Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 45

Leilani looks at Hudson. Gabriel is getting to the peak of his annoyance. Adding to that as well as adding to Maggie's t*****e is just what they need to do, one at a time, hitting their weaknesses over and over until they know regret.

"I think it is time to release the pack standings now"

Hudson looks at Connor, they are having a lot of faith in him here. This is the point that could bring Maggie begging. If this was all a ploy, no one else will get hurt, it will just be Leilani's heart and trust that would get trampled on once more. The brothers don't trust outsiders for good reason. A heart is a precious thing, easily damaged, slow to repair.

"Are you sure?"

Leilani nods. Hudson can only agree his fingers fly across the keyboard and it hits enter. He managed to gain control of the release date and they have just been waiting. They delayed it for a little bit, wanting it to work along with their own schedule. In the Amber pack, Maggie sits at the breakfast table. Her father finally comes down as her mother is putting the meal on the table.

Simon smiles at Maggie before sitting down across from her.

"What brings you here? Everything is still alright with Gabriel, isn't it?"

Maggie can only lie. She has no idea how things are with Gabriel because she still hasn't been in contact with him at all and they didn't really part on good terms the last time she saw him. She hasn't seen him in two days, but she isn't about to tell her father such things.

He will demand that she heads straight out to make up with Gabriel, to ensure her status and position are safe.

"Everything's fine with Gabriel. It is just the Alpha Storm situation"

Simon nods knowingly, but his mind wanders. He hasn't had a chance to seek information about the Stormy pack. It totally slipped his mind after having to deal with Astrid.

"So what is happening there, it isn't a bad thing to be fated to Alpha Storm, it shows Gabriel that you were meant to be Luna, it shows him that you are desired. Push all that knowledge on him so he knows that he has to go through with it to keep you by his side" "I know dad, but it is just Connor, he keeps f*cking some b*tch and I can feel it. I keep blacking out and I can feel pain in my heart all the time"

"Tie Gabriel down and then go through with the rejection of Connor. You need that back-up plan and he needs to be there to give Gabriel the motivation"

"But dad, I don't know if Connor is a back-up plan, he is already talking about marking someone else"

"Maggie, a wolf will never completely dismiss a mate bond. If you tried it wouldn't take long to win him over"

Maggie nods, of course that is it, Connor is just rebelling, but if she turned on the charm and kept him dangling wouldn't that eliminate that other woman and then she wouldn't have to feel the pain. "You are right dad"

Simon nods kissing Astrid on the head. She flinches slightly but smiles at her mate. Simon walks to the couch, sitting down and grabbing his tablet to start going through some emails.

A notification pops up on the screen, his heart surges in excitement, no research is required into the stormy pack, the results are right in front of him, he is sure that he was thinking too much. "The new pack standings are finally released"

Maggie runs over excitedly and leans over the back of the couch behind her father. Simon opens the link and starts scanning through the document.

"How did the half moon go?"

Simon sighs, Maggie has eyes as well. Can't she see that they have not gotten that far yet?

"Patience"

Simon continues up, finally replaceing the Amber pack. It has only moved down one place from the last standings, so he is pretty happy about that. He keeps moving up further and further until he gets to the half moon pack. "The half moon pack dropped one place since last standing"

"Is that bad?"

"It isn't great, but it isn't the end of the world. Dropping back more than three or four places is a worry, but a lot can happen in three years"

Maggie nods in relief. Simon continues to scan the document, finally coming across his searching for.

"The stormy pack has moved up fifteen places"

"What?"

Maggie screeches, wanting to take the tablet out of her father's hand and reset it. She cannot handle hearing anything good about the stormy pack.

"But it's still below the half moon pack?"

Simon stares at the tablet in shock.

"No, it is five places above the half moon pack now. But Maggie, the thing is that no one ever moves up fifteen places over three years. The amount of ground they would have to cover to move up that fast. Connor is only young. There is untapped potential for what he could accomplish given more time"

"What does that mean?"

Simon stands up throwing the tablet to the side and glaring at his id*ot daughter. If she wasn't so valuable, he would wring her neck.

"It means you are going there right now and making Connor fall in love with you. You will become the luna of the stormy pack"

"But what about the half moon pack?"

"What about the half moon pack? It will be nothing in the face of the stormy pack if Connor keeps progressing at this pace. The half moon pack is nothing"

"And what? I'm just meant to forget about Gabriel?"

"Don't tell me you love him?"

Maggie struggles to answer that, she has feelings for the man, but love? That is a little strong, she loves the way he makes her feel and loves the power and freedom she gets with him, but none of that translates to love.

Maggie only loves herself and she loves Gabriel for the benefits he brings.

"He is fine"

"My point exactly, Gabriel is at the peak of what he is going to be as an alpha. He hasn't managed to move the pack forward, leaving it completely stagnant since he has taken over. Whereas Connor is moving forward. What happens when the half moon pack keeps falling behind and Connor keeps getting further and further in front? Is all that maybe feeling going to help you sleep better at night?"

Maggie nods, she likes Gabriel enough, but it isn't a life or death situation, couldn't live without him type of love. It is more he is acceptable for what he brings to the table.

But if her dad is right and Gabriel just stays stagnant and he is meant to be at his peak, does that mean that the half moon will just start slipping further and further back in the standings and then, if the stormy pack keeps growing at the rate that they are, wouldn't that mean that some other b*tch gets to enjoy her fame? Wouldn't she become the biggest joke when she is a luna of nothing pack when she was fated to be the luna of an amazing pack?

Now that she's seen the results in front of her, she starts to think back to her visit to the stormy pack. There was nothing less in the stormy pack. Everything looked amazing if she looked past her clouded, angry eyes.

She went in thinking that they were worse off than she was, which made her judge everything unfairly.

It is meant to be hers. The luna title is meant to be hers. She'll be damned if she is passing up such an opportunity.

"Astrid, take your daughter shopping so you can stop moping around the house. Money is no object. You have to win his heart. The way to a man's heart is through his d*ck. You look good enough and the mate bond will do the rest. He will be eating out of the palm of your hand in no time at all"

Astrid has just been looking between the two thoughtfully. The fact that they both act like a fated mate is not worthwhile unless he has a good pack really breaks her heart. She was hoping that she had instilled the value of mates and the value of feeling, but it is hard when she has nothing left.

Her heart left long ago and the only piece of it that still beats is a long way away. While Maggie gets clean and dressed for the day. Astrid sits down to learn more about Connor.

"What are you wasting time on that?'

"Connor isn't anything like Gabriel, he isn't going to be impressed by a trashy outfit"

Astrid stares at the photo of the man, the man that has a determined glint in his eye but a certain gentleness. He reminds her of him.

She can't think about him for too long or she gets sad and Simon will notice.

Simon just laughs, not noticing his mates discomfort.

"You are thinking too much, all men like the same thing; t**s, a*s and p*ssy. Flaunt all of them with a pretty face and he will be falling on his knees in no time"

"You don't think he looks like someone that wants a conversation or intelligence?"

"No Astrid, no man wants that stuff, they want a woman that will keep their goddess damn mouth shut and not question every little f*cking thing. That will just do as he asks and not do all this stuff"

Simon waves at Astrid's research on the laptop before slamming the lid shut. Astrid lowers her head, averting her gaze, her hands on her lap clenched together tightly, she was only just fast enough to save her fingers from getting slammed into the keyboard. "I am sorry my love"

Simon hooks her chin between his fingers.

"A woman with a brain is of no value, you know that, don't you?"

"I know that"

Simon nods as he looks down at his mate, giving her a kiss on the cheek that is not full of love, only full of possession, before walking away. Astrid's mind wanders back to long nights discussing problems with him. When he used to hold her tight and listen to all her opinions.

But that was what she had then and she looks off in the direction that Simon left, and this is what she has now.

Astrid opens the laptop and looks at the photo of Connor once more, sighing in resignation, covering up all her emotions as Maggie appears before her.