AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Yeah." He smiles softly before walking out and closing the door behind him.
I fucked up. I should have left the device alone the moment I figured out what it was. I really didn't know it was his but I also didn't think it was left by his family either. I only want to know him better. To see more signs of why he was chosen for me. To separate him from Albert in every way possible. Albert didn't read. He certainly wouldn't have read that. He also didn't blush or smile as prettily as… I need to ask him his name.
Who doesn't know their own mate's name?
Too busy getting wrapped up in his company and shocked by each revelation, I’ve forgotten everything else. I'm also afraid to have it trapped in my memory forever—another name to cause me pain every time I hear it. My heart says he's mine but it's been wrong before. What if he's another stepping stone like Albert? Maybe being with the one you're destined for isn't supposed to be easy. Sighing, I search for clothes. I settle on a pair of Dockers and a blue collared shirt. Is this what he wants, I wonder? Looking at myself in the mirror, I run a hand through my hair until I'm satisfied with how it sits on my head.
Too bad having a good hair day doesn't help me fit the appearance I need to shop beside the person I want to be with. When he said the company would be nice, his sad, conflicted eyes said he meant it. I'll have to figure out a way to be what he needs. I won't let my father stop me this time. Yeah, maybe he's not the right one either, but what if he is?
Searching through all the closets, I gather together an umbrella, sun hat, sunglasses, a scarf, and a sweater to complement my current professor look. After putting on the hat, sunglasses, and wrapping the scarf around my neck, I leave the house and use the small boat to go to the other side of the island. It's one straight shot this way and I don't have a car.
As I get closer, I open the umbrella, blocking my face. It's busier than I remember it being. Some of the buildings are new or painted differently. I don't recognize the store sitting in view as I dock the boat.
Out of practice, I nearly stumble back when getting out of the boat. Two women chuckle, walking ahead of me, luckily not noticing the bit of black skin peeking out from my disguise. Not the time for me to go for a swim.
I loop the whole area in an hour, about to give up and go back to the boat when I spot a man sitting at a table outside with a cup of coffee in his hands. He has sunglasses on and is staring at his phone wearing the same red and white striped tank he left in. The sun hits his dark tan skin just right, creating a beautiful glow. He really is breathtaking. His large size always makes everything around him appear smaller, including the chair he's sitting in.
"You aren't planning on spending all day out here like that, are you?" Someone tsks from behind and when I turn around, I lift the umbrella and am met with a pair of familiar dark gray eyes.
It can't be.
"Hey there, baby brother." Cannon smiles, his white teeth blinding and hair staying perfectly still in the sweeping cool breeze.
If he knows I'm here, does that mean my father does too?
"How'd you find me? How'd you know I was awake?"
Glancing around, he grabs my arm and drags me behind a pink brick building. "Father felt you wake up, and I wanted to find you before he did."
"Why?"
"To give you this." He removes a silver ring with a red stone in the center from his pocket.
"What is it?"
"It's a glamour ring. It's laced with magic. When you put it on, you appear human. Whatever features your mate looks for in a guy."
Tilting my head, I set the umbrella down and tug the scarf loose, dropping it on the ground. "Is this a trick?" I ask, hesitantly reaching for the ring.
He laughs. "No. Now is not the time for games. If you're rejected again, the same way as before, you will go underground forever. Father didn't tell you all the stipulations or that he knew Albert wasn't your fated mate."
"What?"
"He wanted you to learn your lesson the hard way and never wanted to give you the chance to find the right man. He was hoping you'd give up on love and come home. That you’d assume the man you were destined for would never accept you for who you are. So he let you think you’d already found him."
"Albert was never… But I loved him." A part of me still does. It feels like only the other day we were holding each other in bed.
"Yeah. You fell for him but he never loved you, Rorian. He was married with a kid and another on the way."
My blood goes cold. "What?"
"In fact, his name was never Albert. He's a con artist. Or he was until Dad got a hold of him and came up with this little scheme, offering to make him rich and successful for the rest of his days if he succeeded. I don't think Father counted on you ever waking up."
Taken aback, I hold my hand to my throbbing chest. Flashing in my head are images of Albert begging me to stay on earth with him. To go against my father. To be with him forever. He tricked me.
"It was never real. If he was never who he said he was then I could've never loved him." I fell in love with a lie. What an idiot I was.
Resting a hand on my shoulder, Cannon forces the ring into my palm and closes my fist around it. "If you're here, that only means one thing. You found your fated mate. Father lied about Albert having the power to keep you here and wake you up. He never could. Father wants you to fail again, so don't give him the satisfaction. Being fated isn't always a guarantee. You have to do the work too. The broken ones aren't always easy. Sweep him off his feet and win over his heart. Get him to choose you back. It's the only way for you to get your powers back and stop Father." He quickly shoves something in my pocket. "You'll need this too. It's a credit card. It'll help you buy anything you need. Including a better wardrobe." He eyes me up and down.
