Page 7 of Forbid Me

"Then what's the point?" I flopped back on a cushion. "We're supposed to get fated mates."

"Not everyone gets them," said Tori.

"I know." I chewed my bottom lip. "Some people even reject them. I would never. I want him. Right now. In fact, I'm going to wait until he shows up. I'm not dating anyone else until I feel the mating bond."

"And you think he's here in the Crossroads?" asked Tori.

I had lived here my whole life. My mother had come here shortly after I was born. She'd come alone. I had no idea who my father was, but I assumed he was a shifter since my mother was a witch and there was a sleeping cat living inside me.

"Maybe if I was skinnier, he wouldn't have cheated."

"You're beautiful, Stella. And you know it."

I did know that I was beautiful. But every time I got cheated on, I had my moments of doubt.

"You don't need a man to define your worth."

Tori was right. My bank account proved how worthy I was. Didn't stop me from wanting to love someone and be loved in return. To have undying loyalty and know that someone always had my back.

I knew my girls had my back. But it was different with a fated mate. Couldn't I have both?

A knock at the door broke through the party. They looked at me and then away. We all knew who it was. I hesitated, wondering if I should answer it.

"He's going to keep knocking until I do. I'll just tell him to go away."

Neither woman said anything.

I moved forward into the dimly lit foyer, the soft glow of the chandelier casting an ethereal light that danced across the antique wallpaper. The scent of old wood and faded memories lingered in the air, a reminder of the building's history.

Ken stood there on the other side of the door. His handsome face was bathed in the golden aura of the hallway's light. He wore an expression of longing and regret. His eyes fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Stella," he began, his voice soft and pleading. "Can we talk for a moment? Just you and me."

I glanced back at Tori and Niamh, who sat enveloped in the cushions of my couch, watching me with knowing eyes. It was as if they understood that I was drawn to Ken like a moth to a flame, no matter that I always got burned.

He took my hand gently, his touch sending a rush of memories flooding back. "I miss you, Stella," he confessed, his voice filled with sincerity. "I made a mistake, and I've regretted it every moment you've been gone. I want us to be together again, to make things right."

His words tugged at my heartstrings, and for a moment, I was tempted to believe him. Because I didn't want to sleep alone tonight. Nights were the hardest.

And then, as though the nightmares overshot their eagerness, the world went black. The last thing I remembered was Ken leaning in to kiss me. Before his lips touched mine, a vision flashed before my eyes, vivid and chaotic.

I saw a world in turmoil, flames and destruction consuming everything in their path. The sky was dark and foreboding, filled with swirling storms and a sense of impending doom. It was a vision unlike any I had ever experienced, and it left me breathless, dizzy.

Had I fainted? No, I was still on my feet. Ken's lips were a mere millimeter away from mine. I pulled away from him, my heart racing and my eyes wide with shock.

He stumbled toward me, entirely missing the target of my mouth and bumping his forehead into the doorframe.

"I… I need to go," I stammered, my voice trembling. "I need to lie down."

"I'll come with you. I'll take care of you."

I laughed at the notion of him taking care of me. It was always the other way around. I didn't feel like arguing, so I shut the door in his face. Niamh and Tori looked at me with their mouths open. They didn't say anything as they helped me to the bed.

I tried to recall the ominous vision that had come to my mind, but it slipped through my fingers. And then sleep claimed me. I dreamed of a man with dark hair and golden eyes. But then he shifted and had golden hair and dark eyes. And then, like clockwork, the nightmares came, and there was no one for me to hold on to.

CHAPTER FOUR

Oz

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