Battle of Fate 47

As Finlay took me back to the cabin, my world settled around me. We didn’t speak on the way back, or when he sat me
down on a chair on the sundeck at the back of the cabin. I heard him telling his aunt there had been a change of plans
and we would be spending the rest of the morning at the cabin. As usual, Matilda didn’t ask why. She just sent him back
to me with a tray loaded with tea and cookies. I smiled as he put it down next to me. Instead of sitting down on the chair
on the other side of the small table, he sat down on the ottoman in front of me.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he told me as he put a mug of tea in my hands.
“Doesn’t it?” I asked.
“No, Amie, it doesn’t. Unless you are thinking of honouring the mate bond.” I looked at him like he had lost his mind and
he chuckled. “I take that as a no,” he said.
“That is a definitive no. Why would I accept a mate bond with someone who doesn’t want me? Despite everything, James
and I were friends and I wouldn’t force a bond on him,” I told him. Finlay smiled and placed his hand on my cheek. I
leaned into his touch.
“You were in too much of a shock to see it. But Alpha James isn’t as unaffected by you as you think. And now he knows
you have a wolf. I’m predicting we will be singing quite a lot of the Alpha during our four weeks here,” Finlay told me. I
made a face.
“I don’t care. If he didn’t want me at my lowest, I’m not going to consider him at my highest. And, if we put all of that to
the side, I don’t love him. There is this other man who never looked down on me and who I know will be there for both
the good and the bad. That is sexy,” I told him.
“Tell me where I can find this man and I will challenge him,” Finlay said. I could see the humour in his eyes. I laughed at
him and he joined me. Then I sighed.
“This was not supposed to happen. You were the one to find your mate and I was supposed to pretend to be happy for
you,” I told him. He huffed and his hand on my cheek shifted to the back of my head. For a moment, I thought he was
going to kiss me. Instead, he tilted our heads so we leaned our foreheads together.
“Not going to happen. Part of me wish you were more selfish and would have accepted the rejection already. But then
that wouldn’t be you, Red. I have already submitted to waiting until this is over until I stake my claim on your feelings. I
can be patient. But it doesn’t mean I will be passive. I’m not going to sit and watch another Alpha take what I see as
mine,” he told me.
“I should have just let you mark me on my birthday,” I told him. He chuckled and placed a kiss on my forehead before
sitting back up.
“No, Red. You did the right thing. We needed to talk before taking that step and to be honest, if you hadn’t stopped us,
that is where we would have ended up,” he said. “I mean it when I say you are worth the wait. When we take the step, it
will be because we want to spend the rest of our life together.”
“You are just too good to be true, Finn. Thank you for believing in me,” I honestly told him.
“After six years, I know you, Amie. Will you be okay? You have had a lot of emotional things thrown at you today, and I
think you will get a call from your parents any minute.” At the mention of my parents I had to smile.
“I’m looking forward to the call. And I’m okay. Give me an hour and a call with my parents and I will be back to my old
self,” I told him. I then hesitated.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. You should get back out there. Our morning have been overturned because of me.”
“Red,” he said in the voice he used when he meant business.
“I was going to ask if you would stay for my call with my parents. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also nervous and you
always keep me calm. But you have things to do. I will be okay,” I told him. He smiled at me.
“You think I was going to head back out before we have finished the cookies my aunt sent me here with? Dream on. I’m
going to sit here and eat cookies and we are going to plan what to do for the opening day tomorrow,” Finlay told me. I
smiled at him.
“I guess I can share the cookies,” I told him and gave him one.
***
I looked at the back of my Alpha as we made our way back to the cabin. My emotions were all over the place and of
course Becky felt it and stood waiting for me. I smiled as I saw her, I never could help but smile when I saw her. She
looked worried.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she hugged me. I kissed her and tried to think of an answer.
“I am. Mostly. I will explain, but I need to talk to James first. But overall, it is a good day,” I told her. She looked in the
direction where James had disappeared into the cabin.
“Okay. Is there something I can do?” she asked.
“No, sweetums. I will come and find you when I have talked to James.” I followed my friend and Alpha into the cabin. I
knew it looked like he didn’t care, but I also knew this would hit him hard. I found him in his bedroom, sitting on the bed
with his head in his hands. “James?” I said. He looked up at me and I saw how he fought to get his mask into place.
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“Elder. Have you talked to your parents?” he asked.
“No, not yet.”
“Why not? They are going to be excited. I think I will have to call my parents as well. This will be big news back in the
pack,” he said.
“It will be,” I agreed. “How are you holding up?” I asked.
“Me?” he asked.
“Come on, it’s me. No need for the Alpha facade, remember?” He looked at me again, sighed and rubbed his face.
“I didn’t see this coming,” he said. I had to laugh. I ran my hand through my hair and sat down on the floor facing
James.
“Fuck, man. Neither did I. Amie, all grown up, Beta of a pack and with a wolf. And a mate bond. What are your thoughts
about that?” I asked. He made a face that showed regret and something I didn’t want to think too hard on.
“I shouldn’t have rejected her. I was young and impulsive and the thought of living up to the standards everyone
expected of Amies’ mate scared me. I was an idiot. I have been able to just pretend I did the right thing. But then here
she is. More beautiful than when I last saw her, how that is even possible. She is confident and carries herself like a wolf
who knows who she is. And she has a wolf. Fuck. This is a mess,” he told me. His confession had several statements I
didn’t particularly enjoy hearing about my little sister. But then he was her mate. I sighed. He had never opened up like
this before. He had never admitted it was a mistake to reject my sister. I was worried about him. When this news would
spread in the pack, it would stir things up again. Amie had been popular in the pack. As the Beta’s daughter she had
helped out with most things and she was sweet and kind. Everyone knew who she was and everyone liked her. When
James had rejected her, the pack had a hard time understanding why. His explanation of her not having a wolf, had
confused them. James’ popularity and the trust he had from the pack had taken a hit. It had taken a lot of hard work and
time to build it back up. Now I was afraid the news of Amie would cause the pack to doubt James again. Even I could see
what James saw in this new Amie. She was the living image of what Alphas dreamed about in their Luna. I had also seen
how her Alpha had looked at her and how my sister’s first instinct when she got scared was to seek security with him. I
sighed, this was a mess.
“I don’t think you will be able to swing this around. At least now we know why you haven’t got a second chance mate. Maybe this will be a blessing,” I tried to tell him. He shook his head.
“I need to at least try. She doesn’t wear a mark. It means I at least have a chance.”
“Just don’t go overboard in the other direction. You have suffered the consequences of your Alpha stubbornness for ten
years. Let’s not do it all over again because you think you need to go the other way,” I told him. He sighed and nodded.
“I’m going to call my parents. I think it’s a good idea if you call yours as well.” I told him and got up.
“Elder.” I was almost at the door.
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“Yes?”
“Do you think she would have become this person in our pack if I had accepted her?” he asked me. I cursed in my head.
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know what she has been through. Maybe I can answer it when I get to know her again.”
“Sure.” I walked out of his room and mindlinked Becky to come to our room.
“Ready to tell me what is happening?” she asked.
“I will. But to save some time, I will call my parents and tell you all at the same time,” I told her and gave her a quick kiss.
Just because I couldn’t not kiss her. She giggled.
“It sounds like you are going to announce you are pregnant,” she told me. I grinned at her.
“Not that far off,” I said as I dialled.
“Hi, son. How’s the first day going?” my dad answered. He was sitting in his office, probably reading some book on werewolf history.
“Hi, dad. It’s up in the air at the moment. Can you get mom? I have something to tell you.” It took a minute and my mom
showed up on the call. She tried to bend down beside dad, but he gripped her around her waist and pulled her into his
lap. She giggled and I had to smile.
“Hi, son. Your dad said you had something to tell us,” my mom said.
“Yes,”I said and got serious. My parents picked up on my mood and sobered up. I glanced up to Becky. I had all of their
attention. “I met Amie today,” I told them and heard both my mom and Becky draw a sharp breath. My dad looked like
his brain had stopped working.
“You saw Armeria? How was she? Is she doing well? Is she part of a pack? Did she look like she is eating well?” My
mother hurled questions at me.
“I have her number and she would like you to give her a call. But first I need to tell you something,” I told them. I could
see the light in their eyes as they understood they could be talking to their daughter again.