My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 236: Don’t Tell Anyone

Violet

Telsid went completely still.

His shoulders stiffened and his crossed arms fell slack at his sides. Then his eyes widened, darting between Rowan and me with an expression caught somewhere between disbelief and confusion.

I understood the feeling.

My own body had frozen in place, and my heart lurched so violently I felt it in my throat. Heat crawled up my neck and spread across my cheeks, and I had to remind myself to breathe.

"Telsid, this is Violet," Rowan continued, his voice warm and steady, as if he hadn’t just dropped something monumental into the space between us. "She is my mate, and likely, your future Supreme Luna."

My breath seized.

The words hung in the air, settling over the room.

Rowan tilted his head slightly, looking at Telsid with mild confusion.

"Hadn’t Ezra told you?"

Telsid’s mouth opened, then closed. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

"He..." Telsid started, his voice strained. "He mentioned the bond. At the summit, but I didn’t think—" He gestured vaguely between Rowan and me, his composure visibly cracking. "I wasn’t expecting you to actually—Oh..." Telsid mumbled to himself. "He did say it..." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence.

Rowan just nodded, as if this explained everything.

I stood there, rooted to the polished stone floor, my pulse racing so fast I could feel it thrumming in my fingertips.

He had said it so easily.

"She is my mate."

A warmth bloomed in my chest, unfurling slowly like something waking from a long sleep. It spread outward, reaching my ribs, my shoulders, the tips of my fingers.

But then reality crept back in, cold and unwelcome.

There was Kael. I cared deeply for him, and I hadn’t even chosen anyone yet...

A bitter taste stained my tongue as I realised a time would have to come when I would need to make my choice, and it hurt.

If Rowan said this to his beta, he would say it to others. His council, the servants, all his wolves...

The warmth in my chest cooled slightly.

"Rowan."

My voice came out quieter than I intended.

He turned to look at me, and the softness in his green eyes made something ache deep in my chest. The afternoon light caught the angles of his face, highlighting the gentle curve of his mouth, the patient way he watched me.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight.

"Please don’t..." I started, and the words felt like stones in my mouth. Heavy, wrong, and ungrateful. But I forced them out anyway, because I didn’t know what else to do or say. "Please you really don’t need to go around telling everyone... Not yet."

The softness in his eyes flickered.

It was a subtle dimming of warmth and hope. He averted his gaze for just a moment, but I saw the hurt that had reflected on his face before he could hide it.

His shoulders had also dropped slightly.

And it made my chest constrict so painfully I almost took the words back.

"I’m so—"

"I understand," he said quietly.

His voice was steady and measured. But there was a hollowness beneath it that hadn’t been there before, an emptiness where the warmth had lived just moments ago.

I wanted to explain.

I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t about him, that I wasn’t ashamed, that I just needed time to figure out what all of this meant. That everything was happening so fast and I was still tangled up in feelings I didn’t know how to name.

But the words caught in my throat, jagged and useless.

So, I just stood there, the warmth in my chest now braided with guilt, watching the hurt settle into the lines of his face before he carefully smoothed it away.

The uncomfortable silence stretched between us until Telsid cleared his throat.

The sound cut through the tension, and we both turned to look at him, more than grateful for his interruption.

His eyes were thoughtful as they moved between Rowan and me, taking in details that were as clear as day.

His brows furrowed in a slow frown and he looked at me. "I hope you do not mind me asking, but might I ask why—"

"Kael is also her mate," Rowan cut in. "She is mated to the both of us."

Telsid’s eyes widened like never before.

I never knew eyes could go that wide either.

Rowan seemed to shake himself slightly, pulling his attention back to the present. The hurt was still there beneath the surface, but he tucked it away, focusing on Telsid with a small smile.

"The workload," he said, a hint of his usual lightness creeping back into his tone. "You mentioned twenty-seven council meetings?"

Telsid’s expression flickered.

"It was..." He paused, tugging on the sleeve ends of his dark tunic. "An approximation."

"An approximation?"

Telsid crossed his arms again, but the gesture was less defensive now, His voice grew quieter. "I handled it."

Rowan’s smile softened, something knowing entering his gaze.

I could understand him for wanting to move from the conversation, and I was grateful for it.

"You were worried," Rowan said gently.

Telsid didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

The silence said everything.

And from Telsid’s faint reaction, it seemed Rowan had correctly hit the mark.

But I could also understand Telsid.

Four months was a long time with no word or notice. And having to hold everything together with no idea if Rowan was dead or alive was daunting.

Rowan stepped forward and placed a hand on Telsid’s shoulder.

"Forgive me," Rowan said quietly. "For not sending word. That was careless of me."

Telsid exhaled slowly, and I watched some of the rigidity drain from his posture. His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened again, something had eased in his expression.

"Thank you," he muttered.

Rowan nodded. Then his mood brightened.

"Violet’s companions," he said, turning from Telsid to face me. "It would be nice if you could meet them again. I promised no harm would come to them."

I perked up immediately as hope flared in my chest. They were here and they were safe.

Telsid shook his head.

"They are out in the city at the moment," he said. "Under surveillance, but free to move within limits." He paused, considering. "I can send for them."

Rowan looked at me, as if he was waiting for my input.

Oh... he was.

"No, it is alright. They can enjoy their time outside," I said to Telsid and he looked surprised. "You can let them know I am here when they have returned."

Telsid glanced at Rowan who nodded. Then Telsid dipped his head in acknowledgment before leaving the room.

The awkwardness between Rowan and I returned.