"You and your hotheadedness is going to get us kicked out of here, you know that right?!" I said to Matthias once we were all back in the quarters we have been staying in.

"That fucker had no right to speak to me that way!" He yelled back and I groaned.

"Yes, he did." Ajax spoke up and we looked at him.

"Excuse me?" Matthias asked.

"He hasn't hurt Ashton. He's been there for him and has been by his side since I'm sure the moment they met. Even when Ashton was back in Tennessee, how often did you see him? When you did, you say shit that wasn't necessary and you get asked to come help him because he's sick and the first thing you do is almost kill someone, in front of him. His mate noless. I'm sure you smelt they have each other's scents on one another so you knew they were mates but yet you hurt Glenn, causing Ashton to be so scared of you he pissed himself! Then you had the nerve to speak against the King, who is Ashton's father! I love you Matthias but you really need to calm your ass down and not act like a child." Ajax said and I nodded, agreeing with him.

"Don't think you're off the hook Keith. You both aren't mate's right? What do you think happens when you meet your mate, don't have a bond with your mate and you sleep with someone that isn't your mate? They feel pain and a lot of it. Ashton was in pain from having cancer and that alone can't be a walk in the park so to add the pain the horrible pain of your mate fucking someone else, I'm surprised he's even alive and hasn't gone insane from not knowing where that pain came from. You have a lot of explaining to do if Ashton even wants to see you two again. After knowing what I went through Matthias, how could you put your own mate through the same pain?" Ajax left the living area and I felt like complete shit.

He was right, we caused Ashton a lot of pain just because we were horny, we were selfish.

"Wow I never seen him so mad at you before." Gregory said to Matthias and shook his head.

"I'm more mad at myself for my actions. I'm ashamed of myself and I'm not worthy to be Ashton's mate. I may say I love him and need him but my actions prove otherwise if I can let myself get so mad I almost killed Glenn and caused Ashton so much pain, just thinking of myself this whole time, not really realizing what it was doing to Ashton even though I knew he would feel it, I still had sex with someone who isn't my fated mate. I don't know what the hell to do to even begin to start apologizing to Ashton." Matthias said and put his head in his hands and I sat beside him, feeling exactly how he feels.

"It's good you admitted that, it's the first step to making things right, no matter what it is or however long it takes." Gregory said and they left us be, to think about everything that's going on with us and Ashton on top of Ashton having a third mate.

A mate who has been here for Ashton, through everything this whole time. Yes Ashton left but before that, we more so Matthias didn't spend much time with Ashton, I did as much as I could and when I told him who we were, that's when the distance started. I should have made a better effort in being there, going to his apartment even for an hour a few times a week to see him but I didn't, I regret that now more than ever.

"I'm going to go on a run, I need to clear my mind." He said and got up, kissed my forehead and left the room. I sighed and went for a walk around to have time to myself for a bit.

I made my way outside and saw the Queen sitting in the middle of the beautiful garden so I turned to give her space only for her to call out to me. I walked over to her and she patted the spot next to her and I looked at her and she was crying silently.

"My poor boy, he has been hurt all his life and after he came home, he was happy, really happy. He gets sick and now he has all of this to deal with and becoming the next King. Now he will get better, health wise that is but what about this mess with you, Matthias, and Glenn? Glenn has been an absolute angel with Ashton, he has been there for Ashton when he was at his lowest, the sickest, and the worst times he had to face. Glenn is what a mate should be, what a partner should be. The only thing I can't figure out is the pain my poor son felt that wasn't due to the cancer. Glenn was able to help to an extent but if his mate could help him and he had two other's, were you both the cause of that other pain? I heard a little of what my husband had said before but I didn't understand completely until I learned Ashton had other mates so tell me, did you hurt my son?" She asked but she kept watching the water in the fountain, not even sparing me a glance.

"Yes ma'am." I said and she gasped softly.

"Why?" She looked up at me and I had to look away with how she was looking at me.

"Shellfish needs. There isn't any good answer other than we were selfish and only thought of ourselves. No amount of apologies will ever make up for all the pain we caused." I said and she looked so heartbroken.

"Once my son learns the truth, I hope he does what's best for him and rejects you both. You are horrible mate's to knowingly cause him pain like that. Everyday for the past almost five months, what kind of mate does that to the one they love?" She said with such bitterness and got up, walked past me and I couldn't help but think she was right.

If only I could turn back time and keep my damn hormones in check, kept better contact with Ashton to know he left and where he was going, we could have been there for him sooner, told him we were mates and cured him a long time ago. That's just wishful thinking and impossible right now.

I looked up at the moon and closed my eyes, just trying to find a way to make all of this right with Ashton. I also need to make things right with Glenn, he didn't deserve to be almost killed for being there for Ashton, he deserves to have his feet kissed and worshiped right along with Ashton.

I went back inside and I could smell Ashton and Glenn, they must have gone to Ashton's quarters. I wanted to go talk to him but I know it isn't the time, Ashton was afraid of Matthias so if he sees me, he may freak out thinking I'm only there because of Matthias.

I really need a time machine to turn back time and make all of this right, how can I make it right? I went into our quarters and noticed everyone was in bed and Matthias was in the kitchen so I went to see him.

"Are you doing better?" I asked and he sighed but nodded his head slightly.

"A little. I'm sorry I'm making things more difficult for us Keith. It's just not seeing him for so long and to show up and his scent is different and a man we don't know comes into our sick mates room, Hati went nuts. Our emotions were still high when the King went off on us and it was just a very bad time for us. I hate that I made Ashton so scared that he doesn't want to be near me. I don't want him afraid of me, that's the last thing I ever wanted. I have no idea what to do about this." He sounded so not Matthias like, non Alpha like, he sounded like a man with a broken heart.

"I know, I feel the same way. The Queen told me that once Ashton knows the truth, she hopes for his sake that he rejects us for what we did to him." I said and he shook his head.

"If he does, we have no one to blame but ourselves. There is nothing we can do to make up for what we did to him. We knew what it was doing to him and we still had sex, with no care in the world of how he would feel. Would you be able to forgive us if it were you? I sure as hell don't think I would be able to. I say I love him and yes I do but my actions as a man don't prove otherwise and no matter what I say, Ashton is going to hate me because I have to be honest with him, it's only right. Once he knows everything, I fear he won't want anything to do with me and you." Never in all this time I have known Matthias have I ever seen him cry so when he looks at me and starts to breathe hard and his eyes filled with tears and they just poured out of his eyes, I was stunned in my spot for a few seconds until he went on his knees and held his head as he cried.

I went over to him, got on my knees and took him in my arms and he held me so tight as he sobbed, body shaking and the sounds he was making broke my heart even more. I couldn't hold it in anymore, I cried along with him, too tired to be strong at the moment.

I will do everything I can to make things right, even if I have to reject Ashton just so he can have a happy life, even if I lose him.