The expected last enchantment cast upon Hessuel should be 6 months ago wherein the Moon Goddess confiscated his Intelligence.
But it wasn't.
The hierarchy of history is jotted down on the empty page of my spellbook. The latest spell cast upon him was a few days ago. This spell is similar to the spell Captain Afvshaganifs created and shared with me. The only mage I know who could perform it and the closest to Hessuel other than me... is the Eldar I've been with all this time. A myriad of questions overshadows my thoughts. And the only way to wipe it all is to confront him.
I wear my sandals again, belt on, and rush to the palace for the second time today. The Delta Chann leads me to Haiban in the guestroom. We found him in his beast form sitting in front of the furnace on a couch with Acro beside him. Omegas are guarding him in their beast form as well.
"Father!"
["Dandeline? It's been two hours since we last met~"]
I stood up in front of him. "Where is Hessuel!?"
["... You cage him, remember?"] He tilts his head.
"Please, you know what I mean! The spell doesn't work on him because his Intelligence is not inside anymore. You cast a spell upon him a few days ago. You revived him! Why didn't you tell me? I feel insulted! Just tell me where he is."
["Okay. Okay."] He stood up too with his chin up. ["Your mate bond is urging you, right? I didn't tell you at once to give myself some time whether I should cut that bond or not. For now, I did it for Hessuel."]
"Wh... What?" My knees were breaking down. My father-in-law isn't with my side after all!? And he's so powerful he can cut that bond!? “The body… what body did you use to revive him?”
["Does it matter? Don't worry~! I can knot the bond again. He's detained underground, in the dungeon. He was a criminal in this city when we got here."]
Without waiting for more words to come out of his lips, I left the room and hurried to the dungeon. It isn't a friendly place like where they detain Haiban! My burning tears help my failure to contain my overflowing concern! This dark and tough underground dungeon feels suffocating. In a snap of my enchanting finger, all the hanging torches light up the path. I've been looking for him in every cell until Acro appeared from behind me. She leads the way.
Acro clasps her claws on a ledge beside a cell, the cell where he is. "... Hessuel?" My voice quivers. The raging hands I have gripped the bars as I watch his situation: both of his arms are stretched and shackled on the wall, a foam gag on his mouth, and he's half-naked. From where I am standing, I can see his paleness and drenched with his own sweat. I was trying to break the lock when an old Moon Priest named Eleus came.
"What are you attempting to do?" he asked calmly and confidently.
"A-At least... let me take care of him. I will take him to my house and detain him there if you require. Just... not this place," I begged humbly. Giving in to the temptation of wrath might deteriorate this pathetic situation. Or is it just the sight of my mate that makes me weak right now. "Please."
"The Alpha confessed to me that that silver wolf is your mate. I will accept it for consideration. However, your actions have been affecting the reputation of the moon's congress, sometimes, deliberately. Whether it is the moon's will or not, we know not. We shall permit you to take that silver wolf into your custody if you confess everything you know and the causes of your actions."
That also means revealing Linly's identity to them. I've been in this situation before wherein I revealed Lanasia's whereabouts to free Hessuel from Elibur! "I will... But let me take care of him first."
"I am thankful for your cooperation." Then in a glimpse of his enchast, the lock breaks and clutters on the dry ground. When he left, I entered the cell and knelt in front of him.
I touch both of his cheeks and ask, "Hessuel. Hessuel, can you hear me?" His loud breathing says something. He can't even fully open his eyes. I remove the gag and shackles on his wrist, then he unconsciously drops his weight on me and I embrace him. His smell, the sensation of his skin, and heat; I miss everything about him. Not even my tears could lie. While my lips are filled with apologies. "I'm sorry... This is all my fault. I'm sorry."
The priest assigned Omegas to assist me in taking Hessuel to my house up to my upper room. Acro came along while watching me nursing Hessuel. I walk from the kitchen to the room to and fro for tools and remedies but my dogs are walking along with my steps which is quite disturbing but cute. Hessuel's temperature is burning, nose and ears have been flushing since I discovered him. I've never seen him as vulnerable as this.
I clean his body with a wipe of my enchast. Then I came down to the kitchen again to write a letter for Linly. My most obedient dog, the golden retriever, is my messenger. I put a string pouch and the letter in there, enchanted his feet to cross the waters, and dismissed him. All my dogs except Hessuel's wolf who's still inside the cage are upstairs. I never imagined that a beast form and Intelligence can be divided.
My babies are all over the floor except Hessuel. He's entirely covering himself under the blanket which is a bad habit that might suffocate him! I tried to pull the hem of the blanket but it was firmly clamped on Hessuel's clenches. "Hey. You're not a chrysalis!" I said while striving to pull it. "Don't cover yourself like a future butterfly! You need fresh oxygen!" But eventually, I got tired. Logically, he's still strong whenever weak!
I infiltrated the blanket from the bottom and crawled beside him, sitting to raise the blanket, then pulled it. And yet he's pulling the blanket, facing his bareback on me. It's hot underneath this! "Hessuel, don't be cruel to yourself. You don't have to do anything, just let me take care of you."
"Leave me alone," he murmured.
Every inch of my muscles is suddenly immobilized by that cold response. I bite my lower lip and exhale the overused oxygen. "No."
"Haaah... Just leave... like you always do," he hisses as weak as sexy.
I grip the blanket. "What—!?" I exclaimed in frustration but immediately calmed myself—tapping my impatient expression with my wiggling fingers while breathing the same air. I'll just imagine he's a sulking puppy with groveling ears and a curved tail. I made my guilt sound dominant when I said, "It's true... It tore every happiness you had when I had to leave you... At some point, it is my choice. But being by your side right now is my choice as well."
I use enchantment to my advantage by pulling the blanket. He shivered when exposed. "Hey—"
But for his warmth, I lean on him from behind, rubbing his arms, and his cheek. He didn't debar. "Hessuel," I whisper to his ear, "I promise... I won't unloose you again." Slowly, he subdues his body on the bed, then I stand up above him—caging his waist around my legs.
"What…"
I lift him on his armpit to recline him on the headboard, then gasp closely at him. This feels like babysitting a big wolf! I insisted in a small voice, "All I'm demanding is your cooperation to finish this so you could sleep and rest as early as possible." Then he avoids my glance. This werewolf is playing hard-to-get! I sat beside him and prepared a mug of cold water. "You're pale. At least be hydrated."
He was reluctant at first but after his first gulp, he drank it breathlessly 'til the last drop.
"You can tell me if you're thirsty. Do you want more?"
But he's silently wiping his lips—deliberately ignoring me. Despite it, I can't bring myself to feel annoyed. It must be the cut mate-bond why he's losing affection for me. Or what I've done to him greatly discouraged his heart. And those are perfectly reasonable. I'm feeding him a piece of sliced apple but he keeps his mouth closed. I tenderly asked,
"Hessuel... this isn't just a piece of apple. It was shaped by my loving fingers to sustain the hungry empty stomach before I could provide for the real remedy. In short, it's made with love~ So please, accept even this piece of effort!"
"..." His astound mixed with confused expression embarrasses me! How did I become romantic!? He's staring at me, then at the piece of apple, then at me again! My smile feels numb already when he picks the piece from my finger and eats it. He relaxes his back on the headboard, chewing with his eyes closed.
"Thank you," I peeped. I kept an eye on him until he was done, then I gave him the tiny bottle of medicine for his fever. He sniffs it but gives it back to me in disgust. "It's still the medicine you need! Just one gulp with one mug of water to follow-up."
"I cannot sleep with a bitter tongue," he complains and lies down. Before he could do that, I sip the slimy—and bitter—medicine into my mouth, grasp his cheeks, then transmit it from my mouth to his mouth. He was too weak to push me away and his only option was to grip my dress. Our tongues meet inside and I didn't stop feeding him the medicine until he gulped. I made it still, the closeness of our faces jams his breathing, and I keep kissing him to the last taste of the medicine.
My hands are still on his cheeks as our eyes meet. His eyes are circled. Not just his nose and ears, but his whole face is blushing. "Did I make it sweet somehow?"
"..."
I quickly refill the mug with water and gave him. He didn't waste a second and gave it back emptied. He was laying down and wrapping himself under the blanket again when I pull his shoulder to lay him properly—strictly. "I have one more thing to do with you before you sleep," I said, then I wring the soaked towel into a bowl to patch it on his forehead.
He sighed. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because you're important to me."
"Then why did you—"
"Ssshhh... I know we have a lot to talk about... but not now. You may sleep now."
He pulls the blanket up to his neck and for a few seconds, he falls asleep right away as peacefully as snow. Then I just silently watched him until I fell asleep too. It's dark outside when I wake up again to renew the patch. I enchant his dream to make it deeper so I can sponge his body with another soaked towel. It makes me proud for his fever has reduced.
Words cannot explain how much I regret everything, for now. I hope he recognized my apologies behind my care. He may hate me the following days. He may dump me too because he's missing the effects of the mate bond. At least I am given the chance to become a better mate to him. After sponging, I cover him again and drop a quick peck on his cheek.
☪ ✧ ✧
The blanket has been covering me, the bed was all mine as well when I woke up early in the morning. "Hess—" I jolted up. He's gone.