Chapter Ninety-One “In The Dark.” Isabella Kingston.“Are you sure you are okay? Because that is all I care about. I know this is all a lot to handle.” Grace’s voice filtered through the phone call, her voice travelling through the air pods in my ears to register in my mind.My lips slanted into a small smile, despite knowing she cannot see it. “I am holding on well,” I assured her. “I am hanging on.” I added in a small, but confident voice.I heard her sigh from the other end, obviously not believing me entirely but not calling me out on it either. Instead, she said. “I have not been able to reach Christian either,” her tone was laced with a hint of worry. “Carter said he is away for a business trip though it has been three days, and he has not replied my calls.”Me either. I wanted to say. It has been four days for me, and he has not called back, nor sent a text back. I have been trying to not dwell on it, because if I should, then I fear I won’t have the strength to handle him and
62- “The Alpha King’s Lost Mate.”Adrian Moretti.“Yes.” Camilla responded, her tone cold as she and Cassain slowly disentangled from each other, though their fingers remained intertwined with each other’s. I eyed the connection, my blood boiling a thousand times over but I reigned it in, reminding myself that this is not the time, and this is not what is most important as well.So, I yawed my expression blank again, then lifted my gaze to meet hers, ignoring Cassain’s because keep mutual respect from one King to another aside, he is not someone I am particularly fond of. Never was, and from what I can tell never will be.“You and I need to talk,” I said, to Camilla. Throwing a quick glance at Cassain, I added. “Alone.” I stressed, in case he would even think of staying.I can see Camilla tighten her hold around Cassain’s hand, an act that shows she seeks comfort from him in the tiniest details without her even knowing. Then, she answered, her tone strong. “Whatever you wish to say to
63- “A New Beginning.”Camilla Castello.If I had doubted Adrian’s capabilities as the Alpha King, and him as the owner of the position entirely, then he has certainly proved me wrong. What I thought would ultimately lead to his downfall in the way that he won’t ever get back up from, he managed to do just that, proving his position and worth.I do not know the details of everything yet, but from what I heard of from Cassain, Salazar and Ria, he had managed to turn the tide around to his own favor—and it was not just his scandal, but he seemed to be on some mission to correct the wrongs in his Kingdom and reformed the place as a whole.He has exposed his Uncle’s deeds to the world, and though the man is no longer alive to bear the brunt of it, his image shall forever be tainted, even in history. And along the course of that of course, meant my name, my pack, and that of my parents have been cleared an I am no longer seen as a wanted criminal or someone with a bounty on her head.I kno
64- “Her Return.”Camilla Castello.It is quite funny, and sad at the same time, how fast life changes because one minute your life is going steadily, yeah? Every single thing is going according to how you want it to, how it is supposed to be and exactly how you dreamt of it to be and the very next, shit hits the fan and every single thing blows right up in your face.You are probably wondering what happened right?Well, excited about what the future potentially holds for Cassain and I, that day, I decided to do a little something nice for him as well when he comes back home. So, I seek out Ria for help, to help me cook something for him despite knowing they do not really have to it, just so we could have that romantic dinner like normal couples do.I thought the best thing to do was to give him something a bit in touch with his usual diet, so I opted for going out to haunt something, and then cooking it medium so there will still be blood in it for him. Ria and I set out early, leavi
65- “Heart breaks, and sympathetic looks.”Camilla Castello.“Camilla, Cam…let me explain please. I did not know she was alive. I—I thought I had lost her. It has been centuries Camilla. And today Salazar and I happened to run into her and--”I held my hand up to stop Cassain before he could go on to explain, because I honestly did not want to hear it, knowing nothing he says at this moment would mend my broken heart. I knew it from the moment I saw her face, that she, is his Rose. The woman he has been yearning for all this while, the one woman whom every single person in the magical realm knows of or must have heard of. The Vampire King’s one true love.It was so stupid and foolish of me to think I could have replaced her. To think I stood a chance occupying his heart, to fill that void that remained in his and mine. It was truly stupid of me.My eyes blurred with tears, but I did not let it fall. Instead, I released a shaky breath, then took a step forward, the shards from the brok
66- “Blast from the Past.”THREE YEARS LATER.Camilla Castello."May I have this dance malady?" I heard the mysterious man I had been locking eyes with the whole night ask. His voice is husky, deep and masculine, at the same time soft like velvet. I looked at his half covered face due to the black mask he has on. His bright piercing blue eyes stared at my dull brown ones. Is this really happening? Is he asking me to dance with him?I looked around to see people dancing, swaying to the acoustic live band in pairs. The blonde ladies who stood at the other end of the beach shooting daggers at me for the reason I'm still unaware of.I looked back to the outstretched hands of the mysterious man who's still staring at me. My gaze averted to his unmasked lips which are stretched into a smile. Hesitantly, I took hold of his hefty yet appealing hands making his small smile turn into a full blown one as he took hold of my tiny hand in his fully.Maybe it’s the fancy wine I took that made me giv
67- “Simple Things In life.”Camilla Castello.Why did I not realize before that raising a kid alone is hard? Perhaps, it is because I have had help since she was born, but now that I am raising her alone, and as she is getting older, I realized raising a kid is truly way harder than I have ever expected. I have gone through quite a lot, way more strenuous situations that exerted more difficulty in me that any thing in the human world could measure up to, and yet, being a mother seems to be the hardest there is to be honest.“Take care, honey. I love you,” I said, as I parked in front of the school Luna attends.She stepped out of the car without so much as another look spared in my direction, or any response before she all but slammed the car door close, then lost herself in the crowd of bustling students all going into the vicinity of the school.I will not lie, my heart squeezed as I watched her walk away, disregarding me once again, as she always does. I know I should get used to
68- “New Danger Lurks.”Camilla Castello.I enjoy working at the café more than I would ever admit really. There is something about immersing, and losing yourself somewhere in between the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked desserts. The light hum of chatters from the customers, and the soft chime of the bell above the door that comes whenever one walks into, signifying yet another customer here to be served with nothing, but what we hope to be our best.I always find myself lost in between that circle really, and it is precisely because of that that I do not notice how fast time flies. Because soon enough, the sound of the alarm on my phone set off—reminding me that Luna will soon be off school so I have to go and pick her up. At the same time, it signifies the end of my shift in the one place that makes me forget all about my worries.“Marga,” I called out, as I took off the apron I had on and hung it by the rack aside. Then, I made my way towards the kitchen, poking my head in
80- “EPILOGUE.”Camilla Castello.‘Can’t wait to see you walking down the aisle. Happy wedding day, My Queen.’ A smile made its way on my face as I read the message he had attached to the flowers he had delivered to my room while I was getting ready for our big day. And as I plucked the perfectly settled card in between the flowers, a wave of déjà vu hit me as I am reminded of our wedding ten years ago, the wedding that never took place.Now, who would have thought? Five months into Adrian proposing to me and four months into me agreeing to come back to the Kingdom, we are finally tying the knot for real, and I am to be his lawful wife? Who would have thought really?Except that feeling of déjà vu did not linger much, because the setting of our wedding is not like before and a lot has changed since that. Now, a feeling of anticipation and eagerness settled within me, all too giddy about the ceremony up ahead. And, as I stood in front of the full length mirror, giving myself a onceover
79- “Embracing the Good.”Camilla Castello.“Adrian,” I breathed out, pulling myself away from him as I sat up, then turned my head around just in time to see him get up to a sitting position as well, his own expression serious. I brought my lower lip between my teeth, nibbling it before I sighed once again, my expression softening. “I do not think that is a good idea.”The past few days we have spent together have been nothing short of blissful, I admit. And if I am to be greedy one more time, I would wish for what we have ongoing to remain in the human world alone and not go back to where we had left. But, I knew it was all just wishful thinking, I have known for the longest time. I just did not want to acknowledge it, wanting to live in this dream of mine a little longer before I would have to face reality. The reality where Adrian cannot live in the human world for he has greater responsibilities back at the Kingdom, and he cannot stay away for long.I have thought long and hard a
Adrian Moretti’s POV.Her breath was a soft gasp against my ear, the sound sending a shiver down my spine as sparks flew from the contact, all taking root from the mate bone. I held her close, feeling the heat of her skin against mine, her pulse racing beneath my fingertips and the feel of her warm body against mine.. The world had zeroed to this moment, the feel of her body moving with mine, the low hum of her voice barely audible between her ragged breaths. Fuck I love this woman and I miss the feel of her.“Adrian…” she whispered, my name falling from her lips like a plea, and I answered her with a growl, pulling her even closer, if that were possible. I am barely keeping my wolf in check from taking over.I could feel the tension building between us, her body trembling under my touch, my own pulse thundering in my ears. Every muscle in my body was strung tight, and I knew neither of us would last much longer. But hell do I want this with her, more than anything.Her nails raked do
77- “Making Claims.”Camilla Castello.My smile widened slightly, the correction jogging my memory from the day before, out of fondness, “Simon,” I corrected myself, nodding my head slowly as I tapped in the input, ready to take his order. Meeting his gaze again, I offered him a slight smile. “What will be your order today, Simon?”His expression seemed relieved, as if glad I had gone along with his name rather than the formality from earlier. “the same as yesterday,” he stated, without so much as a glance in the direction of the menu. “Your choices from yesterday proved to be very much welcomed truly.”“My choices?” My brows drew in, “You picked what you wanted. I merely hinted you being British.”“Which is not far off,” He pointed out, his tone knowing and teasing.I chuckled slightly, then nodded in agreement. “Which is not far off.” I agreed, then tapped in his orders same as yesterday, glad I could remember them all. Once I had done so, I looked up to hold his gaze again. “It wil
76- “Blissful Moments.”Camilla Castello.Adrian stayed true to his words about taking Luna to school, but of course, after getting his change of outfit brought by Caleb and showering. Some how, he actually managed to make it on time before Luna wakes up and gets ready. He even took the liberty of making breakfast for all of us, making me just sit on the stool and watch as he went about his work in the kitchen.I could not help but look at him in surprise, as Luna was getting ready while he and I were in the kitchen, with him handling the breakfast as he had promised. “Since when have you been one to know your way around the kitchen?” I asked, drawing my robe closer to my body as I crossed my arms over my torso, staring at him with furrowed brows. “Last I remember, you cannot do anything in the kitchen.” And that is the truth, cooking is not his forte, it has never been. The Adrian I remember cannot go into the kitchen and turn on the gas cooker without burning the kitchen down.This
Camilla Castello’s POVI stirred awake to the sensation of soft, lingering kisses trailing down my neck. For a second, I was a bit confused as to what is going on since I have grown accustomed to waking up alone in my bed, but a familiar scent registered in my mind, and the memories of last night came pouring in, making a small, soft smile take over my featured as I felt nothing other than satisfaction.There were no regrets whatsoever.My body responded instinctively, arching slightly as warmth spread from where his lips touched, the tingles returning reminding me of our newly renounced mate bond. My eyes fluttered open, and I turned my head to find Adrian already hovering above me, his dark eyes filled with a familiar intensity that sent a thrill through me."Morning," he murmured, his voice deep and low, sending shivers along my spine. His eyes, those familiar forest green orbs were now dark and hooded, desire swirling in them new compared to last night. Knots formed within me, hea
74- “Skins In Silk.”Camilla Castello.I do not know why I did it, but there was no ounce of regret in me. One minute, I was staring at him as he rambled on about wanting us to rekindle our relationship and start all over on a fresh slate, and how we wasted ten years of our lives for waste just like that, and I could not help but agree with him. For the first time in a long time, I decided to just let go of every thing and screw it, and the next minute I found myself kissing him. He seemed taken aback for a second, but he quickly recovered, his arms wrapping round me back as he kissed me feverishly, more sensuously.I found myself sitting on his lab, straddling him as we continued our kiss—the sound of heavy breaths filling the air of the room. One of his hands remained on my waist, grasping it tightly while the other slipped to my hair, pulling softly at its root just as mine roamed in his hair.His lips left mine just as I was starting to become breathless, but it trailed downwards,
73- “Winning Her Back.”Adrian Moretti.Three years. It has been three years since Camilla disappeared from the supernatural realm, and the reason is not entirely unknown. At this point, it already well known that Cassain, the Vampire King’s mate has returned, and that their love story has continued from where it stopped. Where she has been since her ‘death’ and why she chose to return then of all times when the relationship between Cassain and Camilla is picking up remains a mystery, but it is already known that it is the reason Camilla went missing.Every one else thinks Cassain has forgotten her, but I know otherwise. He has still been looking for her, and has found her even. He just did not show up, knowing she would not want to see him, and I could not blame her.It is kind of the same with me as well. It has been three years since she and I officially met—and why I say officially is, unlike Cassain, I do not exactly have the patience to know where she is and not visit her. In ev
72- “Perfect Strangers.”Camilla Castello.I brought the first aid kit with so many question running through my head. It got answered to a certain extent when I brought it to him and he gestured for me to sit down while he got on his feet, taking a hold of the kit and placing it on the coffee table beside us.I could only stare at him with drawn in brows and question swirling in my orbs. I watched as he opened the first aid kit, pulling out some essentials and then turned around to look at me, his expression unmoved. “Let me see your wound,” He said.If possible, my frown deepened, “What?” His words caught me slightly off guard, though a part of me did expect this much when he mentioned the first aid kit thing because it does not seem like he is injured whatsoever.“Your shirt,” he stated, his tone calm, but stern at the same time. “Take it off.”Subconsciously, I wrapped my hand around my self, my eyes narrowed at him slightly as if to silently question whether he knows what he is sa