chapter 41

SELIORA POV

I didn't know whether to laugh, try to help, or just watch him in silence.

Watching him suffer like this should make me happy but it didn't. I only felt sorry for him.

“Breathe,” I managed to say after a while, but it didn't seem to help him.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward towards him, and after much hesitation, I cupped his face in my hands.

“Hey, it's gonna be okay. You do not have to be scared. You are not here alone in here, okay,” I whispered in a low tone, gazing into his eyes and watching his breathing become stable.

For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of our hearts beating in sync.

“You can let me go now,” He muttered, after a while.

I instantly removed my hands from his face and looked away awkwardly.

“There’s an old blanket right behind one of the shelves. I am going to go get it,” He said, walking away while my mind continued to flash back to the moment I had just had with him.

“I found it,” He announced, snapping me from my thoughts.

“Okay,” I muttered, making my way towards him while looking back at the shelf I had earlier seen the building structure.

I had to get it tonight or lose the opportunity.

I watched as he gently spread the blanket on the floor. Afterwards, he lay on his side.

“You should go to sleep. I am going to go check some more books,” I muttered, turning back to walk away.

“No, Seliora. I am not letting you out of my sight,” He stated.

I thought to reply to him but trying to convince him might have him suspect my real motives. It was better to just lie down beside him and wait till he sleeps off.

“Okay,” I answered, looking back at him.

I then gently lay down and stared at the ceiling.

Flashbacks of the way he stared into my eyes earlier started to flood back but I instantly blocked them off by thinking back to how he murdered my pack in cold blood.

After a few minutes, I noticed I was starting to feel sleepy and tried to peek at Kaelion who was facing the other side.

Seeing that both his eyes were closed, I gently sat up and waved my hands close to his eyes to make sure he was asleep.

“Yes,” I whispered excitedly after getting no reaction from him.

I then slowly stood up but froze as he suddenly turned towards my side.

“Misha,” I heard him whisper in a low tone. “Will you marry me, Misha?”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me after realising he was having a dream.

“No Misha. Please do not leave me! You have to come back to me,” He stated in a much louder tone this time, trembling and sweating.

“This is none of my business,” I muttered, standing up.

Whatever bad dream he was having should not concern me.

“I am lost without you, please,” He continued to mumble.

“No, Seliora. You have to leave him,” I said to myself, looking back at him yet I found myself bending down and holding his hands which were still trembling.

“It's just a dream, it is not real,” I whispered to him. “Snap out of it!”

He slowly opened up his eyes while I squeezed his hands which were still trembling tightly.

I could not understand what I was doing and why I felt obligated to help him. I could have left to grab the building structure I wanted.

“Misha,” He mumbled, slowly.

Hearing him call me by her name made my heart skip.

“It's Seliora,” I responded, letting go of his hands.

“I am sorry, I.. just..thought..that..,” He stuttered.

“It's okay, you had a bad dream. I get it,” I answered.

For some reason, I was upset he called me by the name of his dead mate.

“You must have loved her so much,” I muttered but instantly regretted it. “Forget I said that.”

He nodded his head in agreement while I lay back beside him. I then closed my eyes and tried to wait till he sleeps off again.

“Hey,” He said, tapping me on the shoulder. “It's going to get really cold soon, you should have this.”

“Oh,” I responded, opening up my eyes and looking in his direction.

He had removed his shirt and was stretching it towards me.

“No, I am good,” I said, instantly looking away from him.

“Sit up,” He demanded, gently helping me up. “I have never met anyone as stubborn as you.”

He then placed his shirt over my shoulder while my heart raced as his warm hands brushed through my skin.

I hated whatever it was I was feeling.

I hated not being able to control the fated mate bond which somehow always pulled me closer to him.

“I said I do not want it!” I stated angrily, removing his shirt and handing it back to him.

I didn't want to feel this way. It was easier for me not to whenever he was being the wicked Kaelion who murdered my pack.

His gentle and nice side made it harder to resist the pull.

“Stop being nice to me. I could freeze to death for all you care,” I uttered.

“Easy, Seliora. I was just trying to…,” He muttered but I cut in before he could finish speaking.

“Do not do anything for me, Kaelion. I am only here to help you find out the truth. Afterwards, I am left at the mercy of whatever you choose to do to me,” I stated, feeling more and more agitated.

“For what is worth, I am not going to kill you. I never wanted to,” He said, in a low tone.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I couldn't even if I tried,” He replied calmly, his eyes locking onto mine.

I knew I should not believe him but I did.