Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Chapter 40 Don't go

LUCIUS' POV

For the next couple of days, I tried to spend as much time as possible with Maia. Even though she said that I could only join her during meals, I have asked her to teach me how to paint. Luckily, she agreed to teach me.

What she did not know was that I heard everything she said that afternoon. Lucian scolded me for her doubts. Pretending to be asleep while she was letting out her emotions was hard. What was even harder was trying to keep my dick not to go hard as well. I wanted to tell her that I wanted the same thing. Fuck! I want to fuck her all night and hear her scream my name until she falls asleep and wakes up to her angelic face every single day.

"You're lost in your thoughts again, Lucius. Did you even hear a word I said?" Neal asked, pulling me out of my trance.

I let out a deep sigh and looked at Neal.

"What happened?" he asked, sitting on the chair across my table.

"Maia," was all I said as I leaned my head on the head rest of my chair.

"Did you two fight again?" he asked.

"No! We don't fight!" I exclaimed, letting out a growl in the process.

As much as I would like to think about it, I do not want us to fight. Although, these small misunderstandings are getting in the way and making her push me away.

"Huh. You say you don't fight, but you two don't talk. Okay. I can roll with that. I thought you two were fine after the picnic you had," he commented.

"Something happened that day, Neal. She thought I was asleep, but I heard everything she said. It pains me to hear her say those words to me, but what do I do? I am conflicted, Neal," I replied.

"Hold on. I don't understand. Tell me everything so that I can help. I'm not some witch who can read your mind, you dummy." he rolled his eyes.

I let out an exasperated sigh and told him the part where Maia said when she thought I was sleeping minus the sex part. Damn! He would drive me crazy if he knew.

"Well, she has a point, Lucius. With Pamela still in the castle and her constantly creating a scene, Maia would really think that you care for Pamela way more than her. I mean, when are you even going to tell her about Maia? For all Pamela knows, she is just some bitch you are fucking at night. Do you really want her to think that?" Neal asked.

Lucian growled when Neal called her a bitch which made him smirk.

"How am I supposed to talk to her when she's acting like a child? More so, how am I supposed to break it to her that I have found my mate? It will break her heart and I don't know if I can do that to her. She's been there for me all this time," I reasoned out.

What Neal does not know was Pamela's feelings towards me. With her confession a year ago and our years of friendship, I knew that it would not end well for the both of us. Either way, it would break her heart even though she knew that this day would come.

"Why do I have a feeling that there is something more that you are not telling me?" Neal asked, looking at me.

"You already know the rest," I simply said.

"Well, you have to choose, Lucius, either Pamela or Maia. You can't have both. In the end, one of them is bound to get hurt. It's up to you who that person is. You have to choose wisely," Neal replied before leaving me alone with my thoughts.

He was right. I can only choose one and I know who I should choose, but the fact that I was going to hurt one of them pained me. My brain was about to explode from all the thinking when one of the guards interrupted me.

'King Alpha, someone is requesting your presence,' he said through the mind link.

'Who is at the door?' I asked the guard.

'It is Emily, the omega, King Alpha,' he replied.

'Let her in.' I instructed.

The door opened and Emily entered.

"King Alpha," she greeted, bowing her head.

"What can I do for you? Is there something the Queen Luna wants?" I asked.

"No, King Alpha. I am here to inform you that we have already prepared lunch. Should we bring it up to the Queen Luna's room now or should we wait?" she replied, asking for the next instruction.

"Okay. Please bring the food to her room now. I will be right up. Thank you," I said.

Before I left my office, I decided to finish the request on my desk. It was another request from the farmers asking if they can have more variety of seeds to plant on the new sector. I quickly signed the papers and put it on the tray of approved requests.

I opened the door when I came face to face with Pamela.

"Heading out for lunch?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Great. Let's go together then," she said.

"I'm sorry. I already made arrangements with Maia," I apologized.

"So, that's just it? You are going to deliberately ignore me while I'm here? If that's your plan to get me to leave, let me tell you this. I am not leaving this castle until she is here. As long as she is here and so am I," she said before storming off.

I let out a sigh and shook my head before heading upstairs to Maia's room. Once I arrived, the guards knocked on the door and Emily opened it.

"Queen Luna, King Alpha is here," Emily announced.

Maia looked up from the book she was reading and smiled.

"Thanks, Emily."

After I dismissed Emily, I headed over to where Maia was.

"How was your morning?" I asked.

"It was good. What about yours?"

"It was good although it was quite boring," I replied.

She stifled a laugh as she hid her face.

"I'm sorry for being late. Did you wait for a long time?" I asked.

"No. They have just brought the food up a while ago," she answered.

"Let's eat while the food is still warm," I suggested and lead her towards the table.

I pulled out a chair for her before sitting on the other side. While we were eating we casually talked about random stuff every couple of minutes.

After lunch, we sat by her balcony drinking tea when she asked me a question that I do not know how to answer.

"Who is Pamela in your life?" she asked.

"Uhm. Pamela is my best friend and a childhood friend. Our parents were good friends, and we practically grew up together," I said, omitting the fact that she was my chosen mate.

"Why is she acting territorial with you, then?" she asked.

I was sweating with her questions. It felt as if I was being interrogated for a crime I did not commit.

I cleared my throat and looked at my cup.

"Uhm... It's because... uhm," I stuttered.

She looked me in the eye and asked, "Is she your chosen mate?"

I felt the world stop spinning.

"She was," I answered.

"She is." She corrected me.

"Maia," was all I got to say before she interrupted me.

"I would like to ask for a favor. Being here cooped up in this room has really taken a toll on me, especially with Lady Pamela around. I would like to request to leave. Even though I bear your mark on my neck, it doesn't mean that I am the Queen Luna. You chose her in the first place. That means she is important to you. My appearance has caused nothing but trouble to you and this kingdom. I don't mean to bring any harm to anybody. So, I wish you could honor my request," she said.

At that moment, I wanted to growl and lock her up in my room. I wanted to fully claim her as mine and mate her so that she would know that she was the one I wanted.

"No. Please don't leave. I need you. I want you!" I begged.

"That's the mate bond talking, Lucius. It's okay. I understand. It's not fair for Lady Pamela to be treated like this. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Maybe life will be better for us in another life. For now, I have to let you go but I promise to fight for you in the second life," she said, pulling me into a hug.

"Maia, no. Please. Tell me what to do for you to stay. I will do it. Don't go, please..." I begged.

She pulled away from the hug and shook her head.

"Love her like you would love me. That's all I ask," she said.

No matter how hard I begged, she did not change her mind. I even kneeled in front of her and told her that I will do anything.

She walked towards her closet and pulled out a backpack. She stopped by the door and looked back.

"Please, don't look for me," she requested before leaving.

I sat there on the floor with tears flowing down my face. Even though she did not reject me, I still felt the pain of a rejection. Or worse.

What have I done?

What do I do?