The Mate That Wasn't Mine novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

TESSA POV

The bells start ringing for curfew. I have to make a few quick decisions. The final few students make their way back to their accommodation if they sho her this way, Luna Sabilna would be embarrassed. Alpha Hale would be lethally enraged.

So I do not call out for help. Instead, I think I can handle this confused, pleasant woman on my own. Holding her arm whilst she gazes up at the moon dreamily I calmly say. “Stand with me for a moment, I’ll tell you who I am.”

The last thing I need is for her to panic.

She squints her crystal blue eyes. It’s faint but there is absolutely a bitter almond scent to her, alongside her usual sweet flowery scent. “Oh here, I have some water,” I offer, scrambling to the floor for the metal canister I’ve dropped in all the confusion.

Bending down I notice Luna Sabrina’s pristine white dress has gained huge smears of muddy grass down both knees. Not that she seems to notice, Thank the Goddess she wasn’t more injured, we took a hell of a tumble down that hill.

“What’s going on? Where is he? Oh no, you’re hurt!” pointing a slender finger at my face. Feeling my cheeks I realise I’ve gone and split my bottom lip, wiping a thin trail of blood away. Great. I look insane.

“You’re in Ravenbow. My name is Tessa. The packhouse is just a few metres away and I’m going to take you back, but I thought we would let everyone leave first Luna. I’m so sorry your dress is ruined.”

“Luna?” looking left and right, as if she expects someone else to appear.

The bitter almond smell is fading every second. It’s nothing more than a memory now, like my brain and wolf are trying to fantasise it’s presence. But it was there. I would swear my life to it.

I need someone else here like Maxim to confirm I’m not losing my mind. He’s a scent tracer, top of his year. He’d pick it up I’m certain.

Because right now I believe someone has drugged our Luna.

Maxim was right, she is in danger. This does not happen by accident.

The perpetrators intention is unclear, but she is not present on this planet right now, staring down at her delicate, ring–stacked fingers as they sparkle like the stars above.

“Luna?” she checks, her vacant eyes struggling to focus on me.

“Yes. You are Luna Sabrina of Ravenbow. You’ve fallen down the hill with me onto the archery grounds. I’m Tessa. I’m one of your pack members. I serve you and the Alpha. Are you hurt?”

A dreamy smile washes over her face. A perfect, serene, happy look of bliss. “He did it. He did so well. I do love him so much you know.”

“I know, you always look so happy together.” I whisper whilst she takes a long drink of water.

“Do we?” she giggles, her hands coming up to cover her face, except one palm has mud on it. I’m single–handedly reducing our Luna into looking like a feral hag. “Tessa…Tessa have you ever been in love?”

“No, no I haven’t Sabrina,” I whisper back, continuing to watch the crowds disperse.

her

“Ah, there is nothing like it. When you feel yourself light up just because they’ve walked into the room. When all the useless, irrelevant pieces of your soul are their delight. Fluttering…like a butterfly… she murmurs, her voice fading away as she appears to try and catch the moonlight, gently fla arms with her eyes closed.

“Uh–huh.” I agree vaguely, crouching down low, urging the final few students to hurry the hell up. I’m normally out of sight firing arrows by now. From this vantage point I can see so much of packhouse life. Couples entwined, laughing and separating outside separate accommodations with lingering

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Chapter 37

kisses, squeezes and promises. Torchlights and lanterns casting long, entwined shadows along the bulge gravel pathways

Men shoving shoulders, barging at each other in a constant quest to be top dog. Women in groups as vicious as lionesses, laughing at the wepa to make their savage group of queens.

Until all those people are gone I’m stuck here. I need to get some sense out of her. “What have you had to drink today Luna Sabrina, of eat? bid ange taste funny to you?”

“Oh no! No! Everything has been wonderful…I think…I mean…you know, I don’t remember.”

“Did you dine with the Alpha or perhaps with your children? Or someone new?”

“I don’t have children!” she scoffs loudly, waving her hands wildly. “I’m only twenty! No! fío you must have me confused. I’m Brina. You don’t need to call me Sabrina all the time.”

Oh shit.

Luna Sabrina is absolutely not twenty. She’s stunning, ethereal and no doubt made of stardust and fairytales, but she is absolutely over forty yearsoldi Both Hazel and Remy are in their early twenties.

I’m really out of my depth now. Giving the scene one more took around, it’s finally empty. The last stragglers have vanished.

“I’m so sorry, let me get you home safe.”

“Race you?” she grins, her blue eyes gleaming impishly. All the poise and posture she gently strolls around with on Alpha Hale’s arm has evaporated. I’m left with someone as fun and giddy as Silas or Allette.

“Where to?” I smile, despite the craziness of the situation. “You don’t know where you are?”

“Oh! Oh Tessa you are funny! Fine. Point!” she chuckles, scrambling up the knoll, her hand on her forehead like she’s manning an imaginary ship.

“Okay, over there. We’re heading to that tallest tower around the side of the building. There will be a large red wooden door and hopefully no guards.”

“Ready…steady…GO!” she squeaks before taking off across the grass.

“Sabrina!” I squeak, before setting off after her. Her white dress billows behind her, her laugh the only sound across the sullen, dark grounds. The moon is high and bright, the red sandstone slashes across the gray, granite, walls much more prison–like when in a footrace with a free–spirited, joyous Luna,

out of her mind.

It feels wrong to encourage her to run to those thick foreboding walls.

She reaches the door first, slapping it with her hand as I follow her around the corner a second later. “Let’s test it…it’s open! Come on Tessa!” and before I can beg her not to, she scampers inside.

Goddess this is every kind of bad idea. The doorway leads to a large foyer. The same red and white stained glass windows but a lighter touch has decorated everywhere else. There is a soft gold and beige carpet. The walls are decorated with peaceful, floral tapestries, lessening the severity of the granite walls.

A portrait hangs of her and Alpha Hale at the very end of the room. I catch up to her looking at it with curiosity. She’s baffled.

“Sabrina!” booms a huge voice. Following us through the door is Alpha Hale, joined by his son Remy. Both dressed in white, their faced furrowed with panic. “What happened, your dress! Where have you been?”

ver me, just “Who the fuck are you!” Prince Remy asks me, matching his fathers stride and narrowing the gap to inches within a few seconds. He to as intimidating as his father. Dressed in pure white, with their golden plated chains across their wide chests I feel grubby in comparison…, pusted lip feels fat when I try to put my face straight.

“This is Tessa!” Luna Sabrina exclaims brightly. “She knocked me down a hill, then gave me some water…I think she’s lovely, don’t you. Look at her hair, it’s so fiery,” her fingers untying my braid and fluffing out my hair.

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I’m frozen to the spot. This is mortifying. Alpha Hale’s icy eyes are the only tough hit about him. His jaw is slack, the age showing in his face. With a slow, outstretched hand he whispers, “Come here, Tessa did well but I’ll look after you now. That’s why you’re here.”

“Bye Tessal” she shouts, Alpha Hale wrapping his arm around her, guiding her towards a steep stone staircase that must lead to their quarters.

I’m left alone with Prince Remy. He’s biting his lip, brow furrowed. “I need to know everything. Everything she said and did.”

So I told him There was nothing to conceal. We clashed and rolled, her pupils were crazily wide. She talked about love, about how wonderful it was to be loved. When I said she believed herself to be twenty he flinched.

Rubbing his jaw he stared up at the portrait in silence. “Thank you Tessa. For bringing her home. For not allowing anyone else to see her unwell it is a cruel illness.”

He seems content to leave it there. I should bow and take my leave. But it doesn’t feel right.

“I…I smelt almonds Sir.”

“Almonds?” his shoulders giving the slightest shrug.

“I am certain of it. But when I asked her what she had eaten and drunk she did not remember.”