Chapter 226
Cassie
It was all happening again. All of it. I was reliving the past and there was nothing I could do to stop it. No way of going back and reversing whatever mistake I had made. I didn’t even know what mistake I had made. I had done nothing but love him and yet the past just kept repeating itself.
Years ago when I was first married Megan had pretended she was pregnant with the kings child and lost it. Now she really was. She had fooled him completely and there was nothing I could do about it. Megan had played the long game and won.
“I mean-“ Ian kept glancing at me. “It might not be his kid.”
I laughed and once I had started I couldn’t stop. Surely it was better to laugh at my fate then cry. I sure as hell couldn’t fight against it. I had always thought Julian was my destiny but now I knew in my heart he wasn’t. Fated mates or not he wasn’t mine. He was heart and soul Megan’s.
It was sweet that even now Ian was trying to spare my feelings though. Reaching out I touched the back of his hand. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel better Ian but we both know he wouldn’t have set her up with a house and staff if that wasn’t the case. The baby is his.” I took a deep breath and the moment I exhaled a weird sort of calm settled over me. “My marriage is over.”
Just saying it out loud made me feel calmer. “No more pretending , no more pain. It’s time for me-“
Ian cut me off. “Will you divorce him?”
I paused “I don’t know. I don’t want him to lose everything but I know I can’t stay in his life. I need to move on now. I killed myself for him, you know?”
“In your dream?” Ian’s voice was wary. “I heard you had some adventures in those dreams Cassie. That you were a kick ass hero.”
I shrugged. “I couldn’t save him there and I don’t think I can save him here either. Megan’s control over him will be his ruin.” I shuddered as the weight of the truth washed over me.
“You’re stronger here you know. I know you think your broken and powerless but you are just as kickass here then you were there. Maybe even more. Not many people would have the guts to walk away from the king and all the power of being queen.”
I shrugged. “I’ve never dreamt of being queen Ian. I always just wanted to be a doctor. So that’s what I am going to concentrate on. Raising my boys and helping people heal. Maybe that will help me heal.” I gave a small shrug. “I’ll have to find out a way of getting a divorce without Julian losing everything. I think it will be the only way he will let me go. Whilst that contract stands he will never let me leave him.”
Ian nodded. “I think you are right. And I might have a way but it would mean tarnishing your reputation.”
I gave another small shrug. “I don’t care about that. I am worried about my boys though-“
Turning his hand over Ian squeezed my palm. “My plan might help with that as well but we will discuss that another day. For now I just need to get to Scarlett’s-“
I gasped so loudly that he stopped dead mid sentence. “The valley teacher?” My voice shook.
“Yeah. I always forget you have meg her before. I called in a favour and she is going to give you a place to stay for a few days before the property I have is ready,”
More of my dream was coming true. “How did you manage?”
“Your doctor.” He said truthfully. “That’s her pack,”
I didn’t know why it was such a surprise. Of course it was. The doctor who had cared for me in the years in my coma had been the strange grey haired woman from my dreams. The one who had sent me here but warned me it might not be better.
It wasn’t better. It was worse in a way. I would have grieved Julian for my entire life but here? Here I had to put up with the grief of losing him twice.
“Is that where the boys are?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good.” I mumbled. “I like Scarlett a lot. She is a good woman. Is her mate?” In my dreams he had been executed and his body nailed to the walls of the palace as a warning.
“Dead?” I finished.
“No, they are happy and are looking to adopt their first baby because they can’t have their own.”
Different but the same. My worlds were getting so jumbled up that it was getting hard to keep track.
“If Julian finds out-“ I whispered. At the moment Julian thought I was going back to him. But that wouldn’t last forever. He would ruin Scarlett if he found me there. He would destroy it to get me back so he could be king and keep his mistress and bastard.
“I won’t risk Scarlett.”
“There is no risk. You and the twins will only be staying a few days and then you will disappear. For good if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want anymore Ian.” I admitted. Only I did know. I wanted this all to go away. I wanted my husband to choose me. I wanted to be happy with him and grow our family but I couldn’t have any of that.
“I love him.” I admitted. “But I can’t be with him. I want to disappear.”
“Then I have the perfect place for us to set up.”
I turned to him sharply. “Us?”
“We are going to have to pretend we are a couple, Cassie. The four of us will have to be a family. And it will have to get back to Julian.”
I swallowed hard. “Because there’s a clause in the contract that says if I am unfaithful-“ I trailed off. “We are going to make him believe Noah and Niall are yours aren’t we?”
“Yes.” He said simply. “It’s the only way and when he knows. Then we will disappear. I have found a place. The perfect place for us to raise the boys but we will have to live as humans. It’s by-“
I didn’t let him finish. I already knew what he was going to say. “Yannas land.”
His eyes widened. “How did you know that?”
In answer I just shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”