Chapter 8 - The Strength (1)

He just can’t hate her without any reason.

Perhaps there is a reason.

“You have to think about your mate Rydan,” Edra would remind him.

“When you turn twenty-three years old. Your wolf would recognize your mate's scent, and running to her would be the only thing inside your mind, within seconds you will forget about your wife. Only love your mate Rydan, only her,” Edra had whispered the last part as if it’s hard to make it through her lips.

“That is the reason why you should never give your heart to your wife or accept her heart that she gives to you, do you get it?” Edra would always make sure to say the same thing a day before his birthday. Rydan would always nod, even though each time he can’t understand.

How could he?

He will have a wife, forget his wife, and run towards another woman?

However, her mother is ’another woman’ and Lady Byrl is ’first wife’ of his father, so he would do the same thing someday, forgetting the girl clad in white dress, fragile pale skin and big two eye colors, he too will forget her and cherish another woman.

Rydan punches the tree beside him, anger rushing out of him. Feeling confused and out of place.

What is this feeling?

Feeling of wanting to break, wanting to rebel without much reason, the urge to run towards that girl.

Right now, the deisre to see her is unbearable.

No!

He will not see her. The only day he will see her is the marriage day and the day he needs her power, and that’s it, nothing else. He will not come to her, he will not!

But how come his feet turn around and walk to the dining area?

How each step only makes him move forward faster, towards the place where dinner would be served and everyone will be there.

Everyone.

Including her.

He opened the door and found everyone sitting around the table.

Except for that girl.

Where is she?

Rydan tries to compose his expression and walk towards the table before he sits beside Deair. Deair was eyeing him, she decides to continue eating her dinner, while Rydan starts to fill his plate with food.

“If you are looking for Elleryn, she is inside the East Tower,” Deair said, taking a glance at her mother, facing her expression painted with disappointment, before she continues on eating. “Mother has decided she could not leave the Tower until the marriage. She would reside there as well after the marriage, just like Lady Byrl,” Deair stated between swallowing down her meals and putting a piece of corn inside her mouth.

“You will not disrespect your mother like that ever again,” Arax warned her. Deair whimpers, but then she sighs and eyes Rydan once again.

“She’s just a girl. No older than Aevin and Ahron. She deserves to eat with us, if she will be part of our family,” Deair said, through grit teeth. Lorra snorts hearing her sister's words.

“And who would want to be a family with her?” Lorra shakes her head in disbelief. “I’m obviously not,” she continued, eyeing her sister with shame.

“Oh really? I don’t remember Father told me that you are adopted. Now I know why we never get along,” Deair snorts, earning a growl from Lorra. Rydan growls at the two of them, wishing they would stop it already. Both of them were always at each other’s throat, insults would be thrown at one another. As an older sister, Deair feels like a weak werewolf for not being able to shift. However, Lorra feels that Deair gets attention and care from the family, because of it. Even though that was not the case.

“Why did you even think Rydan wanted to see that witch anyway? I mean, Rydan hates her. Isn’t that why you skip lunch and dinner for the past three days,” Lorra mutters under her breath, trying to calm her wolf. Deair snorts at her once again.

“Are you deaf? His heartbeat was fast before he came inside. Then it slows down rapidly after looking at each of us,” Deair glanced towards everyone on the table before she continues. “It indicates he was disappointed Elleryn is not here,” Deair sneers at Lorra. “People would start to think you’re the one without a wolf,” Deair insulted Lorra once again.

Lorra stands up, looking angry and pissed. Her first comes down the dinner table, splitting the wood into two and shattering almost every plate on the table. She turns around and goes outside the room, leaving the rest of the family behind.

Arax sighs and orders the servant to replace the table with a stronger one this time around. Dinner had to stop, and they would have to find food in wolf form inside the forest if they are still hungry. No one was complaining about it.

Deair was jumping, because now she could stay inside her room painting her bedroom wall once again. Maybe visit the Daughter of Qye, instead of having dinner with her sister Lorra. Arax eyes his son, sending a message towards him, and only him to hear.

’You are not disappointed, right son?’ Arax asked.

Rydan looks at his father’s eyes, before nodding at him.

’answer me’, Arax demanded.

Rydan took a deep breath then answered him.

’Yes, Father,’ it was a lie. For the first time in his life, he was lying in front of the King of Suttern, and the King himself believed that lie, or maybe he forced himself to believe it.

• • ⊱∘────·❅·────∘⊰ • •

“Where are you going?” Rydan asked his little sister.

As far as he knows, Deair’s bedroom wasn’t through this hallway or turned left to the garden, or pass the library. Sure enough, she is up to something or headed somewhere else, the same place Rydan headed as well.

Deair turns around, her eyes turned into the golden slit as she crosses both her arms in front of her chest. She took a slow step circling Rydan, scanning him from head to toe, while shaking her head a few times. Deair let out questioning hum and a few sighs before she decided to stop in front of her beloved big brother and glared at him.

“What are you doing?” Rydan asked, this time a little bit annoyed.

“You are following me, why?” Deair stated. Her left eyebrow raised, smirk visible on her lips.

Rydan looks at her as if she was crazy. He is not following her. Right now he is on his way to the East Tower. Apparently, he thinks he should apologize to his future wife for accusing her, and after that, he is determined to stay away from her, hoping it would continue like that until his last breath.

Wait! East tower? Deair is headed that way as well, but for what?

Realization begins to creep up Rydan's face, his eyes wide with bewilderment, hoping Deair didn’t catch that, and Rydan took a last-minute step to cover his expression. Though, Deair already notices it.