Twisted Fate

Chapter 4

Astrid

The next day on Friday, went by in a blur. I spent most of the day helping my mom make sure everything was set in place for the reception tomorrow. As usual, she was freaking out about the smallest details. The color of the flowers. The way the font looked on the table cards. Even the tiny piece of lint on one of the worker's uniform seemed to upset her.

My mother was an obsessive control freak. I couldn't understand how Sheila, the event planner, could deal with her all day. In the first few hours, I wanted to pull every inch of my hair out while Sheila smiled and looked unfazed. Luckily, she managed to please my mom, which I was starting to believe was utterly impossible.

Later in the evening, Nicole and I neatly set the table for dinner. It was a family tradition for the predecessors of the pack to dine with the successors. A bonfire would follow the dinner in the open fields outside the packhouses. My grandfather would always say it was a sign of respect and unity among the old and the new.

Nicole was rearranging the fresh flowers at the center of the table when I decided to break the silence and talk about yesterday's events. It had been heavy on my mind.

"I saw him," I spoke with my head down, anticipating her reaction as I fiddled with the silverware. Nicole disliked my ex because she believed there was someone better suited for me. She stopped and snapped her head in my direction.

"When?" Nicole asked intently.

"Yesterday afternoon. I ran into him outside Marcie's formal shop. We went to the beach and talked."

"Oh god," Nicole's face contorted in disgust, "You didn't!"

I grinned nervously as the memory of Bryson's kiss lingered on my lips. Nicole threw her hands up in frustration. She didn't need a verbal confirmation from me to know what happened between us.

"Astrid, we talked about this. Moving on doesn't involve sucking face with your ex-boyfriend," She exasperated her words by crazily moving her hands in the air.

I sighed, "I know, I know. But we needed closure, and I still want us to be friends."

"You said that the last 50 times," Nicole commented, setting the last flower into the vase, "Bryson isn't your mate, Astrid. You shouldn't be getting into serious relationships like that."

"We're done," I said categorically, contorting my face in disbelief, "And who are you to judge me? Look at all the relationships you've been in."

I couldn't help but be offended by the way she judged me. Nicole had been in countless relationships that left her with a scarred heart. She was never any good at love or being in a monogamous relationship, for that matter. Nicole had her issues just as much as I did.

"Yeah, and look how great those turned out," Nicole laughed though it didn't reach her eyes. Her expression turned serious when she turned to see me frowning.

"Forget it," I waved my hand dismissively, "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Astrid," Nicole called when I turned to leave. She stood in front of me and gently held my shoulders, "Look, I want you to be happy. I mean, we all know you're going to get paired with some hottie who's almost equally as hot as you but not quite," I couldn't help but smile at that before she continued, "I just don't want you to make the same mistake I did," She frowned at the memory of him.

"Nicole, I'm sorry," The feeling of guilt hit me deep in the gut. I was too busy dealing with my feelings; I'd completely forgotten about her situation.

Two months ago, Nicole found her mate, Michael, while traveling to another pack for a business transaction. Michael is a human but knowledgeable about our kind because he is a pack doctor. They were instantly in love, and he was more than happy to move to Silverhill, but Nicole's previous relationship created problems between them.