Grasping Fate

Sunday, June 7th

Alessandra’s eyes snapped open as the bus jolted to a stop. She hadn’t been asleep for seven hours, had she? She wondered, blinking sleepily.

“We’re here, ma’am,” the driver called from the front.

She shook her head to clear it, standing up. She’d dozed off about ninety minutes into the trip, and now the clock at the front of the bus read 6:52 am.

She made her way down the aisle, her legs feeling weak and sore, her neck stiff from the awkward position she’d slept in.

Looking out at the deserted terminal, she breathed a sigh of relief. No one was there—no strangers, no Royal Guard, and certainly not Elijah, ready to drag her back against her will.

The fact that he’d essentially put out an all-points bulletin on her—meaning everyone would be on high alert and it had to do with the Palace—meant that if anyone saw her, even a stranger, they’d likely call the Guard.

But it also meant that he was losing his mind, and she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that, mate or not.

She stepped off the bus, thanking the driver, and felt a wave of gratitude for the terminal’s close proximity to the compound.

She’d walked through this terminal every day to catch the bus to school.

It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d walked through here with Jess to catch the bus, even though it had only been two days.

She was also lucky that everything had happened over the weekend. If it had been a weekday, she’d have been in hot water with Mrs. T. Oh, Mrs. T. That grumpy, deaf old bat. You couldn’t help but love her.

She limped back to the compound, taking the path through the trees to avoid the main road.

Each step was painful, but at least the sharp pain in her chest was starting to fade. The pain slowly receded as she emerged from the trees near the back door.

She nearly cried with joy at the thought of her bed, her worn-out pillow, and a long, hot shower. Longer than the quick four-minute showers she usually took.

Who was she kidding? She’d never felt this dirty in her life. Twigs and leaves were now part of her new look as a nearly-dead teenager.

She was shivering and felt slightly sick after all the exertion on an empty stomach.

All she wanted was pancakes, TV, a shower, and maybe three pounds of strawberry shortcake ice cream.

Her relief was short-lived, though. Her eyes widened in shock and she spun around, running deeper into the forest. She wanted to get as far away from the pack as possible.

Because there, parked on the long driveway, were about fifteen massive white Chevy Tahoes. Three of them were surrounded by heavily armed Lycanthropes.

As soon as she started running, the pain came back, not just in her stiff body and aching legs, but a sharp pain across her chest.

The pain was so intense it felt like she was being torn in two, cutting across her stomach and breasts like a white-hot knife.

She tripped and screamed before hitting the ground, clutching her chest with both hands.

The pain was unbearable. She writhed on the ground, clutching her throbbing head. Her brain felt like it was being pounded like a drum, adding to her pain.

Her lungs wouldn’t work, wouldn’t draw in oxygen. She choked and gasped, her throat closing up from the pain.

She could sense them. The lycanthropes had her surrounded as she writhed and cried out in pain, her muscles spasming uncontrollably.

“ALESSANDRA!” she heard him roar, the ground shaking with his fury. She heard the sound of bones cracking and heavy footsteps, followed by a deafening roar.

Even in his beast form, his touch brought her relief. Her windpipe opened and she gasped for air.

His huge, paw-like hands gripped her waist, pulling her against his chest as he threw himself on top of her, pinning her down so she couldn’t escape.

Alessandra sobbed into his fur, clinging to him as his angry growls filled the air.

His head lowered to her neck, his deep breaths pushing her hair aside. He licked his temporary mark with his large, warm tongue.

Alessandra felt a wave of need and desperation wash over her, her hands tightening in his fur.

The tears on her face slowly dried as her desire for him grew uncontrollable.

The fire that ignited in her stomach when he began to shift back into his human form and suck on her delicate skin made her moan softly.

His low growl sent a jolt straight to her core, making her shiver and her pussy clench in need.

“Vos,” he snarled, his eyes completely golden and shining with an intensity she’d never seen before, “numquam me relinquere.”

His canines were fully extended, but even in her haze of pleasure, Alessandra knew what was coming next. So she did the only thing her instincts told her to do.

She lay still.

And slapped him.

Hard.

***

She sat in the passenger seat of another white Tahoe. Was this the only damn car they could buy in bulk? she thought bitterly.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she stared angrily out at the woods as Elijah drove way too fast.

To say he was angry would be an understatement. He was livid.

That’s why, when he demanded that she come back with him to the Celestial Kingdom, she’d had no choice but to agree. Mrs. T didn’t want an army tearing up the compound.

She didn’t even get a chance to talk to Jess, Lizzie, or Renzo, which made her even angrier. The whole reason she’d left was to see them, and now it had all been for nothing.

Well... not entirely. She now knew who Elijah really was. He was the Captain of the Royal Guard. One of those arrogant jerks on a power trip.

Except he was the most important jerk on the biggest power trip.

It made her simultaneously more scared and slightly turned on that she’d made one of the most powerful Lycans in the hierarchy lose control.

But now was not the time to be attracted to him, especially after he’d tried to mark her in front of about fourteen army officials.

Marking was supposed to be a private, special thing, shared between mates who were starting their bond. Not an act of primitive dominance to make her submit to his will.

“You know,” he grumbled, the car vibrating slightly with his frustration, “You don’t have the right to be mad at me right now.”

Those were the first words he’d said in over two hours. They’d been driving in silence since he’d demanded she pack her things and leave the compound for good.

“You just forced me to leave everything I’ve ever loved,” she retorted, not wanting to engage in this argument, knowing it would only fuel their anger.

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought about the consequences before you decided to run away,” he snapped back, his voice deepening as he brought up her escape.

“You abducted me and expected me to play along in a game I didn’t even know existed! If anything, it was for the best! You’re clearly ashamed of me and being mated to a faery, so why not just ditch me and find someone more worthy of your time.” She tried to hide the pain her own words caused, staring out the window, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze on the back of her head.

“Alessandra, look at me,” Elijah demanded, his voice strained. Alessandra shook her head, a single tear trickling down her faintly scarred cheek. A growl ripped from his chest as he swerved the car to a stop, “Damn it, Alessandra! Just once, do as you’re told and look at me!”

She turned her head forward, but Elijah had other plans. He unbuckled their seat belts, lifted her up, and pulled her over the center console, settling her on his lap in the driver’s seat.

His warm hand gripped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“What do you want me to do, Alessandra? How am I supposed to fix this?” he growled, his elongated nails digging into her skin.

“Do what you’ve wanted to do for the last however many years since we met. You must think I’m stupid. That’s why they wiped my memory—because I met you. So go ahead and just fucking do it. I know you want to.” Alessandra spat, trying to pry his hands off her face. She didn’t want to watch him do it, afraid she might lose a piece of her soul and never get it back.

“What do you think I want to do, Alessandra? Enlighten me.” His eyes were dark with unmasked fury, and heat radiated from his body.

Her eyes widened. She couldn’t say it. Saying it might just destroy her. But... that’s what he wanted. She felt numb, her body still weak and aching from the brief torture session.

Maybe the pain would kill her this time.

“You want to reject me. You want to sever the bond and live without worry or guilt as another, more suitable woman hangs off your arm. I saw the news, I know who you are—and that being mated to me would ruin your reputation. So just do it.” Her words felt like knives, cutting her throat and tearing through her lungs. She was exposed and vulnerable. She was ready for what was to come, even though it would kill her.

One of his hands left her face, taking one of her own hands and placing it on the front of his jeans, right over his rock-hard erection.

“Does that feel like rejection to you, Alessandra?” His voice was fervent, “Does the fact that I want nothing more than to tear off every single one of your clothes and fuck you senseless in the back of this car feel like rejection?”

His hand moved between them, slowly pushing her thighs apart, “Does the fact that I want nothing more than to slowly watch you unravel, cumming all over my cock, sound like rejection to you?” His thumb pressed down on the bundle of nerves hidden in her jeans, making her buck her hips, desperate for more friction.

“Trust me, Alessandra. Rejection was never an option for us. You were always mine. Whether you want the bond or not. My mark will be on your skin, my pups will grow inside you, and you will be the love of my life unless the Goddess says otherwise.” He growled against her skin, sending more sensual vibrations to her clit, making her squirm in Elijah’s hold, trying to suppress a loud moan and biting her lip.

“Let them out, amica mea. I want to hear every little moan and gasp you make. I need to hear how much you want this—want me.” He began to slowly unbutton her jeans with one hand, the other still teasing her bundle of nerves, making her whimper in pleasure as he lightly applied pressure to the aching nub.

She closed her eyes in bliss, slowly rocking back and forth on his fingers, trying anything to generate friction.

She nearly cried when his hands pulled away, only to hear the tear of the denim as he ripped the jeans off her legs. Her thighs were now fully exposed, her bright red thong on display.

He exhaled a shaky breath, his fingers tracing her belly button and the other adjusting her on his lap so her back was to his front. His arms reached around her, one large hand spreading her creamy thighs as the other delved beneath the fabric of her pants.

The feel of the rough pad of his thumb was enough to make her mewl like a kitten, bucking against his hand as another hand traveled beneath the tattered shirt and began to grope and massage her breast.

She gasped at the mix of pain and pleasure when he pinched her nipple tightly before soothing it with his finger.

The knot was slowly building in her stomach, but she felt like... oh god, she thought. No fucking way.

“Elijah.” She tried to speak somewhat calmly, only for her voice to quiver when he ran his finger over her bundle of nerves again.

“Don’t tell me to stop, Alessandra, or I swear to the Goddess,” he snarled warningly into her neck, gently sucking.

She felt as if she were going to burst.

“No, Elijah, seriously,” She gasped when his mouth latched over the mark. Fuckkk, she actually felt like she was going to piss herself!

“I really need to pee.” She swallowed a moan that was threatening to rise.

He smirked into her neck, laughing lightly, the vibrations tickling the nerve endings in her clit.

“This is serious! You need to stop or I will actually pee all over your car!” She gasped again as she felt as if one twitch and she’d explode.

“Sweetheart, cum for me,” he murmured, giving her nipple one last flick before she shattered in his arms. Her body quivered, clenching tight, as if she were soaring on cloud nine. Then, she floated back down, collapsing into Elijah's embrace. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a sitting position on his lap, her legs cradled to the side.

“What the hell was that?” she breathed out, her voice barely above a whisper. Elijah shifted the car into gear, steering them off the shoulder and back onto the road, all while she remained nestled in his lap.

“That, my dear, was an orgasm. And trust me, they only get more intense from here,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

As the aftereffects of her... orgasm began to fade, she found her voice again. “What makes you think there will be a next time?”

“Trust me. After that, it's all you'll crave. Or more specifically, your body will start to sync with mine. Once you've let me touch you like that, your body will start to change. You'll slowly turn into a sex-crazed creature,” he chuckled, watching her eyes widen in surprise.

“Like being in heat?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Exactly. But it's constant. It's nature's way of speeding up the inevitable—us mating, marking, and reproducing. But don't worry, you'll love it,” Elijah winked, before turning his attention back to the road.