Mate or Fate

by J. L. Berry

  Elijah unhooked Autumn’s legs from around his waist and lifted one of them over his shoulder. Thank goddess she’s flexible. Autumn’s eyes closed in bliss as she felt him hit deeper inside her. “Yes...”

  Elijah picked up the pace as he felt her walls tighten around him. Her nails dug into his back as his teeth sank into her neck for the second time that day. Her world shattered as she came and her bond with Elijah took over every cell in her body. He filled all her senses as he came deep inside her moments later, his warm seed coating her walls. Nothing could compare to that feeling in that exact moment. They remained wrapped up in each other as their heart rates slowed. Elijah let Autumn’s leg slip down into a more natural position as he rolled them sideways.

  “That was...”

  “Just the beginning.”

  Acknowledgements

  Firstly thank you dear reader for choosing this story. This book is my first ever novel and I never thought I’d be brave enough to not only write and complete it but also to release it out into the world. I hope you enjoyed the story of the Lunar Forest pack and I’d love for you to write a review so I can hear your feedback.

  Secondly I have to thank my amazing beta readers (Kat, Kaitlyn, Cassie, Angela, Natalie and Tasha) who gave me great advice and support during the later stages. Your opinions and help meant more to me than I can possibly say and I am incredibly grateful to you all.

  Lastly, I am thankful for all the amazing authors who produce stories that I love. Reading has been my lifelong passion and until now I didn’t truly grasp the level of imagination, humour and dedication it takes to complete a book. I have great respect for you all and this vocation which brings so much joy to everyone across the world.

  I have been inspired to tell the story of Alpha Santos and what happened to the wolves sold on the black market so please watch out for a spin off from this story soon! Meanwhile carry on reading for a taste of my next book Tipping Pointe.

  For updates please feel free to join my page:

  https://www.facebook.com/JL-Berrys-Bibliophile-Book-Club-107200767308532

  Coming Soon

  Tipping Pointe

  Viola Lark like many young girls had always dreamed of being a ballerina. Unlike many young girls she is completely dedicated to her goal. Even when tragedy takes her father away she does not waver until an unlikely bully gets under her skin sowing seeds of self doubt which start her on a dark path of self destruction.

  Desperate to save Viola from herself, her mother sends her to Davenport Behavioural Centre, known to the residents as Delinquent Boot Camp, for her senior year. DBC is full of problem kids from all over the world, arsonists, addicts, thieves, they’re all welcome.

  When faced with a group of boys with bigger issues than herself Viola finds her tipping point. They don’t think she belongs there; she’s not twisted enough to deserve a place surrounded by the most depraved of the rich. But will she stumble and fall like a forgotten member of the chorus or find the strength to stand en pointe as their leading lady for the second act.

  This book is a bully reverse harem addressing a variety of issues including eating disorders, substance abuse, crime and sexual fantasies which may cause triggers for some readers.

  Chapter 1: Viola

  My mother stares at me from across the dining table. Her eyes full of disappointment.

  “Just eat it Viola. There’s barely any food on your plate.”

  I look down at my plate. There’s half a grilled chicken breast with a tablespoon of steamed green vegetables left sitting there. Now any normal person would agree with her, it’s not a lot of food and it’s also an incredibly healthy meal. What she’s asking is not unreasonable. There’s just one small problem.

  I’m too fat.

  Every single calorie I eat keeps me from meeting my goal. I’ve been taking dance lessons for as long as I can remember and I’m all set to apply to dance schools next year. Now I know what you’re thinking. Dancers burn an insane amount of calories and if I don’t eat then I won’t have the energy to dance. But I’m not planning on doing this forever, just long enough to get my percentage body fat down and make me light enough that my pas de deux partner doesn’t get a hernia whenever he lifts me.

  The food in front of me has long gone cold as I sit across from my mother, at an impasse. As she’s staring at me it’s like looking in a mirror to my future. Her golden honey coloured hair is styled perfectly in a sleek chignon accentuating her slender neck while her crisp white fitted top pops against her tanned skin after a summer of sunbathing. The only difference between us is our eyes. My mother’s eyes are a rich cornflower blue where as my hazel eyes take after my father and vary with the light.

  Marie McArthur may be ready to turn forty but she can easily pass for early thirties. My mother is one of those frustrating women with beauty as well as talent, she only retired her position as second chair violin with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra when she remarried six months ago and no longer needed to work. Speaking of step-fathers. The grandfather clock in the front hallway chimes nine O’clock and right on schedule my step-father crosses the threshold into his home.

  “Marie, I’m home,” he calls out to my mother.

  “In here Vincent.”

  My new step-father makes his way through the ground floor towards us in the dining room. He pauses in the doorway arching a dark eyebrow as his shrewd brown eyes quickly scan the room before clearing his throat, “Not this again.”

  He loosens his tie and removes his suit jacket before kissing my mother on the top of her head. Vincent McArthur just celebrated his fiftieth birthday but is in great shape for his age. He’s remained slim thanks to a vigorous exercise programme with his personal trainer and he is the epitome of a well groomed modern man. His brown hair is peppered with grey but this only adds to his distinguished top-class corporate lawyer persona and speaks of experience rather than age. Like the powerful man he is he takes his seat at the head of the table as our housekeeper enters with his meal and places it in front of him. “Thank you Bertha.”

  As he eats his meal I cringe. The scrape of the cutlery on the plate. The sound of his chewing. It turns my stomach listening to it. I can feel the bile starting to rise in my throat as sweat beads on my forehead. I try to fight it, honestly I do. It’s not like I want to vomit up the little bit of food I’ve eaten like some long-haired cat clearing a fur ball. I just can’t help it.

  I force my chair backward with a jerk, the legs scraping on the hardwood floor as I launch myself towards the bathroom.

  “Viola, don’t you dare!” I hear my mother crying after me hot on my heels. I reach the downstairs washroom and fling the door open with a bang surging forward to lift the lid on the toilet. My mother enters right as I heave up the meagre contents of my dinner. My abdomen contracts again and again expelling everything it possibly can as I cling to the bowl of the toilet. When it finally stops I slump back on my legs, my face and chest are covered in sweat from the exertion and the acid taste burns my mouth. I close my eyes to take deep breaths, not wanting to see the look on my mother’s face just yet. The disappointment is becoming all too familiar.

  Gripping onto the counter I drag myself up and wash my face in the sink, spooning clean water into my mouth to get rid of the foul acid coating my teeth and tongue. That’s how she found out you know. It wasn’t the weight loss or the visits to the bathroom after meals that gave me away, I was careful. It was my god damn dentist. Turns out when you vomit routinely the acid really does a number on your enamel. One routine dentist check-up and I was narked on to my now extremely over-protective mother.

  I look up into the large gilded mirror over the sink and see her reflection in the doorway. The unshed tears in her eyes only make them seem bluer as she struggles to contain them.

  “I don’t know what else I can do here Viola.”

  “You don’t need to do anything Mom I’m fine. If you’d let me leave the table when I asked then this wouldn’t have happene
d,” I retaliate defensively.

  “Don’t you lie to me,” she hisses, “If I’d let you go you’d have only gone to purge in private.”

  She’s probably right although I won’t admit it. I know it isn’t fair to blame her but she just can’t see that I have everything under control. She’s done what any good parent would and sent me to therapy to try and resolve my problems. She even got me a nutritionist when she found out I was worried about my body. Now, I did as she asked and went to my sessions, I even took the nutritionists advice about what foods I should be eating. But it didn’t fix the problem. I’m still too fat and I don’t have time to lose weight the way they want me to. My way is definitely the best way. They would never have known if it wasn’t for the stupid dentist.

  “Hey Mom, everything ok?” My step-brother Daniel pads down the hall towards us. He must have been in the gaming room after dinner and heard us talking. Daniel is the same age as me and a spitting image of his father, fairly tall, slim with rich brown hair and eyes and a golden tan which makes his teeth glow when he smiles. His classic good looks are a fantastic mask for his sadistic personality. He lost his own mother when he was three and took to calling my mother ‘Mom’ as soon as she married his father. He treats her like a goddess. The same cannot be said for me.

  “Yes Daniel, nothing for you to worry about,” she reassures him. He spies me in the bathroom and the unflushed vomit in the toilet. His lip twitches at the corner in response.

  “Viola, please tell me you’re not doing this to our Mom again?” He admonishes with the perfect level of concern yet chastisement. A small sob escapes my mother’s lips with his statement.

  “You’re such a good son, to care about us both so much already.”

  “Of course I care,” he smiles down at her warmly and brings her close to wrap his arms around her. My mother sobs quietly into Daniel’s chest as he catches my eye in the mirror. He smirks in triumph, his brown eyes hardening with malice. He’s driving a wedge between me and my mother and rejoicing in his success. Well the joke’s going to be on him when I get accepted into the top dance schools next year. “I just worry that Viola’s going to end up injuring herself more seriously if she continues dancing without the sustenance her body needs.”

  That little shit.

  Not only does he want to take my mother away from me, but now he wants my entire future? Not gonna happen. I scowl at him in the mirror only for my mother to turn in that moment and see my reaction. “Viola, don’t take your issues out on poor Daniel. He’s only trying to help and to be honest he’s got a valid point.”

  “What?”

  “You shouldn’t be dancing when you’re leaving your body open to injury. You could ruin your whole future. I’m cancelling all of your classes until you sort yourself out, no arguments!”

  “You can’t do that,” I splutter in shock. I whirl round to face my mother but she’s already turned on her heel and headed back towards the dining room.

  “Oh dear. Whatever will you do now?” Daniel mocks me with glee on his devilishly handsome face.

  “Bite me!”

  “Oh I bet you would like that,” he stalks towards me crowding me in against the countertop with an arm either side. “A dirty girl like you loves some pain with her pleasure. And there’s so much flesh to bite isn’t there fatty?” His hands pinch hard enough to bruise at my hips and ass causing me to cry out in pain as I slap his hands away.

  “One day she’s gonna see right through you,” I threaten. Daniel just laughs gently in my ear as he closes in further.

  “You’ll be long gone by then, sister.” He nips my earlobe with his teeth making me hiss from the sharp sting before leaning to the side and flushing the toilet. He whistles merrily as he jauntily walks back down the hall to the gaming room leaving me shaking and alone.