June 22nd - Afternoon Tea Party - Part 1

I groggily rubbed my eyes. I was in a foul mood and the bright, sunny day seemed to be mocking me. I had planned to wake up slowly with tea and then training, but thanks to Prince Pharon and his nasty, miserly note, here I was at the mating event, another godsdamned tea party. Granted Prince Pharon's note really wasn't all that mean. It simply read, 'Your attendence at the Mating Event is mandatory. Please try to attend.' The note was rather nice, but I didn't want to be here. I stamped my foot on the white pebbles.

"Kylara," Kane's voice said gently from a few feet away. My anger with him returned, gather around in me like a cloak. I had ignored him for our entire ride back to the palace yesterday and this morning. Then I'd gone back to my rooms without a word. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. He'd lied, again.

Without turning to look at him, I began walking away.

Seconds later, I was pulled to a stop and dragged around to face him by his hand on my arm. A fist tightened around my heart at the anguished look on his face.

"Please, Kylara, stab me again, if you want, but please hear me out." Kane begged breathlessly. The sadness in his eyes tore at me. I didn't hate. I think I never really had.

"Why should I? You tried to trap me into a mating after you promised you wouldn't." I retorted. I yanked my arm from his grip and crossed it over my chest with my other arm.

Kane swallowed hard, "I didn't." I sniffed and began to walk away again.

Kane stepped bodily into my path, "It was Rhana. He'd reached an agreement with your uncle and your mating agreement to him had been signed." I gasped as an involuntarily shudder ran through my body at the thought of being Rhana's 'Kitten' for the rest of my life. Kane went on, "I- when they told me, I just lost it. I fought them for the right to your mating agreement and won. Then I-" Kane shrugged helplessly, "I didn't cancel the agreement when it transferred to me. That's all."

My hands tightened on my arms. That wasn't the explanation that I'd been expecting.

"You still didn't tell me about it." I said with a frown.

"I- I didn't think you'd want me. I wanted to wait until you forgave me, but I didn't want to lose you to someone else in the meantime." Kane explained.

"Why?" I asked. Kane tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why are you so fixated on this, me being your mate, you losing me? Why do you care so much?"

Kane let out a shaky laugh and raked a hand through his messy hair, "You don't remember do you? Why would you?" He asked rhetorically. "We talked that day in the woods, the day your mother-" Kane cut off and looked at me his expression pained. I nodded to show I remembered. "I told you I loved you. I begged you to stay with me." I blinked wide eyes. I thought I would be the only one who still remembered that. He went on, "I meant it then and I mean it now. I love you. I have always loved you and I will always love you, Kylara. Losing you, missing your smile every day was like a wound that never healed. I can't go through that again."

My heart hammered in my chest as I drew a shaky breath. There was a part of me that was elated to hear Kane's words and another that was deathly afraid of them.

Kane ran his hand through his hair again, "I know I messed up and I just keep giving you more reasons not to forgive me, but please just give me a chance. If you still don't want me by the end of the season, I'll cancel the agreement. You'll be free."

My lips pursed at the twinge of pain I felt upon hearing that he'd cancel the contract so easily. Silently, I walked to a nearby unoccupied table and sat. I could feel Kane watching me as I poured myself tea with shaking hands.

A few seconds passed in silence as I raised my teacup to my trembling lips and took a sip. Then gravel crunched underfoot as Kane walked to the chair next to mine. I gazed at him with a guarded expression.

"May I sit, Kylara?" He asked in a tight voice. I continued to watch him in silence not knowing what to say or how I felt. My emotion were a hurricane inside me.

Despair flickered in Kane's eyes as he released the chair. That light leaving him hurt me the most out of anything he'd said yet. He turned to go.

"F-Fine!" I said a little too loudly. Kane stiffened and turned around. He sat silently and did not press me as to what my response meant. This was good because I myself didn't know which I was agreeing to, him sitting or letting the agreement stand.

Carefully, I poured him a cup of tea. I sighed heavily as the last drop splashed onto the tray when I set the teapot down.

After handing him his cup, we sat in silence drinking the tea and observing the other participants.