Chapter 6: Soulmate Rules

Am I really Marcus’s soulmate?

The word echoed in my head like a dare. Did I want to be? What would that even mean for someone like me?

If I don’t go to him, will he really be in danger?

The question gnawed at me, refusing to let go. I paced back and forth on the cracked sidewalk outside the bar, my breath clouding in the chill air.

After leaving the bar, I was still torn.

I stood under the buzzing streetlight, phone pressed to my ear, trying to decide. For once, I didn’t know what to do.

After a lot of hesitation, I pulled out my phone and called my best friend, Tanya.

She was always my voice of reason, my anchor when things got weird. Her blunt honesty had saved me more times than I could count.

Her partner is also a half-demon.

They’d met in college, bonded over their shared love of horror movies and spicy ramen. If anyone knew about half-demon soulmate drama, it was Tanya.

I woke her up and asked if the soulmate thing for half-demons was real.

She yawned. "Rach, what’s up? You know it’s one in the freaking morning, right?"

"Soulmate? Of course, Caleb and I are soulmates."

She didn’t hesitate. There was pride in her voice. I heard Caleb mumble something in the background.

"God, when we met for a coffee date, the first handshake made him sprout horns and a tail right there—scared a bunch of people, almost got us kicked out of the café."

She laughed, remembering the chaos. I pictured her partner, Caleb, trying to hide behind a tiny potted plant.

"Later, after we got together, I found out that’s what happens when a half-demon meets their soulmate."

Her tone softened. “It’s intense, Rach. Like, soul-deep intense. You don’t forget it.”

"Why do you ask? Did you meet a half-demon who recognized you as his soulmate?"

I didn’t answer, just awkwardly changed the subject.

I stammered, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. Tanya was too sharp—she’d know if I was lying.

"Then if… just hypothetically, if a half-demon hits adulthood after meeting his soulmate, but someone else helps him through it, does it matter?"

I winced, waiting for her judgment. It sounded silly out loud, but I needed to know.

Tanya paused; this was clearly beyond her knowledge.

I heard her shift, the sheets rustling. She was thinking hard.

Then her partner, Caleb, chimed in from the background.

His voice was groggy but clear. "If a half-demon meets their soulmate before adulthood, then for life it’s only that person. If he can’t win their love, his adulthood gets delayed, and even when it comes, it’s way rougher than normal…"

He sounded older than his years, like he’d lived through it himself. I could hear Tanya’s breath catch as he continued.

"As for getting someone else to help him through adulthood after finding his soulmate… that’s impossible. Half-demons can’t betray their soulmate. They might even choose death."

The words sent a chill down my spine. It sounded final, terrifying.

Tanya quickly asked, "What’s going on? Which half-demon did you meet?"

She was in full big-sister mode now. I could hear her sitting up, ready to drive across town if I needed her.

"Is it Marcus?"

I forced a laugh and quickly hung up.

I couldn’t face her questions—not now. My heart was pounding too fast. I needed to act, not talk.

Everyone around me knows I don’t like Marcus.

It’s practically a running joke. Tanya’s teased me about it for years. I always denied it, but maybe I was just afraid of what it really meant.

But now someone tells me I’m his soulmate.

The idea gnawed at my brain. Destiny wasn’t supposed to look like this—messy, painful, urgent.

And if I don’t love him, he could die.

My breath hitched. The weight of it was crushing.

For a moment, my heart was a mess.

A swirl of guilt, fear, confusion. My hands shook as I unlocked my phone again, hesitating only a second longer.

But in the end, I still called a rideshare and rushed to Marcus’s place.

I couldn’t let him down. Not now, not after everything.