HarlynI don’t blame him. I’m getting whiplash. Right now, he’s just stood staring at me, and I feel calm. I don’t feel hate for him. I’m confused over all this, and he seems to be trying to work this out.His mouth opens as if he is about to talk, but he stops and closes his mouth. It’s weird, having him close, having him touching me eases the itch in my neck.It’s weird; right now, I see him and I remember from before he pushed me out. Yet, thirty seconds ago, while he was speaking, it was like looking at an entirely different person. How is that even possible? It’s hard to think of anything or anyone else right now except for him.I don’t want to let him go, and I feel like I need to keep him close to me. Maybe I’m going crazy? I feel his finger stroke down my neck, and it only relaxes me more.Right now, I’m meant to be with Wayne, yet I’m not sure I want to. It’s weird; being here with Stefan makes me feel like I have no feelings for Wayne.Which isn’t possible, I agreed to marry
StefanI don’t know what to do; I walk out of the room and look for my mother. I find her with the guests.“There you are, you’re late.” Diandra looks at me, and I push her hand off me.“Not now!” I snap at her and turn to my mother. “I need you.” I walk out, and she follows me.“What is going on?” She stops me and looks at me, waiting for my answer.“I think Harlyn is under a spell.”She laughs at my words.“Don’t, Mother, I mean it. How do I stop it?” I need to know.“That would depend. What sort of spell?” She sits on the small sofa and waits for me to explain.“I don’t know. One where she hates me, especially if I talk, but if I get close to her, if I touch her, it breaks the spell, as long as I don’t speak.”She looks at me like I’m crazy.“I mean it, she is like a hurricane, screaming, hitting me, then if I grip her chin and make her focus on me, and I stay quiet, she’s calm and kisses me. Something isn’t right.” I just need to break it; then I can stop this.“A spell like that
StefanI look around the room, and I know I need to sort this out quickly.“You know what I think?” Diandra steps forward towards Harlyn. “I think she put a spell on the king, made him blind, turned him dumb,” she shouts.“I have to agree with the princess here. This disowned child of mine has caused this. Your Majesty, you need to seek help immediately.” The Earl steps closer.“Enough! Stop making out like my son is blinded by magic.” My mother calls out.“If this was caused by that, it started as I was a child. I already said, she is my mate and I knew as a child.” I call out, and Samuel stares at me.He has no idea, and as my best friend, he will hate me so much more when this is over and he finds out the truth. It’s worth it, though, if Harlyn stays here.“I think Harlyn, Stefan, myself and Harlyn’s mother need to sit together and sort this situation. It’s a private matter.” Mother looks between everyone, and I nod in agreement.“No!” King Fredric steps forward. “You want to hide
StefanEveryone is waiting for the confirmation, but I wanted to speak to Harlyn about it first. I wanted to explain the links to Wayne even if I have no proof.I nod, however, and give up. “It doesn’t matter how it happened; it is my fault, and I accept responsibility for it; please, Harlyn, let me speak to you.” I go to step towards her and feel someone push me back.“Think Stefan.” My mother looks at me.“I tried telling you! You laughed it off; you made out like I was joking and mocking you. I was never mocking you, Harlyn; I’m sorry I did it this way, but now everyone knows, so there is no more hiding it.” I shout and look at her, but she keeps her face pressed against Wayne’s chest.Samuel stares at me, shocked. “You rejected her. I think that speaks pretty clearly about how you feel about her. So leave her alone,” Samuel says.“No! It was a mistake to reject her; she knows that. I apologised.” I move forward, and Lucy pushes me back.“You already hurt her, Stefan. I heard you t
HarlynI thought it was a joke. Part of me thought Stefan was mocking me, even when I grabbed those papers.It wasn’t, and I hated it. I could barely stand or even understand anything that was going on around me. How could that night have been Stefan?Today, I told him the truth, that the person that night seemed to crave me, and despite me having no control, there was a feeling like they cared for me. I felt safe in their arms.How could that have been Stefan? He hated me, mocked me, and called me a wretch. I feel lost, like I'm standing between two versions of him: the one I remember when we were really young, the man that night, and then the one who was cruel and heartless.Hearing the former king’s words about how Stefan was obsessed with finding the woman from that night, which was me, just tore me apart even more.For two months, I was here. Did he hate me that much in the light he refused to even consider the possibility that it was me? A stranger I could have lived with, but S
StefanI stay still, watching as Wayne carries out Harlyn with the pups following.“Your guards didn’t even try to defend you against that pack of animals!” The Earl steps towards me.“Because they were told to stay out of it, Earl Harold.” My Mother walks forward. “The pups are not to be hurt.” She looks away from him.“I need to go get her.” My body moves, and she steps in front of me.“You need a plan. Everyone leave now.” She looks around. “Samuel, you stay.”“As your leading man, I believe that I should stay Your Grace; after all, it is myself who will plan the retaliation.” The Earl steps forward.“There will be no retaliation towards Harlyn or the pups. Leave now.” I stare at him and watch him leave with his wife and Colton.“Seen as it’s clear she doesn’t want you, I will agree to still marry you.” I hear Diandra’s words and groan.“The wedding is off. I suggest you leave.” I watch as my father steps towards her and her father. “I apologise for my son’s behaviour, but right no
StefanThe room falls silent when Thorin steps into the room. He looks between us all, and his eyes stop on me. I feel like he is going to attack me again.Only this time, I feel like it will be due to his own hate, not Wayne’s order.He runs to me, and I watch everyone tense, his arms wrap around my body in an embrace. I stare down at him and see the tears.“Leave.” I look around and watch everyone walk out. “Thorin, it’s okay.” I move and kneel in front of him.“I hurt Mummy.” His head falls, and he cries, my arms wrapping around him.“No, you didn’t. Your Mummy wasn’t hurt,” I argue. It was me who hurt her. I opened my mind up and pushed the pain through to her.“I’m not stupid. She felt it through the bond.” He looks at me. Well, there goes my argument. I open my mouth and close it again. Had it been Isaac, I have no doubt it would have been easier to convince him it wasn’t him.Thorin seems too smart for that.“He’s a bad man.” His words are quiet, and I stare at him.“Thorin, ho
StefanI feel her pulling me away from the room. My body is shaking as she pushes me through a door.“How could you possibly make things worse, son?” My father looks at me.“He didn’t. Harlyn accepted his rejection, and Wayne claimed her.”Checkmate. He had everything planned from the start.Turning, I look at Samuel.“Why did you tell her to come back!” If he didn’t call, she wouldn’t have come back. Wayne wouldn’t have claimed her, and he wouldn’t know his plan to use the pups would work.“Don’t blame him! If you hadn’t rejected Harlyn, she would never have been exiled!” Lucy screams at me.“Whereabouts is the guy?” I look at my father. “I’ll go collect him.” I’ll get him here quicker.“Son, he’s coming as quick as possible. There won’t be a change in time if you get him. Right now you need to calm down, your eyes are flashing between colours.” He stares at me, and my mother grips my chin, looking at me.“Well, that’s new.”My eyes roll at her words. “My eyes don’t matter. We need a