My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 68: Newcomer

Violet

I immediately felt guilty for having that thought.

Whether Kael knew or not, he likely would have thought this was in my best interest.

He was too busy to teach me himself and already taken precious time out of his work to help with my abilities. And Ila was also busy, so this must have likely been the only practical way to make sure I got proper training.

But still, Kael was not foolish, he had to have known about how others would feel with me being in a place they worked to hard to get to.

Why did I forget what he was truly like?

"Are you coming?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and noticed he was standing back at the entrance again. "What?"

"Staying on your own isn’t going to be a good look. Mingle."

My lips spread in a wry smile and I walked up to him. "That won’t happen. No one likes me, and me being here as you said only—"

"Lord Kael does not make decisions without reason. Many of us know that. Then again, you are no ordinary Omega to have improved this much since then."

He stared at me, a shift of confusion in his face. He was likely confused why he couldn’t really sense the Omega in mewhen it was clear and evident back at the camp.

For a brief moment, a flash of pity swept through his eyes. It sent a wave of uneasiness through me.

"I will not pry. I am not privy to any unnecessary information that does not concern me, but you are a strange Omega. And the fact they put you here..."

He immediately shook his head and turned away, breaking into a brisk walk. I rushed after him.

"What do you mean?"

"Please, ignore what I said. I—"

I grabbed his arm and we both came to a sudden stop. "You were about to say something. I need to know."

His eyes widened as he stared down at me. I looked at my grip on his forearm and I snatched my hand to myself, shocked. The indents of my grip remained on his skin, slowly fading away.

I didn’t know I had grabbed him that hard.

He stretched out his arm, flexing it. "You are strong," he whispered.

He looked back at me, dropping his arm, and a slow admiration crept into his gaze.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you that—"

"No... It is fine... there is nothing to apologise for." He looked at his arm again and then shifted his gaze to me. "I am Turin," he spoke up. "I am told you’re Violet?"

My forehead furrowed with a confused frown. "Yes."

For the first time, he smiled, and it surprised me. It was a disarming expression that changed his face, enhancing the youthfulness of his looks.

What a strange feature. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"I was going to say you will be challenged, a lot. Many are going to try and test your strength since you are here. That was all I was going to say."

I blinked. Was that why he had that look of pity?

’Then that is surely not a good thing.’

"We should get going," he said and started walking again. I walked right behind him, my mind in a daze.

Me being challenged felt omnious, and the thought followed me throughout our walk.

We made our way through the hallways, descending a set of stone stairs that opened into a large, bustling space. The feeding hall was far more open than I had expected. One entire side opened onto a wide verandah that overlooked the courtyard below.

The noise hit me first.

Voices. Laughter. The clatter of plates and utensils. The low rumble of conversation punctuated by occasional shouts from outside.

Then I saw them.

Wolves. A lot of them.

Some sat at long wooden tables inside the hall, eating and talking. But most were outside on the verandah or scattered throughout the courtyard, clustered in groups around campfires that had been lit as dusk deepened into night.

I stopped in the arched entryway, momentarily stunned by the sheer number.

There had to be at least a hundred wolves here. Maybe more. Far more than I had seen earlier in the day.

"Don’t just stand there," Turin said, his hand briefly touching my elbow to guide me forward. "Come."

I forced my legs to move, following him as he navigated through the hall. My eyes darted around, taking in the scene, trying not to stare too obviously at the wolves who were undeniably staring at me.

Many of them seemed curious. Others suspicious.

I tried to ignore them, focusing instead on the food laid out on different crowded tables. Roasted meats, fresh bread, vegetables, fruits, and other dishes I had never seen before.

Despite the pleasant smell of food, my appetite wasn’t there.

Turin gestured towards a table near the verandah’s edge.

I followed his gaze and felt a small flutter of relief.

Ana sat at the table, along with the younger freckled woman I had seen briefly at the camp. Maybe she was the Meribel he had mentioned? There were a few other wolves at the table as well.

Ana looked up, her face breaking into a genuine smile.

They both sat at the edge of the bench.

"Come. Sit." Ana stood up and gestured to the empty space on the bench. Meribel suddenly shifted inward to create more space for me, a faint smile on her lips.

I slid onto the bench gratefully, and before I had even fully sat down, a flat wooden plate was suddenly set before me along with a spoon.

I looked up to find Turin settling himself opposite me. "Help yourself."

Then, I noticed the large plates and bowls arranged and lining up the center of the long table from one side to the other.

Ana sat down beside me, occupying the edge again and wedging me in between her and Meribel.

"Thank you, Turin," Ann addressed him with a smile and looked at me. "I was going to come get you myself, but he said he’d handle it." She gestured towards Meribel. "Violet, this is Meribel. I am sure you remember her."

Meribel nodded and seemed like she was about to talk when another voice chimed in.

"Care to introduce the rest of us too?"