Forever Fated: Soulmate Series, #3

By Anna Santos

Annabel isn't the only one keeping secrets. Shane has been investigating who she is behind her back.

They might not even be fated! 

Not that she wants to believe that.

Has Shane lied to her?

Most importantly, will Annabel find a cure for her brother?

As secrets from the vampire hybrid's past come to light and Annabel comes closer to her initial goal, will she find happiness with her alpha werewolf mate?

 

Read the epic conclusion and discover what Shane has been hiding from Annabel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Santos
• Release date: Jun 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223035831

Anna Santos

Anna Santos is a Bestselling Author with her paranormal romance story: "Soul-Mate". Meanwhile, she has authored and published another standalone paranormal romance named "Punishing Her Vampire Master".  She likes to write steamy and happily ever after romances with magical and complex characters. All her books feature clever, witty, and strong heroines and dominant males who either get what they want or get what they deserve. She's currently in the process of editing the second book in the series of the Immortal Love so it can be published in 2016. She's also in the middle of writing the third book in the same series.  You can find her at: Website: http://annesaint90.wix.com/annasantosauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaSantosAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneSaint90 Instagram: https://instagram.com/annasantosauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23301866-anna-santos

Book preview

Anna Santos

Forever Fated

Soulmate Series, Book 3

First published by Crystal Palace Publishing 2023

Copyright © 2023 by Anna Santos

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Anna Santos asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Anna Santos has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

Inquiries about additional permissions should be directed to:[e-mail].

First edition

Editing by Nancy Zee

Cover art by Cristal Designs

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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Contents

1. Shane’s File

2. Eric

3. Sneaky Cat

4. Majestic Palace

5. Shane’s Gone

6. Grandpa is a King

7. Shane’s in Trouble

8. The Enemy

9. I’m Kage

10. The Gothic Enemy Witch

11. Fashionably Late

12. Report and Casualties

13. Everything I did was to protect you

14. Elizabeth

15. Marie

16. Alaric’s Plans

17. Kevin doesn’t wake up

18. No More Secrets

19. I want us to be together…forever

20. Childhood Memories

21. Cinnamon Coffee

22. Lazy as ever

23. Jason’s Obsession

24. We’re Family

25. EPILOGUE

26. Author’s Note

THE WITCH AND THE VAMPIRE KING—Preview

About the Author

Also by Anna Santos

One

Shane’s File

Chapter Separator

ANNA

SHANE CAUGHT ME IN HIS ARMS and pressed me against the wall. For a moment, I thought he was going to hurt me, but he just stared at me with the saddest eyes, making my heart hurt inside my chest.

What was a lie? he asked, almost out of breath. He looked as if I had punched him in the gut and marched over his heart. You can’t possibly think that I lied about us being soulmates, about my love for you! Disappointment and pain floated through his once sexy, deep voice. Why don’t you rip my heart out of my chest instead?

His words made me feel guilty. The uncontrollable need to cry still stung my eyes. I felt my body tremble again, and my limbs hurt, but it wasn’t because of Shane. It was like a secondary effect of the nerves and pain I was feeling. I was still mad at him, however.

I trusted you. How could you go behind my back and have a file on me?

Annabel. He sighed, pulling me closer to his chest, maybe because I was so close to bursting into tears. His hand caressed my right cheek, and he looked deep into my eyes. I swallowed hard, losing my breath when he kissed me, and I let him. It was illogical. It was a possessive kiss. We were arguing: he shouldn’t kiss me, and I shouldn’t let him, not when he had broken my heart.

So why didn’t I push him away and start screaming at him?

He broke the kiss and stared at me. I love you. I couldn’t ever hurt you. Mates don’t do that to each other. So, even if for a moment you still believe that I lied to you about us being soulmates, then pull away, hit me, or kill me. I really don’t care. If you leave me and stop trusting me, I will eventually die of heartbreak and sadness.

He waited for me to speak, but I couldn’t. My throat was obstructed, and the words couldn’t get out.

What he said saddened me. I didn’t want to hurt him. I wanted to know why he had a file on me and if he planned to use it to hurt my friends. Maybe he couldn’t hurt me or didn’t want me to get hurt because we were connected. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t harm my friends and make their actions public.

Anna, do you want to hurt me? he asked, brushing his lips on my ear. My body reacted to his touch as my thoughts came to a halt.

I swallowed, trying to figure out if I truly knew him. Doubt troubled me. Is he going to hurt my friends?

Are you going to make me want to hurt you? I asked with a hoarse voice, plucking up the courage to face him and make him realize that maybe we were soulmates, perhaps we were meant to be, but I would never be with him if he did something to hurt my only family … my only friends.

He furrowed his brows at my question. His finger caressed my lower lip, and he sighed. I would never do anything to hurt you. My loyalty is with you. I’ve already told you that. You know I’d go with you to hell and back if you asked me to. W-would you hurt me?

I couldn’t stay with you if you hurt my family and friends, I answered honestly.

No one will do anything to you or your friends. That is the last thing we want.

So why do you have a file on me? I asked, intrigued by his use of the word ‘we’.

Who is we?

Someone else knows?

Oh, yes, the prince.

I remembered him telling that to James. And James also knew. It was a conspiracy, apparently.

Tears ran down my face, which I only noticed when I felt Shane’s lips catching them.

Stop using physical attraction to make me feel weak like this, I ranted.

I’m sorry. It isn’t intentional. I’m afraid you will run away, and I can’t—I don’t want to be away from you, either. I need you to listen to what I have to say.

So explain yourself, I demanded, bothered by the delay.

Unblock me. Stop blocking my thoughts. It’ll be so much easier if you let me show you.

Why would I let you come inside my mind again? Don’t you know everything you needed to know about me? Don’t you have a file on me?

Don’t be like that, Anna, he pleaded, apparently hurt by my sarcasm.

Did you know who I was when you first saw me? I asked, realizing he could have always known who I was. He could have used me to find out things about my organization.

My paranoid self was returning in full force, together with my sarcasm and disillusion.

Don’t be silly, honey. You’re being paranoid. Everything will make perfect sense after you let me explain. Plus, I could ask you the same. Did you know who I was? Was that why you went out with me?

Of course not! I protested. I didn’t even want to meet you, remember?

So, why did you come here, specifically?

Do not turn the table and make this an interrogation about me. I was the one who was deceived by you. I trusted you, and you went and put a file together about me behind my back. You and I have nothing to do with my organization or my job. I stayed here because of you, nothing more. Because I fell in love with you.

I was mad, and he was smiling. Mate bond or not, I wanted to slap him right then and there.

Well, if it makes you happier, I didn’t know that the file I had gathered all these years was about you.

Those words were all but understandable. What do you mean?

Actually, there were two files. Two files on two people who became the same person. I had a file about your organization and their members, the leader included. And I had a file of someone else important to my king, who turned out to be you.

I understood even less by the minute. Shane must have read that on my face.

It’s hard to explain. But you must know that we don’t want to harm you or your friends. My king is not against what your organization does. In fact, we are doing the same thing here. We eradicate the ones who disobey our rules or come here to destroy our peace. We’re on the same side. No one here hates hybrids or tries to kill them. You know that. You have seen that.

I nodded, agreeing. For all I had seen, nothing would make me believe that they were not what they seemed to be—a peacefully mixed-breed community, protecting each other, and strong and kind. And the other file you mentioned?

Well, here’s what you may find difficult to believe if you don’t let me show you my thoughts. I was also taken aback by the wonderful coincidence. Anika Isobel, he whispered my real name, the name I’d had to change.

My body froze, and my eyes widened, amazed and terrified at the same time.

The other file was about Anika, about you.

Why did you have a file on me? And how do you know my former name?

You see, honey, your father was a well-known vampire before he disappeared with your mom due to their forbidden love. And I knew him well, he explained, and my heart stopped. Anika! he exclaimed, sounding worried.

My name is Anna now. It has been for a long time. I breathed in to get control over my emotions. Anika is dead. Stop calling me that.

Actually, you just mixed Anika and Isobel together. Anna is a pet name for Anika. Isobel was the name of your dad’s mom. I do like Annabel better, he said, grinning.

Dad would always call me Anna anyway, and Mom called me Belle. But why did you have a file on me? Why would I interest you?

I was looking for you. Your family has been searching for you and your brother ever since the attack that claimed your parents’ lives.

Family? What family?

Your father was a vampire prince. The king of these lands is your grandfather.

I squinted my eyes at his farfetched words. For a moment, I thought he was joking. Yet he didn’t even flinch, and his face was solemn. Besides the aristocratic title and everything else that rushed to my mind, one other thought overwhelmed my heart.

I smiled, almost crying. I have more family! I have a grandfather! My tears fell down my cheeks despite my happiness.

I gulped as my mind began to gather all the pieces. By having a family, a pureblooded vampire family, I would be able to save my brother!

Kevin would be shocked when he woke up. If my grandfather was looking for us, he wouldn’t let my brother die. At least, I hoped he wouldn’t.

Your father renounced the throne to marry your mom. He was the next in line. Shane cleaned my tears away with his thumbs.

His statement puzzled me. But why? Why did my dad go away and turn his back on his family? Didn’t they approve of his marriage? How are you sure that I’m the one you are looking for? When did you begin suspecting that I could be the king’s granddaughter?

Calm down, honey. I’ll explain everything.

Two

Eric

Chapter Separator

ANNA

"MY DAD NEVER talked about his past. At least, not about his relatives, I shared. Dad said his family was gone and