The Lycan King's Fate Calling novel Chapter 1089

Crystal's POV:

I trudged back to my palace in low spirits, slumping on the bench in the garden. I could feel my heart slowly dying inside me.

Rufus had been so cold to me, as if I were an outsider. It had only been last night when we made love so passionately, yet he had treated me like I was some garbage to be disposed of.

A sob broke out of me. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't been completely sober last night, and probably hadn't recognized me.

I should be relieved that Rufus did not discover my identity, but it was the last thing on my mind. I was barely holding myself back from storming into his room and screaming at him that it had been me last night.

I pulled at my hair in frustration. Things could not be any worse than they were now.

Goddess, what should I do?

"Rufus is about to have a new mate and move on. Isn't that what you have long foreseen?" Yana's voice came to me. "You've been expecting this, so what are you being so miserable for?"

I sobbed again as I thought back to the scene of Rufus and Adela flirting with each other. At the time, it felt as though my heart was drowning inside my chest. "I can accept it, Yana. Rufus is mine. I can't stand by and watch him fall in love with another she-wolf." "It's too late to think that way. Rufus himself declared his intentions to marry Adela. She will be the new queen of the empire. You have no choice but to accept it. No matter how painful it is, you need to face the cold, hard truth." Despite her words, Yana sounded just as upset as I was.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to block out some of the pain. Tears were streaming freely down my cheeks. "I know, I know it better than anyone. I thought I was prepared for this day to come, but I... I just didn't expect to see it unfold before my very eyes. I wish it all happened without my knowledge." "Stop deceiving yourself. Even if you weren't there, you will still find out sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. You must accept it. Fate has decided." Yana was ruthless, but I had to admit that she made a lot of sense. She was right. All this time, I had been deceiving myself. I was crazy enough to think that the cold and menacing Rufus would not find a new love so easily. I had been lying to myself up until today, when I couldn't lie anymore. Reality had slapped me in the face.

I cried out with the pain of that realization. "I will accept it, Yana. I know I will in time. But I still feel miserable. I love him so much. I just don't want to..." I paused as something occurred to me, and I took a steadying breath. "Or we can just escape back to the border now. I don't want to stay here any longer. I want to leave this place and go as far as I can get!" "Enough!" Yana interrupted harshly.

"You haven't changed at all, have you? You're still the same coward that you used to be! Every time something happens, the first thing you do is run away. If you don't want to see Rufus wed another she-wolf, then the solution is very simple. Go and stop them! Tell Rufus that you are his mate and that you've given birth to his children. How much worse can things get? You have nothing to be afraid of. So what if fate appears to have decreed it? We will never know for sure unless we challenge it."

I sniffled and stared blankly at my feet. "It's too late, Yana," I murmured. "I can't do that. I can't be so

selfish..."

Before I could finish speaking, a familiar voice rang out loud and clear behind me.

"Crystal! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

Startled, I whirled around to see Laura through my tears. "What are you doing here?"