The Wrong Words

Stefan

The room stays silent, and she watches me.

“Why are you trying to hide everything?” she asks, and my head shakes.

“I’m not hiding anything, Mother.” Nothing at all.

“So you’re not in love with her?” she asks, and her words shock me.

Laughing, I shake my head. “Don’t be so foolish, mother. Why would you even suggest such a thing? It’s ludicrous.” My heart quickens, and I fight back the fear.

“I’ve watched you, Stefan, the way you look at her, the way you always looked at her when you thought no one would see or notice.”

Her words made my body run cold.

“What?” What does she mean by that?

Laughing, she turns to face me more. “Even before she left, when you were young, you may have been harsh to her in person, but from a distance, when you assumed no one would see. Your look towards her spoke volumes,” she explains, and I panicked, my eyes looking around the room.

“What look, Mother?” She could be wrong.

“The look you only had when you looked at Harlyn and were convinced no one would see.”

This is bad. I thought I did well hiding it from everyone, especially from my parents. I didn’t want Harlyn hurt by their rejection, and I didn’t want them to publicly make me reject her with everyone watching. I looked around the room and decided denial was my best way forward.

“I don’t know what you’re speaking of.” My voice is quiet, but I can’t tell her the truth.

“I know when something is wrong. I know your expressions and your eyes—Lycan eyes can’t lie well. And Harlyn? That’s one thing you’re failing at hiding.” She could be wrong.

“You can’t be sure,” I state, and she moves closer, taking my hand.

“Your eyes were always full of love, Stefan. Even when you were cruel to her, she didn’t see; no one did. I know you, though. I know your eyes.”

She’s crazy, I laugh, and she watches me. I’ll keep denying it until I’m dead and buried.

“Your eyes don’t do as you tell them, Stefan. For those who don’t know you well, sure, but me? No, they never fooled me, which is how I always knew you loved her.”

“No, I don’t.” Maybe I’m stubborn, but I know, I know the outcome of me agreeing with her.

“You know, Harlyn was our first choice for you,” she says, and I turn and stare at her.

“No, she wasn’t!” I jump up. “She never was. I know how you and Father really felt about her. She was never your first choice.” How could she say that?

“What? She was. Ask your father; ask Harlyn’s mother; she also knew it, and the Earl knew.”

My head shakes. “You hated her.”

“When did I ever say anything to suggest that?” She stares at me, shocked. “Harlyn is a wonderful woman, so answer me right now, Stefan. Why do you believe that I hate her?”

Is she trying to trick me? She can’t trick me. I heard them.

“On my fourteenth birthday, I left early and came to see you. I didn’t enter the room, but I heard you and Father. ‘She will never be accepted. We can’t let it happen. The kingdom will hate it if Harlyn and Stefan become more than friends.’ Those were your words, Mother.” She goes to speak, and my hand goes up.

“Two weeks later, ‘there’s no choice but to stop it. Harlyn has no wolf, is a disgrace, and if it takes humiliating her in front of the kingdom, it will be done.’ Father’s words!” I shout, and I step away from her.

“Stefan.”

“No! Sixteen, when I found out, she was my mate. What was it that day? Oh yes, ‘make him reject her in front of the entire kingdom, make sure everyone watches her fall.’ Your words!” I scream, my body shakes, and Ghost fights to take over.

I protected Harlyn the only way I knew; she acted like Harlyn was their first choice. After all that?

“Oh God, Stefan, sit now.” She looks at me, and my head shakes. “Sit so that I can explain.”

Moving, I sit down. I thought pushing Harlyn away and acting like I hated her would stop them, but they only got worse. I thought it would make Harlyn run from me and keep her safe, but it didn’t.

“The first time you mentioned hearing us, I said that, yes, but that wasn’t me saying we would never accept her. The Earl, I was explaining the Earl would never accept her. We couldn’t let it happen because, as I said, she was our first choice, and if you two married, his abuse towards her wouldn’t go down well.” She sighs and looks at me. “I never mentioned you, and Harlyn couldn’t happen. I mean the Earl’s actions towards her.”

What? My head shakes. She’s wrong.

“Yes, the second time, your father said it, but they were the Earl’s words to him. He was telling me that the Earl thought you would pick Harlyn, and he wouldn’t let that happen.”

No. My head shakes.

“The final time, I was speaking to her mother. I told her I knew you two were mates. I didn’t realise the Earl had been listening in. She called me and told me those exact words. That was the Earl’s plan if he could confirm you were mates. He hates Harlyn and was willing to do just about everything to stop her from becoming the queen.”

Her words shatter every part of me. No. My head shakes, and I fight back the tears. She’s got to be lying; otherwise, I did all that for nothing. Being the king, I knew my father could force me to reject her in front of the kingdom, which scared me. I was a child. I couldn’t fight him and the Earl.

“No.” She’s lying.

“Yes, Stefan. Yes. Every day, we spoke of the Earl’s actions and hatred towards her. We spoke to try and figure out a way to stop it without an outright war that would end in our deaths.” She looks at me. “You know that your father isn’t strong enough to take down the Earl, and if he tried, Harlyn would be the first person the Earl would kill if they went to war against each other. Why would you not just ask us!” She stares at me, shocked.

“And say what? Ask you to confirm what you said so that you would know the truth and make me reject her while everyone watched. Why wouldn’t you just tell me that you accepted her?” Why did they hide everything?

“Because that would be pushing you two together. Think back, Stefan, and I am sure if Harlyn unblocks her mind, she will remember. You two were inseparable until you were about fourteen. It didn’t mean you would be mates or love each other, and telling you would push it.”

I messed everything up. All the time, I was convinced I was making them think she was nothing, just to protect her, and I was wrong.

“I love her mum, but she hates me—more than anyone else in her life. There’s no fixing that.” Even I know that there isn’t any way to fix it.