Destined: A Potential Series Novella (The Potential Series Book 3) Read online

  A Potential Series Novella

  Destined

  Book Three

  By:

  M.L. RIDENER

  Destined: A Potential Series Novella

  Copyright © 2017 M.L. Ridener

  Published: May 16, 2017

  Cover Design: Created by M.L. Ridener

  All rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the author.

  Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual person or events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Titles by M.L. Ridener

  Destined

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Prelude

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  A Note from M.L. Ridener

  About M.L. Ridener

  Titles by M.L. Ridener

  The Potential Series

  Potential

  Intended

  Destined: A Potential Series Novella

  Discovered – Coming 2018

  Foretold – To be Determined

  Destined

  Destined is not a standalone novella. You must read Potential and Intended before you can truly enjoy this installment of The Potential Series.

  Will Mazie continue to keep Conner at arm’s length?

  Will he let her?

  The days until her eighteenth birthday are winding down and she won't know the truth until it gets here. Will she be destined for great love or just an obliterated heart?

  Dedication

  To my readers:

  Thank you for the continued support. You are all amazing!

  Acknowledgements

  To my niece Jacqueline, thank you for continuing to be my right-hand woman. To the rest of my family and friends, thank you for all your continued support with this adventure. To everyone that continues to read my work, you guys inspire me to keep going. I love you all.

  Prelude

  MAZIE

  Chloe Weever was still missing. There were no leads on her whereabouts. All that anyone knew for sure was that she had been drugged and kidnapped from the woods beyond the property line. It had been nearly two whole days and ever precious moment that passed without news felt like another punch to the gut. I felt so helpless. All I could do was hope and pray that wherever Chloe was she was unharmed. That she would stay strong.

  She had been through so much already. All the running. The hiding. Every attempt to stay one step ahead of Cyrus just to end up back in the psychopath’s clutches? No one deserved experiences like that, especially someone kind and selfless as Chloe. We needed to find a way to get to her as quickly as possible. There just had to be a way.

  Aribelle was close to falling apart herself. She looked so small and fragile. Two words I would have never thought could describe someone like her. The massive presence that normally radiated from her was gone. The brightness that always shined in her eyes had dimmed to a dull vacancy.

  Even Connell, the alpha wolf, looked upon her with a mixture of sadness and frustration swirling in his icy blue eyes. Sad that his mate was in such pain and frustrated that there was nothing he could do to fix it.

  All any of us could do is wait. Wait for Falcon to hopefully reconnect with Chloe through their mate bond. So far, he had been unsuccessful and not being able to reach her was taking a toll on both the man and the beast he harbored inside. As he paced back and forth – nearly wearing a rut in the floor from his constant motion – the tension that flowed from him was so thick that even I felt suffocated by it. I couldn’t imagine how the wolves were fairing. Being in the same room with him had to be testing everyone’s control.

  Nobody spoke as we sat in the Weever’s living room. I had taken up residence in the overstuffed paisley printed arm chair that sat in the far corner of the rectangular room. My knees were drawn up to my chest and I rested my chin on top of them. Staring at a speck of bluish grey colored paint that had dried on the hardwood floor, I lost myself in thought. I have always liked the color of the walls in this room, but now that color seemed overly gloomy. It was as if the house also felt the absence of one of its occupants.

  I heard a faint sound of commotion across the room, but it was Connell’s booming voice that startled me out of my daze and grabbed my attention. “Release him now, Beta.” His roar was laced with so much authority that it felt as if a weight was pressing down on me. It was borderline painful and I had to suppress a whimper. The last thing I wanted to do was to draw attention to myself.

  Falcon had Colt pushed up against the wall. His feet were a good six inches off the ground as he hung in the Beta wolf’s grasp. Colt’s face had turned a dark shade of red from lack of oxygen, but he didn’t struggle against the hold.

  Falcon’s shoulders heaved with every breath he took. His muscles seemed to ripple and shake as if he was fighting against his own body. Finally, Falcon submitted to the Alpha’s command and released his hold on Colton who dropped in a fit of coughs.

  “I didn’t intend to anger your wolf.” His voice was raspy from the strain of trying to speak. Falcon said nothing as he turned and walked out of the room.

  Colt rubbed at his neck as he coughed. The red ring that circled his throat looked awful. If it wasn’t for his accelerated healing, I was sure that his entire neck would already be covered with bruising. His breathing seemed to regulate quickly; though I wish I could say the same for mine. Connell’s dominant vibes remained in the room. It was beginning to feel as if I was the one being strangled.

  “Connell,” Ari spoke to her mate, but her tone was empty. “Pull him back. You are suffocating us.” Con turned his attention from the vacant doorway to his mate. His look of confusion quickly transformed to one of realization and suddenly the weight that crushed my chest was gone. I couldn’t help but slump forward in relief as I began to breathe deeply. Ari remained still, but I could see – by the rise and fall of her shoulders – she had been just as affected as I had been.

  “Maith dom, a Thaisće.” Con regarded her tenderly as he lifted her chin to make her meet his eyes. They stared at each other for a moment. Neither one said a word out loud, but anyone could tell that they were speaking to each other through their bond. Connell leaned forward, kissed Ari’s forehead and turned his attention toward me. “I’m sorry about that.”

  I gave him a small smile that I’m sure looked as hollow as it felt before my gaze dropped back to the polished woodgrain of the floorboards.

  I had fallen back into a daze when the front door banged open. Footsteps echoed throughout the quiet room as Dane and Conner entered the house. I listened as Dane spoke to Colt and then asked where his brother was. Conner didn’t speak, but I knew he was there. As soon as he entered the living room, he made his way toward me. I didn’t have to watch him walk my way. I didn’t have to see him stop next to me or kneel in front of me. I could feel it. I had always been able to feel his every move whenever he was near. His presence was like a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.

  “How are you doing, súile donna?” He had been calling me that for a while now. I had no idea what the words meant and I had given up on questioning him about it. Every time I asked he would just smile back at me. The meaning didn’t really matter. I just loved to hear his de
ep voice form those words. It always made me shiver in delight. I had to concentrate very hard to stop myself from swooning. It was borderline embarrassing, but I would be lying to myself and everyone else if I said I didn’t look forward to that feeling. I didn’t get that feeling today, though. Today it was different. His tone wasn’t as carefree as I had grown to expect from him. The unease that edged his voice made him sound strange. It immediately drew my attention to him and my eyes snapped to his. I have always admired how he carried a distinctive aura of happiness and mischief, but it was missing in that moment. I hated it. “I heard I missed all the excitement.”

  He smiled at me, but it wasn’t real. Yet another foreign concept. A smile from Conner O’Reilly was never forced or phony. At least they never used to be. Witnessing his spirit waiver made me want to cry, but I wouldn’t allow myself. It wouldn’t help. So, I swallowed the huge lump that was forming in my throat and blinked back the tears.

  “Yeah, you did. How’s Colt?” It took everything in me not to fall into his arms. To wrap myself around him and never let go. I knew that I could, that he would catch me if I ever let myself fall. But for how long?

  It took every bit of self-control that I could muster not to reach out and run my fingers across his stubble covered cheek. He had always sported the clean-shaven look, but it seemed that he hadn’t bothered to shave in the past two days. The scruffy texture made him look rugged. It was a good look. All his looks were good.

  As if he could hear my thoughts he leaned forward a little more, bringing himself closer to me. His signature smirk slid into place and this time it reflected in his eyes. “He’ll be fine. We have all tangoed with the Beta from time to time. It could have been worse.”

  I didn’t really hear him. Just the thought of him actually being able to read my mind had sent my heart rate into overdrive. My treacherous body began to lean toward him on its own accord. I needed to put some space between us before I blew caution to the wind and attacked the sexy wolf before me.

  I stood so abruptly that Conner nearly fell backwards. His eyes widened a moment before he caught his balance. I couldn’t look at him. Cowardly, I know. I was embarrassed by my thoughts of throwing myself at him like a desperate hussy.

  My eyes searched everywhere but where they truly wanted to look, back into the eyes that I could feel studying me. As I scanned the room I saw that Aribelle and Connell were still lost in their own world. I couldn’t help but envy their connection and again my body and brain began to war over Conner’s proximity. Nope! Not going there, Mazie.

  Forcing my attention from the lovebirds, my gaze came upon Colton. He was looking right at me, a knowing smiled pulled at the corners of his mouth. He had been watching our whole exchange and I was sure that he saw right through me. I’m sure everyone could and if they were capable to read me so easily then I had no doubt that Conner could as well. My face heated in mortification. I almost threw myself at Conner in front of everyone! Conner slowly raised to his full height. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

  “What?” I forced my attention back to him before closing my eyes and giving myself a little shake. I need to pull myself together. “Oh...uh, yeah. I just...need a minute.” I carefully stepped around him as I muttered that I would be right back before making a hasty retreat to the hallway bathroom.

  Heading toward the bathroom, could just make out the voices of both Dane and Falcon coming from the kitchen at the end of the hallway. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but by Falcon’s tone, he was still teetering on the edge of control. Good luck with that one, Dane.

  I pushed open the white bathroom door and flipped on the light. The small room which only housed a sink and toilet had never felt so inviting as I closed the door and collapsed against it.

  “What in the world am I going to do with myself?” I shook my head and let out a heavy sigh of exasperation. As I continued to mentally chastise myself I moved to the sink and turned on the water. Filling my cupped hands, I brought the cool water up to my face in a sorry attempt to wash away my nerves. Didn’t work of course, but I had no choice. I needed to get a grip and I needed to get one fast. I couldn’t afford to allow all my walls to crumble at Conner’s feet. No matter how much I truly wanted to. I couldn’t get any closer. What happens when my birthday comes and goes and there is no transition? Pain and heartbreak. It would mean that somewhere in the world there was a girl that he was destined to be with and it wouldn’t be me. My heart would be shredded. I don’t know how I would survive it now, let alone imagine the repercussions if I allowed myself to love him. No, I wouldn’t think about it. I wasn’t special. I knew the truth.

  I splashed a couple more handfuls of water on my face before shutting off the water and grabbing the hand towel to dry my dripping face. With one more scornful look at my reflection, I took a deep breath, rolled my shoulders back and headed out the door.

  Before I could make my way back toward the living room, a loud crash and a feral howl froze me in my spot as my attention turned toward the kitchen. Falcon, in wolf form, leapt through the doorway and landed not ten feet from where I stood. His lips were pulled back over frightening razor sharp teeth as he growled and snapped at me. The monster’s eyes were vacant of everything but rage. The beast was in full control. Any semblance of the man inside was gone and I was truly afraid.

  Before I could stop myself, I had taken a step backward. A stupid thing to do when facing down a predator, but I was so scared in that moment that I couldn’t think clearly. My vision was fuzzy and I couldn’t bring myself to breathe. I was trapped and I was beginning to think that I would pass out from fear and lack of oxygen.

  There was a commotion behind me. Someone was yelling but I couldn’t make out the words. All I heard was my own blood rushing in my ears. It was deafening.

  The massive silver monster in front of me dropped his head low and seemed to be readying himself to pounce. Suddenly, a flash of chocolate brown fur blurred past me. Conner. He was there and had positioned himself between the savage wolf and where I was frozen in place. My protector let off a warning bark that only seemed to provoke the other wolf. In a flash, they both leapt.

  They became a whirlwind of teeth and claws – of snarls and growls – as they rolled across the floor. Their bodies slammed into the walls. Pictures and other décor rattled and smashed as they hit the floor like glass bombs. A yelp pierced my eardrums. A yelp that belonged to my savior. “Conner!” My first instinct was to help him but I knew I couldn’t. My scream did cause Falcon’s wolf to take pause and he released his hold on his shoulder as he turned his attention back to me. Conner – even with his injured shoulder – threw his body back in between the silver wolf and me once again.

  Falcon’s wolf’s rage filled eyes stared down the brown wolf before he let out a howl filled with so much pain and anger that it caused my legs to give out. The wolf thundered down the hallway and out the open door. In a flash of silver, he disappeared into the blackness of night.

  I immediately turned to where Conner’s wolf had been standing. He was there but he had shifted back to his human form. He looked disheveled as he held his left shoulder, but otherwise he seemed unharmed from the fight he just had. Tears pricked my eyes and I couldn’t stop the deep sobs that raked throughout my whole being. This wonderful wolf was willing to protect me with his life. He didn’t hesitate, just threw himself at a feral wolf for me. Tears streamed down my face as I truly realized what his actions said about the depth of his feelings for me. I never allowed myself to believe it before.

  In a blink of an eye he was at my side searching my tear stained face. “Are you hurt, súile donna?” There was no way I could form words at that moment so I shook my head “no” and – without thinking about his possible injuries – wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into the side of his neck. He immediately embraced me back and I felt his lips on my hair. “Don’t cry, baby. I’ve got you.”

  Soon, we were no longer alone in th
e rubble that was left of the hallway. I turned my head enough to see Connell, Ari and Colt standing around us.

  “Mazie! Are you okay?” Aribelle sounded frantic as she scanned me over from head to toe before turning to her mate. “Why would Falcon do this?”

  He didn’t answer her, at least not out loud. I still had my arms securely wrapped around Conner and laid my head on his chest. “That wasn’t Falcon. He wasn’t in there, was he?”

  Conner looked down and met my searching eyes. “No, the wolf took over.” After a moment, he looked toward his brother. “Where is he now?”

  “Gone,” Connell looked tired and worn. “Hunting for his mate. Dane went after him.”

  “Was that a good idea?”

  “I don’t really know at this point.”

  “What caused this?” Ari’s timid sounding question had us all turning our attention toward the Alpha wolf. “Is Chloe...”

  “She is fine.” He grabbed Ari and wrapped her in his arms as she sobbed her relief. “At least for now, I can tell you that she is safe.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I pushed into his mind.” Connell exhaled heavily. “Being Alpha, I have the power to do that. I have never tried before and it took nearly all of my energy, but I was able to see what had caused him to relent to his wolf completely.” Anger flashed through his glacial eyes. “There is much we didn’t know, but what’s important right now is that the cats have captured another girl. A possible Potential. She is being held somewhere.”

  “Does Chloe know where?” Ari looked up toward her mate and he met her glassy eyes.

  “Not yet, and she doesn’t want to be found until she does.”

  1

  MAZIE

  The first day of winter is still three weeks away. Mother Nature doesn’t seem to care though as she continues to dump copious amounts of snow into the valley. We have had record breaking accumulation and December doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.