Bonded

Chapter One

At the age of twenty-three, Derek Hale had no hope left when it came to finding his mate. The triskele on his aching skin burned with the humiliation of a broken promise. Everyday he walked with the shame on his back as the blistering pain got deeper and deeper.

The night that the spiraling symbol had shown up on his skin, he couldn't stop smiling. He traced it with his pointer finger at least one hundred times, memorizing the pattern. Who was the person with his symbol? When would he meet them? Derek was excited for the future.

The first year he stayed optimistic, the second was harder. By the third and fourth year he made up stories in his head as to why he had yet to find his mate and by now it was hard to get out of bed in the morning.

The once beautiful mark had become a curse. Not only did it bring pain but it brought sorrow and desolation. He was embarrassed in front of his two mated sisters. The youngest was only eighteen herself and had met her mate after one short month of discovering her symbol. Derek had been waiting five years.

"""

"Derek, come on, get out of bed. Why don't you come to the carnival with me and Daniel?" Cora, the youngest of them, had a slight gleam in her eyes. She had yet to leave her mates side except to sleep, Mother wouldn't allow that yet.

"And be the third wheel? No thanks, Cora."

"Derek," Cora began, a sad look in her eyes, "you need to get out of bed for once. I haven't seen you up except to use the bathroom for a week now. Please?"

Derek sighed, it was true. The ache in his chest hardly subsided anymore. "I'm sorry, Cora. It's just... hard. I'll get out of bed. You go have a fun time." He tried his lips at a pathetic smile.

"Ok, just promise you will get up? I hate seeing you like this."

"Promise. Now go, don't keep him waiting." Derek sat up in bed and gave her a small hug before Cora left the room.

He looked around, looking for a reason to actually get up but couldn't see a single one. At least a hot shower would help with the aching.

"""

"Derek!" his uncle Peter rejoiced. "I didn't expect to see you up. How are you feeling?"

Derek sat at the kitchen table and ran a hand through his still damp hair. "You know how it feels."

Peter returned a sad smile. Three years ago, Peter's wife, Norah, died in a house fire. So did Peter's unborn child. It had devastated him. He had been picking his other daughter, Malia, up from daycare when it all happened. The five year old hadn't understood why her mommy wouldn't be snuggling with her again. Derek's mother had gladly welcomed her brother into her already large house.

Peter knew what it felt like to not have a mate. The burning skin and the depression, but he had a child to look after and to love. Derek had nobody. They were the only ones who truly understood each other.

"I do," Peter replied. "It's hard and I'm not going to lie, it doesn't get easier. But you are strong Derek. And I know somebody out there is yours. Just be patient, everything will resolve itself with time."

"How much time?" Derek pleaded with his uncle.

Peter only frowned. "That, I cannot answer."

A/N: Hello everybody!! This is the new story I will be working on. It will also be on my Instagram. For everyone following Red Riding Hood I plan on having another chapter out this week. I hope everyone enjoys this story, I'm excited to get started!