Chapter 67: SIXTY SIX

CAMILLE'S POV

I slowly blinked my eyes open, the warmth of the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains gently coaxing me out of my slumber.

When I shifted in bed, I became acutely aware of the weight of Dimitri's arm draped over my waist.

I could also feel his steady breaths tickling the back of my neck.

Turning onto my side, I gazed at him, my heart swelling at the sight of him at peace beside me.

His features looked soft in the morning light. I fixated my attention on the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest with each breath.

It reminded me of the first time we met. He looked just as pretty.

I couldn't help myself. I reached out, trailing my fingers through his tousled bedhead.

Despite being a tangled mess, his hair felt unbelievably soft beneath my touch.

It was a tangled mess of curls—a testament to the passion we had shared just hours before.

I couldn't help but smile as I remembered the events of last night, the way he had made me feel more alive than I had ever felt before. It had been the best night of my life, a moment of passion and intimacy that had left me breathless and craving more.

And here he was, lying next to me. Except this time, he was no stranger. He was my mate and the father of my children.

Closing my eyes, I nestled closer to him, savoring the warmth of his body against mine and hoping that it would never end. But like all good things, It has to end.

Just as I snuggled closer to Dimitri, there was a loud knock on the door.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I realized I was in Dimitri's room. I had spent the night here, wrapped in his embrace, lost in the ecstasy of his touch and his kisses. Whoever was at the other side of the door would be able to tell, given my presence in Dimitri's quarters. I felt shy and vulnerable, unsure of how to face whoever was on the other side of that door.

Dimitri stirred beside me, his eyes fluttering open as he registered the incessant knocking.

He looked at me, his gaze soft and filled with affection, and I couldn't help but blush under his gaze.

"Hello, beautiful," he whispered.

"There is someone at your door," I whispered back, pushing the covers over my naked body.

"Who is it?" he called out, his voice husky with sleep.

"It's just me, Your Majesty," came the muffled reply from the other side of the door. It sounded an awful lot like Neal. That made it ten times worse for no apparent reason. I was going to die from embarrassment.

"Neal?" Dimitri queried.

"Yes. I'm sorry to disturb you, but it is important."

Dimitri's expression darkened at the news. I watched him sulk, and he instinctively pulled me closer to his body as if seeking solace in my presence.

"Are you sure that it cannot wait?" He asked. "I am kind of busy."

As he said those words, he leaned in for a kiss. It was chaste this time around, right on my cheek.

"Your Majesty, I am afraid this cannot wait." I couldn't help but notice that Neal's voice sounded different. Grave even.

Dimitri must have noticed it too, because he looked as puzzled as I was.

"What happened?" Dimitri demanded.

The Beta hesitated for a moment before replying, "Tragedy has befallen the castle."

Without another word, Dimitri rose from the bed, his movements swift and decisive. He released me from his embrace and sat up, his demeanor shifting from that of a tender lover to a commanding ruler in an instant.

"Come in," he instructed, his voice firm.

I turned blue, pulling the covers of the bed over my head as the door creaked open, and Neal entered.

Was Dimitri insane? He could have gotten whatever information Neal wanted to pass without letting him in. Or better still, he could have given me the heads up so I would at least get something to wear.

"What news do you bring?" Dimitri asked, his voice turning grim.

I heard Neal take a deep breath before speaking, "Lady Milana is... Lady Milana is dead."

My jaw tightened at the revelation. Whatever shame I had evaporated instantly. I threw the covers away from over my head and looked at Neal, who seemed shocked to see me in bed with Dimitri.

"What do you mean Milana is..." I couldn't finish my sentence.

As a girl who had seen the people I loved die and die again, I was not too fond of that word.

Neal's jaw tightened. He wasn't enjoying this either. "She was found this morning by Eva. She hung herself."

"What do you mean Milana hung herself?" Dimitri sounded like he didn't believe a word that Neal had spoken.

Neal hesitated, clearly uncomfortable delivering such grim news. "I wish I was wrong. But it is true, Dimitri."

The weight of Neal's words hung heavy in the air, suffocating us with their gravity. My mind raced to the one reason why Milana would be promoted to take her life, and I felt sick almost immediately.

No. That would never be the reason. Surely Milana would not be so spiteful that she would choose to take her life because Dimitri decided to stay true to his heart?

Dimitri's reaction was just as visceral. He shook his head adamantly, refusing to accept the truth of what Neal had just revealed.

"No," he protested, his voice shaking with emotion. "Milana wasn't suicidal. I would know."

His words were a desperate plea, a refusal to accept the reality of what had happened. And I couldn't blame him. He had a relationship with her. She was clearly someone he cared for deeply, and the thought of her taking her own life must sound incomprehensible.

"I need to see her," Dimitri declared, his tone resolute as he began to dress.

Neal nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'll take you to her."

I did the same. I was scared. I was scared that I was somehow responsible for what had happened.

I pushed for Dimitri to make his choice in a game that wasn't fair. Because Dimitri was already connected to me. I had the upper hand. Had that been her breaking point? Did I somehow have a hand in Milana's death?

Had I been too selfish, too focused on my own desires, to consider the consequences of my actions?

The thought churned in my stomach, twisting and gnawing at me until I felt sick with despair.

I looked at Dimitri as I buttoned my blouse. Would he feel that too? He would feel guilty, probably worse than I did.

I wanted to reach out to him. I wanted to offer him some measure of comfort in the face of such overwhelming grief, but I couldn't find the words. Even the words resided at the end of my tongue; I couldn't speak.

I would probably make it worse.

When Dimitri stepped outside with Neal, I followed them closely. No matter how fast I walked, I couldn't catch up to Dimitri.

Maybe it was my state of mind, or maybe Dimitri's legs were just quicker.

I watched him disappear down the hallway. His shoulders slumped with the weight of his own grief.

He made a turn at the far end, and I immediately heard a guttural cry erupt from the recesses of his lungs.

It was unlike anything I have ever heard. My steps quickened until I reached him.

But when I finally reached the spot where he had disappeared from view, my heart sank like a stone in my chest. Dimitri was kneeling on the floor, his head bowed in silent anguish, his shoulders while he kept muttering no again and again.

I took a hesitant step forward, my heart breaking at the sight of him in such pain.

When I reached out to touch him, to offer him some small measure of comfort, my eyes fell upon the most horrifying sight I had ever seen right above me.

Milana was hanging over her bed, her body limp and lifeless. Her bedsheet had been formed into a makeshift noose and tightened around her neck. Her face was pale and almost blue, her eyes staring blankly ahead, devoid of life or emotion.

A strangled cry escaped my lips as I stumbled backward, recoiling from the gruesome scene. The sight of Milana's lifeless body sent a wave of nausea crashing over me, threatening to overwhelm me with its sheer horror and despair.

I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks as I stared at her lifeless form, my mind reeling with shock and guilt.

How could this have happened? How could Milana, someone who had her whole life in front of her, be gone in an instant?

I hated that I looked closer. I hated that I noticed something that made my blood run cold.

Milana's neck was crooked at an unnatural angle, and her body contorted in a grotesque manner. It was clear that she had struggled to breathe, her neck broken in her desperate attempt to escape the noose that now bound her to the afterlife.

In her last moments, there had been regrets. But there was no one to save her from herself.

"I did this," Dimitri whispered. "I killed her."