Chained To Fate

Chapter 8

Easton pov

I sighed, sitting on the stool with a drink in my hand as I watched everyone dancing around us. “Easton, come on, just one dance,” I sighed again, turning to look at Abby. She had on a black tight corset dress and marble-colored tights, her long neon green hair was uncovered and flowing down to her lower back today, actually making her look like a girl. Abby usually hid herself under overly large hoodies and beanie hats, and most of the time she was thought of as a boy.

“I don’t want to dance, Abby,” I said for the twentieth time with an exaggerated sigh. She pouted, sitting back down in the chair next to me as she stared at her painted black nails.

“It’s not a hitting on you thing, you know. I know your gay, I just want to dance.” She whined, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the others.

I rolled my eyes at her, watching the way her eyes stared at Ashton. “You just want to dance near him so he notices you. He’s not going to notice you, Abby. We’re emo kids, we’re invisible.” I said with a shrug, watching Jared dance with the Alpha’s daughter.

She turned to look at me, a blush on her face. “You’re not invisible, Easton. You get hit on all time, you just turn them all down.” She said with a yawn. It was getting closer to sunrise, and I couldn’t blame her for being tired.

I shrugged, sliding my finger around the rim of my cup. “I have a boyfriend,” I muttered. She knew this, she was the only one who did though. Abby was my best friend, she kept all my secrets. Even still, she didn’t know who Hayden was or what he was.

She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat as she stretched. “Yes, sure, the mysterious man of your dreams,” she said with a giggle. She wagged her eyebrows at me. “Is he here? Do I finally get to meet him?” She asked with a grin.

I shook my head, laughing at her. “We’re not serious, and it’s not going to go anywhere,” I said with a shrug.

She frowned, looking at me, her hazel-colored eyes piercing into me. “That’s incredibly sad, Easton. Why be with him then?” She asked me.

We were talking quietly as the party raged on around us. My mom was sitting on dad’s lap on the chair, laughing at some joke the third command told as my father gripped her waist with one hand, reaching for a drink with the other. The alpha and Luna were sitting on the couch across from them laughing under their hands eloquently as the third in command smacked his leg, letting out a loud chuckle that made a couple nearby look at him in annoyance. He always was loud and annoying, but being the third in command no one wanted to say anything to him about it.

I turned to look at Abby, watching the way she blushed and hid behind her hand, hoping no one was looking at her. Yes, she’s the only child of the third in command, the next to take over. Thank the Goddess she was nothing like her loud father. Her little brother was one year younger than her and loved by everyone, to the point that they were trying to get the third in command to name him as the heir instead of the invisible little emo girl. “Why not be with him? It’s better to be with someone than to be alone.” I said with a shrug.

She sighed, looking down at her fingers again. “Maybe. But isn’t being with someone you don’t care about just as lonely as being alone?” She asked, looking up at me. “Don’t you even…love anyone?” She asked softly.

I stared at her, looking out into the crowd again. I couldn’t help it, remembering the past. The way Jared would always protect me from my father, like my knight in shining armor. I used to call him my Knight, and he’d hug me close to him and press his face into my hair, letting me bury my nose in his chest. But then…then he stopped. He pushed me away, and I was…I was all alone again. “I love you,” I said with a smirk, smiling at her sideways.

She giggled, fanning her face in an exaggerated manner. “If only you weren’t gay, I’d be in love with you instead,” she said with a giggle.

Suddenly the music lowered, and we all turned to look at the stereo in surprise. My mother and father were standing there with great big fake ass grins on their faces as they clapped their hands. “Okay, everyone! Thirty minutes to go! You know what that means!” My mother said with a smile.

I sighed as Abby giggled, both of us standing up and walking with the others outside. As was the tradition, we always did this part outside. No matter what time of the day it was, we always shifted after we turned twenty, shortly after we meet our wolves for the first time. The time varied, usually thirty minutes to an hour afterward, but it was different for everyone. It’s painful, the first shift, or so I was told. Because of this, it’s done outside, so we don’t hurt ourselves or anything else. Everyone that was twenty or older that was unmated sat around in a circle, while the others stood around us. There weren’t that many of us, not present. There were more in the pack that was eligible of course and it wasn’t unheard of to find your mate when you were in wolf form if your mate wasn’t at the party, but because these parties are held in the commanders' houses, only so many can come.

I sat down in front of Abby, since she wasn’t twenty yet. She stood behind me shivering from the cold and I took off my hoodie, handing it to her. I didn’t want it to get ripped anyway, it was one of my favorites. She thanked me, but I could see her eyes watching Ashton as he took his place behind Jared, directly across from me in the circle. He wasn’t looking at us, he was talking softly to Elizabeth, who was sitting next to him. If I remember right, she had her party yesterday but I didn’t go to it, and the rumor was she didn’t find her mate yet. I shivered, watching the way she traced her fingers over Jared’s arm, staring into his eyes as he pushed her hand away. She didn’t seem too upset she didn’t find her mate, it seemed more like she thought it would be Jared. Then again, they’ve been considered a couple most of their life, so that doesn’t surprise me. Jared would deny the attraction to her whenever I asked him but even still they were always together.

There were about twenty or thirty of us sitting in the circle as the dark started to lighten, indicating the sun would be rising soon. “Fifteen minutes now!” My father called out, making everyone cheer as they whispered excitedly.

“Jared? What’s wrong?” I lifted my head, watching as Elizabeth placed her hand on top of Jared’s. His face was pale and he blinked a few times, clearly surprised by something. He shook his head, muttering to her how everything was fine and I shrugged, looking back down at my lap again. I could see Jared from under my eyelids, the way he looked distracted, and how Elizabeth was trying totally to him but he was ignoring her. What the hell was going on with him?

Suddenly my father called out five more minutes and I felt Abby’s hands on my shoulders, a giggle in my ear as she leaned down and wished me good luck. The probability of the commanders’ children finding their mates on the first day was low as it was, because only so many people came to the parties. Even still, I couldn’t help but feel the twinge of hope racing through me at her words. What if…what if I did have a mate? What if I wasn’t completely hopeless after all?

I sighed, remembering the way Hayden looked at me before I left. I was late because he wanted me to stay as long as possible, telling me he was sure this would be the last time I’d see him. He was desperate, adamant about it and all it did was make me feel bad. Even if I didn’t get my mate, I should consider cutting it off with him. I didn’t love him, I never would. He’d always be the enemy, and it would never work.

I closed my eyes as the countdown started, nerves racing through me as I pulled off my beanie, running my fingers through my ash-blond hair. What would I do if I did find my mate tonight? Someone amazing, someone wonderful, someone who loved me for me? Who didn’t care that I wasn’t as amazing as Jared. What would I do? I couldn’t help breathing in, holding my breath as the countdown got closer to one. Could it be possible?

Suddenly, everything happened at once. I felt it, the veil in my mind weakening, tearing. The claws ripped into it as my wolf broke free, crashing through it like a bowling ball and growling in annoyance as it shivered, shaking out its fur. ‘Easton, happy birthday,’ he said, his voice a growl as it echoed in my mind.

I tried to concentrate on him, but there was a tug, like a string was tied to my chest and someone was tugging it. I could hear my new wolf whimper in my mind, panting as he laid on his belly, placing his paws over his nose. What was this? Was this…my mate? I looked up, and everything around me faded away as I stared into the icy blue eyes of Jared. I could feel it, the tug. Trying to get me to move my feet, to walk to him, to touch him, to mark him. ‘Mate,’ my wolf whimpered in my mind.

My eyes went wide at the same time Jared’s did, confusion swirling throughout me. ‘That’s not possible we’re brothers,’ I said, shocked. My wolf whimpered again as I broke my eyes away from his, feeling a sadness flow through me as everything around me came back again.

The sounds of the others, the cheers, and the hoots as they celebrated our birthday. “Well? Did you find your mate?” My father’s voice rang out throughout the yard, making everyone go silent. I looked up, my eyes finding Elizabeth as she looked down at the ground, tears in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was upset, because Jared wasn’t her mate. Because he was mine. Dad clapped his hand onto Jared’s back, grinning at him. “Who’s the lucky lady?” He asked, grinning at him. His eyes searched the group, skimming over mine, not caring about my presence.

Jared looked up at me, biting his lower lip for a moment, sending a wave of attraction racing through me as I watched him. My wolf whimpered again as Jared looked at dad, a strained look on his face. “I didn’t find them today, dad. Maybe tomorrow.” He said, giving a soft shrug.

“What about you?” Abby asked, leaning over my shoulder to look at me. Her face was inches from mine and I heard a soft growl echo through the yard, making me jump at how territorial it sounded. The growl filled every part of me and I pulled at the collar of my shirt, confused. What the hell was going on?

I looked at her, giving her a soft smile. “Nope, not today,” I said with a shrug. The growl ripped through the yard again as everyone backed away from Jared. His eyes grew wide as he took a deep breath, his body shivering from the pain.

‘Our mate is shifting, it’ll be our turn soon.’ My wolf said. ‘My name is Aiden, by the way.’ He finished.

The rumors were swirling around, about how he was shifting so soon after getting his wolf, about how strong he was as I stared at him. He groaned, falling to his knees as he grabbed his shirt, tearing it off of his body. I couldn’t help my eyes from trailing down his hardened chest, before looking down at the ground with a guilty feeling. He was…my brother. I shouldn’t be looking at him like this. But then again…he was my mate. How could this be possible? ‘He can’t be our mate, he’s my twin brother,’ I said, gripping the bottom of my shirt stubbornly.

Aiden chuckled as I felt a painful turning in my stomach, shivering as the shift started in me as well. ‘I don’t know how, but it’s there. You can’t deny the tug, Easton.’ He said to me as I pulled my shirt over my head, an involuntary growl escaping my lips.

I heard a howl and looked up, staring at Jared as he stood there, fully shifted. He was a big black wolf, and I watched as he stared at me, his icy blue eyes piercing into me before he pounced into the forest. ‘I can deny it, Aiden. Watch me.’ I said with another growl, feeling my arm break. There had to be a mistake, this couldn’t be possible. Siblings were unable to be mated together. I screamed as my other arm broke, closing my eyes. I had to figure out what was going on, as soon as possible. As for Jared, I had to avoid him. I could do this, I could figure this out. I just needed time to think.