Chapter Six

MY MATE COULDN’T TOUCH ME

“Really?” Magnus chuckled dangerously and he shook his head gently, while he crossed his arms tightly on his chest to stare at Rowan.

Magnus' voice echoed deeply across the ballroom leaving everyone startled, meanwhile Rowan’s grip was painfully tight around my wrist.

The silence in the room was so thick that I could even feel it in my throat, because the air constricted in my throat and made it unable for me to breathe properly.

“She isn’t leaving with you”, Rowan repeated in a very loud, but shaky voice.

My legs froze instantly, like it was glued to the polished marble floor and I felt trapped between the two most powerful men in the Moonfang kingdom.

Magnus bursted into a quiet laughter pointing directly at him, “are you scared to repeat it again, little nephew?”

Rowan clenched his jaw and a muscle ticked the moment his expression hardened. It was impossible for anyone not to know that he’s pissed by what his uncle asked him.

Magnus reached for my right hand gently, meanwhile Rowan’s grip was still tight on my left wrist, like I owed him something tangible.

My breath hitched for a second, then my heart started to race faster than I could hear it slam violently against my chest, and my knees almost gave out because I was swallowed by tension.

Magnus rolled his eyes slowly, and it landed on Rowan’s tight grip on my left wrist, he stared at it for a few seconds before he let out a dangerous chuckle, even with that his expression didn’t change at all.

“It’s time for us to leave, Lyra,” Magnus muttered in a very calm voice. 

All of a sudden, Rowan bursted into a loud laughter that left everyone in the ballroom baffled.

“What’s really going on?” I asked rhetorically, I gulped and continued, “It’s really surprising how the rejected mate is now standing in between the two most powerful men in this kingdom”.

At some point, I wish I could just run away instead of standing to watch them argue on if I’m leaving or not, but I couldn’t because both of them held my wrist firmly.

Rowan, who rejected and humiliated me publicly an hour ago, is now fighting for me not to leave Blackthorne fortress with Magnus?

I turned towards where my parents sat to look at the expression on their faces, because they never thought that the black Alpha would accept the bond, or that Rowan, who once rejected me, would try to stop me from leaving with Magnus.

“You should know me by now Magnus, I don’t like to be disobeyed”, Rowan yelled seriously.

Magnus gazed at his nephew fiercely, before he responded calmly “I never gave you an order to follow, I only gave you another chance and you’ve already lost it”.

The tension in the room became so intense that gasps erupted from every corner in the room, nobles exchanged glances at each other, and one of the elders that stood almost close to us, struck his staff in agreement on the marble floor.

The Royal Elder took a few steps backwards knowing how hot Alpha Magnus' temper is. I was shocked that Magnus didn’t raise his voice at all, nor did he hurt anyone. He acted so calm and gentle, making me doubt everything I heard about him.

I stared at him hesitantly, while several thoughts ran through my mind like; what if he’s acting calm to show that he’s not who everyone describes him to be, or he’s just acting calm so I’ll actually go with him and he’ll hurt me later.

Rowan still refused to release my wrist and he raised my hand before Magnus saying, “Lyra carries the silver mating mark, and she’s my mate so I won’t allow her to leave here with you”.

The word dropped heavily in my chest and my lips parted severally, but I was too stunned to say a word.

Magnus shook his head gently, like he didn’t understand what he just said, then he chuckled and responded softly “the same mate you rejected? Come on Rowan, stop being ridiculous”.

Magnus paused and took a step towards him, while his grip was still firm on my wrist too “you rejected her publicly and chose another woman, so you have lost that right to make any decision”.

Magnus gazed at him with his silver-gray eyes scanning him from head to toe and he added, “you lost the right to touch her the moment you rejected her for another woman publicly”.

Murmurings and whispers from different corners of the ballroom died the moment he was done talking, and the Royal elders exchanged uneasy glances at each other.

High Priest Orion stood up and stepped forward saying, “I strongly agree with Alpha Magnus, because he’s saying the truth”.

Rowan tilted his head slightly to stare at the High Priest with disdain, “what did I just hear you say?”

High Priest Orion added, “your highness, the sacred law is meant to be obeyed not disobeyed” he paused to stare at the council for a second, before he continued talking “a prince that publicly rejects the Goddess’s chosen mate lose the right to reclaim her again” high priest Orion added.

Rowan cut in sharply, “I don’t care about what the sacred law says, all I know is that, she’s my mate and the bond still exist”.

Seraphina screamed, “that’s a lie, a weak omega can’t be your mate”.

Magnus bursted into laughter and he stared at both of them, while shaking his head. For a brief second, I turned to look at Rowan and I saw concern and regret in his eyes, then it disappeared immediately.

The high priest responded softly, “the bond exists just for now, even if it has been seriously wounded”.

Suddenly, the silver mating mark on his wrist began burning severely, after the high priest was done speaking.

Rowan’s legs stiffened, like they were glued together on the polished marble floor and his right finger curved into a tight fist by his side, while his expression changed dangerously.

“What do you mean by that?” Rowan yelled and his voice echoed loudly across the ballroom.

Slowly, Rowan released his grip from my wrist and a black crack spread through the glowing silver mark.

Whispering and gasps from different corners filled the ballroom. One of the elders muttered under his breath, “you have made the Goddess angry”.

Even the High Priest was frightened and he added, “I’ve never seen a sacred mating mark darken like this”.

Everyone started pointing at me, while murmuring different things I could barely hear, then I lowered my head slowly.

Just as if Magnus understood why I lowered my head, he took a few steps and stopped right in front of me, protecting me from everyone's eyes.

For the first time since the Moon Choosing Ceremony, I felt chosen and secured like this. It’s not because I really trusted him, but because he didn’t allow anyone to hurt or humiliate me while he stood in front of me.

I raised my head and turned my head slightly to look at Seraphina, the confident smile she had on faltering, because she’s surprised that the Black Alpha she thought would reject me just as Rowan did, accepted me and he’s also ready to protect me from being hurt.

Also, she didn’t expect Rowan to try to stop me from leaving with Magnus, and she thought he would cast me aside forever. 

Seraphina clenched her jaw tightly and her eyes widened, while the shoulders she carried up sagged instantly as though she had been seriously disappointed.

Magnus muttered softly, “the final judgment has already been made, so we’re set to leave now”. 

Magnus smiled and stretched his hand to me instructing, “let’s leave now, Lyra”.

I paused for a second to look at his hands, it’s very large, wide, and scary too. Slowly, I stretched my trembling fingers into his palms and he gripped my fingers firmly, but also carefully like he saw I was shaking terribly.

Rowan reached for my elbow, but Magnus shoved his hand away immediately and everyone smirked. 

Without uttering a word again, he held my hands carefully and turned towards one of the palace doors to leave.

Rowan snapped lividly, “do you really think you’ve won, uncle?”

“Yes, I have”, Magnus responded without stopping or even looking back.

My heart started pounding and aching terribly like I just made a decision I’m not comfortable with.

No one dared to move or even utter a word in the ballroom till Magnus and I reached the entrance, then we turned to tell everyone goodbye.

Before we could say goodbye to everyone, Rowan walked briskly towards us and yelled “let me tell you what you don’t know, you haven’t won anything, just watch and see what you’ve started”.