Page 53 of Called By Fate

"That was insane, Angel!" Dante agrees, eyes filled with hope. “Usually, oaths like that are reserved for whoever is in power.”

“Then why do I feel so fucking sick about it?” I snap. “I don’t want their lives on orinmy hands.”

Elian pushes Kaos out of the way and gets in my face. "You're afraid you're going to let them down." Isn’t that what I just said? "The first step to being a good leader is knowing that. You know what's at stake and it scares the fuck out of you. It's not a bad thing. It means you actually give a damn about what happens to them. Which, if I had to guess, is why they're so willing to follow you. Now, snap out of it and get back out there, Sinclair."

Jesus, Elian really knows what to say to get me out of my funk. He may be an asshole most of the time, but he's smart. It does the trick though and I find myself taking a deep breath before exiting the kitchen with a small smile on my face as I greet everyone.

Oliver wraps me in a hug when I make it to his table and receives a few growls from my mates. He chuckles, eyeing them warily.

I roll my eyes at their antics. "Don't worry about them. Their bark is worse than their bite."

"Hey, I take offense to that," Vinson grumbles.

“Anyway,” I say with a laugh. “How have you been? How's life at the haven?”

There’s a gleam of hope in his green eyes. “Better than I ever could've expected, to be frank. No one here has forced me into a fight or beat me up. I mean, yeah, sometimes there are pissing contests between Circles or between the shifters and Weavers, but mostly, it seems to be going great.” His grin is contagious.

“Is there anything happening I should know about?” I ask.

Oliver contemplates for a second. “I can’t think of anything. Although, I do think some of us would benefit from a training session or two with you.”

That brings a smile to my face. I love training, and I’d love to help the others. Total win, win. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He nods. "Well, I'll let you get back to it. I know you still have a lot of people to talk to. Thanks for dropping by, Sadie. It's good to see you."

"Anytime, Oliver. It's good to see you too."

Malachi finds me next. “Hey, Shadow Girl. Long time, no see.”

“Hey, Malachi. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m all for bringing down the patriarchy.” He winks at me, and I laugh. “Have fun schmoozing the masses,” he says, and I give him a small wave before moving on to the next table. And the next and the next, until I'm exhausted from having to people so much.

It's nice to meet everyone though, even if so many of their stories break my heart. So much death, lies, and deceit. So much tragedy. Too many with family members stolen from their homes to work for the Elders. It's too much for one community to handle to be honest. And it all swings back to the fucking Elders.

Someone grabs my Circle's attention, but I need some air, so I quietly slip out the door, inhaling several deep gulps. Why am I sweating so damn much?

After I feel like I've finally caught my breath, I spot Emma and the trio outside, sitting on a giant picnic blanket near their cabin, and start to head their way. Emma glances at the guys while they eat, but when they look directly at her, she quickly averts her gaze, and they do the same.

Psh, they are so stricken with one another and none of them will admit it. I, too, used to be that way. Hell, I still kind of am with Elian. Sometimes the game is worth it, but with everything going on... I've realized exactly how easily life can change on a dime, and I'm no longer the person I once was.

Hemsworth catches up and nudges my thigh. "Hey, why'd you leave?"

I stop and ruffle his fur. "I just needed some air. Some of their stories are really heavy, and I needed a minute."

He ducks his head in a nod. "That's understandable." He catches my line of sight and shoots me one of his toothy smiles. "It's good to see them finally getting along."

"Yeah, it is. Let's give them their privacy. I don't want to interrupt them while they're actually being civil."

Niall must say something that pisses Emma off because her face turns red.

"Who would've thought little Emma would be so feisty?" I almost move to step in when she moves to tackle him from her sitting position and screams something about,I'll show you!

Hemsworth and I chuckle. Well, he chuffs, and I laugh. "She's certainly got some fire in her," he responds.

"That she does."

Suddenly, my body temperature spikes like ten degrees. It feels as if I'm on fire, burning from the inside out. I cry out in response, doubling over with my hands on my knees. The fierceness of the heat wave takes my breath away until I feel like I'm choking on it. What the hell is happening?

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