Chapter 19 Goodbye

Regina’s POV
I couldn’t believe this.
Gray was leaving here…He was leaving me? Right after we kissed?!
He owned me an explanation. He initiated that kiss. At least he should tell me what that meant before fleeing away to the border!
I was so fucking mad!
“Are you OK, my lady?” Maya asked with a worried voice. “You seem—furious.”
“Because I am!” I gritted my teeth. “Where is the Alpha? Has he left already?”
“No, not yet. He planned to leave after dinner. I think he is at the front yard with his soldiers right now.”
I jumped off bed and dashed out of my room, heading straight towards the front yard. There was a boiling rage inside of me. I couldn’t let Gray walk away from me, not before we sorted out things first!
When I reached the front door, I saw him standing under an oak tree with a few soldiers. Great, he still hadn’t left yet.
I rushed over and called out loudly, “—Gray!”
He turned over with a surprised look on his face, “Regina, what are you doing here?”
I stopped abruptly in front of him, panting roughly. He frowned and lifted a hand to wipe away the hot sweat on my forehead. Yet the moment his finger touched my skin, I flinched away instantly.
I couldn’t have him touch me now without thinking back to that passionate kiss we shared.
His hand froze in the air. Seconds later, he took that hand back, looking quite lost.
“Do you need to talk to me, Regina?” he asked hoarsely.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Didn’t he know why I was here? Did he need me to remind him of what he did?
Clenching both fists by my side, I muttered, “I told you I wasn’t feeling well…Why didn’t you come and visit?”
He looked taken aback.
“I—I thought—” he scratched the back of his head, “—I thought you skipped breakfast and dinner because you didn’t want to see me…because what I did to Nigel.”
I was indeed avoiding him on purpose.
But not because what he did to Nigel. Because what he did to me.
Had he seriously forgotten?
“Gray…There’s something I want to ask you.” I peeked at those soldiers and kept my voice even lower, “About that kiss…”
He didn’t catch my words, “About what? What did you say?”
“That kiss!” I snapped, “What did it mean?!”
He stared back at me blankly. After a long pause, he asked with a frown, “What kiss? What are you talking about?”
I was rendered speechless.
I stared at his face and tried to find any hints to prove that he was lying. But no. He seemed that he had generously forgotten.
He forgot that we kissed.
There was no way to describe how I felt at the moment. Disappointment, anger, shock, embarrassment…everything surged up in my together.
I felt as though I was being eaten alive by those negative feelings.
A large hand caught my wrist all of a sudden. Looking up, I found Gray staring at me darkly.
“What did you mean by ‘kiss’?” he asked icily, “Did you kiss Nigel? After everything he did to you?”
I wanted to slap him across his face.
“No!” I snapped, shaking his hand off. “I was so stupid, Gray. I should have known—”
“Should have known what?” he asked perplexedly.
I should have known that kiss meant nothing. He was drunk. He probably mistook me with one of his booty calls.
I felt like such an idiot for tossing and turning over that kiss.
There was an anxious look on Gray’s face. Yet before he could ask me anything else, a soldier reported to him, “Alpha, we should really leave now.”
Gray nodded and turned to me.
“Something happened at the boarder. So I need to get down their immediately. But promise to wait for me to come back, OK?” he put his hand on my shoulder and said urgently, “We’ll finish this talk when I get back. Deal?”
I was so mad at him right now. So I said nothing.
He leant in and planted a kiss on my forehead before I could resist.
A very soft kiss.
The kind of kiss we should have as brother and sister.
“Bye Regina,” he said hoarsely, pulling away from me. “I will miss you.”
He walked towards his soldiers. And together, they strode out of the yard and disappeared into the darkness.
I turned around and start running towards my room. Tears streamed down my cheek at this moment.
That kiss messed up my mind. I should feel relieved to know that Gray had mistaken me with somebody else. I should tell him about that kiss as a joke and had a great laugh with me about it.
Yet instead, I felt hurt and disappointed.
Like I was missing out the love of my life.
When I came back to my room, Maya seemed shocked to see me like this.
“Christ, princess. Where have you been?” she held my hands and asked anxiously. “H—Have you been crying?!”
I shook my head and slumped down on the couch. Seconds later, I turned to her and asked, “Maya, let me ask you something. If two people kissed and had a very strong sensation…what does it mean?”
I had to tell someone about it. It was killing me.
“It means that they love each other. Or what else?” Maya said firmly.
“No. That’s not it. Those two people are not lovers. And they don’t have a physical relationship either. They had no romantic feeling to one another.”
Maya pondered for a while before saying, “Well…it’s possible that they are mates.”
“Mates?” I was stunned.
In the werewolf world, “Mates” referred to two people who were destined for each other. They were soul mates, lovers, the one. They were blessed by the Moon Goddess to be happily ever after together.
But mates were also really rare. Couples didn’t necessarily have to be mates, like me and Nigel. Most people stopped waiting for their mates and got married anyway because who knew if their mates were going to show up or not?
The bond between mates was sacred and magical. I once heard some maids gossiped that the sex you had with your mate was the best one in life.
But to say that Gray and I were mates?
That was absurd!
We were blood brother and sister! Moon Goddess wouldn’t make us mates.
I sighed and buried my face into the pillow. Maya’s theory didn’t help me at all. And I could only hope that those weird feelings would be gone when Gray returned from the boarder.
Plus, I still had Nigel’s stuff to worry about tonight.
I waited Maya to fall asleep before sneaking out of the room like last time. I first went to get Nigel and then took Officer Gavin out of the dungeon using the keycard Connie gave me.
When we arrived at the side door of the West Wing, there was indeed a car waiting for us.
Connie was waiting for me by the door with a cloak to cover her face. I rushed to her and said to her gratefully, “Thank you, mother. Really.”
She nodded to me, “No problem. I should go now. I can’t be seen here. And you need to make it quick.”
She looked to Nigel and exchanged a brief look with him. After that, she tightened her cloak and walked away hastily.
“So…”
I turned to Nigel, who was staring at me sullenly.
“I guess this is it.” I said.
His jaw tensed, “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to Shadow Valley with me? Do you want me to remind you of what you are missing out?”
“No, Nigel. We won’t be happy together anyway. You should go back to Shadow Valley and go find Miss Angel. And I will stay here.”
With my family. With my friends. And with Gray.
“Goodbye, Nigel.” I looked at him, “It’s time for you to go.”
Nigel stood on the spot.
And gradually, a grim and cold grin spread on his face, the kind of grin that sent a chill down my spine.
And instead of leaving, he took a step further toward me.
“You seriously think I will leave without you?” he giggled and grabbed my hand, “You are the princess of Ever Moon. Having you as my wife means that I can rule over the entire Ever Moon Pack! You are MINE, Regina. FOREVER.”
I couldn’t believe that he dared to threaten me in my pack!
I pulled my hand back and wanted to cry for help. Yet a series of hurried footsteps came behind my back. I turned abruptly and saw Officer Gavin lurching at me with a wooden stick in his head.
The stick hit me on my head.
The last thing I saw before I passed out was the triumphant and malicious smile on their faces.