Chapter 84 Unnatural
She gently pulled Maya away and looked at her with genuine confusion. "I'm sorry, but are we close?"
All Maya could do was cry.
The effect of the forced mate bond rejection had hit Lila the most. While Adrian felt nothing, Lila had lost every single memory yet felt strongly hurt, sad and pained. Yet she couldn't tell what had happened or why she carried such deep sadness inside her chest.
She couldn't even remember she'd had a mate, rejected him, been chased away by her family and was now nothing but a maid.
That loss of memory made Maya devastatingly sad. How would they fight now?
How would she tell Lila she'd seen masked men moving the rapid wolf's body through the back entrance three nights ago? How would she explain that the leader directing them had been none other than Garrett, the very man supposedly exiled temporary as a suspect for Celeste's murder?
Sydney ran frantically to inform Freya about the current situation with Lila. Her heart pounded as she hurried through the corridors, her mind racing with what she'd overheard.
But Freya wasn't in her chambers as expected. When another servant directed her toward the king's quarters, Sydney didn't think twice before running in that direction.
All Sydney felt for Lila was a strong pull of pity. She couldn't understand why. She'd never cared or allowed anybody to matter to her through her years serving in the palace. She'd served with her head straight and her face stern and it had brought her to where she was today. But this new lady, now reduced to a maid, just...
Sydney's thoughts got interrupted as she bumped hard into someone. Strong hands caught her shoulders to steady her so she wouldn't fall. When her eyes lifted, she saw Keal standing before her.
Shocked and wide-eyed, she quickly bowed her head, afraid of being punished. As maids, you spoke to your superiors with your head down in proper deference.
"I'm sorry, Lord Keal." Sydney's voice came out almost breathless from running.
But Keal didn't respond with words. His footsteps moved past her and continued down the corridor. As he walked by, the soft scent of wood and fresh sweet leaves hit her nose, clean and earthy.
His boots sounded against the stone floor as he walked away. Sydney gasped but closed her mouth quickly. This was the first time she'd ever noticed the scent of a male wolf in such a familiar yet sweet way. It was distinctive, pleasant in a way she hadn't expected.
But Sydney didn't dwell on it. As soon as Keal's footsteps faded, she resumed her hurried walk straight to the Alpha's office where Freya had been disclosed to be.
\---
In Adrian's office, Freya sat relaxed in one of the chairs as she discussed Lila's situation with Adrian, who'd asked about her condition.
"She's just woken in shock. Nothing too serious to be concerned about."
"And me?" Adrian's voice carried frustration. "Why can't I feel any form of emotion towards her? Not even the slightest pity or concern."
Freya laughed, the sound dry and knowing. "That's because she rejected you. The bond was severed from her side completely."
"But I am the Alpha!" Adrian slammed his hands on the wooden table, the sound echoing through the room. "How can a weak wolf do that to someone of my rank?"
Freya had no real answer to that question. The powers that had radiated from Lila that night still left her puzzled and slightly uneasy.
She was yet to fully understand the extent of damage the ritual had caused, even though it seemed to only affect Adrian's emotions. She wasn't entirely certain what Lila would become or what lingering effects might surface.
But she could never admit that uncertainty. She'd been sitting and reveling over the victory of the successful rejection she'd been paid handsomely to perform.
Only a few more days of watching for any loose ends remained before she could leave this palace with her coins and her reputation intact. She would keep playing her role until then.
Freya stood up slowly. "What were you expecting when you accepted my offer? When you called me to come rescue your kingdom from the curse? When you went on the journey of rejection despite knowing the cost?" Her voice was calm but pointed. "This is the result of the sacrifice you paid. You wanted the bond severed and it is. Completely."
Adrian wanted to feel rage. Wanted to throw something or shout or transform into his wolf form and tear through the furniture. He wanted to feel angry and powerful enough to react properly to what had been taken from him. But all he could feel was strange calm towards this entire matter, as if discussing weather rather than the loss of his fated mate.
He sighed, and he hated that he did. That wasn't the reaction he wanted. That wasn't who he was supposed to be.
If this was his own effect from the ritual, what about Lila? What had it done to her?
"And Li..." Adrian started to voice the question forming in his mind.
The door burst open violently before he could finish. Sydney rushed in, panting so hard she could barely form words. She only pointed desperately toward the direction of Lila's chambers, her chest heaving with exertion.
Freya understood sharply what the gesture meant. She walked out quickly without another word, her mind racing through a million possibilities at once. What was Lila's side effect from the rejection? Had something gone wrong?
Freya's worst fear was discovering Lila still possessed some position where she could reconnect the mate bond.
Because if that happened, it would only be a matter of time before it linked back to Adrian. That would mean all her careful work was for nothing. The rejection would unravel and she'd lose everything she'd been paid to accomplish.
Worse, she wondered if Lila had somehow understood the powers she controlled during that moment under the moon. If the girl realized what she was capable of, everything could fall apart.
So Freya walked at a pace that was almost running, her robes swishing around her ankles.
Adrian didn't sit back down. He followed immediately, wanting to confirm for himself what was happening. Perhaps, maybe, if he saw Lila directly, his feelings might return. Maybe proximity would break through whatever wall the ritual had built.
Did he still choose to keep loving Lila? Hadn't he captured her specifically to end the curse? Why did he now want the pain back instead of basking in the freedom he'd gained?
Adrian was caught in a haze of confusion. He didn't understand why he wanted to feel something, anything, rather than continue in this empty calm that felt wrong and unnatural.