Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond
Chapter 0253

~Josie~

As soon as I arrive to the location of the party, I had that ominous feeling wash over me. Which was only confirmed as I pulled up to the house to find the front door blocked with people's backs as they try to look over heads to something happening inside. Stepping out of the vehicle, I wished Lobo was with me...if any danger was imminent he was the one to inform me. Otherwise, I might as well be walking into the dark.

I can already hear Maya screaming inside, her volatile words reaching out to the front courtyard. Pushing through the crowd at the front door, they...as always...easily move aside, their gasps and small whispers at my arrival only stiffening my back as I make my way to my friend.

My reputation as always precedes me, a reputation cleverly created and spread by the very female I was here to check up on.

"Maya?" I ignore the eyes on me, the shocked whispers as I make my way through the deep crowd. Bodies turn away from me, from the scene. They are happy to watch a show but not wanting to be involved with any show I might put on, they do not want to be caught in the crossfire...at least that is what they think, what the perception of me is. It is further from the real truth.

I find her, screaming at her boyfriend of two years with a broken bottle in her hand. Smashed glass covers the floor as Toby, her boyfriend, stands side by side with another female. A female that is watching Maya's breakdown with petrified eyes.

"What's going on?" I don't think twice about entering the aggressive situation, my legs closing the distance between us automatically.

I am by Maya's side trying to calm her down, my eyes watching the broken bottle in her hand, moving quickly to grip her wrists. Gasp erupting around me.

Glaring daggers at the spectators, the crowd starts to disperse around us, only a few remaining.

I turn to my friend, my grip on her wrists tightening until she drops the bottle, the remains of it smashing to the ground.

"He found her...he found his mate." Her eyes turn to me, her body starting to give up the fight as anger turn into sobs.

"Maya...I." He takes a step forward to comfort her, his newly found mate pulling at his arm.

"Don't...when were you going to tell me, how long have you known?"

"I was just waiting for the right time..."

"I think you should leave..." I give Toby a fierce look daring him to challenge me. He concedes instantly, his new mate might be from out of town, but he knows who I am, he knows my reputation.

He pulls his mate away, her eyes looking between him and me in disbelief before the murmuring of whispers starts again.

"I thought you weren't coming." Maya moans drunkedly at me as I pull her towards the pool area out pack. She didn't need to watch Toby leave...out of sight, out of mind.

"I was at the shooting range when you text, I do have to get up early for a shift but then I found George in my shower..."

"Ugh spare me the details."

"Here...let's drink to forget show we?" I reach for two shot glasses on the outside bar stand, reaching over to select tequila rose as my secret weapon to snap her out of this mindset.

We knock the first shot back with ease before I pour us another.

"I can't believe he found his mate." The sadness in her eyes breaks my heart, she acts tough...mouthy, but she has a heart of gold buried beneath that hostile exterior.

"Found her but didn't tell you, instead he let his relationship with you take priority. He was worried about telling you, because he cares Maya. If he didn't he would have told you immediately, would have cut contact with you. Instead he strung you both along." I wanted to yell at him, for hurting her like this. This was the risk of hooking up with people that weren't your mates, you ran the risk of being hurt when they did.