Chapter Twenty
Cassy was finding it hard to fall asleep. The couch was a little uncomfortable and above all, she could not stop thinking about his words.
He had been muttering words incoherently in his slumber. It was obvious that he had a lot of things in mind.
Sighing and looking at the ceiling, she felt stupid for always thinking too much. She still had not learnt her lesson.
Natalia was eerily calm. She did not make a fuss when Kai hugged them and still did not say anything when he called another woman’s name.
She presumed that Natalia was happy initially but now, she was sure that she was extremely sad.
Cassy inhaled, drawing in air into her lungs before releasing it out. She shut her eyes and drew the quilt closer to her chest.
It took Cassy a while before she was able to fall asleep, slowly drowning into semi consciousness and shutting out the thoughts in her head.
Kai woke up with a banging headache the following morning.
He brought his fingers to his forehead and rubbed it to soothe the pain he felt there.
He brought his fingers down and found that he was covered with a quilt. He looked around and realized that he was on the bed.
He did not come here by himself, did he?
Going to the bar to get drinks was the last thing he recalled. He usually was not like this but all he wanted the previous night was to drown the memories that had been playing in his head.
Yesterday was a special and sad day for him and he always failed to hold his emotions on this day.
A gust of air blew into the room, bringing him to notice that he was shirtless. When did he take off his shirt? Or was it…
He felt the space beside him and found it empty. He felt fear course through him. Where did she go?
Looking around, he found a petite familiar figure laying on the couch opposite the bed. She sighed and moved her body. it was obvious that she was looking for a good position to lay so that she can be comfortable.
He wanted to ask why she could not be in the same bed with him but he recalled that he had always been the one refusing to.
Why did he want it now?
He always acted abnormally around this woman.
Kai sighed, stood up and walked to the couch where she was laying. He lifted her up into his arms and took steps back to the bed before placing her on it and covering her with a quilt.
He took off the last piece of clothing on him and went into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and threw on fresh clothes.
He glanced at the figure on the bed. She had her mouth slightly opened and her hand below her breasts, causing them to push up.
Kai shook his head to clear the thoughts that were coming into his head.Belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
He covered her properly before leaving the room with the determination of them to go back to the palace before the following day.
•°•
Rays of light from the sun beamed through the window opposite where Cassy was laying, finding their way into her eyes.
Cassy moaned in her sleep and wanted to turn but subconsciously recalled that she was on the couch. She raised her arm, facing upwards and stretched her limbs and then she felt there was space beside her.
She opened her eyes immediately and saw that she was on the bed. What was she doing here? Did she sleepwalk down there?
Cassy looked around and saw that Kai was nowhere to be found. She could not help but wonder where he had wandered to.
Did he go back to the bar to drink again?
She resolved it was his business and got down from the bed. She picked out a golden brown coloured dress which had white sleeves and placed it on the bed.
She entered the bathroom and came out after she was done. She rubbed ointment into her skin and threw on the dress.
Pulling on her boots, she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
She waltzed into the restaurant and ordered a meal.
After the meal, she went out of the inn and began walking slowly to the town. She was almost at the town when she heard someone call her from behind, prompting her to turn.
“Your highness!” The footman called and bent over his knees supporting his weight with his hand as he came to stand in front of her
“Anything the matter, John?” Cassy wondered what made him follow her.
“His majesty requests your presence,” he replied, still trying to steady his breath.
Cassy raised her eyebrows up. Had he seen her? “Where is he? Lead me to him,”
The footman nodded and they took a trip back to the inn where he had been waiting for her at a bar nearby.
“We are leaving,” he spoke even before she could sit down.
Cassy’s face contorted into a confused expression. “What? You mean now?”
Kai looked away and let out air through his mouth. “Yes. I need to return to the palace latest tomorrow for I have things that need to be done,”
Isabella. The court.
But Isabella especially. He needed to get himself back. This was not him.
Cassy looked at her laps and nodded. She bit her lower lip as the feeling when they left Blessed Moon pack returned and she could not help but wonder what was wrong with her.
“Okay. I would get the trunk,” she made to rise but his words halted her.
“That would not be necessary,” Cassy looked at him as if to silently ask him what he meant. “I have had the footman do that already,”
Cassy’s face fell. Was he in a hurry to leave?
She nodded repeatedly and sat down back. Recalling his words from last night, Cassy grew angry. How dare he call her an unknown woman’s name and still act cold!? Was he trying to act like he knew nothing?
Her eyes were looking everywhere but Kai, she was sure that if she should look at him she was going to lose it.
“We can leave now, your grace,” the footman informed them with a smile.
Cassy was the first to stand up and walk out.
Confused, the footman stood for a few seconds and bowed slightly at Kai before rushing after Cassy who had already entered the carriage.
The both of them sat in the carriage and the footman announced he was taking off.
Cassy stuck her head out of the window as usual but this time, she did not look happy. But however, Kai had not noticed as he was engrossed in his thoughts.
Cassy does not know why no matter how she tried to shake off the memory of him calling some “Isa woman”. She could not deny the fact that the more she tried to stop thinking about it the louder the voice in her head became.
She huffed and rested her head against the wall of the carriage.
Cassy regretted praying to the moon goddess for a mate. If she had not seen her parents’ relationship, she could have said her mother had lied about the good thing of having a mate.
He was strong. He could stand up for her, although she did not know if she should really believe that.
But he was never going to love or care for her…
Was having a mate good or bad now?
Cassy’s eyes went to Kai. He was staring into space, obviously lost in thought.
For some reason she could not decipher, she found him to be cold and distant today.
She knew something was wrong with him as he had drunk the previous day he was drunk but she did not want to know the details.
She did not care for him just as he never did for her.
°•°
The room was bleak, cold and almost completely dark. It was quiet and somber in there and the only source of light came from a small opening in the roof.
In the middle of the room was a chair and sitting on it was a lady. Her hands were bound behind her on the chair.
Her dress was torn exposing her sides and part of her legs.
She slowly opened her eyes and coughed loudly as she inhaled the dust in the environment.
“Anyone!? Anyone!?” she yelled, her voice echoing throughout the space.
She shouted for a while. Her throat became patchy when she realized that no one was going to answer.
“What are you doing here?” she heard him and she raised her head to meet his green ones.
“I– I don’t know,” she replied, struggling to release her hands from the rope again. “Release me, please. I–”
“Kai!” a lady called in a shrill voice.
A smile appeared on his face and he turned in the direction the voice came from, his eyes twinkling.
Cassy’s eyes widened and she continued to struggle from the bind.
“Are you leaving me here!?” she asked but he seemed like he was hypnotized.
His lips moved as he inaudibly pronounced a name which Cassy knew was not hers.
“My lord! Do not leave me here!”
“Kai!” The lady’s voice countered hers, her figure coming into view but she could not see her face.
“Isa–”
“Cassy. Cassy,” she felt someone shake her shoulder, bringing her to consciousness.
Cassy suddenly gasped and opened her eyes, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to slow down her breath.
Kai was towering over her with his hand on her shoulder. She did not if she was hallucinating or just overthinking but he looked worried as he gazed at her small frame.
Are you okay? he wanted to ask but he bit his tongue and went to grab his cravat which was laying on the chair.
“We have arrived,” he informed her and walked out of the carriage.
Cassy’s eyes widened as she looked out of the window. The sky was ablaze with the fire of the setting sun and it quickly dawned on her that they truly had arrived. How long had she slept?
She had not expected them to arrive this quickly. She did not know how to react to it. Was she supposed to be happy or sad?
Taking a long deep breath, Cassy stood up and got out of the carriage.
“Your grace,” she was startled by the voice of the servants waiting in front of the carriage in two lines with Joanna and Emma in front.
Emma had a frown on her face while on Joanna’s face was a smile.
Joanna ran to her side. “your grace, how was your trip? Did you enjoy yourself? Did you–” she bombarded her with questions.
The young lass seemed so excited to see her lady.
“Oh, Joanna, would you please allow me to rest first? I had a really long journey,” Cassy touched the lass on her shoulder and took her hand and began to walk into the palace, the servants following behind them.
Joanna puffed her cheeks. “I apologize for my rudeness, your grace. I–”
“Oh, goddess. I am not mad at you but please stop speaking too fast,” Cassy teased and all the servants giggled excluding Emma whose face still held a frown.
“I would go get some scented herbs to prepare you a good bath for you, your grace,”
Cassy’s lips curved into a beautiful smile. “thank you so much, Joanna” with that she entered her bedchamber ready to rest her aching muscles and limbs.
Joanna stood in front of her bed chamber still smiling. How much she adored her lady and wished to be like her!
“Who do you think you are?” came Emma’s voice from behind her but she did not make a turn. “That lady’s favorite or the new head maid?”
Joanna smiled and turned to face Emma.
“I would ask the same question too. What do you think you are? The head of the palace?”
Emma glared at the daring lass in front of her. If not for the ‘no fighting policy’ in the palace she would have gladly smacked her face to shut her up.
She smirked and moved closer to Emma, leaning almost close to her ear.
“I am warning you, do not feel too big just because your sister is the alpha’s mistress. No one cares,”
She stood properly and gave the petrified lass a small smile before walking away.
“You! Come back here!” Emma was fuming. How dare she talk to her in such a manner?
Cassy woke up the following morning, feeling energized. She took her bath before Joanna and Emma arrived.
“Good morning, your grace,” the both of them greeted in unison, curtseying.
Cassy smiled at them. “perhaps, did you sleep well?”
“Yes, your grace,” Joanna replied smiling while Emma rolled her eyes but the two other ladies did not care.
Cassy ignored the dress Joanna put out for her and wore a normal dress.
Joanna stared at her wondering what she was up to.
Without uttering a word, Cassy sauntered out of the room and they followed her down the hallway.
“Where are we heading, my lady?” Joanna asked when she saw the direction they were going.
“The kitchen,” Cassy replied and smirked while the other two eyes grew wide.
What was she doing!? Was she trying to rebel against the Alpha!?
“But, my lady–”
“No buts,” she countered.
She was going to the kitchen today and nothing was going to change it.
She has always been a rule follower but not now, she wasn’t going to allow him to take away the only thing she enjoyed in this boring place.