Chapter 54: Midnight Visitor
My voice was so loud that it reverberated across the room. I wouldn’t be surprised if the people standing guard downstairs could hear every word, but frankly, I didn’t care either. At this point, everyone already had their suspicions.
Soren’s face darkened, and he looked ready to burst. However, his clenched fists were signs of his restraint, which only further added to my annoyance.
"I didn’t think of it like that," he said, his tone as even as he could maintain. However, there was a slight tremble to his voice. Hearing his emotions get riled up merely added more fuel to my fire.
"Then what?" I taunted. "What did you think would benefit from this visit? Why do you see the need to come visit me rather than spend time with your precious, pregnant chosen mate―"
"I don’t know!" Soren yelled, the last strings of his restraint finally snapping. He had roared so loudly that I took a step back in surprise.
My eyes widened.
"I don’t know," he repeated a little softer this time. "I am... confused. I don’t know how to act around you, and I don’t know what it is that I want."
My ears twitched. "Is this because of Willow?" I asked. "I told you, I wasn’t the one who killed her. In fact, I have half a mind to believe that she is still somewhere out there, alive! Maybe even injured―"
"It’s not about Willow!" Soren said.
This time, I was actually shocked.
"Not about Willow?" I blabbered out, stunned. "How could it not be about Willow?" I blurted out.
It had always been about her. Right from the very start, she was the root of my misery. She had never done anything to me personally, but she was also the reason for most of my suffering.
"I―" Soren’s eyes widened as though he finally realized what he had said. He clamped his mouth shut and took a step back.
Only then did I realize we had moved so close to one another.
"I said too much," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to me.
"No, you didn’t say enough," I said, gritting my teeth. "I have the right to know why my fated mates hate me―"
"You know what you’ve done," Soren said.
His gaze was entirely fixated on the floor. Then, he inhaled deeply before turning to look at me. When he finally did, his eyes were cold, and everything was back to the way it was before.
"You’re right," he said. "I shouldn’t have come."
Before I could say anything, he turned on his heel and left, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Wait!" I yelled, slamming against the door. I tried to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn’t move. He must’ve locked it on his way out. "Soren!" I yelled, pounding on the door. "Soren, come back!"
However, all I could hear was his footsteps slowly echoing down the corridor before disappearing entirely.
***
It took me hours of tossing and turning before I eventually fell asleep.
Truth to be told, after the events of the very long day, I was tired. My body was physically exhausted, and my mind was drained. I wanted to sleep, especially since I wasn’t sure how long I would be given the luxury of such a huge and comfortable bedroom.
However, no matter how much I tossed and turned, sleep wouldn’t come to me. Perhaps I had been so used to the stiff bedframes and paper-thin mattresses that I couldn’t make myself comfortable on such a plush and soft mattress.
I squeezed my eyes shut while beginning to count sheep. I had gotten to the hundreds when I suddenly heard a soft creak. That sound was followed by the influx of a refreshing, sweet scent that filled the room.
My eyes instantly shot open.
This scent was awfully familiar. It took me half a second to realize that it was Soren’s scent― no, it was the scent of the wolf that had saved me in the forest, and the same scent of the wolf that had saved me during the rogue attack a while ago.
I had been slow to connect the dots, but it couldn’t have been Soren. Soren was home, here in the Shadowclaw Pack, when I was attacked by rogues. He was happily accompanying Violet and Rowan, celebrating the news of Violet’s pregnancy.
He couldn’t have possibly been the same wolf in the forest, even if the wolf had left right before Cassian showed up.
My breath clogged in my throat as I tried not to move. As much as I could, I kept my breathing even, pretending to be asleep. However, my heart was racing under my ribcage, and I was worried that the intruder could hear the wild thudding of my heart.
How did he even get in here? There had to be at least ten warriors patrolling the perimeters of this room at the current moment, some positioned outside my door and some outside the window.
From where I was lying on the bed, the door seemed to be closed. He didn’t come in from there. My back was facing the window, and I didn’t dare to turn around to confirm if it was open or not. However, that was my best guess.
The room was fairly silent, other than my own soft breathing. I could hear someone’s footsteps draw closer and closer to the bed. At the same time, the scent grew stronger and stronger.
My heart began to race, and I realized that it wasn’t in fear of this intruder. If anything, their scent was what made my breathing quicken. The pits of my stomach began to churn, and I could feel my palms growing clammy with sweat.
It took me a while before I realized how familiar this sensation was.
The mattress dipped down with the added weight. They had climbed on!
I squeezed my eyes shut, internally yelling at myself to calm down. I couldn’t let them find out that I was awake.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe―
I sharply gasped when the person’s hand grazed my shoulder. Even through the thin fabric of the nightdress I was wearing, I could feel a rush of electricity where he had touched me, confirming my suspicions.
This person... was my fated mate.
