My Fated Mate Can Have Her

Chapter 277: Sacred Ground

Violet

It was beautiful.

The first room, being the observatory was a circular chamber, the domed ceiling made of glass panels that could be opened to view the sky, much like the observatory on the hill Rowan had taken me to before.

But unlike that one, this was alive with colour.

Murals covered every inch of the walls.

The moon in all its phases, painted in silvers and whites and pale blues that seemed to shimmer. Wolves running beneath moonlit skies. Figures in robes gazing up at the stars. Constellations picked out in silver and gold against deep black backgrounds.

The center of the floor, where all the painted images seemed to converge, was an enormous full moon surrounded by a ring of stars.

"This is where we hold our most sacred ceremonies," the priestess said softly. "During the full moon, the light comes through the glass and illuminates the entire room. It is... transcendent."

I could only imagine it, but it painted a beautiful picture.

Cushioned seating was arranged around the room, positioned for comfortable viewing of the sky. The priest and priestess excused themselves, telling us to take as much time as we wished, and then Rowan and I were alone.

He guided me to one of the cushioned areas, and we settled there together.

I leaned back against the cushions, my eyes tracing the painted constellations on the walls.

"I wonder just how long it must have taken them to create this," I whispered.

It all seemed immense. The carvings and then the paintings...

Rowan chuckled. "It did take a long time. I just can’t tell exactly how long. But we’ve made sure it remained well maintained over the years."

The peace I had felt since entering the temple was even stronger here. It wrapped around me completely, and my eyelids grew heavy.

"Rowan," I murmured.

My head found his shoulder as I leaned into him.

"Hmm?" he softly answered.

"I feel so calm here. It’s strange. I don’t understand it."

His hand found mine, and his fingers intertwined with mine, making my heart flutter, momentarily jolting me from falling asleep.

He smiled, leaning his head against mine. His cheek nestled on my head. "You don’t need to try to understand it. Just rest."

[ - ]

When I woke up, it took me a moment to realise I was no longer sitting up. I was cradled in Rowan’s arms, my head resting against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath my ear.

"You’re awake," he said softly, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I nearly jumped out of my skin and tried to get up, but his arms remained wrapped around me.

I felt a bit embarrassed. When exactly had I even slept off?

"How long was I—"

"Not long," he assured me. "I didn’t exactly count, but you looked peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you."

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"You do not need to thank me."

I looked around the observatory, noting how the light coming through the glass panels had changed. The bright afternoon had softened into a warmer glow as the first hints of evening were approaching.

"Rowan."

"Yes?"

"Could you take me to the observatory? The one on the hill?"

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "You want to go to another observatory after spending the afternoon in this one?"

I smiled. "I also like the view from that one."

Also, it was getting dark, and I would love to look at the stars once again when night fell.

He smiled. "It would be dangerous to look through the telescopes right now. The sun is setting, and looking directly at it could damage your eyes."

I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips.

"I know, and that is not what I mean." I closed my eyes, leaning against him again. "I don’t want to look through the telescopes yet. I just... it would be nice to fully watch the sun set."

His expression softened. "Then we’ll watch it set."

We made our way out of the temple, thanking the priest and priestess as we passed. They bowed respectfully, inviting us to return whenever we wished.

The walk to the hill was quiet, and oddly comforting. Rowan’s hand found mine as we walked, and I didn’t pull away, even as we were still in the capital.

When we reached the observatory, we sat out on the hill where we could see the horizon clearly.

The sky was painted in shades of orange and pink and gold, the sun sinking slowly toward the distant hills. We sat together on the grass, and I leaned into him without thinking again.

It wasn’t my fault he felt so soft and comfortable to lean against.

For a while, we just sat there, watching the colours shift and deepen.

"Rowan."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He shifted slightly, looking down at me. "For what?"

I hesitated, not sure how to put it into words.

"I don’t know," I admitted quietly. "I just felt like thanking you."

He was silent for a moment, then he smiled, rubbing my arm. "Anything for you."

A strange feeling came over me at that moment without warning.

"It’s been... strange," I said slowly, searching for the right words. "Staying here. It’s been... peaceful..."

I trailed off, unable to finish.

I wasn’t sure there had been a moment of my life until now when I had felt so carefree and peaceful. I hadn’t had to look back to worry about any wolves running after me, or ostracising me, or making my life difficult in some way.

Only thing I had at least have to worry about was the mysterious pull and the aspect of choosing between two mates.

"You don’t need to thank me," Rowan said softly. "Having you here has been a gift."

My chest soared at his words and I tried to make myself relax. What had he meant by that?

I focused on the sunset and shortly after, I felt his gaze.

I turned my head and found Rowan watching me, his dark eyes fixed on my face with an intensity that made my pulse stutter to a stop.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly flustered.

He reached for my hand, lifted it gently from where it rested in my lap. Then, he turned it over in his palm, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.

He pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand.

The gesture was tender, almost reverent, but my brief happiness sank when I saw the look in his eyes.

There was a heaviness and pain he was trying to hide. He looked like he wanted to say something, like the words were right there on the tip of his tongue, and fighting to get out.

But he swallowed them down.

He kissed my hand again, and said nothing.

My chest ached.

I might be wrong, but no matter how much I felt I might be wrong did not get rid of the look in his eyes.

He was in love with me.

And he was holding it back, swallowing it down, and keeping it locked inside.

The realization hit me so hard I couldn’t breathe.

I was hurting him.

The pull was still there, tugging at something deep inside me, calling me toward answers I hadn’t found yet. And Kael was still out there, not knowing where I was or what I had been doing.

I was hurting them both by staying like this.

I was hurting Rowan.