Destiny's Path

by Kimberly Hunter

  “Some have actually killed their Mates, experiencing a mating frenzy.”

  “A mating frenzy?” she repeated.

  “It’s not something that’s openly discussed. In fact, it’s one of the few parts of our nature that we find shameful and abhorrent.”

  “I can see why.” She nodded with wide eyes.

  “There’s not much in this world I fear, but just the idea of turning feral while making love to you makes my blood run cold.” He gathered her close, praying fervently that it never happened, no matter how crazed with lust she made him.

  “You could never hurt me, Flynn,” she told him with firm belief.

  “But…” he started to say.

  “No, listen to me.” She made him look her in the eyes. “I pushed you over the edge tonight. I gloried in it, and yes, you were rough, but that’s all.”

  “I marked you.”

  “And I marked you, so we’re even.” She pointed to his back and neck.

  In surprise, he reached around and felt the small scratches, then felt the bite mark on his neck. He could even feel a little wetness from a couple of the scratches and knew the bite mark would leave a dark bruise. It was a bit of a thrill to know his True Mate could give as well as she got.

  “So you see, even after being pushed past your limit, you didn’t turn feral.” She smiled playfully. “Just carried away.”

  “You just keep surprising me.” He grinned, shaking his head ruefully.

  “Wouldn’t want to bore you.”

  He gathered her close and hugged her tight. “Never that, love, never that.”

  She returned the hug, letting out a deep sigh as they sat there enjoying each other.

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower.” Sasha threw back the covers.

  “And after that workout you just put me through, I could use some food.”

  “Food sounds great.”

  “Good.” He headed for the door. “I’ll gather our supplies, and you go shower.”

  “Uh, Flynn.” She stopped him before he got out the door.

  “Yes?”

  “You going to the kitchen like that?”

  He laughed. “Don’t worry, everyone is asleep. Besides, it won’t be the first time I’ve raided the kitchen in the buff.” He winked and left.

  ***

  She shook her head. The Lupus and their casual nudity.

  Bounding out of bed, she went to bathroom and started the water. When she saw steam rising from the stall, she adjusted the temp and stepped in.

  “Ah, that feels great,” she sighed.

  After her transformation and a bout of marathon sex, she really needed this, though she didn’t feel tired or drained. In fact, she felt rather energized. Like she had just woken up from a long restful sleep.

  Maybe she should talk to Flynn about that. He wasn’t the Pack’s main doctor for nothing. After all she had been through that day, she should be dead on her feet. But then again, her energy level could be the byproduct of her transformation. There was an eight-hundred-year-old Lupus virus floating around in her veins.

  That settled, she relaxed farther under the hot spray, letting her mind and body be soothed by the cascading water. It felt great to be by herself for a few minutes. What with all that’d been happening to her for the past several days, she needed this alone time. And Lord knew she’d had none since all this began. But now that she was able to think without an audience, her new life seemed more natural to her than her old one. Like she belonged here and always had. She didn’t think she could go back to her old life, not that she would want to. But truth be told, for as long as she could remember, she’d never fit in anywhere. Even in her own family. It was like she was disconnected somehow from everything and everyone around her. And now she felt like everything fit. Like she was home.

  But Jenna was still out there, plotting and planning. She was the only problem. The one fly in the ointment of her new life. And contrary to what Roan thought, it would eventually come down to the two of them. She felt as certain of it as knowing the sun would rise and set. She just wished she knew when and what the outcome would be.

  Finishing her wash, she rinsed off and then cut the water. She heard the bathroom door open as she was about to step out the shower stall.

  “Back with the food so soon?” she asked, opening the glass door and stepping out.

  Unfortunately the scent of the person in the room was all wrong.

  “I didn’t bring food. But I did bring this,” said the strange woman with a very large handgun pointed directly at Sasha’s head.

  Chapter Ten

  Flynn couldn’t believe he would ever be this happy, he thought as he quietly made his way to the kitchen. Nor could he believe he had finally found his True Mate. But he had, and she was real. All those lonely years of wanting someone to share his life with were over. And Sasha was perfect for him with her easy acceptance and quick wit, her humor and boundless love. She was everything he had ever wanted in a Mate and more. Then there was her delectable body. He smiled as he opened the fridge. His cock got hard as he thought about the ways he wanted to worship all those curves. And worship he would. He would bring her to screaming completion and then start all over again.

  With a plan for the rest of the night in mind and a huge grin on his face, Flynn got out meat, cheese, and a few other things for an impromptu picnic. But it was as he was going to the breadbox that he smelled something odd. Or rather someone.

  “Rhonda.” He growled, going to the back door to find it slightly ajar.

  Her scent was strong. And there was something else as well. Gun oil.

  Flynn looked up at the ceiling, one thought in mind. “Sasha.”

  He raced through the house but stopped at the foot of the stairs. Barging in on Rhonda would be dangerous. She had a gun and wasn’t afraid to use it. If he spooked her, then Sasha was sure to get shot. Then there was Jenna. She was certain to be lurking around somewhere. No, he needed backup if he was to save his Mate. And he needed to go about it quietly and quickly. The element of surprise was the only weapon he had at his disposal, and he needed to use it wisely.

  With that thought in mind, Flynn crept to Roan’s room, knowing between the two of them, they could save Sasha and eliminate any who threatened her.

  ***

  The woman was taller than Sasha, slender, with ash blond hair and the coldest blue eyes Sasha had ever seen. Jenna bore a striking resemblance. These two looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. Oh, and of course the woman had to be naked. Must have changed before arriving here, Sasha thought. Though how she managed that feat was a question Sasha was going to get an answer to.

  “Rhonda, is it?” Sasha already knew who she was but wanted to appear ignorant. Wouldn’t do to tip her hand this early in the game.

  “You know my name?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Jenna looks a lot like you.” Sasha shrugged casually.

  Oddly, she didn’t fear this woman. Even though Rhonda had an impressive weapon aimed at her, she wasn’t scared at all. She was worried about Flynn, though. If Rhonda was here, then where was Flynn? And where was Jenna?

  “Lupus genetics at its best.” Rhonda snickered. “Though with the smell of sex on the air, I’d say you know all about that. At least the basics.” She laughed at her own joke.

  “What do you want, Rhonda?”

  That brought her up short. Sasha guessed that Rhonda didn’t think she would want her to get to the point so quickly. Hmm, that could work to her advantage. Keep Rhonda off guard enough to get close and relieve her of that gun. Tricky at best, but the only plan Sasha had.

  Rhonda recovered and looked hard at Sasha. “What do I want? Why, you and this entire family dead so my Jenna can rule the Pack like she was always meant to.”

  Yep, she was nuts.

  “Jenna, rule?” Sasha snorted. “Do you honestly think after all she has done, and you for that matter, the entire Pack will let you both li
ve, let alone allow Jenna to rule?” She laughed outright at that. “I think not.”

  Rhonda’s blue eyes started to glow. Sasha could feel the anger and resentment there. She was powerful—Sasha would give her that—but she wasn’t an Alpha. Sasha was, and there was absolutely no way she was going to let this crazed bitch hurt her family.

  “All of this wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t come along,” Rhonda spat. “Jenna just needed more time with Flynn, more time to win him over. Then they would have been Mated, and my Jenna would be second in command.”

  Crazy and delusional, what a combo.

  She cocked the gun and pointed it at Sasha’s head. “But you ruined everything, and now all of you have to die.” She gave an evil grin. “Only you will be the first to go. Flynn, of course, will go slowly after you. That’s what happens, you know, when a True Mate dies. The other feels their Mate slipping away, can even feel it when their heart stops. But he won’t follow you immediately, oh no. Once you’re dead and the bond is broken, he’ll be crazed at first, out of his head with grief. His system will shut down, one organ at a time, until his heart stops beating.”

  Sasha wanted to throw up. It also made her mad. Totally pissed that this lunatic could delight in their demise.

  “But don’t worry about the others. We’ll make sure they go quickly. A couple of shots to the base of the head to sever the spine should do the trick.” She spoke casually, like it was not a problem.

  That was what finally made Sasha snap. Her blood was already boiling about Flynn, but hearing Rhonda talk so casually about killing her new family in cold blood pushed her over the edge.

  “Do anything to harm me or mine, and I’ll make you sorry to be alive.” Sasha growled.

  She could feel power flooding her system, anger and the need to protect her family from this threat fueling it. She could see her eyes in the far mirror glowing so brightly with blue-green flames that the room was lit up. She could also see the first sign of fear and a dawning realization come into Rhonda’s eyes.

  The gun wavered in her hand, almost like she was shaking but tried to control it. “But you… you couldn’t have…” she stammered.

  Sasha slowly walked toward Rhonda, her power surrounding her like a shield. “I could and have.”

  When Sasha reached her, Rhonda was shaking so badly from shock she could hardly keep hold of the gun. Surprise was a wonderful tool when used at the right time.

  “How?” She whispered with fear. “You weren’t supposed to survive the First Transformation.”

  Sasha took the gun easily out of her hand. “I have a lot to live for. I’m also an Alpha. I’m told that makes a great difference.”

  Rhonda gasped in disbelief, shaking her head. “No, no, you can’t be. Jenna is Alpha. She’s…”

  Sasha never let her finish, just tossed the gun in the nearby sink, then grabbed Rhonda around the throat and slammed her into the nearest wall. Just like Sasha did to the woman’s daughter.

  “I am Alpha of this Pack, make no mistake,” Sasha snarled, squeezing Rhonda’s throat to get her point across. “Now where is Jenna?”

  Rhonda tried to shake her head no, that she wasn’t going to tell Sasha. But Sasha had had enough of all this crap being heaped on her shoulders. And she had to admit that all her anger at not having a choice, of being put in this position in the first place, kind of fueled her fury as well.

  “I’ll ask you again, where is Jenna?” She growled.

  Rhonda tried to break free, squirming and moving. So Sasha helped her by throwing her across the room and into the shower stall. She knew the sound of glass shattering probably woke everyone, but she really didn’t care. She wanted Jenna, and Rhonda was going to tell her, or she was going to regret it.

  Sasha heard everyone before she saw them, Flynn in the lead. Rhonda was trying to pick herself up out of the broken stall, shards of glass all around her. She was pretty cut up and bleeding, but that wasn’t about to stop Sasha. She had been pushed past her limit. Way past.

  “Jesus!” Flynn exclaimed, seeing the destruction and Rhonda’s bleeding form.

  Sasha was standing in the middle of the room, her power and anger whipping around her, waiting for Rhonda to get up. They weren’t done yet. Not by any means.

  “Oh my God!” Charlie gasped when she too saw what was happening.

  The last thing Sasha needed was an audience. “I want everyone but Flynn and Roan to leave the room,” she growled with her back turned to them. When she didn’t hear feet moving, she turned and let them know she meant business. “Now!” she roared, and they all left. Rather quickly.

  That definitely made an impact. Of course, the glowing eyes and power-fueled anger helped.

  “What’s going on, Sasha?” Roan’s voice was even as he remained a safe distance from them.

  “Rhonda broke into the house and threatened to kill everyone in their beds,” she explained, seeing Rhonda get unsteadily to her feet, blood pouring from a gash on her forehead. “But not before she killed me first so she and Jenna could watch Flynn”—she paused for a second, seeing red and making a move toward Rhonda—”die slowly.”

  “Sweetheart, I’m all right,” Flynn assured in a soothing voice. “I was on my way back when I smelled trouble, though I didn’t think Rhonda would be this bold.”

  Sasha nodded but kept her eyes on Rhonda, who was swaying slightly.

  “Yes, so it begs the question, how did she get in here?” Roan’s voice sounded curious.

  “I was trying to find out when she got stupid and clammed up.”

  “Ah, the crash I heard,” Roan surmised with pride in his voice.

  “I won’t tell any…of you anything,” Rhonda snarled. She was trembling visibly with pain and not a little fear.

  “You got part of that right,” Flynn growled, his tone angry.

  “What do you mean?” Rhonda looked apprehensive with the question. As well she should be.

  “Well, even though Roan is your Alpha, you didn’t attack him. You attacked Sasha. And you, of all Lupa, know the consequences of attacking a female Alpha.”

  “I didn’t attack you for the Alpha position.” She looked at Sasha with fear.

  “No, you attacked for the sake of your daughter, who should be the one with enough guts to do the job herself and not let her mommy do it for her,” Sasha sneered.

  “Exactly,” Roan agreed. “So, you see, Rhonda, you have two choices. Submit or die.”

  She laughed, coughing up blood. “Don’t give me that shit, Roan. I know I’m dead, so why should I tell you anything?”

  Sasha stepped up to her, minding the broken glass, and looked her dead in the eye. “Because if you don’t, I’ll make you wish for death long before you have it.”

  She meant every word she told Rhonda. She wasn’t a violent person. She had only been in one fight in her entire life, but she wasn’t that same person anymore. She wasn’t Sasha Edwards, mild-mannered Southern girl, the pushover her family continued to use and abuse and working a dead-end job she hated. Oh, no. She was Sasha LeGuer, True Mate to Flynn LeGuer, and Alpha, and she was going to protect her Pack and her True Mate at all costs. Rhonda apparently believed Sasha, because her eyes widened with shock, the smell of her fear a palpable thing in the room before her shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “Where is Jenna, and how did you get into the house?” Sasha asked again with steely authority.

  Rhonda took a deep, rattling breath. “There’s a tunnel, probably part of an old mine, which leads under the house to the main barn. Jenna was to wait forty minutes, then follow. After everyone was dead, we were going to set the place on fire and burn the evidence.”

  “You were going to do her dirty work so she could reap the benefits?” Sasha roared, grabbing Rhonda by the throat again.

  “Sasha!” Flynn shouted.

  “No, Flynn, this is what she was meant to do, who she was meant to be. Let her finish it,” Roan said.

  Sasha didn’t turn
to see Flynn’s response, but felt that he eventually agreed with Roan. Though reluctantly.

  “She’s my daughter,” Rhonda choked out, like that was good enough to justify murder.

  “Your daughter won’t live long enough to enjoy her plan,” Sasha promised. “And you won’t either if you don’t leave now. As of this moment, you are banished from the Pack. If you return, you will be dealt with accordingly. Understood?” She then threw the sorry excuse for a Lupa to the floor in disgust.

  “But, you can’t. The Pack is my home!”

  “You gave up your right to be a part of this Pack when you helped your daughter and attempted to murder my family and True Mate in cold blood. You don’t deserve to be a Pack member or even a Lupa, for that matter.” Sasha glared. “You have until dawn.”

  Sasha had barely turned to go to Flynn when she heard a growl of rage behind her.

  “No!” Flynn and Roan shouted at the same time, seeing Rhonda leap at Sasha with a piece of glass in her hand, aimed at Sasha’s back. But Sasha was already in motion, catching Rhonda’s hand with the glass in it and wrapping her fingers around Rhonda’s throat again.

  “I won’t leave my family. I won’t leave my Pack,” Rhonda snarled, struggling to stab Sasha with the glass.

  Squeezing the hand with the glass in it tighter to prevent getting stabbed, Sasha looked into Rhonda’s mad eyes and saw that the woman would never stop, would never back down. She would choose death over banishment.

  “So be it.” Then snapped Rhonda’s neck like a twig and let her lifeless body slump to the floor.

  Sasha wasn’t sure what she felt right then; she was pretty much numb. Later, when all the excitement died down, she’d let her mind go back over these moments. She doubted she’d feel remorse for killing Rhonda. I. The woman had been a threat.

  Flynn came up behind her, but he didn’t touch her. “Sweetheart, you okay?”

  She could feel his worry about how she was going to handle her first kill. Could feel his sympathy that she had to do it at all, and his guilt because she had already been through so much. But overall, she felt his love. His unwavering love and acceptance. She didn’t think she could have loved him more in that moment than if she had spent a lifetime with him.