by Thea Chin
Thea Chin
42nd Moon
The Woe of Soulmates
Copyright © 2021 by Thea Chin
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
First edition
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To Styz with special thanks to Kit for letting me bully her into editing this thing.
。。。
Moon, moon way up high
Tell me, why is it that you cry?
Your glow illuminates tears you’ve shed
Casting sorrow upon my bed.
“Child, child off to sleep
The Sun, my love, is why I weep.
Each night I seek, yet each night he hides
Leaving at the altar his broken bride.”
Moon, moon, don’t wail, don’t wane
For the sun will rise again.
Seek him, hold him, don’t let him flee
Or again woe will be upon thee.
62 Years Ago
“Someone, someday, will find out, Jacque. You and the Council cannot get away with this.” The man coughs out another mouthful of blood. Beside him, a crown lays broken in two on the marble floor.
“Oh, I already have, old man. And it’s all thanks to you. Prophecies? Fate? Only a fool would believe in such things.” He takes his time sliding his finger down a selection of swords only to turn back around empty-handed as long, sharp teeth protruding from his mouth. “Luckily, this kingdom is full of fools.”
A howl pierces into the moonless sky as the sound of a rolling head echoes through the chambers.
Child, child off to sleep.
1 Week Ago
“Knowledge set number 1204176: inserted.”
“Testing commencing. Walk.”
“Jump.”
“Sit.”
“Blink.”
“Sleep.”
“Testing completed. Experiment ready for soulmating.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
* * *
The white lights of the hospital glare harshly into her eyes. A throbbing on her left wrist only adds to the discomfort.
“Miss Tsujii? Are you awake?”
Tsujii? Who is that? With great effort, she blinks open her eyes and past the blinding hospital lights to see a doctor reaching down to her with hands wrapped in blue procedural gloves. Dr. Lawrence, her name tag reads.
“Who?” she croaks, throat dry from the lack of usage.
“Tsukiko Tsujii. That’s you, Miss,” Dr. Lawrence tells her. “It seems you have suffered a great head injury, so I suppose it isn’t a surprise that your memory is a little jumbled. We’ll have to keep an eye on that. No worries, you are in stable condition. A nurse will be here to tend to your needs.”
Tsukiko nods slowly, and the doctor turns to leave. Tuskiko reaches to touch her head, and indeed finds bandages there. That’s odd, she thinks, it’s not her head that hurts, but her left wrist. She looks down and sees a strange, sideways S-shaped tattoo there.
“Miss Tsujii?”
Tsukiko looks up to see the promised nurse bringing over some soup and juice along with a piece of paper.
“Hello,” she answers to the name uncertainty.
“Congratulations!” the nurse cheers. “Upon reviewing your academic records, we here at St. Valentine Memorial Hospital have decided to award you, our annual scholarship winner, with a full scholarship for the rest of your college career!”
“College?” she echoed.
“You don’t remember?” the nurse frowns. “You’ve just transferred to Lynford University for Organic Chemistry! Quick, what is the name of this?” She draws a hexagon on her clipboard.
“Cyclohexane,” she replies almost instinctively. When did she learn that? She guesses she did bump her head after all.
“Oh good,” sighs the nurse. “I was afraid we would have to rescind the scholarship. If you could just sign here to indicate that you accept the funds, please.”
She hands her the clipboard and Tsukiko reads over the form. Nothing is out of the ordinary—she must graduate timely, maintain at least a certain grade point average, stay out of legal troubles, et cetera—so she signs and hands the papers back to the nurse.
“Great!” the medical professional smiles brightly. “Oh! And here’s your soup. Eat it slowly! Your stomach hasn’t been in use for quite some time.”
Current Day
“Is anyone sitting here?”
Jaiden raises his head from the chemistry homework that he has totally done to see a girl gesturing to a seat in front of him.
“Leiah?” he breaths.
“No?” she replies. The blue ends of her hair slip over her shoulder.
“Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else,” he hurriedly explains as a blush blooms on his face. “Someone’s sitting there, but the guy over there just transferred out.” He points to an orange chair left of where she indicated.
“Thanks,” Tsukiko smiles and slides into the said spot.
“I’m Jaiden Han,” he introduces himself. “Just got off the waitlist?”
“Tsukiko Tsujii,” she returns. “And yeah. I hope I’m not too far behind.”
“Don’t worry. We just went over safety and where everything is last week,” Jaiden says with a shake of his head. “I’d show you my notes, but it’s probably better if you looked at Darren’s.” He gestures to the chair she previously asked about. “He should be here any moment.”
As if on cue, a male walks through the door and greets Jaiden with a wave. At that moment, time stands still. Tsukiko can feel her heart beating in her wrist and heat rushing to her face. This phenomenon, she has no explanation for. Sure, he is tall and very attractive, but not to the extent where she feels literally dizzy.
She isn’t alone with the sensations though. Darren too stands in shell-shock with his eyes wide and jaw dropped.
The only thing that brings them both back to reality is a voice from the hall.
“Darren? Babe, are you here already?”
Whom Tsukiko assumes is Darren turns around with open arms and greets the most gorgeous blue eye, blonde hair woman Tsukiko thinks she will ever see. The newcomer jumps into them, and he wraps her into a hug.
“Hey, Terena. What are you doing here? Don’t you have class right now too?”
Tsukiko furrows her brows, wondering why she is feeling like a pit is gouging into her stomach. This is ridiculous, she tells herself. He has a girlfriend, and she has just met him. Still, Tsukiko begins to gnaw at her cheeks, impatiently awaiting Terena’s departure.
“I missed you since you canceled our picnic date yesterday. It was a full moon and everything too; it could have been so romantic.”
“Sorry, Sweetcakes. I’ll make it up to you. I promise,” Darren apologizes and rubs her back.
“You better,” she pouts. “I have to go now, but you didn’t forget that handbag I was talking about last week did you?” She tiptoes to kiss Darren on the lips and then waves to Jaiden. “Bye guys!”
Jaiden waves back and waits for her to leave before teasing his friend. “What are you, a sugar daddy?”
“You’re just jealous,” Darren si
ghs dreamily, pulling up an online store website from his phone.
“Anyway,” Jaiden transitions, “this is Tsukiko Tsujii. Tsukiko, Darren Dust, my Mu Alpha brother. She just got off the waitlist, so could you show her your notes?”
Darren turns his head towards Tsukiko with narrowed eyes. A bead of sweat forms on his temple as the two make eye contact.
“No,” he mutters.
Jaiden blinks in surprise. “What the heck dude? It’s just your notes.” He turns to the girl. “Sorry, he’s not usually like this, I swear.” And back to Darren. “Come on, bro. You’re the one who always says no one can read my handwriting. That’s why we’re asking you.”
Darren grunts but complies. He leans his head on one hand while handing her his notebook with the other lazily.
“Thank you,” she says with uncertainty. Her heart leaps when their fingers come into accidental contact.
Jaiden apologizes for his friend once more, and soon, Tsukiko is busy copying notes. He leans forward and whispers, “Yo, what’s wrong with you? You were totally fine when Terena was here.”
“It’s nothing,” Darren growls.
“You don’t need to bite off my h—”
Jaiden’s eyes grow big once the gears in his brain fit together. With a gasp, he grabs Darren’s right wrist and pulls his sleeve up.
“What the heck?” snaps the taller of the two.
“Oh my moon,” Jaiden breathes as he stares at the glowing bracelet of tattoos on Darren’s wrist. The ring of pattern is complete everywhere but a spot on the inside of his wrist, a spot he now knows Tsukiko has the complimenting part to. “She’s your soulmate!”
“Could you say that any louder?” Darren hisses, pulling his sleeve back down to hide the golden glow.
“Sorry,” Jaiden apologizes. “But what about Terena?”
“That’s exactly why I’m being so rude!”
“But she’s your soulmate! You can’t just ignore her!”
“And Terena’s my girlfriend, so what’s your point?” Darren challenges.
“I’m done. Thanks, Darren,” Tsukiko, unaware of the conversation between the two, interrupts.
Jaiden narrows his eyes at his friend while burying his nose in his forearms on the table, thinking about Darren’s stubbornness for the rest of lecture.
* * *
“You’ve got to tell Chan.”
“No, I don’t! We just have to get through this semester without any incidents and everything will go back to normal.”
“You can’t do that! You aren’t physically capable of doing that!”
“Why not? You should know better than anyone that we’re just fine without our soulmates.”
Jaiden bites his lip and looks elsewhere.
Realizing what he had just let slip, Darren quickly rubs his friend on the back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay. I mean, I see your point, but I think we should still tell Chan. He’s the alpha after all.”
“I—”
“Tell me what, Dust?”
Jaiden looks at Darren. He sighs and rolls up his sleeve.
“This,” he begins. “It was glowing earlier today.”
Chan gasps. “Really? For whom?”
“A new girl in lab lecture,” Jaiden answers this time.
“Oh, I see what the problem is,” Chan frowns. “Miss Taylor.”
Darren nods with his head down.
“And I don’t suppose you are planning to break up with her.”
A head shake.
Chan folds his arms and looks to the sky with a soft hum.
“We don’t have to be with our soulmates, right?” Darren asks tentatively.
“No,” agrees Chan. “It’s just that she’s more compatible with you than anyone else in the universe, and there’s the whole power enhancement thing when you’re near each other too. Not to mention things are smoother with the Council when you are.”
He flinches at the mention of their government. “So are you going to order me to end things with Terena?”
“No,” Chan says again. “That would be awful of me, and if the universe has a plan, then it’ll be what it’ll be. Just remember—”
“I can’t mate with Terena, I know,” Darren finishes.
Chan gives him an approving pat on the shoulder. “Don’t forget.”
* * *
“And then he turns the light back on wearing the freakiest Halloween mask!”
“Seriously?” Tsukiko laughs.
Jaiden can’t help but smile with her. “Cross my heart! Whoever designed the frat house was not thinking when they installed glass shower doors.”
“Hey guys.”
They both turn to see Darren dragging his feet down the hall behind them.
“Good morning,” Tsukiko greets, her blood rushing to her face like it does every time she sees him, but it’s worse this time upon seeing his fluffy bed-head poking out of his oversized hoodie.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?” Darren scowls while smacking his housemate behind the head. “I used to be the one who has to drag you out of bed, but now you’re early to this 8am lab?”
Jaiden returns the gesture. “New school year, new me, you know? I just thought I should stop being late and skipping classes all the time.”
“Whatever,” Darren sighs groggily. He catches sight of the box Jaiden is carrying. “So what are you up to?”
“Just helping Ki move her equipment into the lab since she joined late.”
The girl nods appreciatively, and Darren raises an eyebrow. ‘Ki?’
“By the way, we’re choosing lab partners today,” Jaiden tells her. “Want to pair up?”
Tsukiko looks between him and his frat brother who has his jaw rightfully dropped.
“I uh…” she stutters.
Darren pulls his friend to the side. “I know what you’re doing, and I’m telling you, it’s not going to work, okay?” he hisses.
“What do you mean?” Jaiden innocently replies. “She got everything right on last lecture’s worksheet, and I’m trying to pass this class, alright?”
He breaks free from Darren with a sly grin and turns back to Tsukiko. “Well?”
She looks at the box he’s helping her carry then at him then at Darren then back to him. “Okay, I guess.”
“Sweet!” cheers Jaiden, quickening his pace to the classroom.
* * *
“Did you submerge the palladium?” Tsukiko asks when she returns from rinsing the reaction tubes.
Jaiden’s hands fly up in the air. “I just tossed it!”
“Well you better find it!” the TA hollers from across the lab.
Jaiden squeaks and does as told.
“What an idiot,” Darren chuckles from beside her now that Jaiden vacated the seat between them. He then suddenly remembers who he is talking to and coughs awkwardly, swirling his reaction in ice.
“Jaiden said the TA is his fraternity big,” Tsukiko offers to keep the conversation going, but immediately regrets it. Of course Darren already knew that.
It works though; the awkwardness of the conversation makes him speak. “He thought Matthews would just go easy on him, but it seems like he’s expecting more from his little instead.”
“And from you, Dust,” Mark Matthews, the graduate student instructor for the lab, teases as he walks by.
“Yes, Sir!”
He tries to salute the man but instead accidentally knocks over a TLC chamber, spilling its contents all over his hand. Tsukiko lets out a small gasp and rushes him to the sink.
“Rinse for five minutes!” Mark calls after them. “It’s just ethanol, but tell me if you still feel irritations afterwards!”
In a haste, Tsukiko turns on the faucet and thrusts Darren’s hands under while pulling off his gloves. To avoid his sleeves from getting wet, she also pulls them up, revealing a ring of glowing patterns.
“Your ink glows?” she breathes at their beauty.
; “I had it tattooed yellow,” Darren snaps, pulling his sleeve back down and turning his back towards her. “Don’t you have stuff to do?”
Tsukiko flinches at his sudden change in tone. “I’m sorry… I’ll go now.”
Her pained voice stirs something in Darren, but there isn’t anything he can do now but watch her make her way to her station where Jaiden has returned.
“Grumpy again, isn’t he?” the boy sighs. “I thought you two were making progress earlier.”
“He hates me, doesn’t he?”
“He doesn’t hate you. Well okay, maybe he does, but he doesn’t hate you hate you,” Jaiden tries to explain, waving his hands around to depict his thoughts.
“Did I do something wrong?” she continues.
“Definitely not,” he assures her. “Darren just… takes some time to get used to people. Don’t mind him too much.”
Tsukiko nods slowly and turns back to her post-lab worksheets.
“Say, our frat is holding a back-to-school party this Friday. Do you want to come? Maybe you can get closer to Darren then and meet the other brothers. You can bring your friends too,” Jaiden invites, offering her a ticket.
Friends? Tsukiko can’t remember if she has any of those. If she does, none have reached out since her discharge yet. Jaiden seems like a nice guy, and maybe this is her chance to meet some more.
“Sure,” she decides, taking his invite. “Thanks!”
* * *
“You invited her?”
“As my guest. Chill!”
“You’re the one who’s gonna need to chill when I beat you at beer pong later,” Darren smirks. “Now if you’d excuse me, my girlfriend just arrived.”
Jaiden just hums into his bottle, the glass vibrating a note as he does so. He walks out to the pool and takes in the rowdiness before him. He shifts his attention to the stretch of mountain to the side of the house when a familiar figure passes by him hurriedly.
“Leiah?” he calls.
The person turns around, and her ombre blue hair follows.
“Jaiden! I was looking for you!” Tsukiko exclaims, rushing towards him.
