Cursed by Fate (COMPLETE)

Chapter Eight

When I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder I removed my hands from my ears and opened my eyes. Mathias was now fully dressed and looking at me with concern swimming in his eyes. I didn’t know how to react to him, what to say or even how to say it. He just turned into a wolf, a very large wolf in the middle of my penthouse living room. That’s not normal, that can’t be normal. 

“Why does Elias want me?” I asked. It was the first thing that came to mind to break this awkwardness. 

“That might be harder for you to swallow right now Nicole.” Mathias warned me gingerly. 

“Mathias I need to know.” I argued. “I just watched you turn into a wolf, there can’t be much that can top that.” The sound of bones breaking echoed through my mind again sending shivers of revolution down my spine and bile filling my stomach. 

“Alright.” Mathias relented. “I think Elias thinks you are his mate.” The twisted look that covered Mathias’s face told me he either didn’t believe it or didn’t want to believe it. 

“Mate?” I questioned. 

“In our world, a mate is like a soul mate, a life partner that fate predetermined for us. It may sound controlling but it has worked since the beginning of time. Very few cases of rejection have been documented. Fate has matched us up so well that we perfectly counterbalance each other.”

“A predetermined soul mate?” I needed confirmation on that one. Mathias just nodded. Okay, well that didn’t sound too bad. Dating was hard, finding someone who balances you is even harder. Why not have a little help from fate? “Well, that actually doesn't sound too bad.” I admitted with a shrug. “Dating is hard, I’ve never even had a boyfriend. So why not have a little help. But how would he even know? How would I know?” I asked. 

“That’s the thing. You nor would he or anyone else know until your wolf and vampire counterparts emerge when you turn twenty. You may feel a pull or attraction to someone before they emerge but nothing that would seem different than human attraction.” 

Except what I felt for him. It wasn’t human attraction, not for me anyway. Should I explain that to him? How would that make me sound if I was wrong? What if I told him and he laughed at me? I turn twenty in two months, could I wait that long? Would he stay that long? 

I stood and walked over to the window to look out over the city. The view was beautiful, but even looking out over the skyline didn’t help me. What could I do? I looked over my shoulder to Mathias who was watching me. His eyes lit ever so slightly when my eyes met his and I couldn’t help but smile. 

Mathias was such a kind man. He cared about me even though he barely knew me, and somehow knew what I was just by my attitude and name. Maybe Legend was a notorious hybrid family or something, I don’t know, and I really didn’t want to ask. 

I sighed heavily and made my way out to the balcony I had been trying to avoid. I’m not a fan of heights, but I needed fresh air, I needed to breath and the air inside was beginning to feel stifling. “Nicole, are you alright?” Mathias asked from behind me. 

“I don’t know Mathias. I am trying to decide if I should tell you something without making myself sound crazy or desperate.” I admitted. 

Mathias turned me to face him, firmly holding my shoulders so I had to face him. “Tell me Nicole.” His tone was soft, a gentle demand. 

“You said before I turn twenty I’d feel something but nothing more than human attraction. But I’ve never even been attracted to anyone, never really cared to be in a relationship, I didn’t want to be. I never knew why, I never understood why I never felt attracted to anyone. 

But that day at the school, even after everything, I was drawn to you. The second I saw those green eyes, I was lost. You have been the only man I have ever found attractive, the only man I wanted to get close to. The only man I wanted to allow close to me.” I shook my head. “I know how that sounds, but it’s the truth.” 

I looked up at him, his green eyes seemed to glow under the setting sun. Mathias ran his finger down my jaw, while his other hand gently ran down my arm to the small of my back where he pulled me close to him. I gasped in surprise, my eyes widening. A smirk formed on Mathias’s lips as he bent down and brushed his lips feather light over mine. “I want to be close to you too, Nicole.” He whispered, before his lips pressed firmly onto mine. 

With one hand on the nape of my neck and one on the small of my back Mathias had me impossibly close, deepening our kiss. I melted into him, tangling my hands into his hair pulling him even closer, as if that were possible. I moaned into Mathias’s mouth, desperate for something I had no idea about. 

Banging on the door tore us from our lust filled haze. It wasn’t someone knocking, no, someone was trying to break in. Mathias grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the penthouse placing himself between me and whoever was trying to tear the door down. It almost sounded like damn stampede was at the door. 

But no. One man. It was one man making all that noise. One man that sent the doors barreling in the room off its hinges. I ducked and covered my head out of instinct, but with Mathias in front of me nothing even grazed me. 

As I righted myself I glared at the man who thought it was alright to barge into my personal space. “How dare you?” I yelled, ducking around Mathias. “You have no right to be kicking my door down.” 

“Nice of you to give us a warning Elias.” Mathias said in a dry tone. 

“Warning! What warning?” I bellowed. “He kicked the door off its hinges clear into the room. Do either of you know who will have to pay for that? Not that it matters but still.” 

Mathias gave me a small smile. “Nicole if Elias wanted to get in here before he did, he could have done it with one strike. He thinks he was being kind by doing it in six.” 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Who cares how many strikes it would have taken him to get in here? That is not the point. The point was he not only thinks he has some kind of claim over me, but also thinks he can barge into my personal space whenever he likes. No, I won’t have it. 

I might regret my decision but I stomped over to Elias and looked him dead in his halo rimmed brown eyes before smacking him across the face. The force flung his head to the side and he raised his hand to cover where I hit. “Elias, you have no claim over me. And you sure as hell have no right to break any door down to where I am staying. Now, I don’t know what yours, or anyone's problem in that town is but I’m done. I’m going to get my payment back from the college and leave. And no one, especially you, will ever see me again.” 

As I turned to walk back towards Mathias, Elias grabbed my arm laughing. “He didn’t tell you, did he spit fire?” 

I jerked my arm out of his grasp, but looked back to Mathias anyway. He had gone unnaturally rigid with Elias’s words. “Mathias?” I questioned. “What is he talking about?” 

Mathias shook his head, his green eyes blazing with anger.”Nothing Nicole.” He said through clenched teeth. 

Elias burst out laughing. I mean a full belly laugh, tears and all. “Oh, this is too good.” He said amused. 

“Elias, don’t.” Mathias said in a warning tone as he took a few steps forward. 

I on the other hand took steps backwards away from them both. I looked between them with my brows furrowed trying to figure out what I was missing. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?” I demanded. 

Elias's glee filled eyes turned to Mathias. “Yes Mathias. Why don’t you explain what’s going on.” He said in an almost goading tone. 

I was becoming impatient, and my anger started to rise. I tapped my foot to try and release some of the pent up energy but it wasn’t working. So I paced. After a few minutes, or maybe it was seconds, I'm not really sure I stopped and glowered at the two men. “TELL ME!” I shouted. Making both men flinch with my sudden outburst. 

Elias finally sighed and turned to me.”Nicole, how do you think Mathias knows so much about our town? Our county and how it works? How do you think he knows so much about me?” 

I thought about it for a minute, not really understanding where he was getting at. His questions were valid though, how did Mathias know? “Mathias?” I asked. 

“He won’t tell you spit fire.” Elias said casually. “But think about it. Mathias.” He said pointing to Mathias. “Elias.” He said pointing to himself. “Do you know how old Mathias is?” I shook my head. “He is twenty two, as am I.”

My eyes widened. It made so much more sense now. They both had black hair and high cheekbones, they had the same shaped nose and oddly plump lips for men. They were brothers, twins. I turned my stunned gaze to Mathias who was looking over to me with sad eyes. “No.” I said holding my hand up to him. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to look at me that way.” I told him. “You knew. This whole time you knew and kept it from me. Elias is a hybrid too isn’t he?” I asked. 

Mathias shook his head. “No he isn’t. We don’t know how it happened. We are twins but somehow have different fathers. We assume it was some kind of screwed up DNA thing.” He said sadly.

I shook my head and headed up to my room and tossed everything into one of the suitcases I thankfully bought. I didn’t have much here at the hotel but I had enough to fill this one small suitcase. The whole time I packed I couldn’t help but think how stupid I was to trust Mathias. I should have known better. 

When I was done I walked down the stairs with both men's eyes on me. “I’m leaving.” I told them. "The room still has five days left so feel free to stay Mathias. Now, You.” I said jabbing my finger at Elias’s chest. “Do NOT follow me. I don’t want to be around either of you.” He gave me a solemn nod, and I left. Taking the elevator down to the lobby. 

I had called ahead and told them to bring my car around already. So when I got to the desk the woman was ready for me. “Miss. Legend, you’re leaving early. Was there something wrong with your suit?” The worry in her voice almost made me smile. Almost. 

“No, no, nothing like that. Someone decided they wanted to kick my door down, and the guest I brought with me was doing nothing but lying to me. So I gave them the room for the remaining five days. If either of them leave, feel free to take advantage of it.” I told her with a wave of my hand. 

Her eyes widened and hope filled them. “Thank you Miss. Legend that is mighty generous of you.” She gushed.

“It’s no problem. Now I really must be going.” I said, sliding the key across the desk to her. She took it hastily, her eyes staring at it like it held the answers to the universe. 

I just shook my head and headed out to my car. I quickly thanked and tipped the valet before tearing out of that city like it was on fire. I wanted to put as much space between me and those two men as possible, as soon as possible. I don’t know what will happen to me in two months on my birthday, all I knew was I would handle it alone. Just like I had done everything else in my life.