Page 40 of Bound By Destiny

A sob rises in my chest, followed by another. Before I know it, I’m in tears in front of the very person I want to show I’m strong.

“Destiny!” Dane’s voice is an agonized whimper.

He lunges forward to take me in his arms. I slither away, shielding myself from this man who pushes all my buttons, for better or for worse.

“What’s so wrong about me, that you don’t want me even if I’m your mate?” I accuse brokenly.

Dane’s eyes go round and he scrambles to hold me, but I don’t give in.

“That’s not the way it is, Destiny, I swear,” he pleads. “You’re brilliant, and you’re brave, and you’re so beautiful–”

“Save your breath,” I snap before his words make me waver. “Just tell me the truth.”

“Anyone would be proud to have you as a mate,” Dane rasps. “That’s the truth. And you deserve a whole lot better than to be stuck with me.”

Yeah, right.I stop squirming and let myself drop against the headboard, staring at him all along. Dane ventures a hand my way, only to drop it as I send him a stony glare.

“Okay. I’ll give you the full story.”

Dane

Itake my head in my hands, wondering how on Earth I could be so stupid. Most phoenixes count their lucky stars when they meet their mate. Instead I screwed everything up, and now Destiny wants nothing to do with me.

Her violet beams could send bolts – at least they hurt like I’ve been struck by lightning. I belatedly realize it’s the first time Destiny is angry at me. The furious twist of her lovely traits makes me flinch. She was always so bright and sweet to me when we were in the Catalina Foothills… Why do I take things for granted until it’s too late?

I can’t seem to keep my fingers steady, as they tap frantically against my skin.What if Destiny doesn’t forgive me?I don’t want to lose her now. I don’t want to lose her, ever.

But if I continue to stay mute, for all I know she may walk out the door and never come back.

I clear my throat, distracted by the jittery beat of my heart. Cold beads of sweat form at my temples.

“I had a wife,” I start huskily, “her name was Isobel.”

Keeping my head downcast, I venture a peek. Some of Destiny’s rage seems to have melted away, but now she’s taken on a distinctly sad air. I clench and unclench my fists, terrified. How am I going to explain to Destiny a situation I only barely made peace with myself?

I don’t know how to put things so that Destiny doesn’t feel like the ‘other woman’, when the fact is that I wasn’t the same man back then.It’ll be another life, Isobel told me, and once again I’m stunned by the truth in her words.

“It was about four hundred and fifty years ago,” I continue awkwardly, not sure how to string everything together. “I loved her very much. But she was human, and… she wasn’t my mate.”

My last words titillate Destiny’s curiosity. She peeks at me furtively.

“And you were aware of that?”

Destiny’s voice has already lost its edge. Though her expression is still guarded, I can tell she’s isn’t as furious as she was minutes ago.

“I was very angry at Fate for not tying me to Isobel,” I explain, knowing my words will hurt. “But ultimately I decided I loved her. I decided that nothing, not even a force above, had the right to choose my life for me.”

Destiny’s throat bobs, but her features remain perfectly composed.

“I fell for Isobel the way humans usually do,” I go on with a sad smile. “No love at first sight, no grand fateful moment. But little by little she changed me, until I preferred the person I was by her side more than the one I was before.”

Grudging interest twinkles in Destiny’s lilac gaze. “What were you like before?”

“Bitter,” I retort immediately. “I was the only one in my family who hadn’t yet shifted into a phoenix and it bothered me more than you can imagine. I thought I was weak, and if there was one thing my parents loathed, it was weakness.”

“Your mom and dad don’t sound like a lot of fun.”

I chuckle somberly. “They were King and Queen. It was a different era, built upon ideals of power and hierarchy among species. Humans, of course, were at the bottom of the social ladder.”

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