Chapter 26: TWENTY-SIX

M A R K O V

"You really need to tell her the truth now, bro. You can't keep playing with her wolf. It will only end up biting you in the ass." Tristin said as I explained the whole ordeal of Jade's wolf to him.

"No. I'm not going to fucking risk that. Her wolf would immediately tell her about my monster. She is the only one who can feel him, and once she does, I'm going to lose Jade. Which means one thing... I will remain with this curse for the rest of my life."

Tell me something, Markov. Are you more afraid about losing your mate because you love it, or you're scared that you will never be able to get rid of your curse? Is that it?"

"Fuck you, Tristin. You know that's not the reason."

"Really? Because that's exactly what it sounds like. You've literally tied down this girl's wolf for months, and no matter how emotional and depressed she has been because of it, you have never budged and thought about letting her free.

"Because of your selfishness, you have made a girl who has been through so much, and was finally finding happiness, believe that the other half of her was not compatible with her mate. And the worst thing is, you can't even explain the reason why you did what you did. So, tell me, brother, what the fuck do you expect her to do? Be forever grateful to you? Accept the fact that you lied and manipulated her and her wolf for months without an explanation? How do you think she would feel once she finds out that her wolf wasn't sick, but she was in fact, being kept from her by you? How do you think she will feel?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"The hell you didn't have a choice, Markov! There is always a choice! But, you decided to go with the easy one, which is controlling the situation and making decisions for your mate. And the sad thing is, you can't even give her a valid reason, and the moment she finds out the truth, the damage would have already been done. And she will leave. And she will not forgive you. But, you don't care about that, do you? As long as she has the bond, as long as you have a chance of keeping her with you, you would have done anything."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what? Like a concerned friend? Or a friend who cares about you, and wants to help you see the error in your ways and make things right before it's too late? If you keep playing with Jade and her wolf, the consequences will be severe, Markov. You can't lie and manipulate the situation, and expect everything to be fine. Especially since this is about your mate, and she deserves to know the truth. But, you're not the type of man who takes risks, and you're not the kind of man who can let go of what you want. You feel like she wouldn't be able to love you unconditionally if her wolf didn't want you, so you forced yourself into a situation where no one could get hurt. It means you are a fucking coward. And when Jade finds out the truth, and she leaves, I will not stop her, because no woman deserves to be treated the way you're treating her."

"Shut up! Just fucking shut up, Tristin!"

"No. I won't, brother. You're destroying her. You're hurting her. She's already broken. She's been through so much, and no matter how hard it has been for her, she has always managed to pick herself up, and move forward. She has always kept her hope, and she has never given up. The last thing she needed was someone else breaking her. And guess what? That's exactly what you're doing."

"You don't fucking know that. You have no idea what it's like to be alone for centuries, Tristin. No one can understand the loneliness and the despair. So, you can go fuck yourself. I won't allow her to leave. And she will never find out about the truth. You have no idea how much it has taken for me to keep the secret, and the last thing I need is for anyone to tell me how to treat my mate."

"Then, tell her the truth. And let her decide. Because no matter how much she loves you, if her wolf does not accept you, the bond would break, and then, she would leave. It's her right. She has the right to choose if she wants a life with you, or if she wants a life without the man who has hurt her. She is your mate, Markov. Do not destroy her. Because she will not stay with a man who does not respect her or her choices. So, if I were you, I'd think about it."

He got up and walked out, slamming the door behind him, and I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face.

As much as i wanted to hate Tristin for what he said, I knew he was right. But, the thought of losing her, the thought of telling her the truth and having her reject me and run away was a possibility that terrified me.

Now, it wasn't just about the curse, if was about the love I'd craved and was finally getting. The love that had consumed me the moment I laid my eyes on her.

And now, the only thing I was scared of was the rejection, and the loss of the woman who has taken my heart.

If only I could find a way to make her understand, and if only she could accept the part of me that she feared, maybe then, I'd have a chance.

Maybe then, I'd have my happy ending.

But, I had no idea how the fuck to do that.

Jade has a good heart, and no matter how many times she would have tried to deny it, her heart would always yearn for love.

Even when the people she trusted had betrayed her, even when the world seemed cruel and unfair, even when it seemed that life was too hard, and that happiness was a luxury no one deserved, she'd held onto hope.

She'd always believed in the good in the world. And I didn't deserve to be the one who would take her dreams and destroy them.

She was a warrior, and no matter how hard her life had been, she had not allowed herself to succumb to the darkness.

And it was only fair for me to respect her, and give her the truth.

But, I had no idea what the fuck I was going to do.

All I could do was hope that everything will work out in the end.