Daughter Dearest...Why Is There A Werewolf In Your Bed...?

Chapter 12 (Calm)

I sat in my father’s office for a few more seconds before I numbly pulled myself to my feet, walked downstairs and through the glass parlor doors to the outside gardens.

The familiar evergreen walls called to me, and my feet moved without my brain really processing what was going on. All of the information that my father had just told me was still trying to sink into my mind as I walked through the lattice archways and moved to the final circular garden. The fountain water was trickling weakly into itself and the sound seemed to take some of the pressure away from my thoughts. I moved to the fountain and slid to the ground, my back leaning against the stone.

My fingers brushed over the white roses as the sun bathed them in a fiery orange glow. I had been sleeping for the entire day and hadn’t realized it, not that anyone could blame me, the emotional toll could drain anyone. I tilted my head back to look at the pink clouds floating overhead, there was no wind to push them across the sky lit by the dying sun, which didn’t bother me one bit. The warm air was like a comforting blanket and I didn’t want to be inside, the walls felt too stifling at the moment.

Cian had been the leader that was the cause for the Thousand Year War. I just couldn’t believe I had come face to face with the evil I had grown up fearing. The fact that he had been bent on taking my mother and using her power to take over, made me a little more fearful. If he had been after my mother for her power, then what was the ulterior motive for using me in his resurrection?

I leaned my head back onto the top of the fountain wall and heaved a sigh. My family was screwed up, and now I was a part of that. I was now part of the bigger picture in the royal family’s life. I wouldn’t be married to another family because I had a psychopathic, and technically dead, werewolf connected to my soul. Other families wouldn’t want their sons married off to that.

I closed my eyes and let the sun warm me. Maybe if I fell asleep and never woke up everything would be better. Cian would be dead and it didn’t matter if I was gone, my brother and his wife and children would take over the kingdom. No big deal.

I felt a few tears fall from my closed eyes and trail down my cheeks. I never cried unless I was overwhelmed by something and this definitely counted as being overwhelmed.

There was a sudden chill that came over me. I opened my eyes slightly to see Miles sit next to me, I didn’t think he had seen me open my eyes, so I quickly shut them again. Maybe he would leave and I could go back to thinking how to end this all.

His hand wiped away the tears that had fallen, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He seemed a little startled and seemed to be trying to think of something to say. I waited until he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply. A ghost of a smile traced my lips as I watched him get more frustrated trying to find the right words to say.

It seemed like even if he didn’t know what to say, his actions said it for him, it made me feel a little less overwhelmed that I didn’t have to read his movements in a more cryptic way. I turned my head towards him and looked at his face.

“I’m fine. Really,” I assured him, “it’s just a little too much sinking in at once.”

He nodded and leaned his head back on the top of the fountain wall as well. We sat there in a comfortable silence for a while, just watching the dying light from the sun paint the sky different colors. It was very calming and after a few minutes I realized that the overwhelming feeling had almost disappeared. I guess it was just nice to have a friend, who was not related to me, just sit there and understand without needing to ask many probing questions.

From the corner of my eye I took in his appearance. His hair was mussed and his clothes were wrinkled in a haphazard manner, his old black Vans weren’t even laced. He must have woken up a few minutes before he came out to the garden. I looked down at myself and noticed that I wasn’t much different.

A sudden thought hit me as I looked down at my wrinkled shirt.

“Thank you.”

Miles looked over at me, “What?”

I glanced at his questioning face and looked back down at my hands, concentrating on a specific freckle.

“I didn’t thank you for saving me. For telling people not to bother me as you carried me out. You also helped me stop sobbing, so...thanks.” I could sense a small smile on his face, but I didn’t look up, I knew I would just blush.

Again we sat in a comfortable silence until Miles used one of the old tricks my mother had told me about. He stretched his arms and placed one behind my shoulders, I nearly laughed, but I decided to go with it. I shifted closer to him and leaned my head on his shoulder, he stiffened for a moment before placing his head on top of mine.

I smiled as he took my hand and laced his fingers between mine.

Maybe someone would want me after all...

A content sigh escaped me as we sat there. I felt lighter, but at the back of my mind I knew that I still had a lot to worry about, and even that feeling dulled as Miles pulled me closer to himself.