Chapter 15 Chapter 15
Thalina's POV
A day had passed already but I haven't seen King Thaddeus.
I was expecting to see him at the breakfast table but all I saw was Princess Atasha and Magnus who was smiling the moment he saw me.
He even stood up and pulled the chair beside him but instead, I walked on the other side and sat beside Princess Atasha who clearly doesn't like what I did.
"Where is King Thaddeus?" I politely asked.
"That's none of your business Thalina. King Thaddeus' whereabouts doesn't need to be reported to you,"
I just nodded not wanting to lead the conversation into a fight. Besides I am used to Princess Atasha acting this way. I should have expected that I wouldn't get an answer from her but I am desperate to know where King Thaddeus is.
After what happened between us he didn't show himself and I haven't seen even his shadow.
"Are you really sure you plan on staying at the palace Thalina? I am willing to take you back. I will make you the Luna of our pack again. I will just use Selene to bear a child and after that, I will completely discard her,"
I can't help but let out a sarcastic laugh when those words came out of Magnus' mouth.
"You are really good at throwing away woman Magnus. I thought you loved Selene? I thought she was better than me? Then why are you here begging for me to come back? Because I am slowly getting better? Because I finally realized that I can live without you so you are messing with my head again?"
He fell silent. He shook his head and tried to reach for my hand but I moved it away.
I turned my head to Princess Atasha and politely bowed my head to her.
"I'm sorry for being rude but I lost my appetite Princess Atasha,"
I didn't wait for their response. I headed towards my chamber but before I stepped inside my room I saw King Thaddeus walking in the hallway so I ran to him.
"King Thaddeus!" I called making him turn and look at me with a creased forehead.
He wasn't saying anything so I started walking towards him but the moment I got closer he immediately took a step back as if he was afraid to be near me.
"Did I do something wrong?" I asked the question that had been bothering me and kept me up last night.
He stared at me intently without uttering a word. I can feel my heart beating loudly the moment his stare became longer.
"I was just tired," he responded after a moment of silence.
Tired? He was completely fine when he entered my room that night. What I have seen in his eyes wasn't exhaustion but fear. He looks scared that he almost marked me and that made me wonder if it was connected to his first mate.
"Is this about your first mate?" I asked and I saw rage registered in his eyes the moment I asked that question.
I want to take back my words because it says in his reaction that it was a sensitive topic to discuss but it was already too late. My mouth already uttered the words I should not have said.
"What are you talking about Thalina?" he asked demanding an answer.
He held my chin and made me look at him directly in the eyes.
I can feel fear creeping into my system. My knees started to wobble but I did my best to meet his gaze and fought the intensity of his stare.
"I heard that you had a mate before and you made her your bed warmer too but she died. Is that true? I am not the first one to receive this role?"
He was silent but I could feel the hold on my chin tighten. It became even more painful when his hand slid down to my neck and choked me leaving me gasping for air. His claws started digging into my skin but he doesn't seem to care.
"They told me I choked her like this. They told me she died because I marked her. They are blaming me for what happened to her,"
His hold on me slowly loosened and the moment he let go of my neck I almost ended up falling on the floor only if I hadn't leaned my back against the wall.
"They told me I killed her Thalina,"
There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone but pain was evident in his eyes. Even if he wouldn't tell me I can tell that he is blaming himself for what happened to his mate.
I took a deep breath to regain my composure and when I finally felt okay I met his gaze and bravely looked into his eyes.
"Did you really kill her?" I asked which made him silent.
He took a deep breath and shook his head filled with frustration.
"I don't know. I can't remember anything from that night. All I can remember is that she was lying on my arms with blood dripping on her neck and blood on my claws. When I almost marked you last night that brought me back to my dark past. I felt like I had a glimpse of the past I have been trying to bury,"
I didn't break off the gaze. He was known for being cruel but I can't bring myself to blame him for what happened to his mate. Despite the cold and ruthless demeanor he has shown me I couldn't bring myself to hate him and call him a killer. Something is telling me that he is innocent. And something tells me to help him prove his innocence.
"I will help you remember," I firmly uttered not even thinking about whether I would end up in danger by what I am doing.
"I will help you remember what happened that night in exchange you will help me with my revenge. I am eager to make them pay now King Thaddeus so he helped me and I will help you too,"