Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 122

Connor looks out at the cafe that is the starting point for his future. Either a future of happiness or a future of letting everything go and fading into the background. "I will try my absolute best"

Connor gets out of the car with a half smile on his face. He takes a deep breath in trying to compose himself. He has never been the greatest actor. The biggest show he has ever put on in his life was with Leilani right by his side.

He has to get through this meeting without drawing attention to himself. He needs to ask all the right questions, making it look like he has nothing underhanded planned, because that is what this is. It is unhanded and Connor is well aware of that fact, but it doesn't make him change his mind.

Three years has been long enough, being away from her is slowly killing him.

Harvey moves into the back seat, playing with his phone to keep out of sight while Connor marches forward.

Inside the cafe, Terrance and Levi sit in a window seat looking out at Connor approaching. Terrance sighs as he looks at the lonely figure.

"You know that I hate this"

"I do too, but our hands are tied"

The bell on the door jingles as Connor enters. He walks straight to the table and sits down, pressing his hand firmly on the seat in between the seat and his butt. It is the only way to not give himself away. His hands are trembling in anticipation. He's scared of being found out.

For the first time, he cannot wait for this meeting to be over so he can set his plan in motion.

Connor drinks his first cup of black coffee so quickly that anyone would think he is re-hydrating on water.

At this stage, Connor is heavily addicted to caffeine just to get him through the day. Caffeine does little to replace sleep, but it's better than nothing.

Levi and Terrence just watch the man waiting for the usual questions about Leilani, but this time they don't come.

While they are not able to answer any of those questions or give away anything that could possibly lead Connor to Leilani or tell him anything about her life. Terrance is still slightly disappointed that Connor has finally given her up. It cuts him deep inside every time he has to go through this.

He wants to ask why Connor is not questioning them like usual, but that is a pointless request because they can't say anything. Anyway, anything to do with Leilani or even bringing up Lani's name, they are not physically able to do while in Connor's presence. The meetings, like the phone calls are awkward now. Terrance can't talk much about his life because his life mostly revolves around Leilani and the group. There is a certain disconnect between the two friends as the most important thing that they can talk about is a subject that can't be broached.

Everything is just awkward small talk about nothing in particular. From an outsider's point of view, it would look like they are only barely acquaintances, but only they know the truth that they are actually incredibly good friends even now. Even now with the world of separation between them.

The meeting is even more silent than usual.

**Day of separation*

Connor drives his car hard and fast down the desolate roads. The night is pitch black and even the tiny sliver of moon seems to have disappeared behind the clouds, leaving nothing but his headlights in front of him. He feels like the whole rest of the world is deserted. He can't even find another single car, let alone the one with Leilani in it.

Evie actually has a fair bit of trust in Connor and even though their car is moving at high speeds, it still manages to lull her to sleep. The feeling of safety while sleeping is very foreign to her, so the warmth and comfort of the car with the rocking motion makes her so she's unable to keep her eyes open.

The more kilometers that Connor covers, the more disheartened he gets. He lost Harvey a long time ago. They are both going in separate directions. Trying to cover more ground, but it's really just a race against time. A pointless waste of time chasing shadows that are long gone. The group could be anywhere by now.

Connor was initially hoping that they would go back to the stormy pack to pick up their things, but he has kept in constant contact with the border patrol. Hoping for any sightings and he hasn't felt anyone across the border either.

It is an aimless search with no leads.

The sun is starting to rise, the faint orange and pink halo of dawn is on the horizon cutting through the darkness of the night and the never-ending darkness of the road ahead.

Evie stirs in her sleep and Connor gently prods his shoulder to wake her up. They haven't had much of a chance to talk. Connor has been concentrating too much on trying to find Lani, so he doesn't really know the first thing about her. Connor has had his own problems to deal with, so he didn't pay too much attention to Evie. Not even knowing what pack she is from.

The only place he can think of going now is to elite training, even though he is well aware that if Leilani does not want to be found. She won't be found and she is unlikely to go there. He has to exhaust all options, he needs to find her. "Evie?"

Evie's head moves to the side and her eyes pop open in shock. Surprised that she slept so soundly in such an environment with a man who is basically a stranger to her. "Yeah?"

Evie's voice is riddled with sleep and largely unguarded. She struggles to open her eyes. It is the first slightly restful sleep that she's had and she actually feels like she is slept better in this space. Maybe having something to do with Connor's relaxing mate scent. She feels like she has slept better than she would alone in a bed. "Is there somewhere I can take you? Is there somewhere I can drop you off?"

Those words chase away any hint of sleepiness from Evie as she stares out into the darkened silhouettes of the large trees that line the road.

"I don't have anywhere to go"

Evie's voice is so soft with a hint of desperation, but it is laced with so much loneliness. The person she counted on to keep her safe through this and to look after her is Leilani. The person that she inadvertently hurt and now she has been abandoned once more. She doesn't blame Leilani. She can understand where Leilani is coming from. Doing what she did and knows that Lani was only trying to do what is best for Evie, but the way Evie sees it, what is best for her is having Leilani back by her side. All of this is so messed up.

"I'm going to go to the training grounds where Lani came from. I know there's not much chance, but it's a bit of a drive. Do you want me to drop you off at my pack, the stormy pack, or do you want to stay with me?"

"Is it okay if I stay with you?"

"Of course, like I said, I will never abandon you and I will be your support. If what you need right now is company and someone to rely on I will be that person"

"I appreciate it, Connor. Is it okay if I call you Connor?"

Connor laughs sadly, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment. He still hasn't come to terms with it, he has been driving for a whole night and it still doesn't make any sense.

"That is a strange thing to have to ask your fated mate, isn't it?"

Evie's fingers twist in the fabric of her clothing as she shudders slightly, pulling Connor's jacket tighter around her.

"This whole thing is strange really"

"It is. Did Lani tell you much about us?"

"She did"

"So you know you are my second chance mate?"

"And I guess you are mine. That is the part that I just can't wrap my head around. How can I have a second chance mate, without even having a chance to be with my first chance?" Connor just shakes his head sadly.

"Don't ask me about the moon goddesses strange ways. I started off the day with another girl as my fated mate went through the rejection process and came to that place to find my chosen mate, only to find that she has rescued my second chance mate.... I don't get it at all" "I started the day as a prisoner but still thinking I was a loved daughter and sister and I had a fated mate out there for me"

Evie laughs half-heartedly, running her fingers through her slightly knotted hair.

"Not you, I thought my mate was an alpha from a pack close to my birth pack. We were just waiting till my eighteenth birthday so that he could claim me"

Evie sighs looking out at the trees that the sun is finally starting to hit. Gone are the silhouettes replaced with all the finer details that the light provides. Even though this is a strange circumstance, it is not lost on her how beautiful nature is. She tried to picture it many times when she was locked up, but it is hard to remember every detail to truly understand the true glory.

All of that stuff before is just a distant memory now.

"As if all of that wasn't enough"

Evie omits the brutality suffered at the hands of Simon in between all that.

"By the end of the day, I have managed to get a saviour and a friend and, instead of repaying some of the kindness that she has shown me, I break up her relationship. I find out that my family doesn't want me and I don't even know what has become of my so-called fated mate as you are here with me now and none of the people I knew before are anywhere to be seen"