Masked Fate (Fated Love #3)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Soren

We left the women alone for thirty minutes, max. Maybe even twenty. And then I come back, and they are sitting there with fucking Salem, who was looking at Pandora in a way I didn’t fucking like.

Like she was his.

I’m not going to lie, being back in Allyria was hard. I’ve avoided that kingdom like the plague ever since Rave saved me from their dungeons, and I never thought I’d go back there. Not willingly, anyway. I think Rave noticed me struggling, which is why he suggested I return.

Only I came home to this shit show.

I’m trying to rein in my temper, which only the witch seems to bring out when Astrid speaks. “Where’s Rave?”

“He’s still scoping out shit in Allyria,” I reply, trying to calm down after seeing both women in danger. All the males in this room would have moved to protect Astrid, as they should as their queen.

But who would protect Pandora?

Her sister is trying to kill her in her own kingdom, and here she is left to defend her fucking self.

I came back to ask Pandora about her army. I want to know how many soldiers she has and if they are loyal to her. And luckily, I did.

“The evil witch is still alive then?” Astrid presses, resting her hand on Pandora’s shoulder and squeezing it.

“For now,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. “There are too many witnesses around the castle right now, but we will go back at night.”

We don’t want anyone to try to pin her death on Pandora or cause any trouble if Ebony has some people loyal to her in the kingdom.

And as for this Kainan character, I don’t know if I trust him just yet. Rave and Sinda stayed back to stake out and watch them so we know what we’re dealing with.

“I forgot how freezing it is over there.” More like I blocked it out because my time spent there was hell. “Rave is currently standing behind one of your bushes, covered in snow.”

She eyes my sleeveless tunic and smirks. “Yeah, I probably should have warned you about that. Allyria is as ice-cold as my heart.”

Warned me? Like I haven’t been there before. Does she so easily forget what happened to me down there?

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Astrid objects, then turns around to speak to her bodyguards, who still haven’t left the room.

My gaze drops to Pandora’s necklace, and I can’t look away from the big, black diamond, almost like it calls to me. She’s worn it for as long as I can remember, definitely after Rave saved me from her mother’s dungeon anyway.

Pandora notices me staring and tucks it under her dress’ neckline.

She’s hiding something.

I don’t know what it is, but I want to find out.

No, I need to find out.

Rave and Sinda zip back in, and we make a plan to take out the Witch Princess. Rave is furious about Salem threatening harm to his mate, and if we don’t tread carefully, we might find ourselves with even more enemies. At this stage, the fuckers can get in line.

***

The sun has just set when I find Pandora sitting outside alone. “What are you doing out here?” I ask, sitting next to her on the wooden bench. This spot is beautiful, overlooking the gardens, and is a perfect place to sit when you need to think.

“Just enjoying the peace before I head home,” she replies, absently touching her necklace.

“What’s with you and that?” I ask her, tilting my head toward her neck. “It’s spelled, isn’t it? I can feel the pull of the magic.”

I don’t know why I’m finally admitting this to her, but when she stiffens, I know I’m right.

She is hiding something.

I want to know what it is.

If she’s a threat to this kingdom in any way…

My parents are dead now, but when my mother was alive, she’d say, ‘Always check the roots of your plants.’

A pang of guilt hits me because I know deep inside that Pandora isn’t like her mother or sister. Her roots are not the same as theirs, yet she still came from them. I might not hate her like I did, but I don’t fully trust her. And with my history with her family, I think it’s not unreasonable for me to feel this way.

“It’s nothing,” she replies, moving to stand up and leave. My hand reaches out to encircle her wrist, stopping her.

“Take it off,” I demand, keeping my eyes locked on hers. I don’t know why I’m telling her to do this, only that I need to.

“No,” she replies, her violet eyes narrowing to angry slits. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Soren! Who do you think you are?”

I didn’t want to do this, but I repeat my command, and this time, I put my persuasion into it. I know my eyes are probably changing color right now, the dominance and magic flowing through my voice forcing her to do as she is damn well told.

She tries to fight it.

Her hands are shaking, trying to stop herself from reaching up and undoing the dainty clasp behind her pretty nape. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are shooting daggers at me, sparkling with fury…

… and fear?

What could she be scared of?

The necklace falls to the grass, and she gasps, wrapping her arms around herself tightly, her eyes slamming shut.

And then it hits me.

The connection between us snaps together.

That tug.

That draw of energy, power, and pure want and need.

Our magic pulses in the air, longing to join, to be one.

Her violet eyes open, staring right at me. She looks so fucking unsure and scared. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and protect her.

But there’s no protecting either of us from the truth.

My eyes widen in horror as pure pain mixed with longing takes over my existence.

No, no, no.

My head shakes as I try to process what my eyes and soul are telling me.

How can this be?

My chest hurts, and it feels like the air has been cut off from my lungs.

The daughter of the witch who tortured me, the witch who I have been nothing but a fucking asshole to all this time, is my fated mate.

And she hid it from me.

How long has she known?

Why didn’t she tell me?

Does she not want me?

I need fucking answers.

“No,” I whisper, my mind roaming back to all the things I’ve said, all the things I’ve done.

They flash before my eyes, playing out in slow motion, torturing me.

Making me question everything.

She saw me with my cock in another female’s mouth.

I told her I had standards, insinuating she didn’t meet them.

Bad blood.

I’ve been a monster to the one female blessed to me by the fates.

My soulmate.

My voice comes out strangled. “Why?”

Why did she keep this from me?

Accusation shoots out of her gaze, mixed with an undefinable emotion. She wraps her arms around herself in a protective move. She’s purposely kept this from me and doesn’t like that I now know the truth. What is she feeling right now? I’d give anything to read her mind.

“You hated me. You’d just been rescued from my dungeons. I couldn’t…” She swallows hard. “You hated me, Soren.”

“That wasn’t your choice to make,” I whisper, my heart shattering. I feel sick to my stomach with how I’ve treated her. She’s the one person I should have treasured, and I’ve treated her like my enemy. She shifts on the bench, looking like she wants to run, so I grip her arm and pull her against me before she can zip anywhere.

If she leaves, I’ll be going with her.

Anywhere she goes, I will follow.

Picking her up, I throw her over my shoulder and head back to my room.

“Soren, where are we going?” she asks, trying to squirm out of my hold. “I know you don’t want this, and I’m sorry, okay! I tried to save you from it. I fucking tried. We can try to break the bond if you don’t want this.”

I stop in my tracks.

Fuck.

What have I done?

Have I ruined this between us so badly that she’d actually want to break the bond? Live without a fated mate? No one does that.

What if I’ve fucked this up before it even began?

Everyone craves the connection, power, and unconditional love of their fated mate. The fact that she’d even say that to me makes me feel sick.

Just when I didn’t think this could hurt any more than it already does.

“We won’t be breaking anything other than the headboard in my room,” I growl, spanking her ass. “And don’t you ever say that again, little witch. You hear me?”

She squeals, hitting my back with her little fists.

Break the bond?

She must be fucking joking.

Now that I know the truth, I’m never letting her go.

And if she hates me?

I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her.