Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 20

"Maggie made everything worse. I wasn't like the other girls. It wasn't because I was jealous that she was with Gabriel or anything like that. I'm not even sure what I did to warrant the level of hate she had for me, physically and emotionally, anytime she was in the pack house, which was a lot. She went out of her way to torment me, she hunted me down to torment me. Gabriel didn't really do anything. He just stood back and watched and let it all happen. He laughed and looked at me with the same cruel eyes but never said Leilani sighs as she leans closer, pressing her face so tightly against his taut skin that her face becomes slightly distorted. Her voice is so small.

a word nor did he ever attack me"

"It makes a lot more sense now, because I remember distinctly it was just after Gabriel's eighteenth birthday. I remember it vividly as I had to set up and pack up all the celebrations yet I wasn't allowed to attend. That was when it all changed and Gabriel looked like it was physically sickening to be in the same room as me. His verbal and physical torment began and it was only five days after his eighteenth birthday that I overheard him talking to his father, telling him that he wanted me sent away. The only space available was for elite training. Lance said that there was a good chance and I would die there and Gabriel was happy about that. He knew I was his mate and he sent me somewhere to die. I was rejected by my fated mate before I even had a chance to replace out what was happening. He wanted to kill me. He wanted me dead. It wasn't even worthwhile for him to just reject me. He wanted me wiped off the face of the planet, like if I actually got my wolf and it was known that I was his mate, that it'd be the biggest failure of his life, so he would rather just kill me off before anyone had a chance to know"

Connor rubs small calming circles on Leilani's back. When he saw Maggie sitting on Gabriel's lap, he didn't feel much. When he saw Maggie kissing Gabriel, he didn't feel much. Every time the pain runs through his heart and he knows that Maggie is f*cking Gabriel, he never feels much. But the thought of Gabriel sending the little fourteen-year-old Leilani to elite training to die, because she was his mate, once he found out she was his mate, makes him want to tear Gabriel to shreds.

He has never been an excessively violent person, but right now all he can do is suppress this murderous rage that is building inside him, because the girl on his lap has no time to deal with his problems. She has a lot of her own. His job right now is to help her, not add to her burden.

Leilani looks at Connor, searching him, wanting to know his reaction, wanting to know what he thinks of her. She has a feeling that whatever he says will make or break her and that fact makes her disappointed in herself. Isn't she stronger than that? Why should his opinion matter? But she can't change the fact. She can only wait with bated breath.

"Leilani, you should never have been treated like that, but in a way, I am sorry for what you went through, but I am glad it happened"

Leilani looks at Connor in shock. Connor grips her tighter before she has a chance to recoil.

"Because his loss is my gain"

Connor had no interest in Maggie before and even less now. If Gabriel wants to throw away perfection for Maggie and Connor is mated to the bully, b*tchy, money and power grubbing wh*re. He is willing to trade.

If the moon goddess made a blunder so big, then he is willing to rectify the situation.

Did the moon goddess want two good people to even out two terrible people?

No deal, he will take the good person for himself and love and cherish her like she should have been all along. He can live a happy life with her and the other two intended can rot in a cesspool of their own selfishness. 'Alpha, there are five males here claiming to be from the elite squad'

Connor looks at Leilani.

"Your brothers are here. Do you want to see them?"

Leilani nods, they must be worried sick about her, she has had her block up and locked tight so they haven't been able to get through. At first it was because she was embarrassed about her plan and then she got so caught up in Connor that she forgot. 'Let them in, send them to the meeting room'

The border patrol looks at the four wolves surrounding one naked man, who look like they are about to storm the place even if they don't get permission. Breathing a sigh of relief as they step aside and let the five go, Hudson shifts back as he runs with his brothers. Shifting just to speak is so inconvenient, they collectively decided that he would be the most diplomatic to speak. But he doesn't feel like he made that impression at all.

Leilani running away from them twice? They are beyond worried. She is not the most forthcoming person, she prefers to heal everyone else than deal with her own trauma, but this is not like her at all. The boys leave the border patrol in their dust as the five various colored wolves rampage through the pack at full speed like they are waging war, but no one stops them. Some curious eyes look them over but Connor has told the whole pack to stand down.

Connor just stands, wrapping Leilani around himself and he is transported back six months earlier, a whole different setting and a whole different set of circumstances, but his attraction and interest in the girl has only grown. The way her body feels against his, the kiss.

Connor holds her with one hand, his thumb swiping his back pocket like he can feel the word.

Connection

His arm wraps around her, that connection is alive and well, it wasn't a figment of his imagination, it wasn't his wanting something that wasn't there just because she is gorgeous, because she is smart and strong. It is there, it is tangible. Leilani just lets him carry her, she is as vulnerable as she has ever been and Connor is the glue holding her together.

Connor carries Leilani into the meeting room before placing her feet on the ground. They both turn and face the door as the double wide door slam open, five huge and very naked bodies burst into the room. "What have you do......"

Leilani rushes forward and the five embrace her in a hug, Connor growls lowly as he looks at the sheepish-looking border patrol behind.

"Get them some damn clothing"

Connor doesn't want to do anything idiotic and possessive like rip Leilani out of that mess, but this is pushing the boundaries of his tolerance. It really hits home just how different Leilani is to him than Maggie. Maggie was kissing Gabriel. He didn't feel that possessiveness, but Leilani's innocent hug with her five naked brothers nearly makes him lose his mind.

Five sets of clothing are bought into the room and deposited on the large black glass table. Connor shuts the set of double doors and turns back to the group.

"I think we have some things to discuss"

Connor motions at the clothing and the five begrudgingly release Lani and get dressed. Connor grabs Leilani's hand and pulls her to the head of the table. He sits in the main seat and pulls her down on the chair on his left side. The boys all stare in shock at his movement. That spot is reserved only for the Luna of the pack, everyone knows that. Finlay finally studies his face.

"How is it you?"

He was so caught up in everything else that he failed to recognize the man in front of him at first.

"Well, my name is Alpha Connor Storm, since we weren't formally introduced last time"

The boys sit around the table, they don't focus on Connor, only on Leilani. They know that she has been pining after him since that night.

"So Lani, you worked out that Connor was mated to Maggie?"

It is not like her to lose composure like that, they all knew she liked Connor, but to just run off like that, it is odd.

Connor grips Lani's hand above the table and five sets of narrowed eyes follow the movement.

"It is a little more complicated than that"

Finlay barks.

"Did we ask your opinion?"

Connor growls deeply at the disrespect, his large canines showing through his lips, his dark stubble catching the drop of saliva that falls. Lani squeezes Connor's hand and raises her other hands at her brothers, who have their hackles up. "It is more complicated than that. I came here without knowing that Connor is Alpha Storm"

"Why did you come here? Why did you run?"

"Yesterday something happened and I am embarrassed about it"

"Lani, we know everything about you, how could you still be embarrassed in front of us?"

"Gabriel is my mate"

Realization dawns on the five and they lean back in their seats, all the fight taken from them. One day they expected Lani to replace her mate. They certainly didn't expect it to be the man that nearly took everything from her.