Chapter 74
Armand:
The echoes of the past had lingered in my heart for far too long. Amy's betrayal had wounded me deeply, and the scars it left seemed permanent, but Seraphina’s presence had been a balm on the pain I felt.
One evening after a long day, she and I found ourselves alone on the moonlit terrace outside my study, the distant stars overhead like watchful sentinels. Seraphina was quiet and her eyes held a gentle understanding as she watched me.
"Armand," she began softly, "I can see the weight you carry, the burden of what Amy did to you. This new information must be stirring up those old emotions. I’m so sorry. "
I sighed, my gaze fixed on the moon, its soft glow filling me with more warmth than the sun ever could. "It's not easy to forget, Seraphina. She was a part of my life for so long, and her betrayal... it shook me to my core. I realize the hold she had on me was from dark magic, but I think that makes it worse. My thoughts, feelings, were robbed and manipulated."
Seraphina placed a hand on my arm, her touch warm and reassuring. "I understand, but you don't have to carry that burden alone. We're here for you, always."
Her words stirred something within me, a realization that had been long overdue. Amy's deceit had held me captive for too long, but in that moment, as I looked into Seraphina's eyes, I felt a glimmer of hope.
"Seraphina," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "I think I'm ready to move on, to let go of the past." I hoped that I wasn’t too late, and that she might still feel for me what I knew I felt for her now.
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she leaned closer. "Armand, you deserve happiness. And I believe that it's waiting for you, right here."
As our lips met in a gentle, tentative kiss, I felt a surge of warmth and hope washed over me. The shadows of the past began to recede, replaced by the promise of a brighter future.
Nicholas:
I had tried to distance myself from her, to make it clear that my heart belonged to Beryl, but she was unrelenting. I knew that my obvious distance from Beryl probably encouraged her, but I couldn’t stand to see the confused look in Beryl’s eyes right now.
It was as though she knew where I was going to be at all times and knew how to approach me when I was alone. She had found too many opportunities to be alone with me lately, and I was beginning to become too comfortable in her presence.
This time, I sought Clara out to finally end this. After hearing the information that her pack might be in league with Amy, I knew my only choice was to cut all ties with her, and soon.
I found her in the garden where we had first met. The sun was setting, and it cast a warm glow on her profile. Seeing her overwhelmed my senses, like it always had, and confused my mind. Why did I feel this way?
"Clara, we need to talk." I snapped, my frustration and confusion boiling over. "I love Beryl. I'm not interested in anyone else."
She turned to me, her eyes seeming to glow in the fading light. She took a few steps closer, and I caught her scent. I closed my eyes against the drowning feeling that her floral smell caused me. I had to end this, now.
I opened my eyes and looked at her with anger. “You will leave me alone, I will not be your mate, do you understand?”
She smiled a bit, and her eyes held a determination that bordered on obsession. I began to get uneasy, not feeling like myself. "Nicholas, you can't deny what we have. There's something between us."
My patience was waning, I needed to get away from her, but Clara's proximity made it difficult to think clearly. “No, you’re wrong. There’s nothing here, it’s all in your head.”
She laughed now, moving closer to me. In my mind, I knew I needed to get away from her, but I couldn’t make myself take the steps. She was within a breaths distance of me now, and my mind was buzzing with confusion.
My mind was screaming for me to run, get away from this place, but I was frozen in place, watching her slowly, seductively, move closer and closer to me.
I felt her hands on my chest. They moved up to my shoulders, and my eyes traced her lips and they approached mine. She kissed me. I couldn’t move for a heartbeat, and then my animal instincts took over.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe anything but her. My hands were on her, my lips moving with hers. It was like someone had taken over my body. My mind was still rebelling against my actions, but the thoughts were a blur. Desire and need had taken the place of any amount of good judgement.
It was in that compromising moment that the door to the terrace behind us swung open. I heard a gasp and thud, which broke the hold Clara seemed to have had on me. She cursed against my lips, as I pulled away from her.
I turned to see Beryl standing there, her eyes wide with shock and hurt. She had seen the kiss, and the pain in her gaze cut through me like a blade, clearing all the fog Clara had created away.
"Beryl," Nicholas stammered, pulling away from Clara, "I can explain..." But she was gone, she had rushed back through the door she had come out of. I could feel Clara trying to pull me back to her, could hear her saying something, but whatever hold she had on me was gone.
I turned, furious, catching her by the throat. I watched as her sly look turned to fear and knew that the rage was showing on my face, and my alpha powers were radiating through my body. “You will not pursue me any longer, do you understand?”
She couldn’t speak through the grip I had on her throat, but I felt her nod, quickly, eyes still wide. I released her with a shove, and she caught herself on the garden bench, gasping for breath.
As I looked down at her now, a different kind of confusion washed over me. What had I been thinking? What had come over me? How had I ever thought SHE could ever hold a candle to my mate?
Disgusted with myself, and with the sniveling girl before me, I turned and rushed off in the direction that Beryl had gone, praying to the moon goddess it wasn’t too late to fix this.
