Dark Moon Alpha Twins

Fear and Doubt 

Chapter 8

Aiden POV

Five years later

The years seemed to fly by, and here we were, now 20 years old with our 21st birthdays just a couple of months away. We had graduated from school, and Emily and I had stayed together as a couple, navigating the ups and downs of our relationship. The bond between us had only grown stronger, but the uncertainty of whether we were truly mates still lingered in the back of my mind.

Aric, on the other hand, had spent every waking moment training. He was relentless, honing his skills and preparing for the inevitable day when our father would choose his successor. I couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt every time I watched him train, wondering if I had spent too much time balancing my responsibilities and my relationship with Emily and not enough time preparing for the role of Alpha.

After the bonfire, something shifted in me. I knew I needed to train harder.

Emily sensed my unease one evening as we sat on the porch, watching the sunset. "Aiden, what's on your mind?" she asked, her hand gently squeezing mine.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "It's just... Aric has been training so hard, and I can't help but feel like I've been falling behind. I've tried to balance everything, but what if it's not enough?"

Emily's eyes softened with understanding. "You've done everything you could, Aiden. You've been a great leader, even while juggling so much. And you've always been there for me."

I looked at her, my heart heavy with uncertainty. "But what if we're not truly mates, Emily? What if I've been holding us back because of my feelings for you?"

She shook her head, her gaze unwavering. "We've felt the pull towards each other, Aiden. Even if we're not true mates in the traditional sense, what we have is real. And that's worth fighting for."

"Even if we're not true mates in the traditional sense, what we have is real. And that's worth fighting for." I repeated back slowly, the words feeling heavy on my tongue.

"No!" I yelled, causing Emily to startle. "If we aren't mates, then we aren't together anymore. My mom warned me about this."

"Aiden, what are you saying?" Emily asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.

I stood up, trying to calm myself down. "What I'm trying to say is that I want to break up. You can stay here in this house. I will go somewhere else. If we are mates, then we stay together."

"And act like us breaking up never happened?" she replied, crying harder.

"I don't know," I said softly, feeling the weight of my own words. "You won't be 21 until a couple of months after us. It will be a while until we know."

Emily's tears flowed freely now, her face contorted with pain. "So, we just pretend this never happened? Aiden, we've been together for years. You can't just throw that away because of some uncertainty."

I clenched my fists, trying to hold back my own emotions. "I'm not throwing it away, Emily. I'm trying to make sure that when we commit, it's for the right reasons. If we're not true mates, this bond won't be enough to hold us together in the long run. What are you going to do when your real mate comes? You would leave me!"

Emily's tears flowed even more freely now, her face contorted with pain. "Aiden, I wouldn't just leave you. Don't you understand that? What we have is real to me. But if you can't see that, then maybe you're right. Maybe we shouldn't be together."

Her words cut deep, and I felt a surge of regret mixed with the resolve I was trying to hold onto. "I just... I need to know for sure. I need to know that we're meant to be. If we're not, then..."