A/N: Heres the next chapter hope you like it because its one of my favorites and i skipped like a half of swim practice twice to do this lol. And this is edited so your dislike of this chapter if you dislike it is not just its not edited like the last one.
Enjoy.
Chapter Twenty Five: Romulus P.O.V
We sat there for a while at her mother's newly dug grave. I looked over to Tara who was crying silent tears. No one deserved to bury their family like this, especially Tara she had already gone through enough to last her a life time. But I'm afraid that being with me will cause her even more trouble and grief. Dorian is still out there and he still plots to take Tara away from me.
I have to put a stop to Dorian once and for all for the sake of Tara and her happiness. She's such a fragile child and that's what she is a child. She's only sixteen she's barely even experienced life and she now has to experience death, the death of her own mother and father. She must blame herself too, she must think that if she wasn't in this world that none of this would have happened her parents would have a different child and be happy, and be alive.
Tara clung onto the blanket of her dead mother, inhaling her scent.
"Tara we have to go it's not safe here out in the open. We are barely on the border line of Dorian's territory. They could smell your scent and come for you at any minute. Please Tara come with me."
She didn't say anything but only held out her arms like a small child wanting to be picked up. She clung onto the blanket as she buried her face into my chest, and I felt the small vibrations of her sobs. I carried her bridal style through the wreck and rubble of the house, to outside where the whole household was waiting to see what was happening and why their Luna had ran off like that. Lucian and my mother May came running towards us.
"Is she alright?" Lucian asked with concern.
"Why would she just run off like that? What did you do Romulus?" said May disapprovingly.
I thought of why Tara ran off. It was because of me of what I am, and I scare her. She's afraid of the nightmare that is me and I made her into the very thing she fears. She said she would never bring up children in a world like this in a world with people like me. She said she would never have the spawn of my seed. Every word made me cringe in hurt and sadness. I looked at the small child of a mate I held cradled in my arms wondering why she would say such things.
"She's fine and I don't know why she would run off. The way she did maybe something I said did upset her." I finally responded to May and Lucian's questions.
"Well I'm sorry Romulus but let's get back to the castle it's going to be nightfall soon and we're close to the borderline."
"Alright Lucian you take lead and get all the women back home. I can't shift with Tara in my arms I'll walk back. I'll be fine Lucian."
"Alright Romulus I'll see you back at the castle."
With that Lucian and all the other shifted into their different colored wolfs and headed off into the tree lining. I looked down at the now calmed Tara and sighed.
"Well I guess it's just you and me now. So do you want to tell me why you ran off?"
Tara shook her head into my chest.
"Did I offend you in a way only women understand? Violet said you were upset and needed the blanket. I didn't know why at the time but now I see why."
"Who's Violet?" she asked in a low whimper.
"She's your wolf. You know the annoying little voice inside your head always telling you to be close to me and do everything I ask for."
I smiled and I felt a small smile coming through Tara.I slowly walked through the dark forest my keen hearing alerting my attention if anyone was approaching us or following us, luckily no one was.
"Tara?" I whispered.
"Hmm."
"Were you true to your words? Are you afraid of me, of what I am?"
She didn't say anything for a while, but then she spoke up.
"No. I'm not afraid of you, but I don't know you either or what you're capable of."
Her answer sunk in slowly but I figured out why she ran away. I've been forcing myself on her even though I've promised to never force myself on her sexually. I have forced upon her my acceptance into her life. She was right she didn't know what I was capable of. She didn't know that I could easily rip the head of any vampire or human even werewolf if I wanted to. She's being through into all these traditions of mates, werewolves, alphas, and lunas, and she doesn't even know what any of them are. I feel like a selfish bastard, no I feel worse than that I feel like Dorian.
In order for Tara to even accept me she must accept who she is, what she is now. I need to teach her everything before she even becomes Luna or else she'll be going in like a lamb to the slaughter. Blind. We soon made it back to the castle safe and sound. When we reached the grounds I leaned down and whispered to Tara.
"Pretend your asleep the when they mug us they will just ask me all the questions, and I'll just nod. No one needs to know why you ran away."
She nodded in understanding and pretended to be asleep in my arms, and what a beautiful sight that was. Just like I thought the whole pack came running towards us.
"Is Tara alright?" One of the servants asked.
"Is our Luna alright oh please let her be okay?" Another one asked.
"Tara is alright she's just had a hard day that's all. She's asleep now. Martha please make up a bath for Tara and I'll reach your dress from her."
"Yes my Alpha." Martha headed off into the castle while I continued to make my way through the crowd of servants and councilman of the pack. Finally I made my way to the castle steps and headed inside and up the back spiral staircase and towards our room. When I reached the door Martha had already pulled it open.
"The bath is made Alpha. I'll worry about the dress." Martha said in a sad tone. And I realized then that Martha had been upset about Tara dirtying her dress I couldn't think of a reason why she would be upset other than the peach dress meant a lot to Martha.
"Martha I'm sorry about your dress I don't think I saw any rips on the material when I picked her up."
"It's alright Romulus. I'm just glad that Luna Tara is alright." And with that she left. I felt bad for Martha for Tara's selfish matters had hurt the feelings of one of the closest things I had to a friend. I carried Tara over to the bathroom and carefully stripped her of the peach dress, and for the first time I'm able to see all of her glorious body, her voluminous curves made my mouth water but I made no move to mark her or mate her.
At that moment I contained the most self-control I have ever in my life. The water in the tub was steaming and I slide Tara in the hot water she winced at the intensity of the heat but soon settled in enjoying the feeling. I grabbed a goblet and gently poured the water over her glorious brown locks.
Making them turn color from her light brown curls to a dark brown almost black. During the whole time as I poured the water over her and body she didn't object to me seeing her body vulnerable like this. I grabbed the small flask of bathing oil and moved her wet hair from her back seeing her long scars.
The last time Tara revealed these to me I had to rip the shirt from her back and it was in the dead of the night. But now I saw them in the fullness of the light. Seeing just how ferocious and cruel Dorian really was to Tara. I didn't feel pity for the girl who had been whipped countless times. No. I felt pride because after all she's been through she made it through it she's a survivor. She was my brave little wolf.
I traced my finger down one of the long scars and rubbed the bathing oil on her bare back. Tara seemed to purr at the gentle caresses of my touch on her back as I rubbed the oil on her back and made my way to the front of her body sliding up from her stomach towards the top of her arms and to her neck where I found more scars but not big ones like on her back but three sets of puncture marks. I felt anger suddenly through me ad had to back away.
But Tara turned around to face me and touched my hand gently saying it's alright it's over. But that's the thing it wasn't over no one knew where Dorian was or when he would come for her again. But I never let that on for Tara only nodded and went back to soothing her neck. I took the goblet and rinsed the oil off of her.
She smelt like fresh rain in the country after a big rain storm when it washed all the dirt and grim from the world almost as if to start a new. I grabbed a fluffy towel and wrapped it around Tara rubbing her shoulders slightly just to warm her up. Then I grabbed one of my shirts and put it over her head like a small child putting on their nightgown. I pulled back the furs and sheets and laid Tara on the soft bed. As I was walking towards the bathroom to bathe myself Tara spoke.
"Thank you Romulus." And gave me a warm, lovely smile that was just like her.