CHAPTER 23

There were no words between us as he tied the cloth around our wrists again. The tension between us was thick and I prayed that the women would call us out.

They didn't. Not for a long time and we had to sit together while acting like what happened few minutes ago didn't happen. A few times, I had a feeling he wanted to say something but he never did.

Finally, after what felt like ten hours, they opened the door. Brayan and I stepped out with the binds on our wrists and they cheered.

"You have completed the second ritual successfully" Gwyneth smiled at us.

Ramona came over and loosened the bond. She held it up and the others clapped. Elowen came over to me and hugged me.

"Congratulations" she smiled at me.

"Congratulations" she turned to Brayan but he walked off without saying a word to her.

"Brayan" she called after him but he ignored her. He was probably still upset. Either because I stopped things from going any further or because it happened at all. I wasn't sure.

Dryden and Nouria congratulated me and so did Dakarai.

"You claim you both have not gotten closer" Nouria whispered in my ear as we walked home.

"We've not"

"The smell from inside the room says differently"

I frowned as I processed her words. The smell? She could?

"I'm sure everyone did. It's why everyone is so excited. I think that's the point of this ritual"

So they wanted us to be intimate?

"Did you go through this ritual?"

"Yes. The second and final ritual is the only one necessary since my mate is not the alpha"

She took my hands and rubbed it.

"It's okay. It's just tradition and it'll be over soon" yes. It'll be over soon but for now, I had to avoid that male.

"Want to go out for coffee?"

"I hate to decline but I have to lay down for a bit"

"It's okay. I totally understand. These things can be a bit overwhelming" she gave me a warm smile.

I followed Elowen back to my side and retired to my room as soon as I got back. I buried myself under the cover and tried to get some rest but it seemed like and impossible task. My mind kept drifting to what happened earlier today. The way he touched me, kissed me. The things he did with his mouth, I was going to have a hard time staying away from him.

I moved to find sleep until it was time for dinner. He wasn't at the table and he didn't come back to the roomy night. The next morning, I noticed his side of the bed was warm. He must have come back after I had slept.

I still didn't run into him throughout that day and he also didn't show up for dinner again. The next morning when I woke up and the bed was warm again, I concluded he was avoiding me. I frowned at the thought. Why was he avoiding me?

That shouldn't bother you. You planned to avoid him right? Well I did but I wasn't expecting him to avoid me. I shrugged. It shouldn't bother me. It was a good thing anyways. I didn't have to go through the stress of avoiding him since he was already avoiding me.

My phone rang and I stared at the unregistered number. Who could it be? It was a new phone and mama was the only one I called with this number.

I watched the phone ring until it ended. It started ringing again immediately and I picked it.

"Hello" I said softly but the caller was silent.

"Hello" I tried again. Louder this time but there was still no response. Maybe it was a wrong dial. I wanted to turn it off when the caller spoke.

"Paisley" she said softly. I knew that voice. I could recognize it anywhere even in my sleep.

"Nevaeh" I was in shock.

"Yes. It's me Paisley" she sounded calm. Way too calm and it spurred my anger.

"What the fuck Nevaeh. How could you just leave without telling anyone you were going. Without telling me" that was what hurt the most.

"I had to. They were going to send me away"

"I promised I was going to find a way out" I shouted and she scoffed.

"When? After they had sent me away? Nothing was going to work and I refuse to sit around and let them send me to my slaughter. Between the both of us, you have a better chance of surviving there"

"I was going to do everything to get you out but you have the nerve to say this to me?" She didn't respond to that and I hoped it was because she was rethinking her actions but when she spoke again, I knew I was wrong. She had no remorse.

"You're selfish Nevaeh"

"I have to protect myself. I have to put myself first. Even you can understand that"

"No. I'll never understand why you betrayed me. I had to leave my fiancée, my life to be here since you're not. Have you no heart Nevaeh?"

"Listen Paisley...."

I cut her off. I didn't want to know what she had to say. I had to talk sense into her.

"You have to come back Nevaeh. I want to return to my life"

"I'm not coming back"

"So what? You want me to forget Edel and mate another"

"You have limited choices at this point"

"Silas has our father. He's threatening to hurt him if I don't make this work. You know I can never get mated to him when I love another"

"So make it work Paisley" she said and ended the call. I stared at my phone in disbelief. When did Nevaeh become like this? I tried to call her number again but it wasn't connecting.

I was fucked. Totally fucked.

I picked my phone again. I needed to call mama. They needed to trace the call and bring Nevaeh back forcefully. I was not throwing away my future for anyone.

I paused. How did she get my number. The only person I had called was mama so how did Nevaeh get the number.

Mama picked on the first call.

"Do you really not know where Nevaeh is?" I asked as soon as she picked.

"What does that even mean? If I knew where she was I would have brought her back a king time ago"

"I'm beginning to doubt that mum. It seems you're hiding your favorite child" I said angrily even though I knew she hated to hear that.

"I have no favorite child Paisley and you know it. Why are you speaking like this to me?"

"Nevaeh called me"

"Really?" She sounded shocked.

"What did she say? Is she coming back?"

"She has no plans to come back mama. She wants me to get mated to the beast"

"How can she say a thing like that. Give me her number let me speak to her. I'll convince her to come home"

"Are you going to keep lying mama"

"Lying? I'm not lying Paisley. Why would I even do that?"

"I don't know mama. Why would you. Nevaeh somehow got my number when you're the only one who has it"

"The only one?"

"It's a new phone mama and you're the only one I called with it so can you please explain how Nevaeh got my number"

"I swear to you. I don't know anything about that. I don't know where she is and if I did, I would have brought her back" she sounded so sincere and I wanted to believe her.

"I swear to you my love, I don't know where she is"

I believed her. "Okay"

I ended the call. If mama didn't know, then someone else in that house knew where Nevaeh was.

Who could it be? Papa or Coulter?

Mama must have definitely told them about my call and one of them possibly took the number. But why?

Why were they helping Nevaeh hide?