Midnight Confessions
1406 Words
I had made up my mind to find her. But three hours later, the idea of finding the old woman could wait.
Right now, I felt too awful to think about mysteries, seers, or strange warnings.
I sat on the edge of Elara’s couch, my hands twisting in my lap as guilt gnawed at my insides like a living thing.
The weight of what I had done pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
I had accused Lucian falsely, let my fears twist everything into something ugly. How could I face him now? I couldn’t even think about going back to the fortress alone.
“Can I stay here for a few days?” I asked quietly.
Elara nearly choked on her drink.
“A few days?”
I nodded.
She stared at me for several seconds.Then she laughed.
When I didn’t join in, her smile faded.
“Oh, you’re serious.”
“Very.”
“Cressida, that’s a terrible idea.” I groaned.
“Why?”
“Cressida, you can’t do that. The contract binds you both, and you know it. Running away won’t help. You need to make things right with Lucian. You falsely accused him, and that’s not something that fades on its own.”
I buried my face in my hands, the weight of everything pressing down on me.
“I know,” I muttered.
“You have to fix this,” she said, her voice flat and unyielding. “Go back and apologize.”
I lifted my head. “Then come with me.”
Elara blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“If you’re there, it won’t be as bad. It won’t feel so… impossible.”
“It’ll still be awkward,” she said, crossing her arms.
“Please.”
She let out a long, theatrical groan and tilted her head back. “You are impossible.”
“Please,” I repeated, softer this time.
Elara stared at me for a long moment, eyes narrowed. “You owe me.”
“I know.”
“You owe me so much.”
“I know.”
Another heavy sigh escaped her. Then, with the air of someone signing their own death warrant, she stood up.
“Fine.”
Relief flooded through me so fast I nearly laughed. “You mean it?”
“I’ll come back with you.” She pointed a finger at me. “But this is the last time I save you from your own stupidity.”
I surged forward and threw my arms around her. She stiffened for half a second before laughing and shoving me off.
“Don’t make me regret this,” she warned, though the corner of her mouth still twitched with reluctant amusement.
The journey back to the fortress was quiet.
The sun had already begun sinking toward the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of gold and orange.
My stomach twisted more with every passing minute.
What was I going to say?How was I supposed to explain any of this?
By the time we arrived, I felt sick.
Lucian wasn’t there.Neither at the fortress nor in his chambers.
The disappointment caught me off guard.Part of me had expected him to be waiting.
Angry and demanding answers.
Instead there was nothing.Just empty rooms.
Elara immediately took charge.
“You look terrible.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
Before I could protest, she was already barking orders at the servants.
Within minutes, several maids appeared.
A large copper tub was carried into a bathing room.
Steam curled into the air.The scent of lavender and honey filled the space.
I stared suspiciously.
“What is all this?”
“A rescue mission.”
The maids gently guided me toward the bath.
Warm milk and fragrant oils swirled through the water.
The heat melted some of the tension from my muscles the moment I stepped inside.
One maid carefully washed my hair.Another worked scented oils into my skin.
My hands.My shoulders. Even my feet.
By the end, I felt less like a nervous wreck and more like a person again.
When I emerged, wrapped in soft towels, Elara was waiting.
Her grin immediately made me nervous.
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.” She held up a scrap that barely qualified as clothing.
My eyes widened. “Absolutely not.”
“You’re wearing it.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Five minutes later, I was wearing it.
The silk nightdress skimmed my body and left far too little to the imagination.
A robe covered most of it, thankfully.
My hair was brushed until it shone and pinned neatly away from my face.
When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.
Elara nodded approvingly.
“There.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Elara pulled me aside before I left her.
“Apologize to him, Cressida. Pour out your heart. Make things right.”
I nodded and made my way to Lucian’s chambers, the robe whispering around my legs.
The room was dark and quiet when I entered. Still no sign of him.
I paced for what felt like hours, worry building with each passing minute. Was he so mad that he didn’t even want to see me? Had I pushed him away for good?
My thoughts spiraled as exhaustion finally won. I curled up on his bed, pulling the covers over me, and drifted into a restless sleep.
A soft creak of the door woke me in the middle of the night.
I stirred, blinking against the dim light from the hallway. Lucian stood there, his broad frame filling the doorway.
Our eyes met across the room, and time seemed to stop. He looked tired, his hair disheveled, but there was something else in his gaze.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
His eyes traveled down my body, taking in the robe that had slipped open slightly. It revealed the provocative nightwear underneath.
He inhaled deeply, catching my scent. I saw his chest rise and fall.
His wolf stirred. I could almost feel the desire radiating from him.
But he held back, his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides as if fighting an internal battle.
I couldn’t let him struggle alone.
Slowly, I rose from the bed and walked over to him, my bare feet padding softly on the floor.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking straight into his eyes. My voice trembled, but I kept going.
“I was wrong, Lucian. So wrong to accuse you like that. I let my doubts poison everything between us.”
Tears welled up as I poured out my heart.
“I’m in love with you. I couldn’t stand the thought of you with another woman. Even now, I’m jealous of Alina. Jealous that she was the one meant to be your mate, not me. It hurts so much, but I can’t hide it anymore.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and unrelenting.
Before I could say more, he moved.
His arm came up gently, covering my mouth to silence my words. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled me into a hug.
His strong arms wrapped around me, holding me close against his chest. I wept there, my body shaking with all the emotions I had bottled up.
The warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart — it broke something open inside me.
In that embrace, something shifted.
I reached up, dragging his lips closer to mine. Our kiss ignited like wildfire, full of pent-up passion and forgiveness.
His hands roamed over my robe, pushing it off my shoulders until it pooled at my feet. The nightwear followed.
His fingers traced my newly pampered skin with reverence.
We moved together to the bed, our bodies entwining in a dance of desire and love. He was tender yet urgent, his touches setting me ablaze.
I gave myself to him completely, every moan and whisper sealing the bond between us. The night blurred into waves of pleasure, his wolf’s desire matching my own until we both reached our peak.
Afterward, we lay tangled in the sheets, my body spent as his hands brushed gently through my hair.
The last thing I heard was his low voice in the darkness
So soft I almost thought I imagined it.
“I think I love you too.”
Then sleep claimed me completely.
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