Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
“Please, have a seat.” I pointed at the chairs that were waiting for them. “We should talk.” None of them spoke, but several of them nodded in response as they took their seats.
“You are all the only ones that we could save. There might have been more of you that were innocent, but they didn’t survive the battle. I am sorry for the loss that you have all suffered.” Joaquin’s diplomatic king’s voice spoke calmly into the silent room. “There are three more of you that will be joining the ranks of the saved, but their minds are a little fractured after the influence from the Ancient Ones has worn off. We have someone, a member of our people that can help with that. And she assures me that they will be just fine soon enough.”
…..
“You have nothing to fear.” Dietrich started as he looked around the room. Then his eyes lingered on Clovio and Warrick and I wondered if he was just talking to the other five of them. “We just want to work out what is going to happen to you all, now that this is all over.”
“We want to help you.” Shawn’s soothing voice spoke up next. “We want to make sure that you can live normal lives now. And I am sure that you all want that as well.”
“C..can we really be like all the other people in the world? C..c..can we live like them for real?” Gustav’s voice shook as he asked that.
“Yes, Gustav, you can. And we will help you get started in that life. I know that you all have next to nothing to your names. So, we will help you to settle in. That is why I brought you up here.” I gave him and the others the best smile that I could manage.
We discussed what it was that these seven individuals wanted to do in their lives. We talked about where they would live, how they would make money, and other things along those lines. And after a few minutes of discussing the future, I saw that they all started to open up and talk very animatedly. Well, all except for Clovio and Warrick, that is. The two of them still looked really nervous.
After the talks were over, for the most part, I sent five of the Jaegan away. I asked that Clovio and Warrick stay put though, since we still had some things to talk about. They were still looking scared, but the others didn’t seem to notice as they left in good spirits.
“Now, Clovio, Warrick, there is a lot that we need to talk to you about.” Dietrich’s voice was a lot less calm and a hell of a lot sharper than it had been just moments before.
“Wh..wh..what do we need to talk about?” Clovio asked in a shaking voice.
“Well, for starters, we need to talk to you about our daughters.” Joaquin’s voice was just as sharp as Dietrich’s. They really were a lot alike. And hell, even Shawn was starting to look like them, and he was the gentle one.
“And we need to talk about the things that you did to them.”
“I swear, we didn’t do anything to them.” Warrick’s hands shot up in fear while he shook his head no. “We only kissed them a few times. I swear. I would never do anything to hurt Lyssa, ever.”
“You what?” Dietrich’s voice dropped several octaves as he glared at the man. “You were kissing and touching my daughter?”
“Oh shut up, fang.” I snapped at him. “All three of you need to shut up.” I tried not to laugh at them all. “Can’t you see that you’re scaring the poor boys?”
“Riviana, sweetheart, Little Bunny, that is the whole point here.” Joaquin, looking more than a little annoyed with me, spoke through his clenched teeth.
“Heel, Fido.” I narrowed my eyes at him and showed him my dominant side. He wasn’t ever going to win here, and he needed to know that. “If you three can’t behave yourselves, then I will talk to these young men alone. And I will be damned if I let you continue being a dick like that. You won’t even be within shouting distance if you keep this up.”
“Riviana?!” He looked fearful as he said this. “Y..You can’t do that!”
“Watch me, Cujo!” I snapped at him and heard Clovio and Warrick snigger. They had obviously seen that movie. Or read the book. Either one.
“Hahh. Fine.” Joaquin crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at the two young men. “You two are lucky to have her in your corner.”
“Y..y..yes. I can see that.” Clovio nodded in barely contained relief before he looked at me. “Wh..what is it that we need to talk about, Queen Riviana?” He made sure to use my title. I guess he thought that the little show of respect would put Joaquin at ease.
“Well, as they said, we need to talk about the girls. Clovio, do you know what it is that Rika thought about you? Why she was so upset that you hurt her? And the same for you, Warrick? Do you understand any of what happened between you and Alyssa?”
“I..I know that Lyssa is the love of my life.” Warrick spoke immediately. “I know that I have ached inside every minute of every day since I saw that hurt look on her face. I know that no matter how much time passes, I will never stop loving her. And I know that I will do anything and everything that is within my power to win back the trust that I so stupidly tossed aside.” I could see the redness in Warrick’s eyes. He was upset and on the verge of tears. He wanted his mate back, and he didn’t even know that was what she was to him.
“W..well, I know that I don’t feel for Rika what Warrick feels for Lyssa. And I know that I likely didn’t like Rika as much as she liked me, but I did, and still do, care about her. She is an amazing girl. I genuinely do want to see her happy and safe and protected. She is special to me, but I don’t think that I am in love with her. I like her, but now that I have had the time to think about it, I know that I don’t love her.”
“That is all well and good.” Joaquin began as he crossed his arms again. “But do you know what Rika thought about you? Do you know anything about the connections between people of our kind? Or is that something that you were never taught?”
“I..I don’t know.” Clovio shook his head.
“I had thought that Lyssa loved me, but now I am not so sure.” Warrick’s eyes couldn’t hold all the tears in, at that moment one slipped free and streaked down his cheek.
“Alyssa did love you. And might still.” Shawn’s voice was softer than before, but no less cutting as he spoke to Warrick. “I can’t say how much she still trusts you now, but she loved you.”
“And as for you, Clovio.” Joaquin growled at him. “Rika thought that you were her mate. She thought that you were the one and only man that she was meant to be with. That isn’t the case, but she thought it and that’s why she was so hurt.”
“Mate?” Clovio asked the question with just that one word, his eyes clearly puzzled.
“For us, our kind, we all have one predestined mate that we are meant to be with. There is one person that we know will be the love of our lives no matter what happens. And there is nothing that we can do to change that.”
“W..w..was I Lyssa’s mate?” Warrick’s voice was filled with fear. “Did I ruin that for us?”
“You are her mate.” Dietrich’s angry voice snapped at him. “And if you’re lucky, then I might just let you see her again. And that is if she is ever willing to see you again. She is feeling like you should never be trusted again, Warrick.”
“What am I going to do?” Warrick sobbed as he looked up into Dietrich’s eyes. He looked like a broken man. It was heartbreaking to watch.
“Hahh. Don’t look at me like that. It makes it really hard to hate you.” Dietrich sighed and I saw that he was softening a little.
“Please. I don’t want to lose Lyssa. I..if I lose her, I will lose myself.”
“And this, Clovio, is what it means to be mated. Even he, a human, can feel the bond between them. He is lost without her.” I explained to him, trying to help him understand. Warrick knew what it was, even if he had never heard the situation described before. He had known because he was part of that situation.