Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 200: I LOVE YOU

William had just walked in through the doors of the mansion when he fixed his gaze on Fiona, who was already walking towards him with a smile on her face.

She wore a long blue gown that exposed her shoulders as she elegantly strode towards him, an intense expression flashing in her eyes the moment she locked eyes with William.

Noticing the weary look in his eyes and the dark cloak he wore—significantly different from the clothes he had on when he left that morning—Fiona was about to speak but hesitated as she watched William shake his head. He moved towards the stairs, beckoning for her to follow him, even grabbing her hand as he headed up to his room.

Fiona obediently followed, resisting the urge to grab his shoulders and have him lean on her. She was aware that his pride as a lord wouldn’t allow it, even though it was clear he was using every bit of his energy to stand.

They had just entered the room, with Fiona slamming the door behind her, when William hurried to lean against the bed before dropping onto it and sitting down.

"You transformed into your wolf beast!" Fiona stated it as a fact rather than a question as she folded her arms across her chest and stared down at him with disapproval. She was surprised to see William chuckle in response, his expression showing just how pleased he was as he stared back at her.

"You look worried about me!" he spoke with a soft smile on his face, beckoning her forward. However, she stubbornly remained by the door, continuing to glare at him furiously.

"If you don’t come closer, how can I tell you what happened?" he said, watching as Fiona finally moved after a few moments. She walked towards him until she stood in front of him, showing no intention of sitting on the bed.

Her expression grew even colder as she glared at him when he gestured for her to sit. Annoyed, Fiona was about to head back to where she had been standing to put more distance between them when she suddenly felt a hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her back until she fell against a hard plane of muscle. She wasn’t surprised to feel William wrap his arms around her the next second, placing his head on her shoulder.

"Don’t leave! I’ll treat you even better!" he mumbled against her ear as Fiona struggled, prepared to jerk away from his hold. A frown flashed on her face as she realized just how weak his grip on her was.

With a long sigh, she relented and leaned into him, asking him to explain why he had to transform. "Were you attacked? Was—was it my father?" she asked, aware that her father was bound to still be looking for her. This made her even more confused about why she willingly chose to remain with the man who had not only kidnapped her but also killed two people she knew without hesitation.

"No! It wasn’t. All the lords shifted after we saw Lord Cain’s beast. It’s more than five times bigger than ours!" he whispered to her, his eyes fixed on her face as he watched her reaction. A dark look lingered in his eyes, only relaxing when he noted that Fiona focused more on his words than the person, a slight look of fear on her face.

"More than five times! That’s impossible!" she jerked around to face him, trying to see if he was lying as she thought back to the time she had seen him transform and the fear that had gripped her just from meeting his red gaze.

"Did—did he attack?"

"Yes, but only Magnus. Magnus was the only one foolish enough to attack him!" William responded with a sigh, reaching out to grab Fiona’s hand and squeezing it ever so slightly. An anxious look crossed his face as he continued to speak.

"How about we go out today? Somewhere quiet and nice! As a couple, we should definitely go on a lot of dates!" William said with a cheesy smile that stunned Fiona. She couldn’t reconcile the cruel look she had seen on his face when he met her in the dungeon to the one he wore now.

It was even more worrisome because she liked it a lot—it made her feel like she was the only one who ever got to see it. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel that if it was a scam, William was too good...good enough that she could feel herself falling for it, regardless of how wary of him she was.

"No!" she immediately responded, pulling herself out of his arms, surprised to note that he didn’t try to stop her.

"You marked me, which means you’ll be more affected by the bond, and that swayed me!" A blank expression settled on her face as she continued to speak.

"...You mentioned marriage, and I agreed, but I’m telling you again—even if you make me fall in love with you, my father doesn’t care about what I have to say!" she said, surprised to watch William get to his feet and walk towards her with an intense look in his eyes. But Fiona didn’t stop talking.

"You can use me! I get it!" she said in a sincere tone. "You’re sick, and only my father has the antidote. If I were in your shoes...I would do the same!" she told him, a confused look on her face as she watched William smile at her. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer until their faces were merely a few inches apart.

"Do you remember Tristan, your first mate? You met in a bar. He offered to pay for your drink, and you slept with him before disappearing the next morning, leaving a note by the bedside. ’Forget me!’"

Fiona was stunned, and it showed on her face. She couldn’t hide her shock, considering the fact that the only person who should know the details of what William was saying was dead. Her father had killed him and sent his fingers to her as a souvenir.

"What...how..." she tried to back away, only to feel William’s hold on her waist tighten even more as he refused to let go.

"What about Benson...Lawret...Hanson..."

"SHUT UP!" Fiona angrily snapped, unable to keep her anger in check any longer. Hanson had been the one she had the longest relationship with, thinking she could keep it a secret from her father, only to watch as her father beheaded him right in front of her.

Fiona immediately struggled to push William away, but he didn’t allow it, tightening his hold even more as he continued speaking, holding her gaze in a way that made it impossible for her to look away.

"I didn’t die. I simply used their faces when meeting with you. It was the only way! Can you imagine my surprise when I discovered that Eldric’s daughter was my mate? It didn’t help that you were besotted with Cain in a way that grated on my nerves!" His eyes darkened as he continued to speak, not surprised to see the shock and disbelief that settled on her face. He went on to give her more details of every single one of their meetings, including their first time.

"This was way before Eldric decided that killing me would benefit him, considering I didn’t have a family. Worse...he couldn’t even do it with decency and honor. He had to get a spy to do his dirty work."

Fiona was stunned. The longer she listened, the more shocked she became, considering the fact that while the things William said were unbelievable, they were also all true. These were details that could only have been known by the mates she had met over the years—mates she had been convinced were dead.

Her eyes focused on William as he stared back at her with the same intensity, continuing to speak. "The fact that I want you and care about you doesn’t change!" he said, indirectly acknowledging that while he might have plans to use her against Eldric, it didn’t change the fact that he cared.

Fiona didn’t know what to think. Again, the fact that William had gone as far as to mark her in a way that would be greatly disastrous for him if she were to reject him made it hard to believe that his words weren’t true, especially when he was clearly putting himself at a disadvantage.

"That—" she paused, raising her gaze back to meet his after glancing at the ground. "I still don’t trust you!" she told him with a serious expression on her face, taken aback to watch him nod his head and beam at her with a huge smile.

"You don’t have to! You just need to stay by my side!" he responded, grabbing the back of her head as he pulled her in for a kiss. He was relieved to feel Fiona return his kiss with the same passion he felt, even as he didn’t hesitate to scoop her into the air and head towards the bed.

His intention was clear in his eyes, and his emotions heightened even more when he felt Fiona relax against him without trying to push him off. A sad look flashed in his eyes as he lowered his head to trail soft kisses along her jaw, tears filling his eyes.

’I love you!’

But he was dying, and he didn’t dare to say the words he felt he desperately needed to say.