UNDENIABLY DESTINED

CHAPTER 20

Damien stood beneath the inky sky, adorned with numerous colorful crackers bursting off in celebration. The pack members around him reveled in the fire show, their faces lit with awe and joy. However, within Damien's chest, his heart felt like it was bleeding. Frantically scanning the crowd of laughing faces, he searched for his life, his mate.

Amid the vibrant and joyful surroundings, Damien stood in stark contrast, a lonely figure rejected by his fated one. The world seemed to close in on him, suffocating him as people laughed and enjoyed their lives. It was as if the universe mocked him, the only one left alone in despair.

He grappled with a sense of pathetic self-loathing. Thoughts like "If only I had been someone else, she would not have left me" echoed in his mind, tormenting his consciousness. The weight of thousands of degrading words pressed upon him, leaving only the haunting question—what if?

Lost in the abyss of his mind, Damien didn't register his friend Ryan calling him. Ryan, concerned for his best friend and Alpha, observed Damien's vacant eyes, unresponsive to any attempts at communication. Shaking Damien's shoulders, Ryan called out in increasing worry, "DAMIAN, can you hear me?" Just as Ryan feared the worst, Damien snapped out of his reverie of despair.

Responding in a monotone voice that surprised everyone, Damien asked, "Did you find her?" His calm demeanor was a thundering shock to the pack warriors, standing a few steps away, awaiting orders. A man who had lost his mate twice over, exhibiting such silence in the midst of celebration, was a chilling sight for them.

Ryan found himself speechless, unsure of how to reach his friend in the depths of his profound depression. The weight of answering such a question was a burden itself. Regretting the choice before him, Ryan shook his head in a solemn 'no.' The pack, aware of the unfolding tragedy, held their collective breath, awaiting the repercussions of the revelation.

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Aadaya stands in the shower, the droplets of water mixing with her tears, a temporary solution to divert her mind from the heartbreak she's feeling. Her eyes have been moist since she ran away, a numbing feeling in her heart. Her wolf, understanding her decision, has left her alone amidst her depressing thoughts.

The ancient Ikanir wolf has been with her through every rejection, recognizing the pain her human goes through each time she denies her soulmate. The bond between wolves destined to be together is a complex weave of lives, some ending happily and others with sacrifices. The Ikanir wolf, mature beyond years, shields the human from the intensity of the pain, knowing the young child wouldn't bear it well, especially considering what she has already endured.

In this life, destined for greatness, Aadaya's memories of past incarnations flicker through glimpses. She knows she haven't always had happy endings with her mate, and it's been an eternity since she's been with him in the materialistic world. Born again and again for a purpose of saving the wolf-kind, while betraying the life with her mate.

As Aadaya endures the pain, the hot water searing her skin, she recalls his eyes, the way they looked at her. After running back from the fair, she finds solace in the bathroom, leaving behind concerned friends. The pack is in lockdown mode, searching for the future Alpha's mate, a fact only known to high-profile pack members.

In the bathroom, Aadaya cries, her friends tried in vain to reach her. Saddie and Chris had briefed her before being escorted out of the pack, not being members of the pack. Aadaya, lost in her suffering, looks at herself in the mirror, trying to find meaning in her appearance. Her onyx eyes, once filled with the sparkle of stars, now reflect the darkest nights, devoid of life.