Awakening Following Fate

Fate-1

"What the hell was that." The vampire growls, hauling my brother to his feet, seemingly irritated, and almost violently dusts him down. No one seems to know how to react, and Leyanne, well, she chuckles and doesn't seem shocked. No hint of surprise, just an 'oh well' attitude and a pretty smug expression.

"It's called falling in love.... the wolf version anyway. Jasper just found his forever mate, and frankly, I do like a good bit of drama in the family. Well, isn't this another layer to add to a seriously strange story?" Leyanne is cheery with the turn of events, and Jasper is white and panic-stricken and looks like he's about to throw up. Meanwhile, Carmen is on her ass, outright staring his way with a devastating air of freak out all over her, and doesn't seem to be able to respond in any kind of way at all.

"They imprinted?" Meadow is almost as speechless as me and quickly speeds over to help Carmen back to her feet. Deja Vue of a similar chaotic scene coming at me from months ago, being swept off my feet, and the pain in my heart intensifies with the lack of his being here. Colton would be happy to know Carmen found her someone... God, he would be overjoyed to know my brother lives. He would be ecstatic on all counts and probably be smothering me half to death with joy and kisses. All of this, he should be here to share all these things with me. The truths, the possibility of an end to the war. Seeing Carmen finally get a chance to move on and heal. That the fates never forgot her at all.

"Carmen....?" Jasper whispers it affectionately, seemingly rolling her name around on his tongue, trying it out, familiarizing himself with what his heart will want from here on in. And despite openly staring at one another as if none of the rest of us are here, longing growing between them, neither is moving towards the other. It's a strange and strained atmosphere of pause. I can taste the apprehension from both sides, the disbelief, the severe lack of trust that life could show them a second of mercy. My brother must have been through hell, and now I can feel it. Free from my own overshadowing emotions. I can taste his lack of faith in fates, bonding, and relying on wolves at all. He's scared to approach her, and she is the same.

"This is not our focus... we have something to do. The girl can wait." The vampire bites in, hauling Jasper to face him by his upper arm, obviously no concept of what imprinting means for a wolf. I can see the struggle on my brother’s face as logic cuts in, but his heart and needs are fully focused on the femme mere feet away. After the initial shock wears off. I know how it goes. The instant love and longing, the sudden infatuation as the thoughts and memories you were hit with open, make you see the other as someone you've always known. Unraveling a sea of feelings you never knew were possible to have for someone who seconds before was a complete stranger.

"Do you have any idea how much of a big deal imprinting is?.... He can't fight it. Neither of them can, and it's cruel to make them." Meadow's snappy attitude is aimed at the vampire I know she's having a hard time ignoring. Her instincts from the second she saw them have her riled, and she's been on high alert this whole time. She is looking for any excuse to attack, and I know she's controlling it the best she can. Her eyes have never stopped being amber this entire time.

"Maybe weak ones like you can't... but Jasper is one of us. He took the oath; he was initiated into our coven. He comes with me... the girl can wait!" Darrius commands, grinding out his words with a low rumbling growl that sends unease through everyone. His teeth become more visible as he snaps, and his eyes seem to deepen in color as his pupils constrict. Even Jasper lowers his head in a sign of respect that tells me Darrius is not someone to disobey. Submissive immediately, and I can tell this Darrius character. He's not as reasonable and steady as he seems to make out. There's a darkness around him, a cold aura, and a severe lack of any compassion.

"Can I just talk to her for a second? ... My head’s full of..... I need just to touch her, just once." Jasper tries to keep control, but I know only too well how strong the pull is to bring you together. The urge and instant love of the bond, and he's struggling. I remember needing to be by Colton's side, feeding from his presence and aching to have him touch me.

"Get out of the way." Carmen's voice breaks into the tension, that bitch tone I'm starting to be fond of, and the vampire is physically pushed sideways as she storms face onto my brother without hesitation. No fear in her anyway. The shock and anger on Darrius' scowling mouth are only calmed by Leyanne's touch. She shakes her head to tell the vampire it's hopeless to intervene. Seems Carmen has pulled herself together, and she marches to Jasper to get her first proper look at her fate.

Jasper doesn't hesitate either but pulls her forward to him and presses his nose to hers while he lassos her in his arms. Bringing her to him like it's the most natural thing in the world. Seeing this, the fluid way they come together, makes my heart soften. The instant way they molded, that they weren't strangers seconds ago, and suddenly she's the only thing he wants now. Eyes lock, and both faces soften to an expression I see on my mate's face every time he looks at me. That level of love and need can never be hidden.

I don't want to think about all the ins and outs of this. Does this mean she has become my sister? I mean, she's my mate's ex-lover... and he's my brother. So, he's now going to make love to the girl who bedded his brother-in-law? God, this is intense. I'm not sure I want to keep thinking about it.

This is the last thing I expected to happen, ever. Although now that it has, I'm not mad about it. Jasper's been alone for a decade living with these god-awful creatures, and Carmen's been an untethered boat on a stormy sea for a long time. They're sort of perfect for each other, and I guess the fates knew that all along. They should have bonded so many years ago when they first turned but were pulled apart so everything else in this story could play out.

This also means one very important thing – her love for Colton - it's gone. In the blink of an eye, her emotions, heartbreak, sorrow, and pain ... A band-aid is applied. It all goes away, and her heart is filled instantly with love for the wolf the fates found worthy of her.

In a way, I'm happy it was this way and not slow and natural love. Carmen imprinted. She was worthy of that rarity, and the fates clearly have other plans for her. I hope she sees it now too. That whatever she thinks she did to call upon punishment, it hasn't been close to true. She had to walk a path to be part of this bigger picture. She was important to this story.

I turn away, blushing when my brother bridges the gap and kisses her without restraint, and Meadow hugs me tight with an 'awww' noise deep in her throat. All her previous dislike of Carmen seems to wash away upon witnessing this new love. And I know Meds is a romantic at heart.

Leyanne looks instantly bored and plays with her nails and jewelry, seemingly disinterested. The vampire stalks off, shaking his head and clicking his fingers at his minion, holding the door open. His dark, bad mood, and aura of iciness, thankfully go with him, and I shudder outwardly. I don't like him. He isn't overly threatening, but something about him is terrifying, and maybe it's knowing he's a completely different breed.

The vampires we have known are nothing like this.

"You have three minutes, Jasper. The lord will need to see you to be convinced of her existence. We don't have time for any of this." His commanding snarl is delivered before he gracefully slides back into the nearest SUV, clearly done with our presence. Jasper ignores him completely. So homed in on the girl in his arms, and I hear the rushed whisper of his hurried words as he breaks from her lips and nuzzles against her cheek.

"Come with me... I need to go with him for now. I don't want to leave you when I just found you." There's no denying the utter infatuation in his tone, the intense focus on his mate, and Carmen seems limp in his embrace. Flushed and sweet.

My stomach tightens, and Meadow, too, looks instantly worried, glancing at one another in question. Carmen may not be our best friend in any way, but she belongs with us, with her pack, and not running after my brother into some vampire world she's not accustomed to and seeing some high lord. There's no telling what would happen to her. Jasper couldn't protect her against them if they turned on her after we left.

"No. I follow my Luna. I'm here to do what she needs of me. I won't let her down and break my word. Find me when you come back. I can't leave her; she needs both of us with he to keep her safe on the journey home. I won't abandon her."

Carmen's words shock me, and with a last rushed kiss on my brother's lips, as though she knows longer will make her weak, she pushes him away and quickly removes herself before the emotions caused by the bond take away her willpower. Jasper looks instantly lost without her in his arms and then questions what she said in an afterthought. A sense of confusion sweeping over his expression.

"Luna?" He utters, his gaze coming back to settle on me.

Of course, he doesn't know and won't yet have time to rifle through Carmen's memories to pinpoint everything he doesn't yet understand. It's only just happened, and it takes time to sink in and open the cavern of things from another mind.

"Me. I'm Luna Santo, Colton Santo's mate and mother of our fractured pack." I stand up on unsteady legs, leaning on Meds for support, and smile his way with a soft hint of pride. Jasper's eyes completely burn to instant amber fire, his sweet expression dropping to furious glaring, and a growl erupts from his throat, aggression on full show.

“Santo!?!?!” He snaps. "Fucking Santo!!!! Are you fucking kidding me?" The swift change from smooth, steady, reliable Jasper, to instantly enraged and crazed makes me jump and step away in shock. His whole aura turns deadly and seems to grow with sudden intimidation. A warrior is showing a face that I had never seen on him. The air crackles with electricity, and I taste my brother's ingrained hatred and pain in one suffocating blow.

So, I guess I should have seen this coming, given that Santos slew everyone he loved, and his despisal has grown all this time. I never gave it a second thought that he wouldn't know all the ins and outs, but how could he? He has only just found me.

"I'm a Santo too." Carmen meekly utters the words, and Jasper spins furiously towards her with a piercing gaze. Seemingly searching his memories for the truth of her words, his eyes widen, shaking his head with venom as disgust takes over his expression.

"No..... this isn't fucking happening. You? ... Fucking you!!!" He spins back on me, accusation heavy in his knife-sharp words. "The Santos killed everyone, Lorey... our whole family. Our parents. Our entire pack! They took everyone we loved. They caused this. You can't get in bed with the one pack I aim to destroy. I swore I wouldn't rest until I took every Santo from this earth and made them suffer." His fury overtakes his gentle demeanor of a moment ago, a side to him I've never seen, and his pulsating rage fuels me. It feeds my internal temper, and my need to protect my people engulfs me. Forgetting what he is to me when faced with this kind of intent on my pack.

"They are not all like Juan Santo... not all wolves are to blame for what he did. The Santos are MY pack, my people...I won't let you do anything to them! I won't stand aside and let you try. Your mate is Santo... does that not tell you what the fates want? Are you going to deny that and destroy her along with them? Cast aside your sister and cause more sorrow in our lives?" Tears mist my eyes, but my anger holds them at bay, spitting at him in a fury. The Luna in me shows face, and I march to him, squaring up, eyes glowing brightly, and warn him with the snarl in my tone.