Christian (bxb)

Chasing freedom

(Christian)

I bolted out of the pack house, feet hitting the dirt trail as fast as they could carry me.

The trees blurred around me as I pushed harder, not daring to look back. I could still hear the muffled laughter from the party behind me.

They were all probably thinking I was just sneaking off for some fresh air. But I wasn’t.

I couldn’t face it. I couldn’t stand there and let them announce that my mates were them.

Greyson, Mason, and Jaxon. My chest tightened at the thought, and I ran faster, my heart thudding in my ears.

Pop and Arlo were convinced. My father and his best friend both thought it was destined. They’d been saying it for years, ever since I turned sixteen.

“It’s the way of things,” Pop would say.

“You’ll find your mates when you’re ready.” He never backed down, no matter how much I tried to avoid the topic.

He and Arlo were like this unstoppable duo of certainty, talking about fate like it was written in stone.

But Dad and Jacob, thank the goddess, they didn’t buy into it. Jacob especially—he was the only one who’d look at me with a calm smile and tell me.

“You decide what your future looks like, Christian. No one else.” He always made me feel like I had some kind of control. And I needed that now more than ever.

Eighteen. Today was my birthday. The day everything was supposed to change. But I didn’t feel any different.

Maybe that was because I wasn’t aging anymore. I stopped at the edge of the woods, my breath coming in ragged gasps, and leaned against a tree. Immortal.

That’s what I am now, thanks to Jacob. He made all of us immortal. It was a decision I hadn’t understood at the time, but now... now it was starting to sink in.

I wouldn’t age. My body and my mind would stay exactly as they were. I was frozen in this moment forever. Eighteen, stuck in time while the rest of the world kept moving.

At first, it seemed kind of cool, the idea of living forever. No fear of growing old, no fear of death. But now, standing here alone, it felt like a curse.

I didn’t want Greyson, Mason, or Jaxon. Hell, I didn’t want any mates at all.

I never understood why everyone was so obsessed with it, the idea of finding these perfect people you’re supposed to be with for eternity.

To me, it felt like a trap, like something I couldn’t escape. I didn’t need fate to decide who I should love.

But that didn’t stop them from showing up to the party. Greyson is always the leader, with his stupid, perfect smile. Mason, quieter but just as intense, eyes always watching me like he knew something I didn’t.

And then Jaxon, the playful one, always cracking jokes and acting like this was all just one big game. Together, they made my skin crawl. How could they possibly be my mates?

I pushed away from the tree, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. The air was cooler out here, away from the warmth of the house and the noise of the party. I could think out here. I needed to think. I couldn’t go back. Not now.

I started walking, not knowing where I was going, just needing to move. Maybe if I stayed away long enough, everyone would just forget about it.

Maybe they’d all come to their senses and realize that Greyson, Mason, and Jaxon weren’t my mates after all. Or maybe, if I was lucky, I could run far enough to escape fate altogether.

I kicked at a rock in my path, sending it flying into the bushes. The sound of it crashing through the leaves was loud in the silence, and for a moment, I froze. What if they’d followed me? What if they were out here now, hunting me down like I was some kind of prize?

I shook the thought away. No, that was ridiculous. They wouldn’t chase me. At least, I hoped they wouldn’t.

But as I walked further into the woods, something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me.

My scent. They could track me by scent. Of course, they could. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

Panic rose in my chest, and I picked up the pace again, trying to think of ways to cover my trail.

But it was too late. I’d already been out here too long, leaving a scent trail like a beacon for them to follow.

I swore under my breath. This was exactly what I didn’t want—to be found. I wanted to be alone, to figure things out without them breathing down my neck, telling me how things were supposed to be. But the forest suddenly felt smaller, like it was closing in on me.

I stopped in my tracks, heart pounding, and started to listen. For a moment, there was nothing but the rustle of the trees in the wind. But then... footsteps. Soft at first, but getting closer.

I didn’t dare move. Maybe if I stayed still, they wouldn’t find me. Maybe they’d walk right past me, and I could just disappear.

But the scent thing. They could smell me. Damn it.

“Christian.”

I turned slowly, my heart sinking. Greyson stepped out from behind a tree, his eyes locking on mine. Of course, it was him. It was always him, the leader, the one who thought he had it all figured out.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I told you I didn’t want to do this,” I said.

He didn’t even flinch. Just stared at me with that same intense gaze he always had.

“You ran.” He replied. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, two more figures appeared from the shadows. Mason and Jaxon. Great. The whole trio. My supposed mates.

Mason didn’t say anything, he just stood there watching me with those blue eyes, arms crossed, like he was waiting for me to make the first move. And Jaxon, of course, was grinning, like this was all some big joke.

“You can’t run from this, Christian, you know that,” Greyson said, his voice steady, but not unkind.

“I’m not running,” I shot back, even though that was exactly what I was doing.

“Then why are you out here, alone? We were worried.” Jaxon interjects, stepping closer.

“Worried?” I scoffed.

“You were probably hoping I’d be gone for good.” Greyson took a step toward me, closing the distance between us.

“You can’t fight fate.” I backed up instinctively, my heart racing.

“I’m not going to be your mate,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

“I won’t do it.” The wind rustled the leaves above us, and for a moment, everything was silent.

“You don’t have a choice,” Mason finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm.

“None of us do.” I clenched my fists, my body tensing.

“We’ll see about that.” Before any of them could say another word, I turned and ran.

But I knew.

I could feel it in my bones.

They were right behind me.