Chapter 247 - 0247

Kaelen POV

"I miss you so much, Skye... Why did I let you go?" Lorelei mumbled softly in her sleep just as I was pulling the sheet over her. Her voice made my hands stop. "I... I shouldn’t have let you go. I feel so lonely."

My fingers tightened around the edge of the sheet.

For a few seconds, I just stood there staring at her sleeping face, feeling something heavy settle in my chest. I hated that I heard those words from her, especially when I knew there was nothing I could do to bring Skye back to her right now.

Slowly, I pulled the blanket up to her chin, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, even though I knew she couldn’t hear me. Then I straightened and quietly stepped out of her chambers, pulling the door shut behind me.

The moment I turned around, I found Darius leaning against the hallway wall a few feet away.

Judging by the look on his face, he had heard enough of our conversation.

Letting out a tired breath, I walked past him without saying anything. He didn’t stop me, and for once, he didn’t make some smart comment either.

I kept walking until I reached the courtyard.

The late-morning air was cool against my skin as I shoved both hands into my pockets and stared across the garden until my eyes eventually settled on a particular flower swaying gently in the breeze.

It was beautiful. I could admit that much.

I still hated it.

Mostly because Darius had gone behind my back and had it planted all over the estate despite knowing exactly how much I hated that particular flower.

Of all the things he could have done, that idiot had decided to make sure I saw it everywhere.

But right now, I barely had the energy to be annoyed about it.

I feel so lonely.

Lorelei’s sleepy voice echoed through my head again, forcing me to close my eyes for a moment.

The last twenty-four hours had already been enough to make anyone lose their mind. The Council threatening to interfere with us. Jaxen suddenly appearing and dragging more problems into our lives. The curse. The possibility that having a child of our own might take much longer than either of us had hoped.

And now Lorelei was lying in our bed feeling alone.

That part hurt the most.

I didn’t even realize how long I had been standing there until Darius’s voice finally broke through the silence.

"You know, you’ve always hated that flower," he spoke.

Finally, I opened my eyes and found him walking toward me.

"I still do," I muttered, keeping my eyes on the flower as a bee hovered over one of its petals while Darius stopped beside me, following my gaze.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

Then his voice softened as he asked, "So what now?"

I glanced at him, knowing exactly what he meant as he was no longer talking about the flower.

My eyes drifted back toward the garden as I took a slow breath. "We keep trying, I guess."

Darius nodded slowly. "You two already have a really strong bond. So even if it takes time, it’ll happen. She’ll get pregnant eventually."

I knew that. Deep down, I truly believed she would. I just wished believing it was enough to make everything easier.

"She’s not taking it well," I admitted quietly, feeling the weight in my chest grow heavier. "She thinks she failed me. I tried to comfort her and reassure her that I’m fine, but she’s still blaming herself for it."

"But are you, though?" he asked, and I turned slightly at the question to find he was looking directly at me now, his expression more serious than usual. "You’ve been standing out here staring at the same flower for almost an hour. Are you sure you’re okay?"

My hand twitched inside my pocket as I looked away again.

"I don’t know," I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "I guess I just feel overwhelmed. There are so many things happening at once, and so many emotions hitting me that I honestly don’t even know what I’m supposed to be feeling anymore."

My gaze settled on the blossom again just as another bee drifted toward it.

"You really wanted this child," Darius said gently.

"I really did."

A long, ragged sigh left my chest as I rubbed my thumb against the inside of my pocket.

"Not just because building a family with her is everything I’ve ever wanted," I continued, my voice quieter now. "But if she had been pregnant, it would’ve given me some leverage too. It would’ve kept the High Council off my back for a while. Having a royal heir involved would make any drastic move against her a lot more complicated for them."

"That’s true," Darius agreed quietly, and neither of us spoke after that.

The only sound between us was the soft rustling of the leaves as the breeze moved through the garden, but the silence didn’t feel peaceful.

There was too much sitting between us, too many things neither of us needed to say out loud.

I stared at the flower in my hand for another moment before finally breaking the silence.

"Am I wrong?" I asked.

Darius’s brows knitted slightly. "About what?"

"Keeping her cooped up here," I said, my voice quieter now. "She’s been stuck inside the estate ever since she came back, and I’m starting to worry that it’s genuinely taking a toll on her mental health."

Darius was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking about it before he finally spoke. "Well, two things can be true at the same time. You’re not wrong for keeping her here because there are still multiple threats around us, and you’re doing what any Alpha would do to protect the woman he loves."

He paused for a moment before adding, "But you’re also right about her being isolated. Keeping someone locked up in one place with no one to talk to for too long will eventually get to them."

He glanced at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I mean, look at us. Would you have survived all these years if you didn’t have me around to annoy you?"

The corner of my lips twitched despite myself. I wanted to remind him that I was barely surviving even with him around, but I understood his point all too well.

Lorelei needed more than just protection.

She needed a life.

The problem was, knowing this didn’t make the situation any easier.

I couldn’t keep Lorelei locked away forever just because I was afraid something might happen to her, but letting her leave the estate while there were still people out there who wanted to hurt her felt just as dangerous.

So how the hell was I supposed to give her some sense of freedom without putting her life in danger?