Fated but Forsaken

I lunged forward, grabbing Elena's wrist before she could disappear. My fingers passed through empty air.

"Elena?" I whispered into the darkness.

The moonlight that had shown her face seconds ago revealed only shadows now. Had I imagined her?

A crash from outside my window made me jump. I rushed over and peered out. A dark figure darted across the lawn toward the forest edge. Blond hair caught the moonlight.

Without thinking, I threw on shoes and raced out the door. The rejection pain throbbed in my chest with each step, but I didn't care. If Elena was alive, nothing else mattered.

The cold night air hit my face as I sprinted after the shadow. Branches scratched my arms, but I pushed deeper into the woods.

"Elena! Wait!" I called out.

The forest went silent. No footsteps, no movement. Just me, alone with my pounding heart and the ache in my chest.

"You shouldn't be out here." A deep voice came from behind me.

I spun around. Alpha Rowan stood there, moonlight catching his silver-gray eyes. He wore only sweatpants, his bare chest rising and falling with each breath.

"I saw someone," I said, stepping back. "My sister."

His eyes narrowed. "Your sister is dead."

"I know what I saw," I insisted, even as doubt crept in. "She was in my room, and then she ran out here."

Rowan stepped closer, his face inches from mine. The mate bond pulled like a magnet between us. His eyes flickered down to my lips, then back up.

"You're delirious from the rejection," he said, but his voice sounded strained. "It's making you see things."

"I'm not crazy," I whispered.

Something shifted in his expression. For a second, the coldness melted away. His hand reached up, almost touching my cheek, then dropped.

"Go back to your room," he ordered, but there was no anger in his voice. "It's not safe out here at night."

"Because of wolves or because of ghosts?" I asked.

A muscle in his jaw tightened. "Both."

I held his gaze. "Why did you follow me?"

Rowan looked away. "I felt... something. Through the bond."

"The bond you rejected," I reminded him.

He flinched as if I'd slapped him. "Go back inside, Aria."

Before I could answer, voices called from the direction of the pack house. Lyra's voice rang out above the others.

"Rowan! Where are you?"

Panic flashed across his face. He grabbed my arm, pulling me behind a large tree. His body pressed against mine, hiding us both in shadow. His heart pounded against my back. I could feel his breath on my neck.

"Don't move," he whispered, his lips nearly touching my ear.

Footsteps approached. Lyra and two guards passed by, flashlights sweeping the forest floor.

"Alpha?" one called out.

Rowan's grip on my waist tightened. My skin burned where he touched me.

"He wouldn't be out here," Lyra snapped. "Keep looking near the training grounds."

They moved on, voices fading into the night. Rowan didn't let go right away. We stood frozen, bodies pressed together, neither of us breathing.

"Why are you hiding from her?" I finally asked.

He stepped back like my words had burned him. "I'm not hiding."

"Really? Because it seems like—"

"Enough," he growled. "This doesn't change anything. I made my choice."

"Did you?" I challenged. "Or did someone make it for you?"

Something dark crossed his face. "What are you saying?"

Before I could answer, a twig snapped nearby. Rowan pushed me behind him protectively. Beta Caleb emerged from the trees, eyebrows raised at finding us together.

"Alpha, the council is waiting. They want to discuss... the situation."

"What situation?" I asked.

Caleb's eyes met mine with sympathy. "Pack members are talking about the mate rejection. The council is concerned about what it means for Alpha Rowan's leadership."

Rowan's face hardened. "I'll be right there."

Caleb hesitated, looking between us. "Aria, Trish was looking for you. She's reassigned your duties."

My stomach dropped. "To what?"

"Alpha's personal quarters," Caleb said carefully. "Cleaning, serving, organizing."

Rowan's head snapped toward his Beta. "I didn't approve this."

"Lyra did," Caleb replied, watching Rowan's reaction. "She said you needed more help since the pack keeps growing."

The muscle in Rowan's jaw twitched again. "Fine. But she starts tomorrow."

I stared at him. "You want me working in your rooms? After rejecting me?"

His eyes met mine, conflicted emotions battling in them. "It's just work, Aria."

"It's torture," I corrected him.

"Life is torture," he said quietly. "We all endure what we must."

Caleb cleared his throat. "We should go. The elders are getting impatient."

Rowan nodded, then turned back to me. "Don't go looking for ghosts again, Aria. Some things are better left buried."

As they walked away, I called after him, "Is that why you buried what's between us?"

He froze mid-step but didn't turn around.

I headed back toward the pack house alone, my mind racing. Something was wrong with Rowan. The way he looked at me, the way he touched me—it didn't match his rejection.

Back in my room, I collapsed on the bed, emotionally drained. As I closed my eyes, something caught my attention—a piece of paper on my pillow that hadn't been there before.

With trembling hands, I unfolded it.

*Not everyone is what they seem, big sister. Rowan is under her spell. Break it before it breaks you both. Meet me at the old willow tree tomorrow at midnight. Come alone or I'll disappear forever.*

*-E*

My heart nearly stopped. On the back of the note was a child's drawing—the exact picture Elena had made for me the day before she died. A drawing only she and I had ever seen.

She was alive. And tomorrow, I would find out how.

Unless someone stopped me first.

A shadow moved across my window. I rushed over just in time to see Lyra walking away, her red hair gleaming under the moonlight, a satisfied smile on her face as she looked up at my room.

What did she know? And what would she do to keep me from discovering the truth?