Three Fated Hearts

~Portia~I’ve been dreading today for weeks now. I hate that I have to go back home, but I have no choice. My name is Portia Colby, but I go by Tia. I’m a part of the Emerald Lake pack, where my father is the head warrior, and my mother is a pack doctor. I have older twin sisters that are the apple of everyone’s eye. They are four years older than me and my father’s favorite. He dotes on them and spoils them. To him, they are his everything, and I’m just a mistake. No, he literally told me that I was a mistake. He said he didn't want any more pups after my sisters because they were already perfect. He and mom have gotten into many arguments over this. She says that is an ugly attitude to have. She loves all of her kids, though I think she likes me better. I've never asked because I don't want to put my mom on the spot like that. My sisters have always been indifferent to me. They only acknowledge me when they have to, never going out of their way for me for any reason. I honestly th

~Landon~“Portia…..Portia Colby.” She sighs and looks down at her ankle, inspecting the damage. “Tia.” “What?”“I said, it’s Tia.” She sighs again and tries to get up. I quickly move to her side, grabbing her hand. She pulls away at first but then places her hand in mine, and the sparks fly. My body shivers at the contact, and I have to take a deep breath to stay focused. I place my other hand on her elbow and help her off of the ground. She leans into me, trying to keep pressure off of her ankle. I know it will heal pretty soon, but it looks kind of bad right now.“Why ‘Tia’?” She turns her head to me and raises an eyebrow.“Huh?”“Why do you go by Tia?” She chuckles a bit, but there is no humor in her voice. “Do you know what the name Portia means?” I shake my head. Truth be told, I never really thought about what people’s names mean. “It means, well, in many circles, it means pig or hog. Shakespeare meant it in a different way, but that wasn’t the intended meaning when the name

~Landon~I feel the bed next to me, but it’s empty. I open my eyes and come face to face with the eyes of my brother. Tia isn’t there. I sit up and look around the room, but there is nothing to see. Lincoln heads to the restroom but comes back quickly and shakes his head. I have no idea where she went or how long she has been gone. Trent?Yes, Alpha Landon.I need you to find someone. Find Portia Colby. See where she is. Check with her family if need be.Yes sir.“Trent is going to look for her.” Lincoln nods and sits on the edge of the bed.“Thank you.” “For?”“For talking to me last night. I really needed that. I don’t want to lose out on our mate.” I reach over and pat Lincoln on the back. I head into the restroom to shower and get dressed. I throw on some jeans, a long-sleeved v-neck sweater and a pair of Timberlands. When I come out of the closet dressed, Lincoln is sitting on the bed, having changed as well. He has on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt with Air Forces.

~Tia~I swear I cried the entire way back to my apartment. The four-hour drive was filled with sniffling and wailing. I have no idea what went through the minds of anyone who noticed me while I was driving. I can’t say that I’m surprised at what happened. I could have guessed the outcome would have been something like that. My dad only wants the best for his amazing daughters, and here I am, just getting in the way of that. I’d imagine that I will get a rejection letter or something in the next day or two. Let’s face facts. There is nothing I can offer the Alphas that my sisters couldn’t provide tenfold. Times like this, with high stress and anxiety, I usually shift into Andricia and let nature bring me back to a more manageable state. There is no way I can do that today because if I shift into Andricia, she will just hightail it right back home to the pack. She has been whining for her mates since I got on the road, and it has taken everything in me to fight the urge to turn back.

~Lincoln~I step toward my mate, wanting to grab her and show her exactly how I feel about her. I want to prove to her what I can really do, what I can make happen. How could she tell us apart?I have no idea, L, but I guess that’s a good thing.“How could you tell it was me and not Landon?” Tia seems surprised by my question. I know it doesn’t pertain to our discussion, but I’m curious. “It’s simple, really. Your scents give you away.” Landon and I look at each other, confused. Tia chuckles. “Both of you have a strong peppermint scent. Lincoln, yours is mixed with grapefruit, while Landon’s is mixed with lemon.” Tia shrugs her shoulders as if the explanation is obvious, and maybe it is to her.“That’s a weird combination, but it doesn’t matter. We are here to get to know you, and we want you to get to know us. We have been waiting for you, and we won’t let you go. Linc is right; anyone who doesn’t approve can leave the pack.” Tia looks over to Landon and back at me. Her stomach gru