Page 23 of Forsaken By Fate

“No?” Fenris echoes.

“I mean… yes… but no,” Aurora moans, dropping her head miserably as Zane pulls her forward to stand between us. In the circle of us, among the rose bushes, we wait for her to tell us the whole truth. “We are mates—but he rejected me.”

“What?” Zane laughs. “Who would reject you?”

I’m also surprised by her confession, unsure of how convinced I am by her version. “When did this happen?” I press.

“That’s why I left Oklahoma,” she tells us, raising her head quickly to look at me imploringly. “He rejected me and told me to leave. I didn’t think he was going to tell anyone, like he was embarrassed.”

“Why?” Fenris wants to know. “Of what? You’re beautiful and smart?—”

“I’m just a prey shifter,” Aurora reminds him. “He’s a dragon, part of the Apexes in Oklahoma.”

I scoff in disgust. “So he banished you?”

Aurora meets my eyes. “I guess I banished myself a bit,” she admits. “He suggested I leave, and I took his advice. That’s why I wasn’t really worried when you contacted them. I didn’t think he would tell them who I was.”

Zane steps closer, brushing his hand across her cheek. “I’m glad you left and came here.”

I swallow my anger at Lachlan and draw closer to her with Fenris, the three of us encircling her fully.

“Why has he changed his mind now?” I press curiously. “If he was so determined to see you gone?”

“He probably realized what he’s missing out on,” Fenris growls, slipping his arm around her waist. “But it’s too late now.”

“Can he do that?” Aurora asks worriedly. “I mean, he is still my mate.”

“He rejected you,” Zane insists, glancing at me for confirmation, but uncertainty plagues me.

I don’t know if Lachlan can rightfully reclaim her, despite having rejected her.

“No,” I decide firmly. “He can’t. Aurora has sworn a blood oath to us, and she belongs to us now.”

“But the Alphas came here for a reason,” Aurora protests, tipping her head back to look at me worriedly. “They must think they have some claim to me.”

“They’re wrong,” I intone flatly. “And we’ll fight to the death to keep you, if that’s what it takes.”

She smiles weakly and nods, slipping her arms around my neck as I embrace her.

“You should have told us this before,” I growl in her ear, and she exhales. “I know. I was humiliated.”

“Lachlan is the one who should be humiliated,” Zane tells her, and Fenris nods vehemently in agreement.

“He has some nerve showing up here, trying to reclaim you after rejecting you in the first place,” Fenris grouches. “I’ll put a block on them so they’re not welcome back in Oak Hollow again.”

“Not yet,” I reply, pulling myself reluctantly away from Aurora and setting her back on her feet. “I want to meet with them again and find out why Lachlan had a change of heart.”

“Is that necessary, Victor?” Aurora asks shakily. “It’s probably for the best to keep them out.”

“No,” I insist, my senses piqued. “I’m curious to know what inspired all this when he was so eager to reject her. I can barely read the mate bond between them, even now that I know about it. Arrange another meeting for tomorrow, Fen. Let’s settle this matter once and for all. I don’t want this hanging over us forever.”

Aurora’s gaze darts between us, and I cup her face firmly in one of my palms. “You have to trust me, Aurora,” I gruff at her. “We will fight for you, but you always have to be honest with us.”

She blinks and nods. “I will,” she breathes. “I promise.”

“Good. Then let’s end this.”

Chapter 8

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