The night wraps over them like a soft, starry blanket, draping them in a warm, comfortable silence that only the both of them share.
This is how it always is with them, their routine. Sneaking off after dinner and into the woods, hushed whispers in the quiet, the moon- their only witness.
Her hand feels warm in his, a constant reassurance, their knees knocking gently where they're sitting cross legged on the cool, damp grass. The lake remains still, as if waiting for him to speak as it illuminates the expanse of the sky. It is always peaceful like this, always peaceful with her, but today, he has poisoned it with a heaviness.
He lets his thoughts wander, mind drifting back, thinking back to that morning just last week. The way everything had seemed to fall in place when he met eyes with her- Kaew. It isn't the first time they've seen each other, but that's just how the universe works. Only when the universe deems fit will your heart accept your destined mate.
Kaew has always been around, a constant presence in the pack. She's an omega, a traditional one at that, working in the kitchens with an iron fist, quiet but powerful and regulating the others there to make the system flawless. He's sometimes seen her giggle with her friends when she picks flowers, sometimes she'd smile at him and even bat her eyelashes. And he had smiled back, thinking nothing of it, feeling nothing for her.
Now, it's all painfully clear, it had only started making sense to him at that particular moment, she had already known that he was her destined mate; and she had waited. Waited while he was with someone else, while he kept coming back with another scent clinging to him, while he made promises to someone else.
Everyone in the pack had assumed she was going to be a house-omega, but only now does he realise that she has been training to be the head omega.
He wants to laugh at the cruelty of destiny. If only he had known sooner, he wouldn't have to hurt Dissaya like this. He wouldn't have been unconsciously hurting Kaew whenever he came back from the woods with the dopey, lovesick smile only Dissaya could put on his face.
He remembers telling Dissaya, "I know, I just know that you are my destined mate."
Dissaya had smiled at him, eyes warm but uncertain as she let him push her fringe behind her ears, "And what if I'm not?"
"I'd still choose you." he had replied without hesitation.
What a fucking liar.
He breaks the deafening silence that seems to have stretched way too far, "We cannot do this anymore."
She whips her head around, jaw dropped in shock, eyes searching his.
"What- what do you mean?" She stammers, voice trembling as he pulls his hand away, her touch suddenly feeling scorching against his skin. He likes the warmth of her palms, loves weaving their fingers together, but now that he knows it doesn't belong there, it feels wrong.
"I found my destined mate," he says, bitterness filling his throat and eyes involuntarily tearing up as he looks at the sky. He can feel her panic, her scent souring as she adjusts her position, and moves to kneel in front of him. There's a broken desperation in her voice, "But- Ming, Ming we love each other."
"Ming, no." He doesn't reply, refuses to look her in the eye when she cradles his cheek in her trembling hands, "Love, you said- you said you'd choose me either way."
He can feel the tears rolling down his own cheeks, and his voice is terribly hoarse when he croaks out, "Dissaya, you will always be special to me."
YOU ARE READING
rain in your heart - patpran
RomanceTen years ago, Pran's mother had saved their pack by forming the alliance. Now, it forces him to live in a pack he knows nothing about and into an arranged marriage with Pat- an alpha who wants nothing to do with him, but smells so much like crawli...