CHAPTER 34
LENORE COULD ONLY stare at her, caught between shock and disbelief. Charie let out a hollow chuckle, a bitter smile on her face.
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Charie looked at Auden, her smile fading as the inner corners of her brows drew close in wistful sorrow. “I wouldn’t have believed it either.”
“You’re his mate?” Lenore’s gaze darted between the two, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what was brought to light. “But—he—you mean he isn’t Arisa’s mate?”
Charie’s hands fell into her lap. “... No,” she muttered. The fabric of her skirts bunched tightly underneath her clenched fists. “He isn’t. But he never found out that I was his either.” Her head fell forward, her forehead pressed against the bed’s frame. “I never had the chance to tell him.”
Lenore slowly knelt next to her. “But then how is it possible that Arisa is the one he’s with?”
“It’s my fault,” Charie said. She remained where she was, face hidden in the dark veil of her hair. “I... I just didn’t think that he and I—we—ugh, it took me by surprise too.” Her stumbling words stopped short as she took a sharp breath.
Pulling her legs close to her chest, she continued.
“Auden and I grew up in this pack, but that’s all the connection we ever had.
” Her eyes refused to leave the floor. “He and I hardly ever spoke to each other—the only times we’ve been in the same place were for community events.
We never had the same circle of friends. ” She sniffed.
Lenore nodded, encouraging her to continue. Charie sighed once more. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if I wanted his attention all those times. Of course, he was always a very popular werewolf, and many of the girls hoped he’d be their fated mate. I never even considered the chance.”
Charie squeezed her eyes shut. “And then one random day it struck me—the mate bond.” She groaned as her face fell into her hands.
“Auden was passing by, but he wasn’t alone.
Edmund was there, and so was Azelf. And I was walking in the opposite direction some distance away.
And then it hit me—” One of her hands clutched at the fabric by her heart.
“This intense feeling. The one that feels like the tides being drawn toward the moon.” Her cheeks turned red.
“Reaching, holding onto this invisible thread that pulls you closer.”
That feeling was one Lenore knew all too well—that unmistakable pull. Her expression softened, but only for a moment before she pulled herself back. “And then what happened?” she asked quietly.
Charie’s lower lip trembled. “I hid before he saw me. Before anything could happen.”
“You hid?” Lenore’s brows shot up. “Where—why?”
“I just dove into the bushes,” Charie mumbled. “He was with others and I could’ve embarrassed him or... something. Or maybe I was embarrassed. I don’t know.” She pulled her legs closer. “He couldn’t recognize my scent on the spot anyway, and since he was with the others, he didn’t linger behind.”
Lenore tentatively reached out, gingerly patting Charie on the back of her shoulder. “Oh, Charie,” she said softly, “I understand. But you’re not embarrassing. That’s not true at all.”
“It would’ve been nice to hear that at the moment.
” Charie shook her head. “I... confided in Arisa,” she said.
“She was so sweet, Lenore, and I never thought that things would’ve turned out the way they did.
” Her lips tightened. “She was someone I already considered a best friend already. I told her what happened, and she was so excited for me.” The weight of her sadness sagged her down, and she nearly matched the colorless state Auden was in.
“Arisa told me to approach him the next day, at sunset, to make it more romantic.”
Charie let out a shaky sigh. “The next day, I did exactly that.” Her hands trembled. “And when I went to the lake’s pavilion... they were already together. Holding each other. Kissing each other.”
Lenore’s breath caught. “... I’m so sorry, Charie.” Her chest tightened at the image. “Did they... notice you after?”
After a moment’s pause, Charie slowly nodded.
“Yes. They did. Auden—he—” she choked up and shook her head.
“He was smiling, so bright, so full of joy—and that joy I thought I’d be sharing with him became a knife in my heart.
It felt as if I was bleeding out on the spot.
Arisa, she—” A spark of anger suddenly flared up in Charie’s face.
“She smiled warmly at me, telling me that she and Auden were each other's fated mates, and she was so thankful that I encouraged her to approach him.
“And then Auden thanked me.” Her anger dissipated into a hollow smile. “It was agonizing.” Tears streamed down Charie’s cheeks, the storm she held within cracking through fragile glass.
“How—how is that even possible?” Lenore whispered. “For him not to recognize the bond you and him had?”
“I don’t know,” Charie replied. Her lower lip trembled. She broke then, like a ship swallowed by a turbulent tide—dragged beneath the drowning waters. Her shoulders rose and fell shakily with every ragged cry that tore from her throat. “I—sniff—don’t know.”
Lenore pulled the sobbing woman into her arms, silently consoling her with a tight hug.
Charie cried louder, wailing as hot tears freely streamed down her face.
Stuttered breaths choked her words out, and any attempt at talking came out as a garbled mess.
Lenore gently shushed her, letting her stay wrapped in her arms for as long as she needed.
Eventually, Charie’s sobs faded into the occasional hiccup.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. She continued to hiccup as she wiped away at her tear-streaked face, frowning in shame once she lowered her arm, and saw the tear stains in Lenore’s dress.
“The Moon’s Sovereign revealed my fated mate, and I responded with fear and denial.
If I just... none of this would’ve happened if I didn’t hide from Auden. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Lenore replied gently. “It must’ve been overwhelming for you.
” She lowered her gaze, a dreadful thought clouding her mind.
What if it were Edmund? She couldn’t fathom how she would feel if Edmund had approached another—leaving her to suffer alone.
The thought shook her, a sharp pang thudding deep in her chest. She looked up at Charie, meeting her eyes.
“I know it’s not much, but... I believe you. You’re not alone anymore.”
“Thank you,” Charie said. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face. “It helps. It feels a little better to finally... let it all out.” She sighed. “Not long after that day, they announced their mates’ ceremony—er, wedding, as other cultures would say. That was a month and a half ago now.”
Charie glanced up at the sight of Auden’s sleeping figure, reaching out to touch the space just before his hand.
“I thought maybe it was a delusion I was under. That it’d all go away when I saw them say their vows.
But that tug toward him never died. No matter how much I’d rather move on than be in the painful situation I was in, everything else became a blur whenever I saw him.
” Her hand fell limply to her side. “Then he got sick just barely two weeks before you arrived. And that’s when Arisa approached me.
And I... just followed along. Because I thought I could still care for him—save him somehow, even if we were apart as a couple.
” Charie laughed, a hollow sound directed at herself.
“She’s had me harvesting umbral thistles since then.
” She pinched the tip of her glove, pulling it off to reveal the marred surface of her hand.
Scars and scabs were embedded all over, sickening Lenore from the sight.
“To make exactly what’s in that other glass vial you have. An umbral heart.”
Goosebumps crawled up Lenore’s arm. Her hand tentatively touched her pouch. The weight of the small glass felt heavier.
“You had it right already,” Charie continued. “It’s keeping those with Arisa from revealing their Lucyn selves—or at least to slow their transformation down.”
“She’s only been here for what? Three or four months? How could this happen so quickly?”
“Well... let me ask you, Lenore. Does your mind feel haunted sometimes?”
Shock pricked at Lenore’s heart. “I...” she trailed off, unable to admit it out loud.
“You’d be surprised at how quickly someone can fall when an influence tugs at the right spots in someone’s soul.
Their strength, honor, insecurities, emotions…
” Charie stood up slowly. “That’s what Arisa can do.
I didn’t realize it at first until I was stuck in her company.
I can only guess she has the ability to perform dark sorcery, with what she could do with Auden too.
” Her fingers brushed her temple. “I felt horrible already, but to be honest, there were days when I just wanted to... be out of this world completely. Those days were the ones where it felt like something kept clawing at my mind until I couldn’t see anything but black. ”
Lenore’s hands closed into fists. She knew that darkness all too well. “But… why push you to that point? I thought the Lucyn wanted more werewolves to join them?”
“Lucyn destroy, Lenore. They feast on the ruin and live in their power. I could easily be replaced by Winter, but Auden kept me going. And maybe that entertained Arisa—that I kept obeying so Auden could live.” Charie moved away from Auden’s side, reaching toward a vase resting on a drawer nearby, and plucking out a flower stem.
Lenore’s eyes widened slightly. An etheria bud.
With each step back towards Auden, the bud in Charie’s hands subtly began to glow as she drew closer.
Red dyed itself upon unfolding white petals, transforming the once creamy white bud into a fully bloomed flower by the time Charie stood by Auden.
The delicate petals wavered gently from a breeze that didn’t exist.
The brief excitement Lenore felt was quickly overtaken by the cold realization that every etheria between Arisa and Auden was only made possible because of Charie.
“I never thought a Lucyn could enter this way. In the legends, they’re always vicious and mad beasts.” Charie laid the etheria gently on top of Auden’s chest. “But I guess even beasts can be sly.”
Lenore’s brows furrowed. “Those jellies you handed out—were they infused with umbral thistles?”
“... Yes,” Charie said. “Once Arisa obtained the mithrial blood, that’s when everything sped up. The blood not only refreshed her, it made the umbral thistle more… potent.” She frowned. “I… thought everyone else might’ve ended up sick like Auden but I’m not sure now.”
“Are they all going to become Lucyns?” Lenore asked quietly, wanting to confirm what she was uncertain of.
“No. You must pledge yourself to become one. Once you do, there’s no turning back.” Charie’s gaze darkened. “That’s why… I don’t know what the moon jelly really does.”
“Why did you warn me, Charie? Why?” Lenore’s hand pressed itself hard against her chest as she stood up, her brows knitted together. Each word that left her was heavy with raw frustration. “Out of everyone here—why me?”
“I... I just wanted to give you a chance out of all of this. I felt sorry that you’ve come here only to walk into death’s door, as caring as you are,” Charie inhaled deeply. Her voice fell. “I know. I didn’t really think it through. Maybe I just wanted to appease my guilt.” She turned away.
A heavy sigh escaped Lenore. Her hand rested on her face, eyes shut as she tried to think. The dragging silence amplified the anxiety and panic that pressed her mind.
But no conclusion came to her. The door creaked behind them.
Their heads whipped to the doorway. A hulking figure blocked it completely. His white coat was instantly recognizable, along with the dark bags under his eyes. It was Beren, Auden’s personal Thalryn. His eyes swept the room slowly, hollow in a way that felt wrong. He stepped in.
For a man so large and rugged in appearance, his voice carried no force—a composed quiet that almost felt soft. It would’ve even comforted Lenore if it wasn’t for the words he spoke.
“What’re you doing here?”