Her Fated Mate

Chapter No. 01

TUESDAY

Isabella's P.O.V.

I felt content with what was going on right now, at least inside my house.

The boys were sprawled up in front of the television set babbling very animatedly about which character they like the most. "I could get used to this every day for the rest of my life", I thought, watching them with a small yet genuine smile. I was worried they would see right through the lie, especially Winston. And I can't be wholly blamed for the mess.

OKAY! I should be a little.

But to be frank, the boys were quite skeptical about accepting Mason right from the beginning, because even their tiny childish brains had doubts about it. They were right; I wouldn't believe it myself, as the plot turned out a little too twisted to be true.

They heard about their DAD, not from their mommy but from their so-called AUNT who just popped out of nowhere.

Oh for God's sake, it sounds weird even when I think of it and they had to believe it.

But just like the saying goes, "All's well that ends well," it felt like things were falling into place or so it felt.

Just as my internal turmoil came to a conclusion, the movie ended, and my eyes diverted toward my little dumplings. They looked sleepy, which meant if I didn't move them to their room within the next few minutes, they would end up sleeping in the exact spot. Smiling, I slowly got up to discard the popcorn bowl when I heard the doorbell ring. Glancing at the clock, I knew it had to be the girls, and indeed, here they were. "On Time" screamed Iris as she walked past me; I couldn't help the chuckle that left my lips as I responded with, "For Once," Mia walked in and enveloped me in a warm hug, and Iris followed. Wrapping them up in my arms as much as I could, I dropped a kiss on both their heads and asked, "Is everything okay?" Iris nodded while Mia replied, "Never been better." From their response, I could say these two enjoyed the party, and this little party would be the beginning of a series of those following soon.

After a minute or so, the girls finally let go of me and turned towards the T.V. set. Mia smiled and said, "Let's put them to bed; I don't think I'll be able to pick them up after they drive into a deep slumber." "Yeah, me too," said Iris as she smiled and backed up her statement with, "They get heavier and weigh like a ton."

Laughing at what she said, we picked up the boys and went up the stairs, tucking them into their beds. The next thing I knew, the girls wished me a good night and were off to their room. I glanced at the boys one last time before turning and heading toward my room.

Now that I was alone, all by myself, every thought I had been avoiding or trying to avoid throughout the evening came back, hitting me in the face like a whoosh of harsh stormy wind on a winter night. Every single thought, from the daddy thing with Mason, the lie, the suspicious man in the park, the incident with Luke, the strange smell lingering around the car, the conversation with Matt, everything flashed through my mind. Out of everything else, one thought kept running through my head: “I need to bring the boys and Mason together at all costs”; they needed to see each other as soon as possible, and this drama must end for good.

It was now around midnight, and sleep was still nowhere to be found. I kept tossing and turning, feeling uneasiness grabbing me by my throat. This wasn't something new for me, and yet it was unusual. I was used to staying up all night, but that was usually after interrogation or after I returned from war. Today wasn't either of those days and yet it felt worse. I could sense the storm getting closer. Aurora was getting agitated, but I couldn't do anything about it as I felt helpless.

Why? I had no idea; nothing made sense until something unexpected happened.

While tossing and turning in bed, pain ignited in the pit of my stomach as if something was trying to tear me apart from within. I curled myself into a fetal position, thinking it might help ease some of it, but the pain remained constant for some time, and yet it felt like an eternity had passed. The pain wasn't too bad for me, but Aurora's howls were. The moment I heard the first howl, I knew what was happening, and what was about to come. The pain would only increase with time and this would only point out to one person who was responsible for it:

MASON!