Chapter 106

Chapter 106
Elora PoV

Ryker has never once, not in all the times I’ve been forced to live with him, been attentive towards me, but now, all of a sudden, it’s like he’s fighting for my affection. It’s like the both of them are fighting for my love, and I’m not even sure what changed, is the pregnancy? Are they really that excited?

It doesn’t feel real, none of it does. I feel like I’m living someone else’s life, and maybe I am, because none of this is what I’m used to.

I’m used being beaten, cast aside, tortured, thrown out into the cold, not shown love and tenderness. True, not all of those things were done to me by them, but they’re still not the type of men to be gentle. They’re the type of men to rip my heart from my chest the moment they think I’m being unfaithful.

But love? A few months ago I didn’t even think they were capable of it, let alone willing to try and work something out with me. But perhaps I was wrong, perhaps my judgment of them was all based off what they wanted me to see, and not what they are.

It’s been two weeks since I found out the news that changed them, two weeks of silence from Miya, but two weeks of nothing but love from Ryker and Maddox. It’s like the world has flipped upside down, and I’m not sure how to handle it.

I’m enjoying their attention, I’d be stupid not to, but a part of me is waiting for the moment when it all stops again. When they go back to either being completely hot and cold.

I don’t think I can go back to that, not after seeing this new side to them.

I’m just getting dry from my shower when my bedroom door opens, Miya looks nervous as she steps inside the room. She closes the door, but not before glancing at the hall with anxiety.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, quickly pulling on some underwear.

I don’t used to mind it when she saw me naked, but I have a feeling I don’t want to feel vulnerable for this conversation.

Her eyes glance over me, stopping on my stomach for a second too long, “I wanted to come and apologise.” She says, her voice low, as if she’s afraid someone will hear her. “I just didn’t expect the news of the… baby.”

“I didn’t expect it either.” I shoot back, “but I would have never said the same things to you.”

I pull on some joggers and a jumper, fighting hard not to cry. I should be angry, not upset. The things she said to me were wrong, even if they were said in the heat of the moment.

“I know that it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself!” She argues, her voice rising, “you have to look at it the way I did when you told me, these people took everything from me, my family, my home and my future.”

“Do you even realise who you’re talking to?” I ask, my eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “My race is dead, I’m the only one left, all because of them. My family is gone. My race is gone.”

“And yet you slept with them.” She says, rolling her eyes. “You slept with the same men who butchered your family.”

I struggle to hold back my anger, mostly because I know that she is right, but also because the old me would have said the same thing to her if roles were reversed.

“I’m mated to them Miya, and I know you don’t entirely know what that means, but our souls are connected, bound to each other.” I shake my head, wondering why I’m even trying to explain. “I can’t fight it anymore, not like I used to. I don’t want to live the rest of my life miserable.”

“And what about me?” She asks, stepping further into the room, her voice softer again. “Did you ever stop to think how it would make me feel to know you are sleeping with them?” She wipes at her eyes in angry swipes of her wrist. “You didn’t even talk to me about it, you just did it and then bam, you’re pregnant and I’m supposed to just accept it all.”

“I don’t do it to hurt you.” I say, my own voice slightly softer. “I did it for me, for my future.”

“That’s the problem.” she says. “You only thought about yourself.”

“Maddox risked his life to save you from Darax.” I say, trying to turn the conversation towards positives. “He is the real one behind the destruction of our world, not Maddox, and not Ryker.”

“They may not have been the ones calling the shots, but they are the ones who spent years killing innocent people.” Miya sighs, the sound defeated. “I didn’t come here to argue, I came here to ask something from you.”

My heart sinks, perhaps she doesn’t care about me at all anymore.

Does the time we spent together mean nothing to her?

She wanted me to get rid of my baby, and now she wants something from me. That’s the only reason she apologised at all. All because she wants to use my position to help her.

“What do you want?” I ask, my voice hollow.

“I want you to ask the kings to let me go.” She says, her voice as hollow as my own. “They don’t need me as leverage to get you to behave anymore, it’s all so very far away from how it started.”

My heart thumps rapidly inside of my chest, the tears I had fought so hard to hold back now sliding down my cheeks. She doesn’t mean it. She can’t.

“What if I don’t want you to leave?” I ask, my voice breaking.

I may be mad at her, but I still love her.

She doesn’t say a word.

I step forward, pulling at the bottom of my jumper. “What if I ask you to stay?”

“You don’t need me here anymore, Elora.” She whispers, not even looking at me. “And I don’t want to stand by and watch you become someone I know you’re not.”

“I’m still the same person.” I argue, but there’s no fight in my voice.

“You are.” She agrees, “but for how long?”

“Miya…”

“Just promise that you’ll ask for me, Elora.” She says quickly cutting me off, “please.”

I nod, slumping down on the edge of the bed, “I’ll ask, but if they say no, there isn’t much I can do.”

She looks at me, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I whisper back, the tears coming faster now.

She leaves without another word, and I’m left the wonder when things truly got this bad.

When did we grow so far apart?

Is it too late to fix things? Or has the rot begun to settle in?