The Rejection of Fate: The High Alpha’s Chosen Mate

Solenn

"You have to come with me," he says. His voice is hard, like a command.

I stare at him. I don't blink. I stand up slowly from my desk, my blood starting to simmer. "Did the Moon Goddess send a new memo? Some rule I missed?"

I'm a Beta. I was born to this rank, and I earned it. I don't take orders well, especially not from an Alpha who isn't mine. Technically, he has no power over me.

Axel shrugs, looking bored. "I'll get you to my pack one way or another. I don't care how."

I breathe in through my nose, sharp and cold. I sit back down and lace my fingers together. I keep my eyes locked on his. "Try to force me, and I will reject you."

'We can't! He's our mate,' Eva whimpers in my head.

'Shut up,' I snap back. 'I’m playing a hand here. I’m not dropping my life just to go cook his dinner.'

'I like cooking,' she grumbles.

I ignore her and wait for Axel to speak.

"You won't reject me," he says. He actually scoffs. "Your wolf needs me too much."

A laugh bursts out of me. It isn't a nice sound. I stand up again and start walking toward the door. "You’d be surprised how little she needs you."

As I try to pass him, his hand shoots out. His fingers wrap around my wrist like a vice. He squeezes hard. My inner wolf rumbles, a low growl vibrating in my chest. I don't think; I just react. I unsheathe my claws and twist my arm, digging into his skin to draw blood.

He doesn't flinch. He just tightens his grip until my bones ache.

Fine. I lean in and sink my teeth into his hand. I bite down until I taste copper.

Axel yelps and lets go. I stumble back, my heart hammering against my ribs. I glare at him.

"What the fuck?" he snarls, clutching his bleeding hand. His eyes flash a dangerous, predatory gold. "Why did you bite me?"

"You didn't let go," I hiss. I reach for the office door. "Don't put your hands on me."

"Since when are you so delicate?" he growls.

I don't answer. I bolt out of the room and head for the stairs. I need to get to the ground floor. There are weapons down there, and more space to run if he decides to shift and hunt me.

"I think you just marked me!" he yells from the hallway.

I don't care. I scramble down the steps, my feet skidding as I hit the kitchen floor. My mother is there. She spins around, barely moving out of my way as I charge past.

"Solenn? What's happening?"

I grab her hand and yank her toward the back door. I can hear his heavy boots hitting the stairs. "Move," I mutter. I fumble with the lock, push her out onto the porch, and slam the door behind us.

Inside, Eva is a mess. She’s paralyzed with fear. Axel let out a wave of Alpha dominance back in the office, and it’s still crushing her.

"Where are we going?" my mother whispers. Her eyes are glowing. She’s trying to link my father, but she’s shaking too hard to focus.

"The barracks," I say.

We sprint. My mother finds her stride, her Beta strength kicking in. I’m a tracker, built for speed and stealth, not just raw power. My senses are sharp. As we hit the tree line, the air clears, and I finally catch his scent. It’s heavy, like cedar and rain. And it’s getting closer.

"Mom, faster," I bark.

I want to shift, but Eva is still frozen. I have to stay on two legs and pray. We know these woods better than anyone; we spent years patrolling these trails.

"He's right behind us," my mother calls out.

"Shift and run!" I yell.

She doesn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, she shifts. A large grey wolf hits the dirt and surges forward, weaving through the brush. I stay human, jumping over fallen logs and dodging branches.

A roar tears through the forest behind us. It’s loud enough to make the leaves tremble.

'Dad,' I mind-link, my thoughts frantic. 'We’re heading to the barracks. Axel is coming. I think he’s going to kill me.'

My father’s voice explodes in my head, full of rage and curses. 'Get there. I'm locking the place down.'

I don't look back. I push my lungs until they burn. My ears twitch, and Eva finally helps, sharpening my hearing. I can hear his breathing now. I can hear the dirt churning under his feet.

He’s gaining on me.

The heavy thud of paws hits the dirt behind me. He’s shifted. I can hear him struggling with the thick brush of my home turf. He doesn't know these woods.

I take a sharp left toward the barracks and kill my scent. I sniff the air. My mother’s scent is gone too. She made it. I can hear the muffled voices of the guards taking her inside. They’re asking about me.

I’m standing in the open like a target. I grab a nearby trunk and climb. The bark bites into my palms and scrapes my forearms, but I don’t make a sound. I reach the higher branches and tuck myself into the leaves. As long as he doesn’t look straight up, I’m invisible.

I used to do this for fun. Now I’m hiding from a mate who wants to break me.

'Maybe we should have just talked,' Eva whispers.

I feel for her. She grew up seeing mates as equals. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Rank matches rank to keep things fair. But the Fates messed up with us. I’m a Beta. He’s an Alpha.

'We're going to be a Luna,' Eva says, sounding stunned.

I never wanted that. Other girls dreamed of Alphas and pups, but I went to university. I prepared for my career. I wasn't built to be some man's trophy or a pup-machine. Tomorrow the whole world finds out. The mating ballot will be public. Everyone will know the great Alpha Axel is mated to a tracker who won't obey him.

Movement below stops my thoughts. He’s pacing. He smells my mom, but he’s lost my trail.

I start moving, hopping from branch to branch like a ghost. The barracks gate is right there. If I jump down and sprint, I can make it before he shifts back.

I reach for a limb, but my foot slips on damp moss. My stomach drops. I’m falling. I tuck my chin and brace for the impact of the hard earth.

It never comes.

Warm, thick arms catch me. I open my eyes and stare into Axel’s face. He looks murderous. He drops me onto the ground like a sack of grain.

'I guess we fell for him,' Eva giggles.

I ignore her and scramble to my feet, dusting off my jeans. I wince as my fingers brush the raw scrapes on my arms.

"What is wrong with you?" he snarls.

"Me?" I hiss back. "You’re the one using muscles to get your way."

I start backing toward the barracks. I can see our patrol officers on the perimeter. They’re watching us, waiting for a signal.

"You won't even talk to me," he says, his voice rising. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe think about why I’m running. You tried to scare me. You called my wolf weak. What did you think would happen?"

His face turns a deep, dark red. He’s fuming.

"Listen to me," he rumbles. The sound vibrates in the air, sending birds screaming from the trees.

I’m shaking inside, but I keep my face like stone. "I’ve done nothing but listen. It’s my turn."

He laughs, a dry, nasty sound, and steps toward me. I move back. My heart is a drum in my ears. I’m only a few meters from the gate now.

"You’re a Beta," he says, his voice dropping to a low, vibrating growl. His whole body is shaking. He looks like he’s about to explode.

'Get ready,' I tell Eva. She’s finally with me, focused and tense.

"You are worthless," he snarls.

His fist swings. Wood splinters right next to my head as he punches the tree I was standing in front of. I don't breathe.

'I hope he gets splinters,' Eva growls.

I don't stop to look. I keep moving backward, my hands feeling behind me to make sure I don't trip. I stay light on my feet.

"You're weak," Axel says. His voice is a low hiss. "Much weaker than me. You're a coward for running. I don't want you. That's a fact."

I swallow hard, but I don't let my eyes drop. I keep them cold.

"Our pups would be pathetic," he snarls. He's shaking with rage now. "My pack would be a joke. I won't let that happen."

He lunges. His claws are out, swinging for my face.

The second he moves, I shift. My bones snap and reform in a heartbeat. I hit the ground as a wolf and bolt. He's still human, stunned by my speed. That’s all the lead I need. I fly through the barracks gates just as they slam shut. The guards are already there, rifles raised and aimed at the tree line.

"Solenn? Are you okay?" My mother is there instantly, holding out a thick blanket.

I shift back and wrap the wool around me like a robe. I’m breathing hard, my skin stinging. I walk right up to the heavy iron gate and look through the bars at him.

"It’s not all about you," I yell. "If you don't want me, reject me. You have one week to decide. If you don't, I’m going to the witches to sever the bond myself."

His eyes glow a furious gold. "You wouldn't dare."

I let out a short, sharp laugh. "You have no idea what I’m capable of, Axel. And you never will."

I turn my back on him and walk away.

My mother is waiting in the stone hallway, her face tight with worry. "Your father is coming. He’s livid."

I shrug. "He started it. I swear to the Goddess."

Right on cue, thunder cracks overhead. The sound echoes through the barracks.

"See?" I say. "Even she agrees."

I head for my father's office. I need real clothes. I keep a spare dress in his desk—one of the soft cotton ones my friend Esme calls my 'teacher outfits.' Anything is better than this itchy blanket.

'Esme,' I send through our link.

'Oh, look who finally called,' she shots back. I can feel her rolling her eyes from miles away.

'I have news,' I say.

'If you're pregnant, don't tell me. I can’t handle more baby news this week.'

I laugh as I pull the dress over my head. 'No. I found my mate.'

'Finally! Which Beta is it? Is he local? Can we still do brunch?'

'He isn't a Beta,' I say slowly.

'What? A second-born? Is he moving here for you?'

I take a breath. 'No. He’s an Alpha.'

The link goes dead. Silence. I finish fixing my hair and sit in my dad's chair just as the desk phone rings. I pick it up.

"Beta Thorne’s office."

"Bitch, excuse me?" Esme screams.

I pull the phone away from my ear. "I said what I said."

I turn on the computer and pull up the security feed. Axel is pacing the perimeter like a caged animal. He looks like he’s looking for a hole in the fence. He won't find one. He punches a concrete wall in frustration.

'He's going to break his hand,' Eva mutters.

'Good,' I tell her. 'Let him hurt.'

"The pack won't want a Beta Luna," Esme groans on the other end. "Who is it, anyway?"

"Alpha Fenrys."

There’s another silence. I hear typing. "Oh, he is hot," she gasps. "Wait. Holy shit, Solenn. He’s been investigated for some really dark, illegal stuff."

"Yeah. He also just tried to kill me. Or something close to it." I rub the marks on my neck.

"That prick," she spits.

'Solenn, your dad is here,' my mother’s voice cuts into my head.

"I have to go, Esme. My dad just walked in. I’ll text you later." I hang up before she can argue.

I stand up and walk into the strategy room. The air is thick with tension. Alpha Martel is already there, looking grim.

"He wants to declare war," Martel says.

My father looks like he’s aged ten years. He throws his hands up. "What happened out there?"

"He grabbed me," I say, my voice steady. "He wouldn't let go, so I bit him. Then he tried to crush me with his Alpha aura. I grabbed Mom and ran."

My father sinks into a chair and groans. "Goddess help us."

"He wants you handed over by midnight," Alpha Martel says. He runs his hands through his hair, looking defeated. "If not, he declares war."

A cold weight settles in my gut. I keep my face blank. "Fine. I’ll go pack my bags."

"No," my father snaps. He shakes his head. "We’re fighting this, Solenn. He doesn't get to bully smaller packs just because he has deeper pockets. He isn't taking you just so he can kill you in some dark corner of his own house."

I shift in my seat. I look around the room. My mother nods in agreement with him. Our Gamma looks exhausted. He usually looks tired because of his kids, but today he looks like he’s aged a decade.

"I don't want anyone getting hurt," I say. I raise my eyebrows at the men. "He’ll bury us in lawsuits and legal paperwork first. Then he'll strike while we’re distracted by the lawyers. That’s his move. I won't let this pack fall for it."

"You aren't property," the Gamma says. "He can't just demand you. If we ignore the mating bond, this is a trade. He has to give us something in return."

Alpha Martel leans forward. "We can win this, Solenn. I’ve already called our allies. They’re standing with us."

"Honey, stay," my father pleads. "He tried to kill you here on our land. Think about what he’ll do when he has you alone on his."

My mother stands up. She walks over and puts her hands on my shoulders.

'I can make them all leave if you need to think,' she whispers into my mind.

I feel a pang of love for her. She’s always been my shield.

'Maybe we should think,' Eva suggests. 'Thinking is safe.'

'Did you sleep through history class?' I snap back. 'Thinking is how most people get caught.'

I give my mother a weak smile and look back at the table. "It isn't worth the blood. His pack is a machine. They win because they always win. They’ve crushed packs twice our size. We won't stand a chance."

I stand up, my chair scraping against the stone floor.

"Tell him I’ll go. But demand a year of elite training for our warriors in exchange. If I'm going, I’m getting something useful for this pack."

The room goes silent.

'She would have been a hell of a Beta,' the Gamma links my father.

I don't need to hear the words to see the grief on my father’s face. He just stares at me like I’m already gone.