Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond

- Cleo - I move his hands off my face...I can't look him in the eyes. My mind was spiralling and I couldn't stop it.

Freya.

Borders.

Alora....

Supplies.

My mind was making lists of things that need sorting...things that would keepgoing right now. If I stopped for a second I fear I would crumble under the heavy burden of guilt.

The hospital.

The injured.

The dead.

No...Alora...

My legs were trembling as I try to remain upright...but she was dead...Alora was dead.

How will they ever forgive me.

There must be something...something in these drawers, in this safe...on this desk that tellswhere Medea has escaped to.

I want to kill her myself...I don't think I've ever felt such deadly anger coursing through my body.

She needed to die, and now.

"Cleo...I need you to look at me." His voice is like a beacon callinghduring a terrifying storm at sea. He was guidingto him, all I had to do was listen...to open up to him.

"I can't.." I shake my head, refusing to give in. If I give in...the guilt takes over, the pain takes me..I will be surrendering myself to it.

"Cleo...just stop." He grabs me, pinningagainst the wall and him, holding my hands behind my lower back with one hand... the other trailing up my body, resting against my neck and collarbone.

The scent of coconut brutally invades my senses, not givinga chance to fight it. That gravitational pull to him playing with dirty tricks.

"Are we really having a baby?" I didn't expect those words to leave his lips. Why isn't he yelling at me, blaming me... hating me.

"I...." Reactively, from those unexpected words at a tlike this, I look up into his green eyes, eyes that look down atwith mixed emotions.

I see pain, sadness, growing need for vengeance but I see love, happiness...even excitement at the prospect of being a daddy.

"Yes..." the words "we" wasn't lost on me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" "Why didn't you stay? Had you of stayed that morning...had you of reached out..." "Ouch." He sadly smiles out, my breath catching as his hand moves from my neck down to my stomach...cupping at my lower belly.

I bite down on the moan that wants to leavewhen he slowly lifts the hem of my top up, as tingles erupt across my tummy from his touch.

I may be able to stifle the moan but not the way my eyes roll into the back of my head from his touch, from the way he kneels down and places a trail of kisses at my lower abdomen.

"Well hello in there." A second hand moves on to my stomach as he greets his baby, the experience forcing emotions to rise at the surface.

To force themselves out of me.

Without thinking my hands move through his hair, cupping his face as he looks up at me...with those eyes. I can feel my eyes glistening with silent tears.

"Hey..." Concern for edges upon his face.

The emotions bectoo much...the guilt.

"Jace, I'm sorry..." "Shh, it's done, and it wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault." I watch him as he takes a step up, his eyes followingas he leans in closer to me, his hands gripping at my hips before yet again trailing up my curves, lockingin place. "You are mine Cleo. I tried to keep you save, I tried to live without you. It was a stupid notion, I can see that now. It's cost 's cost the life of my aunt, and I have to live with that mistake for the rest of my life. I knew you were my mate...I got scared. The thought of Josing you because of the threat on my back... madepush you away." "I would have fought a threat with you, you know that." I respond, his forehead now pressing against mine as we just hold one another.

"I love you just too damn much, more than reason...more than sanity." His words break down the walls I had placed around my heart. Walls that I had built brick by brick to keep him out.

"Jace..." "No, letfinish. I don't expect you to forgiveovernight, but us having this baby...it's the moon goddess remindingof my fate, of my destiny and that is by your side." "But you're birth right..." "Is wherever you are Cleo, if that is being the alpha of this pack then I will remain the alpha of this pack. You are my destiny...not land...not borders...you." It's all I have ever wanted to hear from him.

"Jace..I..." "TellI'm wrong, tellyou don't love me." His eyes hold mine challenging, as if that was ever up for questioning. I've loved him all my life, before I even knew what love was.

"Of course I love you Jace, I love you

so much it hurts to breathe when I'm not around you. That I was willing to move away, to give up everything I've ever known just so you could have a chance with Callie. I was going to give it all up, so you could have a mate bond you deserved." Every fibre of my being was calling out to him, was wanting to be touched..licked...kissed by him.

I don't think I will ever not desire him.

"I need to speak to my family, but then...you and I, will continue this." His

forehead rests against mine, his body pushing into me...pressing my back even more up against the wall. "I can wait." "You are to stay by my side." "Jace." "I mean it Cleo, you are to remain by

my side, at all times. We have just taken over a pack through a violent method, until until the dust settles, I'm trusting nobody. So you go, where I go understand?" "Yes, I understand."