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

"Understood." With a deep inhale, he understands what I am asking of him. I don't want the beta to take one step back on this pack lands...if he dies, then so be it.

"Ozborne, before you go...Luna Cleo and I need to go off site in a few days time...any trouble makers within the pack? I don't want to come back to anarchy."

"As long as you can secure the pack's future and safety, then they will be yours to command." He offers out before leaving the office.

I like him already, he doesn't sugar coat things...he reminds me a lot of my friend Colt, who Callie and I own the beach club with.

I couldn't have a beta around that had spent his life in servitude to another alpha, one that I had just killed and taken over the pack of.

"Jace, about Zane." Cleo shifts next to me.

"You want me to let him pack his bags and walk off into the sunset? Because he'll only go find Medea."

"Actually no, I think you need to see something."

I follow Cleo as she moves out of the house, my eyes taking in her figure...I could already

see how much her cleveage has changed, fuck I noticed that the night of the dinner, when everything imploded in on ourselves.

All I want to do is touch her, claim her, but I

need to remember that I need to do right by her, that I have time....we have time.

"Where are we going?"

"To the beta house." She cryptically replies, not giving me any further information.

I follow her, through the beta house front door...up the stairs, where she gently knocks on a door before a feminine voice responds.

My eyes widen to find a female chained to the bed post, who starts to kick out as Cleo gains distance.

"Freya...he chained you?" Cleo growls out in disgust.

"Cleo...who is that, what's going on." The female looks to me in fear, her body pulling in on itself...into a protective ball by the head board.

I growl out in warning when Cleo moves to break the chains holding the female...they weren't even silver, or wolfsbane soaked...just normal chains. It's as if she wanted to

remain chained to the bed.

"I heard growls, and gunshots." This female looks up at my mate as if she idolisednoveldrama

her.

"Has Zane not been in?" Cleo's eyes move to mine.

"No...why? What's going on?"

"This is Jace, my mate...he is now the new Alpha of the Amber Desert pack."

"New Alpha? I felt a change in the pack bond...is that what it is...where's Than?" I take a step closer, she seemed to have a deteriorating mind and I didn't want her too close to Cleo.

"Than's dead. I killed him, I am your new Alpha, and Cleo is my luna."

As I take another step closer I notice the signs of red marks upon the female's

arms.

"Cleo, what is going on here?" I demand out.

"Than commanded Freya here to punish herself for helping your mother and Alora to escape the pack.

She returned, only to be commanded to the point of insanity...my arrival here triggering her to harm herself again.....”

"What?"

"Than and Zane just let it happen. In fact Zane thought he was helping her." "Why are you telling me this?"

"So that you can see how deeply your mother still affects this pack. They may rise up against us Jace, but we need to be patient, we need to remain fair. They need time adapt. If we return to anarchy, then

e ta

so be it...but together we will earn their trust, we will show them that there is another way.

Your Mum and my Mum will not want much to do

with this pack Jace, we make the decisions...we help our families and friends when the time comes.

But from this moment on...this pack is our number one priority, we owe it to them. We owe them a clean slate."

I couldn't love her more if I tried, she

was glowing. She blew my mind of how strong, how forgiving she is. Yes was right, if she and I were

packalso.

having a clean slate...starting afresh, then we owed it to this