Page 8 of Called By Fate

Do I?

Even with all the bullshit and the lies, I don’t think I could ever hate him. From what I can tell he tried everything in his power to protect me and Skylar—even if I think some things could’ve been different.

"I could never hate you, Dad."

He smiles through his tears, a look of pure pride in his eyes. "I'm so fucking proud of you, tiger. And as much as I hate everything that you went through, all of it shaped you into the strong, take-no-shit woman you are now."

"Damn right it did.”

He chuckles and doesn’t bother to wipe his tears. "The best part about raising you outside of the Weavers community is now you don't have the same ideologies as them. Change comes with an open mind and thank the Goddess you have one of those."

"I mean, I'd kind of have to have one with five fucking mates and all."

He grimaces. "Yeah, I didn't need that mental image. Thanks for that."

"You didn't get to scare off any of my suiters with a gun, Dad. That was just payback."

My mom starts fanning herself. “Those men of yours… Phew, I couldn’t have handpicked better ones for you.” I laugh and she smiles at me. “I’m also proud of you, sweetheart. Don't let Mickey and the Elders get away with this. They weren't always as powerful as they are now. You only have to find what's giving them their strength, because it's not something they’re getting from the Goddess."

"I won't let you down, Mom. Any of you. As long as I'm breathing, none of you will have died in vain."

“You could never let us down,” she says. “We have the utmost faith in you.” There’s a shift in the air behind me, and I turn. “Ah, I was wondering when he’d show up. There's someone else here who'd like to say hello.”

I’d recognize his energy anywhere. I whip around and face my brother. “Hey, little sis,” he says and opens his arms for me.

I gasp and rush forward, forgetting they don't actually have bodies anymore, and flounce right through his incorporeal self, tripping and falling to my knees with anoomph. “Dammit, Skylar. You’re such a dick," I say, standing and wiping my hands down my dress to straighten it.

"Aww, come on, little sis. I have to have some fun now that I’m dead," Skylar quips with a devious grin on his face, like always. He was always scheming, always had something up his sleeve. Like the one time when he came up with an insane plan of distracting the security guards at a concert by releasing squirrels he had been catching and training for days, only for it to backfire with those squirrels biting him and running away in the opposite direction. We definitely got kicked out of that one, but he ended up finding us the perfect spot to sit outside and listen. We made it our own mini concert instead.

His strength and resilience are why I am the way I am.

Moons, seeing him again makes me want to drive a stake straight through Mickey’s cold, black heart.

"I can practically see the gears turning in your head from here, sis. What are you planning?"

Okay, so maybe we're not that different.

“I'm thinking about what I'm going to do to Mickey when I finally get my fucking hands on him,” I respond.

Skylar smiles. “Make him pay, will you? This whole being dead thing sucks, but hey, at least I wasn't a virgin when I died, right?”

My mom’s nose scrunches and Dad admonishes Skylar by smacking him upside the head. Since they’re all spirits, his hand actually connects instead of going through. "Your mother and sister didn't need that information, son.” He grimaces. “Frankly, neither did I."

I shake my head, extending a hand for Skylar to fist bump, then realizing it’s pointless. “This whole being see-through thing is bullshit, but props, bro. And hey, now I'm not either.” I cackle as he and Dad both grimace.

My dad's image starts to flicker around the edges. Now that I’m paying attention, they are all starting to flicker. "I’m afraid my strength is waning, tiger.”

“It’s time for us to move on. You’ll have to handle the rest on your own,” my mom adds.

“And, while I could spend eternity catching up with you, sis… Don't you have a shifter to save?"

"Oh my Gods, yes! His name is Vinson. Gah, you would love his cooking, Sky. He's a freaking genius with food."

“A good cook he may be, but the reason I'm quite partial to him is because he stuck with you when that ex of yours came after you,” Mom says.

“You had an ex come after you?” Dad demands, his voice slightly warped from his form flickering. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

"Yeah, he tried,” I admit, thinking about the crazed look in Tyler’s eye that day. I shove the memory away before it can overtake me. “But I killed him, don't worry.”

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