Chapter 10 Meet Again

Regina’s POV
I felt hurt and betrayed more than ever.
Was that how Nigel thought of me always—lowly house slave that he and Melany could boss around?
Nigel was my first love. I left my family, I gave up the comfortable life I had, I even broke my brother Gray’s heart just to be with him.
But was it true that he had never taken me as his wife?
I couldn’t let this go. I had to confront him face to face. I needed to know what I was in his heart.
Taking in a deep breath, I turned to Gray and said, “Can you summon Nigel here? I want to have a word with him.”
Gray seemed furious.
“Why do you still want to meet with that bastard?” he snapped, “I won’t allow it! Especially since I know now what he has done to you!”
I knew he was concerned.
And I tried to talk peacefully with him, “Don’t worry, Gray. I just need to talk to Nigel and ask him what he meant when—”
“Why do you still need that?!” Gray grabbed me by my shoulder, his voice getting louder, “I saw them chasing you in the woods. I saw a soldier shot you. And you heard just now that he thought of you as a slave! It’s over now, you and Nigel. From now on, you just stay at home and let me protect you. End of story!”
His iron grip hurt me. I couldn’t help but raising my voice as well, “But that’s now your decision to make! This is my life, my marriage, and my decision! Gray, can’t you just trust me with this?”
“Yet you make terrible life decisions! The last time I trusted you, I almost lose you to a fucking bustard. I’m not making the same mistake again!”
He was basically roaring. The room echoed his booming voice. And I could see Gavin trembling by my feet. He was obviously intimidated by Gray in rage.
I bit my lips and glared at my brother. I wasn’t afraid like Gavin. Instead, a mixed feeling of sadness and helplessness rose in me.
Gray and I always had a special connection. It was like we shared a same brain. But now, after a yearlong separation, our special connection started to disappear.
Now I felt like that he didn’t understand me that well now as he used to be.
“I’ll go to grandpa and grama if you won’t let me see Nigel. I’ll even go back to Shadow Valley if that’s what it takes for me to see him again. Gray, you can’t stop me from making my own decision!”
I breathed heavily and continued with a firm voice, “I married Nigel. I lived with him for a whole year. I was in love with him. Do you get it? I can’t just end our relationship without a chance to say some parting words.”
“You can write him a letter—”
“NO!”
I clenched my fists frustratedly and cried, “You still don’t get it! Because you are never so crazily in love like I was! You don’t understand because you don’t know what it feels like to love somebody!”
The moment those words left my mouth, I started to regret it.
I saw Gray’s face turned blank for a second. And a hurtful look appeared on his face. He seemed so vulnerable as though I just stabbed a sword into his heart.
God…how could I say that to him?
Gray may not love any women romantically. But he loved me very much.
How could I be so ungrateful?
Seeing that hurtful look on his face broke my heart as well. I reached out and tried to grab his hand.
But he turned and avoided me.
“So that’s how you think of me…” his said coldly, “…a heartless monster.”
“No…I didn’t mean that…I am sorry…”
“And you are wrong, Regina. I do know what it feels like…to love someone but not being loved back.”
He looked away from me, his voice deep and hoarse, “So don’t talk like you are the only person who has been hurt before.”
“Gray…”
I choked with tears welling in my eyes. I wanted to apologize and asked for his forgiveness. But before I got a chance, he had left my side walking towards the door.
“Go talk to Nigel.”
He said icily with his back to me.
“—If that’s what you want.”
“Gray!”
I cried and rushed to the door trying to catch up with him. But he moved too fast. When I got out of the counseling chamber, his tall figure had already disappeared around the corner.
***
Since that day, I had never got a chance to talk to my brother again.
I tried to go find him in his room, his study or the counseling chamber, but his guards always stepped me by the door.
They told me that the Alpha was busy and didn’t want any disturbance.
Gray was avoiding me, which had never happened before.
I knew I hurt his feelings. I felt terrible about it.
And at the same time, I couldn’t help but wondering—
Gray said he knew what it felt like to love somebody and not being loved back. But who was that woman? Gray was the strongest and most handsome Alpha in this whole world. Who would ever turn him away?
I kept picturing Gray’s secret crush in my mind. A sore feeling rose in me every time I did that.
I wanted to know who that woman was and to yell at her for not loving my brother back.
But I guessed I could never know who she was if Gray kept his mouth shut about it.
Although Gray refused to see me in person, he did keep his promise about bringing Nigel to Ever Moon Pack to meet with me. He kept Office Gavin in custody and sent out a letter to Shadow Valley on Gavin’s behalf, asking Nigel to attend a trade summit here as the new ambassador.
I believed Nigel would be thrilled.
Becoming the new ambassador and coming to Ever Moon Pack had always been his dreamed.
I just didn’t know if Nigel would be happy to see me again.
And how he would react when he found out I was the princess of Ever Moon Pack.
As the date of the trade summit approached, I started to get more and more anxious. I guessed a small part of me was afraid to see Nigel again. I was afraid that he might hurt me again.
Even though I kept telling myself that I was at home, and nobody could harm me here, I still couldn’t shake of my anxiety.
On the morning of the trade summit, I woke up early with huge dark circles under my eyes.
Maya was shocked to see me like this when she came to help me freshen up.
“You seem exhausted. Are you worried about seeing you husband again, my lady?” she asked while braiding my hair.
I was stunned. I didn’t remember telling anyone anything about Nigel.
“Where did you hear that?” I asked perplexedly.
“Lady Connie told everyone that you are meeting with your husband today. And you will return to your husband’s pack later. Is it true, my lady?”
I frowned.
Why would Connie say something like that? I hadn’t made my decision yet. It almost seemed like that she wanted me gone as quickly as possible.
“I don’t know where I will go.” I say to Maya absently, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Maya seemed relieved and beamed, “Great. I really hope you can stay here, my lady. Alpha Gray seems much happier when you are at home. I had never seen him smile before you came back.”
I could only reply with a bitter smile.
Happy?
I didn’t know about that.
My return had only brought troubles and worries to him. And I felt so horrible about that.
I needed to find a chance and apologized to him.
Maya dressed me in a beautiful evening gown with diamond earrings and necklace. I hadn’t had anything so fancy in ages. All I wore for the last year were ragged clothes and dirty aprons. And this new evening gown and expensive jewelry made me unease.
“I don’t know about this…”
I twirled in front the mirror and said reluctantly, “Is this too much for a trade summit?”
“Of course not! You are the princess! Nothing is too much for you!” Maya said enthusiastically, “Look at you. You are so pretty. I bet your husband will be dazzled by you.”
“Yeah…” I took in a deep breath and nodded at myself in the mirror. “Yeah, you are right…”
I also wanted Nigel to see this pretty side of me.
Maybe when he did…
He would fall in love with me again.
The Trade Summit was held in a grand hotel in Central Downtown. A car picked me up from the castle and drove me to the hotel.
When I arrived, there were already a large group of people gathered by the lobby. Many guests had traveled a long way from other packs just to be here for this summit.
Yet seeing this many people, I started to get a panic attack.
“Maya,” I turned to my maid and whispered, “Can you get me a glass of water? I—I don’t feel so well.”
“Certainly. Just wait me here, my lady!” she said and rushed into the hotel lobby.
I stayed outside and tried to calm myself down in the fresh air. Taking in a few deep breaths, I finally managed to bring my racing heartrate back to normal.
Yet just when I was about to head into the hotel, a voice came behind my back:
“…Regina?”
I jerked around in shock.
There was Nigel, dressed in a sharp black suit, standing a few steps away from me, staring at me with wide eyes.