Page 9

Chapter 9

Haden

I was standing at the window watching Della sit in the damn yard of my home, waiting for me to come out. The fucking stars had done this to us because of what I am. Della didn’t know that this was my fault, and if she did, she would understand that she had no business loving me.

Her having a bond with Holden was the awakening I needed. Holden could treat her well. He was a good man, and I was not. Della was talking to herself as she watched the house, not knowing I was watching her. Gods, she was just as pretty as she was all those years ago when I met her. I told myself that when I found her again, I would make her mine. My anger began seething inside of me. If it had been anyone but Holden, I would have ripped their goddamn heart out. There was no man that was going to have her, but I could not kill my brother.

The void told me she was not our mate, but I didn't realize how pissed off I would become when I let that realization soak into me. The void wanted her too. Our personalities agreed on something for once—and she should be off limits.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” I asked the void, but he didn't answer me. I looked around the house and frowned. This was supposed to be our home.

Della was now lying on the ground, and I sighed heavily because she was so damn persistent. I wanted to go out there. I wanted to scoop her up and never let her go, but that small sliver of doubt trickled into my mind. What if she ended up loving Holden? It would kill me. I began pacing around the foyer trying to let fate have her, but stars above, I was losing it. There was a reason the stars and heavens had fucked with fate, and the reason was I was not a good man. Desperately I was trying to hold onto the sliver of good inside of me and let her be happy with another man.

I felt the void pulsing deep inside of me. No, no, no, I tried to shove it down because when the void came out, I did not think about anything. I closed my eyes as I rested my forehead against the front door. My fingertips digging into the door as I tried to make him stay buried inside of me.

Stop it and let me out. He demanded.

“You are going to keep her if I do. She is Holden’s, and we can’t have her.” I argued with myself like a lunatic.

Storm is ours, and you will never let her belong to another man. Go out there and get her.

“No. Even you said she had a mate. Why would you let me get attached to her knowing this?"

Ardella was always going to be ours, fates be damned. She doesn't want Holden, so quit being a pussy and go get her. She is stubborn; she will never allow you to leave her.

"I'm trying to do the right thing."

The fuck you are. The right thing is to go out there and get our woman.

"I did not let you be present with me at the same time to argue with you over this. I thought you would be helpful. But I should have known better; you are a greedy bastard."

His laughter echoed in my mind.

You realize that I know when you are lying? You called to me because you knew I would do what we both want and not give a fuck about the consequences. So let me out so I can fix the damage you are inflicting on the woman we love.

"But—"

Fucking hell. Stop it. Please, go get her; she is in distress. Stop being so damn nice and do what you actually want.

"This is a terrible idea. What if she falls in love with Holden? I will die."

Is that what has you acting like this? He sighed heavily. Della will never love Holden. She has loved us for a very long time, and I am not going to explain to you what that means. There are things that you do not understand or know about us, and that is for your own good.

"Tell me, or I will refuse to let you surface."

I warned you. She is ours and has been forever. Della will never choose another man over us, so you are doing this for no reason. You will not keep her from me.

Then the void burst out of the depths of my soul and dug his claws into every fiber of my body. I felt the shiver run up my spine and groaned as the void seeped into my mind, not letting me make decisions anymore. I opened my eyes and sighed heavily. He would thank me later when he realized how stupid he had been to push her away.

“Much better.” I smiled.

My vision pulsed black in my wrath. What the fuck was the nice part of me thinking? We had no choice in this. Della was ours, bond or not; it did not fucking matter. I looked up at the ceiling and smiled, hoping the stars and heavens saw me.

“You stupid fucks. Do you really think a bond will keep us apart? When she is calling my name to the heavens as I am buried inside of her, then maybe you’ll understand she is mine. I will mark her in every way imaginable. I don’t need your permission to have her.”

I could feel the tugging of my other side of me trying to get out, but he wouldn’t. He would stay inside until he stopped being so damn noble and trying to give my woman to someone that she didn’t want.

I looked out of the window and instantly shoved the door open when I saw her lying on the ground. What the fuck is wrong with you? I asked myself. He didn’t answer me, and that was probably for the best. I was going to lose my fucking mind. When I got to her, she was curled into a ball. Anger simmered under my skin as I looked around. She should know better than to sleep out here. There are monsters.

“Oh, Storm,” I whispered and scooped her up in my arms. She seemed to be too tired to process that she was moving. Her scent filled my lungs, and I inhaled deeply. She smelled like heaven and flowers. She curled into me as I walked us up the stairs. The boards creaked under us as I moved her into the warm house. She was cold. I laid her down just as her eyes fluttered like she might be waking up.

“Why the hell are you sleeping outside?” I snapped softly. “You could’ve been killed by a monster.”

She opened her eyes and stared at me, her mind finally registering the fact that she was in our house.

“Gods can’t die,” was all she could say. That wasn’t true.

“Well, they can get hurt. I can only imagine being mauled by a monster would not be a great time, especially if you can’t die.”

“Careful, Haden, you sound like you care.” Her attitude was deserved.

My eyes narrowed on her. “I do fucking care.”

She sat up and looked at me. “Then please stop pushing me away. I feel so lost without you.”

“The heavens say I am not yours,” I started to say, but she cut me off in her rage. And I shut my mouth because Storm’s anger was one of my favorite things to admire. Her pretty face instantly became hard-pressed as she glared at me.

“Will you stop saying that?” She stood up, irritated, thinking that I was not understanding that she was mine even if the heavens told her she wasn't supposed to want me. I had no choice in this because I was in love with her.

“You know that is not true,” she hissed. “You are mine. I do not want Holden. If I wanted him, I would have taken him from Sara, but I didn’t. I do not care that my supposed mate loves another woman, Haden. But what I do care about is that you are shutting me out.I am terrified that you will disappear. I am terrified that you do not think I am worthy enough for you to love me back. You are my mate in every sense of the fucking word. So, what if we don’t have a bond? I don’t need some stupid bond to tell me you are everything I have waited my entire existence for.”

She couldn’t stop herself as more words poured from her mouth in a rage.

“I slept with you! Do you understand the importance of that? Gods are not supposed to feel any desire for anyone but our mate. We do not sleep with anyone unless they are our mate. I chose you, and isn’t that better than some stupid bond? I looked at you and knew you were mine. No one will ever be you, Haden.

“If you tell me to leave, then I will. I will leave you alone so that you can enjoy your life without me. But don’t think that I will move on. I can’t. I would walk out those doors knowing that I will never have a mate after you. I would not get married. I would not have a family of my own. I would not love another male. But if you truly do not want me, then I love you enough to let you be happy without me. I will give up everything about my happiness if it will make you happy. I am so in love with you, Haden. And I am destroyed by the thought that you hate me for a mistake the heavens made. I have cursed them. I have demanded that they fix this. Because I know in my heart, my soul, that you are the one meant for me.”

I stared at her as she fell apart in front of me. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at me. Honestly, I was at a loss for words.

“Please say something,” she begged. “Tell me to leave, or tell me to stay.”

I took a deep breath, trying to form a thought about how I felt about her. She exhaled deeply, and her shoulders deflated. Devastation slammed into her eyes. She hurried around me. Just as her star mist was wrapping around her, I reached forward and grabbed her arm, turning her around. My mouth crushed into hers as I yanked her flush against me.

I pulled her to me with desperate hands. My arms circled around her in a death grip as she deepened the kiss. Slowly, the passion fizzled into tenderness. I pulled back and traced over her with my eyes.

“I’m sorry. I thought the right thing was to let fate have you,” I said quickly. “I’m so fucking sorry. Please don’t leave. Forgive me for trying to make you want Holden instead of me. Forgive me for trying to push you away. The heavens and hell both know I was lying when I said you weren’t mine. I love you, Storm. I do not know how to stop.”

“Then don’t,” she whispered. “Please do not ever leave me again. I will not survive it.”

“I’m all in if you’re all in.” I smiled softly.

She kissed me. “I’m all in.”

“I will never let you go. I’m serious; you are mine. I want this life with you. I want to marry you and build a life together.”

I stared at her intently.

“I was yours from the first moment I looked into your stormy eyes. You are stuck with me, Haden. I will never leave you.”

I sighed heavily and held her to me. This was it. This was the beginning of forever. Now I just needed to figure out how I could keep her safe from Elra and Mateo. I knew what my duty was, but I couldn't do that and have her. But it wasn't even a hard decision. Della would always be my first pick.

?★★★?★★★?

The next morning, I woke up to Della sleeping in our bed. Smiling at her, I gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before going to the kitchen to fix us something to eat. Before I could start seeing what I had for food, I spotted them outside of the kitchen window.

“Fucking great,” I whispered.

I glanced around, making sure Della was still sound asleep on the bed in the living space. I slipped out the door and headed to the tree line, where they stood in their cloaks. Della couldn’t see them; she would start asking who they were, and if she did that, then she would figure out who I was. I was avoiding that at all costs. Walking past them without a word, I knew they’d follow me deeper into the trees.

Once I was satisfied that we were out of sight from Della, I turned to them, my eyes flashing red. I knew Elra was in the middle as she stepped forward.

“Take that ridiculous hood off,” I snapped. “Who are you hiding from? I know who you are, idiots.”

Elra slipped her hood off and glared at me.

“You are always so pleasant to see, Haden.” She glared.

“What do you want?” I asked.

Her eyes narrowed on me as I crossed my arms and stared at her with hatred. I didn’t move away as she acted like I would back down.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she asked. I knew what she was asking, but I played dumb.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I am saying; do I really need to say it out loud?” Her voice was full of irritation.

“I think I’m going to need you to say it because I don’t know what you are talking about,” I lied.

She pointed to the house.

“You are playing house with your whore.”

I clenched my jaw tightly but didn’t give her the reaction she wanted.

“Della is not yours to keep. She is the key to ending the curse, so quit planning a life with her, or I will fucking kill you myself.”

I glanced at the five others standing behind her and sighed heavily.

“That’s it? That is all you came here for?”

“You son of a bitch!” Elra stepped forward, and I gave her a look, letting her know I was not above punching her in the face.

“I dare you to touch me, Elra, and I will rip you to shreds and send you straight to hell.”

She hesitated, which was the smartest thing she had ever done. Her eyes flickered over me and then to the house. Elra was thinking hard about something. I didn't like that she knew Della was this close.

“You are actually in love with her.” She accused. “Are you insane? She will never love you back.”

“She already does.”

My chest was filling with anxiety. I should not have said that. Elra’s eyes gleamed with her evil fucking soul.

“Do you really think she would love you if she knew who you are?” She laughed, and so did the rest of them.

I would like to say that she would love me no matter what, but I wasn’t sure about that. Della loved me, but it was because I manipulated her into loving me, kind of.

“You better remember why you are here.” Elra stepped toward me. “To break our curse, not to crawl into that goddess' bed and pretend like you have a real future with her.”

“I know what I am doing.”

“You better, or I will kill you, and one of us will take your place. This curse is ending, and you don’t even know what will happen to Ardella when that happens. She might not survive this." Elra stepped forward. "She will end you when she knows why you are here. That you are using her to break a fucking curse. She will rip your soul out without another thought. She is the heavens' favorite goddess, for fuck's sake."

“Are we done with this conversation? I have shit to do,” I sighed in a bored tone to hide that a cold sweat formed on my skin. My heart was beating like crazy because I knew Elra's words were true, but I truly loved Della and did not know how to let her go. Maybe she would understand why I did what I did.

“Haden?” I heard Della yell, and I instantly froze, watching each of these pricks to see if they would do something. I would skin them alive.

“Speak of the whore,” Mateo said with a smile. My attention turned toward him when Della began walking toward the woods. She was in my tunic and showing way too much skin to these pricks. “Gods be damned, Haden, I see why you follow her around like a little bitch. She is fucking stunning. Maybe I should see if she’ll suck my co—” I punched Mateo in the face. He looked at me, his nose bleeding black blood. His eyes widened before smiling.

“Well, it looks like we found the first thing that Haden has ever given a shit about in his pathetic life.” Mateo chuckled but flinched when I went to punch him again.

“Haden?” Della’s voice was getting closer.

“Fuck off, all of you,” I hissed.

“Count your fucking days, Haden. You have clearly lost sight of what you are supposed to be doing.” Elra smiled before they disappeared.

Shit. I stepped forward, and Della came from around the tree.

“Storm?” I smiled to throw her off of what I was doing.

“What are you doing out here?” She looked around like she expected to see someone pop out.

“I thought I saw someone in the trees, but I must have been seeing things.” I lied and hated it. She nodded and held out her hand for me to take. I slid my hand into hers and walked her out of the woods. Della glanced at my face like she could see I was struggling with something.

“I did not like waking up to you missing from bed.” She smiled when I looked at her.

“My mistake, Storm; I will not do it again.”

I tugged her to me and kissed her.

“What are your plans for today?” I asked. As much as I wanted to spend the day with her, I needed to go see Brim. My visions of the future were changing, and not for the good of Della and I.

“I have some meetings, but I should be back within a few hours.”

“I have some things I need to get from town, but I should be back before you.”

“Will you pick up some pastries? They are so good.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Yes, I will get anything you wish.”

She looked at me with such love in her eyes that I felt like a piece of shit. I did love her, but that was a problem. I knew that.

“I love you.” I smiled.

“I love you more.” She kissed me before her magic wrapped around her and she disappeared.

As soon as she left, I felt the small pulsing in my mind. I knew what it meant: a vision was coming, but this one felt more intense than the others I had before. Shooting pain coursed through my mind, making me fall to my knees, groaning as visions plagued me.

Della was yelling. Why was she crying so violently, like she was dying? I looked around, but the vision did not let me see what was happening around her. But what Della did next made my mouth fall open in shock. Della became so enraged that she grabbed her mating bond with Holden and severed it with her magic. Gods cannot reject mates.

“Haden!” She screamed so loud that it ripped me from the vision.

I opened my eyes and glanced around confused before another vision came barreling into my mind, making me fall over onto the ground. My head was pounding violently as bits and pieces came to me.

“I know how to change fate,” I said to Brim. I was desperate for Della. I would do anything.

“You can’t change fate, Haden,” Brim said with conviction.

“Yes, I can."

Brim stood up, his eyes filled with concern.

“Haden, don’t do this.”

“It’s too late; I have no say in the matter anymore. It will happen.”

My eyes fluttered open as I tried to make sense of what was happening, but as I tried to stand, I collapsed back to the ground.

“Storm,” I whispered when I heard someone, but it wasn’t Storm.

Brim stood over me, his face full of concern. If Brim was here, it meant he had a vision, and it was not good. His friendly eyes were filled with concern for me.

“Haden, what have you done?” he asked. “I can’t see Della’s future anymore.”

I tried to speak, but there was a heavy fog in my mind. Why couldn’t he see her future? I shook my head, trying to concentrate. Show me her future, I demanded from my magic, but nothing came to me either. No. What did that mean?

"Brim… help her." I begged.

"She is not the one that needs help, Haden. You are going to die, but we can stop it.” He frowned. “You had the vision too? There were cloaked figures, and they killed you. They are so angry with you. Who are they?"

I could not tell him. He would not be able to stop them if they wanted to kill me. How did I explain to Brim that I had been lying to everyone about who I was? My head was pounding as I tried to stay conscious. Della. She would be devastated. My eyes rolled back, not being able to fight it anymore as I passed out.