Chapter 39-Can never be

Chapter 39: 39-Can never be

Addessa felt Varitreya following behind her. She closed her eyes briefly. "My mother won’t surrender. I know her, princess," she confessed. "She would rather challenge the throne than admit she was wrong."

Varitreya’s expression hardened. She stopped in her tracks, "If Adelaide Challan opposes the Crown... then she opposes me."

Addessa lowered her head. "I know. And she knows too but I don’t think that she’s going to back down."

That truth hurt more than she wished to admit because no matter where the coming conflict led, she already knew she would be forced to choose between the mother who had raised her and the future queen she had sworn her life to protect.

As the moonlight poured through the tower windows, the two vampires stilled, each sensing through the bond that the Queen’s decree had ended one battle but had quietly begun another, one that would pit the throne itself against powerful forces within vampire society.

Addessa did not stay in the whiteblood tower for another second. The moment the silence became too heavy to bear, she turned sharply on her heel and walked out.

The marble doors closed softly behind her, shutting away the silent disappointment of the princess, but the doors couldn’t shut out the emotions surging through the mate bond.

They still echoed faintly inside her heart, reminding her that the impossible connection remained alive no matter how much distance she put between herself and the others.

She walked at first and then her steps became quicker. Soon, the tower blurred around her.

The blackblood heiress burst across the moonlit courtyards with vampire speed, her black uniform fluttering behind her like a shadow given life. Cold air rushed against her face, yet it did nothing to cool the storm raging inside her.

Her mother’s face flashed through her thoughts. Lady Adelaide Challan, the woman who had raised her to believe that blood determined worth. The woman who had taught her that redbloods were a stain upon vampire history and the woman who had dedicated decades to erasing them from existence.

Now the Queen herself had declared that campaign a crime against the crown, she knew that she’ll be dragged into the fight eventually.

Addessa’s chest tightened painfully. No matter which side prevailed, she would lose someone.

She slowed to a stop beside one of Veris Academy’s elevated moon gardens. Silver vines climbed ancient stone pillars while white blossoms opened only beneath moonlight, filling the air with a sweet fragrance that usually brought her peace.

Tonight, even the beautiful garden felt suffocating. "I can’t breathe," the confession escaped her lips before she realized she had spoken aloud.

"You don’t look like someone who usually admits that."

The familiar voice startled her. She turned around to glance at the vampire who snuck up on her.

Luan Ashbourne stood a few meters away, one hand tucked into the pocket of his blue academy blazer while the other held a book he had borrowed from the palace library.

His usually playful smile was absent tonight instead there was quiet concern in his blue eyes.

Addessa stared at him for several moments. Normally she would have dismissed him and walked away or even indulged him in a dare of some sort to keep busy and away from her.

Instead, she surprised even herself when she requested, "Walk with me."

Luan blinked. "What?" He was stunned. She had never asked that of him before and the moment she did, it was at a time that breaks his heart the most.

"I said..." Her voice softened almost imperceptibly. "...walk with me."

There wasn’t an order in her tone or any arrogance, just exhaustion.

Luan quietly closed his book. "...Of course." He agreed with a heavy heart.

They began walking side by side beneath the flowering trees. For a long while, neither spoke and only the soft crunch of gravel beneath their shoes disturbed the silence.

Finally, Addessa exhaled shakily. "I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore."

Luan looked sideways at her. He could imagine the bond was taking a toll on her. Taking that and topping it with the queen’s announcement, he figured she was having a hard time.

She kept her eyes forward. "I’ve always known where I belonged with my family, my duty to the princess and my bloodline," he laughed bitterly. "Now every path leads to betraying someone and I am not sure if I am ready to walk through it."

The confession caught Luan off guard. He had never seen the proud blackblood lower her guard, not even once.

"My mother won’t stop just because the queen commanded it," Her voice trembled ever so slightly. "I know her. She’ll challenge the Queen and if she does..."

She couldn’t finish and she didn’t have to for Luan understood her. "You’ll be caught between them."

She nodded silently. For several steps he said nothing. He thought long and hard about what the right thing to say would be. Then he quietly spoke. "You know... my father always says something."

She looked at him.

"’When two mountains collide... the people standing between them suffer first."

A sad smile tugged at Addessa’s lips. That saying described her situation perfectly. "That sounds like your father."

"It does," he let out.

She sighed. "I wish life were simpler."

"So do I."

Silence returned. Luan watched the moonlight reflecting against her long black hair. Against the elegant features that had stolen his heart years ago.

His chest ached. He knew now that they could never be, the book had confirmed it. The true heart, the four destined mates ties to each other. No matter how deeply he cared for Addessa, she would never belong to him. She belonged to fate itself.

The realization hurt more than he cared to admit. Still, he smiled gently. He smiled through the pain of the ache of losing her.

"If everything falls apart..." She glanced toward him.

"You won’t be alone," Luan cut in, she had four mates by her side to keep her company and go through everything with her.

Addessa stopped walking. She stared at him quietly. As she wasn’t aware that Luan knew the truth of the both, she figured that Luan was offering a supporting hand. "Thank you, Luan."

The words were almost inaudible. Yet they were the most sincere thing she had ever said to him.

Luan smiled, even if that was all he would ever receive from her, he decided it was enough, for tonight and for forever.