All Chapters of Faking the Mate Bond: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

[Diana’s POV]We greeted the staff together as they gave us their blessings for the championship and our future. We stood outside the academy right at the spot where all the three of us began our academic journey.It literally felt like yesterday, and even though I hated the exams and studying, the thought of graduating created an unfathomable heaviness in my chest.That was probably the last day in that academy as a student.The last day I walked freely through those hallways as if I partially owned that place.The day I looked at the academy building and said — man, what a ride!I was so stupid to have backed away from such an adventure just because Reese and his friends beat me up. I could take a thousand more blows if I get to relive those three years.Nothing could ever replace the time I had in the academy. The time I spent with Archer, Janus, the haunted balustrade, the early morning classes and late night studies a day before exams.Nothing could replace the rush this academy

[Diana’s POV] “I can’t believe this. My son is leaving for six months,” beta Arthur sobbed in his handkerchief. “What will I do all alone in the palace for six months?” “I am sure you can ignore the absence of your son for six months, as you ignored his presence for twenty-one years,” Janus said in an impassive voice. Beta Arthur cleared his nose into the handkerchief, crying fountains. “You never change! Now your words don’t even hurt,” beta Arthur said, choking on his gasps. “I am already so proud of you. Go make me more proud, son! If your mother was here today, she would have been so proud.” Beta Arthur looked at the sky. “Honey, look, our son has grown up so much. Please look over him from the stars and protect him. All these kids.” He looked at Zephyr, Vera, and me standing at some distance from them. Janus grunted, looking at the sky, “look over this poor old man, mother. I fear someday this Hidden Land will flood with his tears.” Beta Arthur clasped Janus in his arms. “W

[Diana’s POV]If it weren’t for Zephyr and Reese who held me right on time, I would have dived right into the lake.Miya yelped as she looked at me, widening her eyes. She scrambled herself off Zared, who sat up on the ground, rubbing his back.“Oh, my! Are you ok?” Miya lifted the hem of her gown and rushed to me.I carefully opened my palms, revealing the black egg. It was warm and I could feel its temperature rise even though it wasn’t enough to burn my skin.“I think it’s fine,” I said, looking at the egg, then at Miya.She looked at the egg with apologetically knit brows and then at me.“Oh no, I was talking about you. You could have fallen into the lake,” she said. She gasped. “Oh, no! your gown! It’s torn. I am so sorry.”I looked at my dress. It was torn from the waist.“Sister, are you hurt?” Reese asked, tensing his brows.I shook my head. “I am completely fine. Don’t worry.”“We need to worry,” Zephyr said. “You can’t enter the palace in a torn dress.”Miya’s eyes filled wi

[Diana’s POV]I turned around.“Zeph!” I ran to him as he dashed to me.Panting, he stopped, his hands on his knees.“I…” — pant — “thought I would” — pant — “reach here before you. But this place is” — pant — “huge. I am sorry, I am late.”“It’s ok. You are right on time. Settle down your breaths, first,” I went to the carriage and fetched a water bottle, proffering it to Zephyr. “Here, drink it.”“Thanks, princess,” Zephyr finished the entire bottle in a few gulps. Water droplets slid from the corner of his lips down his throat. His adam’s apple bobbing sensuously with every gulp. He licked his lips and exhaled, wiping his mouth on his cuff.I gaped at his lips, and suddenly I was thirsty.He looked at me, and I looked away.“Ok, now that everyone is here. Let’s go,” Archer said. He was holding a considerably big wooden box.“What’s that?” I asked.“A gift for luna Nesta from our luna. They are… close friends,” Archer said.We entered the palace. It was in the aesthetic of white, re

[Diana’s POV] I still remember the day when Bea forced me to attend to a client. The second client I attended to as a courtesan. She said that she wasn’t doing it for herself, but for me. To break the lie I had been telling myself. A lie that Mask would return for me. She wanted me to face my reality and get back to business. After those seven days with Mask, I declined all the clients. I wanted to trust him, believe in his words that he’d return. Like a fool, I was preserving myself for him. Two years. I somehow managed to avoid taking clients for two years. I reread his letters over and over again. I surrounded myself with his memories, his gifts he brought me, the clothes he bought me. I had found Mask when I had lost all hopes from my life and I wasn’t ready to let go of that hope. There were times I had to grovel on my knees so that Bea wouldn’t force me to take clients. But that night Bea didn’t listen to a word I had to say. She dragged me to the VVIP room in the loo