Chapter 44: Family is overrated

Chapter 44: Family is overrated
Kael

I feel empty. Drained. It is nerve wracking knowing that I have no memories of who I am or what my life is about. Carla, the doctor filled me in on details, details that only annoys me because I should know them. No one should narrate my life to me. Why can't I remember?!

Her scent drifts into the car as she settles beside me, and I relax because only her scent has been comforting to me since I woke from that hospital bed. I don't remember her, but my body does. My senses react to her in a way you would never imagine possible. Lilac — the name feels so right on my lips and even though I do not recall it, the familiarity of it is refreshing.

I watch Lilac as she leans away, scrolling through her phone without glancing at me. I watch the way she bites her lips as she keeps scrolling. Would it he wrong to lean closer to kiss her? After all we are married right?

It is stupid, she has not spoken a word to me since she got in here, neither did she even spare me a glance when we got up this morning despite sleeping in the same room. She had scooted far away from me as possible just like she is doing now. Was I an awful husband to her? Is that why she is acting like this? Carla enters the car to drive to the palace or my Father's home according to her. Why do I have a feeling that I will not like meeting with my so-called family. A lot of things are on my mind and there is this building tempo inside of me, like a volcano ready to erupt. Carla also says I am a moon Lycan, a special Lycan according to her, she seems to know a lot about me.

The car starts moving, and Lilac is stilll as faraway as possible. "So how did we meet, Lilac?" I decide to engage her in a conversation. The look she gives me as her chocolate hair whips back when she turns to look at me is unexplainable, like I am a fool for asking that question. Then she shakes her head and heaves in a sigh.

"We never met before we got married." She replies me. "It was an arranged marriage, duty bound if you will call it that." Her tone isn't bitter as she says those words but yet I sense the sadness in her voice.

"You sound like you don't like being married to me?"

She stares at me for a long time. "Does having amnesia change the character of a person Carla?" She says to Carla who has been quiet since.

"Research says it can." Carla replies.

"What changed?" I look from Carla to Lilac. "About me? What changed?"

"The way you speak, you were always... How do I put it, closed off? Your emotions were like a switch, you would control it as you wished."

"And now?"

She bites her lips again and proceeds to look into space. "You are different, I don't know how else to explain it."

"I've only been awake for a day, how can you be so sure?"

"Right. Let's see how this goes." She mumbles.

"And... We are here." Carla announces, pulling up in front a fenced compound, the building hovers above despite the covering. I try to conjur up a memory, maybe the building will juggle one up. Nothing. I am met with nothing.

Frustration licks at me skin as we make our way down the halls, workers lowering their head in greeting with mumbled; "Your highness."

Lilac walks beside me, and from the corner of my eyes I see that she keeps glancing at me and then she leans in closer and take my yand in hers. The act relaxes me a bit, and I squeeze her palms in gratitude. Nothing is said as we enter into the room, the dining room apparently where there are — my eyes scan the people sitting around the large table, there are five of them seated. The King — My Father sits at the very head of the table, I know it is the king because Carla had shown me a picture before coming here. My half brother who apparently stole my title according to Carla too, sits beside him and there is Isabelle. The Queen and Lola, Talon's wife. I am grateful that Carla already briefed me on their names.

"Ah, he is here." My half brother says. Talon is his name. Lilac has let go of my hand and is now standing at the doorstep. Talon looks over at her and when his gaze starts to pore over her, an almost animalistic growl leaves my throat and I reach over to grab her to my side. She blinks at my sudden act but I only glare at Talon as he approaches us.

"It is so good to see you again brother." He grins. That voice... That scent... It irks me.

"I would not say the same." I reply him on instinct before I realize what I just said. Why did that statement feel so right to say?

"Ah.. I see you haven't changed." One thing Carla failed to mention is how much of an asshole Talon is.

"I wasn't reborn, why would I change?" My retort is sharp.

"Right, you only have amnesia which is a rare condition for a Lycan especially one like you. Makes me wonder if you are faking it."

Oh how I fucking wish.

"Can you both stop fucking arguing and come sit at the table?" Issy says.

"Language Issy." The queen warns and then she turns to us. "Issy is right though, Kael the food is getting cold so come sit."

King Alvarez is quiet, watching with hooded eyes as Lilac and I go over to sit at the empty space left for us.

"And you too Carla." He finally speaks, eyes still on me.

\-

Breakfast is over but we are still at the table.

The silence is deafening but I revel in it because I know not what is to come.

"Come with me Kael"

"Father." Talon stands at Father's words but the stern look on his face has him sinking back into his seat. I follow him out and then into the garden. When we get to the garden, he stops in the middle and then whips around to face me. His gaze is dark like there are secrets lurking in them just as there is also an in depth sorrow hiding behind those secrets. Did I hate my Father?

"Do you really not remember anything?" Father asks.

I shrug, crouching low to inspect the queen of the night flower struggling to survive. "That's what they say."

"It was your mother's favorite flower. She loved seeing it bloom in the midnight." Sorrow. Pain. Disappointment. I probably just read his statement wrong.

"And how did she die?"

Silence. I am greeted with silence. I raise my head to see why he isn't replying me. "How did she die? My mother?" I repeat my question and I have a feeling that I would not like his answer.

Father visibly gulps and then shakes his head. "She committed treason and was executed for her sins, it was only right that she was punished."

Rage. This emotion feels so familiar as I stand to face my father, I tower over him. "You killed her?"

"The law did."

"The law! You are the fucking law!" I yell, chest heaving as I stumble away from the man who is supposed to be my Father. He killed her, he killed a woman who bore him a son.

"You don't understand Kael!"

"I lost my memories does not mean I lost my sense of reason Father, that's what you do not understand!" I spit out.

"You will not raise your voice at me, Kael!"

The snake finally shows his true colors. The reality of what is happening hits me square in the face. He was checking if I actually really remembered or not. "You do not feel any remorse, all that was just for show?"

His lips curl back in a smirk. The fucking old geezer.

"You really do not remember anything Son," he notes and then he whirls around leaving me standing confused and as riled up as I could ever be in the middle of the garden.

Memory check; I hate the man who bore me.

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