Page 51 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

They all turned to where Haden was walking away before turning to me. Then they rushed me, giving me a group hug, and I smiled.

“This was the best gift,” Holden cried. “If you ever tell him the truth, will you introduce us?” Holden asked.

“Of course. You are my family.” I smiled as Haden disappeared. “And his, he just won’t know that.”?

“Is he your mate?” Sara asked, hope in her voice. My face broke out into a big smile. They all stared at me when they realized that was a possibility this time.?

“Yes, he is.”?

They all hugged me again, and I used it as an opportunity to move us back to the family home. When they pulled back, I felt tears brimming in my eyes. This is what I had waited for, and it was finally here. I didn’t know how to feel. But there was a fear present—fear that I would lose him again, fear that he would not love me like he did before.?

Instinctively, I grabbed the ring on my right hand and twisted it. The ring that Haden proposed to me with had not left my finger since the day he gave it to me. I just hoped the heavens did not mess this up again because it might be enough to kill me if he was taken from me.

Chapter 15

Haden

Iknew I was being followed, but I wasn’t sure why. Sure enough, when I looked behind me, I saw Kira’s father, Barron, trying to sneak up on me. His burly form stood on the pathway with his two little henchmen. His eyes narrowed on me as if I had done something to offend him. Why was he watching me like that? I hurried to sell my handful of vegetables so I could buy my twin sister, Remy, new boots that would actually fit her.

My face was black and blue from the beating my father gave me last evening, and I knew I looked like shit, but my eyes narrowed on the old prick who was gawking at me. It was nothing new to see me beaten to a pulp. Everyone in the village of Raynor knew my father was abusive, and no one cared.

“What are you looking at?” I glared.

The whole village had been watching me a bit closer these last few weeks. They all stared at me like I was a fucking freak because of a woman I had seen twice. I knew Kira had told the entire village that I was crazy, but she didn’t know the half of it.The old man bought my vegetables for half of what he normally did, but I did not have any power to bargain for more.

Asshole.

When I glanced around the street full of fae, I hoped to see her—the woman with star-like eyes that had smiled so freely at me. The only woman who made me wonder what it would be like to have their attention. But she had disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared. I could feel her close by, though. I didn’t know how I knew it was her, but I did, and I wished she would stop hiding and show me her pretty face again.

As I glanced around, I noticed darkness falling and felt an urgency to get home before something bad happened. Bad things always happened at night. So, I looked at the ground and hurried up the path toward my home, hoping to make it there without any sort of confrontation. My feet slowed when I felt her presence again. Hope coiled inside of my chest, making a tugging sensation more noticeable. Turning around to see if she was watching, I was met with nothing.

“I know you’re there,” I said, hoping she would appear. "Are you ever going to show me your face again?"

Disappointment filled me when she didn’t appear. I started moving up the dirt path again, only to be suddenly cut off by Kira’s father.

He stood with two men, one flanking each side of him, wearing clothing that was worth more than my entire house. I went to walk around him, but he stopped me by grabbing my shoulder. I didn’t like being touched, so I stepped away from him.

“Where’s your father?” Barron asked.

“Did you check the tavern? He practically lives there,” I said.

“It's the first place we checked. Galen has been giving us the runaround.”

“Well, I don’t know where he is.”

I tried to get around him, but he stepped into my path again. Okay, I was getting fucking annoyed. Glaring up at his chubby face, his blue eyes narrowed on me.

“He owes me a lot of money.”

“You and half the village. I don’t know why you’re talking to me abouthisbusiness.”

The men chuckled humorlessly. Barron grabbed me by the shirt collar, yanking me toward himself, ripping my small pocket open, and taking the money I earned for Remy’s boots.

“This will buy him a few days, but you better tell him I expect a payment.”

“That is my money.”

He shrugged. His red hair swayed with the movement. I could feel my anger bubbling up. Remy needed new boots. Kira’s father was making a very big mistake right now. He didn’t know it, but his next words would determine if he lived or died tonight.

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