Betrayal 156

Posted by Adminh, Released on January 23, 2025

61 No More Fear

Auriella POV

When I step through the portal, my eyes meet blue ones that almost bring me to my knees. I’ve always been attracted to both male and female elves, so I wondered which the goddess would choose for me. Goddess, she is beautiful. Unlike my five–nine height, she is petite. I’d be surprised if she was even five–five. Her dark hair almost touches her waist.

I’m just about to step toward her when she gasps. My heart clenches in my chest as she starts to move toward the door. She doesn’t want me. Maybe she thought her beloved would be a man. I can’t stop myself from saying the word I’ve waited to say since I turned eighteen. “Beloved,” I say just as she reaches the door. Sadness flashes in her eyes before she steps through the door.

“She doesn’t want me.” I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m just about to create a portal into my room back home in the tree house when Lily grabs my hand. I don’t even have time to ask her what the hell we’re doing as she pulls me through the door that my beautiful beloved just practically ran through to escape me. She leads me down a long hallway with doors on both sides. “Lily, please,” I start to say, but she whirls on me.

“No, you are not going to give up on your mate. I heard how you were with Colton in the hospital when he was acting like an a**hat. Channel some of that attitude and go into that room to face the woman that goddess chose for you. She has been through hell and she’s afraid. She needs you, but she is letting her own fear get in the way,” she says.

“What has she been through?” “That’s not my story to tell, Auriella. I’m sure when she is ready she will tell you, but not until you go in there and show her that you’re not letting her go,” she says, pointing to the door behind her. I nod and she turns to knock on the door. My heart is pounding as we wait for her to respond. “Tabitha, can you please open the door? I know you’re

scared but Auriella would really like a chance to talk to you,” Lily says.

I swear I don’t take my next breath until the door opens slowly. She looks directly at me before she completely opens the door. “I’m going to give you two some privacy. Please don’t let fear or hurt guide your decisions,” she says, looking between us. I step into the room and fight the urge to reach out and wipe the tears off her cheeks.

“Auriella,” she whispers my name. “Tabitha, can we sit and talk?” She nods, and we move to a sitting area with two large chairs that face each other. They are separated by a love seat, We are both quiet for a minute. My mind whirling with all the things I want to say but not knowing

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where to start. “I’m sorry” she says, startling me.

“You’re sorry about what, Tabitha?” “I’m sorry that the goddess chose me to be your beloved.

You deserve someone that is stronger. That hasn’t been so damaged. You deserve someone

that isn’t broken,” she says. I can feel a surge of anger in my body. Anger at whoever hurt this

woman that owns my heart. “I’m not sorry. Whatever you think about what happened to you in the past, it didn’t break you. Despite what you think about yourself, I can already see how

strong and beautiful you are.”

A tear streaks down her cheek, and again it takes all my control not to go to her and pull her

into my arms. Hold her until her tears are gone. Tell her how much I already love and want her.

“Tabitha, will you tell me why you think your not strong and damaged? If you’re not ready, I

understand, but I need you to hear me when I say this. I’m not giving up on you. Lily is right.

I’m not going to cower away from this feeling of rejection because winning your heart is too

important for me to give up.”

She sobs and this time I don’t stop myself from moving toward her. I kneel in front of her and

take her hands in mine. The feeling of tingles where our skin touches has us both gasping. I

take it as a win when she doesn’t pull her hands from mine. I start to rub circles on the back

of her hands with my thumb and say a silent prayer that she’ll open up to me. After what feels

like a lifetime, her eyes meet mine again.

Tabitha POV

“My father isn’t a kind man. In fact, he is down right mean. Not only to me but to my mother. They were fated, but she was a servant in our tribe when they met. His father insisted he

accept her, so the goddess would bless him with a strong heir. After my grandfather

threatened to pass his title to a trusted warrior, my father gave in to his demands and accepted my mother.”

“He has never had any affection for her and when she gave birth to a girl he hated her even

more. My mother tried to protect me the best she could, but he never let a day go by without

making sure I knew what a disappointment I was. A few days before my twentieth birthday, he

decided that I was to mark and mate with the tribe’s head warrior as a women wasn’t fit to

lead.”

I can see the anger flash in Auriella’s eyes, but I know it’s not directed at me. “I’ve never been

attracted to men, but I knew what would happen if I argued with him. I had planned to run

away but when I tried to leave, Cornelius caught me.“The next words catch in my throat.

Auriella squeezes my hands, encouraging me to keep going.

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“He dragged me back into my parent’s home and took my innocence while my father looked on. When my mother tried to stop him, my father beat her so badly she almost died. We both had to be taken to the infirmary. He forced his mark on my neck while my father held me. So you see. I wasn’t strong enough to stop him from taking from me or protecting my mother. He has taken me by force every day since the first time.”

She reaches up and brushes my hair back behind my shoulder. Her fingers slide over the bare skin where that evil pr*ck’s mark was on my skin. “I see no mark. I don’t see a damaged or broken woman. I don’t see someone who is weak. I see someone that survived a disgusting ba**ard and a man that should have protected her but instead abused her. I promise you that both of them will never hurt you or your mother again after tomorrow,” she says.

Panic rushes through me. “Auriella, you don’t understand what my father will do if he finds out

that you are my beloved. I won’t let him hurt you because of me.“Her hand cups my cheek and

I can’t stop myself from leaning into her touch. “My cousin is king and, just like you, he has

survived things that no elf should ever have had to live through. I promise you that your father

will never get the chance to hurt me or you,” she says.

Everything in me wants to believe her. I know that Lily said that I was to be the leader of my

tribe, but my father will fight their decisions until his last breath. Will they kill him, and what

does it say about me that I’m not sad if they do? Shouldn’t I feel something other than relief for the man that helped give me life? No, I shouldn’t, after all he has done. I hope the king

shows him exactly what it feels like to be overpowered and weak.

“Tabitha, I’m asking you for a chance. A chance to be the beloved that you deserve. To show you that you were meant to be mine as much as I was meant to be yours. I will stand with you tomorrow to face your father and I won’t leave your side,” she says. My heart is racing at the

thought of being with this woman.

Her words make me want to believe that I am more than my past. I look into her brown eyes that hold so much hope. I reach down and cup her cheeks in my hands before I press my lips against hers. She pulls me off the chair and onto her lap as she deepens the kiss. I almost let

fear make me lose this. Lose this woman that is meant to be mine.

Before The Ceremony

I step in front of the mirror in the gorgeous burgundy off the shoulder gown that I chose for today, I smile at the fresh mark that adorns where my shoulder meets my neck. The swirls of blues and greens that make up the infinity sign are beautiful. After spending the rest of yesterday and last night with Auriella, I didn’t want to wait to mark each other knowing we would face my father today. After I pushed the fear aside, there was no doubt in my mind that

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we are meant to be together.

The door to the bathroom opens and Auirella steps out in an A–ling royal blue mermaid style

dress. She takes my breath away. “You look amazing.” She moves toward me and presses a

soft kiss on my lips. “I feel the same way about you, Tabby” she says. I smile at the nickname.

A knock on the door brings us out of our moment. When I push the door open, Lily and Drake

smile at us. “You both look lovely,” Drake says. “Thank you” we say in unison.

His smile fades and I realize they are here for something important. They should be getting ready for the ceremony, but instead they are here. “Your father and mother have arrived,

Tabitha. I wanted to meet with them before the ceremony. Are you ready to face him,” Drake

asks. Auriella grabs my hand and squeezes it. “I am.”

Drake and Lily lead us to a large empty conference room. I’m confused when Lily comes to stand in front of me. “Tabitha, I would like to use my powers to see exactly what your ex–mate and father have done. Would you be alright with that? It won’t hurt” Lily says. I nod and she takes my hand. It doesn’t take long for her to release my hand and pull me in for a hug. Drake looks like he is ready to lose his sh*t, and I realize he saw everything that Lily did.

The door to the room opens, and my father practically yanks my mother into the room. “What is the meaning of this? Where is my son–in–law? How dare you break your bond with him, you worthless wh*re” my father says moving toward me. My mother grabs at his arm to try to stop him, and he back hands her so hard she falls to the ground. “Pain,” Lily says, and my father’s eyes look like he is a character in a cartoon before he drops to the floor.

My mother rushes to her feet and makes her way toward me. She pulls me into her arms. We both turn in time to see Drake crouch down near my father, who continues to writhe on the floor. “That will be the last time you lay a hand on your Lunaria or your daughter Finnius. In fact, after today you won’t be touching anyone again.”