Chapter 3 Scent of Fate

Therrin's POV

I must've been running for hours. Everything was too much. One minute my cat was talking, the next he was telling me I share a body with my dead twin's soul? Yeah, I got the hell outta Dodge.

Now I'm starving, tired, and honestly starting to regret this whole dramatic escape. I mean, what was my plan? Run off into the woods with no money, no shelter, and no food? Smart move, Thea. Great thinking.

Maybe I should just go back. Let my coven throw me in a nuthouse. Free food, warm bed, nobody bothering me... honestly, it doesn't sound too bad.

Leaning against a tree, I tried to breathe through the dizziness. That's when I smelled it-blood.

Thick, metallic, sharp. The kind of scent that grabs your attention and doesn't let go.

Blood is sacred to shifters. It's more than life force-it's essence. We don't bleed easily, not unless we choose to, or unless it's by a mate or family. Sharing blood is more binding than a mating bite. So when I smell it? I know something is very, very wrong.

I focused, nose twitching, ears sharp. The scent was faint but distinct, flowing downstream. I shifted into wolf form-faster this way-and bolted east.

The smell led me to a clearing with a narrow stream. I crouched to drink, only to stop short. The water was tinged red. I followed the stream upstream, the scent growing heavier until I reached it:

A waterfall dyed crimson.

The sight made my fur bristle. This wasn't just one person's blood. This was a massacre.

Panic surged. I had to get out. This was way beyond my skillset. I turned to flee-

Crunch.

Shit. I wasn't alone.

"Whoa there, Wolfie. Don't move-you're in a trap."

The voice was low, smooth, and distinctly male. My heart jumped, and not entirely from fear. His scent hit next-pine and moss. Earthy. Warm. Dangerous.

I saw him step from behind the waterfall, shirtless, damp, and bleeding from shallow wounds that were already healing. His hair was dark red-almost auburn-and plastered to his pale skin.

He was beautiful.

I froze as he knelt, carefully disarming the trap. He touched my paw gently, then stepped back, giving me space.

"Shift," he said calmly. "We need to talk."

He knew. He knew I was a shifter.

Sighing, I returned to my human form and awkwardly crossed my arms. "Do you have anything I can wear? I didn't exactly bring clothes."

"Nothing you'd want off the dead," he said, amused. "But I can glamour something. It won't hurt-just tickles a bit."

Before I could protest, glittering energy swirled around me like thousands of invisible spiders. I sneezed violently. "Ugh-what was that?!"

He chuckled. "Dust. And magic."

I looked down. I was barefoot, wearing a white, shimmery tunic gathered at the hips and bust, the hem brushing my knees. It looked like something out of ancient Greece.

Of course it's a dress, I grumbled internally.

Maybe learn to be more feminine, a voice purred back.

What-?

You can call me Darian now. Or Ari. I'm your twin. You finally heard me again. Took you long enough.

My heart skipped. It was her-the soul inside me. My sister.

"Ehem," the man cleared his throat, catching me staring.

I looked away quickly. He'd definitely caught me checking him out. He was lean, strong, not overly bulky-but chiseled like a dancer or a long-distance runner. A bead of water slid down his neck, across his chest, gliding lower-

Focus, Eri, Ari said smugly. He's our mate. Let him touch us. Let's see what happens...

"I'm Dionysus," he said, interrupting my internal chaos. "Call me Dion. And yes, I'm Fey. You're trespassing in my woods."

I blinked. "These woods belong to my coven... or so I was told."

Be careful, Ari warned. Fey value knowledge. Don't say too much.

Dion smiled but didn't challenge me on it. "Tell me, how old are you? And what coven do you belong to?"

"Seventeen. Amaranth."

Ooh, puff your chest a little, Ari teased. Show off that cleavage. He's staring.

Shut. Up.

I forced myself to focus. "Why are you helping me? What happened here? Why is there blood in the water? Did you... kill someone?"

Dion's expression shifted. He looked at me with unreadable eyes-then smirked. I took a step back, but he stepped forward. Step by step, until my back hit a tree.

He braced his arms on either side of me.

"Too many questions, little wolf," he murmured. "But I'll answer them. First-you're my mate."

My breath caught.

"We Fey recognize our mates at thirteen. I never found mine. Until now."

He leaned in, and my whole body went still.

"Second, I'm helping you because your pain affects me. If you're hurt, I feel it. That's how the bond works. You're mine now."

His eyes gleamed, voice dark and rich.

"As for the blood-yes, I killed them. They came to kill me. It was self-defense. They're buried now. The water will clear in time."

He tilted his head, lips inches from mine.

"But by then, you won't be here... will you?"

"I... no," I whispered. "I need to go home. I need to train. I need space."

But goddess, it was hard to think with him this close.

Just kiss him, Ari whispered. He's waited so long. Kiss him.

No. I don't feel the bond. Not yet.

That's because you're not eighteen. But I know. I feel it.

Suddenly, I was floating. Dizzy. Detached. The world shifted and the air around me grew distant.

Grimm was right.

She took over.

Ari forced me out-shoved me deep into the back of my own mind.

And she... she was in control.