Chapter 113: Chapter 113

SAMALAH:

Blast it, Tristan! How could he say those things to me?

I was the only one who was there by his side from the very beginning. I was his only friend and lover… How could he betray me that easily?

I walked back to camp and saw Dahlia’s back, sleeping in her cot.

I really wanted to kill this slut as soon as possible! Even without her memories, she kept on seducing my Tristan! I should dispose of her as soon as I can.

I fingered the dagger I kept hidden in the folds of my skirt. Blast this snake! May bitches like her never see the light of another day!

“Samalah,” Dahlia uttered as she turned towards me. I had to let go of the blade I was planning to sink in her flesh just now. “I’m so sorry you had to see that… Are you alright?”

Damn it! This fool was always lucky. Why did she have to turn around just before I could slash her veins wide open?

“Sleep some more, sister,” I said as sweetly as I could, but my voice still gave way.

I slipped by the makeshift cot in front of Dahlia. She eyed me silently with doleful eyes.

“Do you… By any chance, do you like Naskan,” she asked quietly.

“No, of course not,” I said. I was betrayed by a tear that fell from my eyes however.

Dahlia reached out to my face and wiped the tear, which only fueled more and more tears to fall down from me.

“I’m sorry, Samalah… Sorry you had to see that earlier.”

Damn this woman! How dare she comfort me like this when she was the very reason I was being abandoned by my Tristan?!

“I had loved him since we were young, Dahlly… But recently… he’s hung up on you… I just couldn’t get through him anymore,” I said in broken sentences as more water gushed out from my eyes.

“I’m sorry… Does he know how you feel?”

I shook my head. “No… I don’t know… But, does it matter? He likes you a lot.”

“I’ll help you… I don’t like him the same way he likes me anyway…”

I clasped Dahlia’s hands. “Really, sister? Will you do that for me? You’ll definitely help me win his heart, right?”

“Y-Yes,” she said in surprise. “I’ll help you… Anything for Samalah…”

“Thank you! Thank you, Dahlly,” I exclaimed, trying to sound as gleeful as I could. “You’re really heaven sent, you know!”

She patted my back gently. “No… You’re the one who was heaven sent… If you didn’t rescue me, who knows what could have happened?”

Yes… That’s it, Dahlia. You are indebted to me. You don’t know how much self-control and willpower it was taking for me just to keep you alive! You don’t know how much it takes for me to keep my emotions at bay when all I really wanted was to kill you and that wretched child you made with my Tristan!

“Please help me, sister… I really think Naskan is the one for me… I just can’t let him go. I love him so much,” I said as pitifully as I could.

“I’ll talk to him… Don’t cry anymore…”

Yes, Dahlly… You should be the one crying liters of blood and tears, and not me…

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TRISTAN:

After running for a long time in the dead of the night, my burning feelings of desire and hatred had gradually ebbed away.

I used this time as well to send a secret letter to Livia back in Talandor. Sir Casior must have already told her what had happened at the auction by now, so she must be worried about me and Dahlia… She’s the only one I could fully trust with all this after all…

I used to think I could trust Samalah with my life, but after seeing how she schemed, used, and tricked me, I was having enough of it.

I hated the fact that my mate is so trustful of her right now. Somehow, in all possible ways, I must protect Dahlly from Samalah and her wicked schemes...

When I went back to our campsite in the middle of the night, everything was quiet. I kneeled at Dahlia’s sleeping form next to Samalah. I only wanted to check if she was still breathing and if everything was alright.

I didn’t expect Dahlia to still be awake.

“Naskan,” she mouthed. “Let’s talk.”

She led me back into the river’s edge. By now, the early signs of twilight can be seen in the sky.

“What is it? Did Samalah do something while I was away,” I asked frantically. I searched for any traces of injuries in Dahlly’s body, but thankfully, there was none.

“We… We have to stop this,” she said quietly.

“Stop what?”

“Whatever it is you feel for me – whether it’s lust or something else – we’ve got to stop this.”

“Dahlly… What I feel for you, I’m sure it’s beyond lust. I’ve felt this for you for a long time…”

“I don’t remember any of those times, Naskan… And even if I do, this is all wrong. You shouldn’t come to me again. Please stop chasing me around.”

“You don’t understand, Dahlia. It’s not something I have control of. We are fated mates,” I said as I clutched Dahlia’s shoulders so that she’s forced to look me in the eyes since she was avoiding my stares. “Don’t tell me you do not feel it, Dahlia. I know you feel the pull of our bond too.”

“No, I don’t,” she said, still avoiding eye contact. “I don’t feel it.”

“Liar,” I growled quietly.

“So, what I if do? This is all wrong. I’m married to someone else, and I’m -,” her eyes widened as if she had realized she wasn’t supposed to say something to me.

“You’re what? What’s stopping you, Dahlly? What is stopping you from being with me,” I asked. “Was it Samalah? Did she ask you to push me away?”

“What? No… She didn’t ask me anything.” Once again, Dahlia’s stares where directed to the ground.

“Again, you’re lying to me. What did Samalah say to you? And why are you letting her overpower your decisions like this? ”

“Naskan, Samalah has been nothing but kind to me. She had taken care of me all this time… This is the least that I can do.”

So my hunch was right. This had everything to do with Samalah.

“Listen, if you don’t stop this nonsense, I’m going to have to do something extreme,” Dahlly threatened.

“And what is that?” I clutched Dahlia’s body, closer to me, but she resisted. She continued to look at me with hateful eyes.

She blurted something I didn’t expect at all.

“I, Dahlia, as witnessed by the Moon Goddess Selene, am rejecting you, Naskan Olrich, as my fated mate!”