Page 60 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

I glared. Then I turned back to my trek as her friends laughed and made fun of her for slumming it with me.

When I got to the front door, I took a deep breath, knowing what would happen when I walked in. I had snuck out of the house this morning to avoid my father; now I was going to have to pay for it. I opened the door and was met with a gut punch that had me crumpled to the floor instantly. My father didn’t stop there.

He spewed nasty names at me and told me how worthless I was. He just kept hitting and kicking me until he got tired.

“Get your useless ass away from me.” He spat on me as I crawled to my room. My mother sat in her fucking chair watching as always but never sticking up for me. It was hard to think that life would get better than this, but I was happy that my sister was able to feel something other than this all-consuming sadness I felt.

Chapter 17

Della

Iwas stalking my mate. Part of me wanted to laugh at the realization, but another part of me knew this was ridiculous. I was sitting out in front of his family home just staring at how terrible it looked. My throat became tight when I saw the missing parts of the roof and the holes in the wood siding. It looked like the wood had been rotting away for a long time, and at some point, this home would cave in on itself.

I had looked around the village today to see if this was the condition of all the homes. It wasn’t. Haden’s family home was the worst. All I could think about was Penelope and Henry’s beautiful home. Haden deserved that life again, not this.

Haden’s life this time was nowhere near what he had in his last life. It made me want to curse the stars for their cruelty toward him. He deserves the best of everything. I guess I would need to be the one that did that for him. I perked up when I heard his voice. Gods, I loved his voice. The deep humming of it was coming from behind the house but fading away. I had beenwaiting for hours to see him so I could follow him without being seen.

I scrambled up quickly and went around the house to see Haden and a petite blonde working on a dead patch of land. Haden smiled brightly at whatever she said. Fuck, he was so handsome. My stomach clenched tightly at how I missed him, even though I saw him yesterday. Technically, I had seen him every day since the incident in the woods with Kira. I stepped closer to them as they laughed together, taking in everything about the way he moved with ease, glancing around as if he knew I was here.

“Do you think Father will be gone all day?” the girl’s timid voice asked.?

A sister.?

“Let’s pray to the gods that he is.”

I smiled because we had nothing to do with answering prayers like that. The woman turned toward where I stood, and I stopped moving even though I knew she couldn’t see me. My mouth fell open as I glanced over her features. She was beautiful with her dark blonde hair and the same stormy eyes as Haden.?

He had a twin again.

She was still staring at where I was. Haden stopped hoeing the ground and glanced to where she was staring. He smirked slightly.?

“She’s here, isn’t she?” She looked at Haden. “I can feel it like I do with Mikel.”?

Mikel.?

What were the odds that it was my Mikel—my brother?

“She’s here, but she’s going to keep hiding like she has been all week.” Haden's expression dimmed. His sister looked toward him with her brows pinched together.

“Why?”?

“I don’t know.”?

Because I was terrified. I was terrified that Haden would be exactly the same as he was, and I was terrified he would be completely different. I was terrified he wouldn’t love me like he did before. I was terrified that he would be taken from me again. Part of me wanted not to get too attached just in case the heavens took him away from me. But I was already attached, and now I was terrified. I could not stop the fear that swarmed inside of me. I was scared that I would hurt him in some way. ?

“This would be much easier to dig up if the ground were wet.” His sister sighed as she rubbed her sweaty forehead. Haden nodded and struggled for a moment before I lifted my hands to the side. Dark clouds moved over the sun, and I heard them sigh with relief.?

Then I focused on the large patch of ground they were working on and made it pour over it and it alone.?

“What the hell?” She gawked.?

“That would be Storm.” His face softened. “Thank you.”?

I let a single crack of lightning skid across the sky. After a moment, the rain let up, and I began moving the clouds away.?

“Wait!” she called. “Please, leave the clouds; it feels so nice.”

A small chuckle escaped me as I moved the clouds back.?

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