Chapter 182 Chapter 182
Violet
Lady Aurelia paused in her work, looking at me with pity.
"The wedding, Violet. Nicole and Nathaniel's wedding. It's today. In..." she glanced at the clock on the mantle, "approximately six hours."
I'd completely forgotten about it. Everything that had happened last night, especially seeing Elijah covered in blood had driven all thoughts of the actual wedding from my mind.
"I need to stay with him," I said, moving closer to the bed. "Until he wakes up. I need to make sure he's okay."
"No," Lady Aurelia said firmly, not looking up from her examination of Elijah's wounds. "You need to go get ready. Hair and makeup start in two hours. The ceremony is at four o'clock. As a maid of honor, your presence is required."
"But…"
"I will stay with him," Lady Aurelia interrupted. "I'll make sure the healer treats him properly. You have other obligations to fulfill."
The way she said it made it clear this wasn't a suggestion but an order.
I thought about our conversation last night while she'd looked at him with such tenderness while telling me love wasn't enough in this place.
"You'll take care of him?" I asked, hating how small my voice sounded.
Lady Aurelia finally looked up at me, and her expression softened fractionally. "He's my son, Violet. Whatever you think of me, whatever role I've played in this mess, I do love him. In my own way. I will make sure he's cared for."
It wasn't the reassurance I wanted, but it was probably the best I was going to get.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," I whispered to him, though I didn't know if he could hear me.
I turned and walked toward the door, each step feeling like I was leaving part of myself behind. My hand was on the handle when Lady Aurelia spoke again.
"Remember what we discussed," she said quietly. "Leave him alone."
I didn't respond but simply opened the door and nearly collided with Cassie.
She was rushing down the corridor, still in her pajamas, her dark hair wild around her face, and eyes wide with panic.
When she saw me, she grabbed my arms hard enough to bruise.
"Where is he?" she demanded. "Is he okay? I heard the servants talking this morning about blood and the office"
Her eyes raked over my appearance, landing on the bloodstains on my clothes. "Oh Goddess. What happened? Why is there blood? Is Elijah hurt?"
"Cassie, he is resting now…"
But she had already pushed past me into Elijah's room, her breath coming in sharp gasps. I followed quickly, afraid of how she'd react when she saw him.
The sound that came out of her mouth when she saw her brother's bandaged back was somewhere between a sob and a scream.
She stumbled toward the bed, one hand pressed to her mouth, tears already streaming down her face.
"What happened?" she demanded, whirling to face Aurelia and me. "I..I thought Alpha Alaric would just warn him at most. Why is he... why is he..." She couldn't finish the sentence, couldn't articulate the horror of seeing her brother like this.
"Cassie," Lady Aurelia said, her voice taking on that cool, commanding tone. "You need to leave with Violet and get ready for the wedding. Elijah will be fine. The healer is on his way."
"The wedding?" Cassie stared at her mother like she'd lost her mind. "Are you serious right now? My brother is lying here beaten half to death and you're worried about a fucking wedding?"
"Watch your language," Lady Aurelia said sharply. "And yes, I'm serious. The wedding will proceed as planned. Elijah will be treated and will join us soon. You need to get ready."
"I'm not leaving him," Cassie said stubbornly, moving closer to the bed. Her hand reached out tentatively, like she wanted to touch Elijah but was afraid of hurting him more.
"Cassie," I said softly, moving to stand beside her. "Your mother's right. The healer needs space to work. And Elijah... he wouldn't want you to see him like this. You know he wouldn't."
That seemed to do the trick because Cassie's face crumpled.
"This is my fault," she whispered. "I'm the one who convinced him to come here. I'm the one who said it would be fun to spend time as a family. I practically dragged him and you both here and now..." She gestured helplessly at Elijah's broken form.
"It's not your fault," I said firmly, even though guilt was eating me alive.
"We need to go," I continued, gently taking Cassie's arm. "Let your mother and the healer work. We'll come back as soon as we can."
“Leave!” Lady Aurelia said and Cassie nodded numbly and let me lead her out into the hallway.
We walked in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to say. Cassie's shoulders shook with silent sobs, and I put an arm around her, offering what comfort I could despite being barely held together myself.
"I hate them," Cassie said suddenly, her voice thick with tears and rage. "I hate my father for doing this. I hate my mother for letting it happen. I hate this whole fucking family and everything it stands for."
I didn't have a response to that. I couldn't argue with her when I felt the same way.
She laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and broken. "I thought we would meet after such a long time and our parents would stop treating us as objects. But nothing ever changes, does it? He's still a monster. Mother's still an enabler. And Elijah keeps trying to be better than them and keeps getting punished for it."
We'd reached the wing where the guest rooms were located. I guided Cassie toward my room, not wanting her to be alone right now.
"It's not your fault," I said again, more firmly this time. "You couldn't have known this would happen. None of us could have predicted..." I trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.
"But it's happened before," Cassie said quietly. "That's the thing. This isn't new. Dad’s beaten Elijah plenty of times over the years. I just... I thought it had stopped. I thought Elijah moving away, building his own life, had put an end to it. But I was wrong."
I admitted quietly. "This is my fault."
"Don't," Cassie interrupted, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Don't you dare take the blame for my father's cruelty. He's the one who decided to beat his own son. He's the one who thinks violence is an appropriate response to disobedience. Not you."
But her words didn't ease the guilt. If anything, they made it worse.