Page 56 of Fated

I was now alone with a very moody vampire.

“So, they were friendly,” I said, hoping to ease the tension between me and Ash.

Without answering, Ash picked up his glass and downed the water in one go before slamming it back down on the table. His eyes were like ice, darker than I’d ever seen them, and a chill made its way through my body.

“In case you forgot, Areya, today, I betrayed my king by bringing you down here.”

His voice was low, venomous, and each word landed like a blow. “Forgive me if I’m less than eager to sit around and exchange friendship bracelets with a couple of blabbering idiots while, right above our heads, an army of rippers is hunting us down.”

Ash’s words cut deep, the sting of tears building in my eyes, but I refused to let him see me cry. Swallowing hard, I willed the hurt away, even as my hands trembled under the table.

But Ash wasn’t done.

“You act like a child, Areya. You and your delusional ideals. This isn’t some fucking fairytale.” The weight of his words hit me like a tidal wave, bringing every moment of cruelty, every wound he’d inflicted on me since our first meeting, crashing down on me.

“I HATE YOU.” The words erupted from me, trembling with raw emotion, echoing through the space. It was all I could say, all I could think, all I could feel.

“You think I care?” His voice grew harsher, his expression cold and cruel. “You forget what I am. You couldn’t keep your fucking hands off me, and now you think with a single glimpse of some pathetic past life, I’m suddenly some hero who believes in the power of love or some shit? It’s pathetic.”

I pushed the tears away and let anger fuel me instead.

“No, Ash, I know exactly what you are. You’re a coward. I think you’re terrified of the truth, and you know what? I pity you and your miserable, lonely existence.”

Standing up, I left the restaurant.

Chapter 15

Unable to hold back the tears any longer, I hurried back to the manor. My heart was filled with hatred for Ash, but more than that, I also hated myself for believing for one second that he wasn’t the monster he so clearly was.

How could I have been so foolish? But Ash was right, wasn’t he? I was acting like a child, clinging to the naïve hope that love could somehow change the heart of a killer.

I wiped my eyes, determined to keep it together as I entered the manor. But as soon as I stepped inside, I nearly ran straight into Madam Pearl in the hallway. She took one look at my tear-streaked face and offered me a sympathetic, sad expression.

My head dropped forward, staring at the ground, not wanting to face anyone right now.

Least of all her.

“The prince,” she began. “I know it may be hard to believe, but under the darkness, there is a good man in there.”

I lifted my head and met her gaze, my emotions too raw and visceral to hide. “No, he’s a monster.” My voice trembled with barely controlled rage.

“Areya …” she started.

“He killed my mom,” I choked out, and saying those words aloud shattered me. The dam I’d been holding up finally broke, and big, heavy sobs tore through me.

Tears poured from my face, and my body shook under the weight of it all.

“Oh, dear child,” Madam Pearl gasped, and before I knew it,her arms were wrapped around me, pulling me into a warm, comforting embrace.

That familiar, all-encompassing, nurturing hug … only a mother could give a hug like that. Leaning into it, I buried my face in her shoulder and bitterly wept, like a lost and forsaken child, while Madam Pearl gently rubbed my back.

I had no idea how long we stood together like that, but she never let me go—not when my tears soaked her shoulder, and not even when they finally slowed and stopped.

At some point, another warm, caring hand—someone else’s—rested on my shoulder. Lilly was standing there, concern etched on her face as she offered a handful of soft, scented tissues. I took them gratefully and wiped my tear-streaked, blotchy cheeks.

“You’re not alone anymore, Areya,” Lilly said, her voice soothing as she patted my back. Finally, I pulled away and wiped my wet, snotty face with a tissue.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, wholly embarrassed by my public breakdown.

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