Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Chapter 104

"Normally, Kai should need you in matters such as this, but I see why he’s hiding things from you."

"Aren’t you tired of doing the same thing over and over?" I said, frowning as I watched him with disgust. "It’s pathetic knowing that you’re so concerned about my life with Kai. Just move on. Live life. You’re definitely disappointing your dead uncle."

Now, that seemed to hit a nerve. Leo stomped towards me, grabbing the collar of my polo shirt as he glared into my eyes.

"How dare you mention my uncle?"

I sighed, shifting my gaze anywhere else. "Then let’s focus on the matter at hand. You know where Nathan is, take me there."

"You lack the right motivation. You’re letting anger speak for you." He released me and landed onto the couch. "We wait. Nathan plans to bring his forces to attack Kai once again. Unfortunate as it seems, if he takes down Kai, he can take you down as grief would render you weak. Now, how he plans to get to Kai, I’ve got no idea."

"Your spies are really doing a bad job."

"They risk their lives every day to report back to me. Cut them some slack." Leo gritted. I rolled my eyes in response.

Thankfully, we didn’t digress again before he continued. "My best proposal is we wait for Nathan to come to us, and then we attack him. Going to the House of Steele is a death sentence. He’ll crush us in his abode."

"I’m not scared."

"Whether or not you are changes nothing. What matters is winning. Winning requires strategy." Leo firmly said, weaving the conversation towards a stamped close.

I wrapped my hand over my forehead. "When should this be? Nathan’s approach?"

A few seconds passed as Leo mulled over it.

"A week. Two, maybe. I can’t be sure until I receive another letter." He explained.

This was useless. Kai could have gotten himself killed by then. While I had no idea what he was up to, I knew it definitely had to do with Nathan one way or the other, and I knew against my convenience that Kai couldn’t win against Nathan.

Not anymore. If I couldn’t save him like I did the other day, he’d risk his life. And that vision of the future may come to pass.

"Fuck," I groaned, causing Leo to cast me a watchful sidelong glance.

"Earlier, you mistook me completely. If I learned nothing from the friendship we shared, I learned enough to know you didn’t know me, Leo." He made a "hm" sound and I continued. "I never wanted the throne nor did it trouble me in the end with its weight. All I wanted was to protect the ones I loved. Kai deserves to be protected, and my babies deserve to be protected."

"And I don’t?"

"You just proved my point of not understanding me. I carry the cursed blood of Aetherblood. It means I must either save the world or destroy it. I’m not a lame Omega that needs your approval or one that would rot if you despised me. No." I shrugged. "And because of that, I know that even you deserve to be saved."

I turned towards the door, glancing back over my shoulder. "Make sure to keep tabs on Nathan’s movement. He needs to be destroyed. As soon as possible."

???

I was certain I was alone before I made another portal that took me back to the vines, and I trekked the rest of the way to the fortress.

Its tall walls vanished under the presence of Kai’s frame. His chest puffed out as a menacing expression took over his face, meeting my incoming steps.

"Where did you go, Alex?"

"What? Are you following me too?" I replied in a curt manner.

Just as I attempted to pass by him, he grabbed my arm and took a whiff of my collar.

"Leo." He said it normally at first, then I caught the moment his eyes flared and his face reddened. "Wait, what...Leo?!"

"I have no idea what you’re accusing me of."

"And now you lie?" He bore down on me with the full intensity of his towering nature. "For fuck’s sake. I can’t believe this. Even if you wish to get back at me, this is definitely not the proper way. How could you work with Leo?"

Within the following tick of time, he urged, "where is he? How did you meet him?"

Exerting a bit of force against his grip, I freed my arm and shadowed my face by allowing strands of my hair to fall across it.

"Please, Kai, don’t be a hypocrite now."

"What the fuck are you up to?"

"I said, leave me alone!" I yelled. My chest grew heavy. "You made deals with Alpha Frederick. I was the one who tolerated his insults. I was the one who went to his pack and came out unscathed. I changed his mindset towards SilverFang. He was more of an enemy to you than he ever was a friend, so don’t correct me if I decide to work with Leo to take down an enemy you’ve failed to fell."

"Nathan’s forces aren’t easily fallible. You’re aware of the danger involved, and you promised me not to place yourself in danger. How could you do this to us?"

"You began it." My tone was high-pitched.

Kai pointed his finger at me. "Don’t you yell at me, Alex. I am your husband and your Alpha. I’ve done nothing but protect you." He stretched his arms as he distanced himself, recoiling as though I were a contamination of some sort.

"Even if you noticed a shift in me, you were supposed to sit me the fuck down and question me. You’ve got no right to work with an enemy, regardless of whether he is one right now or not." He scoffed. "And you wonder why I didn’t tell you things."

His tone was mocking, as though I’d made myself a willing player who wished to be the pawn in everyone’s strategy.

My chest tightened, and the air thickened in my throat. Everything worked hand in hand, twisting my insides as I fell silent.

Kai sighed as he continued. "Frederick had a prophecy. Nathan’s theft of your powers, using them darkly, is an indirect damnation for you, so whether or not you take your powers back from him, your chances of becoming a Death-bringer Aetherblood were higher than being the Peace-Bearer Aetherblood."

He cleared his throat while my harsh breathing was the only sound that came from me.

"And so, we came up with a plan. Firstly, to hide this from you so fear doesn’t steer you towards the dark side. Secondly, a way out. My wolf, if merged with yours, can steel your mind to remain on the side of good. I can be the anchor that helps you stay as a Peace-Bearer Aetherblood so that when you take back your powers from Nathan, you’re not corrupted."

As Kai explained, my resolve softened, dispersing like petals in a night breeze.

"I was looking for a solution to what you’ve told me. I wasn’t in any way trying to hurt you, and all you needed to do was trust me."

Unable to meet Kai’s eyes, I resorted to staring at my feet. Along the path, my toenails had gotten dirty. Mud clung beneath them, reflecting my stupidity and harsh judgement, as well as the decision fuelled by a meaningless rage.

Now that I had calmed and could actually think, I wondered what exactly had been making me so angry.

"I don’t...know why I was so angry before." I whispered, almost inaudible, but a wildfire like Kai didn’t need to struggle to hear. "Truly, I saw a vision from the future where you died when Nathan infiltrated my mind. I didn’t know how to approach it, and I was so mad that he could invade my mind against my will. The maddening anger twisted my mind, and...this is all an excuse, but...I don’t..."

I wished for the earth to swallow me right now and spit me out anywhere else but here. Or possibly, if I could go back in time.

Kai was absolutely right, and I had been the one to overthink the matter. Even if he’d hidden things from me, making a wrong of my own didn’t make me right.

"I...I’m..." My vision blurred as tears threatened to wet my lashes, and my words caught in my throat.

Leo’s voice suddenly tore through the air.

"He’s here!" He sped towards us as if he’d seen a ghost. Blood soaked half his face, his hair slick with the thick crimson liquid and his breathing short. "We need to run! He’s here!"

As he got closer through the woods, Kai stretched a hand to guide me behind him and I watched curiously as Leo finally stopped before us. Breathless and clutching his ribs.

"Nathan...He..." He swallowed. "He killed Ser Cavriel. He’s coming for us all!"

As I said earlier, one can lie with words, but the eyes said it all. And Leo’s eyes had witnessed concrete horror.