Intended by the Rose

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. INTENDED BY THE ROSE First edition. October 2, 2022. Copyright © 2022 Abby McCarthy. Written by Abby McCarthy. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Intended by The Rose (Destined By The Fates, #2) Prologue Ryker Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Ryker Hours earlier Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Epilogue Thank you About the Author To Kayla, you're beautiful inside and out. Note to Reader Dear Reader, Thank you so much for being right here in these pages. This book picks up exactly where Fated Under the Moon, Book One in the Destined by the Fates Series, ends. You should read that book before exploring this story. Please enjoy. Prologue Ryker I’d gone to bed without making love to my mate. My dreams were fitful. I tossed and turned. Something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t quite pull myself out of the dazed sleepiness. She was close. I felt her heat. Then she wasn’t. “Ariel!” I roared her name in my sleep, feeling her loss but unable to get to her. I couldn’t wake. My mind was a haze of going in and out from complete darkness to hearing a conversation around me. I struggled to listen in hopes I could find out what was happening. It was all too jumbled. Was I dreaming? “Why isn’t he waking?” Reece asked. This wasn’t the first time I heard my family arguing. “My guess is she did this to him.” Bitterness and disrespect coated Grey’s words, and I didn’t like it. I couldn’t do a damn thing to defend my mate. “You all read the letter. She didn’t mean to do it, and I’m sure she has no idea Ryker’s still sleeping,” Mindy spoke in a low tone, trying to diffuse Grey. “I like her as much as you do, Mindy. But I still can’t help but wonder if she was right. She is better off learning about herself away from us,” Micah added. “First off, I like her just fine, but he’s our brother—our leader. If he doesn’t wake, then what? Secondly, they’re mates. He’s asleep, and she’s off doing Lord knows what. Ryker is going to lose his mind. And lastly, if the other pack members find out ... We’re in some serious trouble. Raymon will jump at the opportunity to take over as pack leader. This stays with us. Not a single word,” Reece ordered. “Brogan should know,” Grey said. “I’ll tell Dad,” Mindy replied. “But Reece is right. If anyone finds out he’s asleep, it could disrupt the entire pack. Chapter One “No!” Ryker’s voice called out in my head. Swirls of color flashed around me, then I stepped onto the sand. Father Archibald followed closely behind. The sun overhead was hot, and I had the strangest sensation between my shoulder blades, like a string being pulled before the tension was released. “Where are we?” I asked the father, who stepped beside me. “We are in a small town east of Bethlehem.” I gasped. “Bethlehem! Like where Jesus was born?” Father Archibald chuckled, “Is there another Bethlehem?” I looked at him like I don’t know, you tell me. “We could have at least brought water bottles or something. I wish I was prepared. I have sand in my shoes.” “Patience. Our destination is just over this peak.” It looked like a never-ending desert. I had a hard time believing anything but sand would be over the peak, but I’d trusted him this far. I’d better trust him more. “Before we go any further, can you make me a promise?” “Of course. Anything for you, Elle.” “Can you bring me back whenever I want?” “I can do that.” “Promise?” “I promise.” “Vow it,” I ordered, and I had no idea where that came from. I’d never vowed anything before in my life, let alone asked someone else to. His step faltered, and he stumbled over his words, then said, “I vow it.” We walked for about ten more minutes up the sandy hill, and a breeze blew away our footprints as we walked. It seemed strange, though, because it was hotter than hell, and I didn’t feel a breeze. If I thought Ohio was hot, this was its unique hellish heat. We cleared the peak, and that’s when I saw it—an ancient building carved into the side of the mountain built right into the stone. There were huge turrets reminiscent of a Roman church