I woke up in my bed with the world’s worst hangover.
But I knew the novelty cocktails were only part of the reason that I was feeling like shit.
Yesterday had been rough all around.
First, a witch had told me that if I wanted to find true love, I’d have to lose someone whom I loved—permanently.
Then, I’d almost gotten mugged walking home, and a mysterious man in a mask had saved me like some kind of superhero.
I’d think it had all been a dream if not for the millions of missed texts from Teresa.
I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my phone.
I rolled out of bed and got dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, praying that this day would be less dramatic than the previous one.
When I got downstairs, I headed to the kitchen to make myself a hangover breakfast, but I stopped in my tracks outside the dining room.
The floor was covered in shattered crystals, and a broken chandelier sat at the center.
Sebastian was sweeping up the debris into a dustpan.
“Uh…what happened?” I asked.
My mind immediately started shuffling through all the worst-case scenarios, like a bad playlist.
But Sebastian just shrugged. “Turns out I’m better at breaking things than fixing them.”
There was a hint of sadness in his voice, and I felt the urge to comfort him.
I could feel my mate’s pain, and it made me sad too.
This was way different from the passionate sexual urges I’d been feeling because of my mating pull…
This was a different kind of passion.
Something deeper.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, taking a step toward him.
But before he could answer, I heard the front door open and footsteps dashing into the living room.
“LYLA!” My little sister catapulted herself into my arms, beaming at me.
“Skye! When did you get here?” I asked, brushing her hair out of her face. It was starting to look as wild as mine.
“They just got in this morning. I picked them up from the hotel,” Caspian said as he walked through the doorway with my parents.
I ran over and hugged Mom and Dad, feeling a little emotional.
My dad seemed to pick up on that fact, as his gaze shifted to Sebastian approaching us.
“Mr. and Mrs. Green,” Sebastian said politely.
There was definite tension in the air, and it made me nervous. I glanced over at my mom, who looked just as anxious as me.
He’d known Caspian for years. He trusted him.
But the verdict was still out on Sebastian.
Finally, my dad extended his hand and gave Sebastian a firm handshake, and I stopped sweating bullets.
Skye started pulling on my shirt as she bounced up and down in her light-up sneakers.
“Lyla take me on a tour! This place is huuuuuge!”
My dad placed his hands on his hips as he looked over my shoulder at the mess in the dining room.
I whispered in my mother’s ear before I took Skye toward the stairs.
“Please make sure they don’t kill each other.”
“No promises,” she replied, giving me a smile.
When we got upstairs, Skye began guiding me instead of the other way around. “I want to see your bedroom!” she shouted.
She stopped suddenly and looked at me seriously. “Wait, do you…”
She paused, almost as if what she was about to say was forbidden.
“Do I what?” I asked.
“Do you all sleep in the same bedroom?” Skye asked, causing my jaw to drop open.
“Skye! No!” I said, laughing. “Who do you think I am?”
“Just a question,” Skye said innocently, though I knew better. She was far too perceptive for her age.
Skye waltzed into my bedroom and plopped herself down on my bed. “It must be so fun living with both of your mates.”
“That’s debatable,” I said, sitting down next to her.
“But it’s like being with your best friends all the time, right?”
When she said it like that, it sounded so simple.
But when you introduced love—the romantic kind—into the mix…
“You’re so lucky,” Skye said, sighing. “You found true love with two mates.”
Though I tried to forget them, the witch’s words were still ringing in my head.
I’d make my choice.
And find true love.
But at the cost of losing someone forever.
Skye’s simple logic and pure perspective normally made me feel better about my complicated relationships.
But this time...
“Damn, I really missed your home-cooked meals,” I said to Lily as I helped her prepare brunch.
“I know that there’s no way you kids are eating proper meals in this house,” she said in a mildly reproachful tone.
She wasn’t wrong.
Sebastian was used to personal chefs and servants, but truthfully, not a single one of us could cook.
We’d just been ordering takeout.
I glanced over Lily’s shoulder to see Sebastian talking to Colin.
He seemed withdrawn, agitated—more so than usual.
Sebastian didn’t know Lyla’s family like I did. I had the clear advantage.
Before all our lives had gotten significantly more complicated at the Summit, Lyla’s family was practically my own.
We’d have BBQs together, go camping, have game nights...
But things were different now.
Fun and games were over. We’d grown up.
Fate was pulling Lyla in two directions, and I didn’t know if she’d end up in my arms...or Sebastian’s.
Lily must have sensed my melancholy, because she reached out and touched my arm.
“No matter what happens, you’ll always be important to Lyla,” she said.
Then Lily gave me a little wink. “I’m rooting for you,” she whispered.
At that moment, Lyla approached us and gave me a smile. “Hey, can I steal my mother away for a minute?”
“Sure,” I replied. “Don’t worry, Lily...I won’t let anything burn.”
She laughed as Lyla pulled her out onto the back porch. “Better not!”
As I watched them walk away, I felt a renewed hope.
If I hadn’t forgotten what Lyla and I had before the Summit...
Then maybe she hadn’t forgotten it either.
I needed my mom’s advice.
We sat down on the back porch, staring out onto the vibrant lemon orchard.
“What’s going on, sweetheart?” My mom looked concerned as she placed her hand on mine.
“This is just so…” I struggled to find the right words.
“I just feel like I’m being crushed by this choice I’m supposed to make,” I said. “It’s a constant weight on my chest, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold up.”
Unexpected tears spilled down my cheeks.
I’d tried to pretend like everything was fine, but now I was breaking down.
My mom’s eyes filled with sympathy as she pulled me close. “Oh Lyla, I’m sorry that you have to deal with this.”
“The Moon Goddess should’ve chosen someone stronger to put through this test, because I’m not up for it,” I said, burying my face in my mom’s shoulder.
“You’re so much stronger than you realize, Lyla,” my mom said. “Trust me. When I was in this position, I didn’t handle it half as well as you did.”
I pulled away and looked at her, confused. “When were you in my position? I thought this hadn’t happened for hundreds of years.”
My mom hesitated, her eyes swimming with turmoil, like she was questioning whether to continue.
“Mom?” I asked again, anxiety settling into the pit of my stomach.
“Well, not your exact position, but I had both a destined mate and a second-chance mate,” she explained slowly. “Just not at the same time.”
“Wait…you met your second-chance mate?” I said, bewildered. “What did Dad say?”
Mom paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Lyla…Colin is my second-chance mate.”
I was stunned. “No…that’s not…that doesn’t make sense.”
My mom’s eyes were suddenly growing misty. “I never told you because I didn’t want you to look at him differently.”
“Why would I look at him differently?” I felt a sense of dread growing in the pit of my stomach.
“Lyla, I’m sorry, I…” She looked away, her voice trembling.
“Mom, why would I look at my own father differently just because he was your second-chance mate?” I asked again, my own voice rising.
“Because Colin isn’t your birth father!” she blurted out before clasping her hand over her mouth.
As I watched the tears roll down her face, I felt numb.
The man who I’d always thought to be my birth father was my mother’s second-chance mate.
And her destined mate…was my real father.
