Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond

"Yes sir, born and raised."

"You don't smell like a rogue." I comment.

"Jace kind of made the beach club into a little pack, I guess I get away with it on a technicality." He lifts his fingers into the air, making a quotation movement with both hands.

"So what's with the hat...and the whistle?" I was intrigued more over the whistle than the hat, and as he seems relaxed about questions...I wanted to keep them coming.

The beach club was located in one of the hottest parts of the country, the hat goes without saying. Even as a werewolf any sun burn wouldn't last long thanks to our advanced healing but the whistle...that I just couldn't understand yet.

"The hat is simple, it's a style. The whistle is a bit of a running joke.."

"One you need to share with her unless you want me to whip you." Callie seethes

from the front, her increasing nerves making her have a bit of bite.

"Sounds promising?" Colt wiggles his eyebrows at me.

"Colt!" Calle growls out from the front sit.

"It's a dog whistle."

"Are you being serious?" I laugh out, as he passes it to me to touch.

"Yes. It helps me differentiate between werewolves and humans at the beach club. Thankfully we mainly only get humans come to the resort, but every now and again a werewolf reacts to the whistle...it just means we keep extra security on them."

I place the whistle to my lips, Colt giving me an encouraging nod to try it out. I blow out on the whistle, a high pitched sound forcing me to cover my ears.

"Yep, that'll do it." Dad chuckles out from the driver's seat, finding the awful sound amusing.

Having been to the beach club, this certainly would work wonders in the crowd of party goers at the pool parties. No matter how loud the music, a shifter would certainly hear this whistle. I was impressed with Colt's different approach to security.

"There, you see the gate?" Callie leans forward, pointing out to Dad.

"Yes, I do. Okay, everyone stay on guard. Cleo, you do not leave my sight." Dad rumbles out.

"Yes Dad." His eyes find mine in the rear view mirror. I suppress the need to roll my eyes from his

protective ways, I am pregnant with his grandchild after all. Until the child is born, the family members will remain extra alert around me. It's just natural.

"You ready for this?" I lean forward, my hand placing on the tip of Callie's shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Yes, thank you for coming...just remain vigilant." She clears her throat, trying to sound strong.

"It won't come to that Callie." I offer her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

I hope it won't.

"Just remain vigilant." She repeats.

Dad pulls the car up to the gate, opening his window just enough for a guard to grant us access.

The guard did look shocked by Callie being in the front seat which to me was a good sign, if anything had been planned, he would be in on it and wouldn't look as if he had just seen a ghost.

We drive through the pack lands, pack members looking up as we drive past farming fields, their necks tilting slightly in a sign of respect to Callie Word had been shared among the pack link of who was in the car.

"You farm your own food?" Dad asks out to Callie.

"We like to be as self sufficient as possible."

It wasn't what I would call a modern pack. There wasn't any signs of restaurants,

of entertainment...nothing that would appeal to the younger pack members.

Which means they either have to go off pack lands for entertainment, or go without.

As we pull up to a large mansion, Alpha Bill and Luna Louise are already waiting for us.

Their eyes narrowing when they realise Callie has not come alone.

"Here we go." Callie takes a shaking deep breath in before opening the car door, the three of us following her cue.

As I step outside, I don't miss the

the alpha house. My dad moving to my side instantly, taking a protective stance in front of me.

hiss coming from the direction of etnoveldrama

Luna Louise's face was venomous by my attendance, even more so when Callie

moves to my side, placing her hand within mine.

"You didn't think I would come alone did you?" Callie rises an eyebrow at her

parent's, surely they knew she wasn't naïve enough to trust them.

"You best come inside, all of you." Luna Louise's highly pitched voice calls out to us, her face distorting as she tries to act polite.

Tries, and fails miserably.