My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 62: Departure

Violet

He looked around the room. "You would need to take your things... and some of the clothes here with you."

My arms dropped to my sides in surprise, and confusion. Where was that coming from?

"Why?" I asked, following his gaze over the room too.

He stepped further into the room, and slowly paced around, his hands in pockets I hadn’t noticed before. "There is a major hunting festival happening in two months, shortly before the summit oddly enough."

He stopped pacing and turned to look at me. "I am sending Ila to the outer district, to the main capital, to handle the preparations for the event. I want you to go with her. Tomorrow."

"To—tomorrow?"

"Yes." He took a step closer. "Ila will be teaching you combat while you’re there." His gaze softened. "And I believe it would be easier for you there rather than here where everyone knows who you are."

That’s true. Tow had initially said Ila would train me, but this was sudden.

And then I would be going to the Outer district of the capital itself.

It would be more crowded, and there wouldn’t be as much scrutiny on me the way there was here.

My chest fluttered with excitement.

I wouldn’t have to be confined to this room!

"I... I don’t mind," I said quickly, perhaps too quickly.

The thought of leaving this room, of seeing more than just these walls and the inner district, made something light up and bloom inside me. "I understand."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Good," he said quietly. Then, after a moment, his expression shifted into something softer as his eyes drifted to the window. Pulling a hand out of his pocket, he rubbed his stubbled chin. "Though I have to admit... it saddens me a bit to have you go for a while."

I went still, stunned at the surprising admission.

"I—" I started, but couldn’t find the words.

What was I supposed to say to that?

He didn’t wait for my answer.

He started closing the distance between us.

A stride.

I stood still, my pulse quickening.

He held my gaze, taking a second stride.

His movements were deliberate. Slow.

As if he was giving me every chance to step back if I wanted.

I didn’t.

His hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing against my skin with a tenderness that made my breath hitch. His other hand settled at my waist, and his fingers curling gently against the fabric of my shirt sent a shiver though me.

Then he leaned down and kissed me.

It wasn’t like the desperate, consuming kisses in the cave. This started soft. Gentle. His lips moved against mine with careful intention, as if he was trying to memorize the shape of my mouth.

My eyes fluttered closed and I found myself leaning into him, my hands instinctively reaching up to clutch the front of his shirt.

His hand tightened on my waist, pulling me closer until I was pressed against him. The kiss deepened, his tongue sweeping across my lower lip in a silent request I didn’t know how to deny.

The kiss turned urgent, thorough, like he was trying to imprint himself on me before I left.

My knees went weak and my fingers twisted in his shirt as I held on to him. His heart pounded against my chest, even louder than mine and I could feel the tension thrumming through his body like he was restraining himself from doing more.

When he finally pulled back, his hand slowly slid from my cheek, fingers trailing down my neck before falling away completely.

"Enjoy your rest," he murmured. "You’ll need your strength."

Then he stepped back, the loss of his warmth leaving me cold and unsteady. He turned toward the door, opened it, and slipped out into the hallway without looking back, closing it softly behind him.

The room felt impossibly empty without him.

My fingers slowly rose to my lips, pressing against them. I could still feel the warmth of his kiss lingering there.

My face was burning. And my heart raced so fast, I could hear it in my ears.

[ - ]

I had woken up to learn he had left sometime that night to organize and prepare the inhabitants of the inner district for the hunt. I sat in his study, my lips still tingling with the memory of his kiss.

I was confused.

Were we lovers now?

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the doors opened. I had been too engrossed in stupid thoughts to notice anyone approaching. Ila walked in, fully covered unlike when I had last seen her at the camp.

She beamed, and was dressed in a flowy blue embroidered long gown. Her hair was even shorter now, a hair cut making her look even younger. However, she especially looked far prettier than before.

The change in her appearance shocked me. She looked regal, unlike her rough, wild look back then.

There was a warm glint in her eyes as she drew closer, silently appraising me. Her eyes widened when she stopped in front of me. There was a faint red glow that sparked in them before disappearing.

She seemed just as surprised to see me as I was.

As she stood before me, the hairs on my skin stood on end. I wasn’t sure how I had not noticed it before, but I could clearly tell now.

Ila was consciously hiding the full extent of her strength, the same way Iver did. While his was flawless, I could more or less get a grasp of how strong he was due to the bond between us.

But Ila... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She was more powerful than Tow.

The strange new revelation sent a faint chill through me.

"A Lycan... it makes sense now," she seemed to whisper to herself.

I blinked, snapping out of my brief awe.

Ila flinched, her attention fully on me. She offered an apologetic smile. "Pardon my rudeness."

Ila had not been particularly hostile to me when we had met, but there was a strong interest in her eyes she didn’t have before. Her features eased into a gentle look. "I am glad to see you look well."