Chapter 161 Cast aside
AUDREY
"Surely there is no way a girl of your low standing could capture the interest of such a powerful man. Talk less of a slave, a pack Omega to be exact" the words rung in my head like a horrible tune just nagging at my beaten and battered ego.
"He has no concern for the kingdom he built, the empire he formed from the ashes of ruines. He gives us no mind and goes ahead to name a mere human his betrothed"
I winced at the pain that shot through my form. I knew people despised our union but I was unaware of the degree nor how much they hated me. Madame Eloise was a powerful figure in the kingdom, if even she was against our union that meant we stood no chance.
I was a slave, a mere human so could I really blame Darius for wanting what is best for his kingdom by casting me to the side? The image of Leonore in Darius's arms, in my position, in the arms of my beloved- kissing him, laying on our bed brought a huge wave of pain crashing into me. I inhaled sharply as more tears began to resurface and my head began to feel lighter. Bile burnt at the back of my throat.
The carriage rocked to a stop and the door was pulled open. Light poured into the little space, the sun touching my tear stained cheeks. Elijah gave me a sad look as he offered me his hand. I tried to inhale deeply to dispell my blurry vision but it was to no avail. The moment my feet touched the palace grounds I side stepped Elijah and began my dreadful journey inside.
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"Darius!" I fell into the room unceremoniously, my feet almost tripping over each other and by the atmosphere that surrounded the room I knew it was a mistake to march here without prior information as to what exactly Darius was doing in his meeting chambers.
His powerful form sat at the head of the table, his eyes hard and glinting like blazing steel, but the moment he heard my voice his eyes find my form and they immediately soften into the familiar dark pools I had gotten so addicted to. His stubble had been trimmed and styled to fit his chiseled, ruggedly gorgeous features perfectly. As I saw him now I couldn't help but imagine him in the arms of another and the thought alone brought another wave of sadness and pain through me.
I swallowed thickly once I started feeling the numerous stares directed my way. I failed to acknowledge before now but Darius had his allies circled around the large table and from the looks in their eyes they did not want me here. I started retreating, maybe I could come back later? A lot of people in the kingdom hated me enough as it was, I could do with less enemies. I could only imagine how crazy I looked at the moment with my tear stricken face and red blotched up cheeks and wet lashes. My face colored in embarrassment.
His deep timber came, rising with an authoritative tone "Everyone out!"
Without delay the wolf males packed themselves up and were making their way out of the room one after the other. Some of them gave me side glances on their way out, all but Lord Anthony. He stared at me for a few seconds before walking out and shutting the doors behind him. I inhaled a shaky breath and tried to collect myself. I could feel his piercing eyes boring holes into me from across the room where he sat, watching me, observing me, his eyes going round every crevice of me and when his brows dipped in confusion I knew he had noticed.
He pushed himself up from his seat and began taking slow strides towards me. I felt myself crumble when the thoughts of the previous events came swarming my mind once more and now seeing him made the tears resurface. I ran into his arms, my miniscule form crashing into his much larger one. I threw my hands around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder and let the tears spill. My chest began to tighten with pain and anguish as sobs wracked my entire body.
Darius held onto me, wordlessly running his hands in a soothing motion up and down my back trying to help calm me down. I felt bad for getting his shirt wet but I couldn't hold back. All the words Eloise slaughtered me with kept repeating itself over and over again in my mind, it only reopened all the old wounds and made them fresh, bare, and adding salt to them.
After a while my sobs turned into sniffles and I had managed to tire myself out. I pulled back, rubbing at my stuffed nose. Darius gave me a tender smile and handed me his handkerchief cloth.
I cleaned up my face, avoiding Darius's eye "What happened to you love?" He palms my cheeks, his thumbs wiping away the trickle of tears that slipped
"Please, tell me it is not true" my teary gaze locked with his dark onyx eyes that were flowing with compassion, love, sympathy and concern.
His eyes softened with dread and I could tell he knew what I was talking about. He went quiet for a while and I felt a buzz run down my form, he was in my mind. I shut my eyes and let him comb through everything that happened, all their words, everything Eloise told me. He rests his forehead against mine and we both open our eyes and stare into each other's souls. In this moment nothing else mattered, nothing else existed.
"Oh love" he sighed, pulling me into his arms.
His hand pressed my head to his chest and the other wound around my body. I let myself melt into his arms, safety and sweetness filling my senses.
"I am so sorry love. By the goddess I never wanted you to find out about the Chandler's like this. I swear by my eternal soul that I would never think of casting you aside, never" his words washed over me like a soothing honey balm to my heart.