Fateful Pursuit: A Soul Bound Tale

"No."

"My decision is final."

"Nah-uh."

"The three of you are going, and now that's an order." Felicity and Janine looked down, overpowered by their alpha's command, but I only smirked.

"Still not a part of your pack, Cadie," I sang.

"That's not fair! If we have to go, you do too." Janine frowned, while Cayden nodded with a serious expression.

Currently, I, along with the girls, were being shooed out of the pack due to the arrival of some big-shot alpha who Cayden didn't trust. It would have been cute, but him sending us off would just mean that he didn't trust us to take care of ourselves (or hold our tongue), which was insulting. Even if it was true that I had a tendency to blurt out random things.

I had also overheard him talking to his Beta about how he was worried that one of us could be mates to the so-called ruthless alpha, and that set a momentary fear in my heart too. I wasn't planning to stay here for the visit since Alphas aren't my favorite people to be around, nor was I keen on meeting my mate, but messing around with Cayden and seeing him frustrated was fun.

"I'll let you drive my Ferrari." He negotiated, and I raised my eyebrows. He was incredibly attached to 'Lydia,' his blood-red beauty with a heart of steel, and his willingness to part with it was a surprise. "I would take that offer up if I knew how to drive a car," I shrugged.

"I'll drive it!" Felicity eagerly piped up.

"Too young," Cayden shot his sister a disapproving look. She stuck her tongue out and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, that's enough. You've got two options: either you go out of the pack or you stay in the dungeons with a guard. Take your pick." He started to walk away from my gaping self. I pursed my smile and tried desperately to hide my amusement, but Cayden's sulky face on his tall, broad frame was hilarious.

"I'm going, I'm going!" I called out to him, but he didn't stop. "Just so you know, I didn't plan on meeting this Alpha anyways."

"I know," he informed me. Of course, he did.

Felicity and Janine looked at me quizzically, as if they had just seen a terribly tough math sum that needed to be solved. I assumed that they both mind-linked each other because the range of expressions on their faces was comically identical. Sad, annoyed, angry, and then excited.

"We are going shopping!" Felicity did a little shimmy, and I groaned.

"Just take my life already," I moaned, letting my face drop into my open palms. Janine was trying to peel my hands off my face when Cayden re-entered the scene with a panicked look on his face.

"You three," he pointed at us. "Dungeon, now."

"Not happening. We agreed out of the pack." I argued. Pat and Jules protested at his command.

"The Alpha is already here; the dungeons will keep you safe."

"What is he going to do to us in your territory?" I rolled my eyes at his paranoia.

"He has a reputation. Should any problem arise, I want you all out of harm's way so that I can fight instead of spending time worrying about your well-being."

"Maybe you shouldn't have invited someone you didn't trust into the pack land!" As soon as I said it, I knew I had gone too far. Challenging an Alpha's decision or motives could be instant death in some packs. The only reason I wasn't dead already was that Cayden thought of me as family. His eyes flashed a dangerous black color, and I bowed my head in submission, baring my neck only slightly to show that I had backed down this time.

After a second or two, he seemed to have regained control over his wolf and gave a reassuring smile. The dungeon was a cold and uncomfortable place that I had never visited before. Silver Eclipse Pack generally had a happy aura, but this place sent chills down my spine.

Cayden knew that I hated dungeons. They were an unwelcome trigger to memories that I wished to lock in a place so far away that they didn't have a chance of surfacing. But he still left me here. My chest started to tighten uncontrollably, and I felt the sweat beginning to form, dripping down my face.

"I can't sit here," I told the girls who were looking at me concerned.

"You can't leave, Miracle," Jules informed me.

"Yes, I can! I'm not a prisoner. I'm not in this pack. I'm a guest, and a guest should be-"

"Travis, open this," I told the guard.

"I can't do that, Miracle. Alpha's orders," he said with an apologetic smile but moved away from the door to give me more breathing space.

"Tell him I need to be let out. Dungeons. Can't-"

"He's blocked off. But I could go find him if you want?" Travis asked me, concerned. I couldn't breathe. I just couldn't. Felicity was rubbing my back in a steady rhythm.

"Just open the door, Travis. I'm sure Cayden will understand," Felicity urged him.

"This counts as a life or death situation, right?"

"You have eyes, right?" Janine asked him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at her and made his way toward the door with the right key in hand. The moment the door unlocked, I pushed it open and fell to the floor.

The day, coupled with the location, was bound to create problems. I ran until I reached the pack house and stealthily sneaked toward Cayden's office. There were surprisingly no guards outside, but I could smell about twenty to thirty male werewolves standing inside the room in close proximity.

Snooping could get me into trouble, but I was curious about which Alpha had riled up Cayden so much. I inched towards the door and placed my palms on it. In a matter of seconds, I felt the door move inwards and found myself stumbling into the room and onto the floor.

Cayden shook his head at my horizontal body.

Oops!