Zahra quirks an eyebrow at me. “That’s not true.”
“It is.”
“I just don’t get it. The chemistry between the two of you is off the charts. It’s not just Mates. It’s the bond between an Alpha and his Luna. You’re literally meant to be, Lina.”
Her words cause me to flinch. There’s no physical pain associated with them, but the emotional ache in my chest throbs like a real injury.
Zahra is saying exactly what I wish could be true. Deep down, despite how long I’ve spent hating Rowan for rejecting me, the wolf within me has always yearned to have the bond repaired.
“It’s not that easy,” I tell her. “In fact, it’s extremely complicated.”
“Okay, fine. Why is it complicated? Explain it to me like I’m five.”
I don’t even bat an eye at Zahra’s attitude. I’m used to it.
“You know how the Greenbriars are extremely…traditional?”
“I guess so.”
“They cling to the old ways. That includes listening to the guidance of our wise woman, Kseniya,” I continue.
Zahra nods thoughtfully. “Right. Very old school. Mystical, magical nonsense.”
“Well, it’s not nonsense to the Greenbriar pack. And, honestly, I don’t think it’s nonsense in general. Kseniya has never been wrong before. Nor have her ancestors. She foresaw my parents’ deaths, after all.”
Instantly, the sarcastic humor slips out of Zahra’s expression. “Seriously?”
“I mean, she foresaw that they would meet their demise when they least expect it. That’s the problem. The prophecies are usually pretty vague. My parents were on guard all the time because of it, though. They thought that if they constantly expected to confront their own doom, then it would never happen.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“And useless. They were ambushed by Samson Blackburn on a regular patrol just outside the border near the western mountains. They didn’t expect the Blackburns to be there because they didn’t expect anyone to be there. And that’s when it happened. Kseniya’s prophecy came true, and I was orphaned all in the span of one hour.”
Zahra leans forward across the table, placing her hand on top of mine for a moment. “I’m really sorry, Alina.”
I force myself to smile breezily. “It was a long time ago.”
“Lina…”
“Anyway,” I barrel on. “She’s always right.”
“So, what? There’s a prophecy about you?”
“Technically, it’s about Rowan. She spoke it aloud upon his birth, when I didn’t even exist yet.”
Zahra cocks her head to the side. Bracing myself, I recite the prophecy out loud for her, word for word.
“‘Ruin him’?” she echoes when I’m done.
“Yep.”
“But that could mean anything!”
“Yep.”
“It could mean you’ll kill him or cause his death, of course, but it could also mean a thousand different things.”
“Yep.”
“So, the Greenbriars found out that you were the one who was destined to ruin their precious Alpha and banished you?”
I bite my lip. “Not quite. I ran.”
“You…?”
“It all happened very fast.” I frown down at the tea leaves muddied at the bottom of my cup. “We hooked up, the bond clicked into place, Rowan rejected me, and I was gone before the sun could rise.”
“You didn’t even wait around to see how the pack would react?”
“Why would I do that, Z? I already knew. Kseniya’s word is truth. I could never stand beside Rowan as his Mate as long as everyone in the pack believed that I would be his downfall.”
Zahra furrows her brow. “That’s bullshit. The old woman could be wrong. There’s a first time for everything.”
“Yeah, well…that’s just the way it is.”
“Rowan is an Alpha,” she argues, clenching the hand that was resting on mine into a fist and lightly bringing it down onto the table. “He’s going to be king of the pack! An ancient, powerful pack! Why would he bow to the nonsense claims of a random, senile woman?”
I deflate, letting Zahra’s righteous anger on my behalf wash over me. She doesn’t get it. I’d hoped she’d understand, or at least try to, but I also know how unique Greenbriar customs can be. We are one of just a few remaining packs that descend directly from the ancient original shifters, and that comes with certain qualities that other packs, like the Whiteroses, don’t share.
Deep down, though, I agree with Zahra. Kseniya isn’t exactly my favorite person. Never mind that I can count on one hand the number of interactions I’ve had with her before. She’s the one who foretold my parent’s doom, and she’s also the reason that I am doomed to live a life of unhappiness separated from my Mate. How does she sleep at night, knowing that she has brought so much doom and gloom to people?
Zahra is shaking her head. “Fuck him, then. Fuck Rowan. He’s a coward if he’s letting something that insignificant-“
“It’s not insignificant, though.”
“So, you’re telling me you also believe in this bullshit prophecy?”
I glare at her. “How can I not? My parents are proof that her words have legitimacy.”
“But Lina, that’s-“
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.