Destiny's Tethers

Chapter 13 - Reunion

A few days later

"I hope you liked the books I sent you, Beta Elijah."

The Beta in question closed his eyes and sighed as Elise approached him with a dazzling smile.

Up until a few week ago, he'd been in charge of fending the young omega away from Alpha Landon...but now who was going to fend her away from him? He was glad that Landon and Olwen had found another chance at romance in each other - as slow as they were taking things - but now that the Alpha was off limits, it appeared that Elise had made him her next unwilling target.

Elijah turned towards her and gave her a simple, polite smile, moving out of the way when she tried to brush his arm.

Admittedly, Elise was a rather beautiful lady. When they'd been teenagers, he'd nursed a crush on her for a brief time, but he refused to act on it due to the future matebonds they would have.

"Your mate will be the Moon Goddess's gift to you." His father had told him, ruffling his hair with a smile. "Be patient, son. Once you find your mate...suddenly no one else in your life will matter as much anymore. And you'll do everything in your power to give them the world."

Back then, his hormonal fifteen year old self prayed desperately to the Moon Goddess to make Elise his mate once they were of age. But that want faded months later, after Elijah realised that Elise seemed to have her eye on the future Alpha. Once his eighteenth birthday had passed and he didn't find his mate within the Moon River Pack, he was indifferent to the realisation that Elise was not fated to him.

"I appreciate the thought, Elise, but I'm sure you know as well as anyone else in the Moon River Pack that I am waiting on my fated mate. Just as much as you should be waiting for yours." He stated to her matter-of-factly.

Now, he could safely say he was relieved that Elise Ainsworth was not his mate. From what he'd seen of her in recent years, shamelessly pursuing Landon after he was rejected and then just switching to Elijah after treating him like chopped liver for almost a decade, the omega didn't have any respect for the matebond. Considering how quickly she'd appeared to have moved on from her infatuation with the Alpha, she hadn't had any genuine feelings for him either.

"But Beta Eli..."

"Elijah." He corrected her swiftly. He'd allowed her to call him Eli back in their teenage days, but now her clearly intentional use of that nickname made him cringe.

Seriously, why did you let her call you that? Ellis snorted in his mind.

"I understand your devotion to your mate, but it's been years and you haven't found them." Elise pointed out softly. "Just as I haven't found mine. What if your mate rejects you the way Alpha Landon's did?"

The thought of his mate rejecting him made Elijah's heart wrench as Ellis rose and snarled defensively.

Our mate is still out there. They can't reject us.

Elijah quickly recovered and turned to properly face Elise. It was true his faith in the Moon Goddess had been shaken after witnessing the pain it caused his best friend, but he wasn't going to be the one to betray his fated even before they'd shown up.

"I won't be sure until I meet them. Now please..do something more useful. I've sent the books back to your home so maybe you should read them instead. Now if you excuse me Elise, I'm busy."

He then averted his gaze from her and walked quickly away.

......

Elise frowned, slowing to a stop as Beta Elijah strode out of sight.