After a while, Cedric glanced up from his reading, his gaze meeting hers with a quiet intensity that locked Marisol into place. She froze, waiting for his next course of action or words, but nothing came. Instead, Cedric returned to his book, like he'd only just looked up to confirm her presence.
"You're free to go," he said this time, not looking up from his book, a tone void of emotion.
Marisol's heart sank at his words, a pang of regret coursing through her veins. She knew she should say something, anything to alleviate the tension between them, but the words eluded her. Instead, she remains standing stupidly, grappling with the overwhelming guilt that threatened to consume her.
"I know you need to check on your friend," he spoke again, his voice softening ever so slightly. "You're not a prisoner here. If you choose not to return, that's your decision to make, too."
Marisol's breath caught in her throat. His words had pierced through the silence like a blade, cutting through the walls she had erected around her heart.
What had come over him? The sudden change only increased the guilt brewing within Marisol, and only now did she realize she hadn't been prepared for any other version of Cedric that wasn't bold and commanding. She hadn't anticipated such leniency from him.
Torn between the desire to stay and confront Cedric and the longing to escape the weight of her guilt, Marisol felt trapped. She wished he would look at her and give her some sort of reaction; anything would suffice at this point, and Marisol found herself missing the times they would argue. She hadn't expected a lack of attention from Cedric to evoke this much emotion within her.
She weighed her options, unable to take her eyes off Cedric, who still looked wholly engrossed in his book. He didn't need her, and he'd made the fact known. Marisol felt her shoulders sag as the finality of a decision weighed upon her.
With one final glance his way, Marisol turned on her heel and made for the exit, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.
As soon as she disappeared from view, Cedric groaned, a deep breath following after. He hadn't expected Marisol to follow after him after their little encounter in the dining room. It'd excited his wolf, and it took everything in him to resist the urge to just throw caution out of the window and claim her lips.
He remembered quite clearly how she reacted in the dining area. The way her eyes widened, and the slightest hint of her arousal tormented him. If he had stayed there for one more second, he would have done something that they both would have regretted.
Cedric meant what he said when he told her that he wouldn't force her to do anything. He felt partly guilty of the treatment she received when she arrived at his pack. His foolish brother and his mate handled things poorly and restricted her freedom. And they did all that because of him. So, instead of making things worse, Cedric thought it's right to grant her wish and set Marisol free.
Besides, he was now very much better when it came to control of his faculties. He still felt the strong pull of Guinevere's dark magic lurking in his skull, but thanks to Marisol's presence, the effect had somehow been dulled. All he had to do was stay as far away from the moonlight as possible every night, and he could continue living normally.
The most important thing was figuring out how to break the curse and decipher the prophecy. But firstly, he needed to find the source of the prophecy. Caleb must have been in touch with a witch to get the prophecy, and whoever it was had to be still present in Redwood, as that must've been the only way they could keep Marisol trapped till now.
He knew from experience that a witch was never far from their spell. He was confident that Caleb's witch was lurking around in Redwood. It was the same way he knew that Guinevere had been keeping tabs on him.
Taking another long drag of the surrounding air that still held hints of Marisol's scent, Cedric snaps his book shut. He needed to talk with his brother.
On getting to her room, Marisol is struck with another dilemma. She paced around the length of the room, guilt and anxiety weighing down on her. She worried about Lily's wellbeing and wondered if an apology would cut it for putting her through what would no doubt be one of the most, if not the most, terrifying experiences of her life.
Coming to a resolution, Marisol took a deep breath, she hoped Lily would see her sincerity and she knew she was going to do whatever it took to earn her forgiveness. However, just as she stepped out, she caught sight of Lily making her way into the pack house.
Lily, preoccupied with hastily making her stroll down the corridor, does not notice Marisol at the far end of the hall and, stunned, Marisol quickly follows after her.