Unbound by Fate

When I was kidnapped by the rival tribe, my Alpha was watching the sunrise with his destined mate.

When he got the call, he spoke to the kidnappers in a detached tone. "Keep her tied up. Let her learn her lesson and stop pestering me."

In that life-or-death moment, I had no options left.

I clung to the rival tribe's Alpha, my voice shaking. "Please... don't kill me. I'll do anything you say."

By the time my Alpha finally remembered me, the rival tribe's Alpha looked down at my sleeping face in his arms and chuckled. "Too late. She doesn't have the strength to leave with you now."

...

On the tenth year with Alpha Locke Fowler, he finally agreed to swear an oath with me before the Moon Goddess.

I was thrilled and prepared a gift for him.

When I found him in the hotel suite, he was chatting casually with his men.

"Are you really swearing an oath with Julie tomorrow?" someone asked.

"No way," Locke replied. "A woman who can't bear children? She's got no right to be my mate."

Another voice laughed. "Aren't you afraid she'll leave you when she finds out?"

Locke smirked dismissively. "She'd have to be able to leave me first. Even if she storms off, she'll be begging to come back in three days. Bet on it?"

Laughter erupted. "Yeah, she's got no backbone," someone added.

I turned and left, my body ice-cold amid their mocking laughter.

At the oath ceremony the next day, Locke stood in the center in a tailored suit, basking in everyone's admiration.

I approached in my plainest dress.

His face darkened when he saw me. "On a day this important, you're trying to embarrass me?"

I looked at him steadily. "Let's get started."

His gaze was icy and sharp.

He suddenly turned and pulled Debbie Tucker from the crowd.

As he did, her cloak fell, revealing a dazzling wedding gown that stung my eyes.

"Honored Moon Goddess, I, Locke Fowler, declare Debbie Tucker as my destined mate. Bear witness to our bond!"

Everyone stared at the three of us.

Surprisingly, my face showed no collapse.

The oath platform gave no response either.

Locke opened his mouth to speak again, but I cut him off. "If I'm not needed, can I leave?"

He sneered. "I'll wait for you to come crawling back in three days."

I turned and walked out. As I passed through the gates, tears finally fell.

He truly didn't care about me.

I thought his words last night were a joke, but he actually chose Debbie in front of everyone.

What were these ten years to him?

A discarded toy?

I barely took two steps before someone blocked my path.

Debbie stood in front of me, one hand on her hip. "Julie, don't hold a grudge against Locke. It's your own fault for being useless. He needs an heir, and you're not fit for that."

Her smug face was too much. I pushed her aside. "Move."

In an instant, Locke shoved me to the ground. "You dare hurt her? Are you out of your mind?"

He ordered his men to seize me and carry out punishment.

That night, covered in wounds, I was driven out of the tribe.

There was no moonlight. Darkness surrounded me. I dragged my battered body forward.

At a fork in the road, I lost consciousness.

When I woke, I was tied to a tree, a bottomless abyss below me.

"Awake?" A magnetic voice sounded nearby.

I turned and saw Ron Moss's face. He was an Alpha too, the leader of Locke's rival tribe.

Seeing me stir, Ron dialed Locke's number. "Locke, I've got your woman. Got what I asked for?"

Locke laughed after a brief pause. "Keep her tied up. Teach her a lesson so she stops clinging to me. Oh, and tell her to try a new trick next time. This one's old."

The call ended, and with it, my last shred of hope.

I gripped the ropes binding me tightly, terrified of falling. "I'm begging you, don't kill me."

I had already understood his meaning. "Even if you kill me, Locke won't care."

He responded with silence.

My phone suddenly buzzed wildly with messages from Debbie.

She was sprawled across Locke, her clothes disheveled.

Locke gently held her hand, resting it on her stomach.

He cherished her deeply.

Debbie's message read, "He says once I have his child, the Moon Goddess will recognize me as his mate. I'll be the most honored leader's companion, and you? You're nothing!"

I had no time to reply, but she took my silence as defiance.

She sent a flood of intimate photos of her and Locke.

At home, in hotels, in the council hall.

Even in the forest.

They were tangled together in every secluded place.

A wave of nausea hit me, and I loosened my grip to clutch my stomach.

The tree behind me swayed slightly from my movement.

Ron's usually calm eyes narrowed sharply, and he lunged forward to grab my ropes, pulling me back.

He glared at me fiercely. "Moving like that at a time like this? Are you trying to die?"

Realizing his harsh tone, he softened his expression. "I thought capturing you would give me leverage over Locke. Guess I was wrong. You don't seem to mean much to him."

My breath caught, and I bit my lip hard.

My mind was flooded with Locke's earlier words, and I didn't notice my lip bleeding.

Ron stepped closer and gently wiped the corner of my mouth.

The bright red blood stood out starkly on his fingertips.

In the next moment, he put his finger in his mouth. "Do one thing for me, and I'll let you go."

I took a nervous half-step back, putting distance between us.

Rumors said Ron was unpredictable, his temper hidden behind a calm facade, and he'd kill over the smallest things.

His earlier action made me uneasy.

It felt like my personal space had been invaded.

Seeing my reaction, he chuckled. "Relax, I have no desire to kill you. Go back to Locke and take back the ring you gave him."

I froze. "How do you know about the ring?"

He didn't answer my question, just ordered his men to escort me away.

The ring Ron mentioned was a keepsake my parents made for their wedding.

Locke's tribe owed my parents a great debt, and the entire tribe revered them.

That ring held significant influence in the tribe.

When I first got together with Locke, I gave him the ring to show my devotion.

Did Ron want to use it to take over Locke's tribe?

I returned to the tribe, my mind heavy with thoughts.

The looks from the others no longer held respect.

Only contempt remained.

"She has the nerve to come back? She almost hurt our future leader earlier!"

"Kick her out!"

"Get lost!"

Their words were vicious, but no one dared lay a hand on me.

I walked straight to the door of my former home.

I remembered Locke kept the ring in the bedside drawer.

But as soon as I opened the door, I saw two people entangled in the living room.

Locke's expression shifted from dazed to mocking when he saw me.

"Weren't you kidnapped? Back already?"

Debbie scanned my tattered clothes and gasped, covering her mouth. "I heard some kidnappers take payment in other ways. Julie, with your clothes like that, you..."

She trailed off, leaving plenty of room for imagination.

Locke stood and leaned in to sniff me.

He caught the scent of another Alpha on me.

His face darkened instantly. "Who held you?"

I brushed past him toward the bedroom. "It's none of your business. I'm here to take back what's mine."

Debbie spoke lazily. "Your stuff's by the door. Didn't you see it? I live here now, so Locke said we're redecorating to my taste."

I noticed then that every trace of my past life in the house was gone.

My heart sank heavily.

I rushed to the door without hesitation and started sorting through my things.

The gifts Locke had given me, my clothes, and jewelry were all piled up by the entrance.

I organized them one by one, tears falling without my control.

Locke watched me for a long time from behind, hesitated briefly, then came over and pulled me to my feet. "Stop packing. I'll buy you new things later. Once Debbie has the child, she'll be my mate, but nothing between us will change."

I was stunned. "You want me to be your secret mistress?"

He argued forcefully. "We love each other. Being together is only natural. Don't make it sound so ugly."

I pushed him away and kept packing my things.

If I hadn't promised Ron, I wouldn't have chosen to come back now.

Every word he said made me sick.

Each sentence trampled my dignity.

But I searched through everything and couldn't find the ring. "Locke, where's the ring I gave you?"

Debbie leaned against the doorframe, raising her hand. "You mean this one?"

The emerald gleamed with a unique light in the sun.

I lunged forward to snatch my ring back.

Before I could touch her, Debbie fell backward. "Oh! Julie, why did you push me!"

"I didn't-" Before I could finish, Locke flung me away.

My back, still injured from yesterday's beating, left a long streak of blood on the ground.

Locke used to panic over a small cut on my hand, but didn't even glance at me now.

He carefully helped Debbie up. "Are you okay?"

His gentle tone was a stark contrast to the fury he'd shown me.

"I didn't mean to wear the ring. I just thought it was pretty." She made a show of taking it off. "I'm sorry, I'll give it back. Please don't hit me."

The more pitiful she acted, the more Locke's displeasure toward me grew.

He held her hand. "She gave it to me. I decide what to do with it. I'm giving it to you."

"Locke-" My weak voice drew his attention back.

Seeing me struggling on the ground, the bloodstains caught his eye. "How is there so much blood?"

I might have been mistaken, but I thought I saw a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Debbie clung to his arm. "Locke, it's my fault. I should go back to my place."

Locke snapped out of it and held her close. "You're not the one who needs to leave."

I finally managed to stand, swaying as I faced them. "Locke, I can leave, but please give me back the ring. It's the only thing my parents left me. I'm begging you."

I had never humbled myself like this before.

"If you give me the ring, I'll give up all my privileges in the tribe." I gritted my teeth. "I'll become a Rogue."

"Are you insane?" Locke roared in disbelief. "You can't just say that!"

I ignored his words, pleading only for the ring.

I even knelt on the ground to beg him.

Seeing the fresh blood on my forehead, Locke threw the ring at my feet. "Get out! Don't let me see you again."

I clutched the ring, now back in my hands, and felt a sense of calm.

As I stood, all traces of my earlier vulnerability and pleading vanished. "Locke, from now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Don't regret it."