Shattered Souls (BTS)

Chapter 1: Madeline

Madeline came from a rare home where her mother didn't have a soul mate. From what she knew, not long after her mother discovered she was one of the few unlucky people, she had a one-night stand with a man who later found his soul mate. Her mother was distraught by the tragic news and struggled to be a mother. Her father tried to be there as much as he could but it became difficult when his soul mate fell pregnant.

Most of Madeline's childhood was spent bouncing between two houses, feeling alone and unwanted. Her mother worked regularly to keep them afloat whilst her father was often too busy raising her younger half-siblings.

Because of this, Madeline spent most of her life as a loner. Watching how devastated her mother was over her life, Madeline began to hate the very concept of having a soul mate.

Since her mother had no soul mate, it was highly likely it would pass on to her too. Madeline always hoped that was the case—wishing to avoid heartache and pain. To her, that was all she knew when it came to soulmates.

Whilst she had witnessed her father and his soul mate—June—happy and in love, she never thought it would be possible for her. Not with how much her mom was depressed because of it.

So, not long before her eighteenth birthday, she wasn't worried about a tattoo appearing. In fact, she felt happy and content, knowing it was practically impossible for her.

She spent the evening before her birthday with both of her families, in her father's luxurious home. Her three half-brothers—Creed, Dash, and Lemar—were the only people who were really close to her. None of them held any ill will to her being and hoped that she would have a soul mate who would show her the love she desperately needed.

When the clock struck twelve, Madeline held her breath in anticipation, reciting the same words over and over.

No soul mate. No soul mate.

To her astonishment and her father's family's happiness, Madeline grunted in pain and cradled both of her wrists. Everybody knew what that meant.

Whilst her father and her younger brothers cheered in delight and congratulated her, Madeline felt like her world was imploding. Her mother was sitting in a corner of the room, nursing a red wine, her face unreadable.

It took Madeline a while to process what was happening. Her father was babbling about how happy he was for her to June, who had tears in her eyes.

Her younger brothers were the first to pick up on her inner turmoil. Creed—the oldest and the one she was the closest to—approached her and knelt in front of the couch.

"Mads?" He whispered over the noise. Somehow, she managed to hear him.

"It can't be possible," She murmured, chanting the words over and over in her head. It simply couldn't be.

"How many do you have?"

She hadn't even looked at them. She felt the slight twinge of pain that came from the mark appearing but hadn't been brave enough to sneak a peek yet.

"I—I don't know. I can't look," She panicked, too scared to look.

After asking, Creed twisted both of her wrists and stared at the beautifully written initials. He gasped in shock and snapped his eyes to his brothers. "She has seven."

"Holy shit," Dash exclaimed, catching the attention of everybody else in the room. They all hovered over a frozen Madeline, who was still struggling to process any of it.

"Wow," June mumbled in shock, happy for her stepdaughter. Whilst they weren't related by blood, June considered Madeline to be her daughter. She was the daughter she didn't biologically have. "They're beautiful."