Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 119

Connor gets back to work as Harvey leaves. He only has two days to fit in goddess knows how much work, but as he glances once more at the photo of Leilani in his arms, he works with a new vigor. He wants to feel that again. He is sick of looking at the photo, he wants her back. Thankfully, he keeps up to date with everything he can, he is always going above and beyond so the whole pack will not crash and burn even with his extended absence.

He can't wait to see her again, he is not above begging her, he has to believe in all this time that he cannot be the only one that was pining away. He knows that she loved him once and he is hopeful that he can get her love once again. Harvey's words keep running through his head. What if she won't come back?

Maybe after he trains up someone else to take over as alpha, maybe he can just shift into his wolf form and live out his life like that. No longer being interested in the thoughts and feelings of his human side, there is too much heart break. Connor works day and night without break, just passing out on his desk at random intervals when his eyes refuse to stay open for a moment longer.

The alarm goes off on the phone on Connor's desk and he jumps up happily, the exhaustion disappearing. He looks at the well laid-out lists, everything that Harvey will need to know is available as Connor is not sure how contactable he will be. Truthfully, he just wants to focus all his energy into looking for Leilani, making sure that he keeps track of Levi and Terrance.

Last time he was so worried about getting back, he had important meeting scheduled and he had no idea back then that it would take so long.

Connor wants all his attention on following instead of worrying about the pack and pack affairs. This will be his first time off in the whole time he has taken over the pack. He deserves as much.

It is not like he is not doing something important. After all, if he is successful, then he will be returning with the luna of the pack. Connor moves to his room. Hanging on the wall is a frame housing a destroyed pack of UNO cards. He had so few things to remind him of her. The same photo that is in the study is enlarged and hung over the head of the bed.

Connor's phone starts to ring as he packs his small bag with some basic necessities. He needs it small enough that he can carry it when he is in wolf form, small enough that it doesn't stand out in crowded places but big enough that he can remain fully clothed in clean clothes the whole time. He cannot afford to draw attention to himself. If Levi and Terrance catch wind of him following, then his whole plan is done and he may never get another chance.

Levi is just as highly trained as Leilani, so he won't be the easiest person to fool. Conner slides his finger up the screen to answer the call, jamming his phone between his ear and his shoulder. "Evie"

"Connor, I heard you were going after Lani?"

Connor laughs.

"Harvey needs to learn to keep his mouth shut"

"Why? Don't you want me to know?"

"How could that be? I don't want my plan to fail before it starts"

"I swear I won't tell a soul"

"I know you won't, it wasn't that I truthfully got too busy, you know me. Anyway, how have you been?"

There is a pause on the other end of the line as Evie looks around her large office.

"One day at a time"

The only person that Evie trusts with the truth is Connor and Lani when she returns. Evie smiles thinking of the girl who she has used as her strength even after their brief meeting. "Make sure you bring her back"

"I will try my absolute hardest and if my convincing doesn't work I will send you in my place. You can sob story it up and guilt her into coming"

"You want me to use my pain for your gain?"

"It has to be good for something"

Connor is the only one that jokes with her about it, everyone else tip toes around the edge. That is a way that Connor normalized it for her.

"If you can't convince her, what hope do I have?"

"She will feel sorry for you and do whatever you say"

"No one feels sorry for me anymore, they just ignore it, pretend it never happened, just the way I like it"

"Lani isn't everyone else, she will see the truth straight away"

"What ever Alpha Connor"

"What ever Alpha Evie"

Connor chuckles as he hangs up the phone, hearing Evie laugh on the other end of the line.

**Day of Separation**

Connor doesn't even want to say it. The first tear is followed by another. He is so unwilling, but as he looks at the girl in front of him who is obviously so damaged he doesn't even know what to do, he cannot just reject her.

He looks at Lani with desperation, her confusion is written all over her face and Connor wants to take the word back. It cannot be right, the smell is wrong, the flash of recognition is wrong, the word is wrong. He doesn't want this.

All he wants is what is standing right in front of him.

All that he wants is standing there holding his second chance mate?

Connor feels sick, nausea ties his stomach in knots, bile burns his throat, his head swims. There is not a single clear thought in his head, he wants to fall to his knees, he wants to ask why, he wants to look at the moon and ask why she has to do all this to him. Is he not allowed to be happy?

Is he destined to be alone?

Happiness was right there at his fingertips and now he feels like it is disappearing without a trace. He watches Lani's face as the confusion turns to hurt, it is like he can see her heart shatter, he wants to reach out and tell her it is all a mistake, tell her that he loves her but he can't even lift his shaking arm, his body doesn't seem to respond, it is like the entire world is moving around him and he is just stationary doing nothing, just being stagnant, just watching his world crumble and not be able to hold together the pieces. Connor opens his mouth to say something, anything that will fix all this, but that one single word is enough to make everything implode, all his dreaming of the future with Leilani disappears in a puff of smoke.

Lani's hands slowly fall from the girl that she has been holding. It is not that she holds anything against Evie, it is not that she is jealous. If anyone deserves to be with someone as great as Connor, it is Evie, with all she has been through before.

But did it have to be with the man she loves? Out of everyone in the world did it have to be him?

Lani wants to comfort Evie still, but she is not sure that that is her job anymore. She wants to run into Connor's arms and keep him as her own, but that is definitely not her place.

She has to accept the reality that the girl she saved, the girl that is so damaged and so heartbroken, is mates with the man that she was planning to spend the rest of her life with.

Lani chokes a little as she looks straight back at Connor, seeing the confusion in his eyes, but this is the moment that she has to be selfless. Oh how she wishes she could be selfish. She wishes she could push Evie away and sink her canines into Connor's shoulder. There and then marking him as her own, cutting off that fated bond before it even has a chance to settle. But she is not that type of person, even if in this moment she really wants to be, she can't bring herself to do it.

Maybe if it was anyone else she would. If it wasn't Evie she would fight. But how could she break this broken girl even more?

Leilani's hands fall to her side and Evie looks at Leilani, who has been her rock since the very first second that she laid her eyes on her and then looks back at the man who is undoubtedly the most handsome man she has ever seen in her entire life. His scent is intoxicating, but that is the extent of it. She is beyond frightened and she doesn't even know how this happened.

How can this be possible? Hasn't she already got a mate? Was Damon lying or what is happening right now?

Evie feels the tension between the two, watching in horror as her broken self, her tainted eyes that have seen so much pain, so much darkness, so much hurt, so many unspeakable things.

Suddenly, she is watching two hearts breaks simultaneously. She doesn't know what to do.

She wants Leilani to hold her again. That is the only way she feels safe because right now, without Lani's warm embrace. She feels like she's about to fall apart once again.

Evie's wolf is pushing forwards toward the man but it is her human that is damaged from the whole experience. She has no desire to feel the touch of a man ever again in her life, she feels no desire to step towards the man in front of her, she has no idea what to say. Her throat is scratchy from screaming so much for so long.

She feels like she has done something wrong but she has no idea what it is she has done and what she can do to rectify it.

But as Evie feels her rock and her strength pull away from her, all she wants to do is reach out but she can't make any type of rash move.

Three people are stuck in this situation. Not one of them is happy. Two of them are frightened and one is thinking frighteningly logically.

Lani knows exactly what she has to do, even if it breaks her heart into pieces to do it.

Lani takes a deep breath in, breathing in that scent that is Connor, that masculine safe scent, even if it is hard now, she knows it's for the best. She knows from the look in Connor's eyes that he wants to say something, but she has already broken up Connor and his first fated mate.

Maggie deserved everything that she got. Maggie deserved Connor's rejection but Evie doesn't. Evie needs this and even if Connor is reluctant now, she knows that the two of them will be good together. He will be the one that can save her, he can heal her, he's patient enough, he is loving enough to be able to save Evie.

Connor can no longer be Lani's safety and can no longer be her home. Disappointment shrouds Leilani as she takes a large step back and another. Whispering only loud enough for the fated pair to hear her. "Keep her safe and treat her well. Love him. He is a good guy, the best man you could ever hope for"

Connor is unable to move towards her. He wants to tell her that it's all wrong, but all he can do is watch as tears fall down his cheeks. His mouth opens and closes but he has no idea what to say. Fear grips him like never before. His human wants Leilani with everything, but his wolf is undecided. Both are good candidates for mating. One is amazing and everything he could have wanted, but one was blessed by the moon.

Connor is at a stalemate, just watching Lani retreat in slow motion and powerless to stop it.