Melody
I ran through the forest for goddess knows how long. I kept running until Joanne's legs couldn't move anymore.
I looked down to see that she was bleeding. The figs and thorns in the forest have pierced through her paws.
I shifted back to human and checked my feet. The cut was quite deep. I ignored the pain In my feet as it was nothing compared to the one in my heart.
I found an oak tree at the thickest part of the forest and I limped towards it. The tree was surrounded by some other trees, thus making a shed. I sat under it and hugged my knees as it all came pouring down on me, all of Dorian's words.
It hurts so much.
It felt like someone was ripping my heart with a knife.
I tried to stop them from screaming repeatedly in my ears but they kept coming back ringing in my ears, each time louder than the first.
"I knew you before you came to Dark Flame."
"I didn't at first, but...."
Lies!
It's all a lie!
Everything I believed was all a lie!
I thought I was my parents' daughter but I am not. I am the daughter of an imposter. I am the object of ruin that was sent to ruin my father's honour.
I was born out of deceit.
Now I understand why my father hates me so much. Now I know why my face irks him up. Now I know why he despises me.
Now I know why he wants me dead. If I'm gone then his shame will be buried. His honour will remain intact.
I wish I'd just die!
"Just take my life!" I screamed at the sky.
As if to answer my question, the sky rained down on me.
I wish I didn't live long to know this truth. I couldn't stop weeping. My whole body wept with me. Just that my feet wept blood instead of tears.
Why did Dorian have to say all that to me? He could have lied. I would have preferred it if he didn't say it at all. I would have loved it if he didn't tell me his motives. I would have loved it if he kept me in the dark about his Intentions.
It wouldn't hurt so badly.
Why did he have to say all that?
'Because he loves you, foolish.'
I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Joanne has a unique way of making her presence known.
"He doesn't love me." I sniffed. "You heard what he said."
'No, I didn't.' She objected quickly. 'I didn't hear him say he didn't love you.'
"He said he was using me to get back at my father and King Arthur." I felt ashamed to even repeat the words.
'No. He said he planned to.' Joanne insisted. 'But he never did because he fell in love with you, way before your bond was formed.'
I was speechless.
I had no words to refute Joanne's words. Dorian had indeed said that he's fallen in love with me but I do not even know what to believe anymore.
'Melody. Dorian loves you and you know it. 'You're aware of this fact yet you doubt him just because of what he planned to do in the past.'
Joanne seemed disappointed.
'He was wrong, I can't deny that but you shouldn't crucify him for his past. Everyone has one.'
I sighed heavily at Joanne's words. Every pain I felt went down my tummy and I felt the need to puke.
Whatever Dorian's plan was, he didn't do it. Instead, he showed me love and supported me.
'Good, Melody. Think only of the good things.' Joanne advised. 'Don't forget that if Dorian is as evil as you claim and his revenge was really more important than you are, then did you think that he didn't get the opportunity to do something to your father and King Arthur when he was in Mallory? Did you think that he didn't get the chance to hurt Derek back there?' Joanne's voice became low as if she was weak. 'He could have prioritised his revenge but he put you above everything. He let it all go just for you. He respected Mallory just because the place was your home.'
Hmm. I sighed.
Joanne has a point.
If Dorian really wanted to hurt my father and King Arthur, he could have done that in Mallory. He could have used my father's actions as a reason to attack or hurt him, but he didn't. Instead, all he did was respect him.
Maybe he does love me after all. Maybe I was wrong about him and... Derek.
'Derek?' Joanne's voice became loud. She was almost screaming. 'Why would you even mention him?'
I also do not know why I mentioned him at the moment but I think it's high time I let go of all the hatred I have for him.
I am in no position to hate anyone. Especially after the truth I just found out.
I mean, my supposed mother drugged someone and slept with him just to carry out orders and King Arthur rejected his mate just to be with the woman he loves but she left him to be with the man she loves.
Isn't that an amazing twist of fate?
I guess we are just puppets in this world.
Some of us are puppets to our fate while some are puppets to fellow humans.
Derek and I are just puppets of fate.
The goddess made us mates. Then she made him hate me and rejected me. Then she made history repeat itself between Derek and me. He was drugged and had to sleep with me. She made me pay for my mother's sin. Then, she brought Dorian into my life, and made him my second-chance mate. Then, she made me reject Derek before she gave me my wolf. And when I thought everything was finally good for me, she rekindled the bond between Derek and me.
Now Derek is head over heels for me but I'm in love with Dorian. Derek is so in love with me that he came all the way down here just for me.
If you ask me, I'd say fate really played an interesting game with our lives. All three of us were made to dance to its tune and we could do nothing.
'Hm, seems you finally have it all figured out.'
"Yeah," I replied with a nod. "I guess I have."
I have it all figured out and I will no longer be a puppet to fate.
'What do you plan to do now?' Joanne's voice was back to normal as the wounds on my feet were finally healed.
"Henceforth, I will not dance to the tunes of fate. From here on, I will write my own destiny."