Filed To Story: Goddess's Design His Fated Mate (Willow & Reuben)
she smiled warmly. Back in school, we had all shared our aspirations for the future. I aimed to become a fashion designer, while Reuben hadn’t had any specific dreams other than wanting to be with me. However, Ella’s dreams were affluent, much like her bloodline and status. She aspired to become a Luna and lead the pack. Considering that she was now Reuben’s fiancée, we both had achieved our dreams. Of course, the path she was on had once been solely mine.
I swiftly ended the call with Lola and turned to leave, as had become my routine but this time Ella blocked my path. “Willow, wait!”
she pleaded. “I want to talk to you all the time but you have been ignoring me,”
I stared at her in complete silence, refusing to say a word for the time being. Ceri had become relatively violent in my mind since our best friend had dared to turn our soulmate into her fiance so I was specifically avoiding Ella.
“Why Why did you never tell me you were Reuben’s soulmate?”
she quietly questioned.
“Does it really matter?”
I countered. “Who my soulmate is, who I’m mated with? Why should that affect anyone or anything, right?”
She bit her lip, visibly distressed, “But we were best friends ”
“So you knew ”
A cold smile formed on my lips. “Yet you conveniently forgot about it when you became my lover’s fiancee ”
Her complexion paled slightly, “Willow, I can explain everything,”
she stammered, moving closer to me in a state of panic, “I was coerced into signing those papers for the sake of my pack by my uncle ”
“Coerced?”
I asked, unable to control the small giggle from escaping at the hint of amusement her words caused.
“Yes, I ”
“Was someone holding a silver knife to your throat, forcing you to sign?”
I questioned.
She fell silent for a moment, then shook her head, “Well, no ”
I nodded, continuing, “So, were you in a life-or-death situation where signing was the only way to survive?”
I raised an eyebrow.
She hesitated, unable to respond. “No,”
she finally managed to say.
“Then I fail to see a reason for you to sign a marriage contract with Reuben,”
I stated flatly, drawing closer and intently meeting her gaze.
“I was forced by my uncle, Willow ”
“An uncle you could have easily refused,”
I interjected, catching her off guard. “Even if my life were in danger, I’d never sign a marriage contract with my best friend’s lover unless .”
I paused, peering deeply into her eyes. “Unless I were in love with my best friend’s lover and my best friend’s absence provided the golden opportunity.”
Ella’s eyes shimmered upon hearing my words. She took an abrupt step back from me, her face drained of color, speechless. I I held her gaze until she turned on her heel and walked away.
Clutching my fists at my side, I tasted the bitterness of betrayal once more. I had hoped she’d deny my suspicions. I had hoped my suspicions were wrong, but they weren’t
At that moment, I finally realized-Ella loved Reuben.
Reuben
“Who the hell is this Walter guy?”
Dex’s growl echoed in my mind as Willow left the dining room during her phone call. The intensity of my frustration matched the clattering noise of the fork hitting the plate. The mention and interest of this man concerning Willow set me on edge. I pressed the middle of my forehead, restraining myself from using my wolf senses to eavesdrop on her conversation to learn more about that guy.
Suddenly, another familiar voice reached me from outside, despite me not using my wolf hearing. It was unclear and faint. Rising from my seat, I strode to the window. Out in the front yard, Willow and Ella were locked in a tense confrontation. Before I could hear a single word, Ella abruptly left, leaving Willow with a betrayed expression. Confusion knitted my brows. What was happening? My gaze followed Willow the entire way as she returned to the packhouse a couple of seconds later. She glanced toward the dining area where I stood by the window. Her eyes held a new layer of hatred as they shimmered with unshed tears and had a slightly red tint to them. My frown deepened. Why had she glared at me like that?
She averted her gaze from me and instead of returning to the dining area, she headed upstairs. I stood there, thoroughly confused, when another voice resonated in my mind.
“Reuben,”
Oran’s voice came through the mind-link, “Could you please come up to your office? There is an important matter we need to discuss.”
“Coming,”
I replied, leaving my spot by the window. The children were engrossed in their food and conversation, so they’d be occupied for a while.
Leaving the dining room, I ascended the stairs to my office where Oran greeted me with a letter, “This letter arrived this morning from the Blue Heaven Pack.”
“What’s this about?”
I inquired, arching an eyebrow as I unfolded the paper marked with an official seal and Alpha Conar’s signature.
The Blue Heaven Pack stood among the top five packs, It was robust and formidable much like my own. Alpha Conar and I had been best friends since we were in school together, we shared numerous profitable treaties and engaged in several joint business ventures. However, due to our responsibilities and busy schedules, our meetings were limited, often occurring at Alpha Balls. This letter from Conar marked the first time he had ever sent me an official communication. As I delved into the contents of the letter, Oran spoke up.
“To save you the bother of reading that, last night another pack was mysteriously wiped out, much like the Silver Moon Pack,”
Oran revealed.
“What?”
I was taken aback, my gaze locking onto Oran. “Which pack?”
Oran’s expression was grave as he replied, “The Green Wood Pack.”
“The Green Wood Pack?”
My eyes widened instantly. Similar to Silver Moon and Blue Heaven, the Green Wood Pack held a position as one of the strongest and top-ranked packs. Yet, it had suffered the same fate. With their extensive number of pack members and unparalleled strength, it seemed utterly impossible for the Green Wood Pack to be eradicated in a single night. “So, this letter ”
I paused in suspicion.
Oran nodded in confirmation, “Two powerful and top-ranking packs have been annihilated in a very short span of time, causing fear and concern among all the packs. All the leading packs have convened to investigate. The meeting is being held at Blue Heaven, and Alpha Conar has requested your presence, given that our pack is the foremost among all the packs,”
Oran clarified, summarizing the essence of the letter.
I tossed the letter onto my desk and leaned back in my chair. “Reuben, are you considering going?”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.