Prince's Assassin Mate

Chapter 34

Writers POV

There is an awakening magic each day in the early morning, a sense of an old earth-spirit rekindled that seeks to knit together all that is good. Leaving her behind, perhaps because she does not belong to good. She was sitting on the loveseat by the window, staring out the open window at nature. Sleep didn't come to her, she was awake the whole night. When he opened his eyes, the sun had just begun to rise, and he saw her sitting with her back to him. He slid out of bed, slightly cringing from the pain in his hand. He took soft, silent steps behind her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. When he touched her, she flinched and turned around to see a look of hurt and ambiguity on his face.

"Has something happened, love?" he asked softly, she turned her gaze to the window.
"Nothing that should concern you." He was perplexed when she responded coldly, her voice laced with unfiltered venom. He felt as if he had been thrown a hundred steps back by a single sentence. She'd never been this cold to him before, not even when he'd taken her without her permission.
"Ok." He turned around and walked into the bathroom, where he took a shower and changed his clothes before coming out of the closet. She was still sitting on the loveseat near the window. He could tell she hadn't slept the night before, that something was seriously wrong, and that she wasn't prepared to talk to him. He got closer to her, and even though she could feel him approaching, she didn't turn. He knelt beside her and spoke tenderly.
"I can tell there is something that has happened, but you're not ready to tell me yet. Whatever it is, I'll be right there when you're ready to talk. Please get dressed and come down for breakfast. The pack suffered a lot of losses yesterday, and we should be there to morally support them."
He waits for her response but receives none; he sighs and stands up to leave. She walks into the dining hall not long after he does, with forthright steps and a cold face. He cast a glance at her as she took a seat beside him on the head table. Her gaze swept across the room, which had a grim ambiance about it. And she could see that most of them were in grief. Their eyes were downcast, and a dark shadow fell across their faces. Even Luna Lisa didn't give her a nasty glare. The pack was mourning. Aiden rose from his seat and began speaking, his voice tinged with respect and grief.
"The life given to us by nature is brief, but a life well spent and served is eternal; we lost five brave souls yesterday. "Four of them were like brothers to me; we grew up together and fought countless battles side by side; their parents and families had fought bravely and died serving the King, and they had fought bravely and served their kingdom their entire lives.
And the young warrior from the Dawn pack, had a bright future ahead of him, he was brave, and he died saving his comrades from the fire; I can only imagine how his family must be feeling right now. Let us remember those brave souls and pray that they rest in peace. Let us pray for those who have been injured, and I give you my words to whoever is responsible for their death, and for those who have been taken and killed shall pay."

He maintained a calm stance and voice, but she could tell by looking at him that a storm was brewing inside of him. She could tell he was in deep mourning because he had lost four of his closest companions. In shame and grief, her gaze fell to her lap. With a new ray of hope in their eyes, the entire pack looked up to him. She could see they looked up to him and trusted him to abide by his words. He took a seat, and everyone began to serve themselves breakfast. He approached her with the intention of serving her food, but she already had food on her plate. He looked at her in disbelief, but quickly masked his expressions. He took the first bite quietly, and everyone else followed suit.
"Nick," he summoned his Beta, who sat to his left.
"Yes, Alpha."
"How far are the funeral preparations?" he asked coldly, stealing glances at Ariel, who was eating quietly.
"The preparations are almost finished, and per your instructions, no other pack was invited; the funeral is scheduled for this afternoon," Aiden nodded, turning his head to see Ariel standing up.
"I'm done," she said as she exited the hall, not looking at him. He kept staring at her as she walked away, his gaze remaining fixed on the door even after she had disappeared.
The afternoon arrived sooner than expected, so they dressed in full black and proceeded to the Moongoddess shrine. It was situated between the Dawn and Royal Packs. This shrine was used by wolves and lycans for worship as well as other purposes such as funerals. However, not all wolves were permitted. They drove to the shrine and Prince Aiden walked inside with the warriors and Beta Nick. The pack members were already inside. He wasn't accompanied by Ariel, but they had a heated argument just before coming here. He was unable to persuade her to accompany him to the funeral. He's not sure why, but she was acting distant and cold. She was so upbeat and accepting of him the day before, and it only took twenty-four hours for everything to change so drastically.
She couldn't bring herself to go to the funeral with her moon-blessing. How could she when she was the one to blame for their demise? She was returning to the bedroom from the front balcony as most of the pack members left, leaving her and a few guards behind. As she stepped into the bedroom corridor, she noticed a silhouette of a man fade away from the other end. She frowned and followed the silhouette, but it was a dead end with only a window on one side of the wall. The window was wide open, and when she looked down, she saw the man's silhouette run towards the front of the manor and vanish. She tried to detect any odors, but the air was clean, making it difficult to identify the man. She returned to her bedroom, and there was an envelope in front of the door. She picked it up and walked inside. She couldn't throw her Moon-blessing and innocent wolves into danger knowingly,
So there she was, dressed in full gear bathed in fresh red blood, hiding in an oak tree near the shrine premises. Those creatures, as the letter had stated, were lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. They would have struck if she had been even a moment late.
She stared at the entrance, or more specifically, at one person. The funeral had just ended, and he was standing with the warrior's family. He was dressed in a black suit, his hair was sleekly styled, and there was a gloomy shadow over his handsome face. Her gaze lingered on the bandaged arm as he pulled one of his arms out of the suit sleeve. She turned around and walked away, disappearing into the forest that surrounded the shrine. He did, however, catch a glimpse of the receding silhouette. He summoned his Beta Nick and whispered something into his ear; on his command, Nick quietly gestured some of their warriors and left. After a while, they returned, and Nick stood behind the warrior family, quietly nodding his head to his Alpha. The days passed in a blur, with more threats and bloodshed. She kept her distance from Aiden, and when he wasn't with her, she was out killing and fleeing. She felt as though she was thrown right back at the darkness she tried to flee.