Chapter Twenty Four

A/N: I'm so sorry about being so late. It really wasn't my fault!! Stupid Wattpad deleted this chapter twice!! I posted it and my friend posted it. But i eventually got it up!! YA!!! I want to give a big thanks to my friend Sarah Perez for helping me out and typing this whole thing i really hope you enjoy it, and if it doesn't make you cry try picturing yourself in her situation. Also this is not edited I just wanted up as quick as possible. Also sorry if you notice small changes to this chapter during the week I'm trying to edit it without taking it off.

Enjoy.

Chapter 24

The next morning I woke to an empty bed. He had left early this morning. How did he even sneak out? I was practically on top of him last night.

Then a small elderly woman with silver hair looking to be about her fifties came into the room. "Oh good you're up come darling Romulus is waiting for you."

I looked down at the only item of clothing I was wearing which was Romulus's ripped shirt. "But I don't have any clothes." I protested.

"Oh well that is a predicament. You can borrow a dress of mine." She said simply

"Oh no I couldn't possibly borrow one of yours."

"Hush child. Now come with me and I'll get you ready to see him." she gestured towards the door of the bedroom.

I climbed out of the soft bed pulling the silk sheet with me, and dropped the shirt on the floor, careful to keep the sheet tightly wrapped around my body.  The woman grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bedroom doors, down the staircase to a hallway that led to her room. She pushed open the white door and led me inside.

The room was light peach color that bounced the sunlight from the windows all around the room, making it seem bigger than it was. The room contained two small beds and two oak wardrobes; each with intricate designs carved into the wood. The women went to one of the  wardrobes and picked out a peach colored dress with a flowered skirt and a low neck. "I wore this the night I met my mate." She smiled looked as if she was remembering the night.

"Oh please I can't take this." I said backing away from the dress.

"It's alright Luna you're only borrowing it until I can make you some clothes."

"But I don't even know your name! I can't just take something that significant to you!"

"Oh my darling Luna. Trust me an old woman like me has enough memories to keep me warm at night. Besides the dress already did it's purpose. My name is Martha by the way. I'm the head maid of the household. Now come on let's try on the dress for size." Martha handed me the dress and I dropped the sheet.

I started to slip on the dress when I realized something. "But wait! I haven't any corset or undergarments." I whispered the last word. Which seemed to really amuse Martha because she busted out into laughter, then quickly contained herself.

" We aren't prudish people here Luna." She said with her hand over her mouth to contain her remaining giggles. "Now chop, chop.  Romulus gets very impatient when it comes to seeing his Luna."

Immediately after i slipped on the silky dress,  Martha pulled me out of the room and down another hallway to yet another set of double doors.

"My goodness how do you even remember which door is which?" i sighed in exasperation trying to remember where the front door even was.  Martha just laughed.

"When you've lived here as long as I have you learn a couple of things about this castle." She winked. She pushed the double doors open to reveal the castle's atrium. The sun shone through the glass roof of the atrium. There were exotic plants everywhere with even some I've never seen before. Martha walked me to the middle of the atrium where there was thousands of different species of flowers surrounding a small area where a table sat and Romulus was at the end of the table.

Romulus looked up obviously hearing people approaching.  "What took you so long?" He laughed.

"Well I'm terribly sorry Master, but she had no clothes!" Martha smart mouthed Romulus

"Well I wouldn't have minded." He said as he got up from the table and walked towards me. "You could have came in here wearing nothing at all and I wouldn't in the least bit." He said looking down at me, his full height looming over me.

I blushed crimson at his perverted words and turned my head from him not wanting him to see his words had an affect on me.  He grabbed my chin and turned my head to make me look him in the eyes as he said " However, this dress will do just fine." He said in a husky voice.

"Do you like it? Martha lent it to me. It's an astounding color." I said with a bright smile on my face.

"Yes very much." He smiled a wolf grin. "Would you mind doing a little turn for me?"

"Romulus." I said disapprovingly.

"Oh come on love. Please for me."

I did a small half turn. "There happy now?"

Romulus placed his hands on my arms and roamed down to my hips, warming my whole body to his touch. He bent down to my ear and whispered.

"Oh my sweet, sweet Tara. I won't ever be fully happy until I have you married to me, and in my bed. Willing and needing." He growled. His fierce, sensual words sending shivers down my spine. I held my breath like it was the only thing keeping me from making all of that happen right now.

"Come Tara, we are having lunch outside the castle." He lightly took my hand and guided me out the back door of the atrium to a garden filled with wisteria trees, with their full flowers hanging down like plump grapes.  Beneath one tree sat a small table  with only two chairs.

"Oh my goodness. Romulus this is  magnificent!"

Romulus smiled a bright smile and led me over to one of the chairs. He pulled the one chair out for me and gestured for me to sit.

"Oh why thank you kind sir." I joked.

Romulus took the seat across from me.

"Tell me about yourself Tara."

"Umm, I'm sixteen. How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen, twenty in the winter."

I knew it was common for a young girl to marry an older man when she was in her prime, but my mother was one of the very select few that we didn't want me to be with someone who was years older than me all for the sake of money. She always told me to find love in someone not sufficient funds.

"What?" Is it because I'm older than you by a few years? Tara mates find each other at different times and different places. Sometimes the most unexpected places.

"Oh". I said simply.

He laughed at my reply.

"So, have I baffled you? And put your childish nonsense away."

"Yes and No."

He didn't continue on the subject but only asked another question.

"What about..." I cut him off.

"Romulus. I have to know something."

"Yes"

"Were you coming into my dreams when I was captive.?"

Romulus sighed.

"No Tara, it wasn't me. I wish I could have found some power to help you. But it was my mother sending a projection of me to you.

"Is your mother a witch like Agatha?"

"No, Mother is more of a healer. It pains me to say this but Agatha deserved what she got. She was a horrible person before she got captured. She would capture wolves and vampires alike, and torture them, experimenting on them, trying to push them to their outer limits. My mother is nothing like that. My mother, Mary is a healer. It doesn't matter if you're werewolf or vampire. She always helps those in need."

"Oh well I'm going to have to thank you." I smiled. "but what about the rest of your family?"

Romulus took a deep breath as if the subject pained him. My father the past Alpha died in battle a long time ago. But when my brother Remus and I were old enough we went to war for revenge for my father against Dorian himself. My brother was eager to take out the bastard himself, so he led a small army at dawn. They were slaughtered along with my brother. My brother would have killed Dorian, if he wasn't such a coward and had Anton kill my brother for him. As I saw when I rescued you he had mounted his head on his wall as in it was his victory." Romulus said looking sick.

"That's God awful." I whispered turning away. "Romulus. I'm scared." I confessed.

"Why are you scared?" He said while taking my hand. I quickly drew away my hand from his hold.

Because of those horrific things. Things that have my dreams making them nightmares. Vampires, witches, werewolves." He backed away from me.

"You're afraid of me."

"Not of you, but of what you are. What you do."

"You mean what we are. What we do!"

"I didn't want to be like this!. I didn't ask to be a monster!"

"None of us did! But we are the good monsters, and that's what I tell myself and what you'll tell yourself. One day our sons will tell themselves."

"I dare not have the spawn of your seed! I will not bring children up in this world."

Romulus was breathing heavily. He got up from the small table and bashed it with his fist.

"Damn it woman why do you need to be so confusing! Last night you kindled under my warmth, and today you accuse me of being a monster! Well, I have news for you Tara, I'm nothing like that bastard Doiran!" Romulus stormed back into the cast furious with me.

Romulus stormed back into the castle furious with me.

"Don't do anything foolish." The voice in my head spoke again. "Stay out of this. I've got to get out of here." I muttered. "He'll find us." The voice spoke. "He always does, he's our mate for God's sake! Don't you dare run from him."

But that's exactly what I did. I sprinted into the Wisteria groves not looking back. I had to get away. I ran to the only place I could think of that was a sanctuary to me. "Home." I sprinted through the dark forests passing the lake I saw from the window of Romulus' room.

"Tara stop. You can't go back there." The voice spoke again. But I need to. I need them!" I shouted back. "Need who?" I didn't answer her because if she really was a part of me then she would know.

I was careful not to step into Dorian's boundaries. Staying in the borderline of the werewolf country.

"Tara go back!" The voice spoke again. But I just kept running dodging tree after tree, rocks, and logs. I finally made it to the tree line and stopped, slowing, walking out of the dark forest and into the green grass of rolling meadows. Wild flowers shining in the sunshine. Their colors looking as bright as ever. Like whatever was happening around them whatever it be good or bad they would be standing there tall and proud.

"Home," I whispered as I looked across the meadow at the once glorious chateau that was now in ruins. "Tara that's not your home anymore. They won't be there!"

"Mamma, Papa! I'm home!" I ran across the meadow towards the burned down chateau. Mamma please! Please be here!" I cried. I ran as fast as I could trying so hard to reunite with my loved ones. I finally reached the burned down doors of the chateau. Everything was still here but burnt to a crisp. I walked into the ruins of the house. Looking around trying to put everything to where it was. I imagined the beautiful paintings of our meadow on the walls, the chestnut staircase leading upstairs to my room, and my parents room. I walked deeper into the ruins, to what use to be the dining room. Remembering all the family dinners we had and the ridiculous jokes father use to tell. And Mother always telling me to sit up and eat properly. I smiled at all the flooding memories. But then I stopped as I saw the open door in the wall, and the burnt reminders of my mother. My knees gave out at the sight of her. I wanted her to hold me. To tell me that everything was going to be alright, it was all just a bad dream. I wanted father to walk through the door and kiss mother how they use to.

"Mamma." I whispered reaching out to touch her. "Mamma No! You can't be gone! I need you! I need you to tell me what to do! I can't do this without you!" The tears poured form my eyes like waterfalls. "I told you Tara. It was pointless to come here." The voice whispered. "You shut up!" You have no say in this! Just go away! I hate you. I hate him!"" I held my head in my hands.

Still on my knees at my mother's remains. She didn't even have a proper burial. Neither one of my parents did. God only knows what happened to my father's remains. I wiped my tears with the back of my hands.

"I'll give you a proper burial mamma." I whispered.

I couldn't move her so I used my new strength to break through the floor boards using a broken cup that I round on the floor and scooped the dirt out of the ground. Each scoop of dirt felt like a memory being torn out of the ground. It took me an hour to finally make the grave deep enough. The peach dress I wore was not covered in dirt, but at the moment I couldn't care less about it. I walked around the ruins to see if I could find a blanket and to my luck there was one sitting on the back of the sofa in the music room. It was mother's. Her scent still fresh on it. I held the soft material to my cheek remembering everything about my mother. Her eyes, her cinnamon scent, the way her long brown hair tickled my cheek when she hugged me. I wanted to keep the blanket, but there was nothing else to bury her with. I held the blanket close to me treasuring its scent one last time. I heard footsteps creak under the floor boards as Romulus came into the dining room holding a small blanket. His face looked pained.

"H-How did you fine me?"

"Your wolf said you might need this," He said, as he bent down next to me.

"Thank you." I said through a hushed sob.

Romulus helped me wrap mother's remains into the blanket he had given me and into the hole I made we each grabbed handfuls of dirt and dropped it into mother's grave. When we finished he went outside and grabbed three wild flowers and placed it on her grave.

"Be brave in heaven Mamma, and I hope to see you soon."