Chapter 118: Changing Course

NATALIA

My destined mating bond is broken.

My ~heart~ is broken.

Just moments ago, I shared a connection with someone who I care for deeply. A connection that transcended all others.

We were tethered together by a divine force—a sensation that made me feel lighter than air every time I was in my mate’s presence.

But now…

~Now I feel empty.~

I don’t feel the pull—the yearning—that I felt before.

That feeling of desire is replaced by an endless void that can never be filled.

My wolf is silent. Not even a whimper. She just lies in the back of my mind, her eyes glazed over.

~Is this how Ariel felt when Xavier rejected her as his mate?~

I brace my palms against the cold ground beneath me, and my tears spill onto the stones.

Ariel’s hand shakes as she touches my shoulder. “Natalia…I…I didn’t know that this would…”

I throw myself into my sister’s arms and continue to sob. Her hand steadies and she holds me tight.

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “I know exactly what you’re feeling right now.”

“I know you do,” I reply, sniffling as I try to rein in my deluge of tears. “And when you went through it, I wasn’t there for you.”

“That was the past. You’re here for me now. And I’m here for you. I promise you it will get better.”

Ariel pulls back and looks at Alex, giving him a soft smile.

I want to believe Ariel, I really do. But what she has with Alex is one in a million.

“Chuck is gone,” I say. “And without destiny holding us together…”

~Even if he can forgive me, will he still want me?~

~Maybe there wasn’t really a connection between us in the first place…~

~Maybe it was all smoke and mirrors—a cruel trick orchestrated by Fate.~

Ariel takes my hand and helps me to my feet.

“Destined or not, if Chuck can’t see how amazing you are, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

I nod, wiping away the last of my tears.

Even though my thoughts are scattered and my body feels like it’s been broken into a thousand pieces, at least I have Ariel here, holding me together.

I don’t deserve a sister like her. She’s a constant light in my darkness.

Although her words are comforting, that darkness still remains, hovering over me like a cloud.

If I don’t deserve Ariel’s love…

Then I don’t deserve Chuck’s either.

~Maybe my true destiny is to be alone…~

ARIEL

Although Natalia is trying to put on a brave face, I can see how utterly defeated she really is.

~And she’s not the only one putting up a front…~

I’m trying to be strong for my sister, to be someone she can lean on for support, but inside, my walls are crumbling.

I’m an absolute mess.

By killing Fate, I’ve just severed Natalia’s destined mating bond.

And not just Natalia’s…

I’ve broken every mating bond in existence.

All I wanted was to choose my own path.

To be free of Fate’s tangled web.

But I inadvertently freed everyone else from their fate without their consent.

I can only imagine the pain and torment that millions of wolves are feeling right now.

After healing so many, I’ve turned right around and ~harmed~ them.

My own wolf wants to howl in anguish for those who have lost their mates, but she can’t even bring herself to raise her head.

There’s a sadness that permeates the air, and it’s weighing us all down.

Alex walks over to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. I find comfort in his chest as I breathe in his scent.

“Everything is going to be alright,” he says.

His words sound so confident that I almost believe him.

Now that the spiderwebs have been cleared from the ceiling, the moonlight shines through the massive cavern.

I look up and see that the beautiful starry sky is visible.

Thousands of glimmering lights.

They give me hope—at least a little—that all the lost souls out there will find their light again.

Suddenly, one of the stars shines brighter than the others.

I squint, checking to see if my eyes are deceiving me.

But there’s no mistake. It’s not just getting brighter, it’s getting bigger.

“Do you see that?” I say, pulling away from Alex.

As I walk to the center of the cavern, I realize that the light isn’t getting bigger, it’s getting ~closer~.

It’s not a star at all, but a luminescent orb—the same one that I saw in Selene’s spire.

The glowing ball of light stops in front of me, then flashes so brightly I feel as though I’ve gone blind.

I blink furiously, and, when my vision readjusts, Selene is standing in front of me.

Her silver hair trails gracefully across the rock-strewn ground, and her glowing skin is made even more radiant by the moonlight.

My breath hitches as she holds out her hand. “Come, my child. There is much to discuss.”

Alex looks like he’s about to intervene, but I shake my head. I motion for him to stay with Natalia.

I’m the one who killed Fate.

Whatever the Moon Goddess has in store for me, I have to face it alone.

I take Selene’s hand, and my feet are instantly lifted off the ground. Alex and Natalia get smaller and smaller as the Goddess guides me to the top of the cavern.

She puts me down, and we sit on the edge of the rim, basking in the moonlight.

There’s a moment of silence, but then I find my voice.

“I killed her—Fate—your sister.” I can’t even bear to look her in the eyes, so I keep my head down.

Selene is silent, so I continue: “I know there’s no forgiveness for what I’ve done, but I just ask that I be the only one to suffer for my mistake. Not Alex, not Natalia, and not…”

I finally muster the courage to look Selene in the face, and I’m shocked to find that she’s smiling at me.

Selene places her hand on my shoulder, and a warm tingling sensation fills my whole body.

“Ariel, you did what needed to be done.”

“You…you’re not mad?” I ask. “I ruined everything by killing Fate. I severed all the destined mating bonds. I’m responsible for so much pain.”

Selene shakes her head, still smiling. “Don’t fret, my child. You haven’t killed Fate…you’ve simply changed her course.”

I stare at Selene, confused. “What do you mean?”

Selene points to the sky. “Right now the moon is full. But it will gradually change form, going through many phases before it becomes whole again. Just like the moon—like myself—Fate is part of a cycle.”

“So that means…”

I suddenly feel a tickle on my skin.

A tiny spider crawls onto my hand. My first instinct is to brush it away, but Selene calmly holds her hand next to mine.

The spider scurries over to her, and she cradles it in her palm.

“It means that Fate will be reborn,” she says.

I nearly gasp when I realize what she’s saying. “Then I didn’t fuck everything up? The destined mating bonds will return?”

“The existing bonds forged by destiny are still broken, but new ones will be made,” she explains. “Though you’ve altered the fates of many, you’ve also given them a gift—the gift of free will.”

My heart drops. I’m relieved to hear that new destined mating bonds will form, but Natalia’s—and so many others—remain broken.

“Everyone must choose,” Selene says. “Whether they were destined to be together or not.”

I remember that Alex said something similar to me.

I turn to Selene. “Maybe starting over will be a good thing?”

“At the very least, you’ve given me a new start, my child.” Selene smiles fondly at the little spider in her hand. “I hope that this cycle, I can do better with my dear sister. Thank you for giving us a second chance.”

~Speaking of second chances…~

I take a deep breath. “Um…I was hoping that you’d give me another chance too. I’d like to have my healing powers restored.”

Selene looks at me intently. “Are you certain this is what you really want? That ability is a gift, but also a great burden. Either way, I leave the choice to you this time.”

“I know that I’m not a goddess,” I say. “And I know there’s so much that I can’t control, but…”

I think of Amy, lying in her hospital bed, and there’s absolutely no question in my mind.

“I want the power to heal those who I love most,” I say.

“You’re sure of this, my child?”

“Yes,” I say resolutely.

Selene smiles as if she expected me to say this. She takes my hand, and we gently float back inside the cavern, where Alex and Natalia are waiting.

When we touch down, Selene places her slender finger on my forehead and I start to feel faint, as if I’m drifting off to sleep.

Then suddenly I’m jolted awake by a surge of energy pulsing through my entire body.

I look down at my hands and wiggle my fingers.

I can feel my powers again.

“Selene, thank you so—”

When I look up, Selene is gone.

But she left me with a parting gift.

And this time, I won’t take it for granted.

***

I watch the mountainous peaks of Fate’s Web fade into the fog as our boat journeys back into the sea.

But even as the island fades from view, I know the memory of that place will stay with me forever.

I cross my arms over my body, shivering in the cold air. A moment later, I feel a blanket drape around my shoulders.

Alex stands next to me and gives me a reassuring smile.

“Things will get back to normal now. You’ll see.”

I lean my head against his shoulder, and stare at the horizon as the sun begins to rise.

I’d like to believe that he’s right…

But in my heart of hearts, I know the truth.

I’ve changed the world as we know it.

And I have no idea what it will look like when we get back.

~I tried to play Goddess…~

~And now I have to face the consequences.~