Fated

Part 2

The party was in full swing by the time Jade returned from her encounter. Music vibrated through the opulent hall, carrying with it the heady mix of alcohol and pheromones. People were everywhere – dancing, laughing, some entwined in intimate embraces, others less discrete in their pursuits, quietly fucking in corners. Jade navigated through the revelry with ease; her recent release had tempered her, but she was still on the prowl, her eyes scanning the crowd for a possible partner for the remainder of the evening.

She approached the bar with a casual grace, her commanding presence parting the crowd. "An Old Fashioned, please," she requested, her voice carrying the slightest hint of a rasp from her earlier activities. As the bartender busied themselves with her order, Jade's gaze wandered, taking in the sights and sounds, her senses sharp for any sign of a potential beta who carried themselves with a bit more confidence, someone who could handle what she had to offer.

It was a sensation unfamiliar yet unmistakable that made her pause – a prickling awareness that someone significant was near. Searching the crowd, her eyes locked onto a figure at the bar: a woman with starkly bleached hair and a dress that glittered like stars had descended to weave themselves around her form.

Their eyes met, and a torrent of sensation washed over Jade. The room, the noise, the chaos—it all evaporated, leaving nothing but the intense connection that pulsed between them. It was like the universe had snapped into alignment, the feeling both serene and intense, calming the Alpha within her for the first time in memory.

The world seemed to pause on its axis; both women were ensnared by the gravity of the moment. Jade's heart raced—she had a fated mate.

"Jade!" Eric's voice shattered the moment the man stumbled toward her. "There you are!" he was high and drunk as he reached for Jade; the drink in his had nearly spilled.

The woman—her potential mate—turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Jade's voice was urgent yet laced with a profound need, she shrugged Erin off her and stumbled after the women. The woman halted, her posture rigid, her gaze piercing.

"Yes?" There was a guarded tilt to her tone.

Jade was awestruck, standing before none other than Taylor Swift,

"I am Jade, Jade Storm," Jade offered her hand

Taylor ignored it. "I know"

Awkwardly, Jade removed her hand.

"We are fated mates," Jade tried again

"Potential Fated mates, I have not agreed to this," Taylor counters, her voice holding an edge to it.

Jade was taken aback, and she knew that just because they had felt the connection did not mean they would actually mate; the connection was just a guide. Both of them had the choice to refuse and walkway.

The vulnerability was raw in Jade's voice when she asked, "So, you refuse it?" The uncertainty of the answer hung heavily in the air between them. Jade was an Alpha, true, but the prospect of forcing a bond was abhorrent to her. She respected Omegas too much and knew their struggles too well ever to consider such an action.

Taylor's silence was like a knife twisting in Jade's gut, yet her steady gaze held a flicker of something that wasn't outright rejection, which buoyed Jade's sinking heart. Grasping for some semblance of control, she fumbled in her pockets and extended her card.

"You don't have to decide anything right now. But I would like the chance to know you. Please call me," she implored, the soft burr of her Irish roots bleeding into her words, betraying her usual composure.

Taylor's fingers brushed against Jade's as she took the card, her touch electric. "Someone ever tell you you talk funny?" she remarked, a playful edge to her voice that didn't quite reach her eyes before she turned on her heel and walked away.

Jade was left standing alone amidst the pulsing lights and raucous laughter. The rest of the night, she was a specter at the party, her body present but her spirit lingering with Taylor. She watched from a distance as Taylor danced, laughed, and enjoyed the evening, never looking back.

Jade's heart was a tumult of emotions. For the first time since she'd come of age, she left the party without a willing Beta on her arm. Her typical pursuits, the nightly conquests that had once thrilled her, now paled in comparison to the potential of something real.

As she lay in her bed that night, staring at the ceiling, the image of Taylor's eyes was etched into her mind. She knew with a sinking feeling that she was utterly and completely ensnared by the thread of fate that had connected them. Jade understood in that lonely, sleepless night that she was, indeed, screwed - captivated by a blue-eyed Omega who had the power to unravel her.