The reward for yearning

The reward for yearning
“You still haven’t told me exactly what happened these past two years.” 
Celyn, who had been sitting outside the particular room, fear burning in her heart. Even after her mother’s diagnosis, she was still unable to calm her raging heart of fear and pessimism. To be suddenly interrogated by her mate was not something she saw coming.
Celyn froze. 
“What?”
Kiara leaned back. “You heard me, Celyn,” she said sternly. “I wake up, and Dali avoids being in the same room with you. The last thing I remember was a love you had for her that even I was envious of.”
“It’s in the past.” She folded her arms and leaned back herself.
“And you’re sitting outside her door, worried even after being told she’s just stressed.”
Celyn rolled her eyes. “You were more bearable when you were unconscious.”
“I’m sorry my body decided to take just two meager years to transform from being a simple half-wolf and half-witch to a full hybrid. If I had known my mate did not want me back, I’d have stayed another year.”
Celyn found herself laughing. “You’re so silly.” She pinched her cheek.
Kiara melted in her hands. 
These were moments she had dreamt of during those two years. To her, it had been a long dream, but to the world, it was an aching two years. 
She had only seen Celyn—her golden hair, her beautiful smile, how she turned small and meekly anytime they were in the same room. She had always wished that a day would come where Celyn would be able to look at her in the eyes and not shy away.
And her dreams came true.
She finally had the woman she loved within arm’s reach. She could finally make jokes and laugh and be able to love her so openly. To be able to call her her mate. 
Years of longing and yearning finally paid off.
However, despite how happy they both were, Kiara was not blind to the sadness behind the smile. She finally had the woman she loved, but she was incomplete, filled with anger and hate instead of the love that reflected in her actions. 
“When are you going to confide in me, Celyn?”
Celyn’s smile froze. 
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she lied. “And nothing happened those two years you were unconscious. We found this land that used to belong to Marisol and then we started living here. We built a village and lived in peace. That’s all.”
“And when do you plan on mentioning your mental health these past two years?”
“I was anxious, I’m sorry, but if you didn’t realize, you are the first hybrid to ever exist. We had no idea what was going to happen, no idea how long your body would take to change. I had to be anxious.”
“You had Dali.”
Celyn dropped her gaze. “I didn’t.”
“She was right here.”
“She was also right there when Chase and his warriors came. She was also right there when Chase killed you. She was right there because she was the one who brought him here. She was the one responsible for what happened.” Celyn shook her head slowly. “I cannot just let it go, Kiara.”
“I was so scared of losing you. I regretted every moment of my life that I fled from you instead of just letting you know that I stayed up for hours making fake scenarios about you and me. I was scared that I would never be able to love you the way I wanted.”
“And she was the reason.”
Kiara nodded, dropping her hand on Celyn’s shoulder. She pulled her closer before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “I totally understand how you feel.”
“You don’t.” Celyn pouted.
“I do. More than anyone. You had advised her against Chase. You tied her down, you tried to wake her up, gave her shelter when she left home, you were with her, consistently trying to make her understand that he was bad for her. And when it all blew up in her face, many people had to die because of the love she had for him. Including me.”
Celyn leaned against Kiara’s chest, feeling the heartbeat she feared she would never feel again. This was the peace she had chased for so many years. 
This was a dream come true.
“Are you trying to convince me to forgive her?”
“I’m trying to let you know that your feelings are valid. You have all right to be angry. You have all right to loathe standing in the same room as her. You don’t have to forgive her yet.” She kissed the top of her head.
“I forgive her though.” 
This made Celyn lift her head. She stared at Kiara’s neutral expression. “What do you mean you forgive her?”
She shrugged. “My life has changed. I’m the first of my kind now, and although it took me two years to get here, this is something…” she leaned towards Celyn. “Dali had no idea what the future held. She was foolish and that cost us a lot, and that cannot be undermined.”
She swallowed. “Dali is Dali. She has changed, but she still remains the girl that came to you for everything. And she is now the woman I’m grateful to. Although she had done something bad and that was simply trusting Chase when she should not have, but you cannot blame her for Chase’s decisions.”
“He deceived her. He made her watch the wickedness he brought on us. He knew better, but she still did it, and all Dali thought was he would be with her. He would love her.”
“Chase is a grown man, Celyn. Dali should not be taking the blame for him.”
Celyn shook her head. “I hate Chase too. I absolutely despise him.”
Kiara nodded. “As you should.”
“But how I feel towards Dali is not because of Chase’s actions.” Her eyes darted around as she searched for the words. “I… I… just—”
“You wished she could’ve listened to you.”
“Yes!” Celyn nodded. “I wish she could have listened to me, but she didn’t, and people had to die because she chose Chase over me.”
Kiara knitted her eyebrows. “You say things like that and I’m wondering how you expect me to feel.”
Celyn chuckled lightly before bringing her head forward. She took Kiara’s lips softly like a prayer. 
“Dali is my friend, you’re my mate.”
Their lips met again in familiarity and comfort, only to be cut short by the resonating sound of a throat clearing.
They pulled away from each other to find the leaders standing in front of them. 
Alexa glared at Kiara for a brief moment before bringing her eyes to her daughter. “We just spoke to Chase.”
Celyn leaned back into her seat. “And?”
“And Marisol convinced him to leave.” Deidre reported, wearing a forlorn face. “I didn’t even get to have him warm my bed before he left.”
Marisol, Alexa, and Celyn all glared at her judgmentally, but Kiara seemed to be the only one showing no concern for Deidre’s sex life.
“What do you mean Chase left?”
Alexa’s confused eyes found Kiara. “He left. He said he was going to find the other werewolves, but Marisol begged him to not return.”
Kiara shook her head and rose to her feet. “So you all just let him go like that?”
“He’s a grown man, Kiara. He can take care of himself.”
“Yes, he’s a grown man who made mistakes. Haven’t we all?”
“My mistake has never cost lives,” Marisol defended.
Kiara sighed. “If I can try to look forward into the future and not care for the past, why can’t the rest of you?”