Chapter 93: Chapter 93

TRISTAN:

I looked at Dahlia’s face, and I knew she was deathly serious. Her words kept on repeating inside my head.

“You are not my mate, and after this, we’ll have to stop becoming husband and wife too…”

I couldn’t restrain my feelings anymore. I grabbed her by the arm and locked her in an embrace.

“Dahlia, tell me you didn’t mean that,” I grunted.

“Mean what,” she replied, feigning ignorance on what I meant.

My wolves were enraged. It was full of chaotic shouts inside our head, but all I could manage to whisper were my desperate pleas.

“You didn’t mean it, right?... Are you really going to leave me?”

“What’s the point of staying together? You are not my mate, and I am not yours…”

I didn’t like the answer she gave me before, and I certainly did not like it now.

Fighting the urge to crush her in my arms, I could only give her a very pained response.

“You know that’s not true!”

How can she think she was someone else’s mate? Was it not enough that the mark she had made on my body was still here - pulsating, throbbing uncontrollably for the need to be near her at all times?

“Which between us is true and which one is false, Tristan,” Dahlia began to ask. “Was anything between us – anything – ever true, or were they all lies?... Did you even really love me at all?”

Tears trickled down the corners of her lovely eyes. I stopped and look at the hurt in her face, the confusion, and the loss.

How did I not see it? My Dahlia was still suffering from what she had discovered about me. She was still clearly in pain, and yet, she was here, willing to extend a helping hand towards me…

Dahlia was still hurt, but during the darkest, most desperate moment of my life, she was here.

How could I ever deserve her? How could I ever replace all the love she had ever given me? Everything I had brought her from the very start was mere pain.

How could I ever ask such an angel to take my heart back in again?...

Slowly, I let her small frame go. I never deserved being her mate, and no matter what I do, I shall never deserve her at all.

She dried the tears on her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore, Tristan. Our relationship will end this night… I agreed to Livia’s request to help you today, but after this, let’s not see each other anymore… Even when we see each other, let’s just act as strangers, just like how we used to be in the beginning.”

My head understood her reasons, but my heart couldn’t simply accept it.

Am I being too greedy if I say I still wanted her? Will it be too much for me to ask her to stay beside me over and over again despite the hurt she was feeling?

Before I could even act out all the carnal impulse that filling my head and my body, a knock came by the door. Shortly after, the door of the room opened. The masked attendant had returned.

“My lord and lady, the auction will start soon. Please get ready.”

I grabbed the mask I wore and put it over my face. I looked at Dahlia. And after seeing her struggle a bit on her mask, I adjusted it for her.

“Let’s talk about the status of our relationship later. I don’t think today was a good time to discuss it anyway… Please promise me you will hear me out before making any decisions,” I said as calmly as I could.

The masked attendant led us into an underground passage that was dark, dingy, and utterly maze-like. After what felt like a good one hour, we have finally reached a hall that was full of masked people in silken gown and flashy attires.

As expected, a lot of people in our midst must belong to the upper class based on how they dressed and presented themselves.

I can also sense different kinds of magical auras emanating from them. I was able to spot not only vampires and werewolves, but also fairies with their sleek hair and pointy ears, witches and warlocks, who never go anywhere without their familiars, and even dragons…

Just what sort of things are they going to auction in this place, I wonder.

I looked at Dahlia beside me, and in an instant, I became aware that several other creatures were watching her very closely too.

I wrapped an arm around Dahlly.

“Stay close, honey,” I said out loud deliberately. It was a bad thing to let people know the nature of one’s relationship during such circumstance, but I didn’t care. I just hated how lustfully they stared at her despite wearing my suit and a jacket over her dress.

I began to think, what was it that was drawing them close to Dahlia? Was it her smell?

Wasn’t I supposed to be the only one who should be drawn to her smell?...

A loud thud at the center of the stage stole everyone’s attention from Dahlia towards the announcer.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the hidden guild’s auction. I pray you find all the fantastical elements that you are looking for here tonight, but mind you, everything comes with a fitting price…”

I scanned through the crowd. Everybody had no reaction. Somehow, the atmosphere felt similar to a game of poker just now...

Was this really how black market auctions work? Or was it because the items here are of value beyond our wildest dreams that it would be too difficult to express one’s preference, lest other people will use it against you?

“We have very lovely items here tonight, everyone, but everything would pale in comparison to the star of our evening,” the announcer proclaimed.

With a flourish from his hand, two more attendants pushing a small thing on a podium hidden by a cloth entered the stage.

The moment it came on stage, I felt a strange, electrifying presence.

“Tonight, we will be presenting this beauty as our final item. To get you all energized for the auction, let me give you a glimpse of our most precious prize – the red ruby of the Shadow Runes!”

At the exact moment that he lifted the cloth from the podium to present the item, I was able to feel it – the overwhelming presence of a familiar wolf, and a deathly stare that went with it...