Mate or Fate

by J. L. Berry

  “You okay?” Drake whispered to Autumn, distracting her from her internal conversation with her wolf.

  Autumn focused her attention on Drake, embarrassed that she had missed the start of the ceremony. She forced herself to concentrate on the words of the councilman leading the service, all the while shutting out the sound of her wolf.

  “Today two bloodlines merge in the union of both mutual love and respect. I ask all of you present to bear witness to these young wolves as they dedicate their lives to each other. Do you swear to support them during the times ahead?”

  “By the Moon Goddess, we do,” the audience replied.

  “Drake, Autumn it is now time to say your vows.”

  Drake turned to face Autumn and took her hands in his own. Autumn’s entire body started to shake. Taking this for nerves, knowing that Autumn was generally a very private person, Drake clasped her hands more firmly and ran his thumbs over her knuckles in comfort.

  “I Drake Morgan, son of Beta Morgan of the Lunar Forest pack, pledge my life to yours. I will defend you with my honour, comfort you with my arms, love and lay beside you through all the phases of the moon. This I swear to the Moon Goddess and the wolves here present.”

  Sweat began to bead on Autumn’s brow, her skin was hot. She could feel the turmoil of her wolf who was fighting against her, begging to be heard.

  “I Autumn Grey, daughter of Alpha Grey of the Lunar Forest pack,” she began, “Pledge...” She paused, swallowing, finding it difficult to continue the words.

  Drake frowned, “Autumn?” He could see the sweat forming on her face and feel the heat of her skin in his hands. He raised the back of his hand to her forehead, “You’re burning up.”

  Autumn swayed on the spot, as if she was about to faint.

  YOU CAN’T SILENCE ME her wolf roared.

  Autumn had never been at odds with her wolf before, it was literally burning her up inside.

  I don’t understand what’s happening.

  I said no! We’re not marrying Drake.

  What?

  No!

  Why? Why are you doing this now? Everyone is here.

  So.

  So, we can’t stop now. I won’t do that to Drake.

  Have to. Not mate.

  Autumn was lost for words. She stared into Drake’s eyes, willing herself to feel that connection that had always been there before. Her wolf had to be wrong. But as she stood there, the silence stretched like a chasm between them, the sinking realisation finally setting in.

  Her wedding dress ripped into pieces and the chain of her necklace snapped from around her neck as Autumn’s wolf forced her to shift. There were cries of surprise from their guests. Drake’s expression turned to one of disbelief and desperation as he tried to understand what was happening. Autumn’s wolf bolted for the forest leaving Drake behind to call after her, “Autumn!!”

  Alpha Grey was crestfallen, he saw the diamond and sapphire necklace broken on the floor of the platform and the reality of the situation finally dawned on him. It was all his fault. He had the best of intentions but had failed at the last hurdle. He moved to Drake’s side, “I’ll go,” he told him, “I’m so sorry Drake, I failed you.”

  With that Alpha Grey shifted and ran into the forest after his daughter.

  Chapter 27:

  Elijah had located the prisoners but he didn’t get too close for fear of being discovered himself. He was banking on the fact that they wouldn’t be searching for his scent but given that he was familiar to them it was still a risk. However, it was a risk he needed to take to try and get Cole back home to his family. Elijah had located a cave around half a mile away where he dared to get a few hours sleep. He only hoped that Cole was still alive.

  While he rested his dreams were filled with thoughts of Autumn. In his dreams she teased him, she was always just out of reach. Sometimes Drake was there too, his arms around her as she looked at Elijah, a smirk on her face. Elijah would wake with a jolt, it was only then that he would realise it wasn’t real. He knew by the time he could return, Autumn would most likely have married Drake and he would be without her forever, but there was no other way to prove his worth. Honour amongst wolves has always been a highly coveted quality. The Raptors had not only broken this code they had destroyed it, and Elijah could not standby knowing the true devastation the Raptors had caused.

  Half a mile away Cole slept in his storage container alone. The solitude had slowly taken its toll since the loss of Milo. His routine continued as normal with food and water being brought at intervals and him being hosed down and used as a stud dog once a week with various women. But today was different. In the early hours of the morning Cole woke suddenly, feeling a surge of power coursing through his body. The same thing has happened three years previously when he had turned eighteen. His captors had told him at that time it represented a coming-of-age, and to their benefit it would improve his virility. Cole presumed that this second surge in power meant he had achieved another shifter milestone of sorts. Despite his malnourishment Cole felt stronger than he ever had before in his life. Energised with this fact, Cole tugged on the restraints that contained him. The silver chains prevented his wolf from shifting but he felt them give slightly for the first time.

  This is it he thought today is the day, I have to escape.

  ELIJAH ATE A MEAGRE breakfast of some berries he had scavenged from a bush together with water from a nearby stream. Something told him that today was the day he needed to act. He couldn’t say why he felt this way it was more of a pushing sensation from an invisible hand, like the Moon Goddess was asking him to move and move now. He stretched out his limbs and headed out, moving cautiously and keeping to the shadows to evade detection.

  Meanwhile Cole waited patiently; he knew he would only get one chance to escape. As normal, the door to his container opened and he was pulled outside along to the clearing in front of the guard’s station. Cole made a mental note of the guards with guns no doubt loaded with silver bullets. They were the ones he needed to watch out for. He continued to play the meek obedient prisoner trying to lull them into a false sense of security before he made his move. Beta Harrison however watched him closely. Does he know? Regardless, Cole needed to wait patiently before enacting his plan.

  Once again, Cole stood in the clearing and a pressure hose was used to rinse him clean while Cole ran his hands over his body as best he could to aid the process. Water quickly pooled around him, the ground already waterlogged due to the unseasonable wet weather they had been having. Cole’s feet were covered in mud, almost sticking him to the ground. As the water continued to pool, it started to back up eventually soaking the feet of the guard with the hose.

  “Shit!” He swore, stopping the hose and jumping backwards.

  The other guards laughed at his mistake, but Beta Harrison kept his focus on Cole. He was never normally quite this attentive, it made Cole uneasy.

  He must suspect something he concluded cursing inwardly.

  He forced himself to maintain composed.

  “Get on with it,” Beta Harrison barked.

  “Get over here,” the guard who had hosed him down instructed gesturing to Cole.

  Here goes nothing.

  Cole lifted one foot to take a step towards the guards, the mud squelching as his foot was sucked from the surface. He jerked to a halt, struggling to lift his back foot as it sank deeper into the mud along with his chain restraints. Wobbling slightly on the spot, Cole twisted as if to see why he was stuck, even trying to pull his leg free with his hands. “I’m stuck,” he called out stating the obvious.

  Beta Harrison rolled his eyes at the situation but so far didn’t seem to suspect anything amiss. “I said get on with it,” he seethed to his guards.

  Sensing his impatience the hose guard was pushed forward by the others to help Cole out of the mud. He rolled up the bottom of his trousers before making his way barefoot through the mud to Cole. The mud squelched but he didn’t seem to struggle and
Cole worried it would give him away. As the guard neared, Cole gathered all his courage ready to pounce. “I think it’s the chain,” he advised.

  Grunting the guard bent to pull the chain free from the mud. As he straightened, Cole twisted sharply looping his wrist chain around the guard’s throat, pulling upwards. The guard’s body slammed into Cole’s chest breaking the chain binding his hands to his feet. The only restraint was now the chain linking his wrists which Cole was currently using to strangle the guard.

  A maniacal laugh sounded across the muddy water-logged clearing as Beta Harrison tossed his head back and applauded. “Bravo! Well, well, looks like we’ve got ourselves an Alpha. Alpha Santos will be pleased; your offspring just got a whole lot more valuable.”

  Cole edged himself backwards dragging the guard with him. Instinctively the remaining guards moved closer waiting for the order to act.

  “What’s your plan now little Alpha, do you really think you can get away?”

  Cole needed time to think and decided his best shot was to manipulate Beta Harrison’s love of dramatics. “Don’t call me that!”

  “You don’t want to be little Alpha? Why ever not?” He teased Cole. “It’s literally in your blood. You should count yourself lucky, any of these men here would kill to feel the power you now have.” Beta Harrison sighed dramatically bringing one hand to his heart, “Sadly we mere ordinary wolves have to make do with only one.”

  Cole shot him a puzzled expression, “What do you mean?”

  Beta Harrison gasped mockingly, “You mean your Alpha father didn’t take the time to educate his son! That’s a fine example to set, good job we took you away from him.”

  Cole growled deeply tightening the chain around the guard’s throat causing him to gag.

  “Very well, let me enlighten you. Ordinary wolves like the one you’re choking are granted their true power at the age of eighteen. But the Alpha bloodline receives a second blessing from the Moon Goddess when they turn twenty-one which is when you would typically take over control of the pack from your father. It stops packs from being ruled by one wolf for too long, young blood was thought to be better to keep a pack strong.”

  “So why is Alpha Santos still in charge here? I’ve been here since I was a young boy so he’s got to be at least in his late thirties by now!”

  “Just because that’s the way it’s always been done doesn’t mean it’s the right way. Alpha Santos is stronger now than he’s ever been, so is our pack thanks to him,” Harrison barked back.

  Cole had slowly been inching his way backwards throughout their conversation trying to put as much distance between him and the guards as possible. He was now clear of the water puddle and at the edge of the grass. To his left he could see the border of the woods but it was a good three hundred yards away with no real cover to dodge behind on the way. Sensing his train of thought Beta Harrison commented, “You won’t make it, you might as well give up now.”

  “And just let you kill me,” Cole scoffed.

  Beta Harrison’s nostrils flared at the disrespect and his pupils dilated, “I would have made it quick and painless, just like I did for your little friend... But now, I think someone needs to teach you a valuable lesson about respecting your elders!”

  At the mention of Milo, Cole could feel his blood beginning to boil. His wolf was desperate to escape and seek vengeance but was restrained by the silver bound to his wrists. Cole could feel the strain within the metal as his muscles pulled against the guard still scrabbling to remove the chain from his neck. He pulled tighter causing the guard’s face to start to turn purple as he cut off his oxygen.

  “You’re going to let me walk out of here or he’s going to die.”

  Beta Harrison’s lips smiled but the smile didn’t meet his eyes as he looked Cole straight in the face,

  “There’s a fundamental flaw in your plan little Alpha,” he paused for theatrical effect. “You’re assuming I care whether he lives or dies.”

  In a split second Beta Harrison signalled to one of the guards with a gun and he raised his weapon aiming it at Cole and the choking guard.

  Chapter 28:

  Elijah watched Cole in the clearing being hosed down. Initially he felt a sense of relief knowing that he was alive, but that swiftly turned to horror as he witnessed the events unfold. It wasn’t until Cole captured one of the guards to use as a human shield that Elijah knew he had to move in. He quickly worked his way through the trees to approach the group from behind the storage containers. Everyone’s attention was on Cole, giving Elijah the freedom to assess the situation more easily. He could see a large puddle of water in front of Cole, who had now backed away towards the grass in front of the guard’s station. The remaining guards had edged forward mirroring Cole’s movements. They now stood just on the edge of the water waiting for a signal from Beta Harrison.

  Elijah counted eleven guards in total including the one captured by Cole and Beta Harrison. Harrison stood to the rear of the group clearly amused by Cole’s actions. Now he was closer Elijah could hear the conversation regarding Cole’s Alpha status. If they weren’t going to kill him before Elijah knew they would kill Cole now. No Alphas were allowed to remain in the Raptor pack, Alpha Santos would not tolerate anyone vying for his position. It was clear that Cole was trying to buy himself some time. What wasn’t clear was his plan to escape. The route to the woods to Cole’s left had no form of cover.

  He won’t make it Elijah’s wolf confirmed.

  I agree there’s too many of them let alone the fact that they have guns.

  We need a distraction.

  Elijah considered the options available, soon the guards would swarm down on Cole en masse, overwhelming and overpowering him. Beta Harrison would not want him killed so easily now that Cole had caused a scene. They would use bullets to slow Cole down rather than kill him out right. Elijah felt the need to back away from his hiding place and move to the other side of the cabins. From his new vantage point he could clearly see the generator the guards used to power their station and the outside floodlights when they were needed.

  “You’re going to let me walk out of here or he’s going to die.” Elijah heard Cole tell Beta Harrison.

  Shit. The situation was going to escalate quickly now.

  “There’s a fundamental flaw in your plan little Alpha, you’re assuming I care whether he lives or dies.”

  Move, now Elijah‘s wolf’s instincts implored him.

  Two seconds later the gun fired the bullet straight through the guard’s chest killing him instantly. Cole had twisted sideways as soon as the shot was fired but he still wasn’t fast enough and the bullet entered his right shoulder. The weight of the dead guard collapsing together with Cole’s quick movement was enough to break the chain binding Cole’s hands. With unspoken coordination, all but one of the remaining guards surged forwards to detain Cole.

  Elijah bolted forward leaping to rip the power cable travelling up the back of one of the floodlights. He tossed the end into the pool of water before sprinting to turn on the generator. As soon as the electric current passed into the water the guards were struck to the floor. The Raptors had never bothered to waste money on shoes when they needed to be able to shift in a heartbeat. That penny-pinching attitude worked in Elijah and Cole’s favour in that moment as they continued to writhe in the water. Cole, Beta Harrison and the one remaining guard looked on in horror and confusion.

  “RUN!” Yelled Elijah, breaking Cole from his stupor.

  Beta Harrison’s focus fell on Elijah then, “You! I was told you were dead.”

  While Beta Harrison was distracted Cole made a break for the trees and Elijah backtracked through the storage containers going the long way round to meet him.

  “Don’t just stand there,” Beta Harrison screamed at the remaining guard, “Get after him!”

  He gestured in the direction Cole had disappeared before shifting and commencing his own pursuit of Elijah. Harrison’s feet pounded the floor as he sk
idded between the buildings following Elijah’s scent. Elijah had the advantage of speed and agility over Beta Harrison’s bulkier wolf and he maximised this by twisting his path through all the buildings and narrow gaps before circling back on his original path to confuse him even further. The constant turns meant that Beta Harrison never got a visual of Elijah and he soon figured out he was literally being led in circles.

  You think you can fool me boy! Beta Harrison tried to force a mind-link with Elijah, who was technically still part of his pack, and distract him. Elijah smirked from the roof of one of the containers but remained silent. The game of cat and mouse was far from over and he wasn’t about to give up his lead. He tactically jumped over the rooftops landing with stealthy silence until he was as close to the tree line as possible. Here he slipped away, blending into the shadows before shifting and starting his search for Cole.

  Cole had run to the tree line and continued to put distance between himself and his previous prison, but without knowing where he was heading and with no knowledge of the area his route was random. The silver bullet was lodged in his shoulder and prevented him from shifting, but it also meant he was losing blood allowing the guard pursuing him to track him more easily. The guard had shifted and was gaining ground on Cole rapidly. Fuelled by adrenaline Cole pushed on, his path chosen by instinct as if the fates were guiding him. With no other option he placed his faith in them that the Moon Goddess would help him home.

  After around half a mile he came across a cave and the sandalwood scent of a familiar wolf. He hesitated, trying to place the scent. His brain was telling him to run as the precious seconds he paused meant the guard would be upon him in moments. He could hear his breathing closing in as his feet pounded the earth. Cole felt a pull from his wolf, the strongest sense of him he had felt in years.

  Stop.

  It was so faint Cole thought he was mistaken. He stood still, his heart pounding as his chest heaved from exertion.