You
1263 Words
Chapter 3: You
Camilla's POV
I paced the room, my heart lodged in my throat, racing like it wanted to outrun a speeding train.
Arthur hadn't notice anything, had he? He didn’t look like he had. At least, I prayed he hadn’t.
Malakai. My mate? No.
This had to be a mistake.
It was rare, but not impossible, for one wolf to be fated to two.
But me? A cursed omega fated to not just one Alpha, but two? A bitter laugh scraped from my throat.
I must have imagined it. Maybe I wanted freedom so desperately that my mind had started playing tricks. Yes, that had to be it.
I walked toward the bed then paused.
What if it wasn't a lie?
A shiver rushed through me.
I wanted escape, but I never imagined it would come in the form of another mate. Was the goddess mocking me?
A part of me—the part that still hoped—wanted to believe it was good. That maybe he could save me from Arthur.
Don’t be foolish, Camilla. Don’t hope. Hope hurts more than pain.
He could be worse than Arthur and my parents put together.
I’d heard the stories. How he made his enemies tremble. How some said he had powers that forced people to relive their darkest nightmares.
Could I use him to escape this place… and then escape from him?
I groaned, pulling at my hair as I finally sat down. There was no use wasting my thoughts. A man like him wouldn’t waste a brain cell on me. He’d felt the bond and hadn’t even reacted. He didn’t care about flimsy things like mates. There was no escape from this life.
Just as I was about to slip under the duvet, a tap sounded on the door.
I cursed silently, wondering what I was needed for this time. But as usual, I didn’t answer.
The knock came again. And again. And again. And again.
I hated the sound so much I didn’t even realize when I jumped up, marched to the door, and yanked it open, my face tight with anger.
But the moment I saw who was standing there, my heart stopped. My whole body froze cold.
“Hi, Lily.”
His voice was a velvety murmur, rumbling from the depth of his sturdy chest, yet laced with danger. And that faint smile curving his lips? He resembled a fallen angel.
How did he find me? How did he get past the guards? Was he here because he felt the bond?
I blinked hard, shaking off the haze, then quickly tried to shut the door before anyone could see us.
But his hand caught it with ease. He didn’t even look like he was trying, as if my effort meant nothing.
"Are you looking for something?" I asked, pretending I hadn’t been about to run. Upsetting Arthur’s important guest would be the worst mistake I could make.
"For someone," he corrected, that beautiful smile still curved on his lips.
My heart skipped. He couldn’t mean me.
"You."
I swallowed.
"I’m sorry, but you have to leave," I said quickly, forcing my voice into politeness. "If anyone sees you here, it would be bad. I don’t want to be punished."
A frown shadowed his face.
"Punished? By who?" His Alpha aura slipped through, sharp and heavy, before he masked it just as fast.
My words upset him. Why?
"How did you get past the guards?" I asked, sticking my head out to scan the hall and be sure no one was watching. He didn’t need to know my ugly stories.
"Maybe if you take a walk with me, I’ll spill my secret." His tone carried quiet amusement.
"Your secret?"
"Yes, Lily." He sounded as though he meant it. But I knew even if I went, he wouldn’t tell me anything.
"My name’s not Lily. Why do you call me that?" A part of me liked it.
He let go of the door, his hands slipping behind his back. Why did he think I wouldn’t close it now?
I didn’t.
"That’s exactly how you smell. Like lilies."
My eyes widened. I wanted to ask if he liked it, but stopped myself.
I only gave a small nod. Arthur and I had been together for four years, and he had never told me.
"Please, you should go now."
He didn’t move.
"Are you happy here?" he asked.
The question rooted me to the spot, like he’d pressed a finger against a wound I kept hidden, and pinched it. My throat burned.
Why was he asking that? Why did it matter? What would he do if I said no?
"Happiness is an illusion," I whispered. "I... I have my mate. Here."
He didn’t blink. His eyes stayed on me, like he was seeing something no one else ever had. I wanted to run, to hide before he uncovered the ugliness I’d buried deep.
"What is your name, mate?" His voice was low, respectful.
I was shocked by the word—mate. He knew. And still, he was here?
"Camilla," I breathed.
"Camilla." He tested my name on his lips like it was sacred, letting each syllable linger. "I love the scent of lilies, Camilla."
Heat rushed to my cheeks. A small smile brushed my lips before I could stop it.
"I want to take you home with me," he continued softly. "But only if you want that. That’s why I need to know... are you happy?"
I stared at him, heart pounding in confusion and fear.
Home? His pack?
If not for the bond, I might have thought Arthur sent him to test me.
"Though you look..." He paused, eyes sweeping over me before finishing. "Barely alive."
I flinched, but his tone carried no cruelty. Only truth. And that hurt more.
I leaned against the doorframe, gaze falling to the floor. "I don’t know if I want to be fully alive," I whispered.
"Perhaps that’s because you’ve never truly lived, Camilla." His words wrapped around me, heavy with a knowing that unsettled me. Like he carried a mirror to my soul.
"And why do you think that?" My voice cracked. "You judge me without even knowing me."
"If you had lived," he said, softer now, "you would want more of it. And you’re not hard to read… sorrow has a way of marking people."
His hand closed around mine before I find my words. I stiffened as he turned my wrist over, eyes lingering on the bracelet as though it whispered secrets only he could hear. His face gave nothing away.
Then, slowly, he pressed his lips to my knuckles. A shiver brushed through me, settling on my toes.
I snatched my hand back, heart pounding.
"Tonight," he murmured, voice low and certain, "I’ll take you away. Let you taste life."
He bowed slightly, then walked away, slipping into the shadows, leaving only echoing silence in his wake.
I stood rooted, breath shallow. The air brushed my skin, yet all I felt was him. His presence clung to me, as if reality itself had shifted.
Take me away…?
This had to be a dream. But my skin still tingled from his kiss, an echo of the promise he just made. This was indeed happening.
But escape was impossible. Arthur, who once broke a man’s legs just for looking at me, would never allow it. I was his property for life.
And if Malakai tried… it would end in blood.
Mine no doubt.
My freedom might be my execution.
What do I do?
- Writer
