42 - Expensive Prank?

THALIA ZAHARA.

Hours later, I was seated by Alpha Ezra in our new room. He was yet to return from the world of deep sleep and I could not compel myself to leave his side because I feared something might go wrong when I was not there. Though the Doctor had assured Emmag and me that Ezra would be fine, something within me kept saying otherwise.

“You need to sleep, Thalia,” Emmag said as he walked into the room for the umpteenth time. With the Alpha King down, he had to take on some urgent duties. “You’ll tire yourself at this rate. Remember we still have our training.”

“Oh.” My eyes remained glued to Alpha Ezra. “Can we still do that?”

“We don’t have to do anything hardcore.” He sat on the far end of the bed. “If you are not willing to leave this room, we can quietly go over a simple lesson here.”

I am very serious about not leaving Alpha Ezra alone. So, with a little expectation, I asked, “Can we do that instead?”

“Sure. As long as we have a lesson, it’s fine by me.”

“How’s it going?” I swiftly changed the topic. “Are the palatial duties going well?”

“Uh…” His head tilted to the side, it seemed he was about to say something I might not agree to. “Thalia?”

“Hmm?”

“I think it is time you start to take on the Luna Queen duties.”

“Oh. Didn’t we decide it would be best for me not to do that?”

“Did we?” He frowned. “Even if we did, it’s time to change things a bit. Taking on part of the Alpha duties has made me realize the kind of pressure Alpha Ezra has been enduring. Some of the pressure can be lessened.”

That makes a lot of sense, no doubt. But I am bound to leave my fake marriage to Alpha Ezra one day, so what will become of the seat of the Luna Queen when that day comes? I don’t wish to do such an insulting thing.

But… Emmag is very right. Regardless of what I think, this is something I should help with.

So, as I scratched my eyebrows, I said, “Let me know what I can do to help.”

“Alright.” He sighed and his eyes softened. “I apologize for sounding harsh.”

“Hmm… If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have been harsh because I wouldn’t accept your confession.”

His eyes narrowed and a playful smile rested on his lips immediately. “Now, why would I act that way? I am not a child. Earlier, while it was raining, I was frustrated because I knew what it meant for Alpha Ezra to be stuck in that heavy rain. I am sorry for taking out my frustrations on you.”

With a slight shake of my head, I assured him that it was fine. I find his excuse a little weird, but it’s enough that he has apologized.

“Okay!” He slapped his thighs and got up. “I have to get back to work. I will come by in an hour for our training. So, if it’s possible, catch some sleep.”

“Nah.” My elbows leaned into the bed and I went back to watching Alpha Ezra. “I will be fine.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you.”

The man had walked further away and opened the door but he turned. “Thalia?”

“Hmm?” I didn’t look in his direction.

“The child is here.”

My head whipped to the door. I could not see the boy but I quickly told Emmag, “He must not come in. I don’t care if you have to push him out.”

“Aren’t you being too harsh, Thalia?”

“Have the boy mess with your mind, then come back to ask me that question.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t endure being in the same space with him.” I had finally achieved peace in my mind a few minutes ago, I can’t allow anything to ruin it.

Emmag nodded. “Message well received.”

The door closed and I heaved a sigh of relief.

I turned my head to Alpha Ezra and my heart jumped on seeing that his eyes were open.

“Alpha Ezra,” I softly called while my heart raced with joy. “You are back.”

His head turned in my direction and after two blinks, he grabbed my hand. The warmth from our contact startled my soul a little bit,

“Thalia…” Our eyes stayed connected and I had strong reasons to believe that he could truly see me at that moment. His eyes kept wandering every detail of my face. “Thalia,” he repeated while I became a little carried away with following the movements of his beautiful eyes.

My lower body slightly lifted, and I answered, “Y-yes?”

“It’s… you. You are the one.”

“The one? What do you-?”

His hand pulled me closer and our chests met. As I lay on him, all I continued to see were his eyes. Something strange hinged me to that moment and I wished to linger in it for a minute more.

I mean, I know I find Alpha Ezra attractive and interesting, but isn’t this too strange? Why am I so comfortable with this?

“My mate,” his lowered voice whispered. “You are my mate.”

Words failed me, I think my breath did too. And for some reason, something tingled in my soul while I kept my eyes glued to his.

His hand gently found the back of my neck. His eyes softened even more and he whispered, “Will you accept me, Thalia? If I ask, will you accept me?”

“Alpha Ezra…”

“Hmm.” His eyes closed after that simple hum and I felt him return to the world of unconsciousness.

“No. No. No. No. Come back.” I stood straight. “Come back, Ezra.”

The man was back to how he was before- deep into sleep- but this time, something was different. The words he simply uttered remained. They caused me to sit down and as I stared into space, my racing heart relaxed and fluttered like it did when I found out that despite being wolfless, I was mated to Lycan Octavius.

I tried hard to fight that feeling, but I could not win. And like that, my hardened resolve to not be romantically interested or involved in another person started to dissolve, faster than I wished for it to.

***

After that brief confession by Alpha Ezra, he failed to wake up even after two days had passed. This worried me so much that I constantly bothered Emmag and the doctor to check up on him. But despite their assurance that the man was fine, my concerns grew. And it made it difficult that they didn’t believe me when I told them Alpha Ezra had woken up briefly. They were very sure that I was imagining it.

“Thalia…” Emmag walked in as I delved more into my thoughts. “You need to step out. Take a walk, breathe some fresh air.”

“I can’t,” I murmured. “What if he wakes up and I’m not here? I have to make sure he is fine.”

“I have been meaning to ask,” Emmag stood beside me, “what did Alpha Ezra say when he briefly woke up?”

“Why are you asking that?” I pouted. “You didn’t believe me when I said it.”

“I am sorry about that. It’s just, if he woke up already, it makes no sense that he went back to sleep. And he hasn’t woken up for two days now.”

“I don’t want to tell,” I replied to his initial question. “It is something I have to keep to myself till Alpha Ezra wakes up.” The mere thought of that moment made my lips smile but I quickly hid it before anyone else could see it. Despite the joy that had seeped into my soul thanks to that confession, I still have a force within me telling me not to read too much into it since my desire to remain single had not entirely vanished.

“Alright.” He exhaled quite loudly. “Whenever you are ready.”

“Hmm.”

“That reminds me, a package arrived for you. It’s from the Night Stream pack.”

That was strange. Except for Octavius, there’s no one else who would send me something from that pack.

So, with a little frown, I asked, “ From who?”

“Uhm… Your father?”

“My what?” I glared at him in case he was trying to play an expensive prank.

“Your father. I am not pulling your leg. The package is from your father.”

“That is…” My eyes darted to the bed and I could not hide my confusion. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t-”

A knock interrupted us.

A guard stepped in.

“Yes?” Emmag asked.

“Someone important is here.”

“So?”

“It is the Lycan King. He is here with other Alpha Kings and they don’t look very pleased.”