Forbidden by Fate

Liam's POV

The idea of seeing Emersyn O’ Connor after nearly eight years both excites me and unnerves me. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous to see her after the fiasco of our last encounter. I had been an awkward ten-year-old boy intent on tormenting the poor girl with anything I could think of that would make her shriek. A sly grin pulls at the corners of my lips as the memories of her angrily defending herself from the onslaught of my last attack on her dignity flood back.

Even at eight years old, she had a way about her. Her vivid blue eyes had lit with determination as she scowled at me with warning, “One day, I will get even with you.”

I had spent a fair portion of my day by the creek collecting the creepy crawlers from beneath the brush. I had then promptly dumped them in her treasured doll’s playhouse. It was really a quiet flawless execution of a beautifully laid out plan, but she was not amused nor impressed with my antics. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I believe she hated me.

But time had passed and as my father often liked to remind me, I was becoming a man. I had grown from an awkward boy into a six-foot two beast. While I still adored a good prank, I no longer found myself wanting to torment the rumored beauty. I instead found myself looking for ways to impress her, and that is what unnerved me.

When my father firmly suggested that we visit the Crimson Night Pack again, I had reluctantly agreed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see my future bride; it was the finality of it. Seeing her now meant that we were both older, more mature, and easier to break. While I had a choice in allowing this marriage agreement, I knew that she did not, and that frightened me.

My mother’s soft voice pulls me from my wandering thoughts, “Liam, did you bring the gift?”

I smile back at her, patting my jacket pocket that holds the jewelry box, “It’s right here, Mother.”

“Good,” she says as she gently reaches over, squeezing my hand in reassurance. “Women love to be thought of. It will make her feel special! Wouldn’t you agree, Elijah?”

My father pulls his attention from the files he is intently reading over as he replies, “Whatever you say, dear.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes as I see the hurt cross my mother’s face. “I think it was a lovely idea, Mother. Thank you for suggesting it.”

The corners of her small lips turn up in a grin. “Well, you did a wonderful job of choosing the perfect piece.”

I give her an encouraging smile as I allow my eyes to trail the forest that surrounds us as we approach the packhouse. There was something euphoric about the colors of the leaves changing as the weather began to cool and fall approached. It was as if mother nature herself took a paintbrush to the palette of life. The trees were covered in reds, oranges, and golden hues that seemed to envelop my soul.

I hear the shuffling of the papers as my father tucks them away in his briefcase. “Liam, I don’t need to remind you how important this union is to our pack.”

“No, Father, you do not.” I say through clenched teeth. “I know that this will be good for the both of us.”

“There is no need to get annoyed at me for speaking to you,” my father warned with a menacing look.

I felt the power of his Alpha status pouring off of him as I grimaced, “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful, sir, but I am blatantly aware that we need this.”

My mother gave me an apologetic look as she tried to ease the tension in the car, “Elijah, he was simply agreeing with you. Liam knows what must be done. He won’t let you down.”

The car slowed, pulling to a stop in front of the gates of the Crimson Night Packhouse as he gave me a bone chilling look. “He better not,” he warned.

I fought to suppress a shudder as I opened the door stepping out into the cool brisk morning air. I feigned a smile as I heard the booming laughter of a large man that I immediately recognized as Alpha O’ Connor. I felt the jolt of his hand as it came down briskly on my shoulder nearly knocking me forward.

“Well, if it isn’t little Liam Maxwell, all grown up!” He said with a broad grin.

I reach my hand out to shake his firmly as I respond smiling, “Well, sir, it has been quite a few years.”

“That it has,” he says as he turns to offer my mother his hand to exit the car. “And you brought your beautiful mother along for the celebrations! Good morning, Luna Maxwell!”

My mother smiles broadly at the compliment as she takes his large hand and drapes her heeled feet from the car before answering, “Good Morning Alpha O’ Connor! It is a pleasure to be here.”

My father exits the opposite door as he plants a sly smile on his face hiding the extent of his true nature. “We wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to spend time with our future Luna!”

Alpha O’ Connor’s smile faltered slightly as he sat eyes on my father, “Elijah, I’m glad you could make it!”

I hid the smile that threatened to emerge at his outright disdain for my father. My father cleared his throat as he responded, “Yes, Cyrus, I’m sure you are!”

Ignoring my father he turned his attention to me, “Liam, I want you to meet my son, Maverick and his future beta Callum. I have asked them to show you around while Emersyn prepares for tonight’s festivities.”

I smile as I reach my hand out to shake their hands, “I am Liam Maxwell of the Silent Saints Pack. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Maverick quickly shakes my hand as he replies laughing, “Your reputation proceeds you. I remember your last visits constant catastrophes!”

Callum grimaces as he shakes my hand more firmly than necessary as he states almost as if in warning, “Let’s hope he’s grown up a bit since then.”

I pull my hand back abruptly grinning as I respond, “I see, Emersyn has two protectors.”

“Yeah, but I think you will find that the little girl you met last time has grown into quite a force who doesn’t exactly need protecting,” Maverick says as he arches a brow in warning.

I can’t help but to allow a slight smile to light up my face as I picture her stubborn fierce warning the last time we met. “Oh, I do hope she has forgiven the remodeling of her precious doll’s house.”

Callum mutters under his breath, “I wouldn’t count on it.”

Maverick shoots him a cautionary glare that I don’t miss as he turns towards the pack house land. “Well, a lot has changed since your last visit. Let’s take a tour!”

I glance back at my mother as she eagerly talks to Luna O’ Connor who has since joined the group. The alphas have both seemed to settle into a cordial conversation. Callum rolls his eye as he asks, “Unless of course you need to ask permission.”

Maverick laughs at his friends backhanded jive as he raises a brow. “He isn’t wrong, man, do you need to ask?”

I glare at the both of them as I say, “Smartasses. Lead the way!”

“That’s more like it,” Maverick says broadly grinning.

I follow the two of them blatantly aware that I am the third wheel. I listen to their banter back and forth and realize that much has changed in the past eight years. I open my mouth to ask about Emersyn—wondering who the fierce little girl has become since our last meeting—but I snap it shut again. Something tells me that the two of them aren’t necessarily my friends, in fact I wonder if I have already made an enemy in the future beta. I am uncertain what I have done but Callum has done little to hide his disdain for me.

Maverick pauses as we reach a stone building that matches their castle like packhouse. “So, my father wanted us to show you what we do here. We thought you may want to join us in training?”

I hesitated for a moment, feeling the challenge in his tone, as I looked between the both of them. “Sure, if you are both ready to have your ass handed to you.”

Callum’s sinister grin broadens as he levels his green eyes at me with warning, “Yeah, we will see!”

And in that moment I realized with certainty that Callum Murphy was going to be a problem.