Reborn: The Rejected Luna

#15 - Go Home

Romaldo had lost control and he regretted it. Now that he was finally calm, he realized that Maxith was not a justified reason for what he had done to the poor girl. No amount of threat to his territory should have made him go so overboard without proper evidence. So then why did he do it with Irabel?

You know why. Because, mate or not, threat or not, you like her and you hate that she might belong to someone else. That she might belong to Maxith.

Romaldo was tempted to disagree, but that uneasy feeling over Irabel had grown into something else overnight, if the intensity of his regret was anything to go by. Something stronger was brewing inside him. He felt more for her than he did hours ago. It was as if whatever he felt intensified with the dawn of each new day. And thinking of her having any kind of link to Maxith left him feeling every kind of unreasonable.

Her pleas and Ken's pleas punched him in the gut once again and he struggled to ignore them. He didn't want to think of the possibility that his beta had been right and he had been wrong.

What if she was Maxith's victim? What if his brother had discovered that she was his second chance mate and had planned to use her in his dirty schemes? He couldn't put that past his greedy twin. What if?

Romaldo ran his hands through his hair, pulling at it when countless possibilities clicked in his head.

"I need to let her go." He resolved. As absurd as that was, he thought it was the solution he needed. Even if she turned out to be his mate, the damage was already done. She would never forgive him. The thought left him feeling both satisfied and surprisingly like a coward. He decided he didn’t care. He would get one of his small friendly packs to take them in before things got anymore complicated.

You mean before you actually realize that she's more than you want her to be?

“I don’t need a mate!” He snapped. But why did admitting that suddenly sting a little when it was the truth? And why couldn’t he get his mind off Irabel even when he was standing right in front of the one who held his heart?

“Amelie…” He imagined those loving eyes staring back at him, holding no hint of judgement at whatever he had done. He imagined her listening intently to him as he let out everything that troubled him.

If you hadn't left me, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t need somebody else. “Hell, I still don’t need somebody else.” He mumbled, but a memory of Irabel’s cries and pleas unearthed a contrary feeling. He wanted…no, he needed her forgiveness. And maybe…perhaps…

Perhaps if you let me go you’d see that you actually do need somebody else.

“No!” Romaldo protested, panic gripping his chest as Amelie’s image suddenly faded from his mind.

Go home, my love…

“I can't damn it!” His home was here, right beside her. “Amelie…” He reached out into the darkness, but nothing was there as always. "Don't leave me, please." He begged, hating having plunged himself right back into the pain of Amelie’s absence.

We should go. The nudging from his wolf surprised him. The beast had had…enough? Romaldo’s eyes shifted to his mate’s grave, surprised. Now that he thought about it, he realized that it had only been him holding on all this time. Was it really time for him to let go too?

“I hate to intrude, your highness, but dinner will be served soon..” His mind link buzzed with Ken’s dry invitation, reminding him that his beta was still upset with him.

“Will be there.” He stood staring at Amelie’s grave, surprisingly not liking the looming finality of his relationship with her. He wouldn’t have it, damn whatever his wolf felt like or how Irabel affected him. He had come too far to tie himself to another mate and risk all the pain he had endured again. His decision to let Irabel leave finally felt perfect and as he headed back to his castle he decided he would do it right after dinner.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” Vieva walked up to him the moment he entered the dining room after having washed up. The place was quiet, just the way his fiancee preferred. Dinner would just be the two of them if it were up to her but Romaldo wouldn’t have it. Ken and Nykka joining them was his condition if she wasn’t going to be comfortable with the rest of the pack joining them. Ken was already seated, albeit uncomfortably. His sister’s presence, however, was a rare sight as was expected with anything to do with his fiancee. Over time Romaldo stopped expecting her to join them.

“I promised that I wouldn’t miss it.” He avoided Vieva’s kiss deliberately and if she noticed it, she said nothing. She looked picture perfect in a figure hugging bold red dress that promised of good things to come once dinner was done, but for once Romaldo had zero interest. He blamed it on all the emotions that he’d had to deal with the last few hours. “Have you been waiting long?” He pulled a chair out for Vieva at the long dining table and helped her into it before taking his place at the head.

“Not long. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” Romaldo tensed.

“You seemed distracted, just now.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He lied. It wasn’t nothing. He was feeling uneasy again. The feeling was just as intense as it had been when Irabel was near. But that couldn’t be right because she wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near his castle. “Let’s eat.” Brushing whatever he felt aside, he forced a smile and waved at the kitchen staff to get serving.

But then suddenly the door to the room swung open and revealed his sister grinning from ear to ear. That was too much happiness from someone he had literally had to force to join them for dinner the few times they had eaten together.

"What changed?" He curled an eyebrow at Nykka.

"You asked me to get a life, so I got a friend. This is Irabel."

Romaldo’s world turned upside down when his prisoner stepped right into the room, looking nothing like the teary girl that had been begging him to let her go just hours earlier.

What was that he thought about sending Irabel away? He grabbed hold of the table, his claws digging a fraction into the shiny dark wood and effectively keeping him and his wolf that was practically howling in place. How was that the same girl? He hadn’t doubted her beauty from the moment he saw her, but now that she had bathed, had her hair nicely done and all dressed up in a little black dress…that dress! Those curves!

“Ken!” Romaldo turned to glare at his best friend but found him doning a horrified expression. His beta didn't seem to know what was going on too, at least part of it.

"My brother, aka 'The Alpha King'. Ken, his beta and Vieva."

Romaldo tensed in his seat as realization that Irabel and his fiancee were in the same room dawned on him. For whatever reason, he didn't want Vieva knowing about Irabel at all, but it was the smile that broke out on Irabel's face that got all his muscles in a knot. Damn! It wasn't even directed at him but it swept him off his feet. Good thing he was seated.

"N-Nice to meet y–"

"His fiancée." Vieva with her extended hand received a glare from Irabel that sent Romaldo's heart thumping. He had forgotten how fulfilling it was to have someone be possessive over him. They were definitely mates. It might not be so clear to him, but he could see it in her eyes, as clear as day. And damn were those eyes beautiful.

"I thought you preferred having dinner in your room?" Ken's voice was strained, making Romaldo shoot him a glare. He’d been the one to let Irabel go.

"We were, but I think Irabel was tired of being locked up in one place."

Romaldo choked on his saliva at the accusation underlying Nykka’s words and so did Ken. I will kill him. "What the hell?!" Romaldo roared in his mind link. "Did you tell her everything?"

"Calm down, she was going to find out anyway." Ken looked anywhere else but him, keeping their cover in front of Vieva intact.

"So how long are we going to put up with your friend?"

Romaldo turned sharply towards his fiancee. Vieva was smiling but her claws were definitely out. Had he been careless with his staring for his fiancée to notice? He knew Vieva could stomach Nykka, for now, but another girl getting his attention was trouble.

"You don't have to put up with anything dear future sister in law. This is my home too and Irabel is my guest. She's welcome to stay for as long as she wants, right brother?"

"Of course, this is your home after all." Romaldo hoped he was casual enough and that the bubbling excitement of having Irabel in his castle wasn't showing. She's your enemy. Weren't you supposed to let her go? There was that and the hate in her eyes, but damn everything for making it all the more exciting.