Page 31 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

Mikel nodded and gave me a hug.?

?????????

Haden was working on his house when I showed up. He didn’t know I was standing in the birch trees close by. I sat on a downed log and watched him work without a shirt on. I waited for the woman to come out of the house or show up, but she hadn’t so far. Fuck, I wanted to go speak to him, but my aching chest and heart felt better just from being close to him. So, I stayed and watched for hours. This was the best I could do to respect that he wanted space. So, I would watch from a distance.

Haden didn’t stop his ridiculous pace of working. He was making quick progress on the house, and I wished I could see it. The sun began setting, and the sky turned pretty shades of pink and orange. Haden glanced up at the sky and admired the beauty for a moment before looking around.?

“I know you are here,” he called out. “You’ve been here all afternoon.”?

Shit. I stepped forward, and his gaze immediately found mine. He didn’t say anything as I walked closer.

“You’re just sitting in the woods?” He raised his eyebrow.?

“It just feels nice to be close to you,” I whispered. “You never called for me. I was hoping you'd be ready to talk now so we can work through this."

He shook his head. His eyes were cold—hidden behind a wall that let no emotion in. I rubbed my chest as the dull ache shot through me painfully.

“There isn’t anything to talk about," he said, his voice flat and unreadable. He looked down at the log he was cutting and began working again. That was it? He was just fine with ending things like this? “You have a mate, and it will never be me.”?

I could hear the pain in his voice even as he tried to hide it. But his words ignited a wrath within me that I could not control.

“There is so much more to talk about. You are acting as though I went to the heavens and told them to make Holden my mate instead of you. This was out of my control.”?

“Listen, Ardella, I don’t know what you want me to say. Do you want me to be fine with the fact that you were made for my brother?” The sadness in his voice made me pause. “I do not understand why the heavens did not think I was worthy of you.”

The heartbreak and confusion in his trembling voice made my anger subside. He was better than any mate ever could have been.

“You are. You are the only one who can love me in the way I need. Please, I am begging you to hear me when I say that there is no one more worthy of me."

“I’m not, and you need to leave. This will be easier if we stay away from each other. If you and Holden become a couple, I will not hold animosity toward either of you.”? His voice was untouched by emotion.

His words enraged me.?

“You really think I am going to pursue your brother?” I snapped. “And I don’t believe you for a second that you would just step aside and let another man have me.”?

“What choice would I have?” he yelled. “Holden and I are twins; it would be easy to fall for him instead of me.”?

I scoffed.?

“You have lost your fucking mind.” I glared at him. “You and Holden could not be more different. You do not even look similar to me.”?

His chest was heaving as he stared at me as if I was a pain in his ass. He looked away from me, not even giving me the respect of a response, as he began working again on his damn piece of wood. I used my magic and threw it across the field.?

“What the hell?”?

“Stop trying to act like this isn’t hurting you, and fight with me if you need to. Tell me how I can make you realize that I meant it when I said I love you.”?

Haden looked me in the eyes and sighed. “You won’t convince me. Just let me go so I can forget about you.”?

My anger immediately formed into grief.

“You won't ever forget about me because I am not letting you do this. I chose you. I want you. I will choose you every single fucking time you are an option, and if you aren’t, then I will change fate to have you. I am in love with you, Haden.”

He frowned as he looked away.?

“Why do you not love me enough to hear me?” I cried.?

“Loving you is not the issue here.” He looked at me again. “You should have told me immediately that Holden was your mate.”?

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