Marisol let out an annoyed growl and reached for him again, but Cedric was faster and avoided her seeking fingers. When she looked up to glare at him, her eyes were with the telltale signs of her wolf's presence.
Swallowing thickly, Cedric shook his head, "We can't." He croaked out, "Not like this."
Marisol's eyes widened in both sadness and confusion, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. ".....What? Why?"
Cedric hesitated, his heart warring with his mind as he struggled to find the words to explain. "I... I can't," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of his heart. "I can't risk it."
"Risk what?" Marisol finally cried out in frustration.
Now, Cedric pulled away completely, the weight of the loss is evident in Marisol's eyes as they glossed over, not owing to the arousal this time. "You can not change me, Marisol!" He growled stiffly, "Stop being delusional. We can never be. We are not mates."
With that, he turned around and Marisol watched him leave once again, his words weighing like a thousand rocks on her heart.
As Cedric disappeared into the shadows, Marisol's body drained of any fight as she sank to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grappled with the whirlwind of emotions raging within her. She had felt the intensity of their connection at that moment, the undeniable truth of their bond burning bright between them, and then he'd throw her words back at her.
It hurt so badly, and as she sat alone in the empty throne room, she couldn't help but wonder if their love was doomed to be nothing more than a fleeting dream.
The next day, Marisol woke up in her own room. In her disoriented state, she felt surprised and confused at first, the once familiar space no longer felt like hers, until the memories from the night before came flooding back, bringing the pain along with it.
As the events of the previous night replayed in her mind, so did the embarrassment and sorrow. She wanted to stay locked in her room for as long as it took for her mind to forget about it, but, a stubborn feeling of hope fluttered in her chest, causing Marisol to get out of bed, dress up and make her way to the hidden castle after breakfast.
On getting there, she found Cedric to be in a slightly better mood than last night, hope rekindling within her, until he raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression darkening before he silently walked out and away from her.
Marisol's heart fell. But she decided to stay. Only if she did would they work out whatever it was that was going on between them. However, it only got worse to the point where Marisol began to feel like a pest, an unwanted disturbance to Cedric.
Just like that, Marisol found herself caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions in the days that followed Cedric's sudden withdrawal. Anger, hurt, and confusion warred within her, each vying for dominance as she struggled to make sense of what had transpired between them.
She felt foolish for allowing herself to be swept away by the intensity of their connection, only to be left standing alone in the aftermath. Her pride smarted at the thought of being rejected and ignored, yet beneath the layers of hurt, there lingered a nagging sense of longing.
It went on for the next few days until one day, Marisol angrily stomped back to her room, tears threatening to spill and that was when she made the decision to return the favor and ignore his existence too.
She berated herself for losing sight of her ultimate goal, which was to regain her freedom and return home. But try as she might, she couldn't shake the sense of care and affection she now held for him. Marisol couldn't deny the glaringly obvious truth that Cedric was her mate. The bond between them, though strained and frayed, still tugged at her heartstrings, refusing to be ignored.
Within the next few days, things did not improve, and worse, it began to feel like only Marisol suffered from the strain of their connection. Cedric's avoidance and refusal to acknowledge her presence only served to deepen the wound, leaving Marisol feeling more isolated and alone than ever before as she grappled with the bitter irony of being bonded to someone who seemed determined to keep her at arm's length.
As the days turned into weeks, their strained relationship slowly became the talk of the pack. Rumors began to spread like wildfire, fueling the whispers and speculation. Unfortunately, Marisol once again found herself at the center of unwanted attention.
Everybody had questions, and since they wouldn't dare go to Cedric with them, they targeted Marisol for their answers. While this was happening, she struggled to maintain her composure and dignity in the face of Cedric's cold indifference, but with each passing day, her resolve began to waver. She longed to reach out to him, to break through the walls he had erected around his heart and find solace in his arms once more.
However, her pride held her back, stubbornly refusing to allow her to make the first move. They were locked in a vicious cycle of avoidance and resentment, each waiting for the other to break the silence that hung heavy between them.
And so, Marisol found herself caught in limbo, torn between her pride and her longing for connection. She knew that something had to give, but the question remained: Would it be her resolve or Cedric's stubbornness that finally shattered the fragile barrier between them?
As the days passed and the tension between Cedric and Marisol continued to simmer, another significant development unfolded within the pack. Cedric's restraint on the full moon night did not go unnoticed by the pack members. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he did not succumb to the curse that had plagued him for so long. This was a sign of hope, a glimmer of possibility that perhaps he was on the path to breaking the curse and regaining his former self.