Hudson face went pale as he turned away from Jona. My brother laughed as he walked with me over to the couches. I sat next to Hudson so that he wouldn’t panic if Jona sat anywhere near him. Jona continued to be pleased with himself for making Hudson uncomfortable and no matter what look I gave him that smirk wasn’t going anywhere.
“Nico sent us a message about what Nathan and Kota saw at their binding ceremony,” Jona started to tell us. “This is obviously news to all of us that we didn’t expect but we’re not surprised.”
“What do you mean you weren’t surprised?” I looked at him as he shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.
“It’s been brought up before that three individuals that were the most compatible with us were from the original families,” he said. “We knew it couldn’t be a coincidence and now we know that we were right.”
“You could’ve told me,” I scolded.
“I’m pretty sure we did but you chose not to pay attention,” he countered.
“What’s your point, Jona?” I asked angrily.
“Obviously, we know that all of us will have to bind but Juno doesn’t want to rush into it,” he said hesitantly.
“People are going to die, Jona!” I shrieked before he could finish.
“Here me out, Juda,” he snapped back at me before continuing with what he was saying. “Juno thinks Malachi will know that we’re up to something if we all have binding ceremonies at the same time. He thinks we should announce the engagements the way that we normally would and then set the dates a little spread out from each other, so that we might be able to get away with it without Malachi thinking it’s part of our plan to stop him.”
“Why would Malachi care about us all binding?” Hudson questioned. “That doesn’t seem to raise any alarm to me so why would it for him?”
“If it were just one of us binding then you’re right, it probably wouldn’t matter but if we all did then it looks suspicious. Especially if all five Alpha families are doing the same thing.”
“So, what does this conversation have to do with us,” I asked wondering why he had to come here and tell us this instead of Juno writing a letter.
“Juno wants to make sure that you two are okay with this plan,” Jona answered. “If he announces the engagements, will you two be okay with it and do what needs to be done.”
“Yes,” Hudson and I said together.
“That’s it?” Jona seemed confused. “It’s that easy for you two to just say yes?”
“We’ve already talked about it, Jona,” I told him. “Tell Juno that we agree to the plan.”
“Alright,” Jona smiled. “I guess I’m going home again. I thought it would a lot harder to convince you two to go through with this.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” I laughed as he walked out of the room and went home to Giant Territory.
Chapter Eleven
Luna
“When do you think she’ll wake up?” Declan asked as we strolled the castle grounds. We had been avoiding the topic of binding ever since we left Kota and Nathan’s chambers and we were starting to run out of things to talk about.
“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “The only time that she fainted was on the day of the ceremony and you know just as well as I do how long she was out.”
“Do you think there’s any truth to what Nathan said?” he continued to go down his lists of questions that I knew he had been dying to ask. He was being careful though, only asking the ones that he knew could be thought of as just small talk.
“Of course, there is,” I said harshly. “We have no reason to doubt what he said. He gave us the missing pieces to the puzzle the Alphas have been trying to put together.”
There was a small gap between us as we continued to walk along the fence surrounding the castle. He had his hands behind his back, resting them against his body while mine dangled at my side. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the cool breeze comfortably grazed our cheeks.
“I can’t keep pretending like there’s nothing to talk about Luna,” Declan finally said, stopping and turning to face me. “I know you want to avoid it, but we can’t. I know better than to try and make you talk to me, so I just want one answer from you and then I’ll leave you alone.”
“And what’s that?” I laughed mockingly, crossing my arms tightly against my chest.
“When Levi comes to us and asks if we’ll go through with the ceremony, what are you going to say?” he asked, sighing deeply as he spoke.
“Are you seriously asking me this right now?” I asked as I took a step away from him.
“I don’t want to be blind sighted, Luna,” he explained. “I’ll respect your decision no matter what it is, but I just want to know so I know what to expect.”
“I don’t know, Declan!” I shouted as I turned away from him, facing the large castle. I wanted to avoid this conversation for a reason. I had no idea what I wanted or how I felt about what Nathan told us. I was struggling to put my duty to Medova in front of my own desires, even though I knew I was being completely ridiculous. Declan was it for me and even with so many lives on the line I fought him and the life we could have together. I have always known that I’m stubborn, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Declan deserved better than what I was able to give him right now. How did I tell him that without hurting him?
“What do you mean you don’t know?” he asked, staying calm even after I yelled at him. “It’s a simple answer, Luna. Yes or no?”
“It’s not simple,” I argued.
“People will die if we don’t do this,” he reminded me, the guilt I have felt my entire life stabbing me all over again like it has every day since my birthday.
“I know that,” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks with no warning at all. They just dropped, completely skipping the part where a lump formed in my throat and my eyes begin to burn. They just fell, my vulnerable side in full swing right in front of the man who scared me the most. He would never lay a hand on me or say something that would hurt me. That wasn’t what made me afraid of him. He would be understanding and comforting and tell me that I had every right to feel this way. He’d kill for me if it meant I was protected. He would die for me without hesitation if it came down to it. All those things would frighten anyone else but not me. The part that scared me, was that I would do it all for him, too. I would sacrifice anything if it meant he lived a long and happy life. I would give up whatever I had to if it meant he was safe. I don’t know how he was able to break down the walls that I strongly built so many years ago. He broke them a long time ago I was just too stubborn to admit it. He’s what I need right now and not because he stands by my side. Kota’s prophecy says I need him, too, if we’re going to have a chance at stopping Malachi.
“I told you I wouldn’t ask you anything else and I meant it,” Declan spoke quietly as my back continued to face him. “But eventually I would like to know your answer. Preferably before Levi talks to us.”
“Yes,” I whispered but I knew he heard it.
“Yes, to what?” he asked. “Yes, you’ll tell me before Levi talks to us?”
“Yes, I’ll agree to the binding ceremony,” I finally turned around and looked him in the eyes. His expression was still almost like he was trying to figure out if I was being serious or if I was just messing with him. I took a few steps towards him before I spoke again. “I know I’m really hard to deal with and I have trouble making up my mind but when Levi comes to talk to us I will tell him that I agree to the ceremony.”
“I didn’t mean to pressure you,” he shook his head, still in disbelief. “I shouldn’t have argued with you about it. I should’ve just accepted that you didn’t have an answer.”
“Declan, will you just listen to me?” I reached for his hands as I closed the last bit of distance between us. “Just, listen. I meant what I said. You didn’t pressure me into anything. You and I will be bound when Levi feels the time is right, unless you suddenly changed your m
ind in the last two minutes.”
“You know I didn’t,” he laughed.
“Good, then it’s settled,” I turned away from him again. “Let’s go inside and find something to eat. I’m starving after all this adulting we’ve been doing today.”
“You think that’s adulting?” Declan chuckled as he caught up with me. “You’ve got a long road ahead of you if you think that is adulting.”
“Don’t mock me when I’m hungry, Declan,” I warned him, pointing a finger in the direction of his face.
“I wouldn’t dream of mocking you,” he said before going silent. He followed me into the kitchen where we found a maid who offered to make us some sandwiches. We sat there as she pulled a few items from an icebox that only stays cold thanks to a spell Uncle Alex put on it years ago.
“You’re going to need to take those sandwiches to go,” a voice rang in my ear as it entered the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” I asked as I turned to face Nova who seemed red in the face.
“Kota’s awake,” she said hurriedly. “She wants to see us. It’s about what she saw before she fainted.”
I turned to look at the maid who had finished our sandwiches, wrapping them each in a cloth for us to take with us. She somehow managed to make a third sandwich before I turned to face her again for Kota so that she could eat something to get her energy back. I thanked her for what she had done and then helped her put the items away in the icebox before following Nova up the stairs. The door to Kota and Nathan’s chambers were open and when we entered not only were the girls and their betrotheds there but also Nico and Nero. Apparently, Nico promised Kory that he would check in on Kota and send him any updates on her condition. He would’ve checked up on her even if Kory didn’t ask him to. We were all his sisters, not just Nova.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” I said as I crawled into the bed to give her a hug. “You need to stop fainting on us or we’re not going to make it to the end battle with Malachi.”
“It’s not something I can control, Luna,” she giggled as Declan handed her one of the sandwiches the kitchen maid had whipped together for her.
Nico sat down on the end of the bed, getting a closer look to make sure Kota was okay. He also wanted to hear what she saw in her vision, but he was getting to that gently. The last thing he wanted to do was rush her.
“Kota, before you fainted you said something about a book,” Nico spoke softly. “Do you remember why you said that?”
“Yes,” she answered after swallowing the bite she took from the sandwich. She looked so tired as she sat there in front of us. The last thing she wanted to do was be surrounded by our large family, but she knew it was important. This was only half of our family, too, so she didn’t have it that bad. “We need to go back to the forest, where we found Malachi.”
“Why?” Deja questioned. “What does that have to do with the book?”
“The book is in the tree house he lived in,” Kota explained. “We need to get to it before he realizes that he left it behind.
“Why is this book important, Kota?” Nico wondered. “If you say we need to go get it then that’s what we’re going to do but what’s in it?”
“It’s his journal,” she responded. “I don’t know what’s in it, but it must be something we can use if I had a vision about it.”
“You’re right,” Nico agreed. “I’ll send Roman and the others back to get it. You need to stay here in bed and get some rest. You have no idea how much this helps us.”
“No, the girls and I have to go,” she argued. “It has to be us.”
“Why?” he asked giving her the chance to explain. That never would’ve happened before our fathers died.
“I don’t know why but, in the vision, it was the girls and I that went back to the treehouse,” she told him. “It has to be us that goes.”
He didn’t like the idea of sending us out there especially since Kota had just woken up, but he seemed to be accepting the reality of the situation a lot quicker than he used to. He looked back at Kota, ready to bargain with her.
“I’ll agree that you and the girls can go back to the treehouse but only if you take Roman and the others with you,” he said. “I know you girls can take care of yourselves, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of back up just in case you run into Malachi or any of his followers.”
“Deal,” I said before Kota could answer or anyone else for that matter.
“I still think you should rest before you go on this mission,” Nico sighed knowing it wouldn’t do anything to change Kota’s mind.
“We don’t have time to wait,” she said as she began to crawl out of bed. She was wearing her training clothes when she fainted, and she still wore the same ones as she climbed off the mattress. It had only been half a day, so no one was judging her but knowing her, she would change clothes before we left. “Just give me a minute to freshen up and then we can go.”
“We should feed before we go,” Declan whispered in my ear. “If there’s any possibility of facing Malachi we need to be at our strongest.”
“You’re right,” I said as I looked away from him. My eyes shifted and landed on Nico. I didn’t mean to look at him but that’s just where my glance went.
“You’ll find what you need down in the kitchen,” he told me as he nodded his head. “One of the kitchen maids should be able to help you find what you’re looking for.”
“Thank you, Nico,” I said as Declan and I walked passed him.
For the second time today, we were headed for the kitchen, and I hoped we wouldn’t make the kitchen maid uncomfortable when we asked her to point us in the direction of the blood. Whenever we were coming to visit the Alphas always made sure there was a supply of blood around for whenever we needed it but unless we were going to fight knowingly we could easily last a week without blood, so we could wait until we were home before we had to feed again. This situation was obviously different, and Nico was thankfully prepared for it.
“Are we sure we should be going with the condition that Kota’s in?” Declan asked. “She looked really tired.”
“She probably shouldn’t be going but there’s no stopping her once she’s made up her mind,” I told him. “All we can do is protect and make sure we have the strength to do so.”
“Miss Luna, you’re back so soon,” the kitchen maid perked up the second she saw us. She nodded to both of us and waited for us to tell her what we needed.
“Nico said you would be able to point us in the direction of the blood supply you keep when we come to visit,” I said, trying to be delicate about it so that I didn’t startle her.
“Of course,” she said with a smile, surprising both of us. “Follow me.”
She motioned for us to exit the kitchen as she waved her hand, leading us around the corner to a second icebox. It was similar to the one inside the kitchen only it was a little bit smaller. When she opened the lid, several sealed cups were revealed, each of them containing red liquid. She smiled again as we glanced inside. She shut the lid as she turned to us, her perkiness becoming weirder by the minute.
“Help yourselves,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you,” Declan said as he glanced over at me, wondering what the hell was happening. I wish I had the answer to that. I walked up to the icebox and lifted the lid, grabbing two glasses, handing one of them to Declan.
“Do you think one will be enough?” I asked as we took the seal off.
“It should be more than enough,” he answered as he examined how full the glass was. It was filled almost to the top, which would keep us strong for at least four or five days. I wasn’t sure how much we should drink if there was a possibility of meeting Malachi during our little adventure, but I trusted Declan. If he said it was enough, then it was. I could feel my body growing stronger as we both chugged the contents within the glass. I hadn’t had any blood since we arrived at Werewolf Castle, and I was starting to realize that I really ne
eded this. I was glad Declan was here with me instead of drinking it in front of the girls. They never said anything about it because they knew it was part of being a vampire, but I also knew that it made them squeamish. I didn’t like making them uncomfortable, so I always tried to hide whenever I drank any blood outside of Vampire Territory. At least with Declan, we both enjoyed the blood and the power that it gave us and so I didn’t have to hide that when he was around.
Declan finished his glass first, looking around for a sink to wash out the liquid that was left behind on the sides of the cup. Almost as if she were waiting around the corner, the kitchen maid appeared and insisted that she take the glasses for us. She was way too happy for a werewolf kitchen maid having to clean up after two vampires. I started to wish Ivy were here. I wanted her to come with me when we traveled here but she insisted that she stayed behind. She still hadn’t recovered from what happened at her old family home even though I told her over and over again that it wasn’t her fault. Levi and Liam constantly reminded me to be patient with her and that’s what I intend to keep doing. I really liked her and even with her depression she still didn’t an excellent job making sure I had everything that I needed so she can have all the time she needs to feel better.
“Are you ready to go back upstairs?” Declan asked after he handed both glasses off to the kitchen maid. I swear she smiled the entire time she washed them. Who does that? Even if the glasses weren’t covered in blood, who smiles when doing the dishes?
“Yes,” I answered. “I’m sure Kota’s trying to convince Nathan to let her open up a portal. He’s going to need back up.”
“Poor guy,” he mumbled as we left the kitchen.
“Happy wife, happy life, Declan,” I quoted my father. “Start taking notes.”
“I’m going to regret the day I answered your father’s letter to come to the castle,” he muttered under his breath.
“You what?” I asked giving him the opportunity to change his response before he got himself into any more trouble.
“I said I feel bad for whoever thinks it’s a good idea to not do what you told them to,” he answered quickly, lying so badly that I had to laugh.
Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2) Page 18
