Rejected Fate

Rejected Fate ELEMENTAL WOLVES: SPIRIT ASCENDING BOOK ONE ELENA FOREST Copyright 2022 © Elena Forest. All rights Reserved. REJECTED FATE (Elemental Wolves: Spirit Ascending Book One) by Elena Forest Edited by 34 Editing Cover Design by Luminescence Covers Formatted by Elena Forest Artwork by Romanna Boch This book is protected under Copyright Laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact the author. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Contents Pack Hierarchy Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Author’s Note Before You Go About the Author Also By Elena Forest Synopsis I was the pack’s shameful secret… until the day my twin was killed by a monstrous wolf and I was forced to take her place. Born powerless and without a wolf, no one knows I exist. Which means slipping into my sister’s world while I hunt for her killer should be easy enough… except when it comes to Hunter Weston—heir of our rival pack, my sister’s chosen mate, and my number one suspect. Broodingly mysterious and sexy as hell, Hunter is as unreadable as he is observant, and he knows there’s something off about me. His rejection will be swift and severe if he discovers the truth. With danger right on my heels, and new powers awakening within me, there’s a very real chance he might. But the more I get to know him, the harder it is to stay away, which poses a problem. With war looming on the horizon between our packs, our mating is the only thing keeping it at bay. Unless my father, the Alpha, decides to retaliate before I can prove Hunter’s innocence… or guilt. If I don’t find my sister’s murderer soon, there will be more blood spilled, starting with my own. Chapter One If there were one thing the Alpha of the Stormborn pack hated most, it was my disobedience. Eluding the enforcer he had posted outside my cottage and sneaking through the forest in the middle of the night was the pinnacle of defiance. Especially since I’d been warned my entire life to stay out of sight, out of mind. I doubted that meant waltzing right up to the Alpha’s estate as if I lived there. Given that I was one of his daughters, it should have rightfully been my home. Unfortunately, fate was a fickle mistress. The anger that typically rose whenever I thought of my father got the best of me, and I grimaced as I stepped a little too hard. The ominous crunch of forest debris that littered the ground easily gave away my position. Shit. The breath caught in my lungs and my body froze while I waited to be found. I didn’t want to think about what the punishment would be for my offense, but if I could pull this night off, the risk would be worth it. Sadly, I wasn’t that lucky. Powerful footfalls thundered through the trees, and the unmistakable, elemental scent of a Stormborn wolf—the petrichor of a fresh rainstorm and the sweet, yet sharp, aroma of damp earth—had fear shivering down my spine. My fight-or-flight response kicked in, but there was no time. Born no better than a human, with no wolf or magic, I was a disgrace to my father's lineage and the outcast of the pack. I would never be able to outrun the wolf shifter heading directly toward me. Think, Madison. What would Kenna do? My identical twin sister, Makenna, or ‘Kenna,’ as most everyone called her, was crafty, cunning, and confident. If personality alone could dictate what we shifted into, she would undoubtedly be a fox. Thinking like her gave me an idea. Though it was a long shot, I hurriedly pulled down my hair and combed my fingers through the light blonde tresses until it settled softly around my shoulders, flowing down my back. Straightening my posture into something I hoped appeared confident, I continued walking toward the Alpha’s lodging. My steps were nearly silent, but the steady thrum of my pulse wasn’t as easy to hide. Glowing blue eyes emerged in the darkness, and the low, menacing growl of the enforcer made the fine hair on my nape stand on end. If I had a wolf inside of me, she would have growled right back and asserted her alpha dominance. Instead, I drew to a halt, threw a hand over my heart, and feigned a laugh to cover the spike of fear that released a burst of adrenaline into my bloodstream. I hated that reaction, but as the lowest member of the pack without any of the benefits a wolf would have provided me, this guy could royally kick my ass. Thinking quickly, I noted the unique pattern of sky-blue markings on his grey coat and the black shock of fur that created a “sock” on his back left paw. If there were one comparison to make between being exiled and