Page 36 of Resisting Fate

“I’m sorry we had to keep things a secret from you, but we wanted you to have a chance at a normal life. When you didn’t show any sign of powers, we decided it was best,” my mom says with regret in her voice.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I say, telling well in my eyes.

Has my whole life been a lie?

“My family comes from witches, though it seems to skip a generation sometimes. My life was full of chaos with danger lurking around every corner. When I met your father and got married, we moved here and made an agreement with the alpha that if we protected the barrier, we could live normally. I didn’t want you to live with the same fear as I had growing up. Maybe that was wrong of me, but all I wanted for you, and for us, was a normal life,” she says, suddenly looking tired.

“The barrier? Tell me about the barrier,” I say, ignoring everything she had said to focus on the only matter important to me right now.

“What do you want to know about it?” she asks, looking at me curiously.

“I need to get through the barrier,” I state.

“We don’t let anyone through anymore,” she tells me sadly.

“You let everyone through for the Rite of Passage ceremonies, didn’t you? Why can’t you let me in?” I cry out.

“It wasn’t right, but that was part of the agreement. I was able to let it go for a second so that no one could escape and listen for when people wanted out. I hid so no one knew it was me. I feared there would be more danger if people knew I was the one who controlled it,” she says.

“Then let me in,” I say, even more determined.

She shakes her head with tears in her eyes. “It’s dangerous in there. I can’t let my only daughter in that place.”

“I need to get to him. He needs me. I can’t feel him through the barrier,” I try to plead with her.

“Who is him?” she asks.

“My mate,” I say before a sob erupts from my throat.

“Why is your mate on the other side of the barrier? It’s supposed to only let the feral in,” she asks with a concerned look in her eyes.

“He thought I didn’t want him. He felt so hopeless that he was able to pass, and I couldn’t follow him to tell him he’s wrong,” I say with tears falling as I remember Isaac looking at me in pain and despair right before he fled from me.

Tears well in my mother’s eyes and I can see her begin to weaken. “How am I supposed to let you in there knowing how dangerous it is?”

“You used to let people in all the time. This isn’t any different,” I say, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I knew it was wrong, but the alpha wouldn’t let me have it any other way. He threatened me with your life so many times. I didn’t have a choice,” she says, sounding defeated.

“He’s gone, and Ryker is nothing like that. We can have people around the barrier in case any ferals try to escape,” I try to plead.

My tone is getting desperate, but I don’t care anymore. I need to get to my mate. I’ll do anything to get him back.

She lets out a sigh. “Okay, let’s do this before I change my mind,” she replies reluctantly.

I eagerly call for Ryker and tell him the plan.

While we wait for the rest of the pack to arrive, I talk to my parents and ask why they kept this a secret from me. I wouldn’t have told anyone.

“We just did what we thought what was best to protect you,” my mom says in a pleading voice.

“Tell us more about your mate. That’s who you were talking about on the phone, right?” my mom asks when I don’t say anything.

“He’s a different person now. He’s told me a lot more about his past, and I now understand why he was the way he was. It has been hard to see him as my mate when I remember everything he had said and done to me before,” I state honestly.

“People can change. It’s up to you if you think you could give him a chance,” she tells me.

“I know, and I had been giving him a chance, but then he claimed me before I was ready. He told me he was having problems controlling his wolf. I guess I didn’t really believe him until it actually happened. I can see now that there was more of a divide between him and his wolf than I even realised,” I say.

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