Chapter 174: Another goodbye
Chapter 174: Another goodbye
Ruelle’s POV
I try not let the little bubble of pride welling in my chest get to me too much. I still got caught, even if not by Thorne. So it is really nothing to celebrate.
I smile. “Enroll me in your army and I can be your chief of undercover missions.”
Thorne barks out a laugh, one that tugs achingly at my heartstrings and fills me with a sense of knowing. A deep sadness that this is temporary and the time will soon come to an end. I would return back to the cabin in the woods and he would return to the grounds.
My eyes get glassy with tears again, but this time, I cover them before he sees them and swipes them away. Thorne gives me along look, and if he notices anything, he chooses not to say it. He lays back down, although the smile has left his face and is suddenly replaced with a small frown. Moments later, he breaks the aching silence.
“You were right.” He says.
I look up. “About what?”
“My seconds. One of them came to me about the mate bond. He found his mate and feels the pull towards her despite taking the oath.”
I sit up almost immediately, my eyes wide as I ask, “Is it… Carlos?” This could be Valka’s chance at true love…
But all thoughts of that dries out as Thorne shakes his head. “Carlos is likely off the charts for that. It is Draven. One of my younger guards.”
A weight of disappointment settles in my chest. “Oh”. But I am still interested in the subject so I ask, “So what now? Are you calling it off? The oath?”
“I cannot possibly call the oath off. All my seconds must swear to serve even till death. But I am looking into removing the clause of celibacy and allowing them to serve me while experiencing true love… if they wish.”
“That is… it’s awesome.” I give a small smile, lowering my head back to his chest.
“Do you particularly worry for Carlos that he may not find his mate?” He asks after a few beats of silence.
“Hm?”
“You seem to always ask about him whenever the mates talk comes up.”
I chew on my bottom lip. That is because he is my sister’s mate. But I know better than to tell Thorne that. Valka would kill me if I do. So I settle with.
“Sort of. He is the only guard of yours I see pretty often.”
“And the least pliable to fall for the woes of a woman.” He tells me and it saddens me greatly. “But you can entrust him your life. I have entrust him mine and he hasn’t failed me not once. He knows his job and he gets it done.”
Right.
Just then, the sound of chattering voices drift to us from further into the woods and Thorne begins to shift beneath me. It must be the guards heading back. I shut my eyes, already sensing what this means.
“My love…”. He starts.
I shake my head. “No. Stay.”
“I can’t. You know I can’t.”
“Yes you can.” I fist his shirt in my clenched palms, pressing myself tighter into him.
Thorne’s large fingers close over my tiny ones, slowly pulling it from his chest and bringing it to his lips as he presses kisses to my knuckles. “There is nothing I want more than to be with you longer, princess”. Then be… “But the longer I stay here the less safer it is for you”.
Thorne pulls me up from the grass with him as he rises to his feet. He regards me with sad eyes as he presses a kiss to my forehead, then my cheek, then my mouth. His eyes flit over my head and I don’t need to look to know who is behind me.
“Carlos would take you and Morra back.” He says and I press my eyes shut, getting sick of hearing that sentence. “Please be safe.” He presses a kiss to the tip of my nose as his hands slowly release me. Morra grabs me from behind her soft voice beckoning unto me as she draws me away, but all I can focus on is my husband grabbing his cloak from the floor and walking away in the opposite direction.
I stare longingly at him till I can no longer see him between the trees, then I collapse into Morra’s arms and cry my eyes out yet again.