Minutes later, after Rayn reached out to the other brothers telepathically, they all arrived at the Monteveldo residence. Rayn had helped Rowan to a chair and had gotten him a glass of water. He explained to the brothers what had transpired, while Rowan remained visibly shaken.
Therron was the first to say, “How will we tell Athyna? She will be destroyed by this.”
Rayn suggested, “We need to get Mother and Sharra here to assist. Given that you are the closest to her, you should probably be here as well.”
“I guess you are right. Does anyone know where she is?” Therron wanted to know.
“No, and we sent the servants away. We thought to spare Voldruk any humiliation, but I am glad we did. At least they were spared his suicide. The servants will not be back until later this evening.”
Therron firmly said, “Then I will just wait here for her. I will send for Mother and Sharra, and they can wait with me.
Moments later, Annalise, Sharra, and Maddie arrived. Annalise quickly went to Rowan and held him in her arms. She knew how close the two men were and knew Voldruk’s death was rocking Rowan’s world. “Come, my dear. I want to take you home. I will let Therron and Sharra wait to comfort Athyna.”
After they left, Maddie and Rayn also left. Rayn was not nearly as upset as his father, and he explained this to Maddie. His anger at Voldruk for having a hand in Maddie’s abduction drove Rayn to the point of absolute fury that right now, he did not feel remotely sorry for what had happened.
“Rayn, eventually, you will lose this anger, and then you will feel remorse. I just don’t want you to feel any responsibility for this. Voldruk chose this path for himself. The other thing is that your father will need you now. Rowan’s close friend committed atrocities to his family and then he witnessed his suicide. That is too much for any man to bear,” Maddie concluded.
“You are right, Maddie. Father does need me now.”
When they were back at the palace, Rayn said, “I will go to be with him. Would you like to come with me?”
“No. I think it would be better if he grieved in private with only you there. I am here if you need me though,” she told him as she leaned in to embrace him. They stood together for a brief time and then Rayn left to join his father.
Chapter 16
Athyna had been very upset with her father for his attitude toward Rayn throughout the trial. They had exchanged heated words, which then escalated into a full-blown argument. She accused Voldruk of being obstinate and hard headed, and she told him his attitude was bordering on insolence.
Voldruk had exploded then and told her she was an ignorant fool. That did not suit well at all with Athyna. For all her faults, ignorance was not one of them. They hadn’t spoken since then, and she had just about enough. She was going to confront him and tell him that if he couldn’t bring himself to apologize to Rayn and the rest of the Yarristers, she would have no choice but to move away from this house. She was humiliated beyond belief that he had acted in such a cruel and heartless manner.
She burst through the doors only to come to a halt by the presence of Therron and Sharra. The manner in which she entered the house startled the Yarristers, and all three of them just looked at each other open-mouthed.
“What is going on?” Athyna asked. Then she realized how rude that must sound, so she continued by saying, “Forgive me. That was very rude of me. I was just a bit taken aback when I saw you here. I wasn’t expecting visitors. Please, come in…”
Before she could utter another word, Therron cut her off by saying, “Athyna, we have come to tell you something.” He approached her and took her hands in his.
The look in his eyes must have given him away because Athyna immediately said, “What is it? What has happened?”
“Please, come in and sit,” he said. Athyna allowed him to lead her to a sitting room where Sharra joined them, who looked on with sadness.
“I don’t want to sit. Tell me what’s happening here, Therron!” she pleaded, her voice laced with concern.
“Athyna, it is your father. He has…” Therron’s voice trailed off. For all of his bravery, he found he did not have the heart to tell her. She looked at him wide-eyed, and he glanced at his sister, imploring her with his eyes to tell Athyna.
“Athyna, my friend, your father is no longer with us,” Sharra informed her gently.
“What do you mean? Where is he?” she wanted to know.
“He has died,” Sharra told her.
Athyna eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “No, he cannot be gone. I just... I did not...” She couldn’t go on.
Therron put his arms around her and held her while she silently sobbed. He looked at Sharra, and all she could do was shake her head.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to Therron and asked him what had happened. They had decided that she needed to know the whole truth, as difficult as it would be for her to hear. Athyna was much too wise to accept any kind of glib explanation, and if she were to find out the truth elsewhere, she would never forgive them.
Therron said to his sister, “I think Athyna and I need some time together so that I can explain things to her. I will bring her home with me later.”
Sharra nodded and said, “If you need anything, please reach out to me.”
When Therron and Athyna were alone, he told her everything that they had discovered from the very beginning, concluding with his suicide. Athyna was numb with shock. She knew there had been something different about her father lately, but she never imagined he would stoop to those levels. What saddened and disgusted her the most was that lives, precious lives, were lost.
“I don’t think I can ever forgive him, Therron. There is no excuse for his behavior. To say he did it for me is ludicrous. He did it for himself… for the power. Thank the Deity my mother never saw this side of him. It would surely have killed her,” she said with repugnance. “Oh, my goodness! To think he nearly killed Rayn’s female, and then sat at Rayn’s trial! My word! What kind of a sick male could do that? To your family no less? Our fathers were so close, and our mothers were best friends. Ooh, if he were still here, I think I would have killed him myself,” she added.
Therron let her vent all of her anger before saying, “Are you going to be alright, Athyna? I know you are beyond angry right now…”
“Therron, you have no idea!” she vehemently said.
“Eventually, it will pass. Then, what will you do?” he inquired.
“What do you mean?” she asked him in confusion.
“Will you be ok? I guess what I am asking is did your father leave his affairs in order? Will you be taken care of?”
“I do not know. I never thought of asking him about that kind of thing,” she replied.
Therron stood up and took Athyna’s hand in his, helping her to her feet. “Come with me,” he said as he led her to the kitchen. Once there, he poured her a glass of water. “I think we need to check on all of that, but I feel pretty confident that Voldruk left everything in order for you. He was a meticulous man when it came to details, so I do not think you have anything to worry about in that regard. One other thing, we are not going to make the details of this known. It is unnecessary now.”
“Thank you, Therron,” she said softly. “I do not know what I would have done if you had not been here. Thank you,” she said with sincerity.
Therron looked at her, and for no apparent reason, he started seeing her in a different light. He had never noticed Athyna before. He had always looked at her as a friend, but when he looked at her now, he saw her beauty shining through. He chided himself, as this was not the time to be thinking these thoughts. He pushed them to the back of him mind and said, “My family wants you to come and stay with us for a time. Will you do that?”
“Oh, I do not truly think that is necessary…”
He wouldn’t let her finish. “Please, Athyna, if you say ‘no,’ my mother will hound me for the rest of my life, curse me, and do all sorts of horrific tortuous things to me.�
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She let a giggle escape through her lips and said, “I cannot picture Annalise doing any of those things, but if you think I can save you from all of that, then how can I refuse?”
“Perhaps you should go and pack a few things, and we can be on our way,” he suggested.
Chapter 17
Athyna had stayed with the Yarristers for several weeks when she decided it was time to return home. A week after Voldruk’s suicide, she found a letter from him confessing everything to her. He apologized profusely for his actions, but she still could not forgive him for all the heartache he had caused. As suspected, Voldruk had all of his affairs in order, so Athyna would be well cared for financially.
Therron breathed a sigh of relief over that. He had become increasingly interested in her during the time she spent with his family. She was a loving female with a kind heart. He didn’t want her to have worries of any kind.
Athyna had grown close with Maddie as well. The three young females were often in each other’s company, with Sharra continuing to plan the unification ceremony and subsequent reception for Rayn and Maddie. Maddie was becoming overwhelmed with all of her ideas, and Athyna and become a good buffer for Maddie. Sharra and Athyna both noticed Maddie’s agitation and frustration, and they began to wonder about it. They originally surmised it was a case of the jitters, but Maddie refused their questions and was becoming impossibly uncooperative with Sharra. Finally, Sharra threw her arms in the air and stormed out one afternoon. Maddie went to her quarters and sulked.
It was on that day that Maddie became conscious of how much she wanted to postpone her marriage. She loved Rayn with all of her heart, but there was so much she needed to understand about herself. She knew it would be unfair to him to push forward with this. Rayn would not be happy about this; in fact, this would hurt him immensely. Maddie knew she had to act, and act fast, before things were at the point of no return.
********
Maddie paced around her room, wearing holes in the rugs, while she anxiously waited for Rayn to arrive. She dreaded this upcoming conversation because she knew it was going to intensely hurt him. She wrung her hands, trying to expel her nervous energy. She had rehearsed this time and again in her head, trying to talk herself out of this decision to no avail. In the depths of her heart, she realized this was the right thing to do. Once again she darted a glance out the window to see if there was any sign of his arrival.
She finally plopped herself down on the side of her bed. She hadn’t slept well in several days due to this decision of hers, and the lack of sleep was evident in the deep purple hues beneath her eyes. She hoped and prayed Rayn would forgive her and maybe try to understand. She dropped her head to the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to alleviate the throbbing in her temples.
Without warning, the door to her chambers burst open, and Rayn was at her side in a millisecond. She doubted she would ever get used to his inhuman speed. She also felt her guilt increase a hundred fold.
“What is it? I was told you needed to see me and that it was urgent. Are you ok? You’re not ill, are you?” he anxiously inquired, as he took her into his arms.
“No, I’m not sick, Rayn. I’m fine—physically, that is,” she answered, leaning away from him.
“Then, what is it? You do not look like you are fine. You look… very stressed. Are you sure you are ok?” he persisted.
His concern cut into her heart, and his worried expression nearly brought her to tears. She thought how easy it would be for them both to just continue on this course, but then, she knew she couldn’t do it.
She quickly rose to her feet and said, “I need to discuss something with you—something that you’re not going to like. It’s something that you may even hate me for,” she whispered.
Rayn stood next to her and took her hands in his. She looked into his eyes and saw the concern—no, it was more like fear—reflecting back to her. He knows, she thought. He knows what I am getting ready to tell him.
“Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess or intrude on your thoughts?” he asked pointedly.
She detected an edge to his voice—one that was normally never present, even in the worst of times. Her Rayn was always so calm and collected, never letting anything upset him. She could feel his distress; it was palpable.
She drew in a shaky breath and began, “I cannot marry you right now.”
She cast her eyes downward, not daring to look at him because she knew it would destroy her resolve.
“I love you with everything I possess, but I feel like I have been thrown into a whole new life, which truly I have, and I must explore this new world I am a part of before I can give myself completely to you. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us if I don’t do this. I have so much to learn about your world, which is now my world, about my family and myself, and about how I fit into all of this. I know this is where I belong. I already feel an attachment to Vesturon. I feel attached to my grandparents as well. And I know I don’t have to tell you how attached I am to you and your family. But there is so much more for me to explore and learn. I have to do this, Rayn. Please understand. I still want to marry you. You own my heart and soul, and I love you more than anything. But I need to do this first. I need to get to know Maddie again—as a Vesturion. I only hope and pray that you can find it in your heart to understand. I also hope and pray you will wait for me. I’m sorry I’m rambling, but I had to get this all out.”
Only when she finished was she able to look at Rayn.
Maddie’s heart nearly broke with the anguish written all over his face. To say he was devastated was an understatement. She reached out to him, but he stood and backed away. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of her, but he wouldn’t allow her to touch him.
“Oh, Sunshine, it is not what you think. You cannot touch me now because I do not want you to feel the pain I am currently experiencing. I would impart that to you, and I do not want that. I guess I should have expected this, with all of your hesitation and your emotional ups and downs as of late. I do understand you; I truly do. I guess I was hoping that you could explore and grow and learn about yourself with me by your side, teaching you and learning about you as well. Is there not any way I can convince you to change your mind? I will not beg you; I am simply asking.”
Maddie shook her head and said, “My decision is made. I am so sorry for this, Rayn.”
Rayn could read Maddie’s distress and didn’t doubt for a moment that she was miserable over all of this.
“Ok, then, where do we go from here?” he asked.
She was silent for a moment, and then, she opened up the subject of her moving in with her grandparents. She wanted to learn all about her family tree, and she had so many questions for them. She also wanted to see Rayn every day. What she really wanted was for him to decide for her.
“I cannot make those decisions for you. That is something only you can do. I want you to know that I will support you in every way—whatever you decide. I will also tell you that I am not going to give up on us. I will give you your space and time, but I will not rest until you and I are truly united.” He nearly growled this out to her, so she knew how serious about this he was.
He stalked around the room for a few minutes while Maddie watched. She knew he was either thinking about something or trying to get a hold of his emotions—or a combination of both. He finally stopped and approached her with his unnatural speed.
He put his hand on the back of her neck and roughly pulled her to him. He cupped her cheek with his other hand and bent his head down and roughly captured her lips in his. His kiss caught her by surprise and nearly melted her on the spot. The electric current that existed between them came to life, igniting both of them.
He kissed her fervently, as if he were to trying to etch the kiss in his memory. He had never kissed her like this before. This was no gentle exploration, but instead, it was a ravaging of her mouth, taking every possible bit of passion from her. His lips left hers and traveled down
to the curve of her neck. He buried his face there, breathing in her essence. Then, he slid his tongue along the length of it, painting a path of swirls as he inched along. Maddie was on fire from his invasion of her senses. Several minutes passed before he lifted his head and sought out her eyes. He saw the paths of her tears on her cheeks. With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped them away.
He drew a ragged breath and swore, “I do not have to tell you that I do not like this. I know you feel that. I love you, Maddie. I will always love you. I will wait for as long as you need. Whenever you are ready, just say the word.” He released her and made his way to the door.
“Rayn, wait! We still need to figure everything out.” She wanted to have her plans in place before he left. She didn’t count on what he did next.
“Maddie, I said I would wait, but I never said that I would make this easy on you. You have to decide what to do next. That is your decision to make, not mine. One other thing: you need to tell my family about your decision. They have a right to know.”
The shock was written all over Maddie. She hadn’t thought of his family throughout all of this. She agreed with him in that it should be her responsibility to tell his family; after all, it was her decision.
“You’re right. It is my duty to tell them, and I will. Would it be too much to ask you to be there when I tell them?”
She knew how it would pain him. She didn’t want him to carry any responsibility for this decision, nor did she want him to suffer any humiliation because of it. She didn’t expect him to agree to this. After all, she was making him look like a fool, but she owed it to him and his family to fill them in on everything.
“Maddie, I find it exceedingly difficult to believe that you do not understand this by now. I would walk through fire for you. Did you not think I would be there with you?” Rayn was curious to hear her answer. He wanted her to understand that this decision of hers changed nothing about his feelings for her. “I will always be by your side, no matter what. I will always come to you when you need me. I will always be there for you.”
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