Destiny's Choice (4 page)

“I’m sorry, but I can’t be your
Mate
, Alpha LeGuer.” Her voice was soft, demeanor one of defeat.

That just won’t do
, Roan thought. He wanted the woman he met earlier back. The siren with the mis-matched eyes
the color
of fine Peridot and flaming Topaz. Of the sensuous walk
and take charge spirit. The Lupa who was his match in every way. And have he
r, he
would. He hadn’t searched this long to find her just to let
her
slip away now.

“And just why is that, sweetheart?” He asked as he padded over to the boulder she was occupying and sat beside it, shifting once he was comfortable. This was not a conversation he wanted to have while he was a wolf despite the fact that he could. Yes, he was
also
now naked, but there was no help for that.

“Because I’m…damaged.” The word came out choked. “I can’t shift and probably never will. You deserve a Lupa who can run by your side and hunt. Not a misfit that’s a disgrace to the Pack.”

The sadness and despair coming from his
True
Mate
was enough to break Roan’s heart. He couldn’t imagine what she had gone through all these years because of her
parent’s duplicity. Learning she could possibly never shift probably broke a part of her spirit. That kind of news would no doubt have killed a lesser Lupus. Not his
True
Mate
. Yes, there were scars left behind due to that wound, but here she sat, living her life despite the handicap of not shifting. That alone spoke volumes and further proved how strong she was. A fitting match for an Alpha.

“Really? And just who said my
True
Mate
was supposed to be such a paragon of Lupus nobility? Where is it written that my
True
Mate
has to be perfect?”

Dual colored eyes zeroed in on him, a blush staining those creamy cheeks at noticing his nudity. But her gaze never wavered. “She may not have to be perfect but she should at least be able to shift.”

“Are
you
absolutely positive that you won’t?”

“I…I have been told that by numerous doctors. S…so it must be true.”

“I’ve kept in touch with your parents, Rivera. None of the Pack doctors who have looked over your records, my brother included, have stated that you won’t ever be able to shift. You have the ability, but for some unknown reason, it’s dormant.”

“Dormant or dead, it doesn’t matter.” She huffed angrily as she put her legs down. “It doesn’t change the fact that your
m
ate
needs to be a Lupa in every way and I’m not.” She stood, wiping off her backside. “I’m sorry, Alpha LeGuer, you’ll just have to find another
m
ate
.”

Before she could run off again, Roan was up and had her in his arms in a blink. “The name is Roan and if you think that this conversation is over, you can think again.”

She wiggled in his embrace, rubbing
her
lithe body against his. Christ, but he wanted her. He was still half hard from earlier. Now that she was back in his arms, he was on fire. 
S
ince being
True
Mate
s meant she was the one who had to initiate their
f
irst
m
ating, he was near blind with lust. All that passion and spirit aimed at him
. It
was enough to drive him to his knees just thinking about it.

“You…you…” Her soft hands lay against his chest, gold blond head barely coming to his chin.

“I, what, sweetheart?” He leaned down and rubbed his cheek against her hair. The softness of it was incredible a
s her gardenias and fresh snow
scent filled his nostrils.

“You’re…poking me in the stomach.” That last was said with a huff as he pulled her even closer.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Yes, and it’s
entirely
your
fault. Don’t expect me to apologize for it.”

Eyes of green and amber looked up, wide with confusion. “You don’t mean that. You couldn’t mean that.”

“Rivera, you’re going to find that not only am I stubborn, but very single-minded in pursuit of what I want.
I don’t lie and I
don’t
give up on a goal. And I never, ever, back down from a challenge.”

She stiffened in his arms, cheeks flushed with anger. “Is that what this is, a challenge? I refuse to be your
Mate
so you decide to be all caveman and make me?”

Roan blinked at the caustic tone of her words. “Sweetheart, I…” Then it finally dawned on him just what she had been saying. Earlier and now. She hadn’t been saying
True
Mate
, just
Mate
. “Rivera, do you understand the difference between a
Mate
and a
True
Mate
?”

Her mouth snapped shut as she quickly looked down. That honey blond head twitched in the negative.

Letting out a deep breath, Roan nearly groaned aloud. “I know you have been traveling a lot and making the most of your studies, but have you kept up with the Pack at all?”

She shrugged, still looking down. “Why should I? It was made clear early on that I wasn’
t a real Lupa.
I didn’t see the need to
learn about, or 
be a part of something where I wasn’
t wanted.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He embraced her tightly, nuzzling her hair as the pain and shame she felt came through their bond loud and clear. “I’m so sorry for all you’ve suffered.”

She shrugged again, her scent and demeanor conveying resignation.

That was definitely not acceptable to Roan. She may not be able to shift yet, but she was still a Lupa and a part of his Pack. She was also his
True
Mate
, his other half, the one destined for him. She needed to understand all this. And since anything of an inti
m
ate
nature wasn’t happening until she got all the facts, he might as
well
start with the explaining.

“We need to have a long talk, sweetheart. One, I think, that is way overdue.”

She glared up at him. “Nothing you say will change my mind.”

“This isn’t about changing your mind. This is about facts, truth, and what can’t be reversed no matter the circumstance.”

“I don’t understand.” Her brow furrowed.

“I know.” He gave her a tender smile. “But I promise to tell you everything, alright?”

It took a moment, but she nodded.

“Come, we’ll have a seat on your boulder.” Letting her go took great effort, but he knew that if wanted to keep her,  an explanation was in order.

As they took the couple steps back to Rivera’s perch, it suddenly came to Roan that he seemed to be in the same situation as his twin. The thought caused him to laugh aloud.

“I’m glad this situation amuses you.”
Her dual colored gaze narrowed as they both hopped up onto the big rock.

“My apologies, sweetheart. I find nothing amusing about this, believe me. But my twin, Flynn went through a similar ordeal with his
True
Mate
. Only she had once been human, not already a member of the Pack.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “Hmm, yes, I remember that mom had mentioned a new female Alpha and that Jenna and her mother were dead. I didn’t really pay it much attention since it didn’t concern me.” One shoulder rose and fell with nonchalance.

“Not concern…” Unbelievable. “Rivera, no matter the circumstances of your non-transformed state, you are still a member of this Pack.”

“But-“

“No, you will listen and you will understand all I have to say.” He put a little power behind the words, needing to punch through that stubborn shell.

Those remarkable
eyes widened with surprise as she nodded.

“First of all, being a
True
Mate
is not a choice. It is a very rare and sacred bond that only a select few are destined to have.”

“What do you mean, not a choice? Of course it is. We all have free will.”

“Not for a
True
Mate
bond.” He held up a hand when her mouth opened to protest. “If you had kept up with your Pack history, you would understand just how special and wondrous an occasion this is. Out of the sixty
Mate
d couples in the Pack, only nine are
True
Mate
s pairs. We make ten. That’s just how rare the bond is.”

She nodded. “Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why I have no choice in the matter.”

“
True
Mate
pairs, after they meet and exchange scents, start a bond. Once that bond begins to form, it ties them together on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level. It can’t be reversed and the only
way
it can be severed is through death. For if one
True
Mate
dies
the other follows. The bond is
just that strong.”

The play of emotions across her face and the scents that followed told Roan she was struggling with the truth of his words. The bond he shared with her told him she was still sad, but if he concentrated, he could make out a small kernel of hope. Of course,
he
knew convincing her would probably need further proof. She had spent the majority of her life keeping as far from the Pack and everything it stood for so long all the knowledge he thought
of
as basic fact would be foreign to her.
It was unbelievable really, that Ian and Lillah had let her education
about
her heritage just fall by the wayside because of her inability to shift. After the talk he had with them, he could, in a way, see her reasoning for it. But she was now the
True
Mate
of an Alpha and as such, her knowledge of the Pack needed to be complete.

Drawing her legs up, she laid her cheek on her knees, gazing at him with curiosity. “Why me, Roan? Why me, out of all the Lupa in the Pack?”

He gave her a gentle smile, wanting so much to hold her close and offer the comfort of his body. Instead, he settled for putting a lock of gold hair behind her delicate ear. “Because out of all of them, you are my match in every way. You are my other half, the one I’m destined to love and have a family with. To laugh and grow old with.”

“Love?” She gasped.

“Oh
yes, sweetheart.” He palmed the other cheek, loving how soft it was. “
True
Mate
s share a love like no other.”

“But-“

He laid a finger over her warm lips. “The Fates would never have paired me with a weak
True
Mate
, Rivera. You are perfect for me.”

With that, he leaned in
and gently touched his lips to hers, rubbing them back and forth. There was no pressure
.
T
he contact
was
feather light. It still sent his senses reeling despite
its
lack of overwhelming intensity.

“I…I can’t think.” She moved closer to him
.
H
er arms snak
ed
around his neck.

“There’s nothing to think about, sweetheart. We belong together. That’s all that matters.”

She drew back, expression and dual colored eyes so full of hope and longing, it made Roan’s heart hurt. “Are you sure?”

Star
ing right into her eyes, he took
her head in his hands. “I swear on everything I am
that you are mine. You are my
True
Mate
, the other half of my being and the one I’m meant to love, cherish, and spend eternity with.” He put all his conviction and belief into those words, feeling them to his very marrow that they were true.

She
gazed back, seeking any hint of deception. She wouldn’t find it. When the moment came that she finally realized Roan was telling the truth,
th
at
shell, that stubborn aloofness she had blanketed herself with, began to crack. Roan watched it happen
.
 
C
rystal tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

Before the first choked sob tumbled free, Roan had her
in his arms and snuggled close as all the pain, sadness, and utter despair she had felt for decades seemed to pour out. He couldn’t believe how this stunning creature, this Lupa of such unique beauty had borne it all, yet continued to persevere
. It was a testament to just how strong she really was
.
Solid
proof that she was his perfect match.