Page 8 of Broken Fate
“You’re going to be fine, Jada.” My mother put an arm around me, pulling me close, thinking that all I needed was some reassurance. “It’s okay to be nervous. But have some fun with it. This is a big night for you.”
“I guess,” I mumbled, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.
My wolf was unsettled, her eagerness mixing with my trepidation until she paced with almost frenetic restlessness. I burned with excess energy, wanting nothing more than to run, run far and fast away from this place and all the responsibilities expected of me.
Up ahead, the palace awaited. We passed through the gates, the guards standing tall and stern, their presence a silent reminder that, while the night was to be one of revelry, there would still be consequences for anyone that got out of hand or broke the rules.
The air itself was practically green as the light from the Fate Stone bounced off everything. It was always brightest on the Fate Nights. The armor of the palace guards, normally a brilliant silver, glowed with verdant hues, the bright polish of the surfaces only adding to the intensity of the stone’s glow.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, the words slipping from my mouth as I caught a glimpse of the stone, the green rings of energy within it swirling rapidly as if sensing what was to come.
Which made sense. Fate was bound to the eight stones, and she was sentient, it was said. Nobody really talked about the exact moment of touching the stone, preferring instead to keep it personal, but I’d heard enough rumor to believe that she was aware and alert. Not just a type of magic.
“See,” my mother said, squeezing my shoulder. “I knew you’d come around, Jada.”
I frowned. That wasn’t at all what I had meant. But contradicting her would serve no purpose, so I remained quiet, breathing in the warm summer air.
The courtyard was already more than half full. Many young shifters stood with their parents, each wearing a different look. Some were all smiles; others were focused. Others seemed to affect airs of uncaring.
None seemed to be actively dreading the events ahead.
More shifters continued to fill the spaces as we waited for the ceremony to begin. The area closest to the stone was kept empty, reserved for the shifters about to be mated. Smiles and good-natured ribbing abounded. Try as I might, I couldn’t let myself get swept up in it all.
It surprised me that everyone could be so mesmerized by something so rote. Finding a mate felt like it should be more fluid and free. That it should justcometo us. Instead, everything was overproduced, like some play that had been shown a thousand times, where everyone in the audience knew what would happen next.
We, the unmated, were commodities. Merchants made a killing on Fate Night. It was big business for them, from specialized clothing to Fate Night meals to kits sold to newly mated couples to bring with them on their first run together. Blankets and food to enjoy while coupling with their new partners in the lands surrounding Arcadia.
Literal Fuck-Baskets, though they would never be acknowledged as such. Everything about tonight was cute and adorable and loving.
It was kind of gross.
A bell chimed, and the crowd fell silent. It was time to begin.
“Good luck,” my mother whispered in my ear before pushing me into the inner ring closest to the stone, where I stood with the other unmated shifters.
One of whom would soon be my mate. Across from me, I saw Clive. He smiled at me but made no move to come closer. What was he thinking? Was he excited to be mated to me, or was he hoping someone else might be in his future? Someone whowantedhim as a mate, perhaps.
The crowd parted as a quartet of soldiers strode forward. At their core strode our Alpha. Arcadus, immortal leader and founder of the city and lands of Arcadia. Centuries old, he looked no more than forty.
He stepped onto the platform next to the Fate Stone and clapped his hands together. The burst of sound silenced any lingering conversation as all eyes turned to our pack Alpha.
Even next to his guards, each picked for their size and ferocity, the Alpha was a prime specimen. He towered over them, taller than even their helmed heads. He wore a black robe that was pulled tight against his bulging chest, his arms filling out the sleeves of the garment with ease.
His eyes glowed with the jade brilliance of the Fate Stone as he surveyed those of us standing closest. I shied away from his gaze as he looked at me, not wanting him to see the cauldron boiling inside of me.
“Welcome,” he said, voice booming across the courtyard and easily reaching the farthest corners, “to your Fate Night.”
A smattering of applause followed from the crowd, though most stayed silent, watchful. The Alpha didn’t often come among the people, so seeing him was, in some ways, an experience unto itself.
The Alpha stroked his bearded chin. In the light from the stone, it was impossible to tell if his hair was black or brown. His long hair was tied back in a simple braid that fell free of the robe. Thick eyebrows tried but failed to distract from the intelligence in his eyes. The dark orbs glittered with a sense of knowledge that none of us would ever know.
What had he seen in all his years? Did he ever see anything new? Or was it all the same, year after year, decade after decade, century after century? A person wasn’t equipped to live that long.
“On this night, we will see new couples emerge from the cradle of youth. Shifters will find love and happiness in ways they’ve never known. It is a time of learning and evolution. Those of you who have been down that path before, make sure to encourage and help them as they discover this new part of life.” The Alpha paused, surveying the crowd. His thick, meaty lips turned upward. “And for those of you here for your Fate Night … have fun.”
The crowd chuckled. It was meant to be lighthearted and a poke at theactivitiesthat would happen later tonight between new couples.
In truth, it was more like ominous laughter. A portent to the future that none of us had any choice in.
