Chapter 196
After Evanth left, Augustin and I remained in his room, both processing everything we’d just learned.
“I can’t believe Evanth knew Charlotte,‘ I said quietly, watching Augustin carefully. He’d gone silent, his face a mask of shock,
I approached him slowly, placing my hand on his arm. “You don’t have to tell your mother he knows. It might be better that way.”
Augustin nodded, his eyes distant. I wrapped my arms around him, letting him breathe in my scent to calm himself.
‘Whatever comes, we’ll face it together,” I promised, pressing my face against his chest. “You’re not alone anymore. You have me now.”
He held me tightly, a tear sliding down his cheek. I wiped it away gently, kissing the spot where it had fallen.
As we stood there embracing, I noticed something different about his scent. “You smell like oolong tea and brandy, I commented, inhaling deeply. The rich, complex aroma was intoxicating yet comforting.
“What do you mean?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look at me.
“Your scent,” I explained. “It changed this morning when I woke up. It’s… warming.”
2
He leaned down and breathed in deeply at my neck. “You smell like vanilla Juliet roses,” he said with surprise. “Sweet but with an earthy depth. It wasn’t there yesterday.”
I didn’t want to read too much into what this meant. We’d both rejected our fated mates–perhaps our bodies were creating a new bond, something unique
to us.
“We should go,” I said, checking the time. “We’ll be late for the games, and I don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
He nodded, composing himself. Whatever these scent changes meant, we could figure it out later.
When we arrived outside, a luxurious limousine was waiting for us. Scarlett stood by the door, tapping her foot impatiently.
“About time, she grumbled as we approached. “We’ve been waiting for thirty minutes. What were you two doing in there?”
‘Be grateful it wasn’t longer,” I teased, giving her a suggestive wink. “We might have been… occupied with more interesting activities than getting dressed.”
That made everyone laugh, including Scarlett, whose mood seemed to lighten. “You’re impossible, Juno,” she said, but she was smiling now.
We all piled into the limo, excitement building as we headed toward Goldenvale. I was especially eager to see Quinn and Maddox face our team on the field. After everything they’d done to Freya and Scarlett, they deserved whatever was coming.
The ride was filled with chatter about the upcoming matches.
For a moment, I marveled at how much had changed.
When we arrived at Goldenvale, the games hadn’t started yet, and people were queuing outside the main gates to the venue. A red carpet had been laid out for our arrival, and I noticed Evanth and Elowen were already there.
Elowen shot me a death glare, which I pointedly ignored. The Council members were present too, Sebastian smiling and waving at me. I returned the gesture, grateful for his friendliness amid the political tensions.
Evanth delivered a welcoming speech and cut the ribbon, and everyone cheered as we entered through the gates.
I had expected a stadium or an arena, but the venue was much more than that. It contained multiple sporting facilities–a stadium, an arena, and various other venues for different events. People were being directed to whichever sport they preferred to watch.
I wondered where we would be playing, bat before I could ask, I noticed small carts available to transport people between venues. I suspected Augustin had arranged this for me and Freya, judging by the knowing look in his eyes. I decided not to mention it, not wanting to upset Scarlett.
