Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond novel Chapter 368

~ Josie ~

“You married someone before meeting your mate?” I can’t stop the words that blurt out of my mouth. In some twisted romanticised way I always thought Mum and Dad had always existed as one. To think of Mum with someone else…married to someone else before being with Dad, before having us…seemed impossible before.

But everyone has a past, even I have a past after and before Knox.

“That is a question for another day.” Mum’s eyes hold mine and for the first time, I think in my life, I can see pain within them.

She wants to tell me things, but I know that they are things I’ll be hard to hear. Things that she wants save for another time.

“My childhood wasn’t what I thought it was, I grew up without a mother. My father, who was my everything, had lied to me my entire life…and betrayed Alora before she even took her first breath. I didn’t grow up with Alora, we didn’t find each other until we were young adults. That’s when I met your Dad, and to say our story started off easy would be somewhat of a lie.”

“The things worth having in life do not come to us easy, remember that my sweet.” Dad’s eyes also hold regret but such a deep love that it tugs on my heart.

“So you don’t talk to him, this Than…he isn’t in your lives at all?” Jaxon asks, as I can tell that he is digesting this just as Jace and I also are.

“No, we haven’t heard from him since we found out we were expecting the three of you.”

“So why now, why tonight. What did he say to you?” Jaxon’s eyes dart to me.

“He knew who I was…instantly.”

“More than that Red, he waited until she was alone at the table to make a beeline for her, even in front of all the warriors. He also commented on your wolf..”

“What of your wolf?” Dad growls, anger reflecting in his eyes.

“He…” I turned to Knox, wanting to jab him in the ribs for his blabber mouth. There was no need to worry my family unnecessarily, I was never in any real danger.

“Josie?” Dad almost rounds on me, his aura picking up strength as he puts his command behind his tone of voice.

“He knew I didn’t have a wolf, and he seemed to know that the boys had been trained…by Knox.”

“How would he know about Josie?” Mum gasps as she looks to Dad with panic in her eyes. I didn’t like this side to Mum, she has always been strong…such a force, and she still is…but I can’t shake the feeling that this Than hasn’t been a happy character from her past. Or Dad’s for that matter.

How can he have been denied the position of alpha, when he was the alpha’s first born.