Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 5

Six months ago

The music thumps wildly as the strobe lights cut through the dark, the dance floor is moving at a coherent writhe.

The shot glass lands heavily on the marble bar top.

"To another successful mission"

Levi laughs as his large palm moves around her hip.

"Lani, you already said that before we did the shot"

Lani moves to the beat of the music, a silver top that is only held across the back by a single chain shimmers under the lights, her shoulder bones look defined and glorious, making a beautiful butterfly shape, her skin is more sun kissed than ever before. But next to the five men she looks pale. Her waist-length white blonde hair is fishtail braided and hanging casually over one shoulder, her dark denim jeans sit dangerously low on her hips, she has a certain sultry look.

While she captures all the men's eyes, they wouldn't dare approach with the five hulking guys that surround her.

Lani throws back another shot before kissing each one of them on the cheek.

"While this has been fun, I am in the mood to replace a nice boy and destroy him" "That is a filthy lie and you know it"

Lani laughs and slaps Finlay on the shoulder.

"When you are right you are right, what can I say? I have a type"

Levi grabs Lani's shoulder.

"If you get in any trouble"

"Yes dad"

Levi smacks her a*s and kisses her cheek.

"Sorrrrrrry for caring"

Lani looks back at him.

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Only daily"

"Today is twice daily, love you" "Love you"

They work for months straight and only get one night off sporadically to relax before heading off on the next assignment. After six years of torturous training, they were broken down and rebuilt more times than they thought was possible. They have become the elite squad that operates under sanctions of the elders council. If rules are broken and people need to die, if some need reminding of the rules, they intercede before wars are started. They travel non-stop and are rarely in the one place for long. None of them have ever crossed the line beyond what they have; the bonds of family are more important to the people that have lacked than a cheap thrill or a failed relationship that could threaten everything that they have built.

The family that they have created, the family that they have built. The family that they have fought for. The family that they would die for. There is nothing more important to the six of them than their group.

None of them would ever jeopardize what they have, no matter how intense the draw is sometimes. No matter how attractive the men replace Lani or vice versa.

Lani blows a kiss as she disappears into the crowd. As soon as she leaves, the boys are swarmed.

Leilani moves in a practiced manner through the writhing crowd. The densely packed dance floor is nothing in the face of her unrivalled skills. She is a far shot from the girl she was all those years ago, she never looks at the floor, she looks straight into eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul and Lani can read people like a book once she got the confidence. Her lack of training before joining meant nothing. She was still fit from having to clean and cook for so many years, which was never an easy task. Her tolerance for pain and discomfort was well beyond her years.

A little confidence and some friendship was all she needed. Getting beat in training was nothing like getting beat because people hate her.

Titan was right, she welcomed the pain, she welcomed limping back to their cabin, leaning on the boys as they all collapsed on the floor due to exhaustion, not able to make it the few extra steps into bed. Because instead of the hurt being something that she had to endure, every ache was made on the road to improvement. Every day, the more pain they were in, the closer the group bonded and the more the fire of hope ignited.

The tattered internals started to mesh and the things that happened before just became a distant memory. It was as if they were born within the camp, born into a loving family, born with bright prospects and a promising future. Born into strength and respect. Lani's slight figure weaves, not touching a single person on her mission to nowhere in particular. While she is with her boys, she never sets a target, going with the flow and moving wherever her body takes her. Her stormy blue eyes search the crowd. Madden looks at Levi, his light blue eyes look at the crowd of women that surround them.

"I will take this shift. You enjoy yourself"

Levi nods appreciatively at Madden. Even though they know that Lani can fight like the rest of them, that she can protect herself and mostly makes good decisions. They can't stop their protective nature. Lani is everything to the group. She is the sister they never had. She is the mother they never had. She is the listening ear. The encouragement. She fixed them up when they were hurt. She cuddled them to sleep when they were so exhausted that they couldn't close their eyes. She listened to grievance after grievance, she is the unofficial leader of their small pack.

Finlay is the official alpha as they had to have an alpha blood to be able to make that connection, to make that pack element so that they can link within themselves. Cutting off all ties with their previous packs.

Finlay is the alpha technically, but they will all follow Lani's directions. She is the one with the brilliant tactical mind. While they all have input on all missions, most of the plans are stemmed from Leilani's original idea.

Madden's eyes track Lani like a hunter watching his prey and Levi pulls the cute brunette that keeps making eyes at him closer as the men lap up the attention. All of them are a far cry from the skinny runts they were before. Everything they missed out on before they are gained back in multiples. Even though their lives are busy, even though they face danger on every corner, even though they train hard.

The group of six are genuinely happy and that is not something that they thought possible seven years ago. Elite training was far from losing their lives as they arrived thinking it was, it gained them a life.

Finlay looks at Madden.

"Where is she?"

Madden shakes his head with a half laugh.

"I think she has found her target"

"Massive alpha type?"

"What do you think?"

A collective snicker runs through the group. At first they thought she was picking out the biggest men on purpose to test their protectiveness of her, but no, that wasn't it. Lani certainly has a type.

Lani's eyes lock onto a large broad back, even at a distance, he leaks pheromones and masculinity. Lani takes another breath in, there is no female scent in the mix, meaning he is not marked. While he may have a girlfriend which she will back off if that is the case, a marked wolf is completely off limits even if they were the most divine creature in the world.

He turns to look toward the bar and Leilani gets a view of his side face, it is absolutely breathtaking.

Without pause, Leilani walks toward the broad back who has focused back at his table with four other men surrounding him.

The other men stare at her as she approaches, walking straight through the rippling alpha aura that will still most others. Connor waves his hand dismissively, telling his men to stand down.

Lani places a hand on Connor's thick and ripped back as her hand travels up and over his shoulder. Her hand feels slightly cool against his super heated skin, her fair face popping around the side of his body, he is already sitting on a raised bar stool, that coupled with his massive height makes it so she barely comes up to his shoulder even with her rather large glittery heels adorning her small feet.

Connor sits still, still staring blankly at his drink that is clutched tightly in one hand. The other hand runs up and through his thick brown hair that is cut short at the bottom and sits slightly forward to the left, covering a large portion of his forehead down to obscure some of the view of one eye.

The other eye is a steel grey color that has an endless depth to it. The other men eye the woman closely, but the alpha has told them to stand down so they can only do what he says, no matter how much they don't like it.

A lot of women want to meet their alpha but it is rare for anyone to make it through the barrier, and it doesn't matter how many times Connor took a look at the girl, he never dropped that aura for a moment.

Yet the petite and breathtakingly beautiful girl walked through like it was nothing. No one has ever dared to approach so boldly and to lay hands on Connor without a word? Unheard of. They would usually think she has a death wish, but it is obvious that Connor is not rejecting her.