My Fated Mate Can Have Her Chapter 84: His Return

Violet

I dried myself roughly and pulled on one of the new dresses Astrid had left, a simple loose dress in a beautiful shade of blue The fabric was finer than anything I had worn before, smooth and cool against my skin.

It fell to my ankles, the hem dragging slightly across the polished floor, but the fit was otherwise perfect. Almost too perfect.

I caught sight of myself in the mirror and paused.

My reflection stared back at , cheeks still flushed, eyes too bright. And looking like soone who had just woken from an indecent dream about the man whose bed was one door away.

I looked away quickly, my stomach churning with an anxiety and sothing else I refused to acknowledge.

It was just a dream...

I eyed what I had on. The fabric draped beautifully, following the lines of my body in a way that felt... revealing, even though nothing inappropriate was showing. It clung gently to my curves, drawing attention to my chest and clinging to my waist just enough to emphasize my figure.

I shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the fabric.

Then my gaze drifted to the vanity, and the small bowl sitting exactly where Astrid had left it.

The contraceptive.

I stared at it for a long mont, that stupid dream replaying in fragnts behind my eyes. I snatched up the vial and shoved it into one of the empty vanity compartnts, slamming the small drawer shut with more force than necessary.

There. Out of sight.

I turned back to the mirror, attempting to adjust the dress one more ti, pulling and tugging until it looked slightly less... intentional. But no matter what I did, the fine fabric kept settling back into place, draping in ways that felt designed to flatter.

My eyes drifted to the bag I had brought with . The clothes inside were simple, practical, and comfortable. But when I pulled one out, I hesitated.

These had belonged to Astrid too. Suddenly, the thought of putting them on felt strange. Wrong sohow.

I set the clothes back in the bag and quickly moved to the bed where Astrid had laid out the other dresses, determined to find sothing less... this.

The others looked too complex to even wear until I ca across a light faint slip dress which I wore underneath the blue fabric. The draping gown no longer clung to my body as much.

However... the slip dress had a deep cut that made the fabric cling to my cleavage from ti to ti. I tugged at the neckline to loosen it lightly and it seed to work.

I sat at the edge, feeling a bit tired.

Training had run late into the night yesterday. For so reason, I had decided to keep practicing even have having returned to my room. And then there was the early departure this morning, and also the long drake ride.

I sighed, lightly caressing the bedding. I laid my back flat on it and the mont my weight settled, I understood why it looked so perfect.

The bed was surprisingly firm, but with a softness underneath that cradled my body in a way that made want to sink deeper. I don’t think I had ever laid down on a surface this comfortable. I pulled myself fully onto the bed and my head sunk into the soft pillows.

Despite my best intentions to stay alert, my eyes drifted closed. And as sleep pulled under, I hoped I would not have a dream like that again.

[ - ]

Voices filtered through, distant at first, and then suddenly grew clearer.

"—arrangents are finalized. The registration is nearly completed too."

"And the delegations?"

"All accounted for. Though Alpha Kellan’s representative is asking for a private audience later."

"He always does. I’ll get back to him later."

Kael.

My eyes snapped open, every trace of sleep vanishing as awareness flooded back.

He was here.

I could sense him now. It seed he was in the guest hall, just beyond the corridor, speaking with two others from the sound of it. I didn’t know either of them.

I sat up slowly, my heart already beginning to race.

"—and Ila will handle that personally," Kael was saying, his voice carrying a note of finality. "You’re dismissed. I’ll send for you when I need you again."

"Yes, Supre Alpha."

Footsteps. The sound of the doors opening and closing.

Then silence.

My pulse hamred in my ears as I stared at the door to my room, waiting.

The silence stretched for a few seconds until I suddenly sensed him right behind the doors. A slow knock followed after.

I shifted, trying to get off the bed. "You can co in..."

Kael stepped inside, and whatever composure I’d been trying to gather shattered imdiately.

He looked... exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and there was a tightness around his mouth that spoke of stress and too little rest. His hair was slightly dishevelled, as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble.

But his eyes still had the sa piercing look that nearly made forget how to breathe.

For a mont, neither of us spoke.

Then his expression shifted into sothing harder. Annoyed.

"I told Ila to end your training," he said, his voice low. "And then you still—" He cut himself off with a frustrated sound, one hand rising to drag through his hair. "Do you have any idea how—"

"I’m sorry," I said quickly, panic rising. Had Ila gotten in trouble? I had asked her if Kael would admonish her and she told he hadn’t done anything. She had seed fine too. "Please, she didn’t do anything wrong—"

"That is not the issue," he interrupted, his tone clipped.

I was confused. "I don’t understand."

His eyes fixed on mine again, and I watched as sothing in his expression cracked. The annoyance and hardness of his features faltered, giving way to a faint vulnerability that made go still.

"Why didn’t you tell ?" His voice was quieter now.