Luciano

It had been a day since anyone came into my room and it had been a day since Red had died. I sat by the balcony, try to enjoy the bright sunshine, trying to feel anything but I couldn't. It was just too hard to get over it. I had been drunk, then sober and then drunk again.

Another night passed by and I found myself still at the same position, with the same pain throbbing in my head, the same emotion whipping through me as I thought the Red. It was an endless stream of guilt, sorrow and anger.

I ran my hands through my hair and closed my eyes shut, trying hard to get some sleep but every time I did so, I saw her. Certain voices pulled me out of my dull moment and I snapped my eyes open. I heard my Mother at the door, screaming to the guards who I had commanded to not let any soul in.

"Dare try to stop me again and I won't hesitate in killing you both," she threatened the guards from afar before pushing the door open and forcing herself in. "Luciano!" she shouted, scurrying around to find me.

I sighed as she stood over me, her hands folded across her chest. "What are you doing?" Her tone changed quick as she got down on her knees. "You need to gather yourself, Luciano."

"I don't want too." I turned my head away and looked at the sky. The sun burned my eyes but I still didn't move.

"Oh," She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry for your loss but I can promise you that Red is in a better place. None of us wanted this and I know how painful this might be for you, but a day has passed and you are still here. You need to speak with someone."

The guilt jangled around my head. "I killed her." I shook my head and scoffed. "Ugh, fuck, I killed her. She wasn't supposed to die. We were supposed to be together, cheering at Gretel's death, Mother."

My Mother's brows raised and she froze. "What are talking about?"

No one knew the truth about Red's death—it wasn't Gretel who killed her, it was me and this mistake was going to ruin me for the rest of my life.

"I killed her with my bare hands. She begged me for it." I rubbed my hand across my forehead, just thinking about it. "Gretel's magic was going to kill her and me. She sacrificed herself so I could live." The words tickled at my parched throat but I spilled it all out anyway.

Perhaps, I wouldn't feel anything if I had died along with her.

"Oh, God." My Mother whispered, placing her hand over her mouth.

"I just need to be alone." I stated, getting off the ground and walking back into my room. I adored the silence, it kept me numb but as soon as I felt someone around me, all the emotions dove back in. "You need to go."

"Luciano." She ran behind me. "You can't stay like this." Her eyes ran across the empty bottles of alcohol that were shattered and scattered across the floor. "Please, you'll harm yourself."

I placed my hands over my Mother's shoulders. "I'm fine and it's going to be fine as well. I just need some time."

That's all.

Just some time.

I wasn't sure whether some meant a day or a hundred more years to grieve about the most precious person I had ever lost. Whatever it was, I knew it wasn't going to be as the same as before. I was still being delusional, assuming that Red might just walk in through the door and tell me she was fine.

I wanted to hold her again, kiss her, whisper all the things I wanted to say her, tell her that I loved her and force her to stay even if she didn't want too.

"I know and I'm sorry that I couldn't help you. But, you're still the King and there are people downstairs, waiting for you, waiting for you to bury Red and the rest of the wolves that have lost their lives in this battle." She explained, tearing a little.

I blinked and turned my gaze away to the while walls standing long in front of me. My eyes ached, they were dull and red and no ounce of sleep crossed my path in the past two nights.

My Mother came closer. "Please, Luciano, you've to bury Red. Just this one day and then you can mourn for the rest of life but you and I both know that she deserves her funeral, after everything." Her remorseful eyes landed on me.

I licked my lips and shook my head. "I can't do it."

"You have too. We are talking about your wife, your mate, the mother of your child. Just come, pay your respects and then you can return." She was being persuasive but failed to recognize that I had lost everything.

I had nothing.

Nothing.

My jaw hardened and I nodded. "Fine."

"Oh, God. Thank you!" she gave me a smile and a pat over my shoulder. "Go take a shower, you're reeking with her blood. I'll have someone get your clothes. You don't have to speak to anyone if you don't want too. It will be quick." Mother sounded promising.

I narrowed my eyes at my shirt and found Red's blood when I stabbed her to the death. The guilt seared through me all over me again, pulling me in its wrath and I walked into the bathroom. Getting rid of the shirt and the blood, I stepped in the shower and washed the last memory of her away from my body, including her scent when I held for the last time.

It was gone.

After a shower, I wore my clothes and sat on the made bed, hands spread apart as my gaze landed on the floor. My men strapped on the steel armor that was embedded with gold and crystals. They handed over my sword, the one I had been gifted with when I was crowned the King, it had my imprints on it and it was sharper than anything else in this world. A velvet, deep red coat hung over my shoulder, spilling down to the ground as it was locked around my collar.

As much as I preferred being bare feet and clothed in the usual, I couldn't, not today. My Mother walked in the room while the male servants walked out, she came over my side with glory projecting in her eyes as she saw me.

"We will go through this." She murmured before lengthening her hands out and bringing the golden crown to my head.

I pressed the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, just breathing. Her hands flattened at my face as she raised my head.

"It's going to be hard. Red didn't just come here as your mate, she came here as a family and she will always be a part of our family. She has a special place in our hearts and nothing is going to take that away. While she might not have been the Queen, she was mine. She bought peace in both of our worlds and we will always be forever grateful for it."

A tear strolled down my cheeks, another warm one following it and without wasting another second, I hugged my Mother.

"I'm going to miss her, Mother."

"We all will."

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