Bound by Guilt
Cleopatra's POV
I woke to the dull ache of regret weighing down my chest. The bed felt empty, cold. My eyes fluttered open, and immediately I knew I was alone.
My heart sank as the events of the evening came crashing back. I could still feel the warmth of Williams' touch on my skin, the passion that had consumed us both. But now…now there was only emptiness.
I felt stupid.
I heard him cursing himself for yielding but pretended like I was sleeping. I must have slept off while waiting for him to leave. I would dissappear from his life for good and never show my face around him anymore. How can I reject him without seeing his face? After a brief thought, I scribbled on a piece of paper.
I sat up slowly, my body still trembling from the aftermath, but it wasn't about the intensity of the sex. We've had more passionate sex than this. It was the guilt, the overwhelming guilt of what I had done, what I had become to the person that is supposed to be mine.
Why now? Why didn't we feel this soon? We've been together all these while. Is this fate's own way of serving me karma? I had betrayed him and his pack so what right do I have? And yet, last night, in the heat of the moment, none of it had mattered.
I pulled the sheets around me, hugging them to my chest as if they could shield me from the reality of my choices. But there was no hiding now. The bond we share as mates couldn't erase the blood on my hands or the chaos I had wrought.
I looked around the empty room, the silence deafening. What have I done? Why did I cave in? Why didn't I resist?
With shaky hands, I got dressed, pulling on my clothes as fast as I could. I needed to leave. I placed the paper on the bed and got up. My heart raced as I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, my mind still spinning.
As I reached the hotel's parking lot, I spotted Rob. He was pacing, his brow furrowed with worry. The moment he saw me, his eyes widened in relief, and he rushed over to me.
“Shadow!” Rob’s voice was filled with concern. “Where the hell have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay?”
I didn't respond at first. The dam I had been holding back finally broke, and I collapsed into Rob’s arms, my body trembling as the tears flowed freely. I couldn't hold it in any longer.
“He's my mate,” I sobbed into his chest, my words barely audible through the tears. “I don't know what I've done. I—I can't…”
Rob held me tightly, his arms a solid anchor as I broke down. “It's okay,” he whispered, his voice soothing. “We'll figure it out. Just breathe. Lucien is working something out that could fix everything.”
But I couldn't stop. I sobbed harder, the sound echoing through the empty lot. How did I let myself fall so far? I had been so sure, so confident in my choices, but now everything was unraveling, and I didn't know how to fix it.
“We need to go back now,” Rob said gently, his voice steady despite the turmoil swirling around us. “Let's go home, Shadow.”
I nodded through my tears, my heart heavy. I took one last look at the hotel, determined not to ever lay eyes on it or anyone inside it at the moment ever again. I am pretty sure that I could never look Williams in the eyes ever again. So why bother?
We walked together toward the car, Rob’s hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder. As the car pulled out of the hotel parking lot and we headed back towards the pack, I stared out of the window, lost in my thoughts. I have no idea what to do from now henceforth but I'm sure nothing would ever be the same again.
I woke up when I felt someone tapping my shoulder lightly. “Did I sleep off?” I muttered as I peered my eyes open and saw Rob.
“For most part of the trip back,” he replied with a soft chuckle as we came down from the car.
The air was somewhat comforting as I breathed deeply, my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes, I saw Lucien, waving at me. I walked up to him, trying to look as confident as ever.
“You must have had a pretty intense week. How are you feeling child?” he asked in a soothing voice. I couldn't help but offer a soft smile as I got close to where he stood.
“I don't know how I feel, Lucien. I wish I could put everything behind me,” I murmured.
“Come, I need to show you something.”
I followed him past the pack house and down a narrow path. The path twisted and wound through the thick trees, the canopy above casting shadows that danced in the pale moonlight. The silence between Lucien and me was comforting, though a quiet dread pooled in my stomach. I glanced at his tall figure as he led me forward, his expression unreadable.
"Where are we going?" I finally asked, my voice softer than I intended.
Lucien slowed, his gaze steady as he glanced back at me. “A place your mother used to come to. A place where the veil between our world and the spirits is thin.”
My steps faltered. “My mother? She—she came here?”
Lucien nodded, his eyes reflecting a deep understanding. "Yes, Cleopatra. Whenever she had visions she couldn't understand, she’d come here to seek guidance from your ancestors. It’s sacred."
A shiver ran down my spine at the word sacred. I wrapped my arms around myself as the air grew colder. There was something about this place. The further we walked, the more it tugged at the edges of my memory.
And when we got to the entrance, I stopped dead in my tracks.
It can't be.
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