Celia's heart trembled at his intervention. He called her his, she was so startled by his words that her face became as red as a strawberry and her feet turned to jelly. He affected her so much that she did not even realize what Salas was currently doing.
Rayan was rapidly losing his breath, the hold on his neck was so powerful that barely any air passed through his throat and into his lungs. He was gasping for air while also trembling, because of the suffocating aura. He was moments away from passing out and even dying.
Fortunately, Celia recovered from the startle and reacted before it was too late.
"Your highness please let him go!" She pleaded, going over to Salas's side. But Salas was too immersed in his rage to see her.
"Your highness please let go!" She pleaded again louder, but he still did not react.
Thinking of what to do, she clenched her jaws and steadied her heart. Looking at his face that did not seem to notice her presence upset her, it made her sad that she was not reflected in those blue eyes that now were black as night. She raised her hand and gently put it on his arm, but she still did not manage to move him and make him look towards her.
"Your highness, please look at me!" Celia said and slowly raised her hand from his arm and cupped his cheek with her palm.
Her warm touch comforted Salas a bit, clearing his mind. It was the first time she had made such an intimate gesture towards him of her own volition. It made him release his hold on Rayan's neck. Who, as soon as he was released, fell on the floor and started to take deep breaths to compensate for the previous lack of air.
"Thank you!" Celia affirmed grateful, she knew that to reign in your wolf when it was agitated was difficult, more so for the king, but he did just that for her.
"Are you happy I did not kill your mate, even though he was trying to hurt you?" Salas asked upset.
He knew that Celia was rejecting her mate, but seeing her help the alpha, did not sit well with him. He was barely holding on to his control, as Sky was raging in his mind. Depending on Celia's answer, Salas was likely to lose control again.
"I do not want you to kill the father of my nephew. I do not want you to leave an innocent child without his father, no matter who that person is." Celia said quickly, she knew that Salas was about to lose control again. And then she continued to talk, not even realizing what exactly she said next.
"And I especially do not want you to be called a murderer, because of me! I would not be able to bear it!" She said with a trembling voice.
Hearing her words, he was still reigning in his wolf, but the last part felt like she was worried about him, so he finally took control properly.
After a brief moment of silence, Salas only asked her the following.
"You were going to reject him?" Salas inquired calm, returning to his aloof self.
"Yes?" She replied not understanding his meaning completely.
"Accept her rejection right now alpha!" Salas ordered using his wolf voice. He was forcing the reluctant Rayan to finish severing the bond.
"... I ... accept!" Rayan confirmed through greeted teeth. He had barely finished healing and thus could not previously intervene, even if he wanted to.
The finished formal rejection left Rayan gasping for air. His heart felt like someone was breaking it with their bare hands and stealing half of it. The pain was so difficult to contain that his body fell on the floor.
So it was true that there was something between the king and his mate. How dared she do this to him? Was the social standing more important than him, her rightful mate? To be the lover of the king was more important than becoming his Luna? These were the thoughts his mind kept thinking of, before passing out.
At this time Salas was looking at Celia's face, he was studying her expression, trying to find if there was even a hint of an emotion, but he could not see any.
If a werewolf that had been cheated on decided to sever a bond, normally, she or he would not suffer. The Goddess allowed the phantom pains for a cheated werewolf to make sure of one's fidelity.
The stronger the pain, the more and conclusive a werewolf was cheated on, but when that werewolf would sever the sick bond, the Goddess took back the pain. The innocent werewolf felt nothing, nothing would hurt her or him physically, but mentally she or he would still suffer if she loved her or his partner.
The fact that Celia was not suffering, meant that she was not in love, calming down Salas for good.
Ignoring Rayan, Celia passed by him with Salas following behind. The situation had been an unexpected one, but she was happy to have the bond severed.
She walked until the door and was about to enter the bathroom to change her clothes, when she turned around.
"Your highness?" Celia shyly asked.
"Yes!" Salas immediately replied.
"Umm this is the women's bathroom." She gently whispered.
Salas looked around him and noticed that he was about to enter with her. His face froze and he immediately took a step back.
"I am sorry! Please go on ahead!" He quickly apologized, and she seemed to notice a tinge of red on his ears.
Hearing these words from him, she instantly turned around and entered the bathroom, then closed the door behind her. His face was too deadly to be seen up close.
She quickly changed into her previous dress and finally had a minute to process what happened. Salas may have wanted to help her just now, but the words he used. Why would he say she was his?
She could not fathom his thoughts, but she felt it was for the best to leave the palace, the sooner the better, before something out of her control happened.
Finishing changing her clothes, she exited the bathroom, but was surprised to find Salas still there, he had his hands crossed in front of his chest and his back was leaned on the wall.
Thankfully, at least Rayan was nowhere in sight.
Seeing her in the doorway, Salas cleared his mind and quickly came to her side, taking hold of her arm.
The warmth of his hand and the electrifying tingles she was feeling through her skin sent shivers through her heart.
She wanted to say something, but there was no chance to, because as soon as he held her hand firmly, he started walking away. They walked a few steps, when she finally spoke.
"Your highness the ballroom is in the other direction!" She exclaimed confused, noticing he was leading her away.
"It is alright, there is no need to stay longer!" Salas reasoned.
"But your highness's guests, they have not left yet! The maids said the ball would continue until after midnight, do you not have to stay until then? We are leaving too quickly!" She said raising her voice, as she was at the same time trying to keep up with his large strides. It seemed as though he wanted to leave before someone noticed their prolonged absence.
"You are more important! I did not know of your past, I should have not brought you here!" Salas stated apologetically, but still did not slow down his steps.
Celia's heart warmed up at his words. She realized that Salas, somewhat, figured her entangled family's relationship. Her mate was her sister's lover, she was his Luna and she was also carrying his pup, but in spite of this, they did not show the slightest of remorse.
They had all come together as a happy family, with even her parents approving of their relationship, seeing as they had all stayed at the same table without any hint of displeasure.
The traitorous pair also had the audacity to still seek her. Her sister wanted to make further use of her and her mate, to ask her to raise his pup. In their eyes she was as always, someone convenient to be used.
Her eyes turned red thinking of this, but she was also grateful for his thoughtfulness. And at the same time afraid, so very afraid to hope for more than she deserved, to become greedy for something ... someone who was not her own.
She stopped her steps, not following his anymore. Making Salas immediately stop when he felt he was about to tug her hand, and questioningly look at her.
"What is the matter?" Salas asked confused, as he saw her somewhat upset expression.
"Can I talk with you a bit your highness?" Celia asked slowly, not looking at him.
"Of course. Let's go to the private quarters first and we can talk!" Salas immediately replied. Was she still sad of all that happened tonight? Well to go through such things, must have taken its toll on her heart.
Celia walked again, allowing him to still hold her hand.
The drive on the way back was a quiet one. Neither one said a word until they arrived at his personal office. Reaching the door, he invited her inside.
They sat in silence for the first few moments, each on a different couch. Although they were sitting face to face, she still did not dare look in his direction.
Salas had felt her stiffness and did not talk, he was waiting for her to put her thoughts in order. On the way back, he had replayed the situation with the alpha, and realized exactly what he had said at that time. So he did not want to rush her, but he still felt anxious because of what she wanted to say. He had called her his, even if it was in a moment of not holding control of his wolf, she must have realized his meaning.
"Your highness I would like to return to the Academy. Please give me your permission to do so!" Celia requested permission after some time.
Salas looked towards her, inspecting her face. She seemed tormented of something, and he felt it was not because of her studies. She was rushing to get away from the palace, rushing to get away from him.
"Why?" Salas asked her, as calm as he could be.
"I am healed already, so I must return. I will fall behind the others, if I don't restart my studies!" She reasoned stuttering.
"Celia you are a bright student, you would be able to quickly regain what you have missed. This is not the reason why you are trying to leave. Why do I get the feeling that you are trying to get away from me? Have I offended you in any way?" Salas asked, a frown was deeply settled between his brows.
He was trying to figure her out, but he could not understand her emotions. So the best thing he thought of was to ask her frankly.
"No, of course not, your highness!" Celia immediately denied, but her heart was thumping loud, he had figured out she was trying to hide from him.
"Then what is it? Is it because I intervened earlier? He was trying to hurt you, how could I watch him do that. How could my heart bear for even a strand of your hair getting hurt?" Salas stated, he had laid his heart honestly and told her exactly what he thought.
Again he had made her heart a mess. It had been so many times he had done it. At first, she thought he was that way with everyone, but he only acted that way around her. The words he used around her, his way of speaking felt like she was someone special to him. With other people he acted more mechanically, less human.
"I ..." Celia stuttered again, unlike her usual calm self. He had the ability to turn her stoic and expressionless personality into a stuttering fool, into a new person.
Was it intentional on his part or was he trying to toy with her? She was tired of questioning herself and him.
"Your highness I really just want to return." She said resolutely.
"Why do you ..." Salas started to say and for the first time in his life he was stopped by someone from speaking. Being the king, nobody was permitted to overstep him.
"Your highness, please don't care of my affairs from now on! Please just let me leave!" She simply pleaded, feeling like someone who was defeated. She had even forgotten the royal protocols, because of the chaos in her mind.
"Why should I not care for your affairs?" He asked with a normal voice, but he was notably upset.
"I have to handle my own problems. They are not worthy of your highness's time! Even previously, I could have handled my problems by myself. Because of me, you even left the ball earlier than intended." She explained worried.
"They are worthy if I say they are!" He replied firmly, he was getting more and more sad and upset. Even Sky had become agitated. They were both feeling as though she kept them at bay from her life, even from the issue of her mate. Could she still have feelings for that bastard, even though she rejected him?
"Your highness, why do you care?" She asked with her voice getting hoarse, she felt like there was a lump blocking her throat.
"Do you really not know why? Have I hidden it so well that you do not know?" He asked trying to keep a calm voice.
"I ... How can I know?" She answered stuttering. How could she not realize at least a little bit his reasons for treating her this way? She had denied it to herself, but deep down, no matter how clueless she was, she felt he treated her different from other women.
"Celia you do know. Or have I not made my intentions clear enough? Should I say it in words?" Salas asked one more time, he felt that if he did not speak truthfully with her tonight, she would avoid him in the future, and he would not be able to talk again privately and openly.
"Celia I like you, I like you how a man likes a woman. Is this reason appropriate enough for me to care for your affairs?" Salas continued looking straight into her eyes.
Celia was captured by his gaze, by his eyes that were telling her he was speaking the truth. He was breaking all the walls she had built around her heart. The walls she made to make sure nobody would hurt her again, like her family had.
"What if you have a mate somewhere?" She voiced her reasonable worry, a perfect excuse to reject his feelings.
"I am a hundred years old already and I still have not found a mate." Salas dispelled her reason with ease, not telling her the suspicions he held, as she was not aware he knew of the existence of her two wolves. Whenever she wanted to tell him herself, then he would speak of this.
He was also sure of his feelings towards her. Whether she was his mate or not, he felt he would not be able to feel for another woman what he felt for her and she also now had no other mate.
"What if your feelings are temporary?" Her thoughts were turning jumbled by the second, as she was searching for her words, her heart thumbing louder and louder.
"They are not. Would they be, considering you are the first woman to move my heart in a hundred years?" Salas replied patiently, trying to clear her doubts.
"You are the king and I am a simple..." She started to say getting distressed by the second. He was replying too fast to her words, and thus she could barely keep up with finding other reasons. She had never thought the discussion would come to this, so even more so did not know what reasons to refute him with.
"The first female alpha of a pack of watchers is not a simple werewolf." Salas denied firmly, not liking the fact she tried to say she was just a simple werewolf.
"What if the Council or someone else opposes because I am not your rightful mate?" She remembered the woman that the elder tried to match the king with. Her heart hurt thinking of that woman, but she could not let it show on her face.
"I am the king, I would never let anyone oppose. I would never let someone harm you!" Once again he refuted, cursing in his mind that old man. He had been afraid that Celia would think of him as a frivolous person because of that woman. And now lo and behold, she really did think of this.
Her tongue was tied and her mouth could not utter more words. What could she say more? He was sealing every reason she had given. And he probably would have sealed other reasons, if she thought of more.
"Do you have more reasons, other than the reasons you mentioned so far?" Asked Salas, seeing her not asking anymore. On the outside he appeared quite confident in his words, but Celia would not know... inside his inner self he was also very much desperate and perturbed as her. He was worried about the next words she would reason with.
"Are they not enough?" She slowly and bitterly stated.
"I am asking you again. Are those all the reasons you have?" He calmly stated, railing in any emotions leaking from his heart.
"Yes!" She said looking towards the floor. She could not think of more reasons, but she was still trying to find the words to deny a bond forming between them.
"Celia you have given me many reason for why it is impossible, but not one of those reasons is the fact that you do not like me in the way I like you." Salas had hoped she would not use this reason to deny him, and fortunately she indeed had not. Because if she had, then he really could not force her any longer to accept him. Moreover like this the opposite was also true, if she did not think to say it... then it meant she did not think of it at all? It meant she was not refusing him because she hated him, right?
His words sealed her completely. She could not answer, because she indeed had said those were all her reasons for rejecting his advances. And this reason was not included.
She tried to open her mouth, but she could not speak. She could not say that to him. She had been so firm in turning him down, but it was hard to say those words to Salas. Even to her mate earlier it had been easy. It was so easy to firmly reject him, even severing the bond. But as easy as it was before, now it was the complete opposite, it was so hard that she felt that to say she rejected him would rip her heart from her chest.
At the start of the conversation, she was already agitated and her eyes were red. But now hearing him speak and trying to reject him, small teardrops filled her eyes threatening to fall. When one finally fell, he was already close to her caressing her cheek and wiping the tear away.
"Celia, I've said that I like you, but do you know? It is not entirely true!" He said gently, more like a whisper.
She raised her brown chocolate eyes that were sparkling because of tears, questioningly and looked in his eyes. Much like her own, his eyes were red. He was as honest as he could get and she could see it, so why did he say now that it was not entirely true? She did not need to question his words more as he already continued to speak.
"Celia I do not like you. I love you. I love you as I have never loved before, and will not be able to love someone else for my entire life. Please do not question if my feelings would waver and please do not offer me more reasons to why this would be impossible. I just want you to tell me how you feel. That's it, nothing more." He said gently, but with a hoarse and determined voice.
At this time, he had already approached her face even more, and had his forehead rested on her own. And she could see that truthfully speaking of his feelings had taken its toll on him, because when he said the last words, a single tear fell from Salas's ocean blue eyes.
He was the king, he was one above millions of werewolves, the strongest and most powerful werewolf. Nobody had managed to equal him for the past hundred years. He had fought in countless wars and had stood solitary safeguarding their entire race.
His expression did not show much emotions, the passing of time had hardened him, but she could see loneliness and longing in his gaze.
How could she be able to say she only regarded him as a king and nothing more? How could she be able to say she did not love him?
Note
Because "The rightful Luna' has reached the count of 10k reads, which is greater with about 9999 more reads than I had previously expected 😅, I decided to post this chapter in advance.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! 🌟🌠✨⭐