TWISTED FATES BOOK 2: EVEN MORE TWISTED

by Jacklyn Scott Rogers

  “Hello, my child. It appears that you recognize me after all”

  It was not a question rather a statement of fact. Slade was prancing around in my head like a young pup in the presence of his mother on Christmas morning.

  I bowed out of respect to the Goddess before me. “Greetings Moon Goddess”

  “Selene … please my child no need for formalities”

  I nodded in acquiescence.

  “I suppose you’re probably confused as to why I decided to pay you a visit, my child.”

  “Confused would be an understatement.”

  “I came to apologize to you, Devon.”

  “For what?”

  “For what I am about to tell you.”

  The hairs along the back of my neck stood on end with her words. If the Moon Goddess herself was apologizing for something then surely it was a bad sign. I waited with dreaded anticipation of the words she would soon speak as I gestured for her to continue.

  “I am aware that you are planning to mark and mate Samantha very soon. I am here to tell you that you cannot do this.”

  “What …why? She is my mate.”

  “Yes my child she is the mate that I had intended for you but nonetheless, you can no longer complete the mating process with her.”

  “Why the hell not?” despite her calm demeanor, my irritation was rapidly rising to the surface “I have waited for years to finally mark and mate with her. She is MY mate as deemed by you. Why should I not be able to complete the mating process with her now?”

  Selene shook her head and sighed.

  “You cannot my child. I deemed Samantha as your mate, but this was before fate had decided to continue with his callous games regarding her destiny, impeding your mating process once again.”

  “And what kind of games does fate have in store this time?”

  “That I cannot tell you. For that, I am truly sorry. I cannot intervene in his plans.”

  “Then why are you even here?”

  “To offer my guidance, my child.”

  I snorted. This was not how I expected my first meeting with the Moon Goddess to play out. I was growing more impatient with her elusive explanations. Ironically, Slade’s demeanor remained tempered as if the weight of her words did not reach him.

  “I can sense your confusion regarding your wolf’s behavior Devon. I invoked Samantha’s scent in order to placate Slade. I knew that my words would only result in unease for both of you and felt that your mate’s scent was the only way to diffuse the potential for a hostile situation.”

  I shook my head in exasperation. Of course, Selene did that. She’s the damn Moon Goddess, I’m sure this isn’t her first time encountering this situation.

  “So then tell me. Why can’t complete the mating process with my mate?”

  “To save her life.”

  “What do you mean to save her life?”

  “When mates complete the marking and mating process, this signifies the unification of their souls. The bond between soulmates intensifies feelings whether pleasure or pain that can only be appeased by their mate. When mates are united, they are as one mind, body, and soul. The rejection of mates results in agony and suffering although painful, can be endured but the infidelity of a marked and mated can only result in the death of the one betrayed.”

  “What does that have to do with me and Sammie?”

  “You will betray Samantha, Devon.”

  I scoffed. That was impossible. There was no way in hell I would ever betray Sammie. She was my love and my life. Despite everything we have been through she was the light at the end of the tunnel.

  “I would NEVER betray her!”

  “But you will and soon.”

  In an instant, my hand was tightly gripping her pale delicate throat. My grip strengthening as Slade pushed his way alongside me to the forefront. A fierce growl ripped through my chest as we glared at her sending a warning.

  “Moon Goddess or NOT, you’re full of shit! How dare you insult us by saying that we would betray our own fucking MATE!”

  “I am sorry my child. I know you are upset- “

  “UPSET?! I’m a hell of a lot more than just upset Selene!” I snarled.

  She clicked her tongue in disapproval as just shook her head.

  Suddenly my body was propelled through the air. Once my back came in contact with the ground several feet away the wind was literally knocked out of me. A menacing growl bellowed and within seconds a silver wolf’s muzzle was baring its sharp fangs and its hot breath mere inches away from my face. I put my hands up in surrender and lay there stunned trying to catch my breath. As the dangerous wolf made its way next to her side, she stood over me and spoke. The threat in her voice and the snarling wolf beside her alerted me to remain where I was and listen.

  “Regardless of what you may think Devon. I am only trying to protect Samantha. I know that she was originally supposed to be one of my own children, but she made her choice. She is no longer a child of the moon; she is my sibling’s child now. She is a vampire and even still I allowed the mate bond to re-forge itself out of kindness. The fact that I am still protecting her is a courtesy to you. Had the two of you not been so easily swayed and manipulated by Dasha then none of this would have come to pass. But NO, you weakened your bond, and she chose to sever it. She pissed off Fate on more than one occasion and he is not so forgiving. So I will give you one last warning my child and you would be smart to heed it. If you complete the mating process with her, your betrayal will kill her. We cannot have that. Because she made a mess of things, she must make atonement and I cannot intercede in what plans are in motion. I can only observe and advise. Samantha has a destiny now that must be fulfilled. I am only here to ensure that she does so by informing you of it. If you choose to ignore my advice and mark her, then I cannot stop you. But know that her death will be on YOUR hands.”

  Slade’s ears perked up at Selene’s threat to our mate. A low guttural growl manifested from deep within me shattering the tranquil silence around us.

  I lunged at Selene again. My hand gripped her throat as my claws elongated piercing her delicate skin, yet she showed no trace of anger at my repeated infarction. She motioned for the silver wolf to remain calm. When she regarded me her silver eyes held both pity and acknowledgment like that of a mother accepting her child’s tantrum for not getting its way.

  I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to hurt Selene for spewing these vile words. I would never betray Sammie and I sure as hell wouldn’t be the one responsible for her death. Nonetheless, a small part of me knew that Selene wasn’t a liar and that scared the shit out of me.

  I closed my eyes and released my tight hold of her as I backed away from her. The silver wolf revealed its fangs and raised its haunches awaiting my next move. I just shook my head and sighed. There were no words that could alleviate the heavy burden that has settled itself onto my heart.

  “I am sorry my child.”

  I heard the slightest whimper from the silver wolf making Slade emerge and question his mother as to the wolf’s significance.

  “Why is that she-wolf here?”

  Selene glanced at the silver wolf almost despondently. She appeared to hesitate before finally answering him.

  “Her name is Ophelia. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to converge with her human counterpart causing her to fall into a deep sadness. Not wanting my pup to remain in such a sad state, I have decided to keep her at my side until she is able to finally be united with her destined human.”

  Slade once again let out a slight whimper, yet I could tell that he had no understanding as to why he was feeling such sadness.

  “Why wasn’t Ophelia united with her human?”

  “That is of no concern of yours my little pup.”

  It was obvious that Slade did not like her answer. It upset him greatly; so much so that he retreated back into the recesses of his own sanctuary.

  This was all just too much. First, being told I was going to cause gr
ief for my mate, and now the strange pang of anguish that Slade is feeling. My head and my heart ached.

  I dropped to my knees on the ground in front of her. The ultimate form of submission. I was at a loss as I looked up at her. All the while I tried my damndest to hold back the unshed tears threatening to emerge.

  “Why? Why can’t we just be happy? Why is it so damn wrong that I just want to live a quiet peaceful life with my mate … with Sammie?”

  “I cannot answer that Devon. Fate feels as if he was wronged and now he has his own agenda that we cannot begin to comprehend. I can only implore you to have faith that everything will turn out as it should be if you just have faith in what I am trying to tell you.”

  I shrugged my shoulders in defeat. Nothing was going to make this discussion any better.

  “Are we done with this conversation now … I want to go back.”

  “Yes my child.”

  Selene regarded me one last time before she snapped her fingers and I succumbed to the darkness.

  Chapter 25

  3rd Person POV

  Nearly two weeks have passed since Devon has encountered the Moon Goddess and his discontent with their encounter is weighing heavily on his mind. Neither he nor Sammie have engaged in a lot of intimacy and ironically she held no protest to their lack of it. This too concerned Devon. To be honest, since the events had occurred regarding that piece of shit, Justin, as well as how she handled him soon after; Sammie had not instigated any sort of affection. The fleeting moments that they had shared any sexual intimacy, it always felt as if was she wasn’t quite herself. There was no warmth in her actions but rather she was more primal and disconnected.

  Ironically, despite everything, Devon did notice that his Gamma, Aiden, and Sammie had become a lot closer. There were several occasions where he had noticed them talking as well as a few fleeting glances. Once Devon had even seen Aiden grasp Sammie’s tiny hand and give it a gentle squeeze eliciting a warm smile from her; on a few other occasions, Aiden’s scent also appeared on her as well. To say that the sharp pangs of jealousy weren’t rearing their ugly heads into Devon’s psyche would be putting it lightly. In fact, Devon was very jealous. Despite Aiden having his own mate that he was clearly enamored with; Aiden’s sudden bond between him and Sammie was leaving a bad taste in Devon’s mouth. There had even been a few occasions where Slade had emitted an occasional growl directed towards Aiden whenever they appeared too close for his liking.

  If the sudden rise in random attacks against the werewolf packs, his included, as well as the Vampire clans and Witch Covens, hadn't been such a dire issue, Devon wouldn’t be resorting to entrust Aiden alone with Sammie for the up coming couple of weeks. But unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to the contrary.

  Devon’s undivided attention was needed at his pack. There were a few smaller packs seeking refuge and he needed to make sure everything was taken care of, which would entail traveling to the packs. His agenda included meeting with their respective Alphas in order to finalize everything prior to merging the packs. Devon’s Beta, Michael, needed to be sent to another neighboring pack, The Dark Crescent Pack, as well. Michael and a few warriors were needed in order to provide the pack additional training. Shay and Astrid would also be gone during this time. The Grand Coven had also had an influx of witches that were seeking sanctuary and the girls, being quite powerful, were needed to ensure that stronger barriers were in place to protect their growing populous. Sammie had spoken with Lord Danesh and apparently, they too had their hands full and could not provide additional guards for her protection as they were all enlisted to guard their own territory’s borders; leaving Aiden as the only person left that could be trusted enough to safeguard her at any cost.

  As much as he hated it, Devon was stuck. He knew it would only be a couple of weeks and despite being a possessive Alpha male, he needed to trust both his mate and his Gamma. His thought process was that he would see how things were upon his return and then talk to Sammie regarding his concerns, hopefully allowing his own frustrations to settle down a bit.

  *********************************************************

  As Sammie flitted around her room organizing her books and cleaning out any unwanted debris that had caught her eye, she couldn’t help but think about Devon’s near departure. She was well aware that he and her friends would be gone for the next couple of weeks, but it was Devon’s approaching absence that was lingering in the forefront of her thoughts. Despite it only being a little over a month since the traumatizing events that had been inflicted upon her, she felt a small sense of normalcy finally. She knew that she was going to miss Devon and had decided that with all the chaos being reaped upon their packs, covens, and clans the like, she needed to finally let her own defenses down with him. The imminent danger only solidified her thought process. If anything, Goddess forbid, should happen, she did not want her insecurities to intercede with her ability to express her love for him. She was willing to tear down her own walls and try and enjoy some semblance of peace and intimacy. She had decided that tonight before his departure tomorrow morning, that she herself, as opposed to her counterpart Samantha, would not only engage but partake in an intimate moment for the two to take pleasure in during this time apart. As silly as he may seem, Aiden was a major driving force in Sammie’s decision. He had been a huge aid in her recovery process. She hadn’t realized how much she had needed someone that she could finally call family. Someone whom she could fully confide in without reservation about the pain she had been harboring prior to his approach. Shay, Astrid, Michael, and Devon were always considered to be family as well, but Aiden was the blood of her blood. Aiden was her sounding board, her shoulder to cry on, and then her voice of reason. It was his advice to Sammie to open up and be honest with Devon that prompted her to surprise him with a romantic evening. Thus the reason she was getting everything ready in her room. She had already set up the balcony with a beautiful table setting consisting of Champagne, roses, mood lighting, and romantic music set to queue on her iPod. She had already showered and prepped her body for tonight’s events. Her dark burgundy satin halter slip dress rested on her bed. She was still in her bathrobe finishing the final touches prior to donning herself in the silky material and a pair of black Manolos.

  She looked over at the digital clock resting on the dark mahogany night table, 5:30 pm. She had just a half-hour before Devon would be done with his meeting with Michael and Aiden before he headed over to her home. She quickly placed her Door Dash order, deciding on the Cheesecake Factory. Afterward, she dashed down to the wine cellar to grab a bottle of Louis Roederer Brut Cristal to set to chill in the gold champagne vessel. Giving everything a once over she was pleasantly pleased and made her way to the bathroom to finalize her own appearance.

  Tonight would be a night she would hope that Devon would never forget.

  Chapter 26

  3rd Person POV

  Devon wrapped up everything he needed to do at his office and decided to head back to Sammie’s for the night. He had received a text from her letting him know they had the house to themselves and to make sure he arrived at her place by 7. She wanted to have a quiet night together since he was set to leave for the airport early in the AM. Since she had already arranged for dinner all that he needed to do was finish up at the office and get ready before he headed over.

  He mind-linked Aiden that he was going up to his suite to shower and change and that under no circumstances, save an emergency, of course, was he to be disturbed. He was going to be away from Sammie for a couple of weeks and a quiet night with his mate sounded heavenly. Devon was well aware that their intimacy had been a bit lacking as of late. Even Slade was harping on him to take her on several occasions. The primal need to mate and mark Sammie was driving him insane. Yes, Slade and Devon both wanted to mark her yet the words that the Moon Goddess spoke scared the shit out of Devon. Slade on the other hand was quite certain that her words were completely unfounded, but her words manag
ed to fill Devon with dread nonetheless. Of course, Devon was madly in love with Sammie. He’d do anything for her without question. Why and how he would betray was such a mystery that it plagued his thoughts on many a sleepless night.

  Tonight, however, he would not waste any unnecessary energy dwelling on it. No. Tonight was just to be a peaceful evening with his mate. If the occasion arises though, you could be damn sure he’d ravage her body up until the point where he needed to leave for his flight. Just thinking about her naked body writhing under him resulted in a massive hard-on beneath his jeans.

  Shit! Looks like you’re gonna have to take care of this before we go see Sammie. Looks like that shower will come more in handy than I thought. Slade teased him with his own wolfy smirk.

  Devon rolled his eyes and shook his head as he made his way into the bathroom for his shower.

  “Damn smart-ass wolf.”

  Devon was getting ready to leave for Sammie’s a few minutes before 7 when his phone notified him that he received a text. Making sure it wasn’t Aiden with some stupid joke text, he was pleasantly surprised to see it was Sammie. A warm smile crept across his face. Her texts always made him happy.

  Firecracker: Hey Baby!

  ME: Hey Sexy – What’s up

  Firecracker: Just wanted to see if u were still ok for time tonight.

  ME: Yep … wouldn’t miss it for the world

  Firecracker: LOL. KK …

  ME: Why … what’s up?

  Firecracker: Just wanted to let u know that I’m up in my room so u can just let yourself in and meet me up there.

  ME: KK … Need me to bring anything?

  Firecracker: Nope … just you Alpha Sexypants 3 >

  ME: LMAO grrr … baby … grrr

  Firecracker: LMAO tardo! Muah! Just get here buddy … dinner’s gonna get cold.