Page 42 of Called By Fate

Sadie’s frustration bubbles over into an irritated growl which is when I decide to step in. I cross the gym and put a hand on her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent, and she shivers under my touch.

“Hey, Luna,” I whisper, giving her a peck on the cheek from behind before spinning her to face me. “What's wrong? Can I do something to help?” I can’t stand to see any other emotion on her face than happiness. That’s what I strive for—to keep her happy all the time.

Her green eyes find mine, her face pinched into a small frown. I want to kiss every inch of that frown until it smoothes away. “The light refuses to cooperate with me,” she responds with a huff. “It's like all my sides are fighting one another for dominance. Reed keeps saying I need to draw the light out of me, but I can't. It doesn’t work like that for me.”

Reed gives me a grateful look over her shoulder and I return his gesture with a nod.

“It's okay, my Moon. That’s understandable seeing as you’re a Triad and things are probably different for you. I want you to just breathe for a second, okay?” She nods and takes a deep breath and then another. “When shifters are lucky enough to find their mate and learn to shift, the very first thing we’re taught is patience. You want to know why?”

“Yes,” she responds.

“It doesn't always happen overnight,” I tell her. “Or easily for that matter. Usually, only Alpha’s have smooth shifts. What I’m trying to say is everyone is different and that's all right.”

She shakes her head. "I have to master this, Vin. I have to be the best or everyone is going to die because I'm not strong enough. Everyone is depending on me to save them.I can't fail!" She screams the last part in frustration and looks down, scuffing her shoe on the floor, her teeth clenched. Damn, that won’t do. My wolf gives an internal grumble in agreement. We both want our smiling, confident Sadie back.

Reed and I share another look, and he motions for me to continue.

"There might be some prophecy about you, Luna, but that doesn't mean you have to put all the pressure on yourself. Let us help carry the burden. And if you do fail, at least we tried. At least we can say we went out knowing we fought our damnedest. Let us carry the weight for a little while. We’re your pack,” I pause. “I mean Circle. We carry your emotions, your soul, and therefore we share all of the responsibilities together. You will never be on your own again.”

She still looks uncertain. I can tell this is tough for her because I feel an echo of the worry she carries in my own chest, her soul telling me more than her expressions do. So, I don’t push her more than that. She’s stressed as hell, but like I said, it’s not only her burden, and I’ll gladly carry every single one for her if she’ll let me. The others would do the same. It’s why we work so well. We work as a team.

Reed clears his throat. “Stop worrying about all the what-ifs, my Love. We’ll cross every single bridge as we get there. Together. Because that’s what mates do. Okay?”

I can still feel echoes of uncertainty and insecurity through our bond, but she says, “Okay. I'm sorry I freaked out on you both, but I've never really cared about anyone this much and it scares me knowing what all I stand to lose if this doesn’t go right…”

I brush a strand of hair behind her ear and Reed puts his hand on her shoulder from behind in support. "We'll get those bastards, Love," Reed says. "Don't you worry."

She sighs. "Can we do something else for a little while? I think I need a break."

A smile tips the corner of my lips because I have the perfect solution. "I have an idea, Luna. How would you like to hang out with the pack? We're having a big meeting with the new shifters tonight to welcome them into the fold. We're even going to run, mated shifters and not. Darren wants to start a new tradition."

Her face lights up in excitement. “Mated or not? So, everyone is going to run together?”

“Yes, my Moon. How would you like to run with the wolves?”

She grins broadly and takes my hand. “I'd really love that, Vin. Plus, I’m intrigued by this new tradition idea. Would it be all right for Reed to tag along with us?"

Before I can respond, her stomach rumbles loudly, and I take that as a personal offense. No mate of mine is going to go hungry while I’m around. I'm a chef for crying out loud.

"Of course, my Moon, everyone is welcome. But first, let me cook you something and take your mind off things. The meeting doesn't start for another hour, anyway."

“Oh, that sounds delightful. You know how much I love your cooking. Do we have some stuff to make your famous BLT-jelly sandwiches?”

“I think I can make it work.” I wink at her and she smiles.

I’d do anything for that smile.

* * *

Sadie

I will never gettired of Vin's cooking. Seriously, this man is a wizard. He might not be a Weaver, but he definitely cooks like he puts magic into every single ingredient, every motion, every spice. He makes every meal with precision… and love.

Moaning around the mouthful of his homemade sandwich, I realize Reed and Vin are watching me instead of eating.

“What?” I ask, covering my mouth while I chew. It’s not like they haven’t seen me completely ravenous before, but a lady does have standards. Kind of. “I can't help it. It's so good,” I say when they continue to stare at me hungrily. I wipe the corner of my mouth, and thankfully there’s no jelly or crumbs stuck there.

"Fucking hell, I want to hear you moan like that around my cock," Vin responds cheekily, and I swat his arm.

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