My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 134: Turbulent Thoughts

Kael

This was not good. Not good at all, and—

The door opened.

I must have pushed it without realizing, or maybe my hand had been resting against it hard enough that it had simply given way. Either way, I found myself stepping into the entry hall, the familiar space of my quarters surrounding me.

The door to her room was open.

I moved toward it, my feet carrying me forward almost against my will. And there she was, lying on the bed, her dark hair spread across the pillow.

Her eyes opened as I entered, and she sat up slightly, surprised.

"Kael?" She studied my face, and I saw concern dawn in her eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," I said automatically, my voice coming out rough. "I am just tired."

The lie tasted bitter.

Before she could respond or even see through the false words, I crossed the room and climbed onto the bed beside her, kicking off my shoes. I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my face in the curve of her neck.

She went rigid with surprise, her body tense in my embrace before immediately relaxing.

That small reaction made me happier than necessary.

I just needed to be close to her. Needed to feel her warmth, her presence, the solid reality of her beside me.

She was mine. I wasn’t going to let that boy have her.

I buried my face in her hair and breathed in her scent.

"Kael?" she said softly, confusion clear in her voice. "Are you sure you are—"

"I am fine, Violet." I tightened my hold slightly as I murmured against her hair. "Just let me hold you for a while. Please."

She didn’t push further. Soon, one of her hands came up to rest on my arm.

We lay there in silence for a long time, having lost track of how many minutes had passed. I focused only on the feel of her in my arms, the steady rhythm of her breathing, the warmth of her body against mine, the faint scent of her hair.

Mine. She was mine.

The thought of marking her went through my mind. It would solve so much. Would make our bond visible, undeniable, and permanent. There would be no other bonds even if she was meant to have more than one.

Marking was the final seal.

But I didn’t have it in me to force something like this on her. She was already drowning in confusion and stress, especially after that ordeal during the eclipse. Adding that pressure now would be cruel.

She would hate me.

And Rowan’s presence would influence her decision. As long as he was here, as long as she could feel that pull toward him, her choice wouldn’t truly be free.

I needed him gone.

Not dead or harmed. I wasn’t that far gone. But away from here. Back in his own territory where he belonged.

But how to accomplish that without creating a diplomatic incident or raising suspicions was a problem I didn’t have an answer to yet.

Time passed. I felt myself gradually calming down, the worst of the emotional storm subsiding into something more manageable. My grip on Violet loosened slightly, and I felt her shift in my arms.

Then she spoke, her voice quiet and careful in a way that immediately put me on alert.

"Kael..."

"Yes?"

There was a pause. A hesitation that made my stomach clench with dread.

"Do Lycans tend to have multiple mates?"

I went still and the question hung in the air between us, innocent on the surface but loaded with implications that made my heart hammer against my ribs.

And that realization that she was still trying to hide this, even now, sent a fresh wave of hurt through my chest.

I wanted to ask her why she would ask me that, but I did not want to hear the answer. Or even worse, listen to her lie.

"Kael?" Violet’s voice was soft, uncertain.

"I heard you," I just said, managing to keep my voice level, though it took more effort than it should have. "I don’t know. We do not have any information on that aspect of their lives."

"Oh..." Another pause. I felt her swallow, felt the slight tremor that went through her. "At the—"

"Don’t worry about the trial. It will be fine. I went through it briefly with the others, but it would be best to still remain alert."

I hated myself.

I knew just what she was about to reveal to me, but I did not want to hear it.

"Coward," my wolf snarled. "You coward. She was going to tell us. Let her continue! Confront her about this! You should have ripped off his head when you had the chance!"

"Not now."

"Mark her! You need to mark her," my wolf insisted. "Soon. Before he tries to—"

"Just let me be..."

My wolf grumbled and crept back into the recesses of my mind.

He was right about marking her. I couldn’t deny the truth of it.

She was silent for a long moment. I could practically feel her thinking, processing, trying to decide whether to push further or let it go.

’Please let it go.’

I needed her to let the thought go just for tonight. For her to just give me tonight to figure out how to handle this.

"Thank you, Kael," she finally whispered.

Relief flooded through me, so intense it was almost painful.

She settled back against me, and I felt some of the tension drain from her body. Not all of it, but for now, she was willing to let it rest.

We lay there in silence, my arms wrapped around her, her back pressed against my chest. Outside, the sky continued to darken into full night.

My mind raced despite my exhaustion, running through possibilities and scenarios, trying to find a solution that didn’t end in a disaster.

I had to do something about this before it tore everything apart.