The Rejection of Fate: The High Alpha’s Chosen Mate

Solenn

My alarm cuts through the silence like a blade. I sit up and press my palms into my temples. My head thuds with every heartbeat. I shouldn't have finished that last bottle.

'At least we washed our face first,' Eva says. She’s too awake for seven in the morning.

I forced myself out of bed early for a reason. I have to leave at eleven. This is the last time I can let my wolf out for a run. Once we get to Axel’s territory, I’ll be a prisoner to my own skin. No mark means no running. If his guards catch a strange scent on their land, they’ll kill me before asking for my name.

I slide out from under the duvet. My joints pop and crack as I stretch. I throw on a robe and some slip-ons, creeping down the stairs to avoid waking my mom.

The smell of burnt grease hits me in the kitchen. I close the door to trap the stench. My dad is standing by the stove, looking defeated.

"What did you kill this time?" I ask. I grab a newspaper and fan the smoke away from the charred mess in the pan.

"I tried to make your mother an omelet," Asher sighs. He dumps the black sludge into the trash. "The phone rang. I got distracted."

He looks at my robe and the way I'm hovering by the door.

"Stay away from the east quarter if you're running," he warns. "Packs are training there. I don't want you in the middle of it."

"I'm meeting Esme," I say, heading for the glass doors.

'Are you out yet?' I link her.

'Old oak tree. With the swing,' Esme snaps back. 'You have two minutes. Then I’m gone.'

She isn't joking. Esme hates waiting. I sprint to the edge of the woods, stash my robe and shoes in the little cage hidden in the brush, and let the shift take me. It’s seamless. Bones break and reform. Fur sprouts. I shake out my coat and let Eva take the lead.

We find her in seconds. Esme’s wolf, Riven, is a sleek grey with fur that looks like hammered lead. She has cold, intimidating eyes. Eva is different. She’s a shaggy, light tan mess with eyes the color of glowing amber. People tell me they’re beautiful. I just think they look like trouble.

'You actually made it,' Esme laughs.

'You told me to move. Where are we going?'

Esme gives me a toothy wolf grin. 'Sending you off in style. We’re getting you a new piercing before you leave.'

She bolts toward the village. I curse in my head and chase after her. She’s a tank in a fight, muscular and heavy, but she’s slow. I gain on her easily.

'I don’t have room left on my ears, Esme.' I have six in each already.

'Fine. New jewelry then. Who knows if the piercers in the north are any good.'

We both have our fair share of ink. Most of mine is hidden—swirls of black across my thighs and my back. We’re "decorated," as the older females say. My dad loves it. He took me for my first one on my eighteenth birthday. Most of the pack is too conservative for tattoos, so it’s always a shock when we show up in bikinis during the summer.

I don't fight her. I’ve wanted a new nose stud for weeks.

We reach the parlor and Esme taps a paw against the glass. Zara, our usual artist, looks up and beams. She unlocks the door and tosses us two towels.

We shift back in the dim light of the shop.

"Thanks for opening early, Zara," Esme says, shivering as she wraps her towel around her.

I shift slower, feeling the ache in my muscles. Zara is on me instantly. She grabs my arm and squints at the ink on my bicep.

"Want me to touch this up before you go?" she asks.

I look at Esme. She just shrugs and takes a seat on the leather bench.

"If it won't take forever," I say. I drop onto the bench next to Esme.

Zara’s face lights up. She disappears into the back room to grab her ink and needles.

Esme crosses her legs and leans back. She watches me closely. "So. How does it feel to have the Sovereign Circle hunting you?"

"Oh, having fifteen of the deadliest wolves on the planet on my trail? It's great. Best morning ever," I say. I can't keep the bite out of my voice.

Zara walks back in, laughing. "I heard about you and the Alpha. You really don't do things by halves, do you, Solenn?"

She starts rubbing numbing cream onto my bicep. I feel the cold spread over my skin.

"Don't look at me. Blame the Fates," I mutter. I scrunch my nose as the first needle prick hits.

The tattoo is a massive tree that spans my upper back. The branches crawl down my shoulders and onto my arms. Zara is working fast, filling in the lines. Esme watches for a second before flinching and looking away. She hates needles. She couldn't even look at her own ink until the skin stopped bleeding.

"Don't you have to work?" I ask her.

Esme shakes her head. She's staring at the jewelry case now. "Not until eleven. There’s some assembly at the school. I dodged it."

I nod and close my eyes. I tune out the world and focus on the buzz of the machine. Zara is a blur. She uses her wolf speed when she works, which is the only reason I’m not sitting here all day.

"You’re really breaking every rule we have," Esme says. Her voice is airy, distant.

I open one eye. "Meaning?"

"The ranks. You're a Beta, he's an Alpha. The Sovereign Circle is going to lose their minds."

I groan. It’s a deep, vibrating sound in my chest. Zara pauses for a second, making sure I’m not in pain, then keeps going when I don't move.

"They won't kill us," I say, trying to convince myself. "They aren't that stupid."

"Probably not," Esme admits. "He’s an Alpha. And you were supposed to be our next Beta. It would be a messy war."

"Plus, our pack supplies half the doctors in the region," Zara adds without looking up. "Killing you would be a massive headache for everyone."

I’m glad I finished my other arm weeks ago. I don’t think I could handle a double session with this hangover. Eva is quiet in the back of my mind. Usually, she’d be whining about the sting, but today she’s taking it like a soldier.

"Whatever," I sigh. "I might still break the bond anyway."

Esme snaps her head toward me. Her eyes are wide. "You can’t be serious."

"I am. I told him he needs to make a choice. If he doesn't want me, fine. I’ll come back here and work. But he needs to decide before Eva gets too attached to his wolf."

Esme leans in. "Did he actually say he was going to reject you?"

I bite my lip. The memory of his voice makes my skin crawl. "Not exactly. He just went on a rant about how weak our kids would be. How they wouldn't stand a chance against other Alphas' heirs. He called the idea embarrassing."

Esme’s jaw drops. Her lip curls in total disgust. "I hate him already."

"I don't care, Esme. His words don't burn me. I was just as freaked out as he was. Our kids wouldn't fit in. That’s just the truth."

We go silent for the last twenty minutes. The only sound is the hum of the needle. When Zara finishes, she starts wiping away the excess ink and blood.

"Want gauze over the wrap?" she asks.

I hesitate. I don’t know how Axel’s pack feels about ink. If they’re as conservative as everyone says, showing up with a fresh, bleeding tattoo might not be the best first impression.

"Yeah. Cover it up," I decide.

Zara wraps my arm tight. I stand up and stretch, feeling my spine pop.

"You guys want shirts?" Zara calls out from the back as she cleans her gear.

"Please," we shout back together.

We’ve known Zara since high school. We weren't close back then, but she's the only person I trust with a needle now. She comes back and tosses us two oversized black tees. I catch mine and pull it on, letting my towel drop to the floor.

"It’s so dark out there," Zara says, looking toward the window.

"I know," Esme grumbles. "My alarm went off and I thought it was a mistake. I wanted another hour."

I try to look at the new ink on my arm, but the movement stings. I scowl and pull the sleeve down. "Thanks, Zara. I’ll send the money over."

"Don't worry about it yet. You still want that jewelry Esme told me about?"

I nod. "My current nose stud is driving me crazy."

Zara leads me to a small wooden chest and pulls out a tray. "Gold, right?"

"Always."

She picks out a tiny, delicate gold stud and holds it up. It catches the dim light of the shop.

"Perfect," I say. I can't help but smile. At least one thing is going right today.

My old piercing is a relic from a work meeting I hated. I rip the jewelry out and swap it for the new stud. It feels right.

"Send me an invoice," I say. I catch my reflection in the mirror and grin.

Zara laughs, her head falling back. "Don't worry. No freebies here."

"I wouldn't expect any." I pull her into a tight hug.

Esme hugs her too, and then we’re out the door. The air hits us, sharp and fresh.

"Pancakes?" Esme asks. She’s already looking at the diner across the street.

"Only if we take the woods back."

We sprint. I beat her to the door by two seconds, the bell jingling over our heads as I gasp for air. Lilibet looks up from the register. We went to high school together—cheer for me, dance for Esme.

"To go?" Lilibet asks.

I nod, my chest still heaving from the run.

"Chocolate chip?"

"You know it," I say.

We sit at the counter. Lilibet taps the screen, her eyes moving between us. "You two hitting the trails this morning?"

I laugh. "We’ve been up since before the birds, Lilibet."

"Always busy, Solenn," she says. She bags the food and slides it over.

"See you later." I wave over my shoulder and we head out.

Esme yawns into her arm. "I don't know how you’re so nice to everyone. It looks exhausting."

I shrug. "I was raised to be a Beta. Friends are better than enemies. It's just math."

Esme hooks her arm through mine. We’re both just wearing long t-shirts, and the morning chill bites at my bare legs. We hurry toward the tree line to hide from the growing crowd. The moment we hit the dirt path of the forest, the tension in my shoulders drops.

"Are you nervous?" Esme asks.

I tear open the bag. The scent of warm chocolate hits me, thick and sweet. This is our ritual. We used to do this with Cross every time we came home from school.

"It’s happening whether I like it or not," I say. I take a bite. "He’s taking me back to his pack. He wouldn't do that just to reject me."

"You’ll be a great Luna." Esme stuffs a pancake into her mouth, her confidence making her walk faster.

I groan, struggling to keep up. "I don't want to be a Luna, Esme."

"We don't always get what we want. You definitely didn't."

I stay quiet for a second. The reality is sinking in. "How far is his pack?"

"Four hours," I mutter. I'm picturing the map in my head. "That's a direct line. Driving will be more like six."

Esme looks glum. We’ve never lived more than three hours apart. "We’ll call every day."

"We have to. It's not going to be the same, though." I kick a rock, watching it skitter into the brush.

"If he'd just reject you, you could stay," she grumbles.

I tackle her. I wrap my arms around her in a massive hug, ignoring the sharp sting of the new tattoo on my arm. I squeeze her until she gasps.

"I wish he'd just decide," I whisper.

"If he won't, we'll make him," she says, pulling back.

Panic flares in my gut. I run my hands through my hair, gripping the strands. "I have zero Luna training. What am I supposed to do? I'm going to look like an idiot."

"They'll have to teach you," Esme says. She sounds nervous now, her voice tripping over the words. She knows I’m sensitive. She knows if they treat me like an outsider, I'll just shut down.

She pulls me up from the grass. "I’m walking you home. You need to pack. We aren't letting him think you're some mess."

I don't argue. I let her lead me.

'She's screwed,' Riven whispers.

I try to shut my wolf out. I pull my sleeve down over the bandage on my arm and stare out at the trees, biting my lip until it hurts. I’m tired of my phone. I’m tired of waiting. I just want to know what my life is supposed to be.

I’ve binged serial killer podcasts, finished a book, and edited a work proposal. I’ve shopped for the holidays, killed every crossword I could find, and texted everyone in my phone.

Nothing left. Two hours of this hell to go.

Axel glances over. His eyes snag on the bandage peeking out of my sleeve.

"Are you hurt?" He keeps his eyes on the road, one eyebrow arched.

"No." I watch the trees blur past.

"Then what's on your arm?"

I look at him. "A tattoo."

The forest is a smear of reds and oranges. It looks like the world is on fire.

"A tattoo?" He sounds disgusted.

"That's what I said." I catch my own reflection in the window and shrug.

"My pack doesn't like tattoos," Axel says. His voice is ice.

I just nod. I have nothing to say to that.

"How did you hide them? I haven't seen any until now. Did you do this today? Is this a middle finger to me?" He’s practically spitting the words.

I let out a soft laugh. "Relax. Not everything is about you, Alpha. I’ve had tattoos since I was seventeen. They weren't hidden. You just weren't looking at my arms or my back."

He goes silent. I fold my arms and turn back to the glass.

"Are we close?" I ask.

I’m done with this seat. My legs are cramping and my skin feels too tight. Axel doesn't answer. I look at him and see the vein in his neck pulsing. It looks like it’s going to burst.

Instead of talking, he slams his foot down. The Range Rover lunges. We fly past other cars, leaving a trail of angry honks in our wake.

Eva is pacing in my head. I tap my foot against the floor to get the blood moving.

"Stop that," he snaps.

"Can we pull over for a second? I need to stretch." I keep my hands in my lap. I keep my voice steady.

"You're pushing me," he snarls. The speedometer climbs higher.

I grab the handle above the door as the car swerves. "I'm not. My wolf is restless. If she doesn't get some air, she’s going to force a shift."

I keep my tone dead. Empty.

"So you have no control?" He sneers. "A Beta who can't even handle her own wolf. Pathetic."

I close my eyes for a heartbeat. "Sure. Whatever you say. Can we stop? There’s a rest area coming up."

He scoffs and mutters something under his breath. I don't care what it is. I just want out of this metal box.

"Fine," he spits. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel.

I grit my teeth. Eva isn't a fighter, but she doesn't like being talked down to. I feel my canines sharpen, pushing against my gums. I tuck my lip down to hide them.

I won't give him a reason to call me disrespectful. Not yet.