Chapter 13
POV: Shahara
“My goodness! I really wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face! He was so annoying!”
Tamara was fuming mad as she vented her feelings out towards her.
She was walking back and forth in front of her bed her both hands on her waist while Shahara was calmly sitting on her comfy bed leaning on its head rest.
Her elbows were placed on the top of the pillow and her face rested on her palms.
Shahara immediately went to her room after dinner, and she started ranting over and over again for about thirty minutes now, all about Kage Esmeray Doctor Dreyson’s brilliant apprentice.
Tamara couldn’t get over her sudden meeting with Kage that she was indeed blabbering about him. Shahara shook her head as she hugged Tamara’s pillows didn’t want to comment on her raging emotions, though.
Besides, she wouldn’t be surprised if Tamara would just turn into her wolf form any minute now because of too much irritation.
Her entire face was pale pink, and the tip of her ears were deep red because of deep annoyance.
Her intensifying emotions were like some air from a boiling water was getting out of her head.
Shahara mentally chuckled at the thought.
“He was so irritating inside the prison cell! I really thought he was kind of an awful person. He was like a bum beggar! Imagine his filthy clothes and everything. And the worst part is, he called me ‘pup’ again! What was with that person?! Pup?! I am not a puppy, for goodness’ sake!” Tamara exasperatedly exclaimed as she took a swift stop and looked at her with wide eyes.
Shahara slightly shook his head.
“Well, at least now you are even. Imagine, giving him your surprise gift, right?” She teased her with a sarcastic smile that appeared on her lips making Tamara stop her tracks and her face turned bright red because of embarrassment.
She let out a loud sigh but eventually composed herself.
“Serves him right!” Tamara pressingly yelled as she crossed her arms and held her head high.
Shahara let out a heartily laugh and it echoed throughout her entire room.
“You really did punch him hard enough, huh? I heard from Doctor Dreyson that he had a huge black eye on his face right now.” She mischievously told her with a smirk on her face.
She was still bouncily looking at Tamara, who had just pouted, and a glimpse of panic and guilt crossed her dark brown eyes.
Yes.
Tamara just punched the great Kage Esmeray in his face before walking out of the room! And she couldn’t believe it! This was the first time. Too bad she didn’t see it. She mentally chuckled.
Actually, Shahara wanted to laugh out loud, but she held herself, for she might embarrassed the blushing Tamara right now she might get offended.
She mentally shook her head.
“Well, Kage is just like that.” Shahara couldn’t help herself and smiled at her making Tamara’s eyes dart to her as her brows furrowed her face plastered with an untold questioning look.
“He is playful and, uh, well, naughty most of the times. He was stubborn and he always wanted to piss everyone around him, but believe me, he was a kind and courageous person. He is doing what he believes in no matter who that person is. As long as it is the right thing to do, he will do it.” Shahara thoroughly explained to her.
Tamara unbelievably sat in her bed facing her listening intently but she was still unconvinced. Her face was plastered with a perplexing look as if they weren’t talking about Kage Esmeray.
Shahara let out a soft giggle.
“Why is he imprisoned, then? He also looked like a bum beggar or something.” She curiously asked her.
Shahara chuckled loudly with humor.
“It wasn’t the first time, Tamara. He was always in prison cells. It was like the prison was an extension of his house. In fact, I would have been more surprised if he hadn’t been in jail, at least within a week.” She smilingly said remembering something.
“Kage was naughty and hardheaded, yes. He always gives in to his reasons, but he knows how to compromise. You might think that he is not listening, but if you’re gonna dig deep into his words, you’ll see his point. Most especially when it comes to using medicine as a cure. He is very particular in using it unfortunately some were trying to use it in other… despicable things.” Shahara’s face grimaced and let out a deep sigh.
“What do you mean by that?” Tamara interestedly asked.
Shahara cleared her throat as she avoided her gaze.
“Well, let’s just say that medicines are there to help those who are in need and not the other way around. It shouldn’t be used to hurt other people.”
She then intently looked at her and smiled a bit.
Tamara noticed that Shahara wanted to conceal something as if she didn’t want to disclose the reason why Kage was imprisoned that day.
Anyway, she might have been a nosy creature, but she also knew how to respect one’s own privacy well, a bit so she will not question it any further. Shahara was secretly thankful for that.
“Anyway, Kage is a hardworking and persistent person. The thing is, he isn’t a typical Lunar Pack member who is born naturally here. He was found in the woods by Elder Zeparu. Then, he was adopted by the Esmeray clan. He was so grateful to the pack who raised him well that he wanted to give it back by becoming Doctor Dreyson’s apprentice. He worked really hard to help the pack most especially to those who were in need. He was indeed brilliant that he discovered different medicinal plants for curing his patients. Besides, Doc Dreyson, Kage and I were childhood friends.” Shahara patiently explained to her.
“By the way, I suddenly remembered something.” Tamara suddenly wanted to ask something and looked at her with playful eyes.
“Who is that man who dragged you out to the infirmary a while ago?” She addedly inquired and gave her a mischievous smile.
Shahara’s face turned pale pink just by mentioning the man, making Tamara raise her left brow and cross her arms in front of her chest.
“Look, it’s not what you think it is.” Shahara’s eyes widened, her back straightened, and immediately raised her both hands and shaking it in front of her as if trying to convince her.
“So defensive.” Tamara teasingly commented, and her face reddened more as she averted her stare at her while biting her lower lip.
A deafening silence embraced them.
“So, you’re not going to share? I thought we’re friends here.” Tamara jokingly said after a few seconds.
Shahara heaved a deep sigh and her face suddenly turned gloomy.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. Did I go too far? Did I offend you or something? It’s okay if you can’t tell me. I understand.” Tamara shyly said that she knew she’d touched something too personal.
Besides, she just felt so guilty for her sudden change of mood.
“It’s okay. I… I actually just don’t know how to say or explain it. Our relationship was way too complicated, yet he was confusing me… big time. Most especially these past few days. It was like, I thought we were on the same page, then suddenly he became cold and distant. The truth is, I don’t know what to do anymore.” Shahara sadly admitted and leaned on the headrest her friendly and happy facade turned into a saddened one making Tamara blame herself for raising that topic.
She looked at the blank wall of her room and Tamara gave her a sympathizing look for she couldn’t find the right words to say, so she just stayed silent.
“He is Prince Raven Pierce the King’s brother. He was one of my childhood friends, too. He was so friendly, approachable, clever, and kind. He was…” Shahara took an abrupt stop as her eyes moistened with tears.
Tamara just listened to her intently, which Shahara find it comforting at least now she had someone to talk to. Now, she had someone to lean on and someone who would listen to her, too.
Someone that she really longed for a real friend.
She let out a bitter chuckle and continued.
“He was my dream guy, my Prince Charming and my fearless knight all rolled into one. But one day, during my tenth birthday, he just turned cold and distant towards me. And he started to confuse me.” Shahara couldn’t hold her emotions anymore and she burst into tears.
She covered her face with her palm and let her tears stream down freely.
Tamara went near her and hugged her tight giving her comfort the least thing she could do for her.
“Why would he do that to me? Why only me? He wasn’t like that to everyone only to me. He was so friendly and close to everyone but turned cold and distant towards me. Did I do something wrong to him? Did I offend him or something?” Shahara bitterly asked.
“D-did you try asking him?” Tamara hesitantly asked.
Shahara broke their embrace and faced her with a tear-stained face.
“I tried. I do. But he was avoiding me and didn’t want to talk to me. I did try.” Her voice was hoarse from all her crying.
Her eyes were bloodshot, so as were her nose and cheeks while she was wiping away her endless tears.
“Until later this afternoon in the infirmary.” Shahara saddeningly added.
“What did he say?” Tamara asked curiously her voice was soothingly soft.
Shahara roughly brushed her cheeks as she gritted her teeth immense anger was surrounding her keeping her wolf at bay.
“He harshly said that I was a mistress trying to seduce Doc Dreyson. He called me names which was so painful to hear. He was such a jerk… a cold-blooded b*stard!” Shahara maddeningly yelled her glimmering eyes narrowed into thin slits, making her unshed tears stream down to her cheeks.
“Now, I have proved that he was already a different person far too different from the person I loved from the past. And I wanted to regret every decision I made, but my heart still yearns for him. And I didn’t like it. I wanted to let all these feelings go but it just doesn’t go away just as simple as that.” Her low voice was laced with bitterness and sorrow but her rage was more evident.
Tamara couldn’t find words to say. She didn’t experience anything about romantic love even before. In her eighteen years of existence, her only focus was to study and make her parents proud of her.
After school, she always went home early. She didn’t even have friends, which she was more like it. She was so fine being alone.
She didn’t pay any attention to romantic love. She closely believed that it could wait… that love could wait at the right time, at the right place, with the right person and not be rushed about it.
But an image of a man wearing a golden crown and a menacing smile appeared in her mind making her heartbeat awfully fast and her wolf restless inside her. She immediately shook her head to erase that thought and concentrate on Shahara.
“Now, I have proven that he was really a member of the Pierce clan. A ruthless and cruel man just like his brother. Well, for me, he’s far more merciless. He broke my heart.” Shahara spoke angrily as she tried to compose her heartbroken self.
Tamara was left dumbfounded and speechless. The beating of her heart stopped a bit, and then it beat faster than usual again as her mind traveled to a man the King to be exact absentmindedly.
She was quietly hoping that her suspicion wasn’t correct. She hoped that she wasn’t falling in love with the most ruthless and cruel head of the Pierce clan King Hades Pierce.
For she knew, she might end up being like Shahara a tragic and forlorn kind of love and it was loving a man who doesn’t know how to love.
Far worse than unrequited love.