It's Tempting To Look Back

[ALANOR]

"Goodbye, Grant."

That had to be the worst thing that Alanor Wynter ever managed to let out of his mouth and it was something he knew would haunt him for a very long time. He had to do it though, if not for Grant, then he had to do it for himself.

Everyone in the midlands had already known him as Gideon of Greroth, and no one had since dared to ask what his second name was, or whether he was an actual witch or not. Technically Gideon of Greroth was the type of chaos that people wished to stay away from.

Alanor knew there was a risk in coming clean to his mate, but then it wasn't like he could reject his mate using a different name, right? If anything, Grant wouldn't tell a soul that he knew of the beast of the midlands.

That would raise questions and even put him at the center of it all. Besides, how the fuck was he supposed to explain that he was mated to the beast of the midlands without having everyone look at him as a traitor, right?

'Keep going, Alanor. Don't look back, or you will lose,' Alanor said to himself as he strode away from the man meant for him.

Having a mate wasn't part of Alanor's plans. He simply didn't have the time for that, besides, Grant deserved better than to be bound to a man whose heart was filled with a lot of hatred and so much anger.

None of them had wished to be born under such circumstances, but there was just too much pain in Alanor's life, and he couldn't share that with Grant. Which is why he had walked away from his mate for the second time, 'not caring' that he was also hurting.

He was already used to the pain, so this was nothing. Besides, time did a good job of healing, even if time hated him.

Hurriedly, he got out of Acrod. He had no other reason to stay here. The midlands had already created a pact that would see to it that the children were not harmed and so the beats didn't exactly have a reason to show up anymore.

Of course, over time, he would show up just to remind the midlands that they wouldn't get away with hurting kids, but at the moment, Alanor Wynter needed to be home. He needed someone who could lend him a shoulder, and that person was Criselda.

Criselda was still pacing under the harsh sun when she finally saw Alanor and boy did she want to spank his ass with her whip. It had been literal hours and she was soaked in her own sweat. The stench alone broke her heart and made her want to wish for rain, but she couldn't.

Her clothes were wet, her hair disheveled from too much back and forth. Her feet hurt and while she was feeling hot, she couldn't walk barefoot, because the scorching sun couldn't let her. All in all, Criselda was a pissed high priestess.

The boy in a man's body had finally come from Acrod and she was thinking of the hundreds of things she would make him do, but it didn't take a while before she actually saw what she hadn't expected.

She watched him hurry from Acrod as if he was running from something, or rather, someone he didn't have to be running from.

For a moment there, Criselda was confused as to what had happened, but she knew he had done what she had told him not to. She could tell by the heavy amount of sweating Alanor was exhibiting, that he was frustrated, and openly wanted to fight or break things for a change.

Maybe she could cast a spell to relieve him, but this time, she knew no amount of magic could heal a broken heart. So she watched him, hoping that he truly was okay, even though she knew he wasn't, not even a little bit.

"You little shit. You said one hour, dipshit—" Criselda trailed off when she saw the tears on Alanor's face.

"Alanor? What did you do!" She added, just to be sure. With Alanor, there were so many things that could go wrong. His tears could literally mean anything at this point, and even she couldn't be sure of what he had done.

Of course, she had an assumption, but she needed to be sure.

Maybe Alanor killed a wolf and was worried about the repercussions, but then if that was so, he wouldn't be shedding tears right now. He would be somewhat proud and unapologetic unless kids had been harmed.

However, Alanor loved kids too much, he wouldn't make such a stupid mistake.

Maybe he had killed Cassius and run away, but then, the whole of Acrod could be after him. So that left Criselda with the only viable option. He had rejected his mate, and he hadn't wanted to, yet somehow had still gone ahead and made the stupid choice anyway.

"What I had to. Let's go home," Alanor said, his voice clipped and broken. He didn't have to hide how he felt whenever he was around Criselda, because this woman was like his second mother and he trusted her with his life.

With that, Alanor took the lead, deciding to walk home. Earlier, he had been adamant about the long walk under the sun, but right now that seemed like a more viable option. Besides, he didn have anything to lose anymore.

"Wana talk about it?"

"No."

"Alanor—"

"I said no! Okay? I just fucking walked out on a mate I met yesterday. Yesterday, mother. I felt the pull the moment I walked in, and he felt it too. I even tried to wave it off when I flirted with his junior, but he knew, mother.

"It was almost like he expected me to reject him, and I didn't even disprove him. I broke his heart ma, I did what I shouldn't have. I wanted to make it stop, but I couldn't because I had already begun anyway. If I stopped he would hurt more.

"Funny how it still hurts so bad. Barely twenty-four hours later after our meet, I rejected him, without giving him a chance to even know me. I let him go because I didn't want to drag him into the mess my life has turned into!

"I walked out on the man meant for me Criselda, that's how much my revenge against the stupid lycan king is. I don't care what he thinks of me, but—" Alanor said as he slumped on the forest floor.

He didn't know what to do and that broke his heart, again.