Chapter 13
Fane’s paws padded angrily against the ground as he moved through the forest. She wasn’t here. He knew it with every fiber of his being and yet, because it was the last place she’d been, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. The Great Luna had said that Jacquelyn was safe, but Fane needed to see her and touch her to truly believe that. His wolf was a snarling mess as he tried to figure out what he could do to get their mate back, and when he kept coming up empty, he snarled even more.
He wandered the forest pathways aimlessly. Fane came around a large boulder and stopped short as he felt magic roll over his fur. He froze, letting only his eyes move over the area surrounding him. Something had changed. He’d felt it as surely as if he’d walked from an air conditioned building out into the summer heat. Fane didn’t see anyone but all his surroundings had changed. He could tell that he wasn’t in the same forest he’d been in only seconds before. Finally, he took several steps forward, all of his senses on high alert, probing for any threat. As he slowly turned in a circle taking in the changes in scenery, a power stronger than he’d ever felt before forced him to his knees.
His head bowed low and his fur receded, replaced by his human flesh. Fane took several shaky breathes. He hadn’t forced the change and no one in his realm, not even his Alpha, could have pushed his phase back as simply and as easily. He knew that it wouldn’t do him any good to try and retaliate against the offender. No beings but the Fates and the Great Luna had such power. And this wasn’t the Great Luna. The Fates didn’t visit mortals, even supernatural wolves such as him, on a whim. As such, Fane wasn’t about to do anything rash. He stood, his legs still wobbly, and raised his head to look at the three beings before him. They stood there pulsating from form to form―sometimes appearing as a human, sometimes as an animal, and sometimes as something else entirely.
A pair of plain, black pants, definitely not manmade, appeared in front of him. He reached for them and slipped them on, never taking his eyes off the pulsating forms before him.
“Fane Lupei, son of the Romania pack Alpha, prince to his kind, mate of Jacquelyn Lupei, soon to be father of your own heir.” The combined voices of the Fates filled the area around Fane as though surround sound speakers had been installed in the forest. As he stared at the beings that pulsated before him, he shuddered at having their undivided attention fully focused on him and naming him so thoroughly.
He bowed his head once to acknowledge them, but he didn’t ask them what they wanted. If the Fates had shown themselves to him, there was a reason and they would get around to it when they were good and ready.
“Your mate has requested an audience with us.”
Apparently they were good and ready then. His breath caught in his throat and it felt as if a sack of concrete had fallen into his stomach. Jacquelyn wanted to see the Fates? Why didn’t she tell him? Was she in some sort of danger or trouble? The questions began to pile up faster than he could begin to come up with plausible answers.
“She wishes to make it so that you had not met,” they began but as soon as the words hit his ears Fane couldn’t hear anything else.
Blood filled his ears as the beating of his heart increased to a speed and intensity that was painful. His mate was trying to change their fate. He felt as though a knife had been stabbed repeatedly into his heart and lungs and he couldn’t catch his breath. He knew Jacquelyn loved him, he could feel the intensity of that love when their bond was open, but it didn’t take away the feelings of betrayal and doubt. Whatever twisted reason she had for wanting to do something so desperate, it wasn’t because she didn’t want him or love him. Regardless, he was pissed.
“Have you granted her request?” Fane finally managed to ask the Fates still pulsating before him.
“We have not met with her. We were intrigued by such a request, but when we approached her, she had been taken by the Great Luna. We can only assume that the goddess is attempting to explain the consequences of such a request.”
“At least someone is trying to talk some sense into her,” Fane growled under his breath.
“Step forward, Fane Lupei, and we will show you what your mate is seeing so that you too will understand the ramifications of her wishes.”
“Please, Fates, hear me now. I beg of you. Do not grant her this,” Fane pleaded. He was prepared to drop to his knees and grovel if it was necessary. His foolish, foolish mate, what had she done?
“Come, mortal,” the voices said in unison.
Fane took a shaky hesitant step toward the Fates. He was apprehensive about what he would see, but there was also a sick curiosity like turning your head to stare at a terrible automobile accident on the highway. Suddenly, he felt a warmth rush over him as his knees again hit the ground and everything around him went dark.
Images began to play in his mind as he watched himself make the decision not to follow his wolf’s instincts and go to Coldspring. He wanted to roar at himself, cursing inwardly, at his inability to move or speak as he watched a nightmare unfold before him: Jacquelyn meeting Lucas Steele, going on dates with him, kissing him, and looking at him with adoration in her eyes. Fane did, however, note that there was no love in her eyes, at least not the love that she looked at him with. He watched her relationship with Lucas rip apart her friendships and then, to his surprise, he watched Jen and Sally find relationships with other wolves in the Coldspring pack. It was all wrong―so very, very wrong. Surely if this is what she was seeing with the Great Luna then she was seeing that this was not what was best. How could it be? When he got glimpses of himself he watched the darkness grow inside of him as his beast raged against the man. His wolf knew that their mate was not in Romania and still Fane refused to listen.
It was his father who finally forced the issue. As Fane watched that version of his and Jacquelyn’s story unfold, he saw that their meeting was as set as the sun rise. They were meant for each other and no matter how she attempted to change it, they would end up together. Fane realized then that there were some fates that were unavoidable. The only variable was how difficult the people involved decided to make the journey. In the reality that played like a movie in his mind, there was so much more pain and hurt because of the path they had taken to find one another. Fane had to endure seeing his mate standing beside another male, one that believed he had the right to touch her and kiss her when she in fact belonged with Fane.
He still had to fight for her, but because Lucas was more attached to her, not to mention Sally and Jen’s attached wolves, this battle was much bloodier. So many more wolves lost their lives as Fane watched the two packs tear into each other.
This was the future that could happen if the Fates granted his mate’s request. “Not in my bloody lifetime,” Fane vowed as he continued to live out the battle for his mate. As soon as the vision faded, Fane slumped forward onto his hands. His breathing was fast and shallow as if he had actually been in the fight. His muscles shook with exertion though he hadn’t actually been doing anything, and sweat ran down his back despite the cold temperature.
“Are you going to grant her request?” Fane asked through the shallow gasps. When there was no answer he slowly raised his head to find he was alone. “Figures,” he muttered. “Stick around long enough to dig in the knife but don’t bother to remove it.”
After several more minutes of attempting to re-gather his senses, Fane sat back on his haunches. He reached up with both hands and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling just a little, hoping the pain would clear the rest of his muddled thoughts. He had to get to Jacquelyn. He couldn’t let this happen. No matter what good she thought it could possibly do, it would cause more harm. It wouldn’t just affect their lives. Like a line of dominos falling as the first one was pushed, the lives of those around them would come crashing down. He truly understood the full meaning of the saying the path to hell was paved with good intentions.
“JACQUELYN!” Fane thundered through their bond. He pushed with all of his power, even drawing on his father’s power, which was something he rarely did. He was desperate. More than ever Fane needed his mate to understand just how important their destiny with each other was. He couldn’t do that if he couldn’t talk to her, see her, or touch her.
His chest restricted even tighter when he finally felt her. She was scared, devastated, and full of guilt. She wouldn’t answer him which only served to enrage his wolf.
“You cannot do this, Luna! This is not a decision you get to make for us. ANSWER ME.” Fane knew he probably looked like a mad man kneeling on the forest floor with his teeth elongated and claws stretch from his fingertips. He was barely holding it together. The sound of her voice in his mind was his undoing.
“I only wanted to take away your pain. Is that so wrong?”