CHAPTER 3

Fated to Four

Sophia’s POV

Gabriel had been kind enough to walk me home, leaving me with a soft smile and a promise that he would give me all the time I needed to think about what he just told me.

Time. If only that were enough.

As soon as the door shut behind me, I let out a long breath. My heart felt heavy, my thoughts trying to figure out the reality of being bonded to him.

The mate bond was supposed to be a gift, but all I could feel was the weight of it—a chain pulling me into something I wasn’t sure I wanted.

The house was quiet, the sounds that could only be heard was the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. I entered the living room and fell onto the couch, the cushions swallowing me whole.

My eyes moved to the window, where I could see the moon low in the night sky, its silver light entering into the room.

I wanted to find peace in its glow, but instead, an unease began to arise in my chest. It started as a faint pressure, like the air that happens before a storm, and grew until it was impossible to ignore.

Then, it happened.

A movement of light danced at the edge of my vision, soft and shaking, like moonlight breaking through water. I sat up, my heart beating as the glow grew brighter, filling the whole room.

And then she appeared.

The Moon Goddess. Her form was Divine, her silver hair flowing like rivers of water, her eyes glowing with an immense power. She didn’t speak at first, simply stood there, her presence filling the space with a sense of surprise and gravity.

I managed to stand to my feet, my legs shaking beneath me. “Moon Goddess?” I whispered, my voice barely heard.

Her lips turned into a gentle smile. “Sophia,” she said, her voice like a soft melody, soothing and beautiful all at once. “You carry a heavy heart tonight.”

I swallowed hard, my mind struggling to figure out what was happening. “Why are you here?” I asked, the words coming out before I could stop them.

She stepped closer, her look piercing yet kind. “Because you are lost, and the road ahead of you is far more complex than you realize.”

Her words settled over me, and I looked away, my hands folding at my sides. “I don’t understand. The bond with Gabriel—it feels wrong. Like I’m not ready for it. Like I’m… incomplete.”

She nodded, her expression changing.“You feel that way because you are not bound to only one mate.”

My head quickly raised up, confusion and disbelief filling through me. “What? What do you mean?”

“You are fated to four mates, Sophia,” she said gently. “Each bond is unique, each connection very important to your journey. Gabriel is only the second.”

Those words hit me like a blow, air rushing from my lungs.

“Four?” I repeated, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

“How is that possible? I thought… I thought mates were supposed to be one soul split into two.”

“For most,” she said, “but not for you. You are unique, Sophia. Your soul has been divided and bound to four others. Each of them plays a role in your destiny, but the path will not be easy.”

I stumbled , shaking my head. “No. This has to be a mistake. I can barely handle the bond with Gabriel. How am I supposed to deal with… with four?”

The Moon Goddess reached out, her hand brushing against my cheek. Her touch was impossibly soft, yet it sent a wave of calmness through me. “You are stronger than you believe. these four bonds will challenge you, yes, but they will also guide you. Trust in yourself, and in them.”

Tears streamed down from my eyes as the weight of her words settled over me. “But why? Why me?”

Her expression grew softer ,her glowing eyes locking onto mine. “Because the fate of many rests upon your shoulders. Your bonds are not a burden—they are a gift. One that will shape the future of this world.”

Her words kept ringing in the room, heavy and final. The light around her began to fade, and she started dissolving into shining pieces of moonlight.

“Wait!” I called, panic rising in my chest. “You can’t just leave me with that! I don’t know what to do!”

Her voice was still there, soft and distant. “You will, Sophia. In time, you will.”

And then she was gone.

The room fell into silence, the glow of the moon outside the only source of light. My knees crumbled and I sank to the floor, my mind racing with everything she had just said.

Four mates. Not one, not two—four. Gabriel, Ethan, and two others I have not even met yet. My chest grew heavier at the thought, the weight of it threatening to crush me.

But even as fear filled through me, a small remains of something else moved deep inside. Hope, maybe. Or maybe a solution. The Moon Goddess believed in me, even if I didn’t believe in myself yet.

I didn’t know what the future held

, but one thing was clear: my life will never be the same after today.