The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 31
Natalie’s P.O.V.
My chest was burning as I made my way around the ballroom. The need to hide away was getting stronger with each passing moment that Killian remained absent. Every time I walked past a woman who would send me a side-eye, I had to wonder if she had been sleeping with my mate too. How many women here hated me not because I was human, but because they had hoped they would be the one selected as the king’s chosen?
Charlie kept catching my eye as she interacted with her companions. Her group was loud and boisterous, having a grand time and enjoying the free drinks and food that were both spread out and being carried around by servers.
I steered clear of them, not wanting to bring them down with my sour mood. Instead, I kept my eyes peeled for Killian.
I wanted to turn and ask Tobias how long I needed to be present before I could turn in for the night. Instead, I bit my tongue and pushed back what little pride I had left as I watched happy couples dancing and enjoying the ball while I stood alone to the side, feeling the weight of the tiny tiara on my head.
When the crowd began to thin as the night went on, I looked to Tobias, hoping he would catch my silent request, and he did. With a curt nod of confirmation, I turned on my heels and made my way from the ballroom and back to my room. It was a familiar feeling of foreboding, the same one that had settled deep into my gut before I had walked in on Jake f*uc*king my sister.
Tobias c*oc*ked an eyebrow at me in curiosity as I turned to him, and he took his place against the wall across from my door.
“He’s not alone, is he?” Something about the question triggered my body to react, and it felt like my organs were being pulled from my chest. The shaking of his head crushed me, and I put my face into my hands as I took several deep breaths to calm myself. It was one thing not to be alone in his office, but to have someone else in our bedroom, our personal space… The broken whisper that left me tumbled free as the last of my walls fell down. “I can’t keep doing this.”
I dropped my hands, feeling exposed and used as my anger began to bubble up and over my pain. Tobias looked confused and opened his mouth as if he finally wanted to say something, but I had already reached my breaking point.
I spun away from him and threw the door open to the bedroom. My eyes landed on Killian sitting with Joselin next to him on the arm of the couch. She had one hand rubbing his shoulder as he stared into the distance. They both froze when I walked in, and as innocent as their position was, I was deeply hurt that he hadn’t even bothered to take her to a guest room.
He brought her to the room that we shared, and where we slept.
Joselin began to speak, but I cut her off as I walked past them.
“Get out, Joselin,” I ordered, not caring that I had no real authority over her.
“I was just…” She started as she stood, I saw her in the reflection of the mirror, and I narrowed my eyes at her as I reached up and took the tiara from my head, placing it down carefully onto the wooden surface.
“I don’t really give a s*hi*t about what you were doing. I want you out of my bedroom!” What I really wanted to yell at her, was that I wanted her out of my relationship. I wanted her away from the man who claimed I was his and who would be mine. All my thoughts of Joselin being innocent were lost to me the second I saw her hand on him.
“Natalie,” Killian scolded, but I turned to glare at him.
“No! Don’t, Natalie, me! Do you have any idea how humiliating tonight was for me?” I felt the water lining my eyes as I met his. “The party is over. All of the guests are gone! You left me there alone, all night, to be judged and publicly humiliated by your pack as the weak human who, according to them, is just warming your bed for the time being. Then I come back to find that you brought ‘her’ to our room. It’s the only place that I have in this f*uc*king castle, and you brought ‘her’ here! You couldn’t even show me the decency to go to another room?”
The tears fell as I thrust my finger in Joselin’s direction. I was well aware that she could ki* me in the blink of an eye, but I didn’t care.
Head held steady as I took a step toward him, but the anguish on his face had me coming to a stop, not wanting to be near him right now. It was all lies. I had no idea what to believe anymore.
“Natalie, that’s not…” Joselin chimed in, her voice sounding softer than before but hearing her right now. made me want to punch her in the face.
“I really wanted to believe you when you swore you were faithful, f*uc*k. I was even planning on apologizing to Joselin! But after just dealing with your jealous f*uc*k buddies downstairs and coming back, to the two of you… I just,” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I can’t keep doing this.”
The room was silent as they both stared at me, seeming to understand that I was past the point of hearing anything they said. I was hurt, angry, and emotionally beaten down.
My voice dropped to a whisper as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I figured that even if you didn’t want me, we could be friends. I thought that if we were going to breed and have kids together, that we could at least respect each other and give our children a positive environment to grow up in…forget it.”
I turned back to the dresser, grabbing my clothes before making my way past them and out into the hallway.
“Natalie, please. I didn’t lie to you. Nothing is going on with me and Josie.” He said with pain laced in his voice. His endearing nickname for her didn’t fit her personality. Josie almost sounded like a young, innocent girl. Not a witch determined to destroy my relationship and *with my head. But I let the door, close behind me as I looked up at my guard.
“Tobias, please take me to a different room to sleep for the night.” No matter how many times I wiped my hand over my cheeks, the tears wouldn’t stop. He looked over my shoulder as the door opened to my room, and I jumped as Killian let out a loud roar of anger.