Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Logan
The beach stretched out before us, endless and calming, as Emily and I walked side by side. The day had unfolded like a storybook, but not the typical prince and princess fairytale.
It was one where I wasn’t sure whether I was the hero or the villain. She had been so open with me that day, more than I had ever expected. The orphanage, her cause, was all so deeply personal to her, and yet she had let me in. Even though I didn’t fully understand what I was walking into, it still felt like a connection.
Now, we were alone together, and it felt like we were in a bubble, the world quiet around us. It had been a while since I had felt this calm. I was surrounded by the sound of the waves and the distant hum of life around us, but here, walking side by side with her, there was nothing but the occasional quiet sound of our footsteps in the sand.
Emily glanced at me with a small smile, the breeze ruffling her hair. Her eyes had this light in them now, not the heaviness they sometimes carried. She had been talking, mostly about the orphanage, the kids, and her vision for them. Underneath her words, I could feel something else, something unspoken.
“What’s going through your mind?” she asked suddenly.
“Nothing,” I had answered because that was easier than admitting everything.
She had raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Right. Nothing.”
“Okay,” I corrected myself. “I was thinking about how you have actually been guarded with me. Today, you let me in.”
A light sparked in her eyes, and she had looked away for a second, her gaze lost in the horizon. “I wanted you to see what’s important to me.”
I had nodded, silently acknowledging how much I appreciated it. “I do. I wish I had your trust earlier.” I’d lost her trust in me for a moment. It felt like a strong step forward now.
“Well, you earned it,” she had said, glancing back at me, and there had been something in her eyes that almost made my chest tighten.
Before I could respond, she had stopped in her tracks, her gaze fixed on something up ahead. I had followed her line of sight and spotted a glowing ferris wheel in the distance, its lights shimmering in the evening dusk.
“Look, a carnival,” she said, excitement creeping into her voice. “Let’s go!”
I had started to protest, to say that we didn’t need to keep doing things like this, the dates for the sake of our contract, but I stopped myself. Instead, I gave her a small smirk.
“I didn’t realize you were the carnival type.”
Her eyes had flashed with a teasing gleam. “I’m full of surprises.”
For the rest of the walk, I couldn’t help but think that she was right.
The carnival was vibrant and filled with flashing lights, music, and the scent of fried food. It was crowded, but in a way that felt cozy, like we’d stepped into a world where nothing mattered but the next ride or snack.
Emily had looked like she was having the time of her life, darting between booths, grabbing food, and pulling me along by the hand whenever something had caught her eye.
“Come on!” she had urged as she tugged me toward a stand selling funnel cakes. “It’s not a true trip to the carnival without funnel cake!”
I shook my head. I’d never seen her so excited. I’d never seen her smile like that.
I couldn’t resist the smile on her face, so I bought us a powdered sugar covered stack of fried dough for us to share. We walked away from the stand, laughing as we both took exaggerated bites. It was stupidly sweet, but it had made her happy.
That was enough to keep me there, in the moment. Her laughter rang in my ears, and it felt like we were two kids, free from all of our responsibilities.
“We should do this more,” she said, between bites, wiping sugar from her mouth.
I was already starting to think about how complicated everything was going to get, about how I couldn’t let myself fall into this, but I had pushed the thought aside. For tonight, I’d focus on what was right in front of me.
Emily.
We made our way to the Ferris wheel, and as we approached, I felt the tension in the air shift. It was different now. It was the kind of date that made my pulse race, and not because of the rollercoaster of emotions I was riding with her.
Emily had given me a look, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Let’s ride it together.”
“Alright,” I agreed, and I followed her onto the ride.
The ferris wheel creaked and groaned as it began to rise, the lights below growing smaller and more distant. We sat in silence for a while, both of us staring out at the view of the ocean, the carnival lights twinkling like stars on the ground.
“I’m glad you’re with me today. You’re better company than a view of the ocean.”
I had looked at her, caught off guard by the simplicity of her words. “You’re a lot of things, Emily,” I had said, my voice low, “but I never thought I’d be the one making you feel better.”
Especially not after all of the fighting about cleaning dishes. Now that we were up high, I felt like my head had actually been in the clouds this entire time. I hadn’t been a very considerate housemate.
As the ride had reached its peak, we sat in the small car, the world spread out below us like a glittering map. It had been almost too perfect.
The ride came to an end, and we were back to wandering around the carnival. The excited faces of the other people there were all a blur to me.
Then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared at the opening of a purple tent covered in stars. She was older with a long, flowing dress and an air of mystery that immediately captured our attention.
She motioned to us, beckoning for us to step closer. She didn’t wait for us though.
The woman had made her way toward us, moving with purpose. She stopped right in front of us, and I was filled with tension from head to toe. Something about this woman made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Would you like to have your fortunes read?” she asked, her voice low but clear.
“Sounds like fun!” said Emily. The woman nodded and walked back to her tent. Emily grabbed me by the hand, grinning from ear to ear, and pulled me by the end after the old woman.
When we stepped outside, I was hit by the overwhelming scent of frankincense. The incense left the tent ever so slightly smoky, adding to the mystery around the old woman.
“Have a seat,” said the woman, pointing at two chairs around a plain wooden table. We did as she said, and then she began to breathe in deep. She waved her hands in front of her nose as if to fill her lungs with the scent of the incense.
“Your fated mates are closer than you think,” she had said, her voice soft but heavy with something ancient, something true. “Although you are not ready now, you will soon feel the pull of a bond too strong to deny.”
The words had settled over me like a wave, the weight of them sinking in. My heart had skipped a beat. A fated mate. It was something I hadn’t considered for myself in a long time. When I looked at my future, I didn’t think of fate. I thought of business.
I looked at Emily, but she had been staring at the woman with wide eyes. She hadn’t known what to make of it either, but her lips had parted as if she was trying to process something she had always suspected but never had proof of.
“Fated mates?” I had said with a laugh, trying to deflect the awkwardness. “Please. It can’t be Emily. She can’t feel any mates because her wolf is dormant.”
I saw the disappointment and pain in Emily’s eyes before she had quickly hidden it behind a smile.
“Right,” she had said, the humor in her voice forced. “Of course.”
The woman smiled at us. “You doubt now, but a future of certainty awaits you.”
“Thank you,” Emily said as she stood. She tipped the old woman and left without me. I followed her through the busy pathways of the carnival, but she didn’t look back.
I wanted to say something, but I didn’t.