Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 86

Maggie opens her mouth to reply, she wants to tell him that no one even ever wanted him, that it is his loss, but she has nothing, hurt spreads through her system, her wolf mourns the loss, her relationship with Gabriel is so dicey and she has to rely on a serum to make her heal, will Gabriel just randomly test her now, he saw something and Maggie doesn't feel like it is going to be as easy as that. The talk of the rejection has her flustered, she is already weak and she has no idea how she is going to be able to cope with such a thing. She is thankful that her family is present to be able to pick up the pieces because she is sure that Gabriel will just leave her. Oscar watches as Leilani walks away from the two alphas.

"Mum look"

He did not expect to see her and she looks even more similar without being done up, her hair identical to the photos he has seen of his mother. The strange ideas that he hasn't been able to settle are not satiated by her appearance. Looking at Leilani again, Oscar is even more sure of something, he is just not exactly sure what that something is.

Astrid follows Oscar's gaze and looks at the girl, her long white blonde hair sitting neatly over one shoulder, the exact same color that she has seen in the mirror her whole life. Leilani glances at the two for only a moment, but it is all Astrid needs. Leilani looks like a younger version of herself. The only thing that is different is the eyes, it is his eyes, it is Oscar's eyes, Harris' eyes.

Astrid stares at the beautiful girl who walks with all the confidence in the world, a smile on her face as she looks back and lifts her hand to her lips, gently blowing a kiss to Connor as she sticks her middle finger up at the other two, her long white blonde hair flipping over her shoulder with the movement, the sun catching in the long length giving her the visage of a glittering angel. She throws her head back and laughs lightly at something one of the boys that are following her says. Astrid places a shaking hand over her chest, her breathing blocked as the girl gets further and further away. Tears welling in her eyes as she looks at the girl who is so close to the age of Cora, who has features that cannot be faked. Everything about her.

It can't be real.

But that is the only explanation.

Astrid opens her trembling lips. A single word escapes.

"Cora?"

The word is so soft that Oscar, who is standing beside her, can hardly hear it, so Leilani, who is getting closer and closer to the car that she will leave the pack in, definitely can't hear it.

Astrid takes a shaky step forward, her hand gripping her chest over her heart so hard that her claws start to dig into the flesh as she projects her voice. It is shaky and full of desperation, but it is loud and firm travelling over the entire pack ground. Her alpha aura that has long been suppressed is rolling.

"CORA"

Leilani just looks at Astrid with one eyebrow raised. Even over the distance Lani's stormy blue eyes cut into Astrid. They are Harris' eyes there is no mistaking it. They are, she is, she has to be.

How is it possible?

Lani looks at the woman and then the man next to her, recognizing him as the man at the dance, only briefly skimming over the woman before turning to Finlay. "Crazy really runs in their family. Is calling me the wrong name meant to insult me?"

Arlo glances at Astrid.

"I don't know. She looks pretty dramatic, like some old school play with some intense over acting"

Lani laughs as they load into the car without paying any attention to the woman at all. Oscar looks at his mother worriedly. He has never seen so much emotion in her eyes before, he has never heard so much frailty yet so much power in her voice. Sometimes it is hard to remember that she is an alpha wolf, but right now he got a big reminder.

He places a hand on her shoulder.

"Mum, are you okay?"

He is not sure what reaction he was expecting from his mother, but it wasn't that. He is not sure whether this is the confirmation that he wanted or should be worried about the look that his mother has as she stares at the car as the view of Lani disappears from her sight as door closes, Astrid looks broken.

Astrid looks like a strong breeze would shatter her into a million pieces.

"It couldn't be"

Astrid cannot hear Oscar's words. She can no longer see Maggie. All she can see is the back of the black car as it departs.

"It is impossible"

Tears run down her smooth but aged skin. Astrid turns on her heel and steps forward, her well-fitted and beautiful clothing shredding around her as she shifts into a beautiful white she wolf. The only coloring is a small black v on her chest. She is large for a she wolf. She doesn't look back, she only has one goal in mind, it is all she can think of. She runs, they are shaky steps at first, emotions surging as she rarely gets to run her wolf anymore. Simon doesn't like her to shift, telling her that it makes Maggie feel bad about her size. Once she gets her footing, she runs through her emotions, getting faster and faster. Oscar doesn't ask questions, he doesn't try and call his mother back, he doesn't look at Maggie again, he shifts and follows up, his pure black wolf having a single white spot that covers one ear and down over one stormy blue eye.

Maggie watches as her family just runs away, that back up and support she thought she had is gone. Her whole world is crumbling. She has believed for so long that she is the centre of the universe. She can't handle the reality.

Gabriel frowns as he watches Leilani drive away. He watches Oscar and Astrid run away and Connor stand looking at him with a single eyebrow raised and a gloating look on his face. He knows that Gabriel has nothing, Leilani doesn't care about him in the slightest and has made it clear that she is on Connor's side.

Gabriel, who came in with confidence that this could all get sorted out today, but now he is not so sure. He just does not want to be here any longer. He has a bunch of feelings that he is yet to identify. "Let me know when Leilani is back"

"You know I wouldn't even let you near her if there wasn't a rejection pending"

Gabriel scoffs as he looks at Connor.

"You can look as smug as you want, but just remember that the moon goddess gave her to me. You are not her suitable match. Remember who you were fated to"

Connor doesn't get annoyed by Gabriel's words in the slightest. He just laughs, throwing his head back as his mocking laughter fills the space.

"Are you insulting me or yourself? I made the right choice. You, on the other hand, had the world handed to you and you chose wrongly. You are too stupid, you have no one to blame but yourself"

Gabriel growls and Connor extends his canines. He will fight Gabriel if it comes to it. He is just not sure how it will affect Lani and he is sure she is doing something dangerous, so he doesn't want to do anything that could compromise her.

Maggie, who has watched her family run off, having to deal with being abandoned in such a way. Then has listened to Gabriel and Connor talk about her like she isn't even good enough to be a consolation prize. Like it is a curse rather than a blessing to be with her. This is all so wrong.

It is unacceptable.

"You are both f*cked, she is nothing, she has always been nothing, she has a pretty face and some strong friends and suddenly she is prized property? She is just an orphan, she doesn't have pure blood like me. No matter what, any future heir would be downgraded with that mutt as their mother"

Connor looks at Maggie in disgust.

"I can't handle it, no matter how many times I tell you, you never learn, you just keep going, making my hatred for you grow with every word that comes out that vile mouth of yours. I have no idea how the moon goddess thought I was meant to handle you. If I had to listen to those filthy words all the time, I would take a silver dagger to my own heart. Even if there was no Leilani, you would never be a good match for me"

Connor pauses, looking at Maggie with all the disgust that he feels for her leeching out his skin. He can taste it on the tip of his tongue.

"I, Connor Storm, Alpha of the stormy pack, reject you, Maggie Greyson of the Amber pack, as my mate and Luna"

Connor clutches his chest briefly, but the pain that he was expecting doesn't come, his love for Leilani covering up the snap in the bond, his wolf is already happy with his choice, his wolf already believing that Leilani is his luna.

There is no sadness, there is no loss, all that remains is a certain peace, a belief that things are finally set right.

Maggie is not so lucky, her heart isn't settled anywhere, her need for power and position makes her hate that the option of the stormy pack is completely closed off, she is not secure within the half moon pack, she doesn't have that support and nothing is guaranteed, all that she thought she would have is slipping through her fingers.

All of Connor's harsh words are nothing compared to hearing the words of rejection from his perfect mouth. His steady and powerful voice sounds so calm when saying something that wounds her so deeply, that tears her apart on the inside.

Maggie falls to her knees clutching her heart and screaming in pain as Connor just looks on in indifference and Gabriel's emotionless face is watching the space that the vehicle containing Leilani disappeared from view so long ago.