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The sunlight shone through the large window, gently easing Amora from her sleep. She sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes, waking herself up properly. She looked down to see an arm draped across her waist and she soon realised Epiales was fast asleep beside her.

She shuffled away from him and went into the bathroom to shower.

When Amora stepped back into the bedroom, the room was empty and the space where Epiales once lay was neatly tidied, almost as if he was never there at all.

She sighed and continued to get ready, changing into another dress that was not hers. Her mind drifted to Katana and the pack. She did not know if Katana would return to the castle but she knew Epiales had appointed people to look after the pack until he figured out a way to move them closer.

Amora walked over to the nightstand to grab her hairbrush when she noticed a small piece of paper next to it.

'Meet me in the dining room, we have much to discuss.'

She placed the note back down and continued to brush her hair, ignoring the sparks of anxiety that stirred within her as she thought about what Epiales has to say.

________________________________________

"Good morning," Epiales smiled at her, standing beside a chair, waiting for her.

Amora smiled at him nervously, sitting down beside him, "what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Epiales sighed, gripping onto the edge of the table, "I know you are upset about how much I care about power, and I need you to understand why this is so important to me."

Amora nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"My father was not a well-known Alpha, but he was one of the strongest pack leaders there was. He had ruled the pack for years before I was even born and he had not lost a single pack member in a war, ever. So many pack members questioned if he and my mother were even true mates because they never showed each other any affection, but that's how my father believed it should be for leaders. Since I have been old enough to talk my father has told me it is all about power. When I was a teenager I began to doubt him, and that was when my brother took over. That was when we were attacked. My brother was weak and that led to the deaths of many people I cared about. That was the day I vowed I would never even let another pack get the chance to hurt anyone I love."

"Epiales-" Amora reached for him. Her heart ached for him, but she was growing sick of his excuses. She wanted and needed him to change. 

He looked at her, "if I am powerful enough, no one will ever get to my pack. No one will ever hurt you."

"You don't need to succumb to it Epiales. You are the king. No one can get to you. You were so powerful as an Alpha, now you're even more powerful as a king."

"If I have the chance to be more powerful, I have to take it Amora. I have to be untouchable."

"Even at the expense of our relationship?" She asked.

"This is for our relationship!"

"We barely have one Epiales! You are too obsessed with power."

He looked away from her, "I am going to make us tea."

Amora watched as he walked out of the room and towards the kitchen, disappearing from her sight.

_______________________________________

'What did I say about talking to other pack members?' His father shouted.

'That-that I'm not allowed to, father,' a young Epiales stuttered, backing into the door.

The tall man took a step forward, hitting the young boy, 'you must focus on work and only work.'

'But father, I am not to be Alpha,' Epiales mumbled, looking at his shoes and holding his face.

'You are still my child, I will not have a weakling for a son,' his father shouted, 'do you know what happens when we are weak, Epiales?'

'People die," the young boy mumbled.

'Speak up!'

'People die,' he spoke again.

'That's right, people die. Do you want your pack to die?'

He shook his head frantically.

'Then never let yourself be weak.'

Epiales snapped out of his trance as the water finished boiling. He continued to make the tea before walking back into the dining room where Amora sat patiently.

"So... what is your deepest desire?" Epiales asked, leaning on the table to stare at Amora.

Taking a sip from her cup, she stared back at him, unsure of how to answer.

"Well?" He urged.

"I want to be mourned," she finally replied.

"Mourned? Why is that?"

"Because only people who are loved are mourned, if I am mourned, I was loved. I crave a meaningful death after all that has happened."

"You are loved," Epiales whispered softly.

"Everyone I have loved is dead, there is no one left to mourn me, I am always the one mourning," she replied, her face emotionless.

"I love you."

Amora shook her head in denial, "you love the idea of me."

"I know I love you, I love you with all my heart Amora."

"You love me? Do you even see me for who I am, Epiales? I am just a Luna - a queen to you," She whispered, her voice breaking with every word.

"Of course I do," Epiales replied, confusion etched in his voice.

"No, do you see me, do you really see me? Do you see how broken I am, how tortured my mind is? Do you really know me at all? I have tried to get to know you, get you to open up to me, yet you are so closed off."

Epiales' gaze fell to the floor in shame, he did not know her, he did not know her pain.

"Why has the Goddess mated us? Why us?" She began to cry, her voice shaking.

Epiales shot up from his seat to kneel by her feet and gently grasped her face in his hands, "because we are made for each other, not another soul on this planet is fit for me, nor for you. I love you Amora, I love you more than anything."

"More than power?"

Epiales fell silent, his mind screaming at him to say yes.

"I thought so," Amora whispered, leaning in and letting her lips gently brush against his, before pulling back and turning away.

She walked up the grand staircase, leaving him sitting there, staring after her and wishing he had the courage to say all the things he wanted to say to her.

Amora sat down next to the window, gazing out at the beautiful fields that stretched out for miles beyond the castle, forcing herself to block out all her thoughts of Epiales and instead daydreaming of her life before Lincoln became the Alpha of her pack.

What she didn't notice was Epiales standing behind the door, his forehead resting on the wood as he listened for her heartbeat.

"The only person I love in this world is you," he whispered, "but I will not give up the power that keeps you safe, I cannot risk losing you, ever."

He opened the door and walked in, startling Amora.

"I don't want you here, Epiales," she scowled, facing towards the window again.

"I don't understand what you want, I am keeping you safe Amora," he barked.

"I want you to choose me!" Amora cried out, "I'd choose you over anyone and anything because that's how much I love you, but I will never be your first priority."

"Keeping you safe is my first priority!"

"I don't care about that! I can protect myself! All I want is you, I need you. You are my soulmate and you don't act like it."

"We don't act like it? We are king and queen! We are at home together-"

"This is not my home!" Amora screamed, the hot anger of her words filling the room, almost suffocating him.

"Then where is your home? Huh? Even your own pack wasn't home!" Epiales shouted back, his fury overtaking everything else.

Amora's mouth flew shut as she took in his words, she didn't have a home, she was truly alone in this world, her own parents didn't want her, her own Alpha didn't want her, and now her own mate doesn't want her, again.

"Then I'll find one."

She turned to walk out the large room filled with glittering gems and jewellery, this was a perfectly fit home, anyone in the world would kill to have a home here, so why didn't she feel at home?

Epiales grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face him, "you can't just go out there alone, you'll be mauled by rogues."

"I'm done Epiales! Get out of my way!" She shouted.

"For goddess' sake Amora, think for just a minute!"

"You. Are. Pathetic," she spat, jabbing a finger into his chest, "you think you are better than everyone but you are not. You only care about yourself even at the expense of others. I look at you and all I see is a pitiful excuse of a leader."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and marched out the doors.