Chapter 1330
Laura’s POV:
Three days had passed, and the gate of the mourning hall had never been opened since Rufus drove everyone away.
During this period, Rufus
“didn’t say a word and didn’t ask for something to eat
or drink, nor did he allow anyone to enter the hall.
I frequently came back to the other side of the door, but every time my ears came into contact with the door, I couldn’t hear any sound of some sort from the inside. It was hard to guess if Rufus was even moving or if he was still alive.
I understood how painful this loss was for Rufus. The death of a loved one would send anyone at one’s wit’s end. I acted nearly the same as him now when Ethan died then, but now, what I was more afraid of was that Rufus would take his own life for love. Rufus was a person who felt deeply. I could bet that in his heart, Crystal was peerless.
But, of course, he was also bound by his oath and duty to his people; he was the king of the werewolves and it meant he should lay his personal feelings second to his responsibility as a leader. As a king, he couldn’t act on his own will since lots of people would be affected by how the course of his life would turn out.
When the food sent in was returned untouched again, there went the patience and stability I had been trying to keep together. I asked the guards to open the door to the mourning hall.
However, Flora stopped me. “Laura, let’s give him some more time. I don’t think he wants to see anyone now. Not even you.”
“But do we really have to leave him like this? So many days have passed, and Crystal’s body is going to perish!” The anxiety crept within me and it masked my face. On the one hand, I was afraid that Rufus would indulge in grief, and on the other hand, I was growing worried of the circulating speculations. Rufus had been out of the public’s sight for a long time. The nobles and the alphas of the other packs were now entertaining the possibility that something had happened to Rufus, and they were eager to know if he was still alive.
Flora sighed and took a step back, as if to get out of my way.
The door was locked, so I had to let the soldiers open it forcefully. The moment the door swung open with a loud thud, a raging voice bellowed from the inside.
It was clear that the person inside was unhappy with the sudden invasion. “Get lost if you want to live!”
“I’m your mother. You can’t.even tell me apart from the others i w?” With a bang, I shut the door of the mourning hall again.
The hall fell silent. I scanned the inside and wherever I looked, the darkness matched the gloom Rufus was emitting. The air was filled with the smell of wood wax, the residual fragrance of the burnt candles.
I took two steps forward ‘and as my eyes slowly adjusted, it became clear that Rufus was sitting in front of the ice coffin. His beard was long and ragged, his hair was unkempt, and his expression was blank, his eyes lackluster. In general, he looked like a person who was nearing his death.
If it went on like this, there was no doubt he would take his own life sooner, if not later.Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
The sight of him in that state summoned distress and anger within me. “Look at yourself! Do you really want to die?”
“If possible, I want to.” Rufus hadn’t drunk water for days, so his voice was hoarse and his lips were cracked.
“You can only think about it. You’re not supposed to die right after Crystal!
Think about your empire! Hubson’s gone and vampires began to riot, taking advantage of his absence. Some of them claim to be taking their revenge for Hubson, and some just want to take advantage of the chaos to get benefits.
Several vampire families want to invade the border at the same time.
Fortunately, Blair is holding the fort well. He came back to the imperial capital to attend the funeral and then hurried back to the border to handle the pandemonium that’s happening outside these doors. What remained of Hubson’s subordinates are in the imperial capital now. They’re killing your people.”
Rufus did not budge. He remained unmoving like a wax figure. I didn’t know if he had heard me or not or if my message even got through to him.
I softened my tone and added, “Rufus, one’s death can’t end the pain. Crystal did all these for you and your two kids. What she wants the most is that you and your kids can live a happy life.”
After a pause, I began to feel pensive. “Think about your two kids, Rufus. You haven’t seen them since you woke up. You can’t imagine how worried Beryl and Arron are about you. They often steal small visits to check on you, fearing that you would do something stupid and leave them too. Crystal will be very disappointed in you if she sees you like this.”