Denial

XV

He lifted his head when he felt Meena's presence. Meena felt sad looking at him; his eyes held a sad longing look but wasn't usually there. He usually had a focused look. That look wasn't there when he stared right at her. He held an empty faraway look.

She flopped onto the ground beside him.

" What's going on Demi?"

"I fucked up my only chance of having a mate I never thought I'd have and lost my wolf". Demitri confessed, leaning forward with his head hung low.

Wordlessly, Meena put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. Anything more than that would have gotten him riled up, even without his wolf pushing him but that little gesture was enough comfort for him.

"Don't beat yourself up on this. It's not really your fault. Even I didn't believe she was your mate. I thought the were up to some evil plan. I even suggested you break the bond. For that I'm sorry for not being your head when you lost yours". Meena apologized.

She had failed to take a lot of things into consideration and helped her brother lose a chance at a bliss he thought he'd never have. She hadn't prayed to Thea Seléni in a long time. She hadn't even sighed in relief for her existence. She worshipped the moon and was a loyal servant till she heard that she sided with the Queendom in banishing the wolves. According to the history she read, the wolves weren't at fault. They just wanted to be treated like everyone else in the Queendom. That had no ill will. Maybe witches and vampires as a team were stronger and could deceive oi moíres (the fates) .

"Adonis won't wake up. She sent him sleeping. ". Demitri whispered

"You know, Demi, maybe it's not all lost. I don't like witches or vampires due to the history but I've never once heard that Vasílissa Ismena is hard to please. You can fix what you both destroyed."

"She hates me, Meena"

"Don't be so pessimistic. You have the mate pull and oi moíres by your side. If they paired you up, they'd want to win whatever game they're playing" Meena mentioned and got up, heading for the door.

"Meena". Demitri called and she turned. "Thank you". He mouthed and she only smiled and left.

*
*
*
Aria hadn't left her room since her mate left. She picked a book from her nightstand and picked up from where she left off. One thing about reading; apart from opening your mind, it led you to worlds you didn't know existed. It calmed a person and could make one forget about their burdens. That's why she loved reading. They were just words that had been created into stories but they were also her comfort in distress.
She flinched when she felt a hand on her cheek and felt a burning sensation in her neck. Just where her mark was.

"Kardíà". Doukai whispered

She hadn't even felt him opening the door. Then again, maybe he didn't even use the door. Doukai had powers to appear wherever he wanted to and whenever. The perks of being a keeper.

"You teleported, didn't you?". Aria questioned with a smile when he removed his hand and the pain stopped. She mentally cursed Demitri. Now no one could touch her apart from her family and her mate until she accepted the bond. She couldn't get close to Doukai. Any physical touch would cause that wretched mark on her neck to start burning and bruising more.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you" Doukai croaked.

"You could've done nothing. I was in heat Kai"

"I thought you were going to fight him for us. For me"

"I tried"

"I don't know why I don't believe that. You let him get close enough to mark you and now there's nothing I can do. I knew you were avoiding me but I didn't think it was to get closer to the traitor"

Aria got up and struck him on his cheek. She glared at him and he glared back. She wondered how he could think that. She moved her lips to correct him where he was wrong but realized she couldn't. She couldn't move any part of her body either. Only her sense of sight worked.
She blinked back tears as her eyes turned misty. She had never thought that Doukai would ever get so angry to even hit her but today he was using his powers against her. Freezing every part of her body except and leaving her eyes so she could watch.

"I've always respected you as Vasílissa but you won't disrespect me by hitting me, Aria!" Doukai said grinding his teeth, still glaring at her. His eyes started glowing a light shade of yellow and Aria noticed a mischievous look inside them. He was letting his rage lead him into making a mess. Granted harming the queen out of rage only got you whipped but he could lose all he had for that. Anger; it's always a part of us. The part of us that feels we don't deserve a treatment we find unfair but when anger grows into rage, we turned into vicious creatures and that's what Doukai was doing right now.
The doors to her room burst open and Doukai was meet with a punch in the face, weakening him and releasing her. She despised her mate by all means but at that moment she felt so relieved for his presence.

Guards seized Doukai and were driving him out. He looked back and they're eyes met for a second. Aria saw all the regret they held but she couldn't do anything to save him from his own guilt or the whipping.

Demitri carried his mate to her bed as she was shaking and held her in his arms. It felt so good to hold her. He was calm with her. Content, even. He was aware she only wasn't fighting him because her mind was far from him or how much she hated him and as soon as she regained composure,she was sure to send him flying out of her room with a punch.
He noticed she was still shaking.

"You're okay,Moro (baby)". He whispered, brushing his fingers through her silky hair and she unconsciously leaned into him.
He kept doing that till she had stopped shaking visibly and had relaxed.

"You can go now, Àlfa"
She spat and Demitri flinched. She wasn't supposed to call him by his title. And it didn't help that she said it in a way that proved how much she hated him.
Aria had to hold herself back from elbowing Demitri in the rib when she calmed down. A part of her blamed her weak resolve around him on the pull and another part felt like just one punch would cause her to unleash her anger on him. To her it wouldn't be so bad. He was to blame for Doukai losing his shit.

"W- what are you doing?" Aria gasped as felt tingles on her back. He was running his fingers over her back.
When he paid her no mind, she turned and harshly gripped his wrist in one hand.

"I said-"

"I'm sorry. It's just the mark on your back"

"What has it got to do with anything?"

"I have the same mark in my wrist,moró (baby)"

Aria felt her skin light up when he called her that.

"Don't call me that. "
She told him and looked at the wrist she was still holding. She held back a gasp when she saw the symbol of a crescent moon with fangs in it on his wrist. She knew she had the same mark. She'd had it since childhood. She freaked out when she first saw it thinking someone had carved it into her skin till Dalcia told her she'd been born with it.

"How?" She whispered to herself.

"Has it always been there?" Demitri asked and she nodded in reply. He was thinking it had appeared after Adonis marked her but if she'd always had it, then it meant something.

"Do-"

"I thought I asked you to leave". She stated in a cold voice when he attempted to speak again.

He didn't look at her as he got up to leave. He wanted to look into her beautiful obsidian eyes and gaze at her round face as if that would keep her beside him at night but the hateful look she always sent his way stopped him. He couldn't risk sending his wolf deeper and farther.

"Lady Dalcia"
He acknowledged with a bow when he stepped out to find the former queen and Aria's mother right outside her bedroom.

"Oh Demitri. Just call me Dalcia. You're my daughter's mate" She said with a chuckle which surprised him. Wasn't she supposed to hate him like everyone in the Queendom?