Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Rumors and Rage
RAMON’S POV
I went in search of Lorena when I didn’t see her in her room. The hallway felt longer than usual, the stone walls closing in as my footsteps echoed in the quiet space. My child was one of the other things that made me calm in the face of this background storm.
He wasn’t here yet. Far from being here, but I could already feel his presence. A small spark of hope in the middle of everything falling apart. The thought of a son or daughter carrying my blood, someone who would look up to me without the weight of old grudges, brought a rare sense of peace.
Stopping one of the maids, I asked them if they had seen Lorena. The young woman bowed quickly, her eyes wide with respect as she answered.
They told me she was at a gathering with other maids, teaching them some hard work that could come out handy in their day to day lives. The maid’s voice was soft, almost proud as she spoke of Lorena’s efforts.
After the maid left, I paused to smile. The corners of my mouth lifted despite the heaviness in my chest. Lorena had changed even more ever since being pregnant. She moved with a quiet purpose now, her presence steady where it used to be demanding.
It best me how they couldn’t see she was making up for whatever image of her they had in their heads.
She wasn’t using her pregnancy to be mean and demanding.
Instead, she worked tirelessly for the good of the pack. I had seen her with the younger maids, her hands guiding theirs as she showed them how to mend clothes or organize supplies. The pack was benefiting from her efforts, even if no one wanted to admit it.
Where was my so-called mate in this equation?
The one they all liked, and stood up for?
She had blatantly rejected me, and everything that had to do with my pack. The memory of her cold words still burned, a fresh wound that refused to scab over.
The cruelness of the moon goddess for making her my mate.
How could someone so selfish be my fated mate?
I had to be dreaming. It didn’t seem like I would be waking up anytime soon. The thought made my jaw clench, the familiar anger rising hot in my throat.
Turning around, I decided not to disturb Lorena, but get something else to do. The pack needed my attention, even if I felt disconnected from it all.
I had barely made it a distance when I bumped into Jenner, who had a disgusted frown on her face. Her eyes were sharp, her posture rigid with purpose.
"Come with me," she commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"Excuse you?" I asked, taken aback by her abrasiveness. The disrespect stung, adding fuel to the fire already burning inside me.
"You heard me, Alpha Ramon. Come with me, because we need to talk!"
At this point, they were all testing me. Perhaps, it was a bet to see how far they could push before I retaliated.
There was no other explanation for the lack of respect they were all showing me. The thought made my blood boil, my fists clenching at my sides.
"I’m not going anywhere with you. Not with that attitude of yours," I said blatantly, my voice low and edged with warning.
"Fine, your highness. Sorry for talking to you in a way that doesn’t show respect. You still need to come with me, now!"
I was going to reject her request again, but the desperation in her voice made me pause a few seconds. There was something in her eyes, a mix of fear and urgency that cut through my irritation.
"What is this about, Jenner?" I asked, hoping it wasn’t one of their many pranks. My patience was already thin, stretched to its limit.
"Come with me, and you’ll see."
She walked ahead, leaving me behind. I did a quick contemplation, and with a sigh, followed her. The hallway felt longer as we moved, the torches flickering and casting dancing shadows on the walls.
She just kept on walking nonstop, without looking back to reassure me about whatever this was.
I was getting irritated, but kept at it for the sake of mutual respect.
She was my mother’s best friend. The closest thing I had to a mother.
I had to respect her, the same way I expected to be respected. The thought of my mother brought a sharp pang of longing, a reminder of simpler times.
She finally came to a halt, and I stopped right beside her. The area was quieter, tucked away from the main paths of the pack.
"What is this? Where are we?" I asked, looking around at the secluded corner, my brows furrowed.
"I had to bring you to a place where no one would hear us talk."
"And you couldn’t just tell me so we could go to my office?" I asked in an irritated voice, my patience fraying further.
"No I couldn’t. Lorena probably has ears there. I can’t risk one of them overhearing our conversation, and reporting back to them," she said, her voice dropping lower as she glanced around.
I hissed loudly, and irritably. "Why won’t you all give it a rest with the Lorena slander? What has she done to deserve all of this?"
"A lot, and you’re going to listen carefully to me Ramon!"
"Fine, go ahead. But if you keep insulting the mother of my child, I’ll stop listening to you," I warned, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Whatever. I know you’re only protecting her because you think she’s carrying your child. But I’ve heard rumors, Ramon. I’ve heard nasty rumors, and you need to look into them," she said, her eyes intense as she stepped closer.
"Rumors are rumors for a reason. If we believe every rumor we hear, the joy of life would be sucked out from us. If you’re just going to repeat some nasty rumors to me, then I may as well leave now."
I turned around, to return back to civilization, but her next words stopped me dead on my track.
"Lorena is not carrying your child. According to the rumors, it’s Ferins child!"
My reaction went from shocked, to disgusted, and then straight to disbelief.
Lastly, the humor followed, because it took a funny mind to come up with such nonsense. A bitter laugh escaped my throat, raw and hollow.
I turned to her, the anger I had buried deep inside of me, coming forth in the guise of a bitter laughter.
"What do you gain from spreading such awful lies? Where would Lorena have met Ferins for her to be pregnant for him? That old man can’t father a child at that age. Have you lost your mind?!"
With every word I said, the angrier I grew. I just couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe she could say such a thing. The accusation felt like a slap, sharp and humiliating.
"Don’t you understand what is going on? Ferins has a vendetta against you because of your father, and also the fact you took the one precious thing from him. The child that reminded him the most about the woman his cold heart ever loved. It’s the same thing with Sonia. He can’t stand her ever since she was claimed by you. Why do you think it took him such a long time to respond? He was probably contemplating if he could still love the child that had been claimed by you."
"Probably?" I laughed. "You’re basing your whole theory on probability? You’re not even sure about the baseless accusations you’re throwing about. The nerve of you, Jenner!" I growled, my voice echoing in the quiet space.
She stepped back cautiously, and threw a calming hand gesture forward.
"Calm down, Ramon. These are serious accusations, and if I’m wrong, I’ll bear the full consequences. But you can’t just ignore it. Lorena is not who she seems to be. She’s going to bring you down!"
"To hell with all of you. Lorena is the mother of my child. The best person that slanders her name in front of me, by the moon goddess, I’d sentence to a date worse than death!"
Too appalled to hear one more thing from anyone claiming to care about, I turned around, and stormed away. My footsteps were heavy on the stone floor, each one carrying the weight of the anger and hurt I could no longer contain.
Comments