The Sun's Awakening

Chapter Six

Sometimes it is not the how or why that matters in situations like this... It's who.

"Roman." Ele ground her teeth as she fetched her cloak and covered her shoulders with it, ready to go out in her nightgown to hunt him down. Her voice sounded strangled, having been unaccustomed to use. 

Kaanan watched her pace about the room to gather her things; a hazard upon herself as she nearly lost balance while crossing over the rug. He attempted to reach for her many times to slow her down but it seemed she was heavens-bent on solving this conundrum on her own. 

"Why is this such a bad thing?" At last, he questioned the very thing already on her mind. 

'Because.' It came second nature to sign but then she groaned out, "Because."

Instead of pressing further, he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. She got to the handle of the door and did not turn it as she tacked on, "Because magic has consequences."

For someone who went her entire life absent of speech, she sounded eloquent. Her voice suited her– Soft and feminine, like those songbirds she admired so. And still, it had a bite to it. Bitter and resentful of the world. Accustomed to being silenced. Muted by fate and not by choice.

Now he reached out to take hold of her hand and pressed, "What does Roman have to do with this?" 

"Everything. He last spoke to me about finding a cure for my muteness some days ago. I advised him against it. And now..." She touched her throat, feeling the rumble of vibrations in it now that words formed. 

Now Kaanan's look of concern doubled down. "Listen to me, you are not going off in search of Roman. The council has plans to combat the satyroids and I need you here for my own peace of mind. I can't have you getting lost out in the wilderness, searching for my damned cousin, all to get your answers. In time he'll return and you can question him."

"Aren't you worried about him?" She pulled away.

"No." The corner of his lip twitched. "You said it yourself. Magic has consequences and he chose to pay the price... For a woman who isn't even his mate."

Bitterness leaked into his voice. Unmistakable. Hoarse. 

"Kaanan..." Now, worried about the scars remaining inside her mate, she reached out for him. "Don't overthink things. Roman knows his boundaries."

A hint of his fangs gleamed in the little light shining into the dim room. "Do you?" 

"Y-yes." She stammered. "You are my mate. I chose you."

Or did he force you to?

When those voices chimed in, sickly thoughts formed. An infectious disease that spread from her head to her heart with each pump of blood in her veins. And Kaanan, the one closest to her, caught it.

Before either of them could admit their wrongs, Kaanan turned for the door. A stillness that came with dusk approached. This was not the time for confessions.

"I will see you at dinner." Voiced as a command, not a question.

Ele nodded, knowing it best. He caught it in his peripheral and then left her alone to wonder about his cousin. Conflicted thoughts weighed heavy on her –normally– uplifted heart and she sunk down onto the edge of the bed to dwell. Her position did not match her soul, so she sunk even deeper until her bottom hit the rug. Now she felt as low as her heart. 

How was she to face her mate at dinner? She hated seeing him from the second she entered that council meeting. Poised and proper– Putting on a show for the very men he once despised.