Fated To Love You

Chapter 2. I Refuse To Belong

Sleep wouldn’t come.

Mama’s words—“Tomorrow will be a busy day”—kept turning in my head, looping like a whisper I couldn’t quiet. I had been too tired to understand earlier, but now it was all I could hear.

Busy… because of what? Preparations? A ceremony? Or because tomorrow they planned to steal my freedom?

My heart sank like a rock.

The wedding.

They hadn’t said it out loud, but doubt had rotted into certainty. I knew now what Mama had meant. That was why Papa hadn’t spoken much. Why Stone-heart hadn’t even bothered to appear. The plans were already made. And the worst part? They wanted it done before I even had a chance to say no.

Fear hit me like a punch. My skin crawled. My chest got tight. It was like the air had vanished.

No. I won’t let them do this.

But the idea of leaving everything behind—my home, my room, the people I grew up with—hurt more than I expected. And Mama… what would happen to her once I was gone?

But better it than waking up as someone else’s possession. If I stayed, if I gave up, I’d regret it forever. I had to go. No matter how hard it was.

I threw off my blanket and sat up fast. My heart thudded. I had to leave. Right now. Before the sun came up.

I tiptoed to the old trunk under my bed. My hands shook as I lifted the lid.

I took what little I had—an old cloak, the comb Mama gave me when I turned thirteen, and a pouch of herbs. I added a flask of water, a chunk of bread from the kitchen, and one of Papa’s patrol maps. Everything went into my worn satchel.

I moved slow and quiet across the floor, careful not to make it creak. The fire was out. Shadows danced on the walls.

At the door, I stopped and listened.

Nothing.

I opened the latch slowly and stepped outside.

The cold air smacked my face. The night smelled like wet leaves and pine. I stepped onto the porch, heart thudding. I was almost free.

Then I froze.

Two guards were standing at the door. They turned toward me as soon as they saw me, both frowning at the bag in my hands.

One of them stepped forward. “Lady Asha,” he said with that stiff, respectful voice. “Is something wrong?”

I flinched. That tone—that reverence—hit me harder than I expected. They saw me as someone important, someone they were meant to protect. But I wasn’t a symbol. I was just a girl trying to run.

I swallowed hard. “I… I couldn’t sleep. Mama’s joints have been hurting again. I thought I’d go to the healer’s cottage and get her some salve.”

The second guard looked at my satchel. “At this hour?”

I tightened my grip on the strap. I hoped they didn’t see my hands shaking. “I didn’t want to wake anyone. The healer said some roots work best under moonlight. I thought she might be gathering some tonight.”

The first guard looked at the other, unsure.

“Do you want an escort? We're here for you,” he asked.

“No!” I answered too fast. I faked a smile. “I won’t be long. And don’t worry—I won’t take the forest shortcut.”

They exchanged a long look, then finally nodded.

“Be careful, Lady Asha,” one of them said.

I nodded quickly and walked off, trying to look calm. But as I passed the outer torches, I glanced around the village—and what I saw made my heart sink deeper.

Linen banners. Ribbons. Tables being set up. Even at this hour, people were quietly working under the moonlight, decorating the village like something grand was about to happen. A celebration.

The guards. The reverence. The decorations.

It all pointed to one thing.

The wedding was tomorrow.

Once I was far enough, I broke into a run. I veered into the woods, leaving the path behind me. The shadows swallowed me whole, but I didn’t slow down.

I didn’t know where I was going.

But I knew what I had to leave behind.

And for now… that had to be enough.

After what felt like hours of running, my legs began to ache, my lungs burning with every breath. I finally slowed, stumbling to the base of a large tree. The roots twisted like fingers around the earth, and I collapsed beside them, gulping air.

I reached into my satchel with trembling hands, pulled out the flask, and took a sip. The water was lukewarm, but it cooled my dry throat. I pressed my back against the trunk and tried to calm the pounding in my chest.

That’s when I heard it.

A faint rustle. Then the unmistakable sound of paws hitting the ground—fast and purposeful.

My breath caught.

Wolves.

Not just any wolves. Shifted ones.

They were coming. Certainly for me.

Of all the things I feared, being caught so soon hadn’t even made the list. How? I had been so quiet, so careful—

Then the truth hit me like a punch in my veins.

They had followed my scent.

They must’ve noticed my absence Shortly after I left. And no matter how softly I moved or far I went, I couldn’t hide my scent from them.

I swore under my breath, cinching the strap of my leather satchel tight against my belt. Shifting would only make things worse—my scent would become sharper, easier to follow. No. I had to stay in this form.

I took off again, darting between trees, leaping over fallen logs. My breaths came quick, shallow. The forest blurred around me.

“There! I see her!” a voice shouted behind me—too close.

my heart jumped into my throat. I pushed harder, but the ground was uneven now, rockier. I was being herded, I realized. Steered.

And then—

I skidded to a stop.

A sheer rock wall rose before me. A mountain. Too steep, too slick to climb.

A dead end.

“No, no, no,” I whispered, backing away.

The sound of paws grew louder. They were almost on me.

I kept stepping back, my heart hammering and my eyes locked on the shadows creeping between the trees.

And then the ground was gone.

My foot hit empty air.

I let out a sharp breath and reached for something—anything—but missed. The ground vanished under me, and I fell back into the dark.

Down, down, down—

———

A groan tore from my throat before I even opened my eyes.

Everything ached. My ribs. My legs. Even the roots of my hair felt sore.

The air was strange—dry, yet It smelled like… metal? Smoke? Oil? I couldn’t place it. It stung my nose in a way the forest never had.

I cracked open one eye.

A wall of dull gray stone loomed beside me—no, not . Something smoother. Colder. The ground beneath me wasn’t dirt or moss but hard and gritty, rough like sandpaper. I blinked up at the sky—or what little I could see of it. Tall structures rose on either side, so high they seemed to scrape the clouds.

Where… am I?

I sat up slowly. My body hurt all over. I was in a tight space—maybe an alley? Boxes and weird metal bins were on both sides.

Then I heard footsteps.

I turned too quick. Pain shot up my side. Three men came into the alley and blocked the way out. One cracked his knuckles. Another showed his teeth in a grin, shining in the dim light.

Werewolves. That was my first thought—maybe the same ones who had chased me through the forest. My heart jumped.

But something was off.

Their clothing wasn’t what I knew. No cloaks, no leather guards or traveling boots. Their tunics were cut strangely, with shiny teeth sewn down the front, and their trousers were loose and baggy, made of a cloth I didn’t recognize. Even their shoes looked thick and clunky, not made for tracking or hunting.

Were they from a distant pack? One hidden far away, across the Iron Ridges or beyond the Dead Pines?

“Well, well,” one of them sneered. “You sleepin’ out here, sweetheart? Or is this part of the show?”

The second one laughed. “Look at that dress—what are you, some tavern girl lost in time?”

They circled me slowly, their eyes mocking, like cats toying with a mouse.

I pushed myself up, legs trembling. My head felt heavy, spinning.

“Bet she charges extra for acting confused,” the third said, stepping closer.

I didn’t speak. My hands curled into fists.

Then he reached for me—his hand moving toward my face, or maybe my arm.

That was it.

The shift slammed into me like a storm wind.

Bones cracked. Muscles pulled tight. My breath deepened as fire bloomed beneath my skin, my body reshaping into something wild.

It only took me a moment to be taller and look down on them.

The first man’s smirk vanished as I caught his wrist mid-air.

“What the—”

I yanked him forward and drove my knee into his gut. He folded with a gasp. The second charged, but I spun, grabbed him by the shirt, and threw him into the wall. The c***k echoed.

The third froze, eyes wide. “What are you?” he whispered.

I growled, deep and low.

“Let’s go, man!” he yelled, stumbling back.

He grabbed his groaning friend and dragged him toward the alley’s mouth.

They ran, all their false courage gone, the stink of fear trailing behind them.

I stood still, chest heaving.

But something tugged at my thoughts.

Why hadn’t they shifted?

Why hadn’t they fought like wolves?

They moved like us. Spoke like us. But nothing about them was right.

And that made me feel colder than the night wind.

I shifted back to my human form and leaned against the wall, heart pounding, breath ragged. What just happened? I looked down at my shaking hands. I had fought before—but never like that. Not with that speed. That precision.

The sky was already getting lighter. Day was coming.

Everything felt sharper now.

But I didn’t have time to think.

I stepped out of the alley—

And the world slammed into me like a hard blow.

Bright colors. Loud sounds. Lights blinking like fireflies, but not flying. Strange glowing signs. Windows showing people laughing, eating, dancing—but they weren’t real. They were flat. Made of light.

Big metal beasts rushed past on wheels, faster than any wolf I knew. Their shiny skins caught the morning sun. Crowds moved along the stone paths. People stared into glowing boxes in their hands. No one looked at me.

I walked into the road, spinning, eyes wide.

Then—

A loud shrill sound.

A flash of silver.

A scream—mine.

I jumped back just in time. One of the fastest metal beasts stopped right in front of me. Its body shone like moonlight on water.

A door opened.

A man got out.

He was tall, wide in the shoulders. Wore something dark and smooth, like shadows stuck to his skin. His face was strong and cold—his eyes sharp, his mouth tight with anger. He yelled at me, loud words I didn’t understand.

But I couldn’t listen.

Because when I met his eyes, something burned on my skin.

My mark.

It pulsed hot, just above my collarbone. Fire under my skin.

I grabbed at it, staring at him.

He looked like Stone-heart. The same hard fire in his eyes. The same proud way he stood.

But… he was not him.

Still, I couldn’t look away.

Even as he shouted.

Even as the city screamed around me.

What is happening to me?