Page 46 of Let It Snow (Eden’s Omegaverse #7)

Present day

I park my Jaguar by the side of the road and glance around. The neighborhood is elegant, so it’s no surprise that a member of a mafia family owns a property here.

I get out. The air shimmers with silver tones. It is raining, and the clouds are singing their low, humming songs over the horizon.

At the spot where a path cuts between two estates and leads to the beach, I turn and head down toward the shore.

The ocean glints like living mercury, whispering to me, vibrating with raindrops like a living being.

Of course I know where Summer is. I could find him from the other side of the planet.

Since our paths merged, I have been able to sense him perfectly, no matter where he is.

I partially transform into my true form and continue walking along the beach.

The sand is pleasantly cool as I stroll forward, letting myself listen to the colors of the wind and the melody played by the pulsing reality around me, my own version of it.

Before long, I spot a source of light, a lone figure sitting at the edge of the water, bent down with his hands buried in the sand. He’s surrounded by a dimmed blue aura streaked with gray swirls.

Summer already knows the truth, but he doesn’t accept it.

Two hours ago, I had another interesting phone call with Moon. It wasn’t our first, but this one was quite insightful. I knew he was the only person who could explain everything to Summer.

From a distance, Summer seems so small, even though, for me, he’s larger than life.

When I’m about seventy feet away, he turns his head and sees me.

Shock flickers across his face, maybe even disbelief. He didn’t expect me? As if there was ever a chance I wouldn’t come. That possibility has never existed in any version of reality. I’d follow him to the ends of the earth.

I stop about fifteen feet away and just watch him. His long caramel hair is tied back, and he’s wearing clearly travel-ready clothes, now soaking wet. His eyes are reddened. Summer is deep in frazzled, anxious energy, as if his emotions were vibrating like strings throughout his entire body.

He rises slowly, and we simply look at each other.

He’s so perfect. From the very first day I saw him, his beauty struck me, stunned me, and left me in awe. The soft lines of his lips, those wistful mismatched eyes with long lashes, his smooth, luminous complexion.

Just a few hours ago he was in my arms, begging me sweetly…

I slowly return to my material form, and Summer ruefully smiles.

"You came," he says softly, his voice a bit breathless. "I thought you had given up on me…"

"I’ll never give up on you, Summer. But I also knew you needed this trip, that you needed to talk to Moon."

"So you already know… about stuff." His voice is a bit shaky.

"I know some things," I say, tempering my voice so I don’t sound arrogant. "But I’ve got my blind spots too."

He studies me closely.

Then he slowly lowers his head and stares at the wet sand. His aura is turbulent, uneven. Flickering pale gray sparks run across it.

"Moon told me about… the kids. About the reasons why you did it."

For a moment I’m silent. Summer’s lips are trembling a bit, and I really want to hug him, but I know it’s not the right time.

"I guess I need to come to terms with the fact that I can’t have biological children. With who I am. But it helps to know you did it for a good reason. I needed to see meaning in it. Really… desperately."

I nod slowly.

"These children are going to need you, Summer," I whisper. "So much."

Summer flinches slightly, like my words hit deep. His pale blue aura shifts slightly toward a more violet shade.

I go on. "Only you will be able to help them handle their powers. Theo could never handle it. It would crush him. It would destroy their family. And with Tim’s public position, it would put the children in great danger."

Summer’s breathing quickens. My words literally flow into his aura, stirring it until it resonates like a pulsing pink heart.

"Their souls chose you to be their dad," I say softly. "Theo is only helping them come into this world. But spiritually… you are their true parent. Fate designed it that way."

Summer presses his hands to his face. The color of his aura shifts toward green and purple. I know my words partly sadden him but also bring a sweet relief, and even some… longing.

For a moment there’s silence. His energy stabilizes, like a calming surface of water, and he lifts his gaze.

"I want to be their dad." Our eyes meet. "To give them love and support. Even though right now I feel… hit by all of this, I’ll come around. They’re innocent, and I don’t want to turn my back on them."

Summer’s aura begins to lighten up with some hope, tiny yellow and golden sparks flickering inside it.

"You know, my brother said something today I didn’t understand.

About taking responsibility and growing up.

That by helping build others, we’re also building ourselves.

But it doesn’t have to be about our own blood, about raising our own children.

Maybe what matters most is the love, the support, and the care we can offer to others, no matter the blood ties? "

He looks out at the ocean for a moment, raindrops flowing down his delicate, adorable face, then draws a deep breath, straightens, and his tone gains strength.

"It’s time for the truth, Snow. Time for you to tell me who we really are to each other."

"We are fated mates."

"Stop. Don’t. I know we’re not!"

"We are not True Mates, but still, we are fated."

"I don’t understand."

I sigh and give him a wistful smile.

"When the epidemic wiped out all the women on this planet, the collective soul of humanity split in two. Everyone born after that became a half, desperately searching for the other part. Some started finding them. Those are what we call True Mates. But those are human souls, Summer. That doesn’t apply to us.

Along with the alien blood came another doorway.

The powerful souls that gave life to the aliens began coming to our planet, matching with the bodies of those with a higher percentage of alien DNA. "

Summer’s aura vibrates again, this time in shades of turquoise. He’s curious, fascinated.

"That’s me and you?"

"Yes. There are a few more, but overall we’re a tiny handful."

Summer lets out a bitter laugh.

"In a way, NFH is right. We are an alien invasion."

I tilt my head. "That depends on us. Whether we become a force that adds to destruction and ruin here, or whether we support and respect this world as our new home, taking care to keep it healthy and beautiful. Only noble intentions separate builders and creators from invaders and pillagers."

"How do they call us?"

"There are so few of us that it’s hard to give it a name you’d find in a dictionary.

In ancient times we might have been called devas or demigods, maybe something like Greek heroes.

Some say it has happened before on Earth, that now and then a human body appears with a doorway letting in an alien soul. Who knows."

"So to each other we are just… fated mates? That sounds so general."

"This is a general term. But specifically for us… we can be called Twin Souls. We were created from one seed, but instead of being torn apart, we gently split in half and grew into two separate souls, but still are made from the same seed. Our souls aren’t cut halves, but astral twins.

Our bond is equally eternal, and we will always be drawn to each other. "

Summer swallows with some difficulty but stays silent.

"We do have the same traits as True Mates, like healing each other, rejuvenating, sensing each other. You could say we’ve got all the benefits of being True Mates without any of the downsides," I say, trying to smile reassuringly, but… it doesn’t land.

Summer’s eyes are wide, his aura flickering, darkening.

"Does that also mean if one of us dies, the other… doesn’t? With True Mates it’s inevitable."

"Yes. There would be suffering, but we wouldn’t die. We can keep on living," I say gently.

"What about separating? There are no spikes in veradiol, I already checked. We don’t experience that kind of death-dealing stress when we’re separated…"

"Correct. We could go our own ways, and again we would suffer, but we would not die."

"What about cheating? True Mates can’t cheat, it gives them… pain, physical pain, and there’s no arousal…"

I hesitate, since I already know where it’s going. I know how much it all means to him. To the point of pain.

"It’s… possible, I guess, but it would be difficult. Still, we have free will, Summer."

"That doesn’t sound like an upgrade to me," he whispers, lowering his head, disappointment filling his tone. "Their bond makes it all special, intense, magical, crazy, romantic, and permanent, they’re… everbound, Snow! Sealed!" He snaps his head up, tears gleaming in his eyes.

"And we? It’s just like the soft bond between High Mates, plus… healing. That’s it! There’s not even the real Pull. We lived under the same roof for weeks and all I got was a constant boner. Your parents lived together for five days, and they did end up almost dead because they didn’t touch!"

Summer lets out a breath and shakes his head.

"The Pull, the ferocity of it… the magnetism that holds TMs in its grasp for their whole life? The obsessive love that this magic throws at—" he cuts himself off.

I stay silent for a moment. I can feel his trembling in his very energy, his dismay, misery, and sense of loss.

"I’m sorry you’re disappointed," I say quietly. "But I’m not. I’m happy I could try to earn your love fairly, because it can grow naturally between us. Nothing will force you; if you give it to me, it will be only your decision, your heart. And that will be so much more precious to me, Summer."

Summer closes his eyes and makes a strange, strangled sound.