Chapter 62
POV: Tamara Pierce
After sulking to her heart’s content in her room, she decided to go out in the backyard of the infirmary. She discovered that there was a small garden there where flowers with medicinal value had been planted after she decided to take a walk.
Tamara was still in her deep thoughts and her heart was still on the verge of melancholy. But who was she to blame Hades for it anyway?
She was the one who fell for him. And now that her feelings weren’t reciprocated which she thought was, Tamara felt so lost all of a sudden.
Her crimson red hair was now fully turned into a burgundy-colored one that was dancing with the calm wind, and some of its strands were slightly brushing her face. But Tamara couldn’t care less.
She closed her dark brown almond-shaped eyes as she felt the soothing cold wind.
It was comforting to her even the heaviness in her heart lessened but still remained. It was lulling her loneliness and pain, but she knew that it was just a temporary thing. It was making her feel at peace, even for a short while.
Yes.
At least for a while.
She wanted to take a break, but she needed to pick all of the pieces of her heart and her soul that had been shaken and crushed.
Tamara halted as she sat on the wooden bench under the huge tree which wasn’t familiar to her. She stared blankly at the various plants around her some were shrubs, and others were vines. But it just couldn’t arise her curiosity. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts that she couldn’t fully appreciate what’s in front of her.
She had seen nurses from time to time, maybe, to get some of the medicinal herbs, but after they politely greeted her, they instantly went back inside the infirmary. She didn’t bother talking to them nor stopping them from their reactions.
She just plainly didn’t care.
Tamara let out another deep sigh.
Her mind began running again, and it was already haywire, and so as her heart and soul. But the soothing ambiance around her and the serenity of the place was making her a bit calm.
She wanted to think, and it might be the perfect place for her to do so.
Then, she suddenly remembered her very reason for getting away from their home and had found this place. A simple reason to bring justice to her parents’ deaths. That turned into finding her true identity and finding the roots of who she was. But she couldn’t believe that there’s something more of her that fate would want to convey to her.
Something deeper and something that would be a huge responsibility to her. Something that would mean everything to her happiness and something that would make her in deep loneliness.
And maybe, it was its hard way of telling her to focus on her first goal, and that was to focus on her very reason for why she was there.
She still wanted to find out whoever caused her parents’ death. They were the ones who had taken care of her while she was growing up.
And she had this hunched that whoever had caused it to them were surely the ones who had killed Shahara and had infiltrated her loving pack even causing her parents to be hurt.
She clenched her fists.
It’s funny how her emotions had turned from loneliness and confusion into anger and annoyance.
Now, she just wanted to focus on the things that she wanted to reveal, and she wanted to give justice into.
Because maybe, this was the moon goddess’ hard way of showing her that there was a lot more to see rather than focusing on her feelings for the king.
She harshly bit her lower lips as she felt her heart dauntlessly disagree inside her. It was like being pinched and it hurt like hell.
But she should choose.
And she chose to continue to love the king in secrecy, but she should focus now on eradicating the enemy. She was choosing to fulfill her responsibility.
Although this was a hard thing for her but the agony inside her heart was digging deep, that it was making her feel like all of what happened between them was just because of it was a responsibility to the King and not for…
Tamara let out a deep sigh.
The pain inside her was still lingering. But she was trying to divert her mind into something that she still could do.
Or maybe, she indirectly felt rejected by the King, with his conversation with Raven, that she wanted to find her worth.
She slightly shook her head as her eyes moistened with tears until one had already fallen down. She swallowed hard and instantly wiped her tears away. She looked above the bright drifting clouds to calm herself. She took a deep inhale, then, slowly let it out.
Tamara bit her lower lip as she found herself that it was just the only way for herself to get busy and to stop her deep thoughts. But she just knew that it wasn’t that easy path to take, and that she needed to get hold of herself if she wanted to act with her choice.
“Are you okay?” A familiar voice suddenly resonated behind her in the middle of her thoughts, and that she shrieked and flinched a bit.
“What the You scared the hell out of me!” She irritatedly rolled her eyes at the man smiling from ear to ear.
Kage chuckled as he saw her reaction and she gave him a furious and irritated look.
“Go away.” She annoyingly told him, but he just shrugged his shoulders.
Instead of going away, Kage sat at the other end of the bench.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to surprise you, but I thought you might already sense that I was around.” He carefully stated as he pasted an apologetic look on his face.
Tamara let out another deep sigh.
Well, he might be partly right. She wasn’t aware of what was happening around her because of the fact that she was more indulgent in her own deep thoughts. And that she didn’t even sense his presence.
But the moment she had seen Kage, she let out a soft curse under her breath.
“What the heck happened to you?” She shockingly inquired as she stared at him from head to toe.
Kage just chuckled at her reaction, but it wasn’t funny for Tamara. She was truly concerned.
Who wouldn’t be?
His head had a white bandage, and his right arm was casted and in a triangular bandage. His leg had wounds and his left eye was slightly purple. Both corners of his lips were cut, and his cheeks were slightly pink.
“Oh, stop staring at me like I am in a sort of microscope, Queen Tamara.” He smilingly commented.
Tamara just lifted her brow upwards as she rolled her eyes at him.
“Oh, please, quit the formality. Tell me, you didn’t shoot with an arrow, but it seemed like the enemy had beaten you up. How unlucky.” She disappointedly concluded while slightly shaking her head, and Kage just gave her a small smile.
“If you just know…” Kage slightly shook his head as he said those words, but it was so low that Tamara didn’t catch any of it.
“What did you say?” She curiously asked, but Kage just shrugged his shoulders.
“Uh, nothing. Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you okay?” Kage diverted the topic as he asked her again.
This time, Tamara felt like her worries and the pain inside her suddenly resurfaced once again.
She instantly shook her head as she tried to mask her true emotions with a smile.
“Nothing.” She immediately replied.
But Kage wasn’t convinced, and his silence was certainly appreciated. Kage let out a sigh.
“Fine. I know that something is bugging you, but I wouldn’t want to interfere if you didn’t want to tell me.” Kage smilingly stated.
Tamara felt a bit guilty with his words, but Kage gave her a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay. Because sometimes there are things that you just can’t tell so easily. No matter how you wanted to, you just can’t find the right words.” Kage suddenly turned serious that Tamara found it slightly ridiculous.
He was so playful and outgoing that seeing him this serious now, Tamara just couldn’t help but chuckle.
Kage gave her a confused and questioning look as he arched his brow. Tamara chuckled a little louder this time.
“You are funny when you turn serious, Kage.” Tamara commented afterwards.
“Really, huh?” He pouted like a kid that she joyously giggled.
“Yes. But thank you for that. It eased my burden a bit.” Tamara felt her mood lightened up a bit.
Kage was really a happy soul that he could make people feel happy. Apparently, he could also be an annoying jerk most of the time.
He gently smiled at her.
“Don’t pressure yourself too much. Whatever your problem is now, I know it will soon pass.” He smilingly reminded her.
Tamara nodded her head as a small smile pasted on her lips.
***
POV: King Hades Pierce
His shadow was slightly visible in the corner of the infirmary watching the two people happily chatting to each other.
King Hades clenched his fists as he felt his anger arises.
His darkened aura was opposing the brightness of the golden crown placed on his head.
He gritted his teeth as he decided to turn his back on the scene that he couldn’t bear to see anymore. His heart was like being torn into pieces. He wanted to confront the two people, but he ended up just running away.
Because he was scared.
Yes.
He the King of all Wolf Borne was scared out of his wits. He was scared of Tamara. That once he confronted them, she would choose at that salutary wolf’s side. And he knew that he couldn’t take that.
He just couldn’t.
Because now it was all crystal clear to him, with no more explanations given.
He was deeply in love with Tamara.
One statement that was enough for him to fear that he might be broken once it wasn’t reciprocated by her.