Chapter With Pleasure
"Leave us," Conaan said, turning away from Meredith.
There was silence for an uncomfortable minute, before the council elders slowly started to troop out one by one, leaving Anderson, Conaan, Eleanor and Meredith behind closed doors.
Conaan gave a small sigh, and Eleanor suddenly turned and started to walk towards the door.
"It does not include you, Eleanor."
She stopped, swallowing. "I do not think I want to stay here."
"Why? You do not want to know what happened to your end of the mate bond?"
She turned to Conaan whose face was icy. He knew well to tuck his emotions safely under that facade, and not even her could pierce through it.
"No. I have learnt enough," she turned swiftly again, her steps guiding her to the door.
Conaan covered the distance in two steps and pulled her back to him, his eyes wide with feral anger. "I said, stay. You are going to bear my mate bond again. So stay."
She swallowed, tears pooling beneath her eyes. She tried to blink it away, but as if having a mind of their own, they started to fall, trickling down her skin.
Conaan's lips parted. Seeing her cry was like being hit by an arrow, and he felt all of his anger diminish. Carefully, like he was afraid she could melt under his fingers, he moved slowly, and wiped the tears away from her eyes.
She looked up, her surprise at his sudden change evident. Without a word, he pulled her into his enbrace, his hand coming up behind her head, his fingers clenched into a fist.
"Please, just stay." This time it was a whisper, and Eleanor had no other choice.
She stayed that way for a while, not quite able to break free. Not quite wanting to either. He slowly released her, his anger somewhat satiated too.
She gave a small nod as she leaned away from him, then with a determined look in her eyes, turned away.
Her eyes met Anderson's hard gaze, and she returned his stare with an equally dark one. Without a word, she brushed past him, then occupied the cushion Conaan had led her to earlier.
Meredith made her way to the first position in front of Conaan, her smile small, like she couldn't read the tension in the air.
"Speak, Meredith."
"It is exactly as..." Anderson started to say, but the words stopped in his throat as Conaan turned to him.
"I said, Meredith."
Anderson went mute, then swallowed.
"His highness had indeed called me to sever the mate bond. He wanted it so you could find your mate in Esmeralda instead. I was not so sure why, but he seemed rather desperate."
Conaan blinked. "Desperate?"
"It was important to him that I sever the mate bond immediately. It was against all the laws set in stone, but he begged. A king begged in front of me, and I knew I had no choice. It was quite easy, too. Eleanor's heart was already shaken. The mate bond would have made her hurt, be in pain, and stay rooted to you even if her physical heart wants another man. But with the severance of the mate bond, there was nothing stopping her."
Eleanor swallowed, her gaze darting to Conaan. He seemed unmoved, like he knew he already had shared her affections with another man and he wouldn't be fazed by it now that he had the chance to keep her by him.
"And father never told you why?"
Meredith shrugged, twirling the jade in her finger. "He did not, although I did find it strange that..."
"But you know it is true. Adding dynamics to the story does not change that the king's chosen one is indeed Esmeralda. And that Eleanor does not even have the mate bond to boast of."
Conaan gave a small sigh and lifted his eye to a soldier behind Anderson. With a swift move, the soldier placed the cold steel blade of a sword on Anderson's throat, catching the man by surprise.
"Slit his throat upon one more word."
Anderson gasped, but said nothing. Eleanor swallowed, glancing at Conaan. It was surprising how sweet and sour he was at the exact same time.
"Go on, Meredith."
The woman gave a small, mischievous chuckle. "Well, I found it strange that King Javier was stabbing Beta Grayson in the back like that. Because, I do remember, at the annual Lycan festival, with just I and Beta Grayson, King Javier had asked Beta Grayson to keep his daughter pure and ready to be queen beside his only son, even if she wasn't his mate. Because no maiden will fit the crown like her. It made me wonder if...Beta Grayson had done something, or if Eleanor had committed a crime..."
"Before the scar, I never committed a crime." Eleanor interjected, causing Meredith to give a small laugh.
"Or if Grayson found a way to convince King Javier. But it is true. The mate bond has been severed."
Conaan swallowed. "Who was behind it is not as important. I am king Conaan, and no one can force my hand."
Meredith nodded in agreement, her eyes darting suggestively at the knife that stayed right beneath Anderson's throat.
Eleanor's brows furrowed, her mind reeling to put pieces of the story together. It didn't quite add up at one point, but she decided to say nothing, her hand clasping in front of her.
"What do you suggest, Meredith? Return my mate to me."
"But she is right beside you."
"You know what I mean. I can not even mark her without the bond. It will only hurt."
The room went silent, Anderson finding his helplessness frustrating.
Meredith gave a small sigh, then turned to Conaan. "If I had severed the mate bond with her heart firm, then there would be no way to bring it back. But because she had her heart wavering, I simply severed it enough to turn her attention away from you and to get rid of whatever pain the mate bond could have inflicted. In that case, I know a way."
Conaan straightened, and Anderson gave a small groan.
"Talk to me, Meredith."
She nodded. "The only way is to kill the wolf with whom her affection lies."
Eleanor's eyes widened as Conaan's thinned.
"You mean, Conaan has to kill Alexander?"
Meredith nodded. "Yes."
Conaan leaned back, a small smile taking over his lips. "With pleasure."