Chapter 265: Garden Talks

They had barely gotten to the garden when the air changed around them. The scent of earth and fresh blossoms mingled with the faint hum of the wind brushing through the tall trees that surrounded the courtyard. Aria walked beside Clara, her hand loosely clasped in the other woman’s as the soft sound of their steps pressed lightly into the gravel path. The moment they stopped beneath a large oak tree whose branches hung low with heavy leaves, Clara turned toward her, her lips lifting into a faint, knowing smile."King Zyren seems to like you a lot," she said softly, her voice smooth, teasing, and touched with something Aria couldn’t quite place.

Aria’s gaze flickered toward her, brow creasing as she tried to understand what exactly Clara was trying to imply. The comment itself was enough to stir irritation in her chest. She thought it nonsense — pure, deliberate nonsense spoken by a woman who seemed to find joy in stirring chaos where there was none.

"It’s quite obvious," Clara continued, that same serene smile never leaving her lips.

Before she could continue further, Aria’s patience had already run thin. "If that’s all you want to talk about," she said sharply, "then you might as well stop since it’s clear you know nothing about whatever you’re trying to say."

But Clara only smiled wider, the amusement deepening in her eyes until they gleamed like polished glass in the sun. "Would you believe me if I told you that my husband was also very much interested in you?"

Aria’s expression froze, the frown that formed deep enough to shadow her delicate features. Her eyes lifted to meet Clara’s, who now stood watching her with an expression that left little room for humor. She was serious — deadly serious.

"It’s pretty clear," Clara pressed, her voice soft but laced with deliberate malice. "You should have seen the look in his eyes when you entered covered in Zyren’s marks on your skin."

Aria’s stomach twisted. The thought of anyone seeing those marks — seeing how Zyren had claimed her — was already enough to make her skin crawl.

"He was livid," Clara continued, almost savoring each word as though it were sweet. "Livid enough to kill."

Aria let out a quiet sigh and allowed her to keep speaking, even though every instinct in her body screamed that she should walk away. Clara was the Luna of the werewolves — wife to their King, Jared — and that alone made her dangerous. A woman of rank and cunning, with eyes that always seemed to look through rather than at. Whatever reason she had for this conversation, Aria knew it wasn’t harmless curiosity.

Clara’s tone softened, though her smirk remained. "He wanted to leap from his seat and attack Zyren right there and then."

Her voice dripped satisfaction, her gaze gleaming with quiet delight at the tension she was weaving. It was almost as if she took pleasure in watching others squirm under her words.

Aria stayed silent, her arms folded loosely before her. She let her eyes drift to the garden instead — the roses blooming along the path, the subtle sway of lavender in the breeze. The world here was calm, tranquil, and utterly disconnected from the chaos of her life. For a brief moment, she inhaled deeply, catching the faint sweetness of lilac and damp soil. She couldn’t remember the last time she had stopped long enough to notice such simple beauty.

But that fleeting peace vanished the instant Clara’s next words reached her.

"You’re Jared’s mate."

Aria’s head snapped toward her, disbelief flooding her expression. "What are you trying to—"

Clara cut her off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "The only reason you’re probably unable to feel the pull is because you’re bound to Zyren by a ritual." She took a small step forward, her posture shifting, eyes narrowing as if she meant to challenge Aria’s very existence. "That’s fine. It’s a common thing that happens. Sometimes werewolves have human mates — though rarely."

Aria blinked at her, her pulse quickening as confusion and irritation tangled inside her chest. Now that she understood Clara’s angle, she felt almost tired of it. "I want nothing to do with your husband," she said flatly.

Her voice trembled with restrained anger as her mind drifted back to her brief conversation with Jared — the werewolf king who had looked at her as though she were something between fascination and disgust. He had made it clear that the life of a human within the werewolf kingdoms would be far from easy. Perhaps even worse than her life among vampires.

"Whatever you mean by mate," Aria continued, her tone low and firm, "I couldn’t care less. It’s not like it would matter even if I wanted it to."

Her words came sharp, deliberate — a shield to mask the faint unease building inside her. "Zyren wouldn’t stand for it."

She paused, staring coldly at Clara. "What do you want? If this is all you wanted to say, then it would be better for me to leave."

The Luna’s laughter cut through the air, light and melodic. It wasn’t mocking — not entirely — but it carried something far more unnerving: certainty. She shook her head slightly, still smiling as her eyes locked with Aria’s.

"Are you aware that you’re in love with Zyren?"

The words hit like a stone to the chest.

Aria froze, her lips parting before a scoff escaped her — sharp, incredulous, echoing faintly through the quiet garden.

"It’s true," Clara insisted, taking a step closer, her smile curling with confidence. "What’s even more alarming is that you seem to be completely blind to it."

Aria’s glare could have cut through glass. "Zyren killed my family," she snapped, her voice raw. "All I feel for him is hate."

Clara’s expression softened — but only faintly, as though she pitied her. "Yet all it took for you to lose composure was a bit of flirting in his voice when he spoke to me," she murmured. "Or did you feel betrayed because you had just slept with him?"

The question hit harder than it should have. Aria’s jaw clenched, her brows pulling tight as her chest rose and fell sharply.

"I don’t care who he sleeps with!" she bit out. "Moreover, even if I feel something, it’s just the bond! What does that have to do with you?"

Clara’s eyes gleamed with quiet amusement, her smirk never faltering as she slowly nodded. She seemed to feed off Aria’s denial, savoring the rising storm she had provoked.

Then, just as easily, she changed direction. Her tone dropped — low, conspiratorial. "If you truly want to kill Zyren, I have a way to do it."

Aria’s heart skipped a beat.

"It’s a werewolf artifact," Clara said, her gaze hardening with intent. "Passed down through generations. It’s known to kill all vampires — even those as powerful as him."

The words made the air between them grow heavy.

Clara stepped closer, her perfume mingling with the scent of the garden. "I’ll steal it for you," she whispered. "But in exchange, I want something too."

Finally, Aria spoke, her tone guarded but steady. "What do you want in return?"

She had learned enough to know that no free thing in this world came without consequences — and nothing offered by a woman like Clara would ever come without a cost.

The garden went silent, save for the rustle of wind through the branches and the quiet sound of their breaths. For a moment, the two women simply stared at each other — one burning with cold resolve, the other smiling like a predator who had just cornered her prey.

Clara’s expression softened, her voice lowering as if she were about to share a secret. "There’s one more thing I need from you," she said, eyes glinting faintly beneath the garden’s muted light. "You need to get Jared to reject you."

Aira blinked at her, disbelief crossing her face. "Reject me? Why would I need that? I thought unless I accepted him, such a thing wasn’t even necessary."

Clara tilted her head slightly, the smile never faltering. "Normally, yes. But the bond exists the moment a werewolf recognizes their mate—it doesn’t vanish simply because you resist it. If, by some chance, your bond with Zyren were ever to break, Jared would feel the pull again. He could use it to find you, maybe even claim you. This way, there would be no chance of that ever happening."

Aira frowned, the logic unsettlingly neat. There was something in Clara’s tone—a sweetness too polished, too deliberate. "And how exactly am I supposed to make him do that?" she asked warily.

Clara reached into the pocket of her gown and drew out a necklace. The pendant was a small blue stone, faintly luminous, strung on a delicate silver chain. Even from where she stood, Aira could sense it wasn’t ordinary; the air around it seemed to hum softly.

"You’ll wear this," Clara said, holding it out carefully. "But secretly—never let him know you have it. The magic woven into it will make his words binding. His rejection will sever the bond completely, without you needing to respond or accept. He won’t even realize what he’s done until it’s too late."

Aira didn’t move to take it right away. Her gaze stayed fixed on the necklace, unease rising like a chill. "And what happens to me after that?" she asked quietly, though Clara only laughed lightly, shaking her head.

"Nothing bad, I promise. You’ll be free of him—that’s all that matters."

It was said with the same honeyed tone as everything else Clara had said so far, but Aira could see through it. There was more—something Clara wasn’t saying, and it clung to the edges of her words like shadow. Still, Aira forced a faint nod, not wanting to show how wary she’d become.

"I’ll think about it," she said at last, her tone careful.

Clara smiled wider, satisfied. "You have until we return to give me your answer." She reached forward, taking back the necklace and slipping it once more into her pocket before turning to leave, her steps graceful and unhurried as she disappeared among the trees.

Aira stood there for a long while after, staring at the place Clara had stood, then letting her gaze drift toward the flowers that surrounded her. Their scent was calm, grounding—something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Finally, she decided to return to her room. But she had barely taken a few steps when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw Clay approaching, his blond hair catching the light, blue eyes bright and steady, a soft smile on his lips.

Her heart lifted unexpectedly. Of all the people she might have met just then, he was the one she was most glad to see.

It made her heart feel much lighter when she noticed the smile on his own face that showed that he was just as surprised and excited to see her too.

"Its been a while! At a point I was convinced it would be impossible for us to meet !" he said even as he bowed with his hands against his chest like the way people were expected to greet Messengers of light in the temple