuckles and doesn't seem shocked at all. No hint of
surprise, just an 'oh well' attitude and a pretty smug expression.
"It's called falling in love.... the wolf version anyway. Jasper just found his forever mate, and frankly, I do like a good bit of drama
in the family. Well, isn't this another layer to add to a seriously strange story." Leyanne is almost cheery with the turn of events
and Jasper is white and panic stricken and looks like he's about to throw up. Meanwhile Carmen is on her ass, outright staring
his way with a devastated air of freak out all over her and doesn't seem to be able to respond in any kind of way at all.
"They imprinted?" Meadow is almost as speechless as me and quickly speeds over to help Carmen back to her feet. Deja Vue of
a similar chaotic scene coming at me from months ago, being literally swept off my feet, and the pain in my heart intensifies with
the lack of his being here. Colton would be happy to know Carmen found her someone.... God he would be happy to know my
brother lives. He would be ecstatic on all counts and probably be smothering me half to death with joy and kisses. All of this, he
should be here to share all these things with me. The truths, the possibility to an end to the war. Seeing Carmen finally get a
chance to move on and heal. That the fates never forgot her at all.
"Carmen.... ?" Jasper whispers it affectionately, seems to be rolling her name around on his tongue, trying it out, familiarizing
himself with what his heart will want from here on in. And despite openly staring at one another as if none of the rest of us are
here, longing growing between them, neither is moving towards the other and it's a strange and strained atmosphere of pause. I
can taste the apprehension from both sides, the disbelief, the severe lack of trust that life could show them a second of mercy.
My brother must have been through hell too, and now I can feel it, free from my own overshadowing emotions. I can taste his
lack of faith in fates, bonding, relying on wolves at all. He's scared to approach her, and she is the same.
"This is not our focus... we have something to do. The girl can wait." The vampire bites in, hauling Jasper to face him by his
upper arm, obviously no concept of what imprinting really means for a wolf. I can see the struggle on my brothers face as logic
cuts in, but his heart and needs are fully focused on the femme mere feet away. I know how it goes. After the initial shock wears
off. The instant love and longing, the sudden infatuation as the thoughts and memories you were hit with open up and make you
see the other as someone you've always known. Unravelling a sea of feelings you never knew were possible to have for
someone who seconds before, was a complete stranger.
"Do you have any idea how much of a big deal imprinting is.... He can't fight it. Neither of them can and it's cruel to make them."
Meadow's snappy attitude is aimed at the vampire I knows she's having a hard time ignoring. All her instincts from the second
she saw them have her riled and she's been on high alert this whole time. She is looking for any excuse to attack and I know
she's controlling it best she can. Her eyes have never stopped being amber this entire time.

"Maybe weak ones like you can't... but Jasper is one of us. He took the oath; he was initiated into our coven. He comes with
me... the girl can wait!" Darrius commands, grinding out his words with a low rumbling growl that sends unease through
everyone. His teeth becoming more visible as he snaps, and his eyes seem to deepen in color as his pupils constrict. Even
Jasper lowers his head in a sign of respect that tells me Darrius is not someone to disobey. Submissive immediately and I can
tell this Darrius character, he's not as reasonable and steady as he seems to make out. There's a darkness around him, a cold
aura, and a severe lack of any kind of compassion.
"Can I just talk to her, for a second? ... My heads full of..... I need to just touch her, just once." Jasper tries to keep control by I
know only too well how strong the pull is to bring you together. The urge and instant love of the bond and he's struggling. I
remember needing to be by Colton's side, feeding from his presence and aching to have him touch me.
"Get out of the way." Carmen's voice breaks into the tension, that bitch tone I'm starting to be fond of, and the vampire is
physically pushed sideways as she storms face on to my brother without hesitation. No fear in her anyway. The shock and anger
on Darrius' scowling mouth only calmed by Leyanne's touch. She shakes her head to tell the vampire it's hopeless to intervene.
Seems Carmen has pulled herself together and she marches right to him to get her first proper look at her fate.
Jasper doesn't hesitate either but pulls her forward to him and presses his nose to hers while he lassos her in his arms, bringing
her to him like it's the most natural thing in the world. Seeing this, the fluid way they come together, makes my heart soften. The
instant way they mold, that they weren't strangers seconds ago and suddenly she's the only thing he wants in this moment. Eyes
locking and both faces soften to an expression I see on my mates face every time he looks at me. That level of love and need
can never be hidden.
I don't want to think about tall the ins and outs of this. I mean she's my mate's ex-lover... and he's my brother. So, he's now going
to make love to the girl who bedded his brother-in-law? God, this is intense. I'm not sure I want to keep thinking about it. Does
this mean, she becomes my sister?
This is the last thing I expected to happen, ever. Although now that it has, I'm sort of not mad about it. Jasper's been alone for a
decade, living with these god-awful creatures and Carmen's been an untethered boat on a stormy sea for a long time. They're
sort of perfect for each other and I guess the fates knew that all along. They should have bonded so many years ago, when they
first turned, but were pulled apart so everything else in this story could play out.
This also means one very important thing – her love for Colton, it's gone. In the blink of an eye, her emotions, her heartbreak, all
her sorrow and pain ... A band aid is applied. It all just goes away, and her heart is filled instantly with the love for the wolf the
fates found worthy of her.

In a way I'm sort of happy it was this way and not slow and natural love. Carmen imprinted, she was worthy of that rarity and the
fates clearly have other plans for her. I hope she sees it now too. That whatever she thinks she did to call upon punishment, it
hasn't been close to true. She had to walk a path to be her own part of this bigger picture.
I turn away blushing when my brother bridges the gap and kisses her without restraint, and Meadow hugs me tight with an
'awww' noise deep in her throat. All her previous dislike of Carmen seems to wash away on the witnessing of this new love. And I
know Meds is a romantic at heart.
Leyanne looks instantly bored, plays with her nails and her jewelry seemingly disinterested and the vampire stalks off shaking his
head and clicking his fingers at his minion holding the door open. His dark bad mood, and aura of iciness, thankfully goes with
him and I shudder outwardly. I don't like him. He isn't overly threatening but yet, something about him is terrifying and maybe it's
knowing he's a completely different breed. The vampires we have known are nothing like this.
"You have three minutes, Jasper. The lord will need to see you to be convinced of her existence. We don't have time for any of
this." His commanding snarl is delivered before he gracefully slides back into the nearest SUV, clearly done with our presence.
Jasper ignores him completely. So homed in on the girl in his arms and I hear the rushed whisper of his hurried words as he
breaks from her lips, and nuzzles against her cheek.
"Come with me.... I need to go with him for now. I don't want to leave you when I just found you." There's no denying the utter
infatuation in his tone, the intense focus on his mate, and Carmen seems limp in his embrace, flushed and sweet.
My stomach tightens and Meadow too looks instantly worried, glancing at one another in question. Carmen may not be our best
friend in any kind of way, but she belongs with us, with her pack, and not running after my brother into some vampire world she's
not accustomed to, to see some high lord. There's no telling what would happen to her. Jasper couldn't protect her against them
if they turned on her after we left.
"No. I follow my Luna. I'm here to do what she needs of me. I won't let her down and break my word. Find me when you come
back. I can't leave her; she needs both of us with he to keep her safe on the journey home. I won't abandon her."
Carmen's words shock me and with a last rushed kiss on my brother's lips. As though she knows longer will make her weak, she
pushes him away and quickly removes herself before the emotions caused by the bond take away her will power. Jasper looks
instantly lost without her in his arms, and then questions what she said almost in afterthought. A sense of confusion sweeping
over his expression.
"Luna?" He utters, his gaze coming back to settle on me.

Of course, he doesn't know, and he won't yet have time to rifle through Carmen's memories to pinpoint everything he doesn't yet
understand. It's only just happened, and it takes time to really sink in and open the cavern of things from another mind.
"Me. I'm Luna Santo, Colton Santo's mate and mother of our fractured pack." I stand up on unsteady legs, leaning on Meds for
support and smile his way with a soft hint of pride. Jasper's eyes completely burn to instant amber fire, his sweet expression
dropping to furious glaring and a growl erupts from his throat, aggression on full show.
"Fucking Santo!!!! Are you fucking kidding me?" the swift change from smooth and steady reliable Jasper, to instantly enraged
and crazed makes me jump and step away in shock. His whole aura turning deadly and he seems to grow with sudden
intimidation, a warrior showing face that I had never seen on him. The air crackles with electricity and I get a taste of my brother's
ingrained hatred and pain in one suffocating blow.
So I guess I should have seen this coming, given the fact Santos slayed everyone he loved and all this time his despisal has
clearly grown. I never gave it a second thought that he wouldn't know all the ins and outs, but how could he? He has only just
found me.
"I'm a Santo too." Carmen meekly utters the words and Jasper spins furiously towards her with a piercing gaze. Seemingly
searching his memories for the truth of her words, his eyes widening, shaking his head with venom as disgust takes over his
expression.
"No..... this isn't fucking happening. You? ... Fucking you!!!" he spins back on me, accusation heavy in his knife sharp words.
"The Santos killed everyone, Lorey... our whole family. Our parents. Our entire pack! They took everyone we loved. They caused
this. You can't get in bed with the one pack I aim to destroy. I swore on my life that I wouldn't rest until I took every Santo from
this earth and made them suffer." His fury overtakes his gentle demeanor of a moment ago, a side to him I've never seen, and
I'm fueled by his own pulsating rage. It feeds my own internal temper and my need to protect my people engulfs me. Forgetting
what he is to me when faced with this kind of intent on my pack.
"They are not all like Juan Santo... not all wolves are to blame for what he did. The Santos are MY pack, my people...I won't let
you do anything to them, I won't stand aside and let you try. Your mate is Santo... does that not tell you what the fates want? Are
you going to deny that and destroy her along with them. Cast aside your own sister and cause more sorrow in our lives?" Tears
mist my eyes, but my anger holds them at bay, spitting at him in fury. The Luna in me showing face and I march to him, squaring
up, eyes glowing brightly and warn him with the snarl in my tone. I will protect my people at all costs, even against my own
brother if that's what it takes. Jaspers aimed look of rage is thrown to Carmen for a fleeting moment and then back at me, a new
wave of something in the depths. A coldness enveloping him that reminds me of Darrius, and I flinch.

"They deserve to die, even if the war stops. There's a debt to be repaid and it's only in the form of Santo blood.... no matter
whose that is or what it does to me in the end." He casts a look Carmen's way again, loaded with meaning and I catch her
crumbling despair and her lip tremble as she realizes what he means.
In one second, he was her forever... in the next he's swearing to cut down not only her entire pack, but her too, even if it kills
them both. His hatred runs deeper than love can reach and in one sentence he rejects the bond and makes it clear that she is no
mate that he will ever accept. I lose my temper and I fly at him, seeing red and hating his arrogance, smacking him in the chest
with meaning and send him reeling backwards. Seemingly my gifts are still strong.
"I'm Santo... so if you want to maim and kill and rebalance the debt with Santo blood, you will have to go through me. Those are
MY pack and in the absence of MY mate.... I'm their queen and I will die to protect them. Every. Last. One. I won't cower
because my brother dares to stand against them, I'm clear on where my loyalty lies and it's not in revenge and misguided hate."
My venom outshines him, my intent clear. Heart hammering in my chest and trembling all over with adrenalin until my limbs feel
unsteady, but I stand my ground.
He stands where he was, unmoved yet not as fierce as before. Eyes locked on mine, amber to my red, claws elongated in both
of our human hands. We both pant in heavy breaths, neither willing to back down or relent, stubborn and headstrong and
matched in aggression.
Leyanne walks between the two of us in a rather casual manner, pushing him back a step so she can regain some space.
"You both have a common goal and she's right... Santo is a blood line, not a collective of guilty wolves. The ones you want, are
the same ones your sister has not dismissed yet. Their time will come, and you can rid the world of Juan Santo and his minions
together... this is not the way. The sins of few should not be carried by the many.... Santo is not a dirty word, Jasper." Leyanne is
the voice of reason and her tone is patient, as though explaining to a child. Wisdom and maturity shining through and for a
second, I forget I don't trust her and find a new appreciation for her. Jasper throws an angry stare at Carmen, unable to stop
himself being drawn to her at every opportunity and I see the war ravaging his heart. He turns to me after a hesitated pause, and
spits his last words, ignoring Leyanne completely.
"I'll never mate with a Santo.... Not even ordained by the fates. Don't stand in my way, Lorey. No matter what happens with the
war, my goal has always been to return to the Santo lands and finish what was started. I've been biding my time and if I have to
take down my mate and end myself in the process of scourging the earth of their kind, so be it. I promise you; I'll die avenging
our family." Jasper turns on his heel and stalks back to the car, atmosphere thick with his words, sadness growing in Carmen's
heart and choking me in proximity.

Without looking back, he storms in and slams the door, so it echoes in the air and causes instant cold silence. Within seconds
both cars move off, seemingly done with this and our presence. No hesitation, no minutes to cool down and rethink this. I'm sure
Darrius sees this as the best outcome given how little he gave a shit about the imprinting.
I know it's for the best, given the change in what just went down but part of me is incensed that he just walked off and left us here
like this. Ten years, a shitty ten-minute reunion and it all goes to hell when the word Santo is brought up. My brother just up and
left, after telling me how happy he was to find me alive. Well screw him and his damned vengeance.
Carmen crumbles behind me with his departure, the tears falling and the flood gates opening. Pulling all attention of us three
other remaining women to her pitiful state as she sits abruptly on the ground and my heart breaks instantly. Even Meds is moved
to go to her and cradles her frail figure in her arms as she weeps and buries her face in her palms.
"I should have known this was too good to be true." she blubs out, wiping her face and trying to regain the cold composure yet
failing. She's too deeply broken by this and I can sympathize. Imprinting is a whole other level of despair when your mate rejects
you. I've lived it and I hate that on top of everything this girl has gone through, she now relives some of my darkest days. Maybe
she's right and the fates are punishing her because I cannot get my head around why the hell things like this would keep being
thrown her way.
"What now?" I blanche at Leyanne, so overwrought and done with all this shit and just waiting on the next major thing to be
tossed at me. I'm sick of all the misery and chaos and I need answers. I need a plan to fix some of this crap and get back on top
of things. I don't even want to digest the fact my brother is alive and just made me his sworn enemy.
"We follow the plan...we have a fog to stop and then.... we might have a different kind of battle to intervene in." She shrugs, still
infuriatingly indifferent and I wonder if this witch has a heart at all. She really doesn't seem all too invested in anything.
"It's a long journey. I know a lot just happened here, but we need to move." Meadow cuts in, bringing reality back to the mess left
behind from their departure and I glance over Carmen as she pulls herself together with speed. Swallowing her tears, sitting
herself upright. Pasting on that face we all see often, the cold attitude, the air of not caring. The mask engages and the wall is
erected faster than I could have managed it. She always leaves me in awe.
"I'm fine.... This is how it goes.... I should have expected it. I would be a shitty mate anyway, I'm way too selfish." She bites her
bottom lip to curb its tremble. Pushes Meadow's hands away, yanks herself up and walks off to the truck, getting in and moving
straight back to the rear out of sight and making it clear she wants to be alone. Meadow and I exchange worried glances and
sigh in unison. A look of sympathy mirrored in us both and I genuinely want to cry for her.

The girl needs some kind of a break. Having your imprinted mate reject you is the worst feeling in the world. Her pain right now
has to be up there with the top ten of all awful things that's ever happened to her. Even beside her mom's death.
"If these things were easy and straightforward there would be no effort in putting things to rights." Leyanne jovially sing songs in
that heavy Celtic brogue with a way too jolly smile and I think she might actually be some sort of sadist who thrives on the hurt
and pain of others. She certainly has no qualms about behaving rudely and giving the wrong responses to emotional moments.
"This is going to be a long drive." Meadow sighs and gestures me into the truck where I too head to the back meekly, to check on
my femme. I see Carmen has curled up tight on one of the beds and is facing away from me. Her body language screaming to
be left alone but I can tell by the subtle shoulder movements that she's crying silently. I feel helpless and my heart aches for her,
my instincts are to console her, but I know I can't. Her character, her aura, her entire self-preservation system is telling me to stay
away and not disturb her. She wouldn't thank me right now for any kind of consoling.
I've been here. I know the pain of denying the bond and the agony of being parted right from the initial impact of it. She needs
time to process and so do I. My head's a mess and I think I also need some quiet time to think.
In twelve hours, I've found out that I'm pregnant with twins, my brother lives, my father is freaking vampire royalty and my entire
existence was a lie. My brother is on a vendetta to take down everyone I love and thus wounding me the same way the Santos
did a decade ago. Somehow, in the midst of all that, I'm the key to stop it all. All while my mate is in some enchanted state of
zombie and looking to strike me down if he gets to me before I break the spell.
I have to get back and free my mate in the hopes he knows what to do, because I sure don't anymore. It's all too much. Maybe
Colton has a plan to deal with Jasper, when he finally shows up to exact revenge on the wolves I consider my family now. I only
hope that all of this comes together and makes some kind of sense, because the fates have to know what they're doing, or else,
we're all screwed.