Soul Mate Anthologies

Inked Fate

A tattoo. That's all that it was, or so she claimed. She knew how hollow they sounded to others.

But no one knew how true they were either.

Everyone has a soul mate. A match. A ying to their yang. Someone who completes them.

Everyone had their name etched onto the wrists or along the length of their arms.

All except her. Apparently God must have deemed her not worthy of a partner.

But it didn't bother her. Not everyone stuck to the idea that soul mates equals most ideal romantic partner anymore. There could be platonic soul mates. Though the idea mostly began when people realized that same sex soul mates did exist.....so consider it prejudiced.

Yeah, no thanks. Aleina was happy all by herself. She's got her family and friends, so no problem.

Until it wasn't. Like any other teen, she had dreamt of a romantic life. Meeting the man of her dreams, a man who'd know what makes her happy and how to cheer her up. Someone she could open up to and someone who's trust her immensely.

She learnt to deal with it though, or so she thought. With everyone talking about their soul mates around her, she just couldn't take it and finally decided to do something about it.

Call her crazy and maybe she might agree soon afterwards but at that point she was desperate and did the only thing that came to mind.

She got herself a soul mate mark. No not a real one, but a pretty convincing imitation.

Xander Leander. That's what she got tattood onto her pale clear wrist.

No one would think any different of her and she could just show that to anyone who asks. As though she would ever find a person with such a name.

When she went abroad for college, she almost forgot about it all. Almost.

She made friends, Alexi her bestie. She was happy.

Alexi had told her to meet her at a cafe as she had wanted to introduce her to someone. She went in and saw a man about her age sitting all by himself.

"Hi. You must be Eliza. Alexi told me that we are supposed to meet her here." He spoke as his eyes met hers.

She nodded. "Yup. So you are the cousin I'm to meet. Speaking of which...where is she? She didn't tell much."

He laughed. "Yeah that's Alexi alright." He stretched out his hand, "Eliza Carter, my name's Xander Leander."

"Leander?"

"Yeah, Alexi is related to me maternally."

"Oh." Was all she said. Something about this seemed important. Eliza couldn't pinpoint it and Xander seemed to be looking at her as though he expected something.

What was it? Also Xander, huh. That na-

Wait.

At that point her mind skidded to a halt. "Did you say your name was-"

"Xander Leander? Yup. That's me." He broke into a wide grin. "I'm soo glad to finally meet the one who has this lovely name."

Eliza was soo confused and shocked that she just wasn't able to tell him that she didn't have a soul mate. That he must have been mistaken.

Later when she thought about it, she realized her friend had staged their meeting. She knew whose name was etched onto her wrist after all.

But now she didn't know how to me ton about it being a tattoo.

So she let it go on. Xander worked in the same city and the met up a lot.

She liked him. He was nice. He understood her, she understood him.

It was no surprise that they got closer.

Until...He decided to take it further.

"Eliza. I don't why you seem soo shy and hesitant about this. I know we like each other...So I was wondering if we could, you kno-"

Whatever he was going ask or propose, Eliza would never know exactly because that was when she blurted, "It's just a tattoo!"

Stumped, Xander looked at her, "Of course. Soul marks are tattoos on our skin."

"No no. Your name. Is. Tattooed."

"Yes I know."

"No! You're not getting it! I got it tattooed when I was sixteen! I got it tattooed."

There was silence. She couldn't bear it, so she looked up at him, suprised to see an expression of fondness and wonder.

"You are brilliant you know?" He muttered. At her bewildered expression, he explained, "You literally could have chosen any name, or stayed without a soul mate, but you chose mine.

You wrote yourself into my life.

I got my soul mark very late you know? Thought I was going to be that person without a soul mate but then on my eighteenth birthday, I was wake up to find my wrist burning and I see your name on it!"

She didn't know what to say at that.

So he continued, "you are free spirited. You chase what you want! Just like you did me!"

She began to smile as his words sunk in.

"Eliza, there's no one else but you who could be my soul mate. And I hope we can be together, if you'd let me."

What was she to say to that? She laughed out in relief, tears running down her face as she hugged him.

"Of course I do!"

It was just a tattoo, but it meant soo much more than that.

After all, it led her to her half.