Chapter 74

Golem's POV.

Before I could respond, someone clapped twice from behind me. As I slowly turned around, I locked eyes with Anastasia, who wore a not-so-friendly expression on her face. She sarcastically said, "Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, Golem. A few days, that's all it took for you to completely forget about me."

"It's not like that, Anastasia. Don't put it that way; you make it sound like I'm evil," I responded.

Anastasia closed the gap between us, her eyes stern. "Aren't you, Golem?" she said, her voice laced with frustration. "Go ahead and tell me. You forgot about my name!!! Who would ever believe that," she yelled. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Or maybe it's just me overreacting. You probably hit your head somewhere while flying and suffered from amnesia, am I right?" She held me gently by the chin, examining my face. Suddenly, her eyes turned red with flames, and I could feel the heat of the fire burning within her as she demanded, "Whose lipstick is this, Golem? Don't tell me your dead mom kissed you now."

"What the heck are you talking about?" I responded, running my hands across my face in disbelief. "And to make a joke about my dead mom? That's totally insensitive of you, Anastasia. I'm disappointed" I added, frustration evident in my tone.

Anastasia angrily picked up a piece of mirror from the nearby table and thrust it towards me, saying, "If there's anyone who should be disappointed, then it should be me. Golem. Well, see for yourself, Whose lipstick is that? Did you go to a funeral service or a kissing booth? Huh, tell me."

I swallowed hard as my eyes fell on the lipstick print on my cheek. Must have been when Isadora kissed me goodbye. I knew I had been cornered, but I hadn't done anything wrong.

Anastasia knew better that I was destined to find my mate sooner or later before she got involved with me. We had spoken about this so many times, and I always made it clear, we agreed to be together since neither of us had found someone else and we weren't getting any younger.

Of course, I knew it wouldn't be easy for her to receive the news. It was a shock she'd never see coming. Sadly, there was no better time to tell her the truth than now. Before I had a chance to completely gather my thoughts, her voice thundered arrogantly, "Golem, enough of the silence already, You're driving me nuts with it. Tell me already, whose lipstick is it? Have you been cheating on me?" She demanded, still holding the mirror in my face.

I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and admitted, "Anastasia promise me you'll be able to handle what I'm about to tell you"

I said and she nodded her head in response "It's my mate."

"What!!!!" She immediately lost her grip on the mirror, and it slipped from her hands hitting the ground,l and shattered into pieces. The room fell into a tense silence as the weight of my confession settled in. Anastasia's eyes widened, and she stumbled backward as if the ground beneath her had given way.

"You... you found your mate?" she whispered, the disbelief evident in her voice.

I nodded solemnly, "Yes, Anastasia. It's complicated, but I can't deny the bond I share with her. It's something beyond my control, I never knew this was what the mate bond felt like, you should...."

Anastasia's expression shifted from disbelief to anger as she barked. "Enough!!!!! Spare me all the details. So, what now Golem? You're just going to leave everything behind for your mate? What about us? What about our plans?"

I approached her cautiously, "Anastasia, I never wanted to hurt you. But the mate bond is powerful, and I can't ignore it. I need you to understand."

She scoffed, her eyes tearing up. "Understand? How am I supposed to understand this betrayal, Golem? You promised me a future together."

"I know, and I'm sorry," I whispered, regret heavy in my voice.

Anastasia's anger simmered into a mix of sorrow and resentment. "Sorry? That's all you have to say? Well I'm Sorry but your sorry is not enough?" she scoffed, her voice carrying a bitter tone. "You've destroyed everything we had, Golem. All those promises, all those dreams we shared. Gone."

I reached out to her, a desperate attempt to comfort her. "Anastasia, I never intended for things to turn out like this. Fate played its hand, and I found my mate. I can't change that ."

She pushed my hand away, tears streaming down her face. "You found your mate. What about me? What about the life we were building together?, you're just going to push me out of your life just like that, this is unacceptable"

I took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. "I never wanted to hurt you, Anastasia. The mate bond is a force beyond my control. I wish there was another way, but I can't deny the connection I have with Isadora, it's something I've never felt before, and I wish for you to one day find your mate too so you can understand exactly what I'm talking about, it's a beautiful feeling Anastasia"

Anastasia's gaze hardened, her features contorted with a mix of heartbreak and anger. "Don't you dare mention her name in front of me," she spat out, her voice trembling. "Leave. Just leave, Golem. If you've made your choice, then go be with your mate."

I stood there, torn between the woman I once thought would be my queen and Isadora who now held my heart. But then there's nothing I can do, it's better to tell her the truth already so she can deal with it rather than lie to her, and keep raising her hopes up, that would be a terrible thing to do.

As I turned to leave, I glanced back one last time. "Anastasia, I never wanted it to end this way. I wish you find happiness, and I'm truly sorry."

Anastasia looked at me one last time, her eyes a mix of disappointment and defiance. "Go then, Golem. Follow your destiny. But know that you'll lose more than you'll gain"

I held her gaze and asked, "What has gotten into you, Anastasia? Is that supposed to be a threat or what?"

"Call it whatever you like," she responded, sighing. Anastasia pushed me out of the way and took her leave.

Ignoring her outburst, I scanned the room for Rodrigo, my knight, who had managed to stay silent throughout.

My eyes found him standing by the wall, almost as if he didn't exist. Barking orders, I said, "What are you doing standing like a brick? Get the warriors ready; we have a battle to complete."

A smirk formed on his face, a glint in his bloodthirsty eyes. He responded, "Finally, we get to exercise."