Chapter 48
POV: Tamara Davis
“The King would be here later, Your Grace.” Arlan politely informed her as he went towards the pack’s infirmary after the meeting that he attended with the King and the Were Elders’ Council members.
Her left brow automatically shot upwards giving aura her serious and intimidating expression.
“And what was the meeting all about?” She inquisitively asked.
Arlan swallowed hard as he hesitatingly stared at her.
Tamara let out a deep sigh. She knew that she was giving Arlan now a hard time, but she was annoyed, and it was creeping into her system which she couldn’t control, and she didn’t know the reason why.
“Come on, Arlan, I wouldn’t do a thing, I promise.” She carefully added in a calmer demeanor this time causing the King’s second in command sighed in defeat.
“The members wanted to move the wedding and coronation on the might of the Full Moon.” He prudently stated.
Tamara almost groaned in frustration as she rolled her eyes at that particular news.
“That was a month from now. And we all know what they might be planning for that one months’ time.” She lowly uttered to herself, but enough for Arlan to hear although he didn’t comment on that.
Surely, he knew what she was talking about.
Well, the truth was, she was expecting it to happen anyway. She was already prepared to stand on her ground, but she was more curious to know what the King replied back to them.
“And?’ She urgingly inquired.
“The King didn’t agree, of course, and he wanted it sooner. He hadn’t announced the date yet because he wanted you to focus on your parents’ recovery for the mean time.” Arlan sensibly replied.
Tamara felt a tinge of gratitude and warmth as she heard those things. Now, she had loosened up with the King not fulfilling his promise although she’s a bit disappointed about that.
Arlan slightly cleared his throat as he stared at her respectfully.
“With all due respect, Your Grace, but I just want to say this if you may allow.” He politely told her.
Tamara nodded her head to urge him to go on with whatever he wanted to talk about.
Arlan let out a nervous sigh and slightly bowed his head.
“I just want to let you know that the King might have been cruel and merciless most of the time, but when he cared for someone, he would have done everything for them. He wasn’t a heart of stone, Your Grace.” He carefully explained to her.
Tamara couldn’t stop the corner of her lips from moving upwards, but she instantly bit her lower lip to stifle it.
“Oh, Arlan, I know about it already.” She amusedly responded causing Arlan’s eyes to slightly widen in surprise.
She let out a knowing sigh and let out a small genuine smile.
“I know that he was just masking his true emotions for he must. He needed to portray a strong and firm King for he had a huge responsibility to take. And I admire him more for that. I know about it. at least for now.” She understandably stated.
Then, she suddenly pouted like a kid and rolled her eyes into the ceiling.
“But he must also know how to fulfill his words to me, Arlan. And I know that you already knew that.” She seriously continued.
Arlan just nodded his head still amazed by her patience and thoughtful consideration.
He might have said something when Kage suddenly appeared from the hallway. He had this relief pasted on his face.
“Tamara…” His voice was laced with excitement.
“Lady Tamara…” Arlan pressingly corrected him.
Kage simply rolled his eyes at Arlan and let him be.
“Fine, whatever, Lady Tamara…” He, then, annoyingly said giving emphasis to the word ‘lady’ to prove his point.
“It’s fine, Arlan…” She calmed the King’s second in command as he threw a death glare towards Kage who seemed like he didn’t care at him at all.
Until now, she was still puzzled as to why they didn’t get along. Well, maybe, she could ask them about it later.
“What is it, Kage?” She curiously inquired.
Kage’s dark expression suddenly turned into a calmer one.
“Your parents… they were awake now.” His words brought happiness and excitement to her, that she instantly ran towards their room even without bidding her goodbye to the two gentlemen, she was currently talking with.
Tamara suddenly halted as she held the doorknob. Her heart was pounding so hard because of how fast she ran towards there, as well as because of the anxiety the news had brought her.
She let out a deep breath to calm her nerves before twisting the doorknob so she could enter the room.
The first thing that had caught her eyes was Aunt Rania who was crying her heart’s out on Uncle Lorenzo’s shoulders. There were still bandages on Uncle Lorenzo’s shoulder and Aunt Rania’s leg.
It was so heartbreaking, and she felt like her eyes suddenly moistened at the mere sight of it. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast inside her chest, and she didn’t know what to say. She had too many questions to ask, but for now… she just couldn’t stand to ask for answers because of their current condition.
The two instantly stared at her and they suddenly gasped in surprise.
“T-Tamara…” They both called her in unison.
Their voices were gruff and too emotional for her to take.
Her warm tears flowed freely from her eyes down to her cheeks reflecting the two most prominent people in the Lunar Pack.
She bit her lower lip to stop herself from her painful sobs for she didn’t want to burden them anymore. She didn’t want them to see her vulnerability.
But it was all too painful and intolerable for her to bear. She wanted to let her emotions out. She wanted to let them know how much she had been longing for this moment to come.
“H-Have you…” Aunt Rania couldn’t continue her words.
She felt like she was becoming weaker and weaker as the minute passed them by.
Uncle Lorenzo clenched his both fists as if he was trying to suppress his intensifying emotions.
Tamara closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again, she nodded her head as if she knew what Aunt Rania was asking her.
“I-It must be the other w-way around, right? Am I truly your d-daughter?” Her voice was becoming lower and lower as she finished her words to them.
Aunt Rania’s fresh tears flowed more from her eyes as she gasped in shock while Uncle Lorenzo stared at her with his most loving soulful eyes.
“Oh, finally, my daughter, come here.” Aunt Rania instantly voiced out and that was her cue to run towards them and hug them tightly.
She felt the familiar warmth that she had felt when she was still young.
She felt like she was already home.
She felt like this was the place where she truly belonged.
Tamara felt warmth from her known parents Ameia and Winston but she knew that something always had this hole inside her. They were too respectful to her, but they showed her the love of parents making all her doubts and uncertainties fade away.
Now, she knew why the very first time she saw Aunt Rania and Uncle Lorenzo, she already felt at ease, and she had rusted them so much.
It was because they were truly her parents.
“I have dreamt of this happening for a very long time now, Tamara. The moon knows about it all and now…” Aunt Rania tearfully blurted out.
“A-Aunt Rania…” She called her in between her sobs.
Aunt Rania and Uncle Lorenzo broke their embrace on her and she stared at them longingly.
“Oh, darling, I’ve been longing for you to call me Mom once again.” She lovingly corrected her as she held her face with her both hands and wiped away her tears.
“And call me, Dad.” The great alpha of the Lunar Pack swiftly butted in to tell her that, and she couldn’t help but giggle at them.
It was a scene of serenity and acceptance for her. She thought it might be hard for her to adjust, but she was wrong. Besides, she had been with them after everything that happened. She didn’t wanna blame anyone, but she certainly wanted answers to her questions.
“By the way, where is Shahara?” Her mother suddenly inquired.
Tamara was dumbfounded as she heard her question. She bit her lower lip as the door suddenly opened, and Doc Dreyson, Kage and…
Her breathing hitched when she saw the King grace him with his presence. Her parents slightly bowed down their heads for courtesy, but her eyes remained on that particular man, standing proudly in front of her.
Doc Dreyson loudly cleared his throat to catch her attention and her cheeks instantly turned pale pink. But before she could look away, she caught his lips slightly rising for a grin at her pure embarrassment.
Rania and Lorenzo gave her a questioning look before their eyes moved towards the King and then back to her. She let out a deep sigh.
“Mom, Dad, I won the c-competition.” She broke the news and bit her lower lip.
She saw how her parents grinned at her with their amused and jolly expression.
“That’s great news. Now, where is Shahara? Didn’t she know that we were already awake?” Her father smilingly inquired.
Silence and tension instantly filled the air.
No one dared to break the news to either of them. Her eyes moved towards the King who was surprisingly staring at her, too.
“What the hell is going on?” Rania started to panic as she felt that something was wrong.
Tamara felt frustrated and hopeless as she hugged her mother tightly.
“T-Tamara, where’s your sister?” Her voice was low, demanding, and weak.
She let her break their embrace and stared at her and at everyone. She just bowed her head.
“I demand to know the answer. Don’t let us hang onto thin air. Dreyson? Kage?” Lorenzo fastidiously inquired, but Dreyson just bowed his head and Kage looked away while biting his lower lip.
Maybe, she should be the one telling them the truth now, huh? Tamara mentally thought.
“M-Mom, D-Dad…” Her low voice croaked, but it caught her parents’ attention towards her.
She saw the King give her the encouraging look. She knew that he was just giving her the opportunity to deal with their situation now.
“The rogues came after us before the final round of the competition.” She seriously started and she saw in their eyes that they already had this tiny clue of what had happened.
Her eyes moistened, which reflected the pain that was lingering inside her. Talking about what happened was too much for her to bear. Tamara clenched her hands into balled fists.
“We both fell into the cliff, but S-Shahara had been shot with an a-arrow. Elder Z-Zeparu and K-Kage saved me. But S-Shahara isn’t nowhere to be f-found yet.” She shakingly stated.
Rania gasped.
“Oh, no… no… no… I know she’s alive. I know. Let me find her.” Rania dreadfully told her.
Her tears fell as she watched her mother in panic, frustrated, and in dismay.
“Rania…” Her father soothed her, but she just wouldn’t listen until she had already passed out.
“She would be okay. Let’s just give her time.” Doc Dreyson informed them.
“Let’s go out in the meantime. I’ll wait for you outside.” The King’s commanding and deep voice resonated into the room.
And before anyone could even say something, he had already found his way out and was followed by Kage and Doc Dreyson.
Lorenzo let out a deep sigh before staring at her and gave her a small smile before urging her to give him a hug.
She immediately obliged and cried on her father’s shoulder. Lorenzo gently tapped her back.
“I’m sorry, I can’t do anything for S-Shahara…” She painfully told him, but he just hushed her.
“It is not your fault, Tamara.” He carefully said and held her both arms to faced her.
“You already have a handful of problems and responsibility on your hands. Especially if you already won the competition. I know that this is just the start. Shahara had us. And I believe that she isn’t dead. She is a fighter. But for now, let us mourn for the possibility. But that doesn’t mean that we are closing the possibility. Let us mourn, so the enemies would think we had fallen. But on the other hand, let’s move in discreetly.” Lorenzo cautiously explained to her as he wiped her tears away.
“Now, be strong and face your responsibility. It will never be easy but remember that we are always behind your back.”
Those were her father’s last words before she walked out of the room for him to rest.
But the moment she went out of the infirmary, she felt her knees wobble with the intensity of what had just happened to her. She leaned against the wall where no one could ever see her and closed her eyes.
She let the wind blow her hair and soothed her scarred heart.
Then, a familiar addicting scent filled her nostrils, and her inner wolf just wouldn’t let her calm down.