Page 1 of Soul Fated

Chapter

One

Callista

Istared at the lines of code, my eyes darting back and forth as my fingers flew across the keyboard. My home office was a mess, with empty coffee mugs littering the desk and sticky notes plastered haphazardly on the walls. I leaned back, stretching my arms above my head, and glanced at the time.

It was past noon, and I hadn't even bothered to shower. Not that it mattered. I rarely left the house these days. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, and I forced myself to focus. The API integration was almost done, but I still had to optimize the data handling for the client side. Every time I tried to focus, my mind wandered to anything but the task at hand. The JSON responses weren’t parsing correctly, and I knew it was just a matter of tweaking the error handling, but the thought of digging through the documentation one more time made my head ache.

I flipped screens to send a quick message to my brother Blake. Evelyn had given me the simplest task known to women—posting about the upcoming bonfire on the pack Discord channel—and I still hadn’t done it. They'd been working tirelessly to integrate Kitimat with Black Lake Pack, and I wished I could do more to help. But every time I pushed myself, I ended up collapsing in a heap, unable to function for days.

I pulled up my sleeve and glared down at the bandage covering up the still oozing wound on my arm. As if I suddenly had the ability to will my body to heal.

I hated feeling weak. I hated that Evelyn had gone through so much to protect me, and then here I was giving nothing in return. My wolf whined, dropping her head onto her paws.

You could tell her.

The thought came more frequently these days, but I always shoved it away. It lived with my wolf’s desire to stretch her legs and run.

I couldn’t let her do it. I didn’t know how this wound and the dark magic that caused it would affect her. I was willing to deal with the pain, but I wouldn’t risk harming her.

She didn’t understand. Or maybe she knew better than I did.

Either way, I fought every day to keep my impulses under control. Ever since that first night when I found myself driving out into the boonies, I had a system. It was called: remain a hermit. So far, ultra successful and also mildly depressing.

I shivered, imagining myself back on that leather couch, looking at Nathan while he explained what he needed from me. At first, I thought he was truly interested in improving himself. In building Kitimat Pack and letting go of his hatred for Rowan and Black Lake. But once I’d overheard his conversation with whoever the hell alpha up north?

It all became clear. He wasn’t looking to help Kitimat. He was taking orders from someone who wanted to control us.

That’s when I took the dagger. I thought I’d been so smart, taking it home and hiding it in the closet. But now it all made sense. Nathan had been after one more person I loved. He’d lured Evelyn in by leaving the dagger alone, but he hadn’t expected Rowan to come with her.

I closed my laptop, and my wound throbbed. I avoided looking at myself as I stood and passed the mirror in the hall. I knew what I looked like. Dark circles ringed my eyes, and my normally wavy hair hung limp around my face. I rubbed my temple, trying to ease the tension that had settled there.

Celeste and Blake were both at work, so I walked into the kitchen and paused at the back glass sliding doors. Outside, the sun shone down on the lush forest, the trees swaying in the breeze. It was beautiful, but it felt like a taunt. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the cool glass, my breath fogging the surface.

I needed to find a way to break free of this curse. I couldn't keep living this way. I knew that, but I needed to figure out where to start.

I pushed back and trudged to the fridge. Inside were two containers of leftover chili, a liter of milk, and a tired head of lettuce. Fantastic. Beans made me gassy, and while I loved the idea of lettuce milk, I wanted something a bit more substantial.

I hesitated, doing mental gymnastics to avoid doing what I knew I had to. Blake was working late tonight, and Celeste had been burning the candle on both ends for the past week. I'd found her passed out on the couch more than once, which wasn't like her.

I could do this for them. I could go to the grocery store and get something for dinner, maybe even for the rest of the weekend. I used to love cooking. The thought was almost laughable, considering I'd been living on cheese and crackers or Nutella peanut butter sandwiches for three weeks. And oranges. C'mon, I wasn't a complete heathen.

I slipped on my Vans and walked out the back door, immediately wincing at the brightness of the sun. After holing up for the past few weeks, I half expected my skin to turn to ash.

I walked two blocks, then pushed open the door to our small but mighty Kitimat grocery store, the bell above it chiming to announce my arrival. The faint scent of fresh bread and coffee wafted through the air, and it was almost enough to make me walk to the back corner where I knew I'd find a handful of Elders.

My movements were sluggish, my limbs heavy as I trudged down the narrow aisles. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with the few other customers milling about. I passed the shelves lined with canned goods, boxes of cereal, and bags of chips, then turned down the row with the pasta. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, frowning.

Missed texts and calls. Evelyn's name was at the top, followed by my brother Blake. I swiped them away, my chest tightening. They both worried about me, but what could I say? I was barely holding it together. I shoved the phone back into my pocket, grabbed two boxes of spiral noodles, and tossed them into my basket.

"Callista?"

I turned, my heart skipping a beat. Mrs. Severson, the elderly woman who lived a few houses down from me. Her eyes were kind, but there was a flicker of concern in them that made my stomach churn.

"Afternoon." I forced a tight-lipped smile.

"Callista, dear. You look exhausted." Mrs. Severson's voice was soft, her eyes filled with concern.

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