My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 109: Restless

Violet

The moment I saw Tow, I knew he wouldn’t be coming. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

She had looked as composed as ever, but still had those same tired eyes I had seen on Kael not too long ago. There had been a complication and he had to stay back for it, and alongside her coming to get some of his things, he needed her to relay it to me.

I should have understood.

But it made me so angry.

The frustration that had surged through me in that moment was so intense it made my hands shake and she had noticed.

I had needed to talk to him. Needed to tell him about Aster and Ari before he had gotten pulled into managing the hunt completely. Before more time passed and something happened to that little girl.

But I had never felt more foolish than I was.

Kael had responsibilities. The hunt was important to his people, and managing it safely with an eclipse approaching was no small task.

But knowing that didn’t make the restlessness any easier to bear.

Even if I had told him, these likely weren’t issues he could solve in a day.

I at least let Tow know about it, but there was nothing she could do about it and they were up to their necks about the hunt. Which I understood. She mentioned Kael needing me to remain in the castle during the eclipse, but I had expressed how I didn’t want to go.

I had no interest in being near a place where wolves were competing to kill each other among other things.

When Tow left, berating myself came next. I still felt foolish for bringing up the children at the wrong time. I felt silly for being offended at Kael being busy, and I felt so ashamed of how helpless I felt.

What was I even doing?

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my hands. I was becoming a Lycan with all this growing power, but what good was any of it if I didn’t know what to do with it?

What purpose did I even have?

The question sat heavy in my chest and I spent the rest of that day and the next in a fog of uselessness, watching and listening as the castle grew quieter. The hunt had started, and most of the wolves who remained were busy monitoring the premises and gossiping about the ongoing event.

By the second day of the hunt, I couldn’t stand being trapped in the room any longer.

I had partly waited this long, hoping the attention on the marketplace incident would have faded, even if I wasn’t going to visit that particular area again.

I needed to know how those children were doing.

I put on the blue dress I had worn during my outing with Kael. At least I would be able to blend in outside.

The streets were a bit noisier than I remembered. More wolves roamed around, and a lot of families had particularly set out mats to lounge in front of their houses to catch the coming eclipse. It puzzled me as I felt no sign of it at all.

And from some of the snarky conversations, it seemed a lot of them have been coming out to lounge under the sun for the past two days.

Not long after, I sensed them.

Two wolves, keeping their distance but clearly following me. I had waited a bit just to be sure, but they were clearly following me. My heart sank, and I couldn’t help the feeling that that Tow or Kael had assigned wolves to watch me.

I continued walking, pretending I didn’t notice them, but the realization made my skin crawl with a mixture of hurt and paranoia. Why? Did they think I would run?

Or was it for my protection?

While I appreciated it, it made me feel my freedom was restricted.

My mind started to race. Could I still go to Aster’s house like this? The wolves might also be documenting my movements.

What if his parents were home now? What if I showed up at their door and caused problems for him and Ari? What if drawing attention to them made their situation worse?

The thought stopped me in my tracks.

Maybe going to visit them would be a bad idea.

My purpose in coming out dwindled, leaving only aimless frustration in its wake.

I changed direction, heading instead toward a different marketplace. The dress helped me blend within the wealthier environment and I found a bench near the edge of the area where I could sit and think.

Instead, I found myself staring up at the sky, watching clouds drift across the sun. The world continued around me while I sat frozen in purposeless misery.

I was disappointed at how useless I was.

The sun climbed higher, then began its descent. I sat there for hours, accomplishing nothing. I forced myself to stand as the sky started darkening towards evening, before making my way back to the castle.

The wolves were still there, following at their discreet distance. When I reached the castle grounds and entered through the main gates, I sensed them return to their posts within the castle.

It seemed they were just keeping an eye on me.

I wished Tow could have at least mentioned it.

I found a tray of covered dishes waiting for me in the entry hall. Not having any appetite, I just took it to my room and for the first time, went out to the balcony.

The city sprawled below me in every direction. From this height, I could see the outer districts stretching toward the horizon, the gleams of the crystals and lamps, and the winding paths that connected different sections of the capital.

I laid down on the cool stone, my back flat against the floor, tired of everything.

[ - ]

The following morning met me on the floor. I slowly sat up, not sure when I had fallen asleep.

It was early in the morning, but the sun was out for some reason, partially hidden behind the clouds.

A sudden pull yanked at my chest.