Chapter 65
Julian
I gave it some thought and mumbled, “Yeah, maybe, I am not sure. We just brushed it off as her mood swings after hitting menopause or something I am not very good with these medical terms. All I knew was that I was advised to let you heal and not mention anything even remotely harmful So, I just waited for time to pass, hoping that things would return to normal.”
My voice sounded defeated and gloomy to my own ears when I continued, “But they never did. Around the time I gathered the courage to tell you that something was odd about Mom’s health, I found out my fated mate was Angelica. I had already been worried sick about your health as well as mine and then I found my fated mate. It was as if the Moon Goddess thought my worries were not enough.”
Anastasia’s voice steeled when she asked, “So you found a friend in her, a shoulder to cry on. And then you gave into the mate bond’s pull.”
Those words felt like a slap on my face but I could not deny it, not completely.
“Yes and no. I did not tell her about your miscarriage or your health but I did tell her about my mother’s ill health. The worry was killing me from the inside. I just wanted to talk to someone. And she wanted to be a good listener. So, I only told her about how mom’s health was deteriorating and how it was taking a toll on me…of how even after being the most powerful alpha, I could do nothing as my mother withered away in front of me.”
I could see Anastasia’s eyes getting moist. Fuck. Why did I always make her cry?
My gaze flicked to the photo of us, smiling and kissing each other happily. “Believe me when I say that I tried resisting the pull, Ana. I tried with all my might. I thought…I had to tell you first before I made a move on her so I did not touch her before telling you that she was my mate, before bringing her under our roof.”
Her voice was emotionless when she muttered, “You gave me no choice, Julian. You just told me she was coming and asked me to deal with it.”
12:28
Wooing my Ex–wife again
45 vouchers
Linched closer to her, guilt and shame shining in my eyes. I wanted her to see it all, this part of me that was laid bare in front of her.
“I did. After I brought her home, and the way you were very stoic but not downright mean or anything, I thought I had everything under control. I thought I could tell you the stuff bothering me and also find a way to keep Angelica home. I…I just wanted to check if every woman close to me would be affected by this slow and painful death that my mother was going through. Maybe, I thought Angelica would somehow be able to break the chain, maybe she was the solution because all I had in my mind was just a theory.”
Anastasia’s voice cracked when she asked, “Which is?”
“I…I found out that this particular tribe is very nasty and if someone messes with them, they go on to obliterate every woman close to the person who hurt them. My mother’s condition was still under control but I knew that it was going to degrade soon. I just wanted to bring Angelica into the house as a very special person in my life and see if she would be affected too. I was already dreading losing Mom, I could not bear to lose you too.”
Anastasia’s mouth opened to say something but she closed it after thinking something. I could see the cogs in her mind trying to work, trying to make this sound logical and rational.
It wasn’t.
I knew I had fucked up royally.Belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
“I…I used to go comb through the forest whenever I got time, and then one day I found this…” I said, pointing at that small wooden quiver.
“My research spans five years but when I first saw these darts all those months ago, I somehow felt it in my gut that whatever was causing Mom’s health to decline was this little quiver. I looked up images of this and could only figure out that this belonged to an ancient tribe that was very nasty and tried to wipe out important women of their enemies‘ tribe…in our case, a pack. After my mom, you were the woman of importance in our pack. And imagine my worry, when I saw a broken dart, much like this, near your car one day.”
I gulped, recalling the terror that rose through me when I saw it near Anastasia’s car’s tires.
“Again, you never told me,” she repeated
12:23
+5 vouchers
Wooing my Ex–wife again
“I know but I recalled the doctor’s words of letting you heal. Initially, my plan had been to send you to your parents saying
in weather because of your sadness. But then I sau at you needed a change
that broken dart and my heart began to worry. I was worried sick about you and Angelica only knew that you were sad and broken. I didn’t tell her the reason. But she suggested that she could come along to give you company. That she believed we could live together harmoniously.”
Anastasia snorted and I saw the hint of anger rise in her eyes.
“I tried to tell you about Angelica and how she was my mate but please believe me, I could not tell you the reason why I was doing everything. I feared someone on the inside was also a culprit. I thought there was no way somebody could breach the security of our pack and get to you but the broken dart had been lying near your tire. And…after seeing that, I could not think clearly. The fear of losing you overshadowed my rational judgment. So, I had to drive you away. And I had to also bring in a temporary replacement of yours to see if they would hurt her. If it was truly the case or just me being paranoid and worried.”
I inched closer to her and reached for her hand, bringing it near my face and lightly cupping it. She did not pull away vehemently.
“It was a rushed plan, a stupid one that I did not think of properly, I know, but given the sudden turn of events and how panicked I already was…I knew I had to drive you away with such a strong objective that it would look believable. I thought maybe….maybe, if these tribal huntsmen were watching our pack and realized that you had broken ties with me, then they would not come after you. And…and that is the case, not once was Angelica hurt or attacked by anyone in these five years.”
“And…and then my belief that this was all over and they had left me and my family for good made me search for you. But you had disappeared from every known werewolf pack. I hunted and searched for you far and wide. I wanted to tell you about my stupidity, I wanted you to blame me, shout at me, curse me for everything. But you had fled to the human world and looking for you through that was a lot tougher. Five years…that was how much I waited to tell you everything, not that you gave me a chance because you left me just a few days after I came up with my not so brilliant plan. But when I heard a little girl’s voice answer your phone all those months ago, my heart skipped a beat. I feared you had moved on, and started a new life. So I came in person to meet you and…that is when I saw Lea. I could not tell