Page 18 of Unforgivable Fate

“Maybe…” He cleared his throat as they hiked up an incline and he saw the hint of buildings on the other side hinting they were far closer to the town of Noir than he had realized. She’d taken a shortcut, giving him less time than he’d imagined to convince her to give them a chance. “Maybe instead of thinking of this as punishment, you could try seeing it a different way.”

“And what way is that?”

“I don’t know how much your brother told you about my past but, your family isn’t the only one Maddox hurt. He murdered everyone I loved when I was only five years old. My mother and I only escaped his massacre because I was sick and she took me to a healer in another pack. We came back to find Maddox gone and our lives changed forever.” He paused, waiting for her to say something but when she didn’t, he plowed forward, “What I’m saying is, everything that happened before, all the pain and the trauma that we’ve both gone through, losing our family, no, not just losing them but having them murdered by someone we thought we could trust, the same person no less… maybe that was all fate working towards this moment. Maybe that was fate’s plan all along to bring us together, to help us connect. She made both of us who we are and she thinks we’re a perfect match. Maybe our scars are what make us compatible.”

Nova paused as they crested the ridge and came out of the woods onto a road that led into the center of the little town, “Fate trauma bonded us? Is that what you’re saying?”

He snorted, “Not quite so eloquently but yeah, I guess I am.”

“I don’t think…”

He cut her off, “We’ve both been through a lot. We’ve had the weight and expectations of our name on us from a young age. We’ve both experienced losses. We both know the importance of family, you because you’ve surrounded yourself with the people who love you and would give anything for you and me because I’ve never had that, but I want it. I want it here, Nova. I want to call Noir home. I think it’s where I’m meant to be and I think fate got it right. I think you’re my other half and I’ll do whatever I can to prove that to you if you’ll give me half a chance.”

Nova was quiet for a long minute and he held his breath. She could still send him away. If she did he would have to go. He’d promised her that he would and he wouldn’t break that promise. He could only hope that he had gotten through to her somehow, shown her that he wasn’t Maddox and he didn’t have evil intentions.

“Do you see that building there?” Nova pointed up the street to where the road they were on intersected with the main street that ran through the center of town.

“The bakery?” He furrowed his brow, unsure about the sudden change of subject.

“Yeah. My… well, it’s hard to explain but Zoey Hudson owns it. My sister, Maya, is married to Zoey’s brother, Zander. They’re sisters-in-law. But Zoey also happens to be married to Rafe Hudson, the brother of Luna’s husband, Michael. So they’re sisters-in-law too. Only in our family we don’t make distinctions like that so I just call Zoey my sister, even if it means that sometimes people passing through town look at us funny.”

“Why would they look at you funny?”

“She’s a pale redhead and I’m… not.” Nova smirked.

“Okay…” He raised an eyebrow, still lost but happy that she was still talking to him and without him prompting the conversation.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve always hated that people make assumptions about my relationship with Zoey just because we don’t look alike. Family is about more than blood. I’ve known that all my life.” She turned back to look at him and her eyes were still wary but she was close enough to him that he realized he could have reached out and touched her if he hadn’t thought it would spook her. It was the closest she’d let him get to her since that run-in yesterday. That had to be a good sign. “So you’re right. I shouldn’t punish you just because you share blood with the man that ripped my family apart. That isn’t fair of me. It isn’t fair to you and it isn’t fair to fate. I’ve always trusted fate. As a Seer, it’s my trust in fate that’s guided me my whole life. Seeing you, learning who you were, it shook my faith but if what you say is true, maybe that’s what fate wanted for me. To shake things up. To make me question myself and everything around me. Even you.”

Griffin’s heart was beating so fast he could barely hear his own words, “Does that mean you’re not getting on that bus?”

“I’m not getting on the bus. I’m not running away.” She didn’t exactly look happy about it but the begrudging words caused him to grin.

“And you’re not putting me on the bus either?”

She rolled her eyes, “Go home, Griffin.”

“Home?” He was still grinning as she stepped away from him.

“Go back to Crescent territory, back to Bear’s house. I’m sure either he or my brothers are looking for you by now. You should head back.”

“And you?” He asked hopefully. “You’re coming back with me?”

“No.”

His smile fell, “No?”

She hid an answering smile at his crestfallen expression by turning her face away, “No. I need to talk to Zoey so I’m going to stay in town for a while but I’ll see you later.”

“You’ll see me later?”

She groaned, “You can stop sounding so damn happy with yourself. I have a feeling whether I like it or not, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other if we let fate have her way.”

She didn’t sound pleased about that. She sounded more resigned than anything. But he would take what he could get for right now.

It was a start. It was a chance. It was the first step in the right direction which was exactly what he needed.

He grinned, “See you later, Nova.”

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