Page 59 of Understanding Fate

“It shouldn’t be. Shifters believe heavily in The Fates and their will to choose the paths we walk. The best way I can explain it is as if it were a religion. They are like God, and our Fated Mates are the soul mates that are chosen for us. Most of us never find our Mates. So when we do, that bond stands over all others.The problem is because you aren’t Awakened, and aren’t Mated to me, we don’t have the marks. It would be impossible for them to separate us if they could see we were Mated. None of our kind would make the decision to split up Fated Mates. We just have to hope whoever presides over the appeal can see reason.” He shrugs, idly chewing on the last few bites of his bacon strip.

He’s silent for a while after that, and I take the time to finish my breakfast, pondering how I can make this right for everyone. When he grabs my empty plate, I lock eyes with him, hoping he will listen to my plan.

“You need to Awaken me.” I pause for emphasis, watching his eyes widen in surprise, and the fight crawls back into him. I lift my hand, silencing him so I can continue.

“It’s the only way they will see reason. You said it yourself: if they could see the marks, they wouldn’t have a choice but to allow us to be together. So we force their hand.” I finish confidence infusing my tone.

It’s the only way he will stop hunting me.

It’s the only way to keep Dante’s pack safe.

Cain’s pack.

And someday, my pack.

“It isn’t that simple, Firefly,” he says, sitting down and leaving the plates in front of him. His shoulders hunch with the heavy weight he’s been carrying, and I need him to explain it to me.

“Why not?” I ask, confidence wavering as I see the pain in his eyes.

“Because you can’t take it back. Once you are Awakened there is no way to take it back. It’s forever,” he says, adding emphasis to the word.

“I understand that. I’ve made my choice. I’d rather embrace this life than spend the rest of it running, scared andweak,” I counter, shouting back at him now and standing myself up.

“You’ve never been weak! But it isn’t just about embracing your wolf. Awakening you won’t give you the mark. That comes from being Mated, and I will not force you into that,” he finishes, anger resonating through his voice.

“You aren’t forcing me. I’m asking you to!” I exclaim, frustration boiling under my skin as I slam my hands onto the table before me.

“You don’t understand what you are asking for; you couldn’t possibly,” he says, fists clenching while he tries to hold his temper.

“Then explain it to me. Tell me everything. Let me decide!”

He pushes back from the table in a swift movement, causing me to lean away instinctively, stepping backward until I hit the wall with my heel.

My heart races as he pins me there, arms caging me on either side. His eyes are wild and glowing again, but I find that rather than being afraid, I feel safe. I know at the core of my being that he would never hurt me, so I stand my ground, not looking away as he seethes in front of me.

“Mates are permanent. They cannot be undone; they cannot be traded or altered. What you are asking for is more than marriage. It’s a bond that ties our lives together. Our futures would be eternally intertwined.”

He slowly sets his forehead on mine, his eyes closing in defeat as I process what he has said.

It cannot be undone.

Permanent.

“Oh,” I force out finally, reality hitting me as the sting of rejection starts to slide over my skin.

He doesn’t want me forever.

I’m a fool.

The pain that floods me takes me right back to the hospital room. The moment I realized that everything was a lie. A lie I let myself fall for again.

I’m not his forever.

I close my eyes as tears begin to slide down my cheeks. Hoping to hide them, I turn my head down and away from him—anything to keep him from seeing me break.

His hand moves from the wall, gripping my chin roughly as he turns my face to him.

“Look at me, Firefly,” he says to my closed eyes. A whimper escapes my throat at the sound of the name, and I wish I could disappear, evaporate into thin air, so I don’t have to feel this moment.

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