Three Fated Hearts by LNC

~Landon~ No one moves; it seems that no one is breathing. | don’t think anyone expected Tia to issue a challenge, but here we are.

Neither Lincoln nor | feel good about this; our inherent nature is to protect our mate at all times and all costs. This is something that she needs to do herself, even though we don't like it.

Stuart throws his head back and laughs. He starts to grip his stomach, and he falls forward, laughing. There are a few snickers around us, but Tia doesn’t move. She stands, waiting for his answer. |, personally, want to rip his head off. The laughing is a clear sign of disrespect, and | don’t like my Luna being disrespected.

Stuart stands up straight and wipes tears from his eyes. “You're serious, aren’t you?” He steps toward Tia, looking down at her.

“You get some mates and get a mark, and all of a sudden, you have a backbone.” Stuart sighs. “Okay, little girl. If you want everyone to watch you get your a*s handed to you, so be it.” Stuart steps back and gets into a fighting stance.

| don’t like this, L.

Neither do |, Linc, but what do you want me to do? She needs this. If we take this from her, she’ll never forgive us. Lincoln sighs in the link but says nothing else.

Tia continues to stand, staring at Stuart. Her legs are slightly parted, and her hands are at her sides, in fists. They are eyeing each other up and down, and my stomach is churning. | can’t stand to watch this, but | can’t look away.

“Well, are you going to stand there all day? Are you regretting challenging me? It's okay if you are, just say the word, and I'll forget this even happened.” A growl comes from Tia, and Stuart chuckles in response.

Before | can register any movement, Stuart wraps his hand around Tia’s neck. Tia is gasping for breath and clawing at his hand.

| have to hold Lincoln back from attacking Stuart. | know Tia can get out of this, but | have to admit that I'm terrified right now.

The veins start to bulge in Stuart’s hand, and he has a sick grin on his face. | don’t know how much longer | can sit by and watch this. | won't let Tia die, even if that means she is mad at me forever.

Tia stops clawing at Stuart's hand and places both hands around his elbow. She starts to swing her foot, once...twice....the third swing has more power than the previous and connects with Stuart’s groin. He lets go of Tia and drops to his knees. Tia hits the ground, coughing, trying to suck in the air. She quickly scrambles into a position to pounce: on the tips of her toes and her hands. Tia is breathing heavily, watching while Stuart rolls around on the ground in pain.

Stuart struggles to his knees, and Tia takes the opportunity to pounce, wrapping her knees around his neck. Stuart grabs Tia’s back and throws himself forward. Instead of Tia hitting the ground, she spins so that she’s sitting on his shoulders, and Stuart's face hits the ground, Tia using her hands to brace herself.

Stuart starts to stutter and claw at Tia’s knees. She has to be squeezing her legs together, cutting off his oxygen. Stuart gets a hand between his neck and her leg and uses his strength to push her off. Tia land on her back but arches her back to jump to her feet. Stuart lets out a ferocious growl before lunging at Tia. He misses as she kicks him in his back, making him stumble forward. Tia sweeps her leg behind his, causing him to lose his footing and fall on his back. Tia jumps on Stuart, punching him in his head and arms. Stuart pushes his arms up, forcing Tia off him, but she lands on her feet.

“Enough games, little girl!” Stuart gets to his feet and shifts into his wolf.

NOPE! NOPE! I'm stepping in now. This isn’t going to happen, L.

Lincoln, don’t! We have to have faith in Tia. She's got this! Lincoln is anxious and angry next to me, but he has to trust Tia to be able to do this on her own. | admit it isn’t easy to watch, but she needs this. Stuart’s wolf is snarling and snapping his jaws at Tia, but she is unmoving. He stalks toward her, and | have to wonder why she isn’t shifting. Tia motions to the wolf to come closer, and he complies.

Everything happens so fast......Tia seriously injures Stuart. His wolf lunges at Tia, and she drops to the ground, turning her body upward. She is under the wolf, and her claws elongate. She reaches up and swipes down while Stuart's wolf goes up. The wolf hits the ground with a thud and immediately shifts back.

Stuart is bleeding, but it isn’t fatal. Tia straddles Stuart and holds his head still with one hand. Her claws are out, and she goes for Stuart’s neck. He’s too hurt to stop her, and he whimpers, seeing what is about to happen. “Tia, NO!” | turn and see Nikki with tears down her face, begging Tia to walk away. Tia looks at her mom and starts to lower her hand. She looks down at her dad, spits on him then stands up. She slowly backs away from him, and the warriors move forward.

“The only reason you aren’t dead is because of mom. Remember that the woman you treated like s**t actually spared your life.” Tia walks over to us, and we wrap her up in our arms.

~Paul~ | watch the boys and Tia walk into the packhouse. I'm sure they were terrified that they would lose her, so they need time to calm themselves and their wolves. The warriors have Stuart stable, and his wound is healing. | walk over to Nikki and place a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” She slowly nods, placing a hand on mine.

“We need to talk.” | keep my eyes on the warriors that have Stuart. | can’t bring myself to look at Kim's face.

“There is nothing to talk about.” Kim steps forward and reaches for me. | move back slightly.

“All of these years together, of course we have a lot to talk about. | know that if we can discuss things, we can get back to—" | finally turn to Kim, and | feel.....nothing. | don’t feel the love I've felt in the past. | don’t feel the happiness of being with her or the respect for her, or the position she held as my Luna. | feel anger, bitterness, and disgust.

“Get back to what exactly? Everything we had has been a lie; that’s very clear now. You haven't been honest with me at any point of our union. You were going to leave me? You were going to leave the boys? There is nothing between us anymore, and it seems as if there never was anything.” “Paul, don’t. You don’t mean that, I....I lo" A growl so loudly that the land shakes under us, and Nikki winces and shakes under the weight of my aura.

“l, Paul Attwater, former Alpha of the Emerald Lake pack, reject you, Kimberly Jensen, former Luna of the Emerald Lake Pack, as my mate.” | can feel a burning sensation where my mark sits.

“No, no | won't accept. We have something, we can fix this.” “Are you serious Kim?! What about us? We can finally be together!” “SHUT UP STUART! Paul, please.....please don’t do this.” “It's done, now accept it.” Kim folds her arms across her chest like a petulant child.

“l won't....I won't accept until you give me a chance to make it right.” | remove my hand from Nikki and walk over to Kim. Her eyes light up as | get closer to her. | grab her throat and squeeze. Kim is clawing at my hand, and Stuart is growling at my treatment of his mate.

If he gets loose, | will end you and him! | mindlink the warriors holding Stuart. A wolf will do anything to protect their mate, and | need Nikki to accept this with no interference.

“ACCEPT IT NOW!” Kim is having trouble breathing, her face getting a tint of red. Her eyes start to water, and slobber drops down the corner of her mouth. She frantically nods her head. | let her go, dropping her on the ground.

“......l.....ac....acc....l....accept.....I accept!” Kim is coughing and struggling to breathe. The burning at the site of my mark intensifies for a brief moment, and then nothing. | reach up, and the mark is gone.

| walk over to Nikki and grab her hand. “Are you ready?” | don’t need to ask if she wants this. We sat up for a bit last night, discussing everything we learned and wanted moving forward. When it comes down to it, we share a unique experience, and I’m grateful to have her to lean on. Nikki nods at me and closes her eyes.

“l, Nikki Franks, of the Emerald Lake pack, reject you, Stuart Colby, of the Emerald Lake Pack, as my mate.” | watch Nikki flinch, and | know the burn has started.

“| accept your rejection.” Nikki clenches my hand for a few seconds, then lets it go, sighing in relief. Landon walks up to us and pats my back. | comfort Nikki, watching a tear fall from her eye.

“I’m the new Alpha of this pack and | need to do my first official act. Kimberly Jensen and Stuart Colby, you are hereby banished from the Emerald Lake Pack. Your things have already been packed. You will be escorted off packlands.” “NO! How could you? I’m your mother! How can you treat me like this?!” Landon doesn’t respond. He turns on his heel and walks back into the packhouse. | guide Nikki into the packhouse and close the door behind us. | close the door on the screams and cries outside and on that chapter of my life.