Chapter 6 Matilda's POV

Matilda's POV

He was curious about me?

Those chases, those sweet words, all that wanting... Was it all because he was curious about me?

Was that why he treated me that way last night? Was that why he gave my cup to Lady Lucinda?

Perhaps he had been distancing himself from me because he wanted Lady Lucinda instead.

I wished he had rejected me from the beginning. I wished he had spoken those words and severed the string with the enchanted blade.

Though the breaking of bonds burns with unbearable pain, I believe my wolf could have withstood it for a night and recovered by the next morning. I wasn't a second-rank wolf for nothing.

"Lady Matilda Fairfax?"

I sensed someone approaching as I struggled to walk toward my training ground.

"Lady Lucinda Blackwood. What a pleasant surprise," I said with a fake smile.

"Very much so," she smiled.

"What brings you to the East District?" I asked, the pain of Cedric's remarks lingering at the back of my mind.

"I came to visit Lord Cedric. He needed my attention," she replied.

"I see," I nodded as though it were normal.

"I heard that you are his mate. How true is that?"

"Very true."

"How unfortunate."

"Why do you say so?"

"You are too old for a king," she stated plainly.

"Lord Cedric claims that fact has no effect on him."

"You do not believe that he alone makes such decisions, do you?"

She got me there. Cedric had mentioned it once, but he said he was waiting until he had the power to claim me.

"He is going to marry me," she said.

I said nothing.

"How bold of you to think he'd choose an old hag," she added in the most annoying way possible.

"Isn't my lady older too?" I asked.

Looking amused, she stared at me before letting out a mocking chuckle.

"How could I blame you? I sometimes mistakenly think that everyone I associate with dwells within my category. Don't get me wrong, I'm not associating myself with you, but you seem to be doing so, which must be why you think I am..." She laughed with arrogant amusement. "...at your level. Do not do that, Lady Matilda. Stop stooping this low."

She shook her head as though she pitied me.

I simply stood there, pondering why she was trying so hard to prove herself when she was only a fourth-rank wolf.

I sighed silently and turned away from her.

"Ah!"

She suddenly screamed, throwing herself to the ground and summoning her claws to scratch her own arm.

I looked at her in confusion.

"Are you mad?" I asked.

"Matilda!"

A roar sounded from behind me.

I turned around and there was Cedric and his friends standing not too far away.

Tearing his fierce gaze away from me, he rushed to Lucinda as though she were in grave danger.

Good grief.

I sighed.

The drama was all to get Cedric's attention?

So I simply stood there, watching what he would do next.

"Tell me you're alright, my lady," Cedric said gently, holding her as though she were a fragile child.

"I am. Lady Matilda did this because I told her the truth. I didn't mean to cause any conflict, but..." she said while shedding tears, and it left me astonished.

Cedric threw a glare my way as if he would kill me for her. Without saying anything, I watched them.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," he said, reassuring her just as he always did to me.

Cedric grabbed the dagger tucked into his boot and cut his hand with it, letting his blood drip onto the wound she had given herself.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I never knew that Cedric could go to such lengths for another woman.

So I never mentioned it before.

The rankings of wolves were very important.

Higher-ranked wolves carried more abilities than lower-ranked wolves.

However, the males of the royal bloodline were blessed abundantly by the Moon Goddess and possessed the highest-ranked wolves.

This meant that Alphas wielded more power than they even realized.

To help them adapt, we trained them to control and harness their wolves' capabilities.

Lady Lucinda, being a red-eye wolf, could not heal her own wounds.

She could see in the dark, smell from great distances, and possessed average speed. A dog could easily catch up to her.

Only an Alpha's blood could heal another.

I could heal myself to a certain extent, but being second-rank carried as many disadvantages as advantages.

I could do nearly everything a first-rank wolf could do, but where a first-rank wolf had no limits, mine came with severe restrictions. Exceeding those limits could even cost me my life.

After he was done with his ritual, I simply chose to walk away slowly with my cane.

But Cedric appeared beside me, which I expected, so I didn't react.

"I didn't hurt her," I said before he could speak.

"Yet there was a scratch on her arm. Would she do that to herself?"

I turned fully toward him and angled my head to one side.

"We are mates. You can tell that I didn't," I said confidently.

"How can I trust such a bond?"

"Such a bond?" I asked, confused.

"Mating me to an old hag. Such a bond is atrocious," he hissed with a sneer.

"I do not remember you saying that before, Lord Cedric. You always told me that you never cared about the age difference."

"I must have been bewitched and intoxicated by the bond."

I scoffed with a laugh. Not because of what he said, but because I had fallen for all of it.

"I shouldn't trust a bond like this."

I said nothing.

I simply looked into his eyes, exhausted, silently begging him not to treat me this way.

"Cedric."

A feminine voice interrupted our staring contest.

I resumed walking when I saw him rush back to Lady Lucinda.

I didn't care to know what would happen between them, but I was certain they would discuss me.

And somehow, that hurt even more.