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“Mate!” Syn shouts, a loud slamming noise following me.
The guard instantly lets go of my hand, and I stumble into Atlas. Reaching out to steady me, he looks me over with a frown, taking in my wrinkled dress. Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about my outfit, the queen will just have to take me as I am.
Another slam makes me flinch. I know full well what’s happening behind me, but I can’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder. Standing in his huge wolf form, Syn snarls and throws himself against the barrier, lost to the madness. I look at Atlas who’s giving me a questioning look. With the guard gone, I see that it’s just the two of us here now. I don’t know where the others went, and I’m so stressed that I don’t have the capacity to question it. Instead, I nod, giving him my answer.
With Atlas at my side, I leave the prison block to Syn’s long, mournful howl, my heart breaking as I feel like the worst mate in existence.
ChapterSeven
With each step I take towards the main hall, I feel my anger grow within me. What started as despair at having to leave one of my mates when he’s suffering has twisted and become bitter for once again having to make these decisions. I’m not the type of person to air my grievances, and on its own, I would have been able to deal with the emotion and process it without anyone else getting caught up in it. However, this bitterness joins with the feelings I have towards the queen, which have been slowly festering within me.
The closer we get to the woman who’s been putting me in this situation and now demanding that I perform in front of her court, the stronger those feelings become until a cool anger ripples just below the surface. The darkness inside me loves my new attitude and fully supports my ire, encouraging it with whispered examples of all the reasons why the queen deserves my anger.
Atlas and I have walked in silence as he leads me up from the cells below and through the halls, but I’ve felt his gaze on me. That gaze becomes heavier, and I know he wants to say something, but I don’t prompt him. With how he was acting in the cells, I’m not feeling particularly chatty right now, so I won’t be encouraging it. This is really hard with him, especially with his history with werewolves, and seeing Syn as he was, I know he was just reacting to the situation and fearing for my safety. He lost his family to a rabid werewolf, and from his perspective, it must have looked like that was going to happen again. I acknowledge and understand all of this, which is why I’ve not snapped at him. However, if we were to talk about it now, I can guarantee I’m going to lash out and say something I don’t mean, caught up in the moment. He’s not to blame here, and I don’t want him to face the brunt of that anger.
We round a corner, and I see the large, guarded doors ahead, signalling that we’re almost there now. Thinking that I’ve managed to get away without him bringing anything up, I feel tension release in my shoulders that I hadn’t realised I was carrying. However, as he sighs quietly and reaches out to pull me to one side, I realise my relief was premature.
Eyes skimming over me, he frowns as he searches for the source of whatever’s bothering me. Only, it’s nothing physical that he’s picking up on, so when his search comes up with no answers, his frown deepens as he meets my stare. “What’s going on with you?” He attempts to keep his voice low as several witches pass us, all watching with interest. I watch them go, wondering what rumours will be circling about us now. Reaching out, he touches my shoulder lightly and tries again. “Is this about what happened in the cells?”
Many would just leave it when I didn’t respond to the first question, sensing my ire and how much I donotwant to be having this conversation. However, Atlas isn’t like most, and he pushes me for an answer.
Pinching my lips, I try to hold back the bitchy comments that I want to fling at him. They won’t help the situation, especially when Atlas and I are starting to build a good relationship. I shrug my shoulders lightly. “What do you mean?”
“You feel different. Mad.” He seems tentative as he speaks, realising that he might be about to open a can of worms. He’s right.
Unable to hold back my feelings, my jaw clenches, and I pin him with a pointed glare. “I have plenty to be mad about, don’t you think?” Each word is clipped as I tilt my head to one side. It’s not a fair statement, as I know he’s going to take it personally, when in reality, it’s not really aimed at him. Sure, his behaviour wasn’t outstanding, but I’m not angry at him. He’s not the one keeping me and my mates here with ultimatums and threats.
Cursing under his breath, he shakes his head, his hand falling from my shoulder and balling up at his sides. His body almost trembles with the need to dosomething. “Look,” he starts, shaking his head again as he attempts to pull his thoughts together. “I know I can be rash sometimes, but everything I do is for your safety.”
As I thought, he thinks my comment is aimed at him, and while it’s not, I am annoyed by some of his behaviour. I want to probe his response, as I’m pretty sure many of his reactions are harshened by his own jealousy and fear. The thing is, acting out like that never helps. He needs to learn to trust that I can handle things myself, to trust that I ask for help if I feel I can’t manage rather than assume I always need him to jump in and rescue me. However, this is a deep and important conversation that we shouldn’t have while I’m angry, because I don’t want to say anything I might regret later.
I release a sigh and turn my attention to the witches passing us. There are more of them now, and we shouldn’t stand here like this for much longer unless we want the gossips to really have a field day. I don’t want this getting back to the queen, that’s a stress I don’t need to be dealing with today.
“You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”
Blinking at the abrupt question, I return my attention to Atlas. While it’s said brashly, I can see the concern in his eyes. It would be easy for me to lash out, but I know he’s asking from a place of love.
“I don’t know what you mean.” I push down my irritation and decide to play it safe, portraying innocence.
“Laelia, this is serious.” He grabs my hand, and this time, I can feel his fear through the half-formed bond. “She will destroy you if you stand against her. What she’s threatened to do to your mates is just the beginning.”
It’s not the warning that makes me take him seriously, but the worry and concern that I feel coming off him in waves. He genuinely doesn’t want me to get hurt, and the warning is coming from his need to keep his mate safe. I nod in understanding. I may be furious, but I’m clearheaded enough not to do anything stupid. At least, not today. I have mates to think about.
He stares at me for a moment longer before rubbing his hands over his face. “Okay, I have to go in. Kano will be here to walk in with you.”
I frown, my chest clenching at the thought of him leaving. “Wait, why can’t I go in with you?” My voice sounds unsure, and I hatethat, but I don’t even bother to try and hide it. My anger slides away and is replaced with nervousness. I don’t know what waits behind those doors, having never attended court before.
Picking up on my unease, his expression softens, and he takes my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. It’s not often that I see Atlas like this, especially when there are others around, so I cherish this moment.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs quietly, closing the gap between us and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “It will only be for a moment, and then you’ll join me in the hall. For you, I would fight against an order, but this came straight from the queen, and this was what she requested.”
Of course it was. By separating me from my mate, she’s destabilising me, especially when I just came from seeing Syn. I wish Nicolai was here, but I was told off the bat that he wasn’t allowed to attend—witches only. Knowing there isn’t anything I can do, I just nod and force a tight smile.
In an unusual move for him, especially in public, he dips down and kisses my forehead. Without exchanging any more words, he backs away and walks the short distance down the corridor with a swing in his step. Before I know it, he’s gone and I’m alone. Well, I’m surrounded by witches arriving for court, but the looks they level my way make me feel more alone than I have in a while.
Thankfully, I’m not left waiting long as a tall figure exits the hall and walks towards me. Relief floods me as Kano stops in front of me, a cheeky expression making his eyes glint with mischief.
“Little sister, would you look at you?” Kano whistles and takes my hand, leading me into a slow spin.
