“He’s alive,” he said.
“Who’s alive?” Juda asked.
“Dad,” Nico answered. He paused for a moment before he said, “My dad’s alive.”
“That’s not possible, Nico,” Nero countered, annoyed that our brother would entertain the idea. “We saw him die.”
“What makes you think he’s alive?” Gavin asked, ignoring Nero’s explanation.
“This journal entry,” Nico turned to the last page that had writing on it. “It’s dated two days ago.”
“What?” we all said in unison.
“Look at it,” Nico put the book down on the table so that we could all take turns looking at it. He was right. It didn’t make any sense, but the date was from two days ago.
“That image makes sense now,” Roman muttered. “Remember how the slash marks on the image had no blood, but the one where they died did?”
“Yes, I remember,” I told him.
“That third image showed that they healed from their wounds,” he explained. “That’s why there was no more blood.”
“If we’re just talking about the drawing then that makes sense, but we were there when they died,” Kota said. “They stopped breathing. How is this possible?”
“I don’t think any of us have the answer to that,” Hudson said. “But if there’s a possibility that the last Alphas are alive, we need to look into it.”
“You’re right,” Nico said as he glanced over to Nathan and Kota who were sitting on their bed. “I need you guys to send fire messages to each of the Alphas and tell them to get their asses back here now.”
“What do we tell them?” Kota asked.
“Tell them our fathers are alive,” he said. “And as of right now, finding them is our number one priority.”
“What about Malachi?” Luna asked.
“I know it sounds selfish saying he’s no longer our first priority, but I don’t care about him right now,” he said apologetically. “All I care about is finding our fathers.”
“Good enough for me,” Luna shrugged.
Nico turned away from us and exited the room, Nero close behind him. Knowing we would be leaving soon, I felt like I should go lie down for a little bit and regain my strength. Roman followed me to make sure I got to my room safely. I forgot that our Council was trying to kill me. When I got to my door I invited him in hoping he would lie down with me. I was feeling anxious with the possibility that my father was still alive and lately, he’s been the only thing that could calm me down. He nodded as I entered the room, shutting the door behind us. I went straight for the bed and waited for him to join me. I loved having him next to me when I was trying to sleep. There was something comforting about his arm around me, holding my body close to his.
“Can I say something without you getting upset or hurt?” he asked before lying down. He sat on the opposite side of the bed looking anxious himself.
“Of course, you can,” I said as I sat up to face him. “I promise I won’t get all emotional on you.”
“It’s about your dad,” he started to say. “I think the evidence we found says that he’s alive, but I just hope you’ll think realistically and not get your hopes up. I just don’t want to see your heart break all over again. It was really hard the first time to see you like that.”
“I’ve been trying to tell myself the same thing,” I admitted as I scooted my body closer to his. He wrapped his arm around me as I leaned into his side, my legs swinging over his as his grip around me tightened. “I saw him die. I saw the spirit of the Alpha leave his body and go to Nico’s. None of this makes sense and yet, his journal and the image on the wall says that he’s alive. I just don’t understand how it’s possible.”
“I don’t either,” he said. “I just don’t want to see you and your brothers get hurt again. Do you know how hard it was to watch my best friends and the woman I love die inside over and over again and there was nothing I could do about it?”
“I’m sorry we put you through that,” I told him as I dug my face deeper into his chest.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said sternly. “But you will if you have to go through all of that again so please, think rationally until we have proof that he’s alive. And when I say proof, I mean, his living and breathing body better be right there in front of us.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was being serious, but his tone lightened, and it made me smile. He was right about everything and I knew he only had my best interest at heart. Already my anxiety was starting to ease and like I knew it would, it was because of Roman.
“Do you really love me?” I asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence had gone by. I should’ve just let it go but something inside me fluttered when he called me the woman he loved. By asking this the comfort that I felt could potentially go away if he decided to back track.
“Of course, I do,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “There’s no one else I’d rather be with for the rest of my life.”
“Our lives are a long time,” I reminded him. “Are you sure about that?”
He laughed before he said, “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“I love you, too, you know,” I blurted, part of me wishing I never said it, but another part was glad that I did.
“Well then I guess it’s good we’re going to be bound,” he chuckled. “It’d be a little awkward if we hated each other.”
“I could never hate you,” I said, my body weight heavier against his chest.
“Good, we’re on the same page,” he said as he started to lean back against the pillows. I suddenly wasn’t tired anymore and instead of resting I adjusted my body so that I was on top of him, finding his face and placing my lips on his.
“I thought you wanted to get some rest,” he whispered in between kisses.
“I think there’s something more beneficial we could be doing,” I said just as quietly.
Our lips collided again as he moved his hands down my body. The only time we pulled away was so we can remove another piece of clothing but even though our bodies were never that far apart. I was still on top of him but something in his eyes changed while simultaneously flipping me onto my back. I laughed as he put some of his weight on me. He cupped my face, planting one more kiss on my lips before he entered me, satisfying so many cravings I had been putting aside for too long. He just started and already I could feel the buildup in my body growing stronger, teasing me as he moved graciously against me. He quickened his pace, making it harder to breathe in a normal rhythm. My toes curled into the mattress, my entire body tightening up until finally my insides exploded. Pleasure wrapped around me as my body relaxed and Roman slowed down, planting more kiss on my neck and then down my chest. He thrusted against me a few more times before he stopped and found my lips again. I felt his tongue against mine as he held me closer to him.
All the tension that I felt from earlier was gone, all my worries seemed to be so silly. When Roman pulled himself out of me, I found myself disappointed and wanting more. I had no idea when someone would come bursting through that door telling us it was time to go so I knew I should get some kind of rest. I accepted that Roman’s time inside me was over but at least he was still next to me. We were underneath the covers now, my back facing him and his arms snuggly around my waist. In this moment, I felt happiness. There was no other way to describe it. For the longest time I fought against my relationship with Roman and then eventually I accepted it but now I had it completely and it’s greater than anything I could’ve imagined.
“Your mind is way too busy,” he laughed into my neck.
“You can’t read my mind,” I told him.
“No, but I can tell when you’re thinking and you’re doing it right now,” he said.
“After what you just did to me, there’s a lot to look back on,” I chuckled.
“Stop it,” he said. “We need to rest and if you keep talking like that rest is going to be the last thing we do
.”
He rubbed his hand up and down my arm as my mind went blank. Slowly I started to doze off, his body heat comforting me as my eyes shut for good. Too bad it was short lived.
“The Alphas are here,” the door slammed opened and an annoying voice entered the room.
“For fuck’s sake, Luna,” I shouted as I covered my body completely with the blankets and glared at her.
“Why is it always me walking in on everyone fucking each other?” she questioned as she stood there in the middle of the room.
“Because you’ve never heard of knocking,” Roman said as he landed heavily on the pillows, stretching his arms back behind his head.
“Nico says you need to get ready to leave,” she said, ignoring Roman’s comment. “Oh, and both of you need to pack a bag.”
“Why?” Roman and I said together.
“Apparently, we’re not coming back to the Castle without our fathers or definite proof that they’re not alive,” she explained with her attitude in full swing.
“How long’s that going to take?” I shrieked, thinking that was the worst plan the Alphas have ever come up with.
“No idea,” she replied as she started to make her way back to the door. “I hope you two got some rest in your free time.”
“Fuck off,” Roman and I spoke together again.
“You guys are good at that,” she laughed as she shut the door.
Even though we should’ve been sleeping during our free time, I don’t regret my recent activities with Roman. If we’re going to be gone from the Castle for a little bit, who knows when we’ll get to do this again. I glanced over at Roman who had his eyes closed, his arms still behind his head. I crawled over to him, climbing his chest until I reached his face. I planted one more kiss on his lips and then I left the bed, putting the clothes on that Roman ripped off. I second thought, I should just put on a clean pair of training clothes.
Chapter Thirteen
Kota
Why did I have vision about Malachi’s stupid journal if my father and my uncles were still alive? Wouldn’t be more beneficial to us if I had a vision about them instead of a serial killer? They’re so much smarter than we are and they’re able to make rational decisions even when the situation is extremely stressful. If they really are alive, why haven’t they come home to us? What’s keeping them away in hiding. We didn’t have proof yet and it seemed weird because at the funeral my father was very much dead but whatever happened after that is mystery. How are they still alive? My mind was mix with excitement and confusion and I couldn’t distinguish anything between the two. I tried to keep myself calm and prepare myself for things not to go our way. Until we had proof that they were alive they needed to stay dead in my mind otherwise, I think my heart would shatter into a million pieces again.
My father and my uncles have been gone for over a month now and all I could think about were the things that were taken away from us because of their deaths. My brothers and I were robbed of lifetime with our father by our side. My mother had the love of her life ripped away and now she won’t leave her chambers. We were deprived of his love far too early in our lives and if there was a possibility that we could get it back then I would stop at nothing to make it happen.
“How are you feeling?” Nathan asked as he sat down next to me on our bed. I thought it feel strange sharing a bed with him after the binding ceremony, but it was actually the most natural thing in the world to me. I felt naked if he wasn’t next to me. It had only been a few days but already I was addicted to this new love that had been slowly healing my damaged heart. It was easy to forget about the loud discussion we had after we were bound because we both understood that we weren’t trying to hurt each other. We were able to figure that out without saying a word.
When I found out that Nathan told the girls about the vision we had I wanted to fight him but then he explained why he told them. I was unconscious with no one knowing when I would wake up and he felt like the girls needed to know that it wasn’t the first time that I fainted because of a vision. It took me a minute to accept what he was saying but eventually, I realized that he was worried about me and if someone could figure out how to wake me up with the information that he had then he was going to do it. I still worried about the girls, and the choice that was taken from them. During our time here at Werewolf Territory, I had seen the relationships between them and the second in commands grow into something that resemble what Nathan and I had. It made me feel a little better knowing they would be following in our footsteps sooner rather than later. Still, I didn’t like the feeling that I might’ve played a part in a forced decision. I didn’t want them to look back at this time years down the road and resent me for it. I couldn’t help it if I had the vision, but I could try to keep it too myself so that it didn’t hurt other people. I just needed to make sure that Nathan didn’t see any more visions, so he couldn’t tell anyone.
“I’m feeling better,” I told him. “I can still feel a few aches here and there, but I can feel my strength returning with each minute that passes. I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe you should stay behind,” he suggested hesitantly. “I know you don’t want to, but you need to get your rest. You’ve done too much so soon after your vision. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I know that you’re right,” I agreed with him. “But if there’s even a small chance that my father and uncles are alive then I’m not sitting this one out. I need to help my siblings find them.”
“I knew that would be your answer,” he smiled. “And I told myself not to argue with it, but I had to try all the same.”
“I do appreciate you looking after me,” I leaned my head into his shoulder, resting it as I spoke. “I know this hasn’t been easy on you, but I want you to know that I see that, and I promise I’m not shrugging it off.”
“I never once thought that you were ignoring my feelings on purpose,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “Although, it would be nice if you listened to me a little bit more. It would help my sanity if you did.”
“I can’t make any big promises, but I can promise you that I will try,” I looked up at him hoping he would see the sincerity in my eyes.
“That’s all I ask,” he smiled before planting his lips against mine, warming my chest in the process. I didn’t want him to pull away, but someone knocked on the door and he had no choice but to widen the distance between us.
The door opened, both of my brothers pushing through it as if they were in a hurry. They stopped right in front of us, looking me over as if I were injured.
“We’ve been so worried about you,” Kody finally said when he felt like there was nothing to be concerned about. “Why didn’t you tell us that your visions were causing you to faint?”
“Please, I need you two to calm down,” I begged the both of them. “I’m fine. I’ve been awake for a while now and I promise you that my strength is almost one hundred percent. There’s nothing for you guys to be concerned about.”
“Nico was keeping us updated,” Kory admitted feeling foolish for barging in the way that they did. At least they knocked before they entered. His gaze changed to Nathan and the tension in the room grew. “Why didn’t you tell us that she had a vision and why didn’t you leave out the part where you saw it, too?”
“Don’t get mad at him,” I stood up getting in between our Alpha and his second in command. “I’m the one who told him not to say anything. He wanted to come to you guys right away but I stopped him.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell us about it?” Kody asked more calmly than Kory had spoken. “Don’t you realize how it could’ve helped us with this whole Malachi debacle?”
“It’s a long explanation, one that we don’t have time for,” I brushed it off hoping they would let it go. “Now that you all are here Nico’s going to want to leave, and we need to focus on that.”
“We’re not done with this conversation,” Kory told me before walking away.
“I’m glad
you’re alright,” Kody smiled as he wrapped his muscular arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze. I had to admit that I brought a lot of drama to my brother’s lives. First, I was part of a prophecy that basically put my life in danger, and second, I was also the prophet which also put my life danger. Anyone who knew that I was the prophet could try to kidnap me and try to get me to see visions that they could use against other people. That’s not how it worked but they didn’t know that.
Nathan and I grabbed our bags and followed them out of the room. We were to meet back in Nico’s study, which meant it would be a tight fit for all of us especially since we were all bringing previsions with us. From what I understand, we’re not coming back until we have answers. Who will determine what an answer is, I have no idea, but there was a possibility we’d be gone for a little while, so our bags were completely full this trip. We only packed an overnight bag when we traveled to the farm, but this was different. There were way more unknowns this time and I didn’t think that was possible. When we reached the main floor of the Castle, I noticed Nico was fighting with some of his Council members again. They wouldn’t leave him alone. They fought with him every day it seemed like. I recognized one of them as Roman’s father, Rosco. He seemed to be in the middle of three members that stood before Nico, looking extremely weak compared to the Alpha.
“For the last time,” I heard Nico say. “I don’t need to clear it with you if I invite my family to the Castle.”
“With all the safety concerns that have come up it’s not a good idea to let all these people in,” Rosco argued. “We need to get our security back in order.”
“You’re right,” Nico agreed. “You should get to work on that. It should keep you busy which means you have no time to think about why my family has come to visit my siblings and I.”
“You’re playing with fire, Nico,” Roman’s father continued. “When are you going to put the Werewolves before your so called ‘family’ like an Alpha is supposed to do?”
“When I get Council members that I can trust more than my family then we can have this conversation but until then, you mind your own fucking business,” Nico spoke more sternly.”
Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2) Page 21
