Chapter 233: Painful Memories

Chapter 233: Painful Memories
Alasia's POV:

Without Beta Galien saying anything else, he reached out adn was ready to steady my mate, Rameric, as he took his first step up to climb over the outer wall and step down into the bathing basin.
As I looked over at Beta Galien, he spoke, but he was not speaking to me, as my mate was indeed doing just that.

"In the meantime, don't rush, my Alpha Caine," I heard Beta Galien say at that moment once Rameric had now placed both of his feet inside the bathing basin. "And this is a reminder that I will go and have Gladrian come to tend to her needs once you are through. He would insist on tending to her promptly. "

"That is duly noted," Rameric said as he turned to face Beta Galien. "However, in the meantime, I would prefer to have some time to ourselves."

"I understand, my Alpha Caine. Forgive my persistent intrusion," Beta Galien said as he bowed his head and stayed there.

Just as he looked down, I noticed that he placed one hand behind his lower back. With his other hand, he placed it in front of his waist and bowed his head to both of us. He stayed there for a moment before he stood back up. That's when he briefly looked at me before looking up at Rameric.

Then he added, "In the meantime, I will have the menial return. She will be instructed to stand just inside the entrance for when you're ready to send for us."

After Beta Galien spoke his last statement, both Beta Galien and Rameric both turned to look towards the door of the bathing chambers. Neither of them said a word, but after a few moments, as I looked around Rameric's arm, I noticed the door open, allowing that one young woman to enter the room as she stood against the wall, eyes glued to the floor.

I still couldn't help but wonder as to why they were never allowed to look at Rameric. Just then, Rameric turned back around, looked over at Beta Galien, and then nodded at him. Neither of them said anything as Beta Galien walked away, heading towards the door. He didn't even so much at look at the young woman standing there when he closed the door back behind him.

I swallowed hard as Rameric turned his back toward the young woman and looked down at me, as he was still standing there just inside the wall of the bathing basin. "Are you ready to sit down and soak your cares away?"

I didn't know what to say in that moment. Cares... he said.

"Cares?" When I spoke, I couldn't help it as my eyes started to swell with tears. "How could you..."

"I did not mean for it to come across like that, Alasia," Rameric said as he finally lowered himself down into the water. "You are my Mate and one whom I would do anything for. I can not tell you enough how..."

It was at that moment that Rameric stopped speaking. He was now kneeling in the water, still holding me up against him, and this time, he was refusing to look at me.

'Please don't turn your eyes from me?' I asked him politely and in a soft sort of way as I began to sniffle lightly.

I even reached up with my free hand and placed it on the side of his cheek, hoping that he would turn his gaze towards me once again. I could also hear a light whimpering coming from the back of his throat. I couldn't help but feel hurt in the center of my chest, knowing exactly where that... Where that sound was coming from. It was his wolf, Rager. He was upset as well.

"Rager?" I called out lightly, and the sound of the whimper started to settle, but it was still there. "If it weren't for you... If it weren't for you both... There's no telling what would've happened."

'Please, Rameric,' I said within my mind this time, hoping that he would turn his gaze back towards me.

There was something about the way it looked. There was something about the feeling I had inside whenever he looked at me with his glowing, yellowish-burning eyes. Nothing could compare to that look, as I knew that was Rager looking out through Rameric's eyes.

'I thought I lost you,' Rameric said within my thoughts. 'I thought you were gone for good. If only I had been stronger.'

"If only I had been," I spoke up at that moment, causing Rameric to look at me with pain, feeling his eyes.

"No," Rameric said in that moment, narrowing his eyebrows at me. "You are not the one who was at fault. None of this is your fault."

"Oh, but it is," I told him in that moment, tears now streaming down my face. "All of this is my fault. Don't you see?"

"How can you quite possibly think that?" Rameric said as he finally fell back in the water, allowing it to come up to the middle of his arms, and he had to adjust my position so that I didn't go under.

The water's warmth stung my open wounds through the wrappings that were wrapped around them, actually on top of my feet and around my wrists. But none of that mattered at that moment. None of that compared to the pain that I felt deep inside. The pain that I knew I had caused my mate... All this trouble.

I was the daughter of The Fierce Lerion Warrior. I should have been stronger than that. I should have been able to prevent myself from doing something... something so horrible. I finally broke eye contact with Rameric.

'No, you're wrong," I told him as he reached up with his one hand, pulling it out from underneath my legs, as I was now sitting there in his lap, and he placed his hand on the side of my face, pulling me closer to the side of his chest. 'I was the one... I was the weak one. I was the insignificantly weak one who caused all of this. You're not to blame. I will never blame you.'

Rameric didn't respond in that moment. What he did do was something I didn't expect. He let go of my legs as they slid down away from him into the water, and he pulled me up into his chest, holding me upright just like he was. Nothing compared to this moment of painful memories.