Fated for two : the twins’ human

POV: Theo

The scent of steel and sweat clung to my skin as I landed my final strike, sending my opponent sprawling onto the dirt. He groaned, rolling onto his side, but I barely noticed. My pulse pounded in my ears, my breath ragged, but the tension in my chest refused to ease.

“Enough,” Magnus called, stepping forward from where he’d been watching. “That’s the fifth one you’ve taken down in a row, Theo. You’re pushing too hard.”

I rolled my shoulders, ignoring the ache in my muscles. “I’m fine.”

Beta Magnus gave me a knowing look. “The Moon Ball is in a few hours. You should be getting ready.”

A muscle in my jaw ticked. I knew that. I knew damn well what tonight was.

My first Moon Ball. My first chance to meet my mate.

I had trained for this my entire life—trained to be a leader, a warrior, an Alpha. I had been told since I was a child that I was born for greatness, that my brother and I would lead together, that we would change everything. But none of it mattered without her.

The one meant for me.

The one who would finally quiet the restless, aching need in my soul.

But what if she wasn’t there?

My father had waited fifteen years for my mother. He had searched and suffered, his wolf on the brink of breaking. What if history repeated itself? What if I spent years clawing at the empty space inside me, desperate for something I couldn’t find?

I exhaled sharply, trying to push the thought away.

I turned to Magnus. “One more round.”

Magnus sighed but didn’t argue. He knew better than anyone that I needed this—needed to burn off the energy thrumming in my veins.

I shifted my stance, ready for my next opponent. But before I could move, a familiar voice cut through the training grounds.

“Theodore Nightfang.”

I froze.

I turned slowly to find my mother standing at the edge of the arena, her golden hair catching the light, her warm brown eyes locked onto mine.

She had never used my full name unless I was in trouble.

Shit.

Magnus stepped back immediately, wisely choosing not to get between me and my mother.

I swallowed and forced a smirk. “Hey, Mom.”

Her expression didn’t change. “Why are you here?”

I grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from my face. “Just getting in some extra training.”

Vanessa Cameron Nightfang crossed her arms. “Theodore, it’s your first Moon Ball. You don’t need to be out here beating yourself into the ground.”

I shrugged. “I needed to clear my head.”

Her gaze softened just slightly. “You’re nervous.”

I scoffed. “I’m not nervous.”

She stepped forward, reaching up to brush damp hair from my forehead. It was such a simple gesture, but something about it made my throat tighten.

“You don’t have to pretend with me,” she murmured.

I swallowed hard, staring at the ground.

“I just…” My voice was rough, unsteady. “What if she’s not there tonight?”

My mother exhaled, her fingers brushing my arm. “Then she’s still out there somewhere. And you’ll find her.”

I clenched my jaw. “Dad waited fifteen years.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “And he found me, so it was worth every second.”

I looked at her then, at the warmth in her eyes. Eyes that had comforted my father in his darkest moments.

I had never doubted my parents’ love. It was powerful, unshakable, forged in battle and fate. But I had also heard of my father’s suffering before he found her.

I had known the stories, the way it nearly broke him. He needed potions and spells to keep his wolf under control during the waiting process.

And I wasn’t sure I could survive that kind of waiting.

My mother must have seen the storm in my expression because she squeezed my arm. “You are strong, Theo. No matter what happens tonight, you are not alone. And when the time comes, your mate will be worth every second of waiting.”

I inhaled deeply, letting her words settle inside me.

Then I nodded.

She smiled. “Now, go get ready. I want at least one dance with my son before the night is over.”

I let out a breath of a laugh. “Yes, Luna.”

She rolled her eyes at the title but turned to leave. I watched her go, her presence as steadying as always.

Maybe she was right. Maybe I just had to trust that fate knew what it was doing.

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my path wouldn’t be as simple as waiting.

That something was coming.

And it would change everything.

I stood under the steaming water of the shower, letting the heat ease the tension in my muscles. My mother’s words lingered in my mind, but they hadn’t erased the tight knot in my chest.

I wanted to believe that my mate would be there tonight. That I wouldn’t have to wait.

That I wouldn’t be alone.

By the time I stepped out of the shower and threw on a towel, the evening had settled in. The palace was alive with the sounds of preparation—the staff moving quickly through the halls, the distant hum of music floating in from the grand ballroom.

The Moon Ball was beginning.

I stepped into my room, rubbing my hair with a towel, but I wasn’t surprised to find Xander already there.

He sat casually in one of the chairs near the fireplace, legs crossed, a crystal glass in his hand. He wasn’t dressed yet, still in dark slacks and an unbuttoned dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up. His Nightfang family ring caught the light as he swirled whatever expensive whiskey he’d probably stolen from our father’s collection.

He glanced up at me, his sharp blue eyes assessing.

“You look like you trained all day,” he said.

I scoffed, tossing my towel onto a chair. “You say that like it’s not my usual look.”

His lips twitched. “Fair enough.”

I went to my wardrobe, pulling out the tailored black suit waiting for me. Xander, of course, would wear his perfectly, every button in place, every detail precise. Mine would end up a little undone by the end of the night. I was too restless to sit still in stiff, formal clothes for long.

“Training before the Moon Ball?” Xander mused, sipping his drink. “Very primal of you.”

“Needed to burn off energy,” I muttered, fastening my cufflinks.

Xander watched me, his gaze shrewd. “You’re worried.”

I didn’t answer.

He set his drink down on the table beside him. “You think about it more than I do.”

I exhaled sharply. “You don’t think about it?”

He tilted his head slightly. “Not the same way you do.”

That was the difference between us. I felt everything like a wildfire—too hot, too fast, burning through me before I could stop it. Xander was colder, more controlled, playing the long game.

I envied him for that.

I tugged on my jacket, adjusting the collar. “You really don’t care if your mate is there tonight?”

Xander leaned back in his chair, considering. “Of course, I care. But if she isn’t… then she isn’t. I’ll find her, and you will find yours too.”

I clenched my jaw. “And if it takes years, like Dad?”

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he exhaled, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Then we wait.”

I looked at him, and for the first time, I saw the crack in his composure.

He didn’t want to wait either.

But he was better at hiding it.

Before I could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.

We both turned as it swung open, revealing the one person who could silence us both.

Liam Nightfang, Alpha King of the most powerful pack in existence.

And our father.