Acela POV

I open my eyes the best that I can in the dark lit room. Light is coming in from the curtains hinting that it is morning so I squint my eyes to try and wake up.

Where the hell am I? I remember last night I was in a taxi with an old man who said his name was Ron. I definitely must've fallen asleep to the soft jazz he had played in his taxi car.

I'm still wearing my clothes but I seem to be in a homey bedroom, possibly in Ron's house, the man that offered to take me in for the night. He must've carried me to bed.

I get out of the bed and look around for my shoes, I don't see them so I tiptoe to the door hoping that no one can hear me as I silently try my best to not make a sound on the creaky floorboards of the bedroom I am currently in. I slowly open the old wood door to see there is a light on down the hall and I hear voices coming from wherever down the hall leads to.

What the hell do I do now? I feel so awkward just pretending to sleep.

Screw it, what more could possibly make my life anymore worse, I'm a wreck- the least I can do is thank Ron and his wife who I haven't met for letting me stay the night, me a complete stranger.

I fully open the door and quietly walk down the hall to see that I'm not on the second floor but the first, perhaps a spare room downstairs? There are family photographs on the wall, I notice Ron instantly from last night, it's a family portrait, he stands next to a beautiful old woman... his wife? and someone that looks familiar but that's impossible, I don't know anyone in The Vale who isn't working in the palace. 

A voice startles me. "Oh dear me, you're up! I was about to get you for breakfast." A delicate older woman's voice says.

I turn around awkwardly as she caught me in the hallway. Ron's wife from the photograph, she's is a beauty for her age, soft features and short white hair and... white eyes. She's blind?

"Oh, thank you for letting me stay Ma'am, I was actually about to head down and get out of your hair and be on my way." I say towards her and she snorts waving her hand in the air at me.

"Psht! You are no trouble girl now come let's have breakfast, I made my famous omelet for you." The woman says as she hints to follow me down the hall with her. "Call me Olivia or Mama, everyone does dear." She says and I nod stupidly. 

She can't see Acela..

But mama? I wonder why they call her that.

I see Ron sitting at a table in the kitchen reading a newspaper while he drinks a cup of fresh hot coffee. He looks up and sees me with Oliva his wife. "Morning sleepyhead, coffee?" He asks as he nods to the pot on the kitchen side.

I shake my head. "No thank you." I say forcing a smile.

My heart feels bruised and my eyes are killing me, no doubt they are red and puffy- they are definitely sore, so sore that it hurts to blink... I really outdid myself crying like that last night, I wonder what Ron thinks of me seeing me like that.. I don't want to be pitied. 

"Sit down dear, one omelet coming right up!" She says giving me a slight push to a chair next to Ron. I pull the seat out and sit.

I look around the kitchen and instantly find what I was looking for, I notice the clock above the kitchen stove and it says 8:30 am. 

I would usually be at work by now.... I wonder if they know by now that I'm gone? Will they miss me? Will they even care?..

"Here you go dear, dig in!" Oliva says, placing a plate with a delicious-looking omelet in front of me.

I look at her thankful and starving. "Thank you so much, you really didn't have to though." I say shyly as I pick up a fork and look between Ron and Oliva as they look at me with smiles.

Ron laughs. "Nonsense. Oh, your mobile thing has been beeping for some time now." Ron grimaces as he passes my mobile phone from the kitchen side. 

Oh, I was wondering where I put that.

He passes me the phone and I say 'thank you' as I turn it on and see instantly that I have multiple missed calls and texts from multiple people.

But the one that concerns me the most is Mason, I see he has tried to ring me and only texted me once.

26 Missed called From Mason 

1 Unread Text Message From Mason

The rest of the messages are all from Mort, Brim, and Irelia, I open Mason's text before I begin I open the other text messages.

From: Mason

Acela! Where are you? I'm worried sick and I can't find you, no one can! CALL ME! I'm worried about U!

I'm getting worried as I look to Ron and see he is already looking at me concerned. "Um, I need to make a call." 

Olivia puts her delicate pale hand on her husband's on the table and looks at me with soft caring eyes. "Of course dear, take your time." She says and I excuse myself from the table and I nod apologetically to both of them as I get up from my chair and walk into the next room.

I walk into their living room and close the door and then I begin to dial Mason's phone number as I press call and wait for him to pick up.

One ring, two.. three..

"Acela?" Mason says sounding frantic.

I sigh. "It's me, sorry I was asleep.."

He interrupts me. "Where are you? Are you hurt? Elizabeth is frantic and not to mention me and the others! Your door.. Are you okay? Where are you?" He rushes out upset and worried.

What about my door?

"I'm fine, I-I'm safe.. I quit Mason.. I-I couldn't be there anymore.. I will explain another time I promise, what happened to my door?" I  ask with a frown whilst I rub my forehead at how scared he sounds.

"Wait what?.. o-oh, well that's what's so weird, I went to came to get you and your door is completely broken into pieces, I thought something had happened to you!" He groans out a relieved sigh.

"But that's not what's weird! I found Prince Caelan inside sat on the floor- your room is completely trashed too by the way.. anyways back to the Prince! He was saying all sorts of stuff- he was out of it, I tried to talk to him to get what the hell happened but he just seemed... weird." He says sounding confused.

I take a deep breath and sit down on the couch as I close my eyes and hold my head.

Oh Caelan.. 

No.. I can't think about him, I shouldn't care.

"But that's when the King himself showed up and told me to 'leave', that's when I called you scared out my mind, I think I aged a few years because of you, human!" He sighs out with a nervous laugh.

I know exactly why he was there but for the king to show up? It must've been quite a scene if he felt the need to go to the staff's building.. dammit, why should I care? He lied to me, multiple times.. the thought makes me sick, flashes of betrayal from the very first time I met him, he lied every time.. every laugh we shared.. every smile.. It was just the mate bond, he did not want me, he has a girlfriend for god-sake!

I smile sadly, oh Mason.. "I'm sorry Mason.. but I'm fine.. but I can't come back.. I-I just can't." I say as my eyes begin to water and my voice begins to crack.

"Okay.. but at least tell me where you are right now so I know you're safe." 

I wipe my nose eyes with my jumper as I look around. "I don't know." I mumble honestly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'you don't know'.." He says yelling into the phone.

Ouch, my eardrums.. he can really yell.

I sigh. "The taxi driver offered me a place to stay.. Ron?.. Ron Aldine? he-"

Mason interrupts me. "Ron Aldine? Are you sure?" He whispers for some reason. 

I nod "Yeah he and his wife are really nice, they gave me a bed for the night." I say.

He sighs. "Thank fuck!.. I know Ron and Oliva, they are my grandparents, that old man.." He mumbles out as I imagine he is rolling his eyes right about now.

Grandparents? Small world.. But now at least I feel safer at the fact that Mason is related to them and they aren't bad people, I'm safe here..

"Listen Acela, I don't know what happened but I have never seen the prince like this before, he tried to kill me when I tried talking to him.. if the king didn't show up when he did... anyways.. I'm finished for the day and I'm coming over, do not move okay?" He says quietly and then hangs up.

I press 'End call' and put my phone on silent. 

Caelan tried to hurt Mason, why would he do that? That's not the Caelan I started to get to know... But then again, I now realize I didn't know Prince Caelan at all... at this point, he is capable of just about anything, and now that I broke the mate bond between us.. I have no idea of the side effects, I didn't think this would ever happen to me- to have a mate, never mind a mate who is a prince and werewolf.

I get up off the couch and open the living room door to the kitchen and see Ron and Oliva at the table having their breakfast with coffee. "I apologize about that." I say softly as Oliva and Ron look at me and kindly smile at me, slightly easing my nerves.

"It's no problem dear." Oliva says with a wave of her hand as she winks at me.

Oliva gasps as if she remembers something. "Oh I almost forgot! My grandson messaged me on that phone device, my Mason is a good boy." Olivia says with a grimace as she points to the phone but smiles at the mention of Mason. "Oh I'm so glad you know each other dear." 

I nod and smile as I sit at the table in front of Oliva as I sit next to Ron. "I worked at the palace.. It's how I know him." I say smiling.

She nods and hums. "Oh my yes, my Ron told me what happened dear." She says sadly as she looks at me. 

Ron puts his fork down and looks at his wife than me. "You are welcome to stay for however you like hon." He says and his wife nods.

I frown. "I'd hate to intrude-"

Oliva shushes me. "Nonsense, any friend of Masons if family! Now eat up and let's get you settled in." Oliva says as she stands up and collects her and Ron's plate from the table.

I hold back the tears and I hate myself at how emotional I am.. It's been so long since I've had someone care about me the way Ron and Oliva had... no one since my mother passed has even cared.. 

I sit quietly and eat my omelet, silently thanking them again for everything.

*****

"So that happened.." Mason says awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

I told Mason, Ron, and Oliva everything when he arrived, we all sat in the living room and I told them everything. At first, everyone was speechless but then I told them about what Prince Caelan hid from me and everyone consoled me, Mason was very mad, it was the first time I had seen him look so angry and scary, at that moment I was so thankful for knowing Mason, without him, I would probably be alone without a friend in the world who I could tell this too.

I and Mason are now sitting in the room Oliva said is now mine for as long as I want it, the same room I woke up in. We are both sitting on the bed and talking it all through again.

I nod my head and stare at nothing in particular. 

"Shit I'm so mad, if I knew I would've told you, you know that right?" He asks me with sad eyes and I nod.

I know he would have..

He wraps his arms around me and brings me into a comforting hug as I accept it and rest my head against his chest as I hug him back. 

This is nice.. damn, I feel like crying again and I hate how weak I am, this is not me, I do not cry over a.. 100-year-old man who has a girlfriend and did not tell me about her!

Gosh, Acela.. you really are unlucky.

"Thank you." I say mumbling into his chest. "I needed this." I say hinting towards the hug.

He chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Never thank me Acela, what friend would I be to not hug you?" He says with a snort and I giggle.

We pull away from each other as I lean back against the pillow and close my eyes, feeling my heart begin to clench at how much my heart is breaking from a simple thing. I didn't even know him that long but the time I did.. I was beginning to like him... Why does it hurt so much? 

"It's going to suck, but you will get through this." Mason says as he leans against the headboard looking at me seriously. "Besides, I'm sure prince 'charming' is feeling like he is dying right about now, good riddance after what he did to you." Mason says with a scowl.

"What do you mean?" I ask as I lift up slightly to look at Mason.

Raising a brow he looks at me. "He is a wolf Acela, they live for their mates and you rejecting him is going to hurt not only you but him a thousand times more. I heard it's the worst pain you could experience." He says with a shrug. 

"He deserves it, do not feel bad for him Acela, wolves do not have 'girlfriends' they are supposed to wait for their mates, what he did to you.. he doesn't deserve you." He sighs out.

A lone tear trails down my face and Mason frowns. "I'm sorry." He says.

I shake my head. I knew all this but I didn't want to be told it. I didn't even know I had a mate but now that I had one.. It breaks my heart all over again to know he didn't wait for me, he tried to make excuses and try to get out of why he did what he did. I have read wolves wait longer than 100 to find their mates, not once taking a female/male in their lifetime, they wait for as long as it takes until they find their soulmate. 

He didn't wait for me... I need to move on with my life and try and live my life the best I can knowing that a piece of me will always be missing, thanks to him.

Mason and I sit and talk for a while longer until it begins to get darker outside. I feel the weight of the events of the past few days begin to drain me as I begin to feel mentally drained, emotionally and psychically, Mason noticed my sudden shift in mood and tells me to get some rest and promises that he will be here tomorrow when I wake up, after getting into bed and Mason shutting the lights off and saying goodnight, I lay in bed and stare out the window and gaze up into the night sky.

The sky is filled with stars and distant planets in the sky, The Vale is a magical place at night and I only wish that I could be looking up at the night sky with my mother. The lights from the town are illuminating the night and if I look into the distance and focus really hard, I can see the royal palace, I barely see it from the buildings and forests surrounding the palace but I see it.. it's there, he's there... feeling what I am.

He knows I'm gone and now I know he is feeling the same as me.

I feel like crying again, I really want to but I refuse to let him have the satisfaction of knowing I cared. I get up from the bed and close the curtains, blocking the view of The Vale from my window and getting back into bed.

Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day..