Chapter 13: Crossed Hearts

༺𝓣𝓐𝓡𝓐༻

I did not let myself think about the feel of his arms, or the fact that I could feel his honesty through the bond. None of that mattered to me because I did not plan on staying for long.

His room was on the eastern wing, the wing I was forbidden from going to without permission, and I dreaded the journey back to my room in the western wing.

My steps were focused, one  after the other, the echo of my boots sounding against the stone floor drowned out everything else. The castle was huge. It swallowed me easily. The sunlight poured through the tall windows, stripping shadows of any comfort.

This kingdom was strange. It was as though they lived in the 18th or 19th century, nothing like the world I knew. No cars, no phones, no internet, nothing.

I turned a corner without thinking and nearly collided with a servant, who immediately bowed and stepped aside. I sighed as others followed suit as I passed. I was used to being respected in Ashenbrook, but this was different. This was because I was the Alpha’s mate and not because I deserved it. The thought alone angered me.

I stopped near a carved pillar, my breath shallow but steady. Straight ahead, I could see Willow walking hastily towards the opposite direction. I rose my hand  and shout her name, waving at her in the process.

Her face lifted as she recognized who was calling for her. She trotted over, her chestnut-colored hair that was braided loosely down her back flowed freely. When she was close, her smile dropped and her expression flickered with concern before settling into something gentler.

“Would you like some air?” She asked gently.

Not are you alright?

Not what happened?

And I appreciated that more than I could say.

“Yes,” I replied. “The garden perhaps? I haven’t been.”

She nodded, “Alright, milady” and fell into step beside me without another word.

I allowed her to lead, not familiar with the path. The garden laid beyond a series of open archways. The old stones gave way to greenery in gradual stages.

First the creeping vines, then the patches of moss softening the edges of the marble floor. The air smelled clean, and I took in a deep refreshing breath.

“This is one of the older gardens,” Willow said casually. “It is usually abandoned.”

“You don’t mean it,” I exclaimed. “It is such a beautiful place to be. I have never seen so many flowers packed in one place.”

She smiled warmly at my response. “It was designed for reflection more than display.”

I nodded, my attention caught by the path beneath our feet, etched faintly with diamond-shaped markings worn thin by time. Diamond shapes again.

I looked around. My pace slowed. I have seen this before.

Not the garden itself—but the layout. The way the paths curved instead of intersecting sharply. I looked around again.

The map.

That is where I had seen this.

Not the garden itself, but the layout. So it was real, not just a drawing. If my memory served me right, there was a hidden chamber around, leading to I don’t know where. I need to find it sometime, it might aid in my escape.

We continued walking. Willow spoke of small things, like what bloomed best in what season and which flowers were best to gift your lover. I listened, but only half-heartedly, my attention was on memorizing the paths we took.

Willow stopped abruptly. “I’ll just be a moment,” she said, drifting a few steps beside to examine a cluster of flowers near a low wall.

I nodded and wandered forwards on my own.

After walking on for a while, I heard a laughter that piqued my interest. It was deep yet soft.

I slowed, my steps instinctive. The sound came from beyond a hedge near one of the garden’s outer terraces. I needed to keep walking ahead, but curiosity got the best of me.

I took a turn, towards the sound and I edged closer, just enough to see through the break in the greenery.

Caden stood there.

He had not armors on him, no rigid posture. He was leaning casually against a stone column, his disheveled hair catching the sunlight.

He laughed again, and that was when I noticed he wasn’t alone.

A woman stood close to him, her hand resting against his arm as she spoke. There was ease between them. Whatever she said made him smile. Whatever made him smile made my stomach coil. I recognized this feeling immediately.

He rolled onto his knees, still laughing, before standing straight. A real laughter. Not the polite ones he reserved for me.

Before I could look away, she leaned in. He met her halfway, his laughter disappearing almost instantly.

The kiss was rushed but they seemed familiar with it, as if it was natural. As if it had happened before and it would happen again.

My chest tightened. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way. But there was a brief, humiliating flicker of awareness that I had imagined a closeness with Caden that did not exist. I know he was a werewolf, but unlike the monster I grew up hating. Unlike Jaxon.

The woman pulled back, smiling as she murmured something to him. I didn’t recognize her. Maybe she didn’t live in the castle.

Then as if feeling my eyes, he looked straight at me. Our gazes locked. Just for a moment.

His eyes widened slightly, surprise crossing his face, definitely not expecting me to be here. Something else crossed his face—concern or perhaps guilt?

I didn’t wait to decipher. I stepped back instantly, turning on my heel before he could stop me or say something. My heart pounded with the discomfort of having been caught intruding on a private moment .

By the time Willow joined me, my expression was composed—I hoped.

“You alright?” She asked gently.

I swallowed. “Of course.” Then after a pause, added, “just warm.”

She nodded, accepting the answer without pressing.

We continued deeper into the garden. The air thickened as we moved, heavy with warmth and moisture. Steam curled faintly through the foliage ahead.

Willow slowed. “The hot springs are just beyond here,” she said. “They are usually quite.”

I nodded. The place felt…private. Sacred in a way that had nothing to do with gods and goddesses.

We turned away and headed to the castle. As we walked back along the looping path, the sight of Caden with another woman burned into my mind, and I knew with a sinking certainty that my heart had just been caught in a crossfire.