Chapter 188
The next morning, Amelie’s sleep abruptly broke with the same nightmare that she saw in San Ravendale before coming to the palace.
She took deep breaths while caressing her chest, trying to steady her racing heartbeats.
Turning her head, she saw Gabriel sleeping soundly.
’I need to talk about it with the Queen. But what if… She starts blaming me instead of giving me the answers?’ Amelie thought, her heart again palpitating in worry.
Getting quietly out of the bed, Amelie went to the washroom to freshen up and then decided to go for a walk in the royal garden for some time.
As she arrived there, her eyes landed on the Queen. Cold sweat appeared on her palms. ’Why did I have to see Her Majesty in the morning? I should leave quietly before she catches me,’ she decided mentally.
However, Mabel had already turned around.
Amelie gulped. She quickly lowered her head in a respectful bow, masking the nervousness in her posture.
“A morning walk is good for both mother and the pup,” Queen Mabel said. “Come. Let’s walk together p>
It wasn’t a request Amelie could refuse.
With hesitant steps, she fell into pace beside the Queen. A tense silence hung between them, the kind that seemed to echo with unspoken thoughts. Amelie’s fingers fidgeted nervously.
Noticing the gesture, Mabel finally broke the silence. “A lot happened yesterday,” she said in a much subdued voice than usual. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did p>
Amelie was stunned to hear the Queen’s words. She hadn’t expected the Queen to even acknowledge the previous day’s exchange, let alone express regret for her harshness.
“Your Majesty… I shouldn’t have spoken out like that in front of everyone,” Amelie replied, lowering her gaze. “I misunderstood your intentions, and I’m truly sorry p>
“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Mabel said quietly. “You were right. I’ve hurt my children with my sharp words more times than I care to admit. Only Gabriel dared to speak about it on my face. His Majesty does too, but he loves me, so he tries to be soft with me p>
Amelie looked at her face, and saw a weary expression occupying it.
“Then, why does Her Majesty do that?” she inquired and then reached to her neck to hold the pendant. “Her Majesty gave this pendant to Gabriel to protect him. He never took it off which means he always cared for his mother more than he admits p>
“And he passed it to you,” Mabel replied.
“I didn’t mean to take it, Your Majesty. If I knew p>
“It was meant to be yours one day,” Mabel affirmed.
Amelie got confused, and she lowered her hand to her side. “I-I thought Her Majesty was annoyed with the fact that Gabriel gave it to me p>
“I was surprised,” Mabel answered. “He had many casual flings in the past. He used to see Alpha she-wolves, many came from strong Alpha lineages. So, I never expected him to give it to a woman he met for the first time and blindly trusted her.” Then, turning to Amelie, she looked into her eyes.
“You’ve a wolf, don’t you?” Mabel asked.
“No. I’m wolf-less. It was revealed in a ritual,” Amelie admitted.
“You’ve a wolf, but it’s bound by a spell,” Mabel stated. “A wolf-less omega can’t get the mate’s scent. But you got it from Gabriel. And I saw your eyes gleaming last day when we argued,” she explained, a small smile began forming on her lips.
“I’m sorry about that. I truly didn’t wish to argue with you,” Amelie said, feeling guilty again.
“Amelie, I’ll tell you why I always remained so cold to Gabriel. However, you’ve to promise me you won’t utter a single word to him,” Mabel affirmed.
“But he deserves to know. More than anyone, he should know why his mother never showed loved to him,” Amelie spoke her mind.
“Because of the curse he carries from his past life. He was betrayed in love in the past and the only remedy to remove that curse was never let him know what love is, let him crave for it, but not give him that love. The High Priestess mentioned that he’s destined to suffer in this birth too for something he did in the past,” Mabel revealed to her, “and it’d related to his mate p>
Amelie was shocked to learn that. She recalled about the nightmare she got twice in a row. A frown of worry appeared on her forehead, and once again, her heart raced in anxiety.
“Was that why Her Majesty didn’t want me to marry Gabriel? And would he be hurt if I-I stay with him? Will it cost him his life?” Amelie questioned.
“Maybe,” Mabel replied. “But according to the high priestess, Gabriel was destined to suffer after some time if he would receive the love. A price he has to pay,” she muttered.
Amelie’s hands started trembling in fear.
“I leave the decision to you, Amelie,” Mabel said. “I asked you the previous day to prove you’re worthy to be on his side. So, this will be your task p>
She paused for a moment before continuing, “I won’t ask you to leave Gabriel anymore. But I do want something from you. Find the cure to his curse. He asked me about a mark recently. I’m sure you bear the same one on your body p>
Amelie’s brows furrowed in confusion and surprise.
“Speak to your mother,” Mabel added. “She must know something. That mark is not ordinary, it’s tied to your past. And keep all this conversation hidden from him. If you believe in your mate bond, this Moon Goddess guided fate, then you’ll definitely save Gabriel. As a mother, I did everything I could do. I realized that I’ve to stop now p>
Amelie curled her fingers into fists as she nodded her head. “I’ll do it, Your Majesty. Thank you for telling me the truth. Since you put your faith in me, I’ll prove it to you p>
This unimaginable strength suddenly came in Amelie’s body. A few moments ago, she feared thinking about the nightmare. But now, she got a direction and understood how she had to start working toward it.