Mate of Fate

Third person's POV Ethan Blackwood's eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as if he had run a marathon. Sweat dripped from his brows soaking into the pillow. His sheets were tangled as a result of his struggling. His duvet was now lying carelessly on the floor, a testament to the turmoil he had witnessed in his sleep. Ethan lay still, his placed placed over his chest to calm his racing heart. The nightmare still lingered, he could not wrap his head around why he kept having the same nightmare every night. It made it difficult for Ethan to fall asleep. Memories of that fateful night flooded his mind. The blood soaked floor, the screams, his parents' lifeless bodies. Ethan's young self frozen in horror, unable to protect his own parents. His mind replayed the scene, tormenting him with what ifs and maybe. Ethan was living in regret, he blamed himself everyday for the incident that took the life of his parents. The anger and guilt was eating him up on the inside. Ethan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He groaned and tossed the sheets aside. He swung his legs over the bed and planted his feet firmly to the ground. Ethan made his way towards the bathroom. He froze right in front of the mirror and stared at himself, he looked like a mess on the outside and even on the inside. Ethan rubbed his face trying to erase the lingering fear. His hands reached for the sink and turned it on. For a brief moment, he watched the water flow before taking some of it to wash his face. Once he was satisfied, he took one last glance at himself in the mirror before walking out of the bathroom. With deep breaths, he made his way towards the window. The moon cast an eerie glow through the window illuminating the scars on his arms. "Ethan, you are safe." He whispered to himself. "You are alive." He said to reassure himself that there was hope as long as he had life. His words were hollow, unable to soothe the fear and guilt he was feeling beneath. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched in frustration. He hated the way he was feeling, the weakness he exposed made him feel pathetic. As he turned away from the window, his gaze fell upon the tattoo on his left shoulder, the lunar pack symbol. It suddenly reminded him of his destiny and duty. He was going to become Alpha of the lunar pack very soon and he needed to exhibit strength. He needed to be strong, not for himself but for the pack and most importantly, he needed to make his grandparents proud so they would not regret picking him as the next Alpha instead of Aiden, his twin brother who actually had the desire to be Alpha. It had been a while since Ethan had seen his twin brother. Aiden lived far away with their aunt. He only came home during the special occasions like their parents' death anniversary or birthdays. Although that was about to change, Aiden was going to permanently move into the Lunar pack house tomorrow. Aiden did not know Ethan was going to be Alpha, their grandparents planned to disclose it to him tomorrow and that was one of the things that added to Ethan's anxiety. He was afraid of Aiden's reaction. The last thing he needed was an argument with his twin. They never really got along well in the first place, they were two different people raised from different backgrounds. They had nothing in common asides their biological background. Ethan's thoughts swirled, a mix of anxiety and determination. He grabbed a hoodie from his wardrobe and with a resolute stride, he walked towards the door, flinging it open to reveal the dark hallways. He shut the door close and made his way down the hallways. Whenever things got too overwhelming for Ethan, he would take a stroll in the deep forests. The cool breeze and silence always made him feel at ease. He walked past the guards in front of the large gate that separated the pack house from the forest. The guards were still at alert, they nodded their heads at Ethan as a form of greeting which he waved off. Ethan made his way into the deep forests, the only thing serving as a source of light was the bright moonlight. Ethan could only hear his footsteps and it made him feel at peace, especially with the cool breeze that swept his hair to and fro. Ethan was enjoying his walk until he heard the snapping of a tree branch come from the left direction. He took a fighting stance and his eyes roamed the forest searching for a sign of anyone. "Who is there?" His voice echoed loudly. There was no response. "Come out now!" Ethan yelled again but he still did not get a response. He decided to brush it off and assume it was most likely an animal in the forest. He shrugged and just when he had attempted to take a step forward, he heard loud footsteps rushing towards his direction. Ethan brought out his claws ready to devour whatever or whoever was messing with peaceful walk. Surprisingly for Ethan, a girl jumped out of the darkness and fell right into his arms. Her entire body was covered in dirt and a tree branch was stuck in her hair. Ethan hastily pushed her off him and their eyes met. He was stunned by her beauty. His jaw dropped at her heart shaped face, she had the prettiest eyes and her stature was perfect. He was mesmerized at how she could look effortlessly gorgeous even when her white dress was covered in dirt and shw looked like a complete mess. He stared at her for a while until something else caught his attention. The strange symbol etched on her wrist pulsing with a strange energy. All of a sudden, her tattoos slowly shifted, rearranging themselves into a warning. "Beware." "Of" "Danger."