Chapter 37 Confess it
Hours passed like doing season, swiftly.
Valerio had been waiting for Evyths to open her eyes, at least. He had taken her into his laboratory, where he felt she was safer, and had also administered some medicines to enhance her strength.
Valerio had been standing over her like a tower, watching every detail of her body that would twitch.
He had been worried about her for weeks, but when she fell into his arms, he worried even more.
No matter how hard he tried to kill what he felt for her, he failed.
One thing was certain to him, he loved her beyond everything he had ever loved, questioning his loyalty and dedication to his clan.
The following day would be his coronation as king and by then, he should have found and married his mate. The situation sat on him like a mountain.
Some of his clan members and palace officials even concluded that he had to marry Lady Blackwin given what she had done to his father. The hunters and their hybrids had begun to raid a part of their kingdom which left most of the officials vulnerable, concluding that he had to marry Lady Blackwin to gain more influence.
Although Valerio had yet to make a decision, he did not want to marry Raven. Power and duty aside, his heart belonged to a werewolf. An enemy of the crown and vampires entirely.
Evyths’ lids fluttered weakly and Valerio jolted out of his thoughts, appearing beside her as if the wind carried him along.
“Eva?” he let out, his baritone came in like a whisper.
Valerio embraced her, a contrast to his stoic, cold nature.
When he gently pulled away, his gaze met with Evyths.
She looked calm and distant. His half smile faded while she adjusted herself to sit up.
“Why am I here?” she asked him, her tone was indifferent. She's never been that way with him, which made his thoughts linger a bit longer, wondering why.
“Why are you here?” Valerio repeated her question and stood erect, his hands interlaced behind him.
“Well, you are unwell and I have brought you here to treat and look after you…” He explained coldly, unconsciously mirroring her demeanor.
Her hand was flat on her forehead, feeling her temperature while he watched closely. A part of him wanted to offer a hand but then she would resist him
Her resisting him was hurting—it hurt more than losing a war yet she did not understand it.
She heaved a deep sigh, retracting her hand from her forehead.
Her gaze instantly met his, and she rubbed her neck lightly. “I have to go…” she struggled to rise, almost falling over as he appeared beside her, holding her up.
Again, Evyths tried to resist but the prince was too strong for her—overpowering her strength.
“You cannot leave, Eva. You are not well and I... I have no idea what is happening?” Valerio softly explained while she grappled to leave his grip yet she couldn't.
“I'm not sure you heed me, your highness. Let me go, at least, I know my place in your life. I'm nothing but filth to you…” She said as Valerio paused, shocked by her words. He released, processing her harsh words. “I was told…” she continued with a firm resolve, her gaze thick with despair and emptiness that he failed to fill. “You would treat me like one of your playthings: use me and dump me like I am nothing. I was too blinded by your generosity to understand until you made your actions clear to me…” she added, her voice threatened to break.
“Eva, you know that that is not true. They've told you a lie—”
“Have they, your highness?” she asked, her green eyes piercing into him like a stake through his heart.
The atmosphere was still and tense.
Valerio was confused for the first time in his life. He had always been sure about his duties and actions but with Evyths, it had been entirely different.
His eyes darkened with pain, she was clearly hurry and he was the cause. Had it been someone else, he would have killed for her but it was himself—he hurt her and he made her this way. Angry and hurt like he's always been.
“I was wrong about you, your highness. I leaped too far, I trusted a vampire with my life. I hurt myself knowing fully that things would change. I gave you my innocence without a second thought and... then you took it and disappeared. You stopped listening to me, seeing me, or understanding me. You looked away from me for weeks that made my life empty and… miserable….” she snapped, her eyes welling up before she could control her emotions.
Evyths did not care if the prince understood what he had done to her or not, she was focused on telling him her mind.
Valerio swallowed hard, his gaze softened, realizing that what he thought was the best way to protect ended up being the reason that she hated him. He regretted his actions yet every tear that rolled down her cheek because of him ruined him instantly and many times over.
“I was trying to… protect you—”
“Protect me?” she asked, her voice becoming thinner.
He looked away regrettably and back to her again. “My clan members were starting to talk and plot against you. They believed that I was… softened and corrupted by you. I did not want them to hurt you. Not even Octavio is exempted, he… thinks that I am in love with you and that's why I can't treat you badly like I ought to…” Valerio paused, Evyths averted her gaze, wiping off the tears in the corners of her eyes.
“I softened you? Corrupted you—” she paused and swallowed hard, unable to look him in the eye again. “I wonder if they are telling the truth or not?! I wonder if you have ever felt love towards me or maybe I'm merely a prey to you—a test subject that is being exploited by vampires and—”
“I love you, Eva…” he interrupted her words for the first time as her gaze gently ran back to his.