* Bound by Fate, Fated by the Goddess\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bound by Fate, Fated by the Goddess\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can fight it all you want, little Luna. But you were never meant to belong to anyone else.\u201d \u2013 Callum\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our pack lands go on forever-seriously, if I had to walk from one end to the other, I\u2019d probably die halfway. Every Alpha in our history has been obsessed with expanding the Ridge Storm Pack\u2019s territory, making it one of the biggest in the multiverse Lycandra. It\u2019s gorgeous-forests that seem to breathe, lakes perfect for swimming, and that ridiculously picturesque waterfall at the edge of our land. But right now? None of that matters. Because my brain is too busy spiralling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan, my boyfriend of two years, is driving us back to Silver Ridge Academy. He\u2019s got one hand on\u00a0<\/p>\n
the wheel, the other resting near the gear shift, and swear he can sense the existential crisis\u00a0<\/p>\n
brewing inside me. He\u2019s always believed we\u2019re mates; a huge part of me desperately wants that to\u00a0<\/p>\n
be true. Ethan-\u201cE\u201d when I\u2019m feeling cute-has been my person, the one constant in my chaotic life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the what-ifs won\u2019t stop whispering in my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was suppose to turn eighteen over the next two weeks, and Ethan is supposed to hit his big-boy birthday today. Well, technically, at midnight-tomato, to-mah-to, same s**t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not like we\u2019re saints or anything-I mean, we\u2019ve been toeing the line between sinful thoughts and just one bad decision away from getting caught in a supply closet for years. But f**k, these hormones are out for blood, and by blood, I mean they\u2019re sending a full-on, all-points bulletin for\u00a0<\/p>\n
some d**k.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Which is saying a lot coming from me-the girl who\u2019s still a damn virgin. Yep, still rocking the factor y settings, still tighter than a locked iPhone, and still dangerously close to making some questionabl e life choice before the night is over. But the doubts still linger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What if we aren\u2019t mates?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Would we still be friends?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Would it break him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Would it break me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRhea, you\u2019ve been quiet this whole drive. What\u2019s up?\u201d Ethan\u2019s voice cuts through my thoughts, pulling me back into reality. He glances at me, his dark eyes soft with concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitate before blurting out the thing that\u2019s been clawing at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever thought about what happens if we\u2019re not mates? Would you still want me around?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second I say it, he\u2019s pulling into the academy parking lot, shifting the car into park, and turning\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Bound by Fate, Fated by the Goddess\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
laughter. As soon as they walk into our suite, Ethan catches my eye in the chaos, his smile soft and familiar, and I swear my heart does something stupid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Finn opens his big mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, my chipmunks, time to suit up! And, Rhea, maybe slip into something a little unforgettable tonight. Our boy Ethan here seems to have some big plans.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My face goes nuclear. \u201cFinn, I will end you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, come on, Rhea.\u201d He winks at Ethan. \u201cMaybe some lace, a little silk\u2026 you know, set the mood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan smirks, eyebrow raised. \u201cNo pressure, but if you happen to own anything in red, I wouldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
complain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girls dissolve into giggles. Lila\u2019s practically wheezing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, all of you-out! Before I die of embarrassment!\u201d I push them toward the door but can\u2019t stop the stupid little smile tugging at my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just before Ethan leaves, he looks back at me. There\u2019s something wistful in his gaze, something\u00a0<\/p>\n
that makes my stomach twist. Then, when I glance at Nora, she\u2019s watching him too-her expression distant and sad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shove the weird feeling away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An hour later, we\u2019re dressed to kill. Bree\u2019s in a stunning green mini, Nora\u2019s pink dress makes her\u00a0<\/p>\n
look ethereal, and Lila is glowing in white. And me? The girls have worked their magic. My dark\u00a0<\/p>\n
brown dress clings in all the right places, my silver hair cascades in perfect waves, and my heels\u00a0<\/p>\n
make me feel unstoppable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not the only one turning heads tonight,\u201d Bree smirks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we should bring Ethan a spare pair of boxers,\u201d Lila grins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I roll my eyes but can\u2019t help the warmth spreading through me. Then, just as I\u2019m about to step out, I glimpse Nora wiping away a tear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stop, my stomach twisting. \u201cNora, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hesitates, fidgeting, eyes downcast. Then, finally, she grips my hand like she\u2019s holding on for\u00a0<\/p>\n
dear life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRhea\u2026\u201d Her voice is barely a whisper. \u201cI think Ethan is my mate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My world crashes around me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. No. No.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything inside me screams in protest, but the devastation in her eyes is real. And suddenly, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Bound by Fate, Fated by the Goddess tightness in my chest makes sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just my worst fear coming true.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is the beginning of my undoing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shadows Of Passing Time \u2013 Carter Hughes 102 * Bound by Fate, Fated by the Goddess\u00a0 Bound by Fate, Fated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-melting-the-ice-princess-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29743\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}