Once we were dismissed, Alijah grabbed my hand, making our way out of Cerberus. He avoided the other Lycan Elders, who waited by him by the entrance, like the plague.
“Wait!” one of them called to Alijah, who turned to them.
The look on his face was not one of enjoyment. They wanted to meet with him about his status in the pack. Dad had been keeping them off us while we were in the manor, but here my wolf had no escape.
He had to face the reluctant elders. Though he did not want to make a scene while I was with him.
“Look, I don’t give a fuck of what you want. Leave me the fuck alone,” Alijah growled.
The tone of his voice caused the Lycan elder quickly to retreat away from him.
“But your place in the pack,” another spoke.
My wolf clicked his tongue, holding my hand tighter.
“I don’t need a place. Call me a fucking lone wolf out of your reach.” He snapped.
A second later, he yanked me along.
Rejected…
I tried hard to not laugh at their faces, but it was hard to suppress the giggles that left me. Luckily, they stayed behind without following us. Though, I could not help but feel off after everything I had said during the meeting. Alijah did not seem to be bothered by the comments and attacks of the council.
My wolf did not budge at all. Well, until addressed by the elders, but that was more of him wanting to escape the pack system. I could not blame him for his awful mood. I, on the other hand, though popped my head like I was a crazy person, the moment he was insulted.
Perhaps I was childish. Though what bothered me most was all the stares we got on the way out from most of the staff. They were unwelcomed. Especially from the female Lycans that saw Alijah with a luma.
Fortunately, they all seemed to know who we were. None of them dared to make a single move towards us because of what Alijah was capable of. Though the glares of envy that they sent my way were jarring to experience.
Not because they hated me for being with what appeared to be the perfect Lycan, but because people had not changed. Father had tried, but the old ways died hard. It would take years for change to happen, and probably multiple generations.
Even though I was Fenris's daughter; I was used to being stared at. I was practically the only luma in Silverant, aside from travelers, who rarely ever stayed for more than a week. It reminded me of when the elders assess me, calling me unfit to be part of the pack.
Even though Dad fought with them as their alpha, the elders still had some influence. Though they accepted and highly sought the attention of my brothers. I was always second. Then the realization hit me.
Is Alijah doing this because of me? If he is part of the pact, then… I…
Usually, I would walk in stride, but it left me wondering if it bothered Alijah. After all, he would never be part of the pack if he were with me. Though he probably did not want to be part of it, anyway. I had to believe what he said, nothing else.
We walked peacefully until most comments turned about how I was a waste in a Lycan such as Alijah. Even if I did not have super hearing, they were surely being loud enough to be heard. I did not care about what they thought of me.
Usually, I would respond by sticking my tongue out at them whenever I was with my family. But that changed in an instant. Alijah suddenly pulled me into a kiss right in front of everyone. Grabbing the back of my head and hip, he pushed his tongue into my mouth, leaving everyone to stare at us.
For a moment, I wanted to pull away because of the surprise of my wolf's sudden burst of affection. But I did not because the warmth it gave me was reassuring. Another bonus was the scorn expression on all the Lycan females that were commenting on us.
Instead, I placed my hands around his neck and on the back of his head, responding with the same. The moment he pulled away from me, the biggest smirk was planted on his face. He licked my lip before glaring at the loud girls.
"I’m so glad to see that females are still the same bitches from my time," Alijah scowled.
They seemed confused by what he meant. Not everyone knew about his past. Though they knew he was dangerous and unstable. And that he was also a red-eye Lycan.
"What is wrong with the males these days? Are they blind or something?" The girls growled, not liking his tone.
He turned to me, ignoring all other comments, his tail slightly wagged. The love in his eyes made me want to melt right where I was. There was no doubt in his eyes.
"You really are a unique one, my love. A one and only, among all females I have ever met." Alijah temptingly licking his lips.
It felt like he wanted to tease me. I would not let him. Well, try to at least. Though all my other attempts always failed.
"Of course I am! After all, you fell for me." I pointed out, rolling my eyes.
It triggered my wolf to chuckle because of it. Even though I was seeing his smile more often, I could never get enough of it. Instead of sticking around, he grabbed onto my hand once again, tugging me along.
"Okay, Rem, then come let’s go home or somewhere more private. So, we can make some merry together." Alijah teased.
His words caused me to flush red. Everyone around him heard that while I was dragged away, jittery with excitement. I could not find a single word to say to him too. All I could do was hold on to his hand. Exiting the building, we left behind all the stares.
The manor was close to the Cerberus headquarters where my dad and mom worked. Silverant had always been more advanced than other cities. Though, unlike Celestelia, there were no flying crafts other than airships by the docks. Or ground cars.
Our citizens walked everywhere and if not, they used carriages that Lycans would pull. Taxi carriages people called them. Other big cities had horses pulling them, but here the wolves did not mind it. Especially when they could use their brute strength for money.
They made the buildings from cement and glass in most places. Though the manor itself was made from white marble. It was the most expensive building in Silverant. I mean, not even Cerberus headquarters were made like it.
In fact, it seemed more like a giant office building than anything else. And there were rare wooden houses here. Mostly elves who lived in our city. Inns were also made from wood too, but that was mostly for decoration. Our roads were made from bricks too. Most of them were blue. Though in other places one could find pink ones.
On our way home for a moment, Alijah stopped, as his ears twitched. A carriage passed by us when he suddenly yanked me into an alley near our home. It was a surprising detour. Though I soon found myself pinned to the wall. Before I could say a word, he kissed me.
It had been quite a while since we had done anything outside. It also seemed like this alley was empty of eyes. Not that it bothered me if there were. If Alijah was the only one touching me, I did not care who was watching.
Unable to keep to myself even though we were outside, I kissed him back. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, his hand went up to my shirt before halting. They trailed down my hips and onto my legs before suddenly picking me up.
My legs were around his hips, while my hands were on his shoulders. A low mewl escaped my mouth when he rubbed his building heat in his pants against my groin. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck, making out with him.
He pulled away from the kiss, leaning over to my ear.
"I love you, Rem." Alijah's breath felt so hot on my ear that I wanted more of it.
I was in bliss after hearing him say that, but soon it would turn into embarrassment. He pulled away slightly from me, glancing up at the building.
"Are you one of those that like to watch?" My wolf growled at someone.
Even though I was a little dazed by him, I slowly followed his gaze. There I saw someone sitting on the top of one building of the alley we were in.
Just who...
"Well, you were putting on a public show. I’ll gladly watch you follow it through." A man holding a black umbrella announced from the top of the building.
Alijah growled louder.
"You aren’t from here. I can smell the scent of blood from you." My wolf seemed uneasy, slowly setting me down.
The man jumped off the building, landing in front of us. He was nimble.
"Well, it’s where I get my power from. So, it’s natural for you to smell it on me." The man informed, closing the umbrella.
There was a good amount of shade where we were. He was another beautiful being, to be honest. His icy blue eyes made it seem like there was an endless sky in them. His fair skin made him seem almost snow-white, too.
It made me wonder if the slightest touch would bruise his skin. His black hair seemed so silky smooth it could probably have competed with Alijah's. Even though my wolf seemed angered by the man, who was a vampire. He had a gentle expression on his face.
Alijah was none of this man's concern.
"I should kill you for interrupting us.” My wolf warned, unhappy at the man's interruption.
The man chuckled in response, not caring for Alijah's needs.
"Oh, even you would be careful against a royal in this proximity. Though... I only came here for my student. You see, I need her to learn too much in a short amount of time." The man suddenly announced.
I widened my eyes.
This man... was...
"You’re Asher's son?" I asked, gasping too.
He looks nothing like Asher!
Alijah sighed, knowing he could not get away with harming the person who would teach me how to use a sword. Not only that, if he was Asher's son, it meant that he was next in line for the throne for Celnaer.
Even though vampires were dangerous because of their ability to control blood, royals were the worst. After all, they could control blood in a certain radius. This included the living blood as well. Vampires at close range were dangerous beings.
They could even be dangerous to Lycans, who were slightly resistant to their manipulation from far away. They also had the same strength and speed. Though during the day, those abilities were severely weakened. This made them the apex predators of the night. While the Lycans were dangerous, no matter what time of the day.
"Yes, my name is Leonard Arzaqian. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rem Silver Fang. Though the rude mutt I could do without." Leonard introduced himself with a slight bow.
Alijah huffed in response.
They won’t play nice, will they?
Then again, something about the vampire in front of me reminded me of Alijah himself. I could not help but think they would become friends. Perhaps it was hope, since my wolf only had my family to fall back on.
"Bloodsuckers are still full of themselves in this era too, it seems." Alijah clicked his tongue, not liking Leonard's tone.
Even though his father probably warned him about how dangerous my wolf was, he showed little to no fear. It was amusing.
Or maybe not.
"What was that mutt?" Leonard muttered, annoyed at the nickname Alijah had given him.
My wolf smirked in response. He was aware their personalities would clash more than he was comfortable with.
"I can already tell we’ll get along just fine." Alijah snickered.
Leonard shrugged, not caring for him. Rolling his eyes, he gazed at me once again.
"Not like I care. Now, shall we be off? I left my newborn son to teach you. So, I would like to use my time wisely and without waste." Leonard announced, turning around to head towards the manor, opening his umbrella in one swift movement.
He had grace; I would give him that. Though what he said did not stand well with me. Before he could take a step forward, I spoke up.
"Wait... then, shouldn’t someone else come to teach me? I mean, your son is important, no?" I asked.
The vampire turned to me again. Alijah grabbed my hand, not willing to let me go alone. Though it was not like Leonard cared if the 'mutt' followed us. In fact, he expected it.
"My child is the reason I have to teach you. After all, what good does it do if you fail? I already have low expectations of you, hybrid. Please, surprise me." Leonard answered, showing little to no emotion on his face.
I felt off by it. I already knew people had low expectations of me, but...
"I don’t think I’ll surprise you." I pointed out truthfully.
Alijah tightened his hand around mine, not liking my response. My insecurities always go the best of me, but nothing would change how I felt. I was a luma, nothing more. Midnight had to be wrong about me.
"Don’t say that, Rem," Alijah sighed.
Leonard narrowed his eyes, disappointed by what I was saying too. I probably would never reach what they envisioned me doing, but...
"Well, I’m a fuckup, but I’ll try." I simpered towards Alijah, who shook his head.
"Oi, you are not a fuckup. Just inexperienced,” my wolf argued.
His words caused me to scratch my head, unable to answer him back. The week I had been training with him, I had little advancements in any forte. I doubt I would become a master swordsman in the short time I had.
After all, it took years to master the art. At best, I would be an amateur by the time Edna attacked, which could be at any moment. Though Midnight seemed sure it would not be before the blood moon.
Does that witch need that too for something? Or is she going to use that moment when I’m at my weakest?
There was too much we did not know about Edna and her intentions. Her motives and means were unknown, too.
Does she know the book is using her or is she using it?
It was impossible to know. Everything was out of my reach.
"Well, here is the thing, Rem. If you don’t surpass our expectations, we’re doomed. Now let’s go. Your training begins now." Leonard declared, turning away, walking towards the manor.
I had no choice but to follow along with Alijah, who would impede nothing that would prepare me for what was coming. If anything, he probably would kill Leonard if he did not train me enough.
The vampire moved at a fast pace, as if he knew where he was headed. The whole way there, he was silent too. When we finally got to the stadium, my brothers were waiting for Alijah. Though Vera seemed missing yet again. She probably was still in her room, always late for our training routines.
"Oh, you are back." Aiden gazed at Leonard.
He completely ignored my brother, heading towards where there were practice swords already set up.
Shit… Did he prepare everything before the meeting was done?
He had dedication, which was scaring me a bit.
This vampire knows I’m an utter beginner to swords, right? Right? I mean, he said he had little to no expectations of me. So, he has to know. Right??
"Every day and night, you’ll train until you learn how to swing a sword. I won’t care if you cry, bitch, or get painful blisters. They will heal quickly either way. You are the daughter of the blood moon Lycan.” Leonard glanced at me with a wooden sword in his hands.
Is it getting hard to breathe? Or is it me?!
His eyes were stern, and I could tell he was not joking around. He meant every word he said. A soft chuckle left his lips, tapping the practice sword into his hand.
“There are even rumors that you may have a god's soul in you. Honestly, I don’t care either way." He threw me a wooden sword that I barely caught in time.
Somehow, it seems what happened at the dinner table was already spreading around.
Shit... the maids and their gossip.
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Alijah, who had been next to me, patted my head before kissing me lightly on my head.
"Good luck, love,” he simpered, going towards my brothers, leaving me alone with this new monster that I had in front of me.
Good luck he says… I need more than just luck! I’m going to get fucked!
"I’m impressed. You have that wolf tamed," Leonard noted, snickering a bit.
Alijah shrugged at his comment.
"So, what if she does?" he turned back towards us with a somewhat annoyed expression on his face.
Leonard chuckled, enjoying my wolf's expression.
"It’s nothing bad. Just impressive. After all, you are the terrifying red moon Lycan that wanted to destroy the world, are you not?" the vampire questioned, gazing at Alijah.
My wolf huffed in response.
"Don’t provoke me, bloodsucker," Alijah warned, scowling at Leonard.
Though, his eyes shifted towards me. It caused me to smile at him, producing him to sigh before turning back to my brothers. They were ready to start with their usual beatings. Though they had gotten better at moving against Alijah.
"Yes, wild one, I’ll behave somewhat." Leonard continued to crackle, enjoying his teases towards Alijah, who only seemed annoyed in return.
Turning back towards me, Leonard smiled, "Tania, my lovely aunt from my mother's side, told me much about you, Rem. So, let me inform you about something important. It isn’t because I hate you that I’ll be merciless to you, but because I want you to succeed in your coming endeavors.”
He grabbed onto a wooden stick.
Turning back to me, he continued, “My son already lost his mother. He can lose me too if needed, but not this world."
Oi... this is too much. Like way too much!
It felt like the world was in my hands and shoulders. I did not like it, but I could not run away from it either.
"It’s getting really heavy here..." I grabbed onto my face, feeling the full weight of the responsibility that was being thrown at my face by Leonard, but he was not wrong.
Alijah never placed it that way to avoid disturbing me, but the vampire hammered it in without a care in the world.
His child... an innocent baby. How can I fail him? And not just his child, but every one of them that is being born. Or was already...
For some reason, when it came to adults, it could miss or hit, but children were always a subject that made me uneasy. After all, they could not defend themselves like us. It reminded me of the ones I mowed down on the raider's base.
It was disturbing, but I could not control myself. I could plug them as victims of Edna, too. Her curse had broken me. Luckily, I did not remember their faces or bodies, but I knew they had been there.
I did not feel the guilt of killing them, but I felt like that loss should not have happened. There was no choice but to move forward.
"What exactly?" Leonard asked.
My brothers sparred with Alijah behind us. Even though he was entertaining them, he never once let me out of his sight. Even while Leonard was with me. Knowing he was watching me made me feel safe no matter who I was facing. Even the stranger that stood in front of me, who pointed out all the things that depended on me.
"The weight of the world," I smirked, feeling off by it.
I had always tried to concentrate on my family and wanting their safety, but it never hit me on the random kids that live in the world. They surely did not deserve to suffer from the mistakes of the surrounding adults.
"Ah… well, too bad. Get used to it since it’s your duty now." Leonard shrugged, not caring for my mental health.
He used the stick to tap my legs.
Fuck, he is right. He is merciless.
"Now take a proper stance." He began.
I knew very little of what he spoke of. After all, Lycans never needed to use weapons. We had was claws and fangs to fight with. Vampires and normal humans used metal weapons, though. However, a human could never keep up with me.
"The sword you’ll use is a long, thin sword. So, you must correct your stance to guide the weight of the blade to where you want it to go. Or you won’t cut a thing with it." He continued.
I felt an overload of information being poured my way. Though the vampire was passionate about what he was trying to teach me. It took me hours to stand correctly. And even more to learn how to swing without hurting myself.
One would think it would be easy, but... Most of the time, I would either break the sword's hilt because I held it too hard. Or it would slip out of my hands for clasping it too loosely. One of my attempts almost hit Caden, who had tumbled onto the floor thanks to Alijah.
For a while, I struggled to keep up with what Leonard was saying, but he never once lost his cool with me. No matter how many times I messed up or sent the poor sword flying into oblivion. It was lucky that there were no windows in the stadium for me to shatter.
Though after a while of failing constantly, I felt frustrated. Sadly, it showed, making Leonard shake his head when he noticed I was not dealing well with failure. Then again, it was all I knew for the past week.
"Believe it or not, you are not the worst I have seen. This is the first day, and you are catching on already." Leonard smiled, trying to motivate me.
I scowled at his words. They did not make me happy.
"Woot, give me a trophy for not being the worst at something," I growled, panting for air.
I was tired of swinging a wooden sword. Noticing my fatigue, Alijah threw me a water bottle from the cooler nearby. Aiden and Caden were taking a break on the floor like usual. Taking only a small sip of it, I wiped my face off with a towel.
Everything was honestly getting so complicated that I did not know when I would have some free time. I would have to juggle training with Leonard, Alijah, and Vera all together while somehow mastering all of them by the time of the next blood moon.
This was an impossible task everyone was asking me to do. Even if I were a luma, that could handle more than the usual bashing. This was too much. I felt like I could crumble under the weight of it all, yet I could not afford to.
Giving up was never my style. After all, I made the most dangerous Lycan fall for me somehow. Something I thought would never be possible. So, I had to have some outstanding qualities in me other than having the gods' favor. Maybe I could not master them all in time, but at least I would be a workable opponent to anyone who came my way.
While in the breather, Alijah sat next to me, glaring at Leonard, who read a book. There I noticed the vampire was a graceful little thing that had an adorable side, too. His bookmarker was a picture of his son.
That alone made me realize he was not an evil man at all. It was why Dad and Tania fought to get him on our side. My brothers, who laid on the floor, were getting ready to get up. However, the moment Vera came into the room.
Everything changed from calm to chaotic in a split second. She already seemed in a foul mood, but the moment she saw Leonard, it changed for the worse.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!?" Vera snapped the moment she saw the vampire in the stadium.
He closed his book, turning to her with a rather gentle expression on his face.
"Oh, here you are. I was wondering if I would see you today." Leonard smiled gently.
Vera was having none of it, though.
Do they know each other? Vera never acts this way with strangers.
"No one likes a creeper, Leon!" she growled, not happy to see him here.
Although it eluded me why she was acting this way. Leonard did not seem like an evildoer. Though it seemed there was something else going on. Something that everyone in the room would find out soon enough, thanks to the lack of filters that they both possessed. Had she even realized we were here?
"I’m not here for you, sweetheart, even though you warmed my bed not too long ago," Leonard smirked, having had enough of Vera's name-calling.
She threw the first thing that she found at him.
Warmed his bed? Uh... oh...
"Shut up!" she yelled, flushed red.
He caught what she had thrown at him, chuckling. He was enjoying her reactions.
Come to think of it, she isn’t acting like he is a stranger. I mean, she warmed his bed somehow, but she never mentioned him before. Is he a recent fling? Wait, what happened to Ryker's son?
"I’m your sister's sword instructor. I do hope we can still get along just fine, even if we had..." Leonard tried to keep the peace.
Though Vera, who usually would never be like this unless it was me or Alijah, continued to rage.
"I told you to shut up, Leon!" she warned him.
I noticed she was calling him by a nickname. They knew each other from way before today, that much I was sure of. Especially the way she was acting.
"You need to relax, or you’ll pop a vein, darling," Leonard noted.
The practice swords floated around us. This was rare…
Oh... she is losing control.
I grabbed onto Alijah's shirt, noticing he stared at Ruzgard intently. If Vera lost it, Ruzgard would also lose it. He had already grown a few sizes too.
"I said get out of my home!" Vera continued, not wanting him here.
She had not noticed us here at all. That could mean trouble since Caden and Aiden could barely move thanks to the thrashing they had endured. Though, I think it was more the shock of them finding out their other baby sister also had a man in her life.
"I already told you, I’m your sister's instructor," Leonard repeated, expecting Vera's attack.
Had this happened before? Vera did not care, though.
"She can get another one!" Vera pointed out.
Leonard seemed to push all the wrong buttons on her. I had never seen her like that. Not even when Alijah pushed all the buttons. Then again, she never slept with my wolf.
"Come on, I don’t know why you are so angry. It was you who left me that night. I am sure I treated you like a princess. I mean, you and I were both-" Leonard tried to speak only for Vera to shut him down yet again.
Though this time she was determined to push him out, no matter what.
"Shut up!" she yelled, suddenly unleashing an energy pulse that caused Alijah to step in.
Suddenly, all her magic was gone. In that instant, she glared at Alijah, who did not take kindly to her relentless assault. Even if it was not directed at us, it involved us. The moment my wolf's intervention began, Leonard observed us, not knowing what to expect.
The swords around fell onto the ground.
"Oi, I don’t give a fuck about who you decide to fuck, witch. But keep your energy under control. You could hurt your brothers or Rem, which at that point will mean I might hurt you. So, chill before you blow up." Alijah glowered at Vera, who quickly realized we were in the room too.
From the moment she spotted Leonard, she only had sights for him. I could swear tears formed on the corners of her eyes, suddenly bolting away. Instinctively, after seeing her in distress, I ran towards the door, yelling at her only for her to disappear into one of her portals.
"She is harmless, mutt." Leonard rolled his eyes, annoyed by Alijah's interruption.
My wolf shrugged at the vampire.
"Harmless, until the familiar gets involved, then it can get messy." He noted, staring at him.
Leonard sighed, slightly shaking his head after remembering something that had happened between them.
"Ah... Right. The Shadow beast…" Leonard mumbled.
However, they were unaware of the sin they had done. Before they knew it, I turned to them, angered they had made my sister cry. Darkness radiated from me, marking the awaking of the beast within.
I felt like pummeling them down for making her feel like that. Even if Vera lost control, there was no doubt in my mind that she would only have tried to push Leonard out. She had hurt no one in her life before. Not even when I attacked her. She never rose a hand at me.
Ruzgard yanked me off her, and that was it. The only time she ever hit me was when I came back to her. Even though Alijah was being overprotective, he did not need to chide her like that.
"You both are idiots! I won’t forgive either of you if you make her cry like that again!" I snarled at them.
They both seemed a bit intimidated by me. Though, I did not know what expression I had on my face to make them like that. Just like my brothers were protective of us, I was among them. A trait I probably got from Fenrir himself.
Tania gave Leonard the rundown of what I was capable of if I lost it. Unlike Vera, I would hurt everyone in this room without a second thought.
"Sorry, love." Alijah apologized, noticing my anger was directed at both.
Though I knew he was not sorry for calling her out, but because I got angry. Tearing my gaze away from him, I glared at Leonard, who seemed ready for anything if it came from me. He was not defenseless against me, but surely my speed would overwhelm him.
"Better apologize to her when I get her back here. I don’t give a damn if you are one-night stand gone wrong." I growled at Leonard, who smirked in return.
"Yes, yes, very sorry, dear. I just can’t help but tease her." Leonard also apologized, wincing a bit at the tone of my voice.
He did not want any trouble, either.
"Then don't tease her." I scowled at the vampire.
A second later, I was after Vera, who had run into her place of comfort. A place I knew very well. She had kicked me out a billion times because of how noisy I was. It was a place she would always hide when she felt like she was getting attacked.
This time, though, there was no way she was taking me out. Opening the door, I noticed her crying in her library. It was Moms too. Instinctively, I jumped at her. Ruzgard sat next to her, trying to comfort her too. She had not even noticed me come in.
"Vera!" I called out, engulfing her in my arms.
She seemed confused about why I was here.
"Rem?!?" she sobbed.
I snuggled myself into her. She was always so warm.
"It’s okay, I’m here," I whispered.
She shook her head, trying to shove me off a bit. Probably felt embarrassed by the whole thing, but I would not let her go at it alone. Instead of being intimidated by her sudden push, I sat in front of her.
"Sorry I-" Vera frowned.
I stopped her by hugging her again, squishing her a bit.
"Don’t say you are sorry. I’m sorry for Alijah, he can be a douche sometimes." I smiled, pulling away from her so I could see her face.
It was one of utter disappointment.
"Sometimes?" She questioned my ability to judge Alijah.
I could not help but giggle, knowing the answer she wanted to hear. At least she was not kicking me out. That was a win.
"Well, okay. Most of the time." I adjusted.
Vera sighed in response. Though this was much deeper than Alijah snapping at her.
"Want to tell me what happened with Leonard?" I asked.
She seemed caught off-guard by my question. We had already heard much about it, but not from her side.
"Leon..." Vera mumbled, glancing down to the floor.
"It was a mistake." She tried to downplay it.
I simpered, trailing my hand down her cheek. Under all that explosive nature, she was brittle.
"Should I tell him to find me another teacher?" I asked her, not wanting her to feel out of place because of his appearance.
In response, Vera made an expression she had never done before. It was saddening. One of pain…
"No, that’ll take too much time. I was being selfish when I said that. You need to learn, and he is the best at it. I just thought..." Vera began, not taking her eyes from the floor.
Ruzgard nuzzled her in an attempt to comfort her. He knew her feelings more than I did.
"You thought?" I tried to encourage her to speak her mind, hoping I could help her with whatever was bothering her, but it seemed this was an old scar.
Far older than I could comprehend. It did not help that I was always stuck in the room.
"I wouldn’t see him so soon after that." Vera sighed, shaking her head.
I sat in front of her again.
"Oh... Well, he doesn’t seem like a bad person at least." I pointed out.
It caused her to smile bitterly.
Ah... she likes him.
"He isn’t a bad person." She also agreed.
I noticed something in the tone of her voice.
Yes... my sister did, in fact...
"Oh? Do I sense some old feelings in there? Is that why you were attracted to Alijah, too?" I could not help myself from asking.
Vera sighed, frowning in response. Leonard and Alijah both had a similar air around them. Though Alijah's case...
"Rem..." Vera sounded somewhat annoyed but quickly dropped it, clenching her hands into fists.
"Yes, but he had a fiancé back then. It was one-sided and nothing happened until after..." she sighed, remembering those times bitterly.
It seemed those feelings were not gone fully. If anything, it reignited them. For how long had they known each other? And for how long had she been trying to suppress those emotions? It saddened me to see her like this.
"You mean the mother of his son?" I mumbled.
She nodded in response.
"Yes, Olivia died because of an illness she was born with a month ago. Then, a week ago, I did something stupid with Leon." Vera seemed to regret what had happened.
I grabbed onto her hand in an effort to be there for her. But… I did not know if I was doing it right.
"You slept with him?" I asked straight up.
She struggled to face me.
Is she ashamed of it? Is it her first time? Why... is she acting this way? I mean, she had many boyfriends before this.
Whatever it was, it was sure that all the other relationships never got to this level.
"Yes," she mumbled, not wanting to meet my gaze.
I sighed, shaking my head. She seemed so vulnerable, and it annoyed me.
Where is all the feistiness? A man surely can’t tame her.
"Vera, look at me." I grabbed onto her shoulders.
She seemed reluctant to gaze at me.
"You’re still my amazing sister. That will outshine me at anything she puts her mind on. It doesn’t matter what you do. Or if you make silly mistakes. Or if you yell and hit me." I simpered.
She turned fully towards me as her purple orbs seemed glossy again. This did not fit her at all. It almost reminded me of when her friends were using her. The same desire to protect her was surging within me.
"Rem..." she called out, not knowing how to respond to me.
I grinned happily to have her facing me again.
"So... please face me with the pride you usually do with. I’m not used to this unless you are yelling at me. It’s weird otherwise." I pointed out with a small giggle.
In response, she frowned, flicking my forehead. It was a good type of pain, though.
"You are an idiot, you know that?" Vera huffed, triggering Ruzgard to chuckle because of it.
"I have been told multiple times by multiple people, but hey, I’m me." I grinned, sitting down again.
She shook her head, smiling at me.
"Well, is there any reason to hold back your feelings for him? I mean, he is single now." I asked her.
She gazed away again, grabbing onto her arm. It was to soothe herself.
"He is part of royalty." She noted.
I tilted my head. Her assessment made no sense to me. I mean, we lived in the most expensive house in Silverant. We were the most powerful family in all of Astea.
"So are you." I pointed out.
She gazed back at me.
"It’s different. Well, I guess it was the same for Mom, but she got lucky with two twins that took Dad's genes most. If she would have been stuck with just us, then... Well, you saw what happened to Alijah once.” Vera sighed, shaking her head.
“But..” I mumbled.
She grabbed onto my hands.
“That still happens at this date and age. I mean, it almost happened to her too. And vampires... well... They are worse than us Lycans, if not the same as the ones of old." Vera informed.
I seemed to have stepped too ahead. The races could not interfere with one another’s affairs.
"I see," I mumbled, grabbing onto my arm.
With Alijah and me, there were chances we would get Lycan pups, but even then, another luma was inevitable, too. Hybrids were never ideal to everyone else, though.
"Rem, I would never regret having a little hybrid like you. So never think about that. But you also got lucky. You have Dad that loves you to death, even though you are a luma. Not every father is like that. I mean, Celestelia wouldn’t exist if they were." Vera tried to fix her previous statement.
I still did not see it well.
"Oi, we will love even your kid if it’s not a full human or whatever you decide to marry. I’ll make sure of it. And so will you and the rest of our family." I stopped her right there.
She simpered because of it.
"I know, but I want to stay away from the vampire royals." She reassured me.
I got up from the floor, handing my hand towards her.
“What happened to Ryker’s son?” I asked, chuckling a bit.
It seemed I had missed a lot.
“He got married to a nice elven girl. I always told you there was nothing with us.” She huffed, grabbing onto my hand.
Or perhaps I had misunderstood. Though, the moment she touched my skin, a weird sensation came over me. It was not one I had ever felt before. It pulsed through me.
“Well, I see,” I sighed, helping her up.
Once she was up, I gazed at my hand, shaking my head.
Maybe it was a nerve or something… Fuck it.
"Now let’s go back. The boys have something to tell you and I don’t mean the current comatose brothers of ours." I smiled, heading for the door.
That weird sensation was quickly forgotten when I saw Alijah outside of the library door. Vera followed me back out, too.
So, that is why there aren’t any ghosts around.
I could not help but grumble at him for waiting so close to us. We were having a sisterly conversation that did not involve him. But then again, he was the only one who could stop me if I went out of control for any reason. So, I could not be too angry with him.
Though Vera ignored Alijah altogether by sidestepping away from him. When we got to the stadium once again, she also overlooked Leonard's apology. Inciting my wolf to a spar with her, she said that she needed to blow off some steam.
Part of me hoped she would open up to the possibility for Leonard. He seemed to want to make amends with her. Though I did not know what they had said to each other the morning after the act occurred, nor did I want to know. That was between them, but I sensed no hostility from him to her. Unlike my sister had to him.
Vera was a stubborn girl, though. So, if the vampire wanted to win her over to be friends, it would take time. Even as the month passed by us, nothing changed other than my ass being more tired than usual. Leonard and Alijah were ruthless towards me.
Though my wolf was the worst. He felt no pity for our poor souls. To be honest, my favorite time was with Vera, when all I had to do was try to meditate. Though, if she ever caught me slacking. Well, let us say I would get an ear full worse than Alijah and Leonard. Though, most days, I felt like my arms could fall off.
The only place Alijah and I usually had any fun anymore was in the bathroom. Sadly, the moment I fell onto the bed, I passed out cold for the night. Though it seemed that I was quite good at handling a weapon such as a sword.
Perhaps a trait from Fenrir himself. Either that or Leonard was an amazing teacher. And he was extraordinary, but so was Mom. And she failed to teach me magic while being successful with strangers.
Although the first few days with Leonard were full of confusion and mistakes, I slowly was getting better. And that made me feel happy. I had to take the win in something. Leonard's and Vera's relationship hurdles seemed to be the same, though.
She always ignored him, even though he tried to be friendly to her every day. Though it all changed instantly after the initial month had passed. It was like any other normal torturous day when Vera felt queasy during one of our sessions, suddenly passing out.
I caught her before she hit the floor. Leonard had stepped out since afternoons I passed them with Vera or Alijah. My brothers were with Alijah at the time of Vera's illness. When I touched her forehead, thinking she might have come down with an illness. I felt the same sensation I had a month ago, but stronger.
The feeling was as if it were a warmth along with electricity. One that pulsed through me every time I touched her skin. It also only happened to her. Every time that Alijah touched me, I did not feel this sensation.
My wolf and brothers quickly noticed what was going on. I yelled at Aiden or Caden to call Mom, who was at work with Dad. Something was wrong with Vera, and I did not know what it could be. In the moments that it took Mom and Dad to get home, all I felt was guilt for ignoring the sensation from before.
I thought maybe if I had not done so, my sister would not have gotten this way. Caden had brought Vera to her room while we all sat idly by. Alijah tried to comfort me, noticing I was distressed.
Though the medic quickly put my guilt to rest, announcing something that would shock everyone in the room. What I had been feeling was the new life that was being formed in Vera. She was pregnant. It shocked Mom and Dad to hear the news.
After all, they did not know their daughter was seeing someone. Everyone who was in the stadium the day of the confrontation knew. Or suspected that Leonard was the father of her babies, though. Assumed because we did not know if Vera had been with anyone else.
She still had not regained her consciousness, so it left us to speculate. Though none of us said a word to Mom and Dad, who were simply shocked after receiving the news. That was when I told everyone to leave the room, including Alijah.
Mom and Dad never expected me to kick them out of Vera's room, but I was the only one who knew about Leonard in detail. If anyone was going to tell her, it was me. It took her a bit, but the moment Vera opened her eyes, I smiled at her, asking her how she was.
Instantly, she knew something was wrong with the tone of my voice. There, I told her what had happened before dropping the news on her.
"Vera... you are pregnant," I announced, causing her jaw to drop.
The color drained from her face. This news turned her world upside down. After all, she wanted nothing to do with the vampires and their royalty standards, but now... It seemed she was destined to clash with them.
And the aftermath…