Chapter 142

Julian

"I will hate you forever Julian." Her words seemed to echo in my head. Bouncing around in my skull before crashing down into my heart and shattering it.

I didn't want to believe that she meant it but I knew she did. At that moment she meant every venom filled word.

"You know it was for the best." I said quietly. Surely she had to see that it was for the best. I had done what was right by the twins and sent them to a place to be safe. "Caspian will make sure-"

She leapt at me. The force of her attack came as a surprise. She rammed into me, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending me sprawling backwards on to the damp grass and her small fists crashed down over my face and shoulders. I didn't fight back , I just lay there and took it.

If she needed to beat on me to realise the truth then I would let her.

"Cassie." The curly haired woman called Yanna appeared , catching my mate up under the arms she heaved her off of me. Another woman hovered in the background. The Luna of this pack and now their leader. Scarlett.

"Cassie, what are you doing? What happened?" Yanna looked from the two of us as Cassie collapsed sobbing in her arms.

"My boys-" she continued to sob, loud gut wrenching sounds that ripped into me. The two women around me turned to face me in shock. Their faces masks of shock and anger.

"You took her children?" Scarlett asked in a hushed tone.

Pushing myself up from the ground I drew myself up to my full height and straightened my shoulders. "I did what was best for my heirs. Caspian will-"

"How about doing what was best for your mate for once in your miserable life you asshole." Yanna spat , her dark eyes furious.

"Is Caspian-?" Cassie pushed her way out of her arms and looked around wildly. "Maybe I can catch up with him."

"They have gone, Cassie." Scarlett whispered and her voice was heartbroken. "Just the woman is left. I can take you to her. I'm sure she knows where they have gone."

Cassie froze and then slowly turned to me. There was something unreadable in her face.

"I'm sure she does." She finally said. "But no." Cassie shook her head, her wet hair slapping against her cheeks.

I let out a sigh of relief. She was finally ready to try and understand. "I knew you would understand -" taking a step forward I reached for her. My fingers slipped against the back on one hand before she stepped away. "I don't understand. I don't and I never will understand why you sent my children away without even consulting me."

"They are my children as well." I retorted. She was being childish. Hysterical, if she would just calm down enough to listen then I could make her understand.

She stepped up to me, her face tilted upwards so she could glare into my face. "Yes but I am the one who gave birth to them. I am the one who has cared and loved them every day of their short lives. You have held them once." She stabbed me in the chest with her finger. "One time! And you thought you could make decisions about them without even talking to me. If you had talked to me then I might have agreed but you had to be what you always are."

My eyes narrowed. "And what is that exactly?"

"An asshole who thinks he can dictate what people do." She spat.

"I'm your king and your husband so I kind of can." It was the wrong thing to say. The look on her face was murderous. At her side her fists clenched again.

But she didn't hit me.

"The fact that you are my king is the only reason I'm not leaving." She stepped away. "I will help you win this war because it's the right thing to do and when it's done you let me and the boys go-"

"No." I cut her off. Lashing out I caught her wrist and tried to pull her back to me. If I could just hold her I knew I would get her to calm down enough to listen.

"Yes." Staring down at my hand wrapped around her slender wrist she took a deep breath and a cold sort of calm seemed to settle over her.  The air around us turned frosty. It was almost like she was changing the very weather around her.

"No." I said again more forcefully this time. "Ladies can you give us some privacy?" I asked the others.

"Stay." Cassie snapped as they stepped away and both of them froze.

"We need to talk."

"No we don't . You just need to listen for once and they can hear what I am about to say." She took a deep breath and her shoulders moved up and down.  "In fact I would like witnesses for what I am about to say to you."

Fear rippled through me. Deep inside my wolf whimpered, a sad pathetic sound as he crawled forward on his belly. We both knew what was coming. We knew what she was going to say , what she was going to ask of us.

"You are my mate Julian." Reaching upwards she pressed her lips to my cheek. Her lips were wet from her tears. I turned my head sharply , capturing her lips with mine before she moved her head away.

"You are my husband and I love and care for you in my own way."

"I love you too. And it will be alright." Cupping her cheek I tried to bring our mouths back together. Kissing her would make it all better.

"I will help you win back your throne but I don't want to be your queen or your Luna. I don't even want to be your wife. The day you sit on that throne as king, you let me go. You have to reject me Julian."

"You are my-"

She cut me off. "Take Megan as your mate Julian. You have always chosen her over me anyway."